Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	gospel_n	prophet_n	2,224	5	6.4691	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10931	Certaine sermons preached and penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Weathersfield in Essex, directly tending to these three ends. First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable) to true conuersion. Secondly, to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted, in faith and repentance. Thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so setled) in the Christian life, to bring foorth the fruite of both. Whereunto are annexed diuers godlie and learned sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Samuel Wright, Bachelor of Diuinitie, late president of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge, deceased, tending also to the same ends, with diuers particular points in both, profitable and fit for these times.	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Wright, Samuel, d. ca. 1612. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 21203; ESTC S116121	188,868	230

The first and the most principall is by the reuerent heedfull and attentiue hearing of the word of God For that as it hath bin the principall meane of God to beget faith and to breed and begin this ioy in thine heart so is it the chiefe and soueraigne meane whereby God will both continue and encrease this ioy in thee for he hath giuen this charge to his seruants whom he trusteth with his word to reueale and to discouer daily in the preaching of the Word more plainely vnto vs the riches of his grace in the Gospell Now it cannot be but the more cleere fight we come to haue of the mercie of God in Christ the more our hearts must needs take ioy and pleasure in it Secondly by the preaching of the Word we haue not only the eye of our vnderstanding cleared and the mists and vailes of our ignorance remedied but our affections are also whetted on to a greater delight and ioy in the goodnesse of God alreadie knowne vnto vs. Our memories also are continually renued and refreshed when we heare the same or the like doctrine promises and exhortations iterated and repeated vnto vs. Would we therfore euer haue our ioy to continue fresh and flourishing then let vs neuer be wearie of hearing the word of God taught and preached vnto vs this was the seed of our ioy and this is that which feedeth it causeth it to continue grow and florish and without which it cannot but wither decay and die in vs. But besides the preaching of the Word the Supper of the Lord is very effectuall to this purpose For hereby these mercies the cause of all our ioy are brought not onely to our minds and memories which is done by the preaching of the Word but nearer yet euen to our view and touch and taste that we may after a sort euen feele them with our hands and see them with our eyes and taste them with our mouthes To this seale of the Word we should adde the daily and continuall reading of the Word and Scriptures of God For what are the Scriptures but as one well termeth them the letter of the Creator to the creature the letter of God vnto man If we be delighted in reading ouer many times the kind letter of some speciall friend vnto vs we cannot but much more ioy in reading so kind and louing writings of God vnto vs. But the word of God is more fitly as I take it in the Scripture called the will and testament of God For herein the Lord hath set downe what inheritances what bequeathes and legacies he hath willed and bequeathed vnto vs. Can we reade these continually carefully and attentiuely and not be moued to ioy No it is impossible For it is not in this Testament of God as it is commonly in the wils of men There though there be many and great things bequeathed yet in a few readings ouer a man may come to sound the bottome of them But the will of God containeth an endlesse and bottomlesse sea of riches that a man can neuer sound the depth nor reach the bottome of it Note If he could reade ouer the Bible ten thousand times euery time hee should find if hee reade it carefully and heedfully new matter of ioy and more causes of reioycing then euer he found before Practise therefore this dutie of reading oh how glad would many great Kings and holy Prophets haue been to haue had these holy bookes of Scripture to reade which we haue now and could not To haue had I say those bookes which we now haue and are contented to let them lie by vs the whole day or weeke and neuer looke into them They reioyced to reade continually the darke and obscure promises of the bookes of Moses and the Prophets but we scarce vouchsafe to reade the cleare and manifest declaration of the glorious Gospell of Christ as it is by the Euangelists and Apostles written and recorded vnto vs. Their care in this and our carelesnesse in reading the Scriptures is one cause why they in those darke and mistie times reioyced by faith to see the day ●f Christ to come and we scarce reioyce to behold the 〈◊〉 ●hrist past and recorded vnto vs. Yee are therefore all 〈◊〉 be exhorted that are desirous of this happines and ioy whereunto you are by the Apostle exhorted if yee can reade that ye take euen euery day if it may be some little time some quarter of an houre at least to reade something in the Scripture or some godly books which may make you the more ioyfull and merrie in God all the day and night after If ye cannot reade nor cannot get conuenient means to learne yet be carefull that your children or seruants may that at the least you may heare them reade I know men will be readie heere to find excuses Thou doest not vnderstand it thou wilt say when thou readest it or hearest it read This it may be true in part some things thou canst not vnderstand but many things and those that most directly serue to comfort to instruct and cheere thee are so plaine and easie that it is impossible not to conceiue them For therefore hath the Lord written the greatest part of Scripture not by men of deepe and profound learning but by shepheards and fishers and heardmen and tentmakers that the simplest man that is willing to learne might conceiue them and no pretence or excuse might be left to them that will not Againe thou wilt be readie to find excuses from the businesse of thy calling thou hast wife and children to care for and a familie to prouide for therefore thou must follow thy calling to prouide for them and maintaine them These are idle and cold excuses for what if thou hast not only thy selfe thy wife and children and familie to prouide for but haddest a kingdome to rule and to order the cares troubles and businesses thereof these are no sufficient excuses to exempt thee from the reading and the daily reading of the word of God Marke the charge that is giuen to the King Deut. 17. the end He is to haue the booke of God continually by him And what must he then do let it lye by him for a shew or for other men to reade in No he must reade in this booke And marke when Al the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare God and to keepe the words of the law and not 〈◊〉 from the commandements to the right hand nor to the 〈…〉 may prolong his dayes This duty that is there layed vpon 〈◊〉 King lieth vpon euery Christian he is to reade the word of God that he may obserue it and it may be well vnto him Ioh. 5.39 Christ speaketh it to all the Iewes Search the Scriptures which they must doe by the continuall reading of them And euery where our Sauiour Christ alleageth to thē the reading of the word saying Haue you not read what Dauid did and

of such a purchase in true and vnfained peace and comfort and seeing he shall liue vnder so kind and good a Lord as he that is Lord of all lords let it moue him to set his heart on him and delight and endeuour to please and obey him in all things and let him do it also with ioy For why if we thinke they that be in a noble mans house faring well may be merrie is there any such merry-making as in Gods house so that the man may be merry at his work and the woman at hers They that powre water on the hands of a Prince or a King are thought happie but then to haue the honor that is greater then Kings is somewhat And by this little that hath been said of and about the pearle guesse what the rest is euen as yee would guesse of the whole proportion of a man by seeing his foot TWO SERMONS VPON ISAIAH 55.1.2 Vers 1 Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Wherefore do ye lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse SEeing it helpeth much in preaching to shew the teachable hearer what is aymed at principally to be taught him that hee may the better bee kept from wandring and bend his eares and mind to the matter when he seeth what is intended to bee deliuered I will therefore shew you what the things are which I purpose chiefely to handle and speake of out of this text And these they are namely that such poore soules as the most yea and themselues do thinke to be odious to God and contemptible in his sight are for all that in high account with him and deare vnto him And these are all such as hunger and thirst after the kingdome of heauen and all grace to guide them safely thither And contrarily that such as blesse themselues and crie peace peace and all things are safe with them and they whom the greatest part of men do thinke to be happie and beloued of God are accursed and abhorred of him And such are the whole and full who feele little or nothing amisse that doth greatly trouble them or wound their consciences it can in no wise go well with these These things I purpose chiefely to teach and with all such as shall be appertaining hereunto as the text shall giue occasion But yet you must vnderstand that they are the matters which the Prophet also propoundeth to teach out of these words which I haue read For otherwise my teaching of this without ground and warrant from him should be to small purpose And that I may shew this to be his full meaning I will first open and vnfold the words which are there set downe which being borrowed speeches and not signifying that which the letter and words do import do make the matter seeme more difficult and harder to be vnderstood vnlesse they should be opened and made plaine We are therfore to know that by thirsting when he saith if any thirst hee meaneth feruent and earnest desiring By bread milke wine and water he meaneth the varietie and diuers kinds of all good things fit to quench the thirst of the soule and needfull to preserue the spirituall life By comming and buying without money he meaneth a receiuing freely and for nothing by faith such a liberall offer Thus the sense of the words in which any difficultie lieth being cleare it may easily be gathered what the meaning of the whole verse is and that is this That whosoeuer feeleth such need of the food of eternall life and of the graces of faith hope pardon of sinne loue patience or the like if he feele such need of them I say that he cannot be satisfied without them he may how vnworthie soeuer he thinke himselfe thereof freely confidently and with Gods good liking enioy and take his part in them euen as he that buyeth house or land with his money may possesse the same safely as his owne And this be said of the meaning of the first verse In the second he reproueth those among the people who refusing the best things offered them by God and that freely and willingly yet spared neither cost nor labour for those which were nothing profitable and exhorteth them to turne from that error and delusion and to take that counsell from him which would be soundly for their benefit and comfort Thus much for the meaning The parts may fitly be these two First the large offer which God maketh by the prophet in the first verse Secondly a reproofe and an exortation in the second The way and preparation being thus made let vs come more particularly to the matter it selfe and consider first the things which are set downe in the first verse namely in the free offer which God maketh by the Prophet which things are three First to whom he maketh it that is to them that thirst and to no other for so are the words Ho euery one that thirsteth come Secondly what he offereth to them euen whatsoeuer good things will quench their spirituall thirst as wine milke and water doe the bodily thirst saying come buy wine milke and water without money Thirdly vpon what cōdition he offereth this namely this that they beleeue him vpon his word and in token thereof come take and inioy it as their owne and this is the hardest that the Lord requireth of them by the Prophet To speake of these three points as they lie in order and to begin with the first we see that it is an high degree of profiting in the schoole of Christ and a token of Gods loue to thirst and earnestly to long after heauenly things as grace and eternall life For they who doe so must needs haue knowledge to discerne the price and excellency of them and also feele their owne need and necessity of them that they doe but pine and are as it were starued for want of them And for all this who are more contemptible either in theit owne eyes or the eyes of others then such be And yet these are called forth by the prophet as we see from amongst all other while they with the Publican thinke themselues to be a farre off and looke for no such thing to inioy and be partakers of that which is the best of all other And after the same maner speaketh the holy Ghost in other Scripture as in the Gospell by S. Iohn If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke meaning the same that the prophet here doth And our Sauiour in another place vttereth the same more plainely and fully though not in the same words saying The whole haue no need of the Physitian but the sicke And againe I came not

to call the righteous who so thinke themselues but the sinner to repentance So that to thirst for grace is no common grace of God and according to the price that the holy Ghost sets it at it aduanceth them that haue it farre aboue many florishers who yet beare no small shew of religion and goodnes And this I doe aduisedly and willingly teach and publish for their sakes who through Gods goodnes haue attained to this grace in some good measure and yet feare that they are of all other most miserable That they may see Gods mercy farre greater to them then they can be perswaded that it is But while they thus meanly account of their estate which is right happie yet I know there are other who come farre short of them in feruent desiring of holy and heauēly things and haue onely a desire to heare preaching at some time and as they say in their good moode and otherwise are as vaine and vnprofitable as others who yet will be ready to thinke themselues to be they of whom the Prophet here speaketh as it commeth to passe too cōmonly that they apply amisse cōfortable Scriptures to themselues which belong not vnto them and they to whom they belong indeed put them from them as fast through vnbeliefe as not pertaining to them I will therefore somewhat more fully and clearely set downe my minde agreeable to the Prophets about this thirsting Therefore that men may be able to proue without deceiuing themselues that they haue this thirsting which the prophet requireth to the which so precious a promise is annexed of obtaining that which they so desire we must vnderstand that foure things are requisite to be knowne The first is what are the true properties of thirsting Secondly the causes why God requires it Thirdly how long we must thirst Fourthly how we may best come to it Concerning the first the properties of it may best be seene by considering them in the naturall thirst and namely these two the one that he which thirsteth doth most hartily desire drinke so as he cannot be quiet but through the hope of it The other which also is consequēt to it is that if it be deferred he can do nothing but is ready to faint for want of it Both are most clearely to be seene in Sampsons thirst who hauing slaine a thousand men of the Philistims with the Iawe boane of an asse was sore a thirst and called on the Lord and said Thou hast giuen this great deliuerance into the hands of thy seruant and now shall I dye for thirst meaning he could not beare it nor doe any thing without drinke Now to apply these to the spirituall thirst he is truely said to thirst for the pardon of his sinnes for eternall life or any grace of sanctification not who desireth and prayeth for them but yet can goe his way without them or the certainty and assurance of them and yet can be well contented but he who fainteth in his soule for want of them neither can goe about any thing readily nor in kind without some true perswasion of inioying them And this is apparantly to bee seene in the seruants of God both in the Scriptures mentioned and also in our daily experience of such as we liue with For the first looke vpon Dauids example when he desired any grace of God as mercy to couer his sinne the liberty of worshipping him among Gods people the presence of God in comforting his soule or knowledge of his will How doth he witnes this thirsting to haue bin in him when he sought these In the 51. Psalme Haue mercy on me O Lord according to thy great mercies and the multitude of thy compassions In the 42. Psalme he saith Like as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so panteth my soule after thee O God vers 2. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God vers 3. My teares haue beene my meate day and night while they daily say to me where is thy God In another Psalme O Lord of hoastes how amiable are thy dwelling places my soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courtes of the Lord. But that I heape not vp many testimonies in a matter so cleare in our owne obseruation either of our selues or our brethren what marueilous sighes and earnest longings haue we seene in Gods people to obtaine that which they desired as when he hath begunne the worke of grace in them when he hath brought them in loue with the life to come giuen them eyes to see the bondage of feare doubting of pardon of their sinnes and what a precious treasure it is to mortifie and bring into subiection their vnruly passions and the strength of their great offences what longing I say to be deliuered and to be set at liberty hath there been seene what sighing and vnwearied desiring of the grace which they sought hath there beene in them which affections witnessed that there was this thirsting in them that till they had some word of comfort from God who onely can doe it they could in no wise be satisfyed Neither was this so with them onely in a mood and for a season for so a wicked man may desire heauenly things also but this continued till they obtained their desire and as they obtained one good thing they thirsted for another as I shal haue occasion to shew afterwards and also for a greater measure of that grace which they had already And this thirsting in Gods people condemneth that which goeth for it in many and that howerly and flitting desire of the word or the good things which are in it which falleth as it riseth and vanisheth as a shadow and commeth to nothing in the ende when the fruite of it should be greatest And yet seeing either they cannot or will not learne to put difference betwixt the one and the other that is the true thirst that which is deceiuable they are far wide thinking that they haue that kinde and right thirsting after spirituall foode of the soule when yet by this that hath bin said of this matter it is manifest that they are farre from it if it were but for this cause that they giue ouer seeking before they haue found the grace which they seemed to thirst for And this be said of the properties of thirsting the first of the foure things which I set downe And this ought to teach vs not to marueile when we see many to fall away from their zeale who haue seemed forward because it was neuer aright planted in them The second point followeth namely the causes why God requireth this thirsting to be in vs that cannot be in any but in his seruants And the causes are specially three The first seeing it must be sutable to the bodily thirst The secōd if we thirsted not we could not haue the variety of good things which