A30242:353
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations ON THE Third Chapter of t… › 1 COR. 1.12. And I of Christ?
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.
To understand this, Consider,
That there are principal and efficient causes of grace and salvation, 1and there are subordinate and instrumental, and these must not be confounded. A sound mind must not make instrumentals, principals, as ignorant people do, thinking the very Sacrament will save them. Nor yet must we exalt the principal, to exclude the instrumental, as Enthusihsts do. The Efficient Cause of all grace is attributed only to God, or the three Persons, the Father, Son and holy Ghost, in their appropriated way. So that it's true, Every good and perfect gift comes from God the Father of lights, Jam. 1. No man can come to Christ, unless the Father draw him, John 6.44. And Christ saith, He will ⟨p. 60⟩draw all men to him, John 12.32. He is the chief shepherd of our souls: He is the truth, way, and life, John 14.6. The Spirit of God also, that leadeth into all truth, that sanctifieth, that enlighteneth the mind. So that when we have to do with a people, that do rest upon outward means: As some think, the Ministers gifts, the Ministers parts, or the very coming of a Minister to them, and praying for them, while sick, is enough to send them to Heaven. To such hearers, we are much to preach of the efficient, principal cause of grace; We are to cry, Sursum corda; we are to say as the Angel to the women, looking for Christ in the Sepulchre, He is risen; Look up to Heaven: so to such, who rest upon external means and Instruments, Why look ye downwards, look upwards? We see among the people of Israel, yea, and Christians in the New Testament too, so great a proneness to rely on Instruments; but as in civil things we must not rely on an arm of flesh; so neither in Church matters on a tongue or mouth of flesh, as the Ministers are.