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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	behold_v	lie_v	zion_n	16	3	9.9604	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30242	The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...	Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1659 (1659)	Wing B5656; Wing B5648_CANCELLED; ESTC R3908	509,568	411

then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it

have us honour Thirdly We must preach Christ the foundation because in him there is such a Treasure of the riches of Gods Grace and Gods Love that the Angels they were never satisfied with this point How greatly the Angels were affected when Christ came into the world there Hymne signifieth As also how speedy they were to be Evangelists to bring glad tydings of a Christ Glory be to God on high in earth peace and good will to men Luke 2.14 This Song is the foundation of all Religion and Comfort Yea The Angels saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.12 desire to search into this Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stoop down as they did to look into the Sepulchre or as men do to behold themselves in a Glass If therefore the Angels such pure and heavenly substances be so affected with this way and Doctrine of Christ how much more we For we need him more then they Some Divines indeed say The Angels needed Christ to confirm them And in this sense he is their Head but a Mediatour of an atonement he was not unto them as he is to us Consider that place Ephes 3.10 By the Church and the Ministery thereof the manifold wisdome and riches of Gods grace in Christ are made known So that the very Angels are glad to hear and know this Doctrine about Christ Fourthly Therefore are we to exalt Christ in our Ministry to lay him the foundation because in Heaven though Christ will then lay down the exercise of his Mediatory Kingdom yet the glory and honour must be given unto him for ever The Saints in Heaven will for ever acknowledge the glory the happiness the blessednesse they have to be by Christ Is it not necessary therefore to instruct you in that work which we are to do to all eternity Christ is not to be laid aside in Heaven His blood his sufferings his atonement will never be forgotten For only by Christ is their such a place as an Heaven only by him is salvation possible Why then should not that truth fill our mouths and our hearts here which will possesse our souls to all eternity Fifthly The necessity of preaching Christ the foundation ariseth from the ignorance of people who do grossely erre about Christ both Doctrinally and Practically Doctrinally For though Christ be in every mans mouth yet few have knowledge of his Person and his Offices Though they be called Christians from Christ yet they can give no good account of their knowledge of him And if this be eternal life to know Jesus Christ John 17.2 certainly the grosse and notorious ignorance in many proclaimeth them farre off from the Kingdom of Heaven How canst thou hope in Christ and believe in Christ who knowest not what Christ was and for what end he came into the world And then Practically many are ignorant of him They feel not the necessity of him as a Physician as a Mediatour They perceive not at what a distance sinne hath cast them from all hopes They feel not the arrows of the Almighty darted into them They feel no l●ad or burden of sinne upon them and therefore the Name and Office of Christ is not welcome to them Sixthly The necessity appeareth because of the subtilty and emnity of Satan who hath continually set himself against Christ and his Church I hat as at the first ingresse into Christs Ministry he violently assaulted him and never left opposing his person so ever since he hath laboured to obscure Christ and traduce his way In the first age of the Church then he set against the Person of Christ Hence came up those many Heretiques some denying he was God saying He was only man Others Only God and not a man but in the appearance of a man Some confounded his Natures some multiplied his Personality so that all the subtile power of the Devil was to overthrow the Person of Christ But in this latter age he set against the Offices of Christ And thus in Popery though Socinians revive those old blasphemies his Priestly Office his Prophetical his Kingly all those were quite darkned by their Masse and Indulgences and many such abhominable derogations from Christ Seventhly We have the more need to exalt Christ because there is pro●enesse in every man to trust in his own works To rest upon his own righteousness To advance and set up nature Now so much as these are exalted so much is Christ debased We see our own natures in the Jews though it was in those glorious times wherein Christ and the Apostles manifested themselves yet men did still seek to be justified by the works they had done Their endeavour was to establish their own righteousnesse though that like Dagon before the Ark did fall to the ground before Christ and truly such were greater enemies to Christ more then prophane Publicans and sinners So that the Scripture preaching of Christ will drive men out of their civil righteousness out of their formality and confidence in themselves which is the strongest hold that the Ministry hath to batter We may sooner dissolve those grosse acts of wickednesse then remove this mountain of self-righteousnesse Yet if Christs Righteousnesse his worth be all why wilt thou be a Christ to thy self Vse of Instruction What matter of wo and lamentation it is to see so few build upon this foundation Some put their trust in riches in charriots and horses some in the works they do and thus Christ whom God designed to be all over glorious is not glorified by us Examine your selves in this one thing among others Is Christ the bottom and foundation of all thy love joy and delight Art thou affected with him in a spiritual manner as the Church is Is he the chiefest of ten thousands Do men of the world come and ask thee What is thy beloved more then others What is there in Christ more then any thing else Canst thou say as Aristotle to him who asked why such colours refresh sight It was a blind mans question So this is a natural mans an earthly mans question It 's a sign thou never didst taste of his goodnesse of his power It 's a sign thou hast not eaten of his Honey-combes or wert fed on his spiritual dainties that doest make such questions Never lay claim to Christ if Father Mother Riches Honours and thy own life be dearer to thee then Christ is For no other foundation can any man lay but Christ Jesus In how many particulars Christ is to be preached as a foundation and the reasons thereof you have heard I shall now remove some Objections that so the truth may be more cleared and then give you the Properties and Incouragements or Priviledges those people have who are built on Christ this foundation And First It may be objected How can Christ only be preached as a foundation For is not the Doctrine about a God that there is a God and but one God Is not this a foundation Doth not the Apostle say

he beggeth but for the Treasury To have this is to have the Ocean not streames To have this is to have the Mine not some fragments of gold Oh then is it any wonder if this light of Gods favour be thus to be preferred seeing it 's the Treasury of all the comforts we have God then saith Ask of me though it be to the whole Kingdom yet I will not deny thee I mean in this sense That there is not one mercy in all Gods Store-house there is no choice dainty in his Cellars but thou hast the Key to open it when thou pleasest For in the fourth place This phrase doth imply That God hath a peculiar respect unto his Children That he regardeth them with a more special favour then all the world For the face of God to speak after the manner of men is over the whole world There is nothing hid from it But then this shining of his face this propitious and extraordinary favour it 's only to those that are his All the people of God they are his favourites And as Pharaoh regarded Joseph in a farre other manner then he did his other Subjects he makes all the Land to be his Thus doth God to his own Children He giveth them Heaven and Earth He makes them Heires of all the glorious Promises that are made in the Gospel So that Gods face towards them is in an extraordinary manner It denoteth a peculiar respect to them Hence it is that they have liberty to come with boldnesse unto him They have the secrets of God manifested unto them These are admitted into the holiest of holies whereas others are commanded to be in the outward Court only Fifthly This phrase of the light of Gods countenance upon a man implyeth the Efficacy and powerfull Effects thereof For as the Sunne by its beames doth enlighten the whole earth and gives life and motion to every thing thus also doth God where he favours Where he is pleased there he doth communicate all those necessary and precious comforts which he vouchsafeth unto his Children None ever seeketh the face of God in vain It 's not a vain thing to have the favour of God For his love is active and he doth communicate himself unto such to the greatest of their expectations Whence is it that God in time doth sanctify his people doth justifie them doth pardon sinne and heal their corruptions Is not all this because his countenance shineth upon them Well therefore may David pray for this above all earthly advantages whatsoever For if he doth enjoy the face of God then there cannot any thing be denyed him It 's from this that he may presse for forgivenesse for holinesse It 's from this that he may importune for any spiritual benefit he stands in need of As she said If thou lovest me how canst thou deny this and that to me So if thou lovest me if thy face be towards me why is this or that mercy denyed unto me If I have the Sunne how cometh that to withhold its beames from me And indeed this is mainly intended in Prayer that it should be the light of his countenance acting and operating That it should be putting it self forth upon his soul Sixthly This acting of Gods face in reference to the godly implyeth it self two waies First In respect of outward and temporal mercies It 's from this favour of God that his people have any outward comfort in mercy towards them For although wicked and ungodly men they may have abundance of these outward things yet it doth not come from Gods loving kindnesse to them They have them in his anger and they use them to their own perdition But it 's not thus with the godly Every mercy though never so little comes from the light of his face towards them So that though they have never so little if they have no more then Lazarus crums yea they cannot get them yet they are better then those who have the greatest portions of the world for these have the favour of God with it Which made David say A little that the righteous hath is better then great abundance of the wicked In this consideration as well as in others that he hath it with the peace and favour of God he is the child and the friend of God in all this If he said he did not rejoyce so much in Dono uam ab te dato This is much more applicable to the people of God What they have they do not so much rejoyce in it as that it cometh from the favour of God Again The light of Gods countenance sheweth it self in spiritual mercies And these are a certain and sure effect demonstrating of it Whosoever can find the least degree of Gods grace in his heart that hath the experience of any humiliation for sinne of any heavenly-mindednesse though these things are but smoaking yet he may conclude that the light of Gods countenance is lifted up upon him Oh then whosoever thou art that findest grace in thy soul rejoyce not so much in that as of what it is a sign of what it doth so palpably demonstrate Alas even our very graces as they are inherent in us can afford us little comfort in themselves for they are subject to many imperfections and weaknesses We have many sighes and discouragements because of them Only as they are Evidences and Demonstrations of Gods favour that from them we may certainly conclude the face of God shineth upon us So they afford unspeakable joy And therefore this is one reason why a man may more rejoyce in the least degree of grace discovered in himself then in the greatest outward mercies whatsoever For we may have the wealth of Solomon the long life of Methusalem and yet for all that have not the least of Gods loving kindnesse to us But on the other side though afflicted though persecuted though opposed though shut up in dark dungeons yet the discovery of grace within us doth make us to conclude that the gracious eye of God is upon us So then it 's the light of Gods countenance that is the efficacious cause of all the mercies we do enjoy As Christ when he looked upon Peter that made him go out and w●e● bitterly Thus it's Gods gracious eying and looking upon us that makes us go forth into any expression of grace Seventhly This phrase of the light of Gods countenance shining upon a man doth imply the notice and knowledge of this For so Gods light is often called that knowledge which he giveth of him And indeed though the face of God do shine upon a man yet if he be blind or in sad darknesse of heart that he is not able to behold it then it 's all one to him as if did not shine at all So that David prayeth that he might have the knowledge and sense of this upon the soul Solomon saith L●ght is sweet but it is to those that do behold it The darkest ●ight and day are