Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	evil_a	good_a	righteous_a	5,888	5	9.2258	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77556	Gods statute for generall iudgement by the man Christ Iesus. Opened in a sermon at the funerall of the most religious lady, the Lady Lucie Iervoice, sometime wife to the right worshipfull Sir Thomas Iervoice at Herriot. Aug. 26. 1641. By John Brokett Minister of Elsfeild.	Brokett, John.	1642 (1642)	Wing B4845; Thomason E116_1; ESTC R5889	21,463	41

our Creed where we are taught to beleeve that Christ shall come from Heaven to judge both the quick and dead that is all that shall be found dead to be revived and quicke to be changed at the comming of Jesus Christ to iudgement See further Rom. 14.10 2. Cor. 5.10 where S. Paul saith We shall We must all appeare before the Judgement-seat of Christ I shall not ned to say more in the Confirmation of this Truth Onely I will adde a word or two to cleere some few texts which at the first view seeme to have a flat contradiction One is Psal 1.5 The ungodly shall not stand in judgement The Septuagint turne it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so many Latine fathers read it non resurgent shall not rise in judgement a bad translation it may be want of skill in the Hebrew made them to follow the Septuagint who were Jews amongst whom many held an heresie that the souls of sinners should perish with their bodies which errour receives not the least strength from these words of the Prophet David wherein he means not that the wicked shall not come to be judged but they shall not be acquitted in iudgement they shall be found guiltie and shall fall into eternall condemnation Another Place is Ioh. 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already Now if all unbeleevers be condemned already what need is there of any further iudgement To this I answer It cannot be denyed that unbeleevers are already condemned 1. In Gods eternall decree who hath appointed them to condemnation 2. In Gods word which denounceth damnation to to all that beleeve not 3. In their owne Consciences which serve as a thousand witnesses to accuse them as a Judge to condemne them and as an executioner to torment them But all this hinders not but that they must appeare before the iudgement seat of the Lord that their sins may be openly manifested their sentence publikely pronounced for the fuller manifestation of Gods iustice to all the world Another place is Ioh. 5.24 He that beleeveth in God shall not come into judgement To this I answer That in this place our Saviour by a Trope putteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgement for condemnation And in all our English Bibles even in the last and best translation the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it properly signifies judgement yet it is rendred condemnation Which though it be not a right translation yet it is a true and sound Exposition for the meaning of our Saviour is that the faithfull though they shall come to judgement yet they shall never come into condemnation They shall not come into the Judgement of damnation but they shall come into the Judgement of eternall Absolution from their sins and miseries That which they have here in part must then be perfected that which they have here by faith shall then be revealed a finall deliverance from the thraldome of this world to the glorious libertie of the sons of God And so much for the third point I proceed to the fourth 4. How God will judge He will judge in righteousnesse saith the Text. That is the Lords judiciall proceeding at the last Day in judging some to the eternall unutterable joyes and glory of Heaven and in dooming others to the easelesse and remedilesse torments of Hell shall be most just and righteous Hence the Day of Judgement is called by Saint Paul The day of the Revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 Now the justice and righteousnesse of the Lords proceeding at the last Day shall be declared to all the world two wayes 1. God will have no respect of persons as Saint Paul saith Rom. 2.11 That is in the act of Judging the Lord will not respect the outward qualitie and condition of any as Countrey Sex Wealth Povertie Age Youth Beautie Deformitie Honour Ignominy or any outward circumstance whatsoever none of these things shall in the least wise move the Lord to reward or punish Esaus eldership shall not remove the Lords hate nor Iacobs minoritie hinder the Lords love Sauls Scepter shall not shelter him from Gods wrath nor Davids sheep-hooke hold him backe from Gods blessing Lazarus his povertie shall not keepe him out of Abrahams bosome nor Dives his wealth free him from the place of torment It shall be no impeachment to Cornelius that he was a Gentile nor immunitie to any that he was a Jew But whosoever he be Jew or Gentile bond or free poore or rich male or female that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse he shall be accepted to salvation and whosoever he be that feareth not God and worketh unrighteousnesse without partialitie he shall be rejected to damnation 2. God will reward every man according to his works as Saint Paul saith Rom. 2.6 Evill works are most certaine evidences of infidelitie and good works are inseparable fruits and infallible testimonies and signes of saving faith and therefore God to declare himself a righteous Judge will make our works the rule of his retribution To every soul that doth evill God will render indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish for evermore but to every soul that worketh good God will render Glory honour peace and eternall life Rom. 2.7 8 9 10. So just a retribution will the Lord at the last day render to every person that all the world shall say Iust art thou O Lord and true and righteous are thy Iudgements Revel 6. vers 7. But here two Questions may very fitly be propounded Quest Whether good works are meritorious causes of salvation because the Apostle saith God will reward every man according to his works and he saith it to this end to declare the just and righteous judgement of the Lord at the last day Sol. To which I answer that the usuall collection of the Papists from this and the like places is that therefore the good works of men justified and in grace are meritorious causes of eternall life But the judgement of our Church and all other Reformed Churches is this that however good works done in grace are acceptable to God in Jesus Christ and shall by him be rewarded yet that acceptance and reward is not deserved by our works but is freely bestowed out of the grace and mercy of God And this determination we prove thus 1. By Scripture which most expressely teacheth every where that eternall life is a free gift of Gods mercy not a reward due to mans merit See these places Rom. 6.23 and 11.5.6 Ephes 2.8 9. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 2.11 and 3.7 I might adde more but these are sufficient 2. By Reason which being enlightened by Scripture strongly argueth and concludeth that good works are not cannot be meritorious 1. Because we are creatures Psal 100.3 2. We are sinfull creatures Iam. 3.2 3. Our good works are not ours but Gods Phil. 2.13 4. They are a due debt not supererogated Luc. 17.10 5. They are stained with manifold and great

glorious Coronation when Palms of victory shall be put into their hands and upon their heads shall be set a Crowne of incorruptible glory Oh what a joy and comfort will it be to see the holy Patriarchs Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessours and all the rest of the crowned and triumphant Saints gathered into one companie and standing at the right hand of Christ How will the faithfull be ravished to see Christ their Brother their Advocate their Head their Husband their Redeemer to sit in the Seat of Judgement But especially to heare him from thence to pronounce to them this blissefull sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matth. 25.43 thus joyfull comfortable and glorious will the day of Judgement be to all such as live in the feare of God and the faith of Jesus Christ Which considered I cannot but think it a strange infirmitie of the Church in the dayes of Tertullian when they usually prayed pro mora finis For the protraction and delay of the last end Rather let all the godly pray with the Spouse in the end of the Canticles Make hast my beloved and as Saint Iohn did in the close of his Revelation Come Lord Iesus For when Christ comes he comes to free us from all infirmities to redeeme us from all miseries to deliver us from all sins and in full and perfect manner to endow us with Heaven and with all Happinesse 3. This Doctrine of the last Judgement serves for the Admonition of us all To warn us while God doth afford us time means to take such a course that we may gain the favor of the Judge escape the severity of the last judgment And to this end with diligence and good conscience put in practice these six duties 1. Be thine own accuser in the free confession of thy sins to God Considering what St. Iohn saith If we confesse our sins God is just and faithfull to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1.9 2. Be thine own Judge and that in the strictest censure and severest condemnation of thy self Considering what Saint Paul saith If we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 3. Pray earnestly unto God for pardon Considering that so long as the day of Grace lasteth mercy may be found if we will but seeke it 4. Beware of Judging the Persons and Actions of thy brethren When a man doth well do not judge ill when he doth ill do not make it worse when his speeches or actions are doubtfull take nothing in the worst sense considering what our Saviour saith Iudge not and ye shall not be judged Matth. 7.1 5. Labour to get a lively faith in Christ Jesus relye wholly upon his merits for salvation Considering what Christ saith He that beleeveth hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation Iohn 5.24 6. Endeavour to keepe a good conscience in all things voyd of offence before God and all men considering what the Prophet David saith Marke the upright man and behold the just for the last end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 And now to wind up all in a word If we be mindfull of these important directions If we confesse our sins freely condemne our selves severely pray for pardon earnestly judge our brethren charitably beleeve in Jesus Christ stedfastly and sincerely desire and endeavour to lead a godly righteous and sober life then we shall finde Christ not a severe Judge to condemne us but a mercifull Redeemer to absolve and save us in that day on which God hath ordained him to Judge the world in righteousnesse And now that our hearts may be so full of graces and our lives so full of good works that we may have in the end of our life a comfortable death and in the end of the World a glorious resurrection to a blessed immortalitie let us all joyne together in faithfull and servent Prayer O Most glorious and most gracious Lord God who hast taught us to know and beleeve that there shall be a day of judgement on which we and all the world shall stand before the Tribunall Seat of Christ to render an account of all things done in the flesh whether good or evill and to receive a just reward according to our works We most humbly beseech thee to teach us to make a right and religious use of this faith and knowledge Oh let these last things be ever in our Meditation and so sanctifie to us the remembrance thereof that it may be a Bridle to restraine us from all sin and wickednesse and a Spur to provoke us powerfully and effectually to unreined repentance for all our sins to constant patience in all our sufferings to a stedfast faith in Iesus Christ and to a true feare of thee in all our thoughts words and actions throughout the whole course of our conversation That so at whatsoever watch of the night or houre of the day Christ shall come to Iudgement he may finde us watching for him walking with him worthy to stand before him and to enter with him into that kingdome wherein thou dwellest and the righteous onely shall dwell with thee in unutterable joy and glory for evermore This Grace here this Glory hereafter Lord grant unto us all for his sake who is the Son of thy Love the Mediatour of thy chosen Iesus Christ To whom with thee O Father and the Spirit of Comfort be ascribed by us and all the world Kingdome Power and Glory now and for evermore Amen FINIS