Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	ceremonial_a	law_n	moral_a	5,536	5	9.9611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86932	A brief exposition of the prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. By George Hutcheson minister at Edenburgh. April the 29th. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.	Hutcheson, George, 1615-1674.	1654 (1654)	Wing H3820; Thomason E1454_2; ESTC R209590	241,869	310

answered Haggai and said So is this people and so is this nation before me saith the LORD and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean This second Sermon was delivered two moneths after the former when now having prepared materials as ch 1.8 and fitted all things in the space of three moneths ch 1.14 15. they are ready to lay the foundations of the Temple or at least to build on the old foundations that had been laid at their first returning Ezra 3. in so far as they were not demolished as appears here from v. 15. and 18. and the scope of this part of the Sermon is from ruled and clear cases in the law which the Priests could resolve unto them to discover their former sin for which God had punished them while they rested upon their building the Altar Ezra 3.2 and offering sacrifice on it and yet in the mean time did follow their own interests neglecting the Temple of the Lord and to stir them up to do the work they were now about purely and to joyne personal reformation with it In summe it is as if Haggai had said As your ordinary Priests will out of the Law resolve you that however the sacrifices being consecrate to God and now holy put some ceremonial holinesse on the garments which immediately touch them Lev. 6.27 yet that holinesse cannot be extended to any thing which the garment toucheth either of purpose or by chance and not the flesh immediately v 11 12. and on the contrary that ceremonial pollution doth make not only a mans garment unclean but whatsoever also whether common or sacred it toucheth v. 13. which is clear from the Law Lev. 11.24 and 15.4 Numb 9.10 and 19.11 13. So on the same grounds do I in the Name of the Lord assure all of you who deserve not the name of my people that your former negligence could not be cleansed by your sacrifices but it rather polluted them as well as your selves and your other works and that a present holy work will not sanctifie prophane workers but your prophanity will rather pollute it as to you v. 14. Doct. 1. All that is written in the Law concerning ceremonial pollution is but a shadow and representation of the moral uncleannesse of men which the sensible soul wil finde as difficult if not more to avoid as the Jewes found that while it put them to a perpetual affrightment and caution therefore Haggai by the one points at the other as the substance and sheweth that the same proportion holds in both 2. It is a profitable way for effectual convincing of sin to make use of any principles of light that are in men and by them to draw conclusions upon the conscience so doth Haggai make use of acknowledged and ruled cases from which he inferres a guilt upon them which they did not so clearly see 3. As the lips of the servants of God are to preserve knowledge and they are to be made use of by his people in resolution of difficulties so they are not to be looked on as infallible guides as if every thing they say they could not erre in it but they are to speak from the Word and their Doctrine to be examined by it for this is the will of the Lord of hostes that we aske the Priests concerning the Law 4. Such as rightly examine themselves will easily perceive the great difficulty there is of good in comparison of ill and how they are farre more easily polluted then sanctified so much do both cases hold out that holinesse extended no further at best then the garment which immediately touched the holy thing but pollution reached further 5. External performances whether of Gods worship or in his publick work will not of it self make a man acceptable but on the contrary want of personal reconciliation and purity will pollute best works will render the workers contemptible and all they do vile so doth the Lord teach us that by reason of former and present pollution So to wit unclean is this Nation before me saith the Lord and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean 6 It is a profitable study when people are about works that are in themselves right to be sensible not only of former failings and neglects but of present uncleannesse which they may contract in them and for this end to search what they are in the sight of God that they may be humbled and not delude nor please themselves with the bare work for this end comes this Sermon out that same day they were ready to build that they might not so soon forget their former way nor be unmindfull that there was more required for approbation then being imployed in an holy work Vers 15 And now I pray you consider from this day and upward from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD 16. Since those dayes were when one came to an heap of twenty measures there were but ten when one came to the presse-fat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the presse there were but twenty 17. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hai●e in all the labours of your hands yet ye turned not to me saith the LORD 18. Consider now from this day and upward from the four and twentieth day of the nineth moneth even from the day that the foundation of the LORDS Temple was laid consider it 19. Is the seed yet in the barne yea as yet the vine and the fig-tree and the pomgranate and the Olive-tree hath not brought forth from this day will I blesse you The scope of the second part of this Sermon is to shew that however God will put difference betwixt workers and knoweth who are sincere and who not yet to encourage them to be diligent in it as being a work which he approves in it self and which he will reward with temporal blessing and a change of his former dispensations And therefore he stirres them up to remarke the tokens of Gods anger on them while they neglected the Temple v. 15. that their expectations of the harvest and what they had gathered were much disappointed v. 16. and the Lord with the drought Chap. 1.11 had otherwayes also smitten the fruits of the ground whereof they had made no good use v. 17. but now having begun the work v. 18. he promiseth to send a blessing on the fruits of the ground and this he doth in the midst of winter when their seed was sown and nothing had budded and conseqently nothing could be foretold of the ensuing harvest but by God only that so by observing the subsequent seasons and the harvest it selfe they might be confirmed in the faith of Gods approving their work and be encouraged in it v. 19. Doct. 1. Though the Lords dispensations be visible and felt by all yet the right considering and understanding of them is a work of much