Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	call_v	day_n	sabbath_n	2,477	5	9.8919	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77360	Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.	1667 (1667)	Wing B4449A; ESTC R225773	165,221	279

more fit for Meditation Shall I name Four or Five 1. Look when the Lord hath made any deep Impression upon your soul by word or work then is a time for your meditation for Impression calls for meditation 2. The Morning is a fit time for Meditation before the World come in What more fit for God than the best of time the Morning is the best of time therefore a fit time for Meditation on God 3. The Sabbath Day is a fit time also for Meditation therefore the 92th Psal is appointed for the Sabbath A Psalm for the Sabbath Day saith the Title to the Psalm 4. The time of Gods special dispensations is a fit time for it Look when there is a special dispensation of God abroad either of Mercy or Judgment then is a fit time for Meditation In the 9th Psal The Lord is known by the Judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah what 's that it comes from the Heb. Hagah which signifies to Meditate When the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands here 's wo●k for meditation Look I say when there is a special dispensation of God either in Mercy or Judgment that 's a fit time for meditation 5. Look what time that is that lies next or near or close to any great work or service that 's a fit time for meditation As for example Suppose we be to receive the Lord's Supper The time that lies next before it is a fit time for meditation Suppose a man be to be call'd out for some great service or Imployment The time that goes close before it is a fit time for him to sit down and meditate with himself upon the work For the more a man doth prepare for a work the more likely he is in reason to perform it well Now Meditation is a good preparation Look therefore what that time is that immediately before or close to the work of the Lord that 's a fit time for Meditation Thus now you see what the special times are for the work of Meditation The time of Impressions The morning time The Sabbath day The time of special dispensations either of Mercy or Judgment And the time tha goes Immediately or next or close before the great work and service of the Lord. And If you would meditate rightly observe what the fit times for Meditation are and be sure you lay hold thereon 7. I 'le name but one more Though there is a great deal of profit and sweetness to be found in this work of meditation and it 's every dayes work yet take heed that you don't so meditate on one of Gods excellencies as to neglect another nor don 't so spend your whole time in the work of meditation that this work of meditation should eat up other dutyes God would have us rise from this work of meditation as from any other duty with an hungry appetite Friends God would have us rise hungry from every duty and not glutted variety is refreshing he hath given many duties that we may not pore upon one In case therefore you have bin at the work of meditation either God hath come in upon you with his speciall Influence or not if he hath praise the Lord for his AYtance it 's mercy that you have had one good thought of God but Meditation is more than a thought meditation is thought upon thought praise God that 's the way to have more And In case that God hath not come in upon you in the work of meditation then yet be not discouraged for God would not have you glutted and God would lead you to some other work and one duty one work is not to eat up and devour another I say with one Let not your time be the measure or rule of your Meditation but your Meditation the rule of your time Yet take heed that you don't spend so much time in musing and considering and meditating as that this work of Meditation should eat up any other Duty but quicken thereunto And thus you see some means some helps to this work of Meditation Some Rules and Directions for the right carrying it on sweetly What now remains but that you up and be doing turn your hand to it You have heard the duty proved You have heard the sweetness and profitableness thereof cleared You have heard what Objects we are to lay our Thoughts out upon And you have heard some means as helps unto the Work And some Rules and Directions for the carrying of it on O then you that never spent hour in meditation all your dayes if there be any such here Now bethink your selves and now give up your Thoughts to God You that have gone one year after another and one week after another and never spent any time in meditating on God or the things of God O now bethink your selves And that you may do so and be provoked hereunto give me leave to lay down some Arguments and Motives to press both your souls and mine unto this great work of Meditation The Arguments are divers Thus First Friends The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose A man that hath the skill on 't need never lose an hour Who knows the worth of time This little spot of time doth our Eternity depend upon Yet Lord how many are there that lose their precious hours and time But what 's the reason They have no hand at this work of Meditation When their business is over they might otherwise turn their hand to this work and lose no time The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose 2. Hereby even by this work of Meditation you shall get into the Secrets of divine things There is a Secret and a Mystery in ever Trade A man don't know the Trade till he knows the Secret and the Mystery of it It 's said The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Knowledge brings us to the door of Truth But Meditation hath us into the House and into all the Rooms thereof Thereby I say you shall get into the Inwards and the Secrets of the things of God 3. Thereby also you shall suck out the sweetnesse of all those divine and precious things that you know As a man by musing on his Sins sucks out the sweetness thereof so by meditating on the things of God you suck out the sweetness of the things of God into your own souls 4. By this work of Meditation you shall have a Testimony in your own Souls that you are truly godly Every man is what he is most in private A good mans work lies most under-ground lies most out of sight In the time of Moses the beasts were clean that chewed the Cud and unclean that did not chew the Cud. In the time of David 't is made

Mediator was faithfull in all the house of God to a pin Surely Jesus the Son will be faithful in this work of Mediation and carry it on to the uttermost But then you will say what assurance have we that Jesus will carry on this work of Mediation unto the uttermost unto due perfection First of all you have the assurance of the first great promise that was made The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. Saith the Lord to the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed If there be enmity between Satan and us there will be peace between God and us where God saith he will put enmity between the Devil and us he doth there promise that there shall be peace and reconciliation between God and us now this here he saith And how shall this be done It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele It shall be done by him whose heel in his sufferings is bruised by Satan and his Instruments It shall be done by Christ 2. As you have the assurance of the first promise so you have the assurance of what Christ hath done already he will not loose what he hath done he will not loose his work If Jesus Christ did not boggle nor startle at nor fly back from the hardest piece of Mediation which was to satisfie for our sins surely he will not give in and start back from the easier part which is to intercede in Heaven seeing he ever lives to make intercession for us 3. As you have the assurance of what he hath done so you have the assurance also of his delight in this work of mediation If a man undertake a work be able to carry it through and take delight therein he will certainly carry it on Now our Lord Jesus Christ hath undertaken this work he is able God and Man and he hath a delight in this work I delight to do thy will saith he in the 8th Prov. I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights were with the sons of men Christ's heart was much in this work of Mediation insomuch as if you look into the 3d of Mal. you shall find he sits by it and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi Why That they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old and as in former years Who is this that sits thus at it Why in the former verse it is said Even the Messenger of the Covenant that is Christ Jesus Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me there 's John the Baptist And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant here 's Christ whom ye delight in Behold he shall come and what shall he do Why he shall sit at this work his heart is much in this work his delight is in it and therefore you have the assurance of his delight that he will carry it on 4. As you have the assurance of his Delight so you have the assurance of his Name and Title JESVS Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant why Jesus why not Christ why not Jesus Christ as in other Scriptures Look into the Book of the Hebrews and you shall find frequently that Christ is called Jesus Why because this Title was more sutable to the Priestly Office of Christ which the Apostle is opening in the Book of the Hebrews It notes also the Deity of Christ Jesus signifies Saviour they go here together Jesus the Mediator Why because as he is a Mediator in order to our salvation so he is a Saviour in the way of Mediation Therefore they go here together And therefore as Jesus is able to save to the uttermost so as Mediator he will perform this work of Mediation to the uttermost And thus now I have done with the third thing namely That Jesus hath undertaken this work To mediate between God and us and he will certainly carry it on unto due perfection 4. But then Fourthly How and in what respects is Jesus said to be the Mediator of the New Covenant Upon a threefold account Upon the account of stipulation Upon the account of Confirmation Upon the account of Suretiship First He is the Mediator of the New Covenant upon the account of stipulation for he it was that did strike the Covenant for us with God the Father See what is said in 2 Tim. 1. Who hath saved us saith the Apostle and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began So that there was a Treatment between God the Father and Christ concerning us and Christ received grace for us before the World began And as the first Adam did strike the Covenant of works with God the Father for his Seed so Jesus did strike the Covenant of grace for his Seed with God the Father and so called the second Adam A Mediator therefore of the New Covenant he is in regard of stipulation he it was that struck up the Covenant first with the Father 2. As he is a Mediator of the New Covenant upon the account of stipulation so upon the account of Confirmation for he hath confirmed the Covenant He confirmed the Covenant by his active obedience while he lived and by his passive obedience when he died By his active obedience while he lived Dan. 9.27 He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one Week Larabbim you read it with many but rather he shall confirm the Covenant for many not for all but he shall confirme the Covenant for many for one Week And he did confirme the Covenant also by his passive obedience in his Death Hebrews 9. For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament That by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise For the Apostle explains it by a Similitude Where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth So that plainly then The Lord Jesus Christ did confirme the Covenant by his Death Onely the Question is how Christ did confirme the Covenant by his death The Socinians would make the World believe that Christ did confirme the Covenant by his death in a way of Testimony and witnesse-bearing onely for say they Christ preached the Gospel while he liv'd and when he dyed he did by his death seal it and confirme the truth

time and will ask time and I have no time Mark therefore what David saith in the 119. Psalm Lord incline my heart unto thy testimonies how so Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity The way to have ones heart enclined to the Testimonies of God is to turn away ones eyes from these outward vanities Would you therefore meditate on God and the things of God then take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the imployments thereof 8. Lastly If you would meditate on God and the things of God go then to God for this skill of meditation Friends There is an Art and divine Skill of meditation which none can teach but God alone Would you have it go then to God and begg of God these things First Begg of God that he would change your nature For if your soyl be not changed nothing but weeds will grow still not the Flowers of meditation but the weeds of vain thoughts go first to God to change your Nature to change your Soyl. 2. Go to God and beg of him that he would sanctifie and sequester your mind unto himself that your whole mind may be under God's sequestration Every man is as his mind is A mans mind is a profus● thing and it is as full of thoughts as the Sun is full o● Beams If God don't take it in and bring it unde● his sequestration it will be full of evil go then t● God and desire him to sanctifie your devising you● thinking and your projecting Faculty 3. Go to God and beg of him that he would la● out drawing objects before you that may draw o● your thoughts and your meditations 'T is God th● must present such objects 4. Go and beg of God your Thoughts also an● beg of God these thought-possessions that Go● would give you thoughts And then 5. Beg of God a fixed heart for fixation of hea● is a great friend to meditation And then 6. Beg of God the Spirit for the Spirit is our Remembrancer to bring all things to our remembrance Thus do and you shall in some measure be able to carry on this work of Meditation in a right way with comfort and sweetness These things by way of means By way of means be sensible of your former work of meditation labour to be more serious get a fixed heart and spirit lay out objects that may entertain your thoughts upon all occasions strengthen your love to and delight in God labour to get Impressions deep impressions made upon your souls to the things of God and take heed that your hearts and hands be not too full of the world And then go to God for this skill of Meditation 4. But then fourthly What are those rules and directions that will help therein How and in what way and manner should this work of Meditation be carried on with sweetness and success First of all In all your Retirements for the work of Meditation is a work of Retirement in all your meditations be sure that you retire in to God himself Don't retire into your retirements as the Monks and those do retire into a monkish devotion But in all your Retirements be sure that you retire in to God himself 2. Take heed that you be not Legal in this work of Meditation Legal work is sowre work Meditation work is sweet work A man is legal in this work of Meditation when he doth make it a mere task when he doth in his meditation think on God out of Christ I thought upon God and was troubled to think upon God out of Christ is sowre work I thought upon God and was not comforted but was troubled saith the Psalmist So that to make our meditation work a meer task is a legal work to think upon God out of Christ is a Legal work and to pass through God unto Christ also is Legal For In the times of the Old Testament they c●me to Christ through God but in the time of the New Testament we go to God through Christ An Old Testament way is a Legal way would you therefore have this work of Meditation carried on with sweetness Take heed of a Legal spirit in this work of Meditation which will sowre all 3. Be sure of this That nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture It may be you may think of God and you may think what God was doing before the world was made this you have no Scripture for therefore is no work for your meditation It may be you think you are a Reprobate for say you I have the marks of a Reprobate upon me But where doth the Scripture give any marks of a Reprobate The Scripture gives marks of a wick●d man that possibly may be converted But now If you would carry on the work of meditation in such a way as it may be done with sweetness be sure that it be bounded with the Scripture and let nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture 4. In all your settled meditation Begin with Reading or Hearing Go on with meditation End in prayer For as Mr. Greenham saith well Reading without Meditation is unfruitful Medition without Reading is hurtful To meditate and to read without prayer upon both is without blessing If you do read and not meditate then you wil● want good affections If you do meditate and not read or hear you will want good Judgment and be apt to fall into some ill Opinions If you do read or hear or meditate and not pray you will want the blessing of the Lord upon both Read or hear first then meditate and then pray upon both I speak of settled meditation and let one be proportioned unto another There must be a proportion between the one and the other in a settled meditation and therefore if that you would meditate rightly I say in all your meditations begin with reading go on with meditation and end with prayer 5. If you would have this work of Meditation carried on with profit and sweetness joyne with your Meditation the examination of your own souls in case you meditate on God and Christ think with your selves by way of examination But have I an Interest in this I have been now thinking and meditating on the excellencies of Christ but have I an Interest in him Come Oh my soul thou hast been meditating on God and on the excellencies of Christ but hast thou any share hast thou any Interest therein Joyne examination with your Meditation then it will be profitable then it will be sweet otherwise it is but Contemplation or but a study but joyne examination with your Meditation so 't is sweet and so 't is profitable Sixthly Observe what those times and seasons are that are most fit for Meditation and be sure you lay hold thereon Though Meditation-work is every dayes work yet there are some times and seasons that are