A01956:1204
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. In respect of the Jews, his enemies; to shame and confound them. The rocks and graves are moved at his passion, not they. Lapides tremunt homines fremunt. The stones rent, the huge earth quakes with fear; the Jews rage with malice. We see how difficult it is to mollify a hard heart: harder then to remove a mountain, raise the dead, cleave a rock, shake the whole earth. It is a great miracle to convert a wicked man; greater then rending of rocks. Moses rod stroke a Rock thrice and did it: ministers have stroke mens rocky harts three hundred times, and cannot. The graves sooner open, then the sepulchres of sin and darkness: the vast earth sooner quakes, then mens hearts at Gods judgements.
3. In respect of the Iewes, his enemies; to shame and confound them. The rockes and graues are moued at his passion, not they. Lapides tremunt homines fremunt. The stones rent, the huge earth quakes with feare; the Iewes rage with malice. We see how difficult it is to mollifie a hard heart: harder then to remoue a mountaine, raise the dead, cleaue a rocke, shake the whole earth. It is a great mryacle to conuert a wicked man; greater then rending of rockes. Moses rod stroke a Rocke thrice and did it: ministers haue stroke mens rocky harts three hundreth times, and cannot. The graues sooner open, then the sepulchers of sinne and darkenes: the vast earth sooner quakes, then mens hearts at Gods iudgements.
4. In respect of the women that stood by; that their faith might be confirmed. For seeing him on the Cross, at their mercy, whose bowels never knew the softness of such a nature: exposed to all the tyranny of their hands and tongs: hands that like cruel Chirurgeons searched every part of his blessed body: tongues that ran nimbly through all the passages of obloquy, till they had overtaken reproach it self, and cast it on him: His body at the full will of the tormenters, and his soul not without intolerable terrors; as they might judge by strange speech that came from him; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Doth man triumph over him, and doth God forsake him? This might breed in their hearts a suspicion: either that he was a deceiver, or else utterly cut off. To stifle this doubt in the very birth, he shakes the earth, and rends the rocks; that as they knew him dying Hominem vrum, so they might perceive him doing these miracles not Hominem merum; but the everliving God. These wonders; blow the spark of their faith, almost dying with Christ; and root in their hearts a deep