Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	grace_n	mercy_n	sin_n	4,120	5	4.6437	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60177	Diverse select sermons upon severall texts of holy scripture preached by that reverend and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, D. James Sibald ...	Sibbald, James, 1590?-1650?	1658 (1658)	Wing S3718; ESTC R33841	162,247	196

back from evill Neither is this Wil-worship as some imagine For Wil-worship is to apply things vaine and frivolous and where with God cannot be pleased to the honouri●● of God as the Jews did who placed Holinesse in manifold washings of themselves or as they against whom the Apostle reasoneth who abstained from some meats as uncleane of their own nature or by vertue of Moses Law Wil-worship also is to place necessitie in things not necessare when there is neither precept nor practise to be found in Gods Word or in his Church to enforce any such necessitie This is Wil-worship but no Wil-worship to promise to God a thing which being done may serve to good and profitable uses If any man say Are we not bound to do all the good that we can I An. By way of gratitude we ar but not by vertue of strict Commandement so that if we do not such or such a thing we commit not sin as was shewen before As for things necessare some Romanists affirme that they cannot be the matter of a vow but the best learned acknowledge that it may be and it is cleare from scripture For Jacob genesis 28. 20. 21. vowed that the Lord should be his God Which was a thing necessare although he had not vowed it Wee are tyed indeed to the doing of such things necessare and commanded by vertue of Gods Commandement although wee vow not but notwithstanding we may adde to that bond the bond obliedgment of a vow to stirre up and confirme the more in the obedience of God our languishing wils even as a man who is already bound to another man by his promise may bind himself also by his oath This kinde of vow was made by the people of God when turning back from their sinnes they renewed their covenant with him and promised to walk in his Commandements And this much of the nature of a vow I come to the second point which is how this duty belongeth to Thankfulnesse For clearing of this consider That when a man promiseth any thing to God he doeth not so that God may have any gaine or help therby but that he may give due honour to God More particularlie by vowing a man honoureth God in so far as hereby he acknowledgeth that God hath a care and providence of humane effaires and that it is he to whom we should have out recourse in tro●ble who alone can help us and frō whom we receive whatsoever we haue 2. By vowing a man honoureth God in so far as he intendeth by the reverence and feare of God to confirme himself in weldoing 3. By vowing and performing of our vows wee honour our God in so far as wee direct the thing which we have vowed to the service of God or to the enabling of us to serve him more acceptablie then otherwayes we would do From this which hath been said appeareth first That vowing may be now lawfully performed though the legal and ceremonial vows hath ceased yet all vows are not therefore abolished Vowing is no lewish ceremonie Our vows prefigure not Christ And Jacob vowed long before Moses was yea vowing is not a ceremony at all A Ceremonie is a thing outward sensible but vowing may be accomplished in the minde I say more though men should not be rash to vow yet somtimes some things when done out of a vow ar better then if they wer done without any vow because beside all the goodnesse which they should have otherwayes they are done out of a religious affection towards God and done out of a more firme and unchangeable purpose then otherwayes they should and with a more full resignation of our selves both the work and the will the fruit and the tree being given to God and therefore the scripture recommendeth this duty to us and in the 19. 21. of Isaiah speaking of Christians saieth That they shall vow and performe their vows Secondly We learn that we should be carefull to performe the good vows that we have made mans particular vows I know not This I know that we all have vowed to obey God by doing good and eschewing evill This vow we have often renewed Let vs performe it to the Lord otherwayes we are not only unthankfull but also sacrilegiously perfidious Thou hast vowed to eschew whooredom drunkennes malice c. will thou look back againe remember Lots wife who looking back to Sodome was stricken in a pillar of sal● to season thee by considering her dolefull example It is true we cannot perform what we have vowed by our own strength but the grace of God is sufficient for us and he is ready to 〈◊〉 his grace to all them that call upon him in trueth As shall clearly appeare by the following words which are O Thou that hearest prayer c. Here is set down a reason why praise waiteth for God and why the vow should bee performed to him It is he that heareth prayer Many most excellēt things there are in God Infinite Wisdom Infinite Power Infinite Iustice but if we consider them with reference to us compare Gods Riches Glory and Majesty with our misery vnworthines and sinne nothing deserveth greater thanksgiving then His Goodnes and Mercie kything in hearing our prayers and in the gracious reliefe and supplie of our necessities It is a thing most wonderfull that He who is so High should so regard vs miserable wormes creeping upon the earth that He who is most Blessed in Himselfe should care for our miserie that we who are de●●ed with sinne should come in His Presence who is a consuming fire to seek any thing from Him and yet His eares are open to our cryes he invites us to pray Trust in him ye people at all times poure out your hearts before him for he is our refuge He hath promised when we call upon him in trouble to hear and deliver us and to strengthen our confidence he taketh to himself this sweet style of the Hearer of prayer what an unspeakable benefit is this that we have the eare of God open to us and his hand ready to help what can they want who have this therefore our Blessed Saviour before his departure promised his disciples for the making of their joy full that their prayers should be heard The consideration of this made David to break out in these words blessed be the Lord who hath not put back my prayer nor turned away his mercie from me But whose prayer doeth he heare To thee shall all flesh come saieth the PROPHET See how ample the benefit is As many as there are in the earth as distant as the places are and as diverse as their troubles ar he can hear all hath made the doore patent to all especially now under the gospell and Christian Church of the amplitude wherof David here prophecieth All flesh he uses the name of flesh not without cause which in scripture importeth calamitie miserie

a Name of dignitie and authoritie which God hath over the creatures therefore as they were not eternall so this name agreeth not to him from eternitie S. August in his 12. book of the City God and 15. chap. in modestie refuseth to determine this question Vpon the one part he saieth that he dare not deny but God was LORD from all eternitie and one the other part he saieth it is hard to conceive this since Dominion importeth a respect to the creatures which begane in time But if we consider well we will find that the question is rather verball then reall For clearing whereof ye are to understand that there are two things imported by the Dominion of God The first which is the chief and principall is his power over all things that actually are or are possible The second is a reference unto the creatures subject unto God This belongeth unto God but in time but it is nothing else then an outward secondarie respect that which is inward and principall in the Dominion of God to wit his Power was from eternitie and therfore he is truly from eternitie LORD His Dominion is grounded on his Power which is one with his essence and that is eternall Neither is it the creatures that actually are who alone are subject to him Even the things that are not at under his Dominiō he calleth the things that are not as if they were They obey his commandement and commandement presupposeth Dominion by vertue whereof it hath power Thus the Dominion of God was from all eternitie Secondly It we look to following ages this Dominion and Kingdome endureth after them to all eternitie This is true both of Gods Kingdome generally and particularly considered That is the Kingdome of his Power as it is called by which he commandeth and ruleth all things It is certaine this Kingdome shall never end for God shal ever have supreame power over things that are or are possible His particular Kingdome is that whereby he reigneth in his church and this also shall have no end Hence the Angell speaking of our Saviour LUKE 1. saieth Hee shall reigne in the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end Wee must not think that this Kingdome of God and Christ shall end when this World endeth no it shall be most perfected and established when all other Rule Authority and Power shall be put down Here it is the kingdome of grace God ruling in the hearts of his servants by his Spirit grace hereafter it shall be the kingdome of Glory wherein the glory of Gods Wisdome Mercie and Power shall be manifested in the eternall salvation of his own and the glory of his Power and justice shall appeare in the eternall confusion of his enemies Now the Kingdome of God is but not peaceable now his enemies are overcome but not wholly rooted out and trampled under foot Sathan remaineth yet and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devoure Sinne and Death remain As yet there are many that rebell against the Law of God and despise his Commandements but all these enemies shall be hereafter rooted out Sathan with his angels shall be chained in hel and shall have no more leave to tempt Sin shall be banished also in the godly it shall not be Their flesh shall no more resist the spirit and the spirit God and the wicked shall have no more liberty to commit any new sin Death shall be rooted out by the resurrection so that we may then sing Death is swallowed up in victorie O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victorie Lastly wicked men the rebels of this great KING and disobedient to his Will shall be subjected to eternal pains against their will whereas the servants of God shall be advanced to the participation of his eternall glory Thus this his Kingdome shall be Eternal and not only so in respect of himself but also in respect of his servants Feare not little flock saith our Saviour it is your Father will to give you a kingdom To him that overcometh will I give saith he Rev. 3. to sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and sit with my Father in his Throne Come yee blessed of my Father shall he say at the last day and receive the kingdome prepared for you c. This much of the Eternitie of the Kingdome of God I come now to the uses of the Doctrine First The consideration of this Eternitie of God his Kingdome should teach us to disesteeme the things of this World which are but fraile and momentanie suppose they endured never so long yet at last they have an end and when that end is come they are as though they had never been Put the case thou had all the riches and pleasures and honours and dominions of the World yet these should end and being ended leave thee nothing but a sad and sorrowfull remembrance of them and the more sad and bitter the more sweet and deare they were to thee when thou had them I will yet say more these things not only have an end but also end suddenly to us Their continuance is most uncertaine and short All our enjoying of them is grounded upon this mortall life and how fraile that is wee know by experience and S. Jam. teacheth us Chap. 4. Go to now saeth he yee that say to morrow wee will go to such a City and continue a year and buy and sell and get gain And yee know not what shall be to morrow for what is your life but a vapour that appeareth for a little whyle and then vanisheth away Now the life being ended all this World endeth to us That which our Saviour saieth of the soule I may say of the body also What profite is it to a man to gaine the whole World if he losse his bodily life More our health is more uncertaine then life and without it we can enjoy no worldly thing Take health from a man what availe all the treasures of the earth Set the most daintie dishes before him they are loathsome Bring his Wife children friends unto him their sight is often grievous Let him remember his former pleasures it breedeth nothing but bitternesse In a word What is the whole man but as it were an earthen vessel which God in whose hand is a rod of Iron is able to dash in pieces when he will Albeit an earthen vessel were never so pleasant painted perfumed adorned with flowers a crown set upon it yet if it be stricken with a rod of Iron it goeth in pieces so it fareth with these earthen vessels of our bodies Though we had the vigour and strength of youth the prudence of the aged the knowledge and eloquence of the learned the treasures of the rich if God but touch us with his rod it is enough to beat us to powder Why then should we set our hearts upon these things that