Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	good_a	know_v	knowledge_n	3,077	5	7.3450	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27047	Three treatises tending to awaken secure sinners by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. True Christianity.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Absolute dominion of God-redeemer.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Absolute soveraignty of Christ.	1656 (1656)	Wing B1420; Wing B1409L; Wing B1437; ESTC R11838	152,069	348

but help thee out of the snares of sin and promote the saving of thy Immortal soul and thy comfortable appearance at the great day of Christ I have the thing which I intended and desired The Lord open thy Heart aud accompany his Truth with the Blessing of his Spirit Amen A SERMON Of Judgement Preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Maior and Aldermen of the City of London Dec. 17. 1654. 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. For we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we perswade men IT is not unlikely that some of those wits that are taken more with things new then with things Necessary will marvel that I choose so common a subject and tell me that they all know this already But I do it purposely upon these following Considerations 1. Because I well know that it is these Common Truths that are the great and necessary things which mens everlasting happiness or misery doth most depend upon You may be ignorant of many Controversies aud Inferiour points without the danger of your souls but so you cannot of these Fundamentals 2. Because its apparent by the lives of men that few know these Common Truths savingly that think they know them 3. Because there are several degrees of knowing the same Truths and the best are imperfect in degree the principal growth in Knowledge that we should look after is not to know more matters then we knew before but to know that better and with a clearer light and firmer apprehension which we darkly and slightly knew before You may more safely be without any knowlege at all of many lower Truths then without some further degree of the knowledge of those which you already know 4. Besides it is known by sad Experience that many perish who know the Truth for want of the consideration of● and making use of what they know and so their knowledge doth but condemn them We have as much need therefore to teach and help you to get these Truths which you know into your hearts and lives as to tell you more 5. And indeed it is the impression of these great and master-Truths wherein the vitals and essentials of Gods Image upon the soul of man doth consist And it is these Truths that are the very Instruments of the great works that are to be done upon the heart by the spirit and our selves In the right use of these it is that the Principal part of the skill and holy wisdom of a Christian doth consist and in the diligent and constant use of these lieth the life and trade of Christianity There is nothing amiss in mens hearts or lives but it is for want of sound knowing and believing or well using these Fundamentals 6. And moreover me thinks in this choice of my subject I may expect this advantage with the Hearers that I may spare that labour that else would be necessary for the proof of my Doctrine and that I may also have easier access to your hearts and have a fuller stroak at them and with less resistance If I came to tell you of anything not Common I know not how far I might expect belief from you You might say These things are uncertain to us or all men are not of this mind But when every Hearer confesseth the truth of my doctrine and no man can deny it without denying Christianity it self I hope I may expect that your hearts should the sooner receive the impression of this Doctrine and the sooner yield to the duties which it directs you to and the easier let go the sins which from so certain a Truth shall be discovered The words of my text are the reason which the Apostle giveth both of his perswading other men to the fear of God and his care to approve to God his own heart and life They contain the Assertion and Description of the great Judgement and one Use which he makes of it It assureth us that Judged we must be and who must be so Judged and by whom and about what and on what terms and to what end The meaning of the words so far as is necessary I shall give you briefly We all both we Apostles that Preach the Gospel you that hear it must willing or unwilling there is no avoiding it Appear stand forth or make our appearance and there have our hearts and wayes laid open and appear as well as we Before the Judgement seat of Christ i. e. before the Redeemer of the world to be Judged by him as our Rightful Lord. That every one even of all mankind which are were or shall be without exception May receive that is may receive his sentence adjudging him to his due and then may receive the execution of the sentence and may go away from the barr with that Reward or Punishment that is his due according to the Law by which he is Judged The things done in his body that is the due Reward of the works done in his body or as some copies read it The things proper to the body i. e. due to the man even body as well as soul According to what he hath done whether it be good or bad i. e. This is the cause to be tried and Judged whether men have done well or ill whiles they were in the flesh and what is due to them according to their deeds Knowing therefore c. i. e. Being certain therefore that these things are so and that such a Terrible Judgement of Christ will come we perswade men to become Christians and live as such that they may then speed well when others shall be destroyed or as others Knowing the fear of the Lord that is the true Religion we perswade men Doct. 1. There will be a Judgement Doct 2. Christ will be the Judge Doct. 3. All men shall there appear Doct. 4. Men shall be then Judged according to the works that they did in the flesh whether good or evil Doct. 5. The end of Judgement is that men may receive their final due by Sentence and Execution Doct. 6. The knowledge and consideration of the terrible Judgement of God should move us to perswade and men to be perswaded to carefull preparation The ordinary method for the handling of this subject of Judgement should be this 1. To shew you what Judgement is in the General and what it doth contain and that is 1. The persons 2. The cause 3. ●he Actions 1. The parties are 1. the Accuser 2. the Defendant 3. Sometime Assistants 4. The Judge 2. The cause contains 1. The Accusation 2. the Defence 3. With the Evidence of both 4. And the Merit The Merit of the cause is as it agreeth with the Law and Equity 3. The Judicial Actions are I. Introductory 1. Citation 2. Compulsion if need be 3. Appearance of the Accused II. Of the Essence

For if he foreknow it all the World cannot hinder it from coming to pass Answ Must God either be Ignorant of what you will do or else be the cause of it If you foreknow that the Sun will rise to morrow that doth not cause it to rise If you foreknow that one man will murder another you are not the cause of it by foreknowing it So is it here The seven and twentieth Excuse God might have hindred my Sin and Damnation if he would Answ And will you wilfully sin and think to scape because God doth not hinder you The Prince that makes a Law against murder could lock you up and keep you from being a Murderer But are you excusable if he do not We are certain that God could have hindered all the sin and and death and confusion and misery that is in the world And we are as certain that he doth not hinder it but by forbidding it and giving men means against it And we are certain that he is Just and Good and Wise in all and not bound to hinder it And what his Reasons are you may better know hereafter In the mean time you had been better have looked to your own Duty The eight and twentieth Excuse How could I be saved if Christ d d not dye for me He dyed but for his Elect and none could be saved without his Death Answ He did dye for you and for more then his Elect though he Absolutely purposed only their salvation Your sins crucified him and your debt lay upon him and ●e so far ransomed you that nothing bu● your wilful refusal of the benefits could have condemned you The nine and twentieth Excuse It was Adams sin that brought me into this Depravedness of will Which I can neither care nor could prevent Answ 1. If Adam cast away his holiness he could no more convey that to us which he cast away then a Nobleman that is a Traytor can convey his lost Inheritance or Honours to his son 2. You perish not only for your Original sin but for rejecting the Recovering mercy of the Redeemer you might have had Christ and Life in him for the Accepting The thirtieth Excuse God will require no more than be gives He gave me not Grace to Repent and Believe and wihtout his gift I could not have it Answ 1. God will justly require more then he giveth that is The improvement of his Gifts as Mat. 25. shews He gave Adam but a Power to persevere and not Actual perseverance Yet did he justly punish him for want of the Act even for not using by his own will the Power which he had given him 2. It is long of your self if God did not give you Grace to Believe It was because you wilfully refused some preparatory Grace Christ found you at a great distance from him and he gave you Grace sufficient to have brought you neerer to him than you were you had grace sufficient to have made you better than you were and restrained many sins and brought you to the means when you turned your back on them Though this were not sufficient to cause you to Believe it was sufficient to have brought you neerer to Beleeving and through your own wilfulness became not Effectual Even as Adam had sufficient grace to have stood which was not Effectual So that you had not only Christ offered to you if you would but Accept him but you had daily and precious helps and means to have cu●ed your wils and caused you to Accept him for neglect of which and so for not believing and so for all your other sins you ●ustly perish The one and thirtieth Excuse Alas man is a worm a d●y lea● Job 13. 25. a silly foolish creature and therefore his Actions be not regardble nor deserve so great a punishment Answ Though he be a worm and as nothing to God and foolish by sin yet is he naturally so noble a creature that the image of God was on him Gen. 1. 26. and 5. 1 Jam. 3. 9. and the world made his servants and Angels his attendants Heb. 1. 14. so noble that Christ dyed for him God takes special care of him He is capable of knowing and enjoying God and heaven is not thought too good for him if he will obey And he that is capable of so great Good must be capable of as great Evil and his wa●es not to be so overlooked by that God that hath undertaken to be his Governor When it tendeth to Infidelity the Devil will teach you to debase man even lower than God would do The two and thirtieth Excuse Sin is no Being and shall men be damned for that which is nothing Answ 1. It is such a mode as deformeth Gods creature It is a moral Being It is a Relation of our actions and hearts to Gods will and Law 2. They that say Sin is nothing say Pain and Loss is nothing too You shall therefore be paid with one nothing for another Make light of your misery and say It is nothing as you did of your sin 3. Will you take this for a good Excuse from your children or servants it they abuse you Or from a Theif or a Murderer shall he escape by telling the Judge that his sin was Nothing Or rathe●have death which is nothing as the just eward of it The three and thirtieth Excuse But sin is a Tranfient thing At least it doth God no harm and therefore why sould he do us so much harm for it Answ 1. It hurts not God because he is above hurt No thanks to you if he be out of your reach 2. You may wrong him when you cannot Hurt him And the wrong deserves as much as you can bear If a Traytor endeavour the death of the Prince in vain his endeavour deserves death though he never hurt him You despise Gods Law and Authority you cause the Blaspheming of his name Rom. 2 24. He calls it A pressing him as a ●art is pressed with sheaves Amos 2. 13. and a grieving of him 3. And you wrong his Image his Church the publike good and the souls of others The four and thirtieth Excuse But Gods nature is so Good and Merciful that sure be will not damn his own creature Answ 1. A merciful Judge will hang a man for a fault against man By proportion then what is due for sin against God 2. All the death and calamity which you see in the world comes from the anger of this merciful God why then may not future misery come from it 3. God knoweth his own mercy better then you do and he hath told you how far it shall extend 4. He is infinitely merciful but it is to the Heirs of mercy Not to the final Rejecters of His mercy 5. Hath not God been merciful to thee in bearing with thee so long and offering thee Grace in the blood of Christ till thou didst wilfully reiect it Thou wilt confess to thy everlasting wo that God was merciful Had he

and therefore I was bold to hold you the longer FINIS A SERMON Of Iudgement Preached at Pauls before the Honourable Lord Maior and Aldermen of the City of London Decemb. 17. 1654. And now enlarged By RICH. BAXTER Rom. 14. 12. Every one of you shall give account of himself to God John 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice aud shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation LONDON Printed by R. W. for Nevill Simmons Bookseller in Kidderminster 1656. TO The Right Honorable Christopher Pack Lord Maior of London with the Right worshipful Aldermen Right Honorable BEing desired to Preach before you at Pauls I was fain to preach a Sermon which I had preached once before to a poor ignorant Congregation in the Country having little leisure for study in London I was glad to see that the more curious stomachs of the Citizens did not nauseate our plain Country Doctrine which I seemed to discern in the diligent attention of the greatest Congregation that ever I saw met for such a work But I little expected that you should have so far esteemed that discourse as to have thought it meet for the view of the world as I understood by a Message from you desiring it may be Printed I readily obey your w●ll when it gives me the least intimation of the will of God It s possible some others may afford it the like favourable Acceptance and entertainment I am sure the subject is as necessary as common and the Plainness makes it the fitter for the ignorant who are the far greatest number and have the greatest need I have added the 9 10 11 and 12. Heads or Common places which I did not deliver to you for want of time and because the rest are too briefly touched as contrived for an hours work I have enlarged these though making them somewhat unsuitable to the rest yet suitable to the use of those that they are now intended for The Directions also in the end are added Blessed be the Father of Lights who hath set up so many burning and shining lights in your City and hath watered you so plenteously with the Rivers of his Sanctuary that you have frequent opportunities for the refreshment of your souls to the joy of your friends the grief of your enemies and the glory of that Providence which hath hitherto maintained them in despite of Persecution Heresies and Hell It was not alwaies so in London It is not so in all other places or famous Cities in the world Nor are you sure that it will be alway so with you It doth me good to remember what blessed Lights have shined among you that new are more gloriously shining in a higher sphere Preston Sibbes Stoughton Taylor Stock Randal Gouge Gataker with multitudes more that are now with Christ It did me good to read in the Preface to Mr. Gatakers funeral Sermon by one of your reverend and faithful Guides what a number of sound and unanimous Labourers are yet close at work in that part of Christs Vineyard And it did me good in that short experience and observation while I was there to hear and see so much of their Prudence Unity and Fidelity Believe it it is the Gospel of Christ that is your Glory and if London be more honorable then other great and famous Cities of the earth it is the light of Gods face and the plenty and power of his Ordinances and Spirit that doth advance and honour it 0 know then the day of your visitation Three things I shall take leave to propound to your Consideration which I am certain God requireth at your hands The first is that you grow in knowledge humility heavenliness and Unity according to the blessed means that you enjoy In my eyes it is the greatest shame to a people in the world and a sign of Barbarousness or blockishness when we can hear and read what a famous learned powerful Minister such a place or such a place had and yet see as much ignorance ungodliness unruliness and sensuality as if the Gospel had scarce ever been there I hope it is not thus with you but I have found it so in too many places of England We that never saw the faces of their Ministers but have only read their holy Labours have been ready to think Sure there are few ignorant or ungodly ones in such a Congregation Sure they are a people rich in Grace and eminently qualified above their brethren who have lived under such Teaching as this At least sure there can be none left that have an enmity to the fear of God! But when we have come to the Towns where such men spent their lives and laid out their labours we have found ignorant sottish worldlings unprofitable or giddy unstable Professors and some haters of godliness among them O what a shame is this to them to the eyes of wise men and what a confounding aggravation of their sin before God! Thrive therefore and be fruitful in the Vineyard of the Lord that it may not repent him that he hath planted and watered you The second is this Improve your interest to the utmost for the continuance of a faithful Ministry among you and when any places are void do what you can to get a supply of the most Able men Your City is the Heart of the Nation you cannot be sick but we shall all feel it If you be infected with false Doctrines the Countreys will ere long receive the Contagion You have a very great influence on all the Land for good or evil And do you think the undermining enemies of the Church have not a special Design upon you in this point and will not promote it as far as is in their power Could they but get in Popish or Dividing Teachers among you they know how many advantages they should gain at once They would have some to grieve and trouble your faithful Guides hinder them in the work and lessen that estimation which by their Unity they would obtain And every Deceiver will hope to catch some fish that casteth his Net among such store We beseech you if there be Learned Holy Judicious men in England that can be had for supply on such occasions let them be yours that you may be fed with the Best and Guided by the Wisest and we may have all recourse to you for advice and where there are most Opposers Seducers there may be the most Powerful Convincing helps at hand Let us in the Country have the honest raw young Preachers and see that you have the chief Fathers and Pillars in the Church I speak it not for your sakes alone but because we have all Dependance on you The third thing which I humbly crave is that you will Know them which Labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish