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A03268
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The abridgement of the gospell: or The order and course of mans saluation as it is set foorth by Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist, Luke 1. 67. &c. and further opened in ten sermons thereupon: by Sam. Hieron.
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Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 13386; ESTC S118877
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96,426
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126
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If thou didst dwell in an estate of land of which thou couldest shew no better euidence thou wouldest thinke to bee quickly shut out of doores The Lord hath precisely set downe particulars such hath beene his care to establish our faith if wee let the Scripture lie like some needlesse Historie turning ouer as too many doe the cardes oftner than the leaues of the Bible that wee might be able to say as euery Christian ought Thus it is written and thus I beleeue well may wee talke of faith but that faith should be where there is such little experience in the rule and life ground of faith which is the Scripture it is vnpossible These things were written that we might beleeue x Ioh. 20.31 Doest thou not know what is written how shouldst thou then be able to beleeue The second doctrine of the place is The 2. Doctrine That God from the worlds beginning foretold by Prophets all things concerning Christ This is manifest out of the course of the place in hand is easily confirmed First in generall it is said that vnto Christ al the Prophets giue witnes y Act. 10.43 Christ appealed to the Scriptures of the old Testament z Ioh. 5.39 and in his discourse with the two disciples iourneying to Emmaus he found in euery of the prophets something touching himselfe a Luk. 24.27 Secondly if any shall exactly peruse the old Testament he shall finde euery specialty touching Christ distinctly set downe as namely when he should be borne b Gen. 49.10 where he should bee borne c Mic. 5.2 of what stocke d Psal 132.11 of what kinde of woman e Isay 7.14 what maner of person both God f Isay 19.6 and Man g Gen. 3.15 how he should bee entertained h Isay 53.2.3 c. for what end hee should come i Isa 61.1.2.3 by whom he should be betraied k Psal 41.9 what maner of death he should die l Numb 21.9 with Ioh. 3.14 how he should be vsed in his execution m Psal 22. at large where he should be buried n Isay 53.9 how long hee should abide in the graue o Ioh 1.17 with Math. 12.40 that he should rise from death p Psal 16.10 that he should ascend into heauen q Psal 68.18 with Eph. 4.8 These many more circumstances than these the Prophets from the worlds beginning did set downe very exactly so that there was nothing befell Christ from the first moment of his conception vntill the last period of his time heere on earth I meane of those things which are reuealed to haue befallen him and which befell him as our Mediatour of which a man experienced in the Scripture might not truely saie Thus and thus it hapned as the Lord spake by his Prophets c. Besides the ceremonies in the Temple and Tabernacle in the daily Sacrifices and Sacrificers all of them shadowing out something or other in the Christ to come who was the substance of euery type and the bodie of euerie representation It is woorthy any mans paines to marke and obserue how the whole mystery of Christ is lapped vp in the Prophecies of the old Testament and how the same is explaned laid open and vnfolded in the storie and application of the new The pith and marrow and substance of both being this Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer r Heb. 13.8 The reason heereof on Gods part is twofold First the confirmation of our Faith These things were written that we might beleeue Å¿ Ioh. 20.31 Our faith by this course is strengthned after this maner we see by this exact foretelling of the Prophets that the whole course of our saluation is a matter framed by God and the whole order thereof in euery part and limme set downe in his eternall wisedome and prouidence out of which wee may gather and conclude the certeintie thereof inasmuch as a plot which God hath laid all the power of Sathan cannot alter Secondly many base wrongs many vile vsages and indignities befell our Sauiour in the daies of his flesh the consideration whereof might make a man to doubt whether he could be the Sauiour of mankinde But when we see that euerie such specialtie is foretold by the Prophets and so that nothing came to passe but according to Gods appointment and that for some speciall end that doubt is remooued and those particulars of his debasement become grounds of comfort and of reioicing vnto vs. The Vse Now for a vse of this doctrine wee see heere as in a glasse the care which God hath had in all ages from the verie cradle as it were of the world for the good and comfort of his Church Hee hath not kept a word backe which might be for the necessarie information thereof Euerie age hath beene furnished with Prophets and euerie prophet furnished with gifts to instruct the Church in the mysterie of Christ It is a true saying that the Lord did still reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets t Amos 3.7 And the Prophets were all like Moses faithfull in all Gods house u Heb. 3.5 and like Paul they kept nothing backe that was profitable but shewed all the counsell of God x Act. 20.20.27 Wherefore may not God then say as of old What could I haue done anie more y Isay 5.6 If wee now remaine ignorant and vnsetled in religion ready to bee caried about with euery winde of doctrine z Ephe. 4.14 Where is the fault and against whom will yee plead God hath not beene wanting to vs neither yet is but heere is the miserie of it and that which will make hell euen readie to burst with damned soules My people will not heare my voice Israel will none of me a Psa 81.11 Light is come but men loue darknes more than light b Ioh. 3.19 The Sermons of the Prophets are recorded read expounded but we will not heare them we say rather with those wicked ones Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies c Iob. 21.14 Let vs remember what is said Vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shal be much required d Luk. 12.48 We haue the mystery of Christ foretold by the Prophets explaned by the Euangelists applied and enforced by the writings of the Apostles pressed neerer to vs and made more familiar by continual preaching our ignorance is without excuse our blood will be vpon our owne heads our portion will bee deeper in the pit of hell than the Indians and Moores and Tartars which neuer had the like meanes of spirituall information The third instruction stands thus The 3. Doctrine That that which was vttered by the mouth of the Prophets God spake so are the words As he spake by the mouth c. The mouth of the Prophets deliuered those things but it was by direction and inspiration
THE ABRIDGEMENT of the Gospell Or THE ORDER AND COVRSE oâ—â—ans saluation as it is set foorth by ZACHARIE the father of IOHN BAPTIST Luke 1.67 c. and further opened in ten Sermons thereupon By SAM HIERON 1. TIM 3.16 Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse LONDON Printed by M. Bradwood for Samuel Macham and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head ANNO 1609. TO THE READER I Continue still Christian Reader to impart vnto thee some of my Sermon-notes not so much to supply thy want God hauing so abundantly blessed this age with better helps as to manifest my desire of doing my vtmost good in Gods Church Thou hast here such Obseruations as it pleased God to inable me to deliuer in the place where I liue vpon the song of Zacharie In which in my poore vnderstanding the order and course of mans saluation is as effectually set forth as in any other part of holy Writ The fountaine of it is Gods mercie the ground Christ Iesus the substance of the thing it selfe Redemption from the bondage of spirituall enimies it was anciently promised to the Fathers and reported by the Prophets in all ages Knowledge of it is now giuen vnto vs by the Ministerie of man and the end is to leade vs by the cheerefull practise of Holinesse and Righteousnesse to the comfortable fruition of eternall Peace Some other points of good vse are occasionally handled in these Lectures but these be the principall The ordinarie vse of this Scripture in the Church hath moued me besides the particular excellency thereof it being indeed the very Abridgement of the Gospell to cull it out from among my other Readings vpon Luke and to commend it to thy view So praying God to blesse my labour to thy vse I commend thee heartilie to his Grace Modbury in Deuon Thine in the Lord SAM HIERON THE ABRIDGEMENT of the Gospell THE FIRST SERMON LVKE 1.67 c. Then his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. IN this passage of speech The generall diuision of the whole place in which the Hymne of Zacharie is reported two things are to be considered 1. The Preface to it 2. The Hymne it selfe In the Preface againe there are two points obserued 1. The speciall enabling of Zacharie to this businesse 2. The generall nature of the thing performed The enabling of Zacharie is in these words He was filled with the Holy Ghost By the Holy Ghost we must not heere vnderstand the very Essence and Deity of the third person in Trinity but the gifts and graces of the Holie Ghost according as the word is often so taken in the Scripture a Ioh. 3.34 Ioh. 7 39. Rom. 8.9 By being filled with the Holy Ghost we must not imagine that Zacharie till this time was destitute of the graces of the spirit but this is the meaning that at this time and vpon this occasion a more large and plentifull measure of the graces of Gods spirit appeared in him In this we may obserue that Zacharie afflicted formerly with the dumbnesse of many moneths hath not onely the libertie of his speech restored but being endowed with a fuller portion of Gods graces his toong is made the instrument of the Holie Ghost in vttering a matter of extraordinarie consequence From whence wee may collect this doctrine The 1. Doctrine That the comforts which GOD heapeth vpon his afflicted seruants doe come in with a kinde of aduantage there is not onely a remoouing of the affliction but a bestowing withall of some speciall kindnesse Zacharie is not onely now not dumbe but which is more is enabled by an extraordinarie measure of spirituall gifts euen in an admirable maner to set foorth the whole mysterie of the redemption of mankind Wee meet with like examples in holie writ Great was the affliction of Ioseph He was sold for a slaue they held his feet in the stocks and he was laid in yrons b Psal 105.17.18 But when the Lord had thorowly tried him as siluer is tried in the furnace of a long grieuous affliction he was not barely enlarged but withall aduanced to a place of great respect The king made him Lord of his house c. c vers 21. Moses his triall is at large set downe in the storie d Ex. 2.14 c. his feare his flight and his long seruice in Midian but when Gods appointed time came he not onely restored him to the fellowship of his owne countreymen but made him the guide and captaine of his people so that hee neuer wrought greater things by the hand of any meere man than he did by the hand of Moses Notorious is the Historie of Iob how he was tormented in person and wasted in estate but when the Lord turned his captiuitie hee gaue him twice so much as he had before e Iob 42.10 and blessed his last daies more than the first f vers 12. To this agreeth that of Dauid who saith that the Lord did not onely bring him out of the horrible pit but also set his feet vpon a rocke and ordered his goings g Psal â—0 2 And that of the afflicted people is of like nature After two daies say they he will reuiue vs that is not all but in the third day he will raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight h Hos 6.2 He would not only pull backe his hand and forbeare to smite which yet had beene much but he would come as a skilfull and tender hearted Surgeon to lappe vp their sores to powre oyle into their wounds to giue them beautie for ashes the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse i Isa 61.3 neither would he alone in some little measure reuiue and quicken them but he would giue that large measure of strength that they should liue in his sight They which went weeping do not only returne with ioy but they do ouer and aboue bring their sheaues with them k Psal 126. â— The reason of the Lords so dealing proceeds first from his mercie He knoweth whereof we be made saith Dauid he remembreth that wee are but dust l Psal 103.14 therefore lest his afflicted seruants should bee swallowed vp with heauinesse and euen ouercome with discouragement he doth not onely withdraw his hand of chastisement but hee addeth some speciall mercy to the end that they mâ—y be comfortablie assured that whatsoeuer was done was done to prepare them for a greater kindnesse Secondlie it proceedeth from his Wisedome hee knoweth that none doe value his kindnesses more or are fitter to imploy them to their owne good and the good of others than those that haue beene most humbled by afflictions according as no ground is so fit to receiue seed euen with a full hand as that which hath beene most torne with the plough and beaten