A29368:287
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
The same word is used also in the Hebrew for the pleasantness of a corn-field, when a field is clothed with corn, though it be cut down, yet it is very pleasant, O how pleasant is it, and such is the Saints agreement.
The same word in the Psalmist is used also for the sweetness of honey, and of sweet things, in opposition to bitter things; And thus you see the pleasantness of it, by its being compared to the Harmony of Music, to the corn-field, to the sweetness of honey, to the precious Ointment that ran down Aaron's beard, and to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the Hills of Zion: and all this is to discover the pleasantness, profitableness, and sweetness of the Saints Agreement. Behold how good and how pleasant it is, &c. It is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun, but it is much more pleasant to behold the Saints Agreement, and Unity among themselves.
The same word in the Psalmist is used also for the sweetness of honey, and of sweet things, in opposition to bitter things; And thus you see the pleasantness of it, by its being compared to the Harmony of Musick, to the corn-field, to the sweetness of honey, to the precious Oyntment that ran down Aarons beard, and to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the Hills of Zion: and all this is to discover the pleasantness, profitableness, and sweetness of the Saints Agreement. Behold how good and how pleasant it is, &c. It is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun, but it is much more pleasant to behold the Saints Agreement, and Unity among themselves.
There are many times breakings and losings in the love of the Saints, and therefore when they come to an agreement and union among themselves again, it must needs be very pleasant and profitable, and sweet, for things once lost and found again are very sweet; And upon this Account it is, that the Commandment of love is called a new Commandment, because it is broken so often, and so often renewed again: And the Psalmist speaks here of the sweetness and pleasantness of Unity, because there is no sweetness in division, but Unity is a good way and means to keep out trouble, and evil division from among a people. And