Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A55344
|
A sermon preach'd to young people January the first, 1697. And now publish'd at their request. By Samuel Pomfret.
|
Pomfret, Samuel, d. 1722.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing P2798A; ESTC R217924
|
45,878
|
51
|
us by his Word and Spirit the Will of God for our Salvation renouncing to lead to our own Understandings and set up our own Conceits as our Rule verily accounting all that Wisdom and carnal Reason to be but meer Foolishness which lifteth up it self against any Truth of Christ in the Gospel As for instance it is one of the great and most concerning Truths of Christ Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be able Now when the Mind gives a free and full assent to this Truth as it is in Jesus not listning to any that shall rise up in opposition to the Wisdom of this great Prophet and say what need so much ado about this striving The Gate and way that leads to Heaven is smooth and broad but on the contrary heeds it hides it in the Heart by Faith that it may thereby be excited quickned to Diligence in striving the more earnestly This is one main Ingredient in coming under and bearing the Yoke Hence you read Eph. 4. 21 22. and John 10. 27. Of learning the Truth as it is in Jesus and of Christ's Sheep hearing his Voice and following him not a Stranger And in 1 Cor. 2. 14. speaking of the natural Man i. e. a Man unsubdued to the Yoke of Christ That he receives not the things of the Spirit of God Young People naturally receive not the Truths that directly and more especially concern them such as Eccl. 12. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. To remember their Creator to know the Scriptures to flee Youthful Lusts to hearken to Instruction c. but foolishly imagine it is time enough to mind the Concernments of their Souls herein now consists Rebellion to Christ's Yoke when the Mind attends not but holds in Unrighteousness stifles resists these Truths On the other hand when the Mind becomes studious to know opens yields to the light quarrelleth not with it but welcomes reverenceth and receiveth it as becometh a meek tractable and humble Disciple pondering and revolving such Thoughts as these I may never have the like Advantage again savingly to know the things of my Peace it cannot be too soon to hearken to Instruction it may be too late if I now trifle my Danger is great I stand upon the brink of Eternity and hereupon as the new born Babe desires the sincere Milk of the Word that he may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. looks into the Scriptures and then looks up to Heaven and saith Lord What I know not teach thou me and wherein I have done Iniquity I 'le do so no more I confess my Blindness Darkness Dullness Foolishness I am a poor ignorant erring Creature none more apt go astray But there 's none can teach like thee thou hast the Key of David that openest and none can shut c. thou hast the Eye-Salve for the cure of blind Hearts O take away the Vail that is upon my Heart and write thy Law there anoint my Eyes with the heavenly Unction of thy Holy Spirit open my Understanding that I may see the wonderous things contained in thy Law give me to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Thus a sound and sincere Mind seeketh and savoureth the Truths of Christ and herein consisteth its Subjection to his Yoke the Understanding is subdued to the Wisdom of Christ in his Prophetical Office so as that when at any time he shall please by his Word and Spirit to let into the Mind the light of any Truth it yields quietly and readily to the Authority and Power of that Truth will not dare not invent Excuses to defeat its Erraud be it never so hard to cut off a right Hand Lust c. but saith Amen Lord be it so I am content thou should'st use the severest Methods for slaying my Corruptions O let it be done whatever it cost me any thing Blessed Jesus rather than Sin unsubdued O let thy Word King it over my Lusts and be enthron'd in my Heart accordingly when it falleth like a two edged Sword upon such a Sin the sound and submissive Mind willingly lies under the Blow and saith more of this good Lord strike again and again lay the Ax of this Truth to the Root of my Heart Lust and down with it Root and Branch What then shall become of those whose Minds are so far from a ready compliance with the Truths of Christ as a Prophet as that they rebelliously controul him in his Office It may be he hath come in such a Sermon and by his Spirit hath directed the Arrow of Conviction to such a Man's Conscience and thereby instructed him how ready he is to assist in getting off Sin 's Yoke and putting on Christ's Well! what has been the Carriage and Behaviour of this Wretch under this why instead of siding and taking part with the Light of the Spirit in this Truth of Christ he has sided with Satan and his own Corruption labouring to extinguish this Candle of the Lord and to blow out this Light of Conviction and set his Lust in battel array to fight against the Truth and will rather part with his Blood and Life than with his Sins O this is high and open Rebellion against Christ The Lord keep you young Ones from it This then is the first thing contained in bearing Christ's Yoke viz. Subjection of the Understanding and Mind to the Truths and teaching of Christ the great Prophet of his Church 2. It containeth in it a subjection of the Will to Christ both to obey him as King and fiducially to receive and trust in him as the Great High-Priest who alone was able to make Atonement and Reconciliation for Sin by his once offering up himself a Sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice Now herein chiefly consists our Subjection to Christ's Yoke when the Will is won over to a full consent to receive and obey him both as Jesus and Lord Col. 2. 6. This answereth both the great Design and Intendment of the Gospel of Christ and also the Exigency of our lost and undone State when the Will comes up to a true Closure to say as in Isa 26. 12 13. O Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou hast wrought all thy Works in us O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name Also in Acts 9. 6. And he trembling speaking of Paul at the time of his Conversion or coming under Christ's Yoke and astonished said Lord What wilt thou have me to do Hence Psal 110. 3. we read Christ's Subjects are said to be a willing People in the Day of his Power And Acts 11. 23. Barnabas exhorteth to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of Heart There is indeed an imperfect ineffectual Work often found in young People Agrippa-like Acts 26. 28. Then Aprippa said unto Paul almost thou perswadest me to be
found in every unconverted Sinner a stiff Neck a stout Heart a dark Mind and bruitish Affections an Infinite Power is therefore requisite to be employ'd to bring a Man under the Yoke It is true indeed God putteth forth this Power in a way suited to the Nature of Man Hosea 11. 14. it is said He drew them with the bands of a Man that is in a way of rational Conviction not by Force and Violence but by his Word and Spirit enlightning their Minds and awakening their Consciences to know and see the Power and Plague of their Sinful Natures and the sure and certain Woe and Misery Death and Damnation belonging to them while in their natural Estate and that will inevitably be their Portion if they continue and die therein now it is in this way that the Almighty displays and makes bare the Arm of his Power without offering Violence to the Will which is against the Nature of it but removing the Corruption of it he sweetly boweth and turneth it by his gracious and powerful Perswasions to come under Christ's Yoke He doth not drag a Sinner as you would do a Stone but he draws him by the Cords of Conviction agreeable to the Nature of a reasonable Creature Hence it is that his People are said to be a willing People in the day of his Power Psal 110. 3. That which in one Scripture is called Creation Resurrection to shew its invincible Power in another Scripture is called Illumination drawing turning from Darkness to Light to shew its admirable suitableness and sweetness to the Nature of Man It is in this way and by these means the Lord demolisheth those strong Holds of Sin viz. Ignorance Carnal Security Pride c. and so prepares the Soul for a closing with and Subjection to the Yoke of Christ and whatever injudicious Christians may say to the contrary yet this Truth standeth sure that a Man must first see himself lost and be made willing to cast off the Yoke of Sin before ever he will come under the Yoke of Christ without Conviction of his Sin and Misery there is no Subjection to Christ in the Gospel Which brings me to consider the other Branch viz. what is requisite on our part to come under the Yoke 2. On our part it is necessarily requisite that a Man take pains to know and rightly understand the true State of things between God and his Soul As 1. That God is thy Creator and thou art his Creature and that thereupon thou owest thy whole self to him since he raised thee out of Nothing and gave thee thy Being 2. That thou art an Apostate Creature a grievous Revolter from thy Sovereign and Rightful Lord and thereby liable to the Wrath of God so that now thy coming under Christ's Yoke is but thy coming back out of a State of Apostacy and yielding thy self to God 3. You are to understand That in this State of Apostacy so great was the Offence done to Divine Justice and so binding was the Curse and condemning Sentence of the Law upon fallen Man that there is now no appearing before no access to no acceptance with so holy a God but in and through a Mediatour because of that great Gulph Sin hath made between God and us Out of Christ he is a consuming Fire and we are as dried Stubble Luther used to say absque Christo non solum periculosum sed horribile est de Deo cogitare i. e. That it is not only dangerous but an horrible thing to think of God out of Christ O that there was an Heart in you to understand this Poor fallen Man had been for ever abandoned to Despair and left hopeless had not God in great compassion to our Miseries opened this Fountain of Grace and Door of Hope 2 Cor. 5. 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself c. There is not a Man to be found on Earth reconciled to or accepted with God but as he is found in Christ Eph. 1. 6. Such is the grievous heinousness of Sin and the glorious Holiness of God that no Man may or can approach unto him but as he is a God propitiated by the Death of Christ The Lord speaks this home to your Hearts It is grown customary in every Man's Mouth almost to say we are all Sinners but God is Merciful and Christ hath died but alas to how few hath this come in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power Well this is necessarily requisite on our part in order to come under the Yoke that a Man know and understand this aright that there is no coming into the Favour of God but by Christ hence it is that this Yoke bears his Name Math. 11. 29. Take my Yoke upon you c. For this end the Son of God came down from Heaven into this miserable World to take our Nature and in our Nature to take upon him the accursed Yoke of our Sins that so making satisfaction thereby to offended Justice he might make way for poor Sinners to come under his blessed Yoke in order to their coming back to God again and becoming his Friends and Favourites in an everlasting Covenant of Peace And having said this it is necessary in the fourth place That 4. You are to understand and know in order to your coming under Christ's Yoke that in this state of things such was the infinite Dignity of Christ his Person being God-man and such was the unspotted Purity of his Nature he being holy harmless undefiled and seperate from Sinners that through his once offering up himself by the eternal Spirit to God he is now become the Author of eternal Salvation to all that come under his Yoke and is able to save all such to the uttermost Heb. 5. 9. and c. 7. 25. 26. The Phrase which the Apostle useth there is very Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it denotes both perfection and perpetuity He is able to save fully perfectly from all Sin Misery Enemies both from without and within it is so compleat and full as that it comprizeth all kinds and degrees of Salvation from all sorts of Sins Original and Actual yea from all the evil that is in Sin and from all the sad and miserable consequences of Sin And then there is the perpetuity of it he is able to save to the uttermost i. e. for ever it is not for a time only but to the end of our Lives indeed unto all Eternity not only to save us here on Earth but also in Heaven as Chrysost expounds it O comfortable Doctrine Guilt cannot look on Majesty and Majesty is most terrible in an Enemy in a Judg but when Christ interposeth God appeareth fully satisfied yea so full was the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ's Sufferings as that there is not only a fullness of sufficiency but redundancy So that the Merit of Christ's Sufferings did as far surmount the demerit of our Sins as the vast Ocean doth the least drop