A29372:115
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.
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.