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A65309
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Religion our true interest, or, Practical notes upon the third chapter of Malachy the sixteen, seventeen and eighteen verses : seasonable for the times / by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing W1139; ESTC R34736
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91,573
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245
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is full of fallacies he who Fears God fears his Heart lest it should rob him of the blessing That saying of Epicharmus is Good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember not to trust 3. The Fear of God will make a man Fear death Death may challenge a part in our Fear 1. Because it is such a serious thing it is the in-let to eternity and puts us into an unalterable estate 2. Because of it's Proximity it is nearer to us than we are aware it may be within a few hours march of us God may this night seal a Lease of Ejectment and say Give an account of your stewardship and what if death should come before we are ready 3. Because after death there is nothing to be done for our Souls there is no repenting in the Grave Eccles. 9.10 There is no work nor device in the Grave whither thou goest So that death is to be feared with an holy and Religious Fear How far may a child of God Fear death 1. So far as the Fear of Death is a Curben-bit to keep him from Sin A believer may lawfully make use of all means to deter him from sin No stronger antidote against sin saith Austin than the Fear of Death Am I sinning and to morrow may be dying 2. A Child of God may so far Fear death as it makes him dye to the World The Fear of death would sound a retreat and call us off from Vanity What is the world we must leave it shortly and all we can purchase is a burying-place 3. A Child of God may so far Fear death as this Fear fits him more for death Jacob feared his brother Esau's coming against him and he prepared to meet him he addressed himself to Prayer Gen. 32.7 24. So when we Fear deaths coming and we prepare to meet it we set our Soul in order This is a Good Fear of death But this Fear of death in the Godly must be mixed with hope The nature of death to a Believer is quite changed death is in it self a curse but God hath turned this Curse into a Blessing To a Child of God death is not a destruction but a deliverance When the Mantle of his flesh drops off he ascends in a fiery chariot to Heaven 4. The Fear of God will make a man fear Iudgment Anselm spent most of his thoughts upon the day of Judgement and Hierom thought he alwaies heard that Voice sounding in his ears Surgite mortui Arise ye dead and come to Judgment That there shall be such a day is evident 1. From Gods Veracity He who is the Oracle of truth hath asserted it Psalm 96.13 For he cometh for he cometh to Judge the earth There is a duplication 1. To shew the Certainty he cometh he cometh it is an indubitable Maxim 2. To shew the Celerity he cometh he cometh the time draws near it is almost day-break and the Judge is ready to take the bench Jam. 5.9 Gods decree cannot be reversed 2. There shall be such a day for the Vindication of Gods Justice Things seem to be carried in the World Partially the Godly suffer the Wicked Prosper Atheists are ready to think God hath cast off the Government of the World and minds not how things are transacted here below therefore there must be a judicial Process that God may undeceive the World and set things right 3. That there shall be such a day is evident by the Principles ingrafted in a natural conscience When Paul reasoned of Judgment to come Felix trembled Acts 24.25 The Prisoner at bar made the Judge tremble That a Wicked man dying is so surprized with terrors whence is this but from a secret apprehension of Judgment ensuing It will be a great Assizes never was the like seen 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Iudgment Seat There is no flying no absconding no bribing no appearing by a Proxy but all must make their Personal appearance They who were above Trial here and the Law could not reach them must appear before the Tribunal of Heaven Who shall be Judge Jesus Christ Iohn 5.22 Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained In that Christ is called a Man hence the Socinians blasphemously deny the essential Deity of Christ. That he is God is most clearly evinced from Isaiah 9.6 Ioh. 1.1 1 Cor. 8.6 1 Ioh. 5.20 We are in him that is True even in his Son Iesus Christ this is the true God Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiate with God the Father Heb. 1.3 But Christ the Judge is called Man because he shall Judge the world in a Visible Shape He must be both God and Man he must be God that he may see mens Hearts and he must be man that he himself may be seen What a solemn day will this be when Christ shall sit upon the Bench of Judicature he will judge righteously Psalm 9.8 Though he himself was wronged he will do no wrong And he will judge Critically Mat. 3.12 Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor He will see what is Wheat what is Chaff who have his Image upon him and who the mark of the beast Sure the Fear of God will cause an holy trembling at the thoughts of this day In what sence should those that Fear God Fear the day of Judgment Not with a Fear of amazement or despondency for the day of Judgment will be a Iubile a blessed comfortable day to them The Thrush sings at the approach of Rain so may Believers at the approach of Judgment Christ who is their Iudge is their Advocate But 1. The Godly should so fear Judgement as every day to renew their Sorrow for Sin They have sins quotidiani incursus that creep upon them daily and they must with Peter weep bitterly they must steep their Souls in the brinish Tears of Repentance It would be sad to be found at the last day in any sin unrepented of 2. The Godly should so Fear the day of Judgment as it makes them afraid of Sins of Omission The not dressing a wound brings death the not discharging duty may bring dâ—mnation You may read the solemn Process at the last day Mat. 25.42 I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in Prison and ye Visited me not The charge here brought in is for sins of Omission Christ doth not say Ye took away my meat from me but Ye gave me no meat He saith not Ye put me in prison but Ye visited me not The sins of Omission condemned them Not praying in the family not sanctfying the Sabbath not giving Almes will be the fatal Inditement 3. The Godly should so far Fear the day of Judgment as it makes them afraid of dissembling in Religion For at that day false hearts will be unmasked Why did Paul walk
Ambassage from the God of Heaven This Prophet was so famous that Origen and others though injudiciously supposed him to be an Angel He lived after the building of the second Temple and was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contemporary with Haggai and Zechariah This blessed Prophet did lift up his voice like a Trumpet and tell the Jewish Nation of their sins and he was the last Trumpet that sounded in the Old Testament In the words of the Text are these parts I. A Character of the Godly 1. In General they were Fearers of God they that feared the Lord. 2. In Special 1 They spake often one to another 2 They thought upon Gods Name II. The Good Effects of their Piety 1. The Lord regarded it he hearkned and heard 2. He recorded it a book of remembrance was written 3. He rewarded it and this reward consisted in three things 1 Gods owning them they shall be mine 2 Gods Honouring them in that day when I make up my Iewels 3 Gods Sparing them I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Before I come to the several parts distinctly here is a connexive particle stands in the front of the Text which may not be omitted namely the word Then Then they that feared the Lord c. Then that is after Israels return from the Babylonish Captivity then when the major part of the people grew corrupt and came worse out of the Furnace than they went in vers 13 14 in this bad juncture of time then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Hence observe That the Profaneness of the times should not slacken but highthen our zeal The looser others are the stricter we should be In those degenerate times when men were arrived at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and highth of Impudence and durst speak Treason against Heaven then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another When others were Plaintiffs these were Defendants when others spake against God these spake for God In Noah's dayes all Flesh had corrupted it self the old World was drowned in sin before it was drowned in water now at this time Noah was perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God Gen. 6.9 He was the Phoenix of his age Athanasius stood up in the defence of the Truth when the World was turned Arrian The more outragious others are in Sin the more couragious we should be for Truth When the Atheists said 't is Vain to serve God Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Why should we be holiest in evil Times 1. Because of the divine Injunction God chargeth us to be singular Mat. 5.47 to be circumspect Eph. 5.15 to be separate from Idolaters 2 Cor. 6.17 to shine as Lights in the World Philip. 2.15 He forbids us to symbolize with Sinners or doe as they doe the way to Hell is a beaten road the Lord calls to us to turn out of the road Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil This is reason enough to keep our selves pure in a time of common Infection As Gods Word is our Rule so his Will is our Warrant 2. To be holiest in evil times is an Indication of the truth of Grace To profess Religion when the times favour it is no Great matter Who almost will not court the Queen of the Gospel when she is hung with Jewels but to own the wayes of God when they are decried and maligned to love a persecuted truth this evidenceth a vital Principle of Goodness Dead Fish swim down the stream living Fish swim against it To swim against the common stream of evil shews Grace to be alive The Prophet Elias continuing zealous for the Lord of Hosts when they had digged down Gods Altars 1 King 19.10 shewed his heart and lips had been touched with a Coal from the Altar 1 Vse See hence how unworthy they are of the Name of Christians who use sinful complyance and cut the Garment of their Religion according to the Mode and fashion of the times They consult not what is best but what is safest Complying spirits can truckle to the humours of others they can bow either to the East or to the Host they prefer a whole Skin before a pure Conscience They can with the Planet Mercury vary their motion they can as the Mariner shift their Sail with every wind and as the Mungril Israelites speak the Language of Canaan and Ashdod These are like the Samaritans of whom Iosephus saith when the Jews flourished they pretended to be a-kin to them and come of the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh but when the Jews were persecuted they disclaimed Kindred with them The old Serpent hath taught men crooked windings and to be for that Religion not which hath truth on its side but power 2 Vse Let us keep up the vigour of our zeal in times of degeneracy We should by an holy Antiperistasis burn hotter in a frozen age We live in the dregs of time Sin is grown common and impudent 'T is excellent to walk Antipodes to the World Rom. 12.2 Let us be as Lillies and Roses among the Briars Sin is never the better because it is in fashion nor will this plea hold at the last day that we did as the most God will say Seeing you sinned with the Multitude you shall go to Hell with the Multitude O let us keep pure among dregs let us be like Fish that retain their freshness in salt waters and as that Lamp which shined in the smoaking Furnace Gen. 15.17 Consider 1. To be holy in times of General defection is that which God is Greatly pleased with The Lord was much taken with the holy conferences and dialogues of these Saints in the Text. When others were inveighing against the Deity that there should be a parcel of holy Souls speaking of Glory and the Life to come their words were Musick in Gods ears 2. To keep up a spirit of Holiness in an adulterous Generation is a Christians honour This was the glory of the Church of Pergamus that she held fast Christs Name even where Satans seat was Rev. 2.13 The Impiety of the times is a Foyl to set off Grace the more and make it cast a greater lustre Then a Christian is most lovely when he is as Ambrose saith like the Cypresse which keeps its Viridity and freshness in the Winter season Psalm 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the Vpright An upright man is always worth beholding but then he is most to be admired when like a bright Star he Shines in the dark and having lost all holds fast his integrity 3. To be Good in a prosligate Age doth much animate weak beginners it Strengthens feeble knees Isa. 35.3 And shores up those Temples of the Holy Ghost which are ready to fall One mans Zeal is a Torch for others to light at How did the Constancy of the Martyrs inflame