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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A57743 Saint Peters general petition to our Saviour, for himself and his fellow sufferers Rowland, John, 1606-1660. 1661 (1661) Wing R2071; ESTC R20575 15,283 26

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SAINT PETERS General Petition to our SAVIOUR For Himself and his fellow Sufferers LONDON Printed by Peter Lillierap in the year 1661. To the KINGS Most Excellent Majesty CHARLES THE SECOND By the Grace of God of Great Brittain France and Ireland KING c. SIR THis Sermon I present your Majesty with was not intended by me for the Press but for the Pulpit where many Imperfections of it might have past with the time of its delivery Sed eundum quà via patet Trees that grow amongst Rocks must be shrubs because they thrust out their branches onely as the Rocks will give them leave Vt monstrent se enecari I have been now above 30 years upon your publick service standing by custome upon your Catalogue of preferments and I hope I shall not stay till all be preferred as the Countrey man did waiting to see the River run away that he might go over Rusticus ex pectat dum defluat amnis at ille Labitur atque labetur in omne volubilis aevum Your Majesties most humble and obedient Subject JOHN ROWLAND Rector of Foots-Cray in Kent MATTH 19.27 Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee What shall we have therefore THe words are an Answer and a Question The Answer Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee The Question What shall we have therefore The Answer is the ground and Reason of his following Petition Behold We have forsaken all and followed Thee The Question is the Petition it self What shall we have therefore The Text may be called St. Peter his General Petition to our Saviour for himself and his fellow sufferers Wherein there are four things chiefly to be considered First That the Answer was made to Christ for something he had said before Then answered Peter and said unto him Secondly The Person that made the answer and that was S. Peter Then answered Peter and said Thirdly The Answer it self which is the ground and Reason of his following Petition Behold we have forsaken all and followed Thee Lastly The Question which hath the nature of a Petition and seems to desire a speedy answer because they had forsaken all for his sake What shall we have therefore Of these in their Order And first that the answer was made to Christ for something which he had said before An answer cannot be well understood whether it be pertinent or not unless we first know what was said before to which the answer was made wherefore we must have recourse to the occasion contained in the precedent History as it is recorded by S. Matthew S. Mark and S. Luke S. Matthew saith at the 16 vers of this 19 chap. that one came to Christ to know what he should do that he might have eternal life and at the 20. and 22. vers that he was a young man S. Luke at the 18 chap. 18. vers calls him a Ruler S. Mark 10. chap. 17. vers sets down the manner of his comming and his behaviour That he came running very earnestly And delivered his Petition very humbly for he kneeled and the form of his Petition was very ceremonious for he said Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life vers 16. He was no Saduce for he believed the immortality of the soul and a resurrection of the body to eternal life which some of our new Lights have denied and published in Print that the soul dieth with the body Nor was he that Lawyer we read of Luke 10.25 who preferred the same Petition tempting Christ and saying Master what shall I do to inherite eternall life But he was in some points a Pharisee because he thought a man might keep the Law and do some good thing whereby he might deserve and obtain eternal life Our Saviour therefore opposeth an other question to his and seems to correct the formality of his Petition v. 17. Why callest thou me good there is none good but one that is God As if he had said a man cannot do any thing of himself that is good by which he may merit eternal life but when he hath done all the good he can he must wholely cast himself upon the mercies of God in Christ But our Saviour not staying for his answer prevents him by way of anticipation because he knew wherein the strength of his confidence lay namely in the Covenant of Works do this and live and though he require Faith in all that will be saved yet he brings this man to the Test of the Law saying If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandements vers 17. He supposing because of his political and external performances towards men that none could pose him there askes which of the Commandements as if it were all one to him by which he should be tried Like a young Schollar who hath learned his Lesson by wrote and thinks he understands it all when he knows not one word of it as he should know Our Saviour therefore repeats the Commandments to him vers 18. Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Honour thy Father and thy Mother And lastly he adds the complement of them all Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self From hence some erroniously strive to establish the Doctrine of Works or else they say the Law was given in vain But there are many good uses of the Law though we are not able to keep it First it serves to teach us what the will of God is Secondly It is a glass to shew us our deformities and so is our school-master to bring us unto Christ Thirdly To keep us under obedience that we do not as too many lately have done abuse our Christian Liberty and pretend our Faith when our works are abominable to the publick scandal of our Christian Profession But the young man thought if this were all to keep the Commandments that were an easie matter for he replied all these have I kept from my youth what lack I yet But hence it is evident that he supposed there wanted something and that his civil performance of the Commandments could not assure him of everlasting life He had bent the Rule to the square of his own actions and thought they agreed very exactly but our Saviour sets the Rule right again us it should be and as he hath expounded it Matth. 5. where he shews that God requires both the outward and inward conformity of the whole man to the keeping of the law and then he tries this young mans actions by the Rule and there appears a vast difference betwixt them Wherefore Jesus saith unto him as we find it Luke 18.22 ver Yet lackest thou one thing If thou wilt be perfect go and sell th●● th●● ha● and give to the poor and thou shalt have Treasure in heaven and take up thy Cross saith S. Mark and come and follow me Our Saviour was now