A01956:304
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.
Briefly here consider the excellency of this New and Evangelical Covenant, above the Old and Legal. In the beginning God made man righteous: for he created him oin his own Image, which the Apostle says pconsisted in righteousness and the holiness of truth. But man soon defaced this goodly and godly picture. qThis I have found, that God made man righteous, but he sought out many inventions; waves to make himself wicked and wretched. Hence it followed that our restitution was a greater work then our constitution. The house was with more ease built up new, then repaired being old and ruinous. That ⟨p. 151⟩was done per verbum enuntiatum, this per verbum annuntiatum. There he spake the word, and all things were created: here the rWord was made flesh: Fecit mira, tulit dira: passus dura verba, duriora verbera. There it was done by saying, Dic verbum tantùm: here by doing, yea by dying: suffering grievous words, more grievous wounds: Factus in terris, fractus in terris. There all begun in Adam, who was Terrae filius, a sonne of the earth: here all in Christ, who is Coeli Dominus, the Lord of Heaven. Spiritual life is better then natural, firmer, surer. There man had only a power to stand, but with it a power to fall, according to his own pleasure: here he hath a certainty of inseparable conjunction to Christ. He so stands as never to fall, so lives as never to die, so is loved as never to be hated. There Adam and Eve were married to propagate filios carnis, children of the flesh: here Christ is married to his Church, to beget filios spirituals, children in the Spirit: and that with a bond never to be divorced. Thus at first God commanded that to exist, which was not before: now he makes one contrary to be changed into another: flesh into spirit, darkness into light, corruption into holiness: greater miracles, then changing stones into bread; Dignus vindice nodus, a knot worthy the finger of God to untie. Here is the wonderful work of the New Covenant: we were made Ex spirituoris, redeemed ex sanguine cordis: created by the breath of Gods mouth, but saved by the blood of his heart. Therefore not six Cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah, nor four and twenty Elders, as in the Revelation of John; but a royal Army of heavenly soldiers were heard praising GOD at the birth of Jesus Christ.