A77363:39
England saved with a notwithstandingEngland saved vvith a notwithstanding
England saved with a notwithstanding: represented in a sermon to the Honourable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament, Novemb. 5. 1647. The day of Thanks-giving for deliverance from the Powder-Plot. / By William Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods word at Yarmouth. Published by order of that House.England saved vvith a notwithstanding: represented in a sermon to the Honourable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament, Novemb. 5. 1647. The day of Thanks-giving for deliverance from the Powder-Plot. / By William Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods word at Yarmouth. Published by order of that House.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1647
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.
God keeps the same method in giving out the benefits that do come by Christ, as in giving out of Christ himself. Now for Christ himself: the first promise that was given of him, was given with a Notwithstanding, Notwithstanding the great Sin that Adam and Eve committed in the fall, yet (says the Lord) The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head.
God keeps the same method in giving out the benefits that do come by Christ, as in giving out of Christ himself. Now for Christ himself: the first promise that was given of him, was given with a Notwithstanding, Notwithstanding the great Sin that Adam and Eve committed in the fall, yet (saies the Lord) The seed of the woman shal break the Serpents head.
Thus in the Types of Christ; There were Three great Types of him in the Wilderness; the Manna, the Brazen-Serpent, and the Rock: but though all these were Types, yet the Rock especially: and therefore in the 1 Cor. 10. says the Apostle, And that Rock was Christ. He had said before, They did all eat the same spiritual meat; yet he doth not say, And that meat was Christ, or that Manna was Christ: but having said, They all drank of the same spiritual Rock, he addeth, And that Rock was Christ. Why? but because the Rock, and Water, was a special Type of Christ. Now if we look into the History, we shall find, that the waters of the Rock, whereby Israel were saved from death, was ⟨p. 5⟩given with a Notwithstanding: They murmured, and sinned much through Unbelief; yet the Lord struck the Rock, and waters came forth like honey; yea, and the Apostle tells us that the Rock followed them, they did not follow the Rock, but the Rock went after them. And when Christ himself came into the world, ye may read in the third of Luke, what a pack of wicked men were then in Judea that were in Office; Pontius Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas; yet then, even then did Christ come notwithstanding all the malice of those Tyrants and times. And if ye look into the 57 of Isaiah, ye may read a clear proof of all this (verse the 17) For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. What then? I have seen his ways (at the 18. Verse) I will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners. All this is spoken of a people, as well as of a particular person. Here's mercy! here's love! here's Pardon with a Notwithstanding. So that God doth sometimes save his people with a Notwithstanding all their Sins. That is the first Reason.