Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	abraham_n	faith_n	perfect_a	4,924	5	9.0614	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90521	The Scriptures stability or, the Scripture cannot be broken. Proved, explained, and several wayes applied, whereby all Scripture may with singular advantage come to be improved. Very seasonable and usefull in these last and worst dayes, wherein the authority and truth of the Scripture is now much oppugned, and by few so improved as it ought. By Robert Perrot, B.M. and minister of Gods word, at Deane in Bedfordshire.	R. P. (Robert Perrot)	1658 (1658)	Wing P1646; Thomason E1928_2; ESTC R209990	89,342	222

be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness c. that is by repentance shewing forth the happy signs and fruits thereof and how often doth the Lord call and invite sinners to this not only as being most acceptable to him but as knowing full well how much it concerns themselves Prov. 1. 23. Hosea 14. 1 2. Isay 55. 7. Ezek. 33. 11. turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye God doubles his call for they must if they do not turn inevitably dye and that eternally and therefore why will ye be so sottish as through your wilfull impenitency to bring eternal destruction upon your selves for if ye still go on as you have begun nothing can betide you but that you must needs dye and perish in your sins Again secondly cannot the Scripture be broken can it not err or mistake then this it further informs us gives us to see who are indeed blessed and who cursed who are indeed happy and who miserable who why those whom the Scripture pronounceth so and why why because the Scripture it cannot be broken and therefore they whom the Scripture pronounceth blessed must needs be blessed and those whom the Scripture pronounceth cursed must needs be cursed what Balack said of Balaams blessing or cursing I am sure I may truly say of this Book 's blessing or cursing of the Scripture● blessing or cursing Numb 22. 6. for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed and he whom thou cursest is indeed cursed so may I truly say of the Scripture he whom the Scripture blesses is indeed blessed and he whom the Scripture curseth is indeed cursed and therefore O it's good getting among the number of Scripture-blessed-ones the Lord make us of the number of those blessed ones and keep us from being among the number of Scripturecursed-ones for they whom the Scripture pronounceth blessed or cursed are indeed so the Scripture being that which cannot be broken as the Apostle Iames saith in another case so say I Do not err my beloved Brethren nor mistake as concerning who are blessed for 1. Who are blessed not such who it may be think and apprehend themselves blessed no men may think themselves blessed and happy and yet be miserable enough as Christ tells the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. thou sayest thou art rich and increased with goods and hast need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable poor blind and naked and that rich man in the 12th of Luke he no doubt thought himself wise and happy but God called him fool and shews him that he was miserable vers 20 21. A man may bless himself in his own heart though he be such a one as against whom God threatens all the curses that are written ●n his Book Deut. 29. 18 19 20. And therefore he is not the blessed man who meerly thinks and accounts himself so neither secondly is he blessed whom others count and will say are blessed for others may count and call us happy and blessed and yet for all that we may be miserable and cursed as it is said of the wicked he blesses the covetous whom God abhorreth Psal 10. 3. and Malachy 3. 15. and now we call the proud happy c. And men will praise thee when thou doest well to thy self saith the Psalmist as the men of the world count well dost well or dost good that is pamperest cherishest makest much of thy self so good is sometimes used for worldly pleasure and emoluments Psal 4. 6. Ainsworth I but what follows though whil'st he lived he blessed his soul and men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self it follows Psal 49. 19. he shall go to the generation of his Fathers they shall never see light he shall go whither wicked men are gone before him and shall never see the light of life the light of glory Thus it is not that we account our selves blessed or others account or call us so that indeed speaks us so but it is when the Scripture calls and pronounceth us so when we are among the number of the Scripture-blessed-ones for that cannot be broken that cannot err or mistake so that if we be but indeed and in truth such as that doth pronounce blessed we are indeed blessed for we are sure that the judgement of the Scripture is according to truth and therefore as not he that commends himself is approved so not he that blesses himself or others bless is blessed but he whom the Scripture blesses Now the Scripture pronounces several blessed and it 's good observing who they are and never to rest till we come to be and to be in truth of the Number of them for the Scripture being that which cannot be broken such and indeed only such are truly blessed Now the Scripture pronounceth such blessed 1. Who find wisdom and who get understanding Prov. 3. 13. n Qui sapi●ntiam veram inveniunt qui intelligentiam factis exprimentes coram in medium afferunt Cartw in loc i. e. true wisdom who attain to the saving knowledge of God in Christ and produce it into practice so as to fear God and depart from evill Iob 28. 28. 2. Who believe in Christ who close with him and put their trust in him Psa 2. 11. blessed are all they that put their trust in him or that shrowd themselves under him that rely confidently on him or that betake themselves for refuge and safety to him so Ainsworth o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est recipere se aliquò tanquam in locum ●●tum deinde etia● in ●o secure conquiescere where indeed is their safety but only in him Acts 4. 12. So Gal. 3. 9. So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham now to be of Faith it is to believe and apply the promise of Righteousness and life and Salvation by Jesus Christ and to rest on him alone for Justification and Salvation as they are said to be of works who look to be justified by works so they are said to be of faith who believe in Christ and look to be saved and justified by Christ alone So Psa 72. 17. men shall be blessed in him that is in believing in him and so in getting interested in him who is the blessed one and in whom the promise of blessedness and all blessings is made these the Scripture pronounceth blessed living and these the Scripture pronounces blessed dying Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence forth yea saith the Spirit they rest from their labours and their works follow them 3. Who are turned away from their iniquities Acts 3. 26. Unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities then are people indeed blessed and that with the blessedness of Christraised from the dead when

should be yet a Ministery in the World considering First the many Enemies on every hand that it still hath both open and secret potent and politick Atheists and Papists and Apostates and Schismaticks and Sectaries of all sorts as Quakers Ranters Anabaptists Familists and what not however they may in some things disagree among themselves yet herein have and do all agree for to oppose the Ministery And secondly considering how many wayes and meanes have been and still are attempted to ruine it what stones have been left unturned what designes unassayed to overthrow it many of which have notably of late been held forth v Jus Divinum Ministerij Evangelici Preface as 1. By railing upon and reviling the persons of Gods Ministers and raising all manner of Reproaches against them c. Secondly Crying down the present Ministery as Antichristian c. Thirdly By taking avvay their maintainance or at least attempting it Fourthly By setting up the basest and meanest of the People and such as have no Arts nor Knowledge in the Tongues to be Preachers that thereby they might make the World believe that the Ministerial Office is of all other the lowest and easiest Fifthly By denying the very Office it self these with divers others of the like nature have been and still are the vvayes and meanes vvhereby many seek to ruin the Ministery And if to all these we add the Worlds woful undervaluing and contemning of the Ministery treading that under their feet vvhich they should wear as a Crown upon their Head I Rev. 12. 1. mean the Ministers and their Gospel-doctrine O how much more wonderfull will it appear that there is yet a Ministery in the World but the Scriptures cannot be broken made void and therefore though it be wonderful yet it is so Thus that there is a Ministery yet in the World it is not that the Devil together with his instruments of all sorts have been wanting to overthrow it It is not that the ungrateful World hath not demerited the removal of it but because Gods Word cannot be made void I mean as to a Ministery somewhere though not it may be here or there in this or that place but in some place Thus that the Ministery of the Word shall continue to the end of the World is clearly held forth Eph. 4. 11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Till we all come that is here to be marked and observed that the Ministery is to continue to the end the use of it being to the end while we are in the World-Look as while a house is not fully built the Workmen may not be dismissed So until the House of God have every Believer every stone of it laid the Builders of it must be continued hence this Ministery of the Pastor and Teacher is called an induring Ministery a Ministery that remains 2 Cor. 3. 11. For if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remains is glorious Thus the Lord hath alwayes had Pastors and Teachers in his Church though they have not alwayes been so apparent and so will have to the end of the World maugre all the malice of Satan and his instruments thus it is said Revel 12. 6. That the Woman i. e. the Church fled into the Wilderness where she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes The Church here is in an obscure afflicted and solitary condition in the Wildernesse and yet she has a place prepared of God that they should feed her they who this seemes to refer to the 2. Witnesses Chapter 11. 3. Gods faithful Ministers they should feed her there for it falls out in the same time as appears by the number of dayes Chapter 11. 3. An Allusion to the feeding of the Israelites in the Wilderness Gods faithful Ministers are those that feed the Church Jer. 3. 15. John 21. 15. Acts 20. 28. And these here are sent forth by God for this very purpose to feed maintain and uphold the Church of God Now all the while she is in the Wilderness in her obscure retired afflicted and solitary state and condition So that the Church hath still in her obscurest state had her Pastors and Teachers that feed her and so shall have to the end of the World So 1 Cor. 12. 28. And God hath set some in the Church First Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers c. Set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constituit setled confirmed established and if God have established them who shall extirpate them and Revel 2. 1. Christ is said to hold the Stars in his right Hand and this being Scripture that cannot be broken who should pull them thence where can they be safer than there it notes Christs Love to them and care of them to keep them safe so Matth●w 28. 20. And loe I am with you alway to the end of the World and if God be with us and for us who can be against us truly many may be and are against us but not so as to carry it there is no Wisdom nor Counsel nor Understanding against the Lord that is effectual that is able to prevail against the Lord As Gamaliel said Acts 5. 38 39. For if this Counsel or this work be of Man speaking of the work which the Apostles did act and carry on i. e. ordained of Men and taken up meerly by humane authority it will come to nought it will be broken the Greeks is loosed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if it be of God i. e. ordained appointed by him undertaken and caried on by his authority command ye cannot overthrow it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissolvere break it loose it lest haply ye be found to fight against God or beware take heed lest ye be found to fight against God so Beza videte ne etiam cum Deo pugnare comperiamini as if he should say it is vain and impious to fight against God and folly to think ever to prevail against that which is of him Thus we see whence it is that there is yet a Church and Ministery in the World that they are not utterly overthrown and broken it is because these and the like Scriptures cannot be broken and how comfortable is this to think that let Hell break loose and the World never so much rage yet God will still have a Church and Ministry in the World both those that shall teach and others that shall be taught even to end of the World for the word affirming it it cannot be made void 6. Again cannot the Scripture be broken but

ever setled in heaven however the effects thereof through the over-cloudings of manifold troubles and temptations may not sometimes appear on earth yet O Lord for ever thy word is setled in heaven there it s established and is not subject to those It a amplum ut omnes terminos metas superet ad omnia tempora aetates se extendat id est ut sit durabile firmum perpetuum nec unquam aboleri queat Moller in locum Ita ut finis illius vider● non potest i. e. infinitum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Junius mutations as things on earth are so Psal 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandement is exceeding broad or large that is it lasteth for ever it reacheth and extendeth to all eternity I can see an end of all other things even the perfectest that are I can see they shall have an end but I cannot see an end of thy word that shall never have an end that 's so broad as it reacheth beyond all limits and bounds and perpetually abides so Matth. 24. 34 35. verily I say unto you this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled You may probably think that what I have spoken shall not come to pass at least in all the circumstances thereof but there are some now alive shall see every whit fulfilled that I have spoken as concerning the destruction of Jerusalem heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away * Promissi●num certitudo constat verbo dei quo nihil potest esse constantius aut firmius Pet Mart. in Rom. 4. these words may be taken and understood as spoken either comparatively or possitively 1. Comparatively the heavens and the earth shall sooner pass away than any of my words pass away or prove false and so Luke expresses it Luk. 16. 18. and it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the Law to fail 2. Or secondly positively thus heaven and earth shall indeed pass away as at the end of the world as the Apostle Peter expresses it 2 Pet. 3. 10. but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away and verse 12. wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and v. 11. seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved he speaks of the heavens and the earth and the works that are therein these all shall pass away P●● 75. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 31. 1 John 2. 17. and be dissolved but the word shall not pass away or be dissolved but shall have its full and perfect accomplishment The earth saith the Prophet Isay is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a Cottage c. Isay 24. 19 20. But now the Scripture never is nor can be broken at all or dissolved or be removed but remains most firm Thus the Scripture the word that which God hath said is more firm than the Fabrick of heaven and earth it self and shall remain firm and inviolable for ever for the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isay 54. 10. So Isay 55. 11. So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it I will accomplish and make it good it shall not be without effect nor fall to the ground God may as well cease to be as his word be broken disanull'd and not effected and hence are those frequent expressions in Scripture that it might be fulfilled which was spoken Matth. 1. 22. 4. 14. 8. 17. 12. 17. 13. 35. 21. 4 c. implying that God will have what he hath spoken fulfill'd 2. From Reason The Scripture cannot be broken Reas 1 Because all Scripture as the Apostle speaks in the 2 Tim. 3. 16. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinitus inspirata given by the inspiration of God it is divine as is likewise exprest elsewhere Heb. 1. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers maners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets mark it was God who spake by them so Hosea 8. 12. I have written to him it is Gods writing so 2 Pet. 1. 21. Luk. 1. 70. Acts 4. 24. 25. And therefore it cannot be broken or made void because it is divine and that in a proper and more peculiar sense being immediately revealed from God what indeed is humane is subject to mutation and change as man himself is it s like himself his breath goeth forth he returns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hic titulus etsi omni veritati de quacunque re sit significatione largiori possit tribui quoniam spiritus est in hominibus inspir at io omnipotentis dat intelligentiam Job 32. 8. attamen immediatè à Deo revelata doctrina merito titulum illum sibi proprie vendicat River in Isagog pag. 9. to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish but the Scripture being divine and that which in a proper and peculiar way is the writing of God that cannot alter or change or be dissolved 2. Because as it is given by inspiration of God so it is the Scripture of that God who is a God of truth and faithfulness and cannot lye 1 Tit 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began and therefore the Scripture cannot be broken being the Scripture of such a God who cannot lye whose Psal 36. 5 57. 20. faithfulness and truth reacheth unto the clouds and is great unto the heavens yea above the heavens that is it cannot be traced who though we believe 2 Tim. 2. 13. not yet abides faithful and cannot deny himself and also the strength of Israel 1 Sam. 13. 29. will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent and thus David makes the Stability of Gods word to depend on the Stability of Gods truth and faithfulness because he is most faithful his word is most stable and firm Psa 119. 89 90. thy word for ever O Lord is setled in heaven thy faithfulness is unto all generations Gods truth and faithfulness being firm his word is so likewise thus the Scripture cannot be broken because of Gods truth and fidelity which is infinite yea he is truth it self 3. Because it is the Scripture of that God who is Iehovah who is the Lord as he proclaimed his name before Moses Exod. 34. 6. and the Lord passed by before him and proclained Iehovah Iehovab which we render the Lord the Lord now this name properly belongs unto God