A17412:877
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.
4 We should especially be moved to seek this grace of God to our selves, as the sufficient and the only happiness in the world. Col. 1.6. Now that this point may the more effectually be understood, I will show you how this grace of God ⟨p. 167⟩comes to men; and then what we should strive to be, that we may be sure to receive the comfort of it, that God is gracious to us. For the first, we must know, that all grace from God is given to Jesus Christ, and comes by him, John 1.17. and therefore called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blessing at the end of the Epistles. Without Christ, no grace can come to sinful men. Further we must again know, that the grace of God is extended unto us from Christ, by the Gospel, that brings the doctrine of it to us: therefore is the word called the word of his grace, and the Gospel the Gospel of the grace of God. And yet further we must know, that there must be wrought in us that supernatural gift of faith, by which only we can be capable to receive this grace of God: we have our access only by faith, Rom. 5.2. Now for the second point, there are many things God stands upon to find in the persons, that should receive the comfort of his grace; not for the merit of them, but for the honour of his own grace, that it be not abused: As first, we see by that which went before, we must have faith to believe and apply to our selves the doctrine of Gods grace. Secondly, we must be good men: not such as are men of wicked devises, or such as make a mock of sin; but such as are careful in all their ways to avoid what may displease so gracious a God, Prov. 12.2. & 14.9. Tit. 2.11, 12. Thirdly, we must be lowly and humble persons, that attribute nothing to our selves, but all to Gods goodness, Prov. 3.34.