A30241:839
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
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.
12. To keep his word doth suppose that we keep it because it's his Word, Because that God commands it; For no actions are holy till the motive be holy that draweth them out, and this we told you, is the reason why our Saviour saith, They have kept thy Word, and not mine; They look upon him as the Mediator sent by God; Thus the Thessalonians are commended because they received the Word preached, Not as the word of man but as of God; This was the reason why God would not take the wise men of the world, but contemptible Instruments, by whom he wrought wonderful miracles, that so our faith might not be built on the abilities or the wisdom of men; and hence it is that the Disciples Matthew and others, who left all and followed Christ, did gloriously manifest their obedience to God as God; It may fall out that the same things which God commands we may do, as we see in Jehu, Judas, and others, but then not upon the grounds, that God commands them; The Pharisee was commanded to fast and pray, but not for vain-glory and humane applause; Oh then if thou keep Gods Word look it be because it's Gods Word, Let not any sinful or corrupt ingredients of thy own mingle themselves, who would not have thought that Judas for a long while kept Gods Word when he left all, wrought Miracles, and preached in the Name of Christ, but he had an eye to the bag always▪ and that proved his undoing, This will be a good touchstone to try thee.
12. To keep his word doth suppose that we keep it because it's his Word, Because that God commands it; For no actions are holy till the motive be holy that draweth them out, and this we told you, is the reason why our Saviour saith, They have kept thy Word, and not mine; They look upon him as the Mediatour sent by God; Thus the Thessalonians are commended because they received the Word preached, Not as the word of man but as of God; This was the reason why God would not take the wise men of the world, but contemptible Instruments, by whom he wrought wonderful miracles, that so our faith might not be built on the abilities or the wisedom of men; and hence it is that the Disciples Matthew and others, who left all and followed Christ, did gloriously manifest their obedience to God as God; It may fall out that the same things which God commands we may do, as we see in Jehu, Judas, and others, but then not upon the grounds, that God commands them; The Pharisee was commanded to fast and pray, but not for vain-glory and humane applause; Oh then if thou keep Gods Word look it be because it's Gods Word, Let not any sinful or corrupt ingredients of thy own mingle themselvs, who wold not have thought that Judas for a long while kept Gods Word when he left all, wrought Miracles, and preached in the Name of Christ, but he had an eye to the bag alwaies and that proved his undoing, This will be a good touchstone to try thee.