A12190:831
The returning backslider, or, A commentary upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy…
The returning backslider, or, A commentary upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is showed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorn and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Gray's Inn, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his own permission before his death.The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is shewed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorne and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Grayes Inne, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his owne permission before his death.
London: printed by George for George Edwards, 1639
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.
Use. 6 Therefore now make a Use of Comfort of it,1 seeing all fruit is from God, who is in Covenant with his Children in Jesus Christ, and who will improve all his attributes for their good, his Wisdom, Goodness, Power and Mercy, let them therefore take comfort to themselves, that howsoever the world may take their friends from them, Riches, Liberty, and what you will: can they take God and fruit from them? No, From me is thy fruit found. If they could take away the Spirit of God, grace and comfort from us it were something, but can they do that? no, the worst they can do, is to send us to Heaven to the Fountain of all grace and comfort: so that in this world they cannot cast us into any condition wherein ⟨p. 415⟩we cannot have communion with God, in whom all the scattered excellencies of the creature are gathered together meeting as it were in a centre. It is he that comforts us in our friends, that shows bowels to us in our mothers, wisdom and care towards us in our parents. The bowels of a mother, the care of a friend, the strength of wise assistance, hath he not all in himself, if all be taken away? he hath all. Therefore let Christians comfort themselves that they can never be in a condition wherein fruit shall be taken from them. The poor worldling labours all his life for fruit, riches and friends, and when he dyes then his fruit faileth him and falls, his leaf withereth. What becometh of his fruit then? he laboured for that which yields him nothing but vexation and death. But a Christian doth otherwise, he labours for grace and comfort, to keep his communion and peace with God, and when all is taken away, either by the injury and wrongs of men, or by the extremity of the times, or as all will in the hour of death: his fruit is most after, in death and after death, more then can be by our narrow hearts conceived in the excellency thereof. O the excellent estate of a Christian! imagine such a one to have a tree that grows in Heaven, and sends forth fruit and branches to him in whatsoever state he is in. And so indeed God reacheth fruit from Heaven to the soul being in prison and misery. He reacheth from thence the fruit of grace, of ⟨p. 416⟩spiritual strength and comfort, a blessed estate. Therefore let Christians comfort themselves in their condition, that all their fruit is from him: