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A18052
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A plaine and compendious exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount contayned in the 5.6.7. chapters of Saint Matthew. Being the substance of sundry sermons. By Iohn Carter minister at Belstead neare Ipswych
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Carter, John, 1554-1635.
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1627
(1627)
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STC 4695; ESTC S116220
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101,087
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134
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what reckoning soeuer vaine men make of it Thirdly the euill hearer is described by that which outwardly befalleth him what turnings of deuices soeuer he vseth howsoeuer hee would bee content to fell away CHRIST IESVS his Lord that bought him together with his Kingdome as Esau did his birth-right to purchase his worldly peace and further his owne ends yet is hee to expect that God at one time or other will by strong and strange trials bring him also to the Touch-stone and make it appeare That all is not gold that shineth Hee will winnow and weigh him to make his lightnesse manifest to all the World Thus much hee would haue vs to vnderstand by the comming of the raine flouds winds and beating vpon that house Fourthly the contrarie euent of hearing and not doing is propounded and aggrauated The House fell and the fall was great Destruction shall bee to all workers of iniquitie yea as wee heard before euery tree that beareth not good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the sire though they neuer heard any one syllable of the Word of God but it shall come with a witnesse in a most high and fearefull degree vpon all reiecters or neglecters of holy doctrine especially of the most glorious Gospell of IESVS CHRIST How p Heb. 2. 3. shall they escape saith the Apostle if they neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to vs by them that heard him God also bearing witnes with signes wonders and diuers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost Ouer such neglecters are the woes pronounced and iudgements denounced q Matth. 11. 21 23. Woe be to thee Chorazin Woe be to thee Bethsaida c. And thou Capernaum which art exalted vnto Heauen shalt be brought downe vnto Hell It shal bee more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon and the Land of Sodome at the last day then for you So Wisdome euen the essentiall wisdome of God CHRIST IESVS is most earnest ample and admirable in this subiect r Prou. 1. 24. Because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man regarded but haue set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I will also laugh at your calamitie and mocke when your feare commeth when your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction as a whirlewind when distresse and anguish come vpon you then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke mee early but they shall not find mee for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord they would none of my counsell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eate of the fruit of their owne way and bee filled with their owne deuices So fearefull is the estate of him that heareth and doth not euen by the testimony of the diuine wisdome and truth it selfe deliuered with such vehemencie as if he would shake Heauen and Earth Thus much of these foure Verses contayning the conclusion of Christs Sermon wherein because hee layeth all vpon the doing or not doing of these his sayings comprehending a short summary of his heauenly doctrine especially of that part which concerneth a right Christian conuersation it will be worth the while to take a view of them as they lie in order and to compare our liues to them For certainly of most it may too truly be spoken as Linacre that famous Physician is reported to haue said to King Henrie the Eight Either these sayings are not CHRISTS or we are not Christians And wee are the rather to lay our liues to these rules because as wee may perceiue by that which hath beene alreadie said in the keeping heereof consisteth our wisdome and safetie amidst the greatest differences dangers and vexations that can befall in this life and in the neglecting most certaine ineuitable and intolerable ruine though all both men and Angels should lay their heads and hands together to hold vs vp Å¿ Isai 58. 14 For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it To make the better way heereunto let vs first take in the summe of our Lord CHRISTS foregoing doctrine which we may doe the more easily because it is summed vp by this our Euangelist Chap. 4. 17. in one onely word REPENT that none should pleade the slipperinesse of his memorie for who cannot if he set his mind vpon it remember that one word And further to admonish vs that there is none obedience at all yeelded to CHRISTS sayings by them that repent not of their sinnes and when men doe once vnfainedly repent all obedience will follow Yet must we not imagine that our Lord CHRIST went vp and downe repeating this bare word alone but rather insisting vpon the doctrine and necessitie of repentance did explane dilate and vrge it euery where vpon euery occasion This would be knowne before we goe any further what is meant by repentance This word is either taken in the large sence as heere or in the strict sence as elsewhere commonly In the large sence he preached that men should repent that is as we learne by the originall tongues come to themselues or to their right mindes out of the spirituall phrensie which naturally possesseth all flesh and returne vnto God their heauenly t Luke 15. 17. Father and souereigne King humbly confessing and bewayling their sinnes beleeuing the Gospell or glad-tidings of free pardon and reconciliation with God through him and of all blessings spirituall and corporall to euery penitent petitioner and lastly leading a life worthy of God and of his glorious Gospell by an vtter deniall u Titus 2. 1â— of vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world In which deniall and manner of liuing consisteth our repentance in the strict sence being caused by that godly sorrow for sinne and beliefe in the Gospell before mentioned For godly sorrow or sorrowing for sinne as it is sinne and offence against the diuine Maiestie which cannot be without hope of pardon x 2. Cor. 7 10. worketh repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of To repentance in the large sence consisting of due contrition for sinne true Faith in God through CHRIST IESVS and new obedience to all his Commandements he exhorteth all people by this maine reason y Mat. 4. 17. The Kingdome of Heauen is at hand meaning that promised and long expected Kingdome of the Messiah by whom they looked for a restoring of all things This is called the Kingdome of Heauen because his comming into the World was not to set vp a worldly z Heb. 9. 1. sanctuary or politie as was formerly vnder the Law comparatiuely but an heauenly regiment worship and seruice to bee performed in spirit and truth according to the tenour of the Gospell This a Heb. 9. 10. time of reformation as the Apostle calleth it now approached yea then was as he
testified elsewhere to the woman of Samaria b Iohn 4. 23. The houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth So in like manner to the Pharisees c Luke 17. 21. Behold the Kingdome of God is in or among you already meaning that the Messiah whom they so much enquired after was alreadie come euen then present before them But it is said to draw neere in respect of the fuller accomplishment of all things that were written of him and further manifestation of his Glory by his meritorious Passion victorious Resurrection triumphant Ascension royall installment or sitting at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest Heanens magnificent gifts which he d Acts 2. 33. hauing receiued of his Father the promise of the Holy Ghost shed forth abundantly vpon his Church and finally his most illustrious conquest when to the amazement of all both men and Angels by the simple preaching of the Gospell as the World accounteth it he fetcht in both Iewes and Gentiles farre and neere in great abundance to the obedience of Faith The heauenly Kingdome thus approching required a heauenly preparation for it by that repentance before called for without the which they were vtterly vncapable of it and so as chaffe to bee winnowed or fanned out of God's floore or visible Church and to be burned with fire vnquenchable as his fore-runner Iohn e Matth. 3. 12. the Baptist threatned his vnfruitfull hearers This also is further to be considered that if the approach of this heauenly Kingdome required of euery one such carefull preparation by turning instantly to God with all their hearts and with all their soules what doth the presence of it require of vs who now liue in the time of reformation and see or may see cleerely the accomplishment of all those high mysteries before mentioned concerning Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension into Heauen sitting at the right hand of his Father the powring forth of the Holy Ghost and calling of the Gentiles To vs especially is that notable exhortation directed f Psal 24. 7 9. Lift vp your heads O yee gates and be yee lifted vp yee euerlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in for we especially are by calling and profession a spirituall House or Temple and our hearts gates or doores for IESVS CHRIST the King of glory to enter in by wherefore we aboue all others are to lift vp our heads on high by raysing vp our mindes aboue the leuell of this World and aboue all the things of this World though neuer so pleasurable and glorious in appearance That so beeing g Col. 3. 1 2. risen againe with CHRIST wee may seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God we may set our affections on things aboue and not on things on the earth And this also iustly calleth for another deepe consideration That if the neere approach of the Kingdome of Heauen by his appearing in grace to his people lay such a necessitie vpon them to turne euery mothers childe from their euill wayes no beleeue in him and as becommeth his Disciples and followers to bring forth fruit worthy of so high and honourable a calling what doth then the neerer approach of his appearance in glory and maiestie at the last day which now cannot be farre off when the Lord IESVS shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mightie Angels in h 2. Thess 1. 8. flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not GOD and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord IESVS CHRIST A man liuing in the bosome of the Church and being put in minde hereof from time to time as occasion is offered had need to haue his conscience seared with a hot Iron and his heart as the i Zech. 7. 12. Prophet complayneth made hard as an Adamant-stone if this most weightie consideration doe not awaken him to liue k 1. Cor. 15. 34. righteously and not to sinne as the Apostle speaketh But if neither the presence of the Kingdome of grace nor the expectation of the Kingdome of glorie will doe it what remayneth but that terrible sentence which the Sonne of God the Lord and Iudge of all hath denounced long agoe and will pronounce on his tribunall seate in due time l Luke 19. 27. Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me Let this suffice for Christ's foregoing doctrine That which remayneth now is to take a view of his whole m Mat. 5. 1 2. Sermon the occasion whereof was offered by the maruellous concourse of people assembling vnto him from all parts as is shewed Chap 4. 25. as also by the forwardnesse of his owne Disciples flocking about him to heare his doctrine and gaping as it were for his instructions none otherwise then the dry and thirstie ground doth for raine This made our Lord and blessed Sauiour who alwayes lay in wait to catch men and was in this kind a mightier hunter without comparison then euer n Gen. 10. 9. Nimrod was in his to spread the Net of his Euangelicall and most powerfull doctrine vpon the Mountaine whither hee had ascended both to auoide the throng and to be the better heard Neither is it to be neglected that hee is said to haue sit downe as the manner of Teachers then was and to open his mouth or addresse himselfe to vtter his heauenly message not lightly or slightly as too-many doe but most grauely and graciously as beseemed his person and the maiestie of the diuine Oracles which were to come from him For this Teacher-like sitting downe and opening of his mouth may serue to admonish euery one of vs that wee are altogether forgetfull of our dutie and extremely vnthankfull if with o Luke 10. 39. Mary in the Gospell wee sit not assiduously and vnmoueably at the feete of this great Prophet and open not our cares with due reuerence and deuotion to heare his Word The rather because such vnmatchable treasures of spirituall wisdome and vnderstanding are heerein contayned that this Sermon may truly be said to bee the Master-piece of all his workes which are extant of this nature It may be reduced to these three heads first he instructeth vs more fully who are capable of that Kingdome either of grace or glory and so to be accounted truly blessed secondly by what meanes this great dignitie is to bee attayned vnto thirdly what their conuersation is and ought to bee who are of that ranke Concerning the subiect of blessednes it hath beene much canuassed by the great Philosophers and wisemen of the world placing it some in one thing some in another but in fine after all disputes leauing the matter as vncertaine as they found it But this our heauenly teacher without any going about the bush or intricate discourse in very few words setteth downe most plainely and pithily who are