Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	darkness_n	light_n	reprove_v	2,262	5	10.0308	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15505	Zacheus converted: or The rich publicans repentance. Restitution In which, the mysteries of the doctrine of conversion, are sweetly laid open and applyed for the establishing of the weakest. Also of riches in their getting, keeping, expending; with divers things about almes and restitution, and many other materiall points and cases insisted upon. By Iohn Wilson, late preacher of Gods word in Guilford.	Wilson, John, d. 1630.	1631 (1631)	STC 25770; ESTC S100645	142,344	676

for their sinnes because no sinne can be pardoned but by faith in Christ but not for not beleeving in him of whom they have not heard Iohn 15 22. Rom. 10 14. Of contrarietie of faith when men reject Christ will not receive him the will standing in opposition to the hindering of the mindes assent to the truth resisting both interior instinct and exterior preaching whereby Christ with his saving power is offered This hath the reason of sinne and condemnes men makes them guiltie of the body and blood of Christ in an unworthy rejecting of him Iohn 1 11. Hee came unto his owne and his owne received him not Iohn 5 40. Ye will not come to mee that ye might have life 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive mee not Some profanely set light by him and his grace as Esa 〈…〉 despised his birthright in comparison of a morsell of meat Heb. 12 16. And they that were called to the marriage Supper of the kings sonne set light by it for their worldly advantages Luke 14 18 with one consent making excuse and when they feare that his presence will bee any losse in their temporall state they wilfully reject him as the Gadarens for the losse of their hoggs and shew a notable unthankefullnesse offering vile indignitie to Christ in preferring and redeeming base things with a wilfull losse of him and his salvation So they wrong their own soules as the rich man that had his whole and full portion in good things in his life time and cast away his soule Luke 16 25. Some love darkenesse so as the light is hatefull to them because it discovers the evill of their works which they are not willing to accuse themselves of and come to the soveraigne remedie of their soules to bee healed This is condemnation the j●st cause of their perishing not that they are in darkenesse ignorant of the way of salvation nor that they are in sinnes for Christ helps both hee is the light of the world that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not walke in darknesse but shall have the light of life and hee came into the world to save sinners But that the light being come into the world they love darkenesse rather than light and the cause is that their deeds bee evill They have an evill conscience and will not bee cured they worthily perish without pitty the love of their vices keepes them from imbracing the fountaine of vertue They are withheld by a most wicked cause from yeilding themselves to so gracious a remedie As they justly are damned that had the truth which saveth but loved it not having pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thess 2 10 1● In not receiving Christ they are greivous unto God who hath given this record of his Sonne that hee hath given eternall life unto the world and that life is in his Sonne and whosoever hath his Sonne hath life They that receive not Christ upon this record of God give no credit to him so blaspheame him to bee a lyer 1 Iohn 5 10 Fearing least they should bee deceived in resting upon his promise To derogate faith from the Gospell in which Gods truth and faithfullnesse is chiefly set forth when men spoyle him of the honour of his truth what leave they remaining to him Light of nature teacheth that God is the prime veritie truth it selfe and so is to be beleeved in whatsoever hee avoucheth to bee true whatsoever hee testifieth of his Sonne all that have notice of it are bound to credit God hath testified that Christ is the life of the world that there is not salvation in any other this record I am bound to beleeve with an historicall faith but where hath hee said that he is my life that requires an inward testimonie which till I have received I seeme not to wrong God I must first have his record before I be guiltie of not receiving it There is a double act of faith direct which is my receiving Christ that I may bee saved committing my soule to him to deliver mee from death and to restore mee to my lost happinesse which is called faith of adherence This I am bound unto by the exterior record which in the Gospell God hath given of his Sonne and the Apostle to incite men to faith takes his argument from the dishonour which is done to God in not resting on his record to the receiving of his Sonne unto life The holy Ghost convinceth the world of sinne in the ministerie of the Gospell because they beleeve not in Christ Iohn 16 9. Not onely that all the world out of Christ are in their sinnes but that this is a sinne which they had not before they heard him preached to bee the Saviour of the word that they beleeve not in him for justification from their sinnes Iohn 15 22. There is also an act reflexe which is called faith of evidence which is to bee assured of my salvation upon the inward testimonie of God in my selfe the evidence of his grace in me that I doe indeed beleeve and am converted from sinne to holinesse that I have the witnesse of the water and blood in mee of regeneration and justification by Christ wee know that wee have passed from death to life because wee love the bretheren 1 Iohn 3 14. I have written these things to you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternall life 1 Iohn 5 13. The first act of faith is without experience before it but the word which wee have received as the word of God workes in us that beleeve and so wee have experience to an increase of our faith It is to their reproofe that though they subject their hearts to the Commandement of hearing Christ and beleeving in him and labour to worke the worke of God in beleeving in him whom hee hath sent yet sensible of their unbeleeve and fearing least it may hinder the good which they desire do goe on unchearefully They consider not that God requires their joy in the knowledge of him to be the Lord which exerciseth loving kindness● in the earth and doth therein delight Ier. 9 24. And how mercie pleaseth him where men will give place to it waiting that hee may have mercie on them his pleasure being in them that wait on his mercie Psal. 147 11. And how hee cherisheth the least beginnings of faith when it is as a smoaking flaxe or bruised reed Math. 12 20. how readily Christ apprehends us when wee though weakly lay hold on him They observe not the change wrought in them and the spirituallnesse of their actions now in comparison of that they were before they received this seed which God giveth life unto The new creature is but as an infant in them in the understanding of this and the great consequence of it in the evidencing of Christ in them otherwise it is joyfull They marke not how that little faith is

more neede the light of Prophets or Apostles but by himselfe shall they see God giving a divine light into their understanding whereby they know as they are knowen Yea and in the meane time they shall have a more pure and explicate knowledge of the mysteries of Christ he will reveale himselfe to them that love him and their requests of heart framed by the spirit in them with unexpressible groanings God will not frustrate the inspirations of his owne spirit please him for they are according to his will the spirit makes them to pray as they ought which of themselves they cannot he helpes their infirmities Z●ccheus make haste and come downe for to day 〈◊〉 must abide at thine house This is singular grace and favour that the Lord of his owne accord bids himselfe to his house who it is like durst not presume to request him though willing to entertaine him this is above that he desired thus he vouchsafed to honour him whom hee had by his Spirit secretly working drawen to him In which we may observe that God is pleased to give above our desires many times when wee offer our selves to him Whereof we have many examples Thus happy was Zaccheus in his indevour to see Christ hee seeth him hee heares him calling him by his name as if hee were familiarly knowen and receiveth him to his house and to abide there and all of his owne accord notable humanity of the Son of God to come to him wh●m the common sort did hate and that unrequested Abrahams request to God was that Ishmael mighty live before him and that would content him having a sonne borne to him hee subsists in him though God promised him another sonne by Sara his wise it may seeme it was more than he durst hope for though hee reject not Gods favour in the promise of a new seede but if it please him to extend his liberalitie no further but to conserve the life of Ishmael which he hath given he desires no further Concerning Ishmael God heares him and grants him not onely life but multiplication of seede to make him a great nation and his children to be of great place twelue Princes he should beget Yet would he extend his goodnes to him further as he promised Sara shall beare him a son indeed and with him his seede he would stablish his everlasting couenant Iacob in his journey to Padan Aram desired of God provision but necessary and protection in his way with a safe returne to his fathers house which he had and above his desire God made him two bands Gen. 28. 20. 21. David asked life God gave him long life even for ever and ever Psal. 21. 4. Not onely heard him when fearefull of death by the malice of his enemies hee prayed against it but granted him over and above to live till he was full of dayes nor that onely but succession in his posteritie unto eternitie of his kingdome which was accomplished in Christ who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh as God promised him by Nathan which mercie David admiring prayeth that as the Lord had said so he would doe that with his blessing it would please him to blesse his house to continue for ever before him 2 Sam. 7. Solomon asking an understanding heart to judge Gods people to discerne betweene good and bad not onely obtaines it but in an excellencie to bee singular in it so as none had before nor after him And besides that which hee asked not riches and honour so as there should not bee any of the Kings like unto him all his dayes 1 King 3. 9 12 13. The sicke of the palsie sought his health of Christ which he received and unto that the forgivenesse of his sinnes Math. 9 2 6 7. The ruler sought to Christ for his sonnes life and hee had it and with it faith in his owne and his household hearts whereby they addicted themselves to him as his Disciples under the hope of eternall life The theefe upon the Crosse prayed Christ to remember him in his Kingdome hee was heard and by a serious asseveration secured that that very day he should passe from the miserie of the crosse to the felicitie of paradise and there have fellowship with him in eternall glorie Luke 23 42 43. He is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1 3. As a most kind Father hee powres out manifold gifts and benefits upon men of his meere mercie and imparts unto them not light and slender but strong and abundant consolation that are his freinds as the God of all consolation He that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10 12. Not onely abounding with riches but powring out plentifully unto those that depend upon him hee gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not Iam. 1 5. He gives even to wicked men that set their faces against heaven more than heart could wish Psal. 73 7. That their prosperous successe exceeds the conceivings of their mind as if nets were laid to catch for them while they sleepe His faithfull are more regarded than infidels In our glorifying of God therefore wee are to say with the Apostle Now unto him that is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us as wee find by experience in our selves be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all ages world without end Amen From hence reprove faithlesse feare damping hope upon conceit partly of our unworthinesse partly of the greatnesse of the things we aske too great for such as wee be Wee must not measure Gods wayes by mans whose wayes are as farre above ours as the heavens are the earth Esay 55 9. And yet even men give according to their greatnesse and consider what is fit for them to give rather than what is fit for the other to receive We may aske what God seeth meet for his glory to give and not onely what we feele ourselves to need but what our Father seeth that we need Math. 6 8 without doubt or feare commending our selves to his love and wisedome And this the Lord our maker requireth of us that we commend the care of our necessities to his faith and providence in termes of greatest incouragement Esay 45 11. Aske me of things to come concerning my sonnes and concerning the worke of my hands command ye me Make haste c. Whether hee would have his prompt mind knowen the gift of faith to appeare with speed or hast his owne worke the time being come Observe that when the time determined with the Lord for the manifesting of his goodnes to his people is come he is willing to doe it speedily When the people with earnest desire to heare the word followed Christ to attend upon the opportunitie hee left his meate and went to teaching and incurred among his kindred a suspiciō of