Besides, the Lord God, saith Isaiah, 1whom the heavens cannot contain, nor the earth hold, will come and dwell with a lowly, poor, and troubled spirit, and which standeth in awe of his word. God doth not accept our sacrifices, which are offered ⟨p. 179⟩without trembling at his word, no more then if we should kill a man, & choke a dog, or offer swines flesh, which was counted an abominable thing among the Jews, or praise the thing that is unright. Lastly to this accordeth the Gospel, and the Apostles. Our saviour Christ Mat. 9.13. saith,2 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, not every sinner, but that sinner, which condemneth sin in him, & is weary and laden with his sins. Mat. 11.28. Mat. 21.32. our Saviour Christ preferreth the harlots & Publicans before the Pharisees, for they being pricked for their sins & convicted, did sorrow, & heard John preaching unto them. So then Christ giveth relief to those that want, righteousness to them that feel themselves sinners, ease to them, which are burdened, light to them, which are in darkness, life to them which are dead, & salvation to them, which condemn themselves. 1. Cor. 14. the Apostle declareth, how the Corinthians were moved with strange tongues: but yet had not in admiration the word. Besides he showeth by comparing the gift of tongues & prophesying together, that if an Infidel or unlearned man should come, and hear them speak with strange tongues, he would say, they were out of the wits, but if he should hear them speak the word of god plainly, he would be rebuked of all men & judged of all men, & so the secrete of his heart should be mad manifest, he would fall down on his […] ⟨p. 180⟩and worship God and say plainly, when he feeleth his sins, they rifle mine heart, they show my secret sins, doubtless, this is Gods doing, God is in them, I will follow this religion. Wherefore in this appeareth the power of the word, in that it citeth and summoneth our consciences before the tribunal of God, and woundeth us with a lively feeling of Gods judgement, that he, who before thorough security did despise sound doctrine, may now be constrained to give the glory unto God. This appeareth more plainly: Heb. 4.12. where it is said,3 that the word of God is lively, mighty in operation, and sharper then any two edged sword, & it pierceth thought from thought;
Besides, the Lord God, saith Esai, 1whom the heauens cannot containe, nor the earth hold, wil come and dwell with a lowly, poore, and troubled spirit, and which standeth in awe of his word. God doth not accept our sacrifices, which are offered ⟨p. 179⟩without trembling at his word, no more then if we should kill a man, & choke a dog, or offer swines flesh, which was counted an abhominable thing among the Iews, or praise the thing that is vnright. Lastly to this accordeth the Gospel, and the Apostles. Our sauiour Christ Mat. 9.13. saith,2 I came not to cal the righteous, but sinners to repentance, not euerie sinner, but that sinner, which condēneth sinne in him, & is weary and laden with his sinnes. Mat. 11.28. Mat. 21.32. our Sauiour Christ preferreth the harlotts & Publicans before the Pharises, for they being pricked for their sins & conuicted, did sorrow, & heard Iohn preaching vnto them. So then Christ giueth reliefe to those that want, righteousnes to thē that feele themselues sinners, ease to them, which are burthened, lightto them, which are in darknes, life to them which are dead, & saluation to them, which condēne thēselues. 1. Cor. 14. the Apostle declareth, how the Corrinthians were moued with strāge tongues: but yet had not in admiration the word. Besides he sheweth by comparing the gifte of tongues & prophecying together, that if an Infidell or vnlearned man should come, and heare them speake with strange tongues, he would say, they were out of the witts, but if he should heare them speake the word of god plainly, he wold be rebuked of all mē & iudged of all men, & so the secrete of his heart shold be mad manifest, he wold fal down on his 〈…〉 ⟨p. 180⟩and worshippe God and say plainely, when he feeleth his sinnes, they rifle mine hearte, they shewe my secret sinnes, doubtlesse, this is Gods doing, God is in them, I will follow this religion. Wherefore in this appeareth the power of the worde, in that it citeth and sommoneth our consciences before the tribunall of God, and woundeth vs with a liuely feeling of Gods iudgement, that he, who before thorough securitie did despise sounde doctrine, may now be constreained to giue the glory vnto God. This appeareth more plainely:
- 1Esa. 66.
- 2Mat. 9▪ 11.
- 3Heb. 4.12.
