Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the LifeBrown, John
Religion
Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Brown, John
Bible. John XIV, 6 -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Jesus Christ; Justification (Christian theology); Sanctification
hearts before him, and hath melted them into true tenderness, so that
their mourning is a great mourning, they carry back these tears to be
washen and bathed in his blood, as knowing without this of how little
worth and value with God their salt water is; but when they are thus
washed he puts them in his bottle, and then pours them out again to them
in the wine of strong consolation. Thus are they made glad in his house
of prayer, and their sighs and groans come up with acceptance upon his
altar. O blessed altar, that sanctifies the gold! this is that altar,
whereto the mocking moralist hath no right. It is by him that the poor
believer offers up his sacrifice to God continually; whatever he doth in
word or deed, he desires to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. As he
knows, he lives to make intercession, and to appear in the presence of
God for his poor people, both to procure influences for duty, and plead
for acceptation: so he depends upon him for both, as knowing he can
never otherways hear nor have it said unto him, "well done thou good and
faithful servant." It may be he can do little, he hath but a mite to
offer; but he puts it in the Mediator's hand to be presented to God. He
hath not gold, nor silver, nor purple to bring; he can do no great
things; he hath but goats' hair or rams' skins, but he gives them the
right tincture, he makes them red in the blood of Christ, and so they
are a beautiful incarnation.
But let us, on the other hand, take a short view of what our moralists
substitute in its place, as in their account, both more beautiful in the
eye, and more beneficial to the souls of men, wherein I intend to be
brief. I might comprehend the account to be given shortly, and give it
most exactly, yet truly in these few words. As the most undoubted
deviation from, and perfect opposition unto the whole contrivance of
salvation, and the conveyance of it into the souls of men, as revealed
in this gospel which brings life and immortality to light, that
fighters against the grace of God in its value and virtue can forge,
stretching their blind reason to the overthrow of true religion, and
ruin of the souls of men. For to this height these masters of reason
have, in their blind rage, risen up against the Lord and against his
anointed; this is the dreadful period of that path, wherein we are
persuaded to walk, yea hectored, if we would not forfeit the repute of
men by these grand sophies, who arrogate to themselves the name and
thing of knowledge, as if wisdom were to die with them. The deep
mysteries of salvation, which angels desire to look into, and only
satisfy themselves with admiration at, must appear as respondents at
their bar; and if they decline the judge and court, as incompetent, they
flee out and flout at subjecting this blind mole, man's reason, to the
revelation of faith in a mystery. The manifold wisdom of God, and the
manifold grace of God, must either condescend to their unfoldings, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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