A29372:114
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London
Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by William Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.Seasonable truths in evil-times in several sermons / lately preached in and about London by Willam Bridge, late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1668
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.
Possibly a man may lose all his former-sufferings by his after-sins: Foolish Galatians! (saith the Apostle) have ye suffered so many things in vain, if yet in vain? They fell from the doctrine of ⟨p. 37⟩grace, to justification by works; and they lost all their sufferings by their after-sins.
On the other side, Nicodemus was very backward to come to Christ; he came by n•ght; he was afraid to suffer: yet afterwards, when Christ died, he owned Christ openly: and the Holy-ghost sets a mark upon it, in Joh. 18. This is that Nicodemus which came to Jesus by night. He did recompense his former backwardness to suffer, by his after-faith. So that a man may lose his former sufferings by his after-sins; and a man may recover and recompense his former backwardness to sufferings, by his after-faith and grace.
On the other side, Nicodemus was very backward to come to Christ; he came by n•ght; he was afraid to suffer: yet afterwards, when Christ died, he owned Christ openly: and the Holy-ghost sets a mark upon it, in Joh. 18. This is that Nicodemus which came to Jesus by night. He did recompence his former backwardness to suffer, by his after-faith. So that a man may lose his former sufferings by his after-sins; and a man may recover and recompence his former backwardness to sufferings, by his after-faith and grace.
Thirdly, If a man may be a famous Preacher of the Gospel, and lose much upon that account, and yet prove an Apostate, a persecutor of the Gospel; and if a man may be a notorious persecutor of the Gospel, and yet afterwards prove a famous Preacher of the Gospel, and suffer much upon that account: Then possibly the first may be last, and the last may be first in point of suffering So it is, that a man may be a famous Preacher of the Gospel, and lose much upon that account; and yet afterwards prove an Apostate, a persecutor. So it was with Judas. When Christ sent forth his disciples, saying, Take no purse, nor scrip, &c. Judas was among them, and left his purse, &c. and was no doubt a famous Minister; yet after, he became a most notorious persecutor, and headed the party that came to take Jesus.