A17412:1163
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle…
Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithful and painful minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painfull minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great varietie of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinitie largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.
London: printed by H. Lownes for George Latham, 1626
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.
13 From God, and so they have Gods blessing certain: and this is a great inheritance, and hath so much happiness in it, as it should swallow up all the grievance of afflictions, and the contempts and scorns of the world: It is enough if we have Gods blessing. Now that this point may be distinctly beaten out, we must understand, that true Christians may be said to inherit Gods blessing, first, in a more restrained sense, and then in a more large sense: In a restrained sense, blessing may here be taken for Gods comfortable speaking; for, [Greek or Hebrew], properly signifies blessing by words, & so it answers to the coherence; If they will use good words to men, God will speak good words to them. And in this sense we may hence gather, That Gods natural language to the called of Jesus Christ, is blessing, or comfortable words. God will speak to his people peace, Psal. 84.5. and therefore he gives a charge to his Ministers to speak comfortably to Jerusalem, Isaiah 40.1, 2. Secondly, that Gods elect never find this till they have their calling. Thirdly, that it is a great inheritance in this life, to ⟨p. 215⟩have God to speak well to us. Fourthly, that if the fault be not in us, we shall never have God speak otherwise. It is our inheritance, to comfort us against all the miseries of life. And therefore Ministers that are the mouth of God, should study comfort much: and those Christians that desire to have the fruit of their inheritance in this thing, should provide to live in such places where God speaks to men. And those Ministers have a great account to make, that set themselves to speak disgracefully, and terribly to such as fear God, striving to discourage their hearts, and to strengthen the hands of the wicked. Thus of the restrained sense: only note by the way, That God speaks good words, both for his people behind their backs, and to his people before their faces. They inherit Gods good word for them in their absence: Thus God speaks excellently in the praise of Job to the Devil, before the Angels, Job 1. & 2. and thus he can speak in the consciences of the greatest on earth in praise of his people, as Isaiah 41.9.