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A15726
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The ground of a Christians life Deliuered in a sermon at Harwood in Lancashire, the first day of December 1618. By Robert Worthington minister of Gods word at Acceington.
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Worthington, Robert, minister of Gods word at Acceington.
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1620
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STC 25999; ESTC S103650
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35,929
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86
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cursed mother of scandall to the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ Nay they liue in the bosome of the Church yet miserably blinde and naked destitute of those sauing graces true humilitie godly simplicity ioy in the Crosse patience faith being in bondage vnto the law and conscience But the sanctified Christian who hath well learned Christ whose heart faith hath thorowly purified this man Actâ— 15. 9. is not vnacquainted with the first be ginnings of sauing repentance as namely godly sorrow indignation with an holy reuenge vpon his vile affections For what seede is quickened except it die yea we 1. Cor. 15. 36. Rom. 6. 4. are buried with Christ in baptisme See then the miserable and vngrounded estate of the vnregenerate though neuer so holie in his owne iudgement and other mens yet being ignorant of Christian buriall and death of sinne he is like a house vppon a sandy foundation subiect to the violent temptations of that prying and raging Serpent ready to be tossed with the waues of his owne corruptions and drawne aside by worldly enticements From whence proceed so many euill surmisings small care in bearing with couering the infirmities of the weake yea Christians must examine well their mortification that wofull sinne of spirituall pride but from vnmortified humours and vnexamined consciences Many thinke if they beleeue the Trinity with a generall confession of their sins all that God requiquireth they haue performed others if they haue had some pangs of sorrow others if they be brought to leaue their grosse sinnes they are not so bad as the worst therefore they imagine themselues to be equall with the best But the sacred Scriptures teach the ground of true repentance to be farre otherwise differing from this speculatiue mortification both in quaâ—titie and continuance To mortifie in the Scriptures is to crucifie or apply that which will make dead It is one thing to get sinne asleepe but it is another thing to get it dead for sleepe may be procured without paine but death cometh not ordinarily without sorrow and perplexitie This mortifying therefore is a destroying of the whole body of sinne an extinguisting of the power and vigour of it We Rom. 656. are grafied with Christ saith the Apostle into the similitude of his death which he in the next verse expoundeth to be a crucifying of the old man and destroying of the whole body of sinne Now this crucifying or destroying is expressed by diuers degrees first there is the wounding of sin when the sinner is pricked with remorse by the law So were those Conuerts at Peters Sermon said to be pricked in their hearts Acts 2. 37. whereupon they cried What shall we do to be saued Secondly a condemning of sinne when the sinner examineth and iudgeth himself guilty before the Lord and thus hath it bene with the Lords peculiar from time to time as may appeare in Dauid Daniel Iob the Prodigall and Dan. 9. 7. the Publican who humbled themselues as lyable to the iustice of the Almighty Thirdly the crucifying of sin when the sinner racketh his owne soule by godly sorrow driuing in the nayles of Gods threatnings restrayning his flesh thorow a spirituall reuenge for some of the 2. Cor. 7. 11. effects of godly sorrow that causeth repentance neuer to be repented of are indignation and reuenge Fourthly the killing of sinne when the sinner putteth off the body of sin and forsaketh his euill wayes The Apostle forbiddeth lying and he addeth an vndeniable reason Yee haue put off the old man with his workes Coloss 3. 9. Yea he enioyneth not a partiall but a thorowout mortification shewing that he which is not inwardly and thorowly mortified was neuer truely mortified Mortifie your members saith he which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse inordinate Where sinne is truly mortified there is no liking of it in the affections affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatrie Here the Apostle would haue the conceptions and first inclinations to sinne crucified because they are the originall of all vngodlinesse Hence we see as also lamentable experience testifieth that many build vpon seeming shews and vaine perswasions for that alteration that true repentance maketh cannot be found and all for want of found mortification For as there must be renouation in euery facultie vnto all graces so there must be mortification of all sinnes in euery facultie whereas it is otherwise in Agrippa-like Christians and carnall Gospellers who vpon the quieting of conscience and absence of a powerfull Ministery dare fashion themselues according to the courses and customes of the times in apparel and communication not respecting the The mortified Christian watcheth against sinnes of omission Phil. 2. 12. vrgent necessitie of daily watchfulnesse with the constant practise of holy duties But the crucified Christian who seeketh and endeuoureth to worke out his saluation with feare and trembling vpon his daily sinnes executeth daily mortification concluding the necessity of renewed repentance from the sacred Scriptures and his owne corruptions and Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Thus faâ—re haue we waded in the first vse proceed in order to the second Vse 2 In the second place it taxeth those vnwritten verities in the Sea of Rome equalized and ballanced with the truth of sacred Scriptures But seeing that Dagon Popery not able to withstand the Scriptures is fallen before the Arke the fanne of the glorious Gospell hauing already winnâ—wed the chaffe from the wheat the mists of darknesse being expelled by the Sunshine of righteousnesse and the power of Bâ—bell displayed by the banners of him which rideth vpon the white horse infinite in wisedome and inuincible in power and maiestie it is not my purpose therefore to be very large in this vse of confutation although my text would beare me out against all the proud brags of that Antichristian Synagogue Well may we know that Papists together with the rabble of croking lesuites they are no babes they can speake for themselues or rather Baallâ— Though their speeches resemble the ordinarie qualities and conditions of deceiptfull trades-men who when their wares for insufficiency cannot sell themselues their glozing tongues can get quicke and speedy sale for them but for all their iugling glozing and dissembling they shall neuer cleare theÌ„selues from Christs sentence against the Pharises In vaine Matth. 15. 9. they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men This appeareth by Papists build vpon man but Christians vpon God their sandy vnsound foundations whereupon they build as namely humane Consistories lying oracles Decretals apostaticall preferring darkenesse before light shadowes before substances Traditions before commandements yea the creature before the creator What can God do and the Pope cannot do Nay the Church is to iudge of the truth of the Scriptures Tremble Babel for the pride of the Church hath euer bene the ruine of the Church But to insist and search more narrowlie and to manifest
THE GROVND OF A CHRISTIANS LIFE Deliuered in a Sermon at Harwood in Lancashire the first day of December 1618. By ROBERT WORTHINGTON Minister of Gods word at Acceington Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God Iohn 6. 68. Lord to whoÌ„ shall we go Thou hast the words of eternall life LONDON Printed by R. Field for Robert Mylbourne and are to be sold at the great South doore of Paules 1620. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER CHristian Reader the Apostle prophesied that in 2. Tim. 3. 5. 2. Tim. 4. 3. the last dayes shold come perillous times when men hauing a shew of godlinesse should denie the power therof refusing wholsome dostrine through their itching eares should get themselues an heape of teachers What proud Anabaptist that vaunteth himselfe vppon the stage of vaine Imagination or secure Papist that trusteth to the broken staffe of Egypt can free himselfe from such spirituall maladies who leauing the key of knowledge and fountaines of liuing water haue digged vnto themselues broken cisternes And no maruell since Satan cantransforme himselfe into 2. Cor. 11. 14. an Angell of light how can he worke in the darkened vnderstanding and the heart not truly humbled He that dare enter combat with the Lord of glorie wisdome and soueraigntie and offer disputation in the full and onely point of mans redemption how boldly will this politicke and puissant enemie inuade Gods Church wrastling with vs about that staffe of faith whereby we stand seeke to strip vs of that shield which is Ephes 6. 16. able to keepe backe all his fierie darts What soldier is there in Christs campe if he do but watch that shall not be acquainted with his subtill enterprises Christs watchword was not in vaine Watch pray lest ye enter into teÌ„ptation Math. 26. 41. nor his prayer needlesse for his seruant Peter I haue prayed for thee Luk 22. 32. that thy faith faile not For what greater treacherie then to strike at the root witnessed in the Gunpowder treason hatched by Satan and his instruments or what greater follie then to build an house without a foundation To this purpose is my weake vnperfect labor at this time the which I had thought to haue shrowded vnder some Christian refuge but considering with my selfe I thought so small a worke deserued not a patronage of anie worth and the rather therefore haue I sent it to the broade world to seeke for it selfe trusting that there is no faithfull heart that will denie so plaine and needfull a doctrine entertainment Yet I feare that if it shall either meete with Atheist Anabaptist Papist or earthly worldling it is like without Gods mercie to finde as litle friendship as Christ the author of faith did among the Gadarens But howsoeuer Math 8. 34. I haue at the earnest desires of some as also for the defence of my selfe if haply anie popish surmiser or other secret opinionist should arise in opposition it being preached in a countrey where are many aduersaries of our faith presumed to commit that to publike view which before I deliuered in open assembly not aduenturing to change my style lest I should bewray my selfe of follie in bringing vnto light a groundlesse action it being like to be perused by shallower iudgements then manie of those who were present wheÌ„ it was at the first diuulged Wherfore I beseech thee gentle Reader that if by Gods blessing thou shalt gaine to thy selfe hereby either information of thy iudgement or confirmation in thyÌ„ iudgement or thy will proucked to a more constant vigilancie ouer thy wayes remember to returne to him that rent of thankfulnesse vnto whom thou art bound from whom thou receiuest euery good and perfest gift praying withall for the vnitie of Gods Church the propagation of the Gospell that through the meanes of grace in season and out of season thy faith being strengthened when this life of faith shall be finished Christ the obiect of thy faith may assigne thee the end of thy faith seating thee in his celestiall Ierusalem with true beleeuers Thine in Christ Iesus Robert Worthington Acceington The ground of a Christians life deliuered in a Sermon at Harwood the first day of September 1618. ROM 14. 23. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne THe blessed Apostle in the The cohetence of the Text. eight verse of the former Chapter exhorteth vnto that royall law of Charitie being that new commandemeÌ„t Loue a grace of absolute necessitie in Gods church Iohn 13. 34. propounded by his Lord and Sauiour as a grace absolutely necessary to be in Gods Church A new commandement saith he giue I vnto you that ye loue one another as I haue loued you that you also loue one another Now inuisible graces must haue visible testimonies both for the manifestation of the graces themselues as also for our iustification before men therefore in this chapter the Apostle taketh occasion to describe and teach the proper effect of this Christian grace it being of that nature as to edifie and support according to his owne testimonie Loue 〈◊〉 and 1. Cor. 8. 1. 1. Cor. 14. 26. his generall command is Let all things be done to edifying There were in this church some strong Sound Christians are builders vp of Gods church others weake as there shal be euer poore in the world that the rich may exercise their pity and compassion so weake in the Church that the strong may exercise their loue and affection to shew themselues hereby faithfull disposers and practisers of the manifold gâ—aâ—es of God Christ was the nursing father of his little flocke neuer was it knowne that he Esay 42. 3. broke the bruised â—eed or quenched the smoaking flaxe so must Christians whose Image they beare and whom they are to follow daily exercise this grace of loue since God hath giuen to euery one the measure of faith Hard was it to bring this people from the traditions of their fathers or to wean them from the law â—f ceremonies Touch Coloss 2. 21. not taste not handle not Therefore the Apostle dealeth with them as new borne babes putting a difference Corruption not easly weaned from custome and ceremonie betweene them and the strong Some had receiued the full power of Christian liberty others had not attained vnto it but were like punies in their A B C not fully satisfied in this poynt that vnto the pure all things were pure Tit. 1. 15. Now the drift of the Apostle is to schoole the strong and teach the weake not ruinating but nourishing the worke of God which was in both shewing the necessitie of faith and loue in the Church of God for as he correcteth the one for The correcting of sinne must be the erecting of grace putting a stumbling blocke before the weake in things indifferent so he teacheth the other to be fully perswaded in his mind For he that doubteth is condemned if he eate that is