Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

438-Bo-;;kiV: ---io~ U!1LO ~~f~~.s'. Chap t. Secr,7. call to mind the Apoll:le Paul, who was firll: a wolf, and d1rn a Shepl'end~· ·fi;n!;:;d, and .rhen gold ; firll: a Stwl, and then a Paul.; if thou art tJithlcfs ; d,ff,dem, an unbeliever, one that haft turned thy back on Chnll, fled away from thy colours, look on Tho nas, he fled away frcm C!mlt as foon as any, and he is longe{l frcm Chrill after his refurre-'lion ofall the reil: ; and though his fellow lJifci11les fay they bad fom the Lord , and that he n·.u rifcn mdeed, )'et thts Will not 1ink Into his head he wi!l not acknowledg it but is moll: percmtory ; except he fee in hands the prim of the Joh ' 0 • 'S· nayles, ~nd pttt /m fi11gers mto the prtnt of the ."a)'lcs, andthr.:.ft his h.wd :nro hisfide, he will not belreve ; why lhould any £inner defpa1re of mercy ? thou fayll: I , 1 m wickf:d ; and God faith to thee, as I live fauh the Lord God, I have no plea{ttre in the death of the 1vicked, but that the wicktd fllrn from hi; n·ay, ttl.'d li~·e : thou f.1yi1 I am tlit Ez~k. 33 • 11. 'ltnbelze'w:r, I am jlmt up i,z the prifon of tmbelief, nnder bolts~ ttnd/cttrrs, tb:-tt I can– not ftir one inch towards heaven ; why fo was Didymu;, ar.d yet he obtained 1nercy; and the Apoll:le tells us, dlat God bath concluded all, or flmt "Pall togahcr in tmbcluf, that he mtght have mercy upon all. He defpifeth none, rejects none, abhors none, unlefs Rom. rr. 3'· they continue to defpife, reject and abhorr the Lord; Oh what a fweer point is bero to gam £inners, to move, ro melr, to rh•w bard heard hearts.? the incredulity of rhis Difciple turns ro our profit; and rends more to rhe confirmation of our faith, ifwe are butweak,rhen the very faith of all the other Difci1-lesof Jefus Chrill: had notThom.udis. believed, we haJ not received fo great encouDgemenrs, ro ha1c believed in Chrill:, as now we have Excufe me that I fpeak rhus much,to encourJge £inners to come in to Cluill:, I would be fomerimes a Boane rgcs and fomerimesa Barnabas; a fon of rh under to roufe hard hearts, and a fon of confolation to chear up drooping fpirits. All Minifters may learn of the great Shepheard and B1lhop of our fouls, ro have a refpect in their minill:ry ro one finner, to one incredulous Thomas; we cannot be ignorant cfrhefe 1.\.om. '4· r. Scriptures, him that is wca/z_ in the faith receive yote. ---· And to the tvea/z_I be– l· Cor. 9 21, came ao wea"" that J might gain the \vealz.: --A nd we exhort )'Oil brethren, trarne them that are unruly, comfort the feeble randed, fupport the weak_, be pamnt towardt all h t men.- And ofJome have compaffion, makjng a difference ; and others fave with fear, •· T e.•;. r.;. pulling them oltt of the fire. -- And brerhercn, tf a rr.r.n be <'V<>t. k.<n in a fault, )'C Jude. "· , 3• which are fpirim.tl, .re ./fore fuch a one in the fpirit of muk_nefs -Andthe for·vant of . the Lord muft 110t ftrivc, bmbe gentle unto all men, apt to teach, pat tent, 111 meck..ne(sigGal ~. r. jfrufling thofo that oppofo themfolves, if God peradventure will j(<Ve them repcntanc:. Dear '· Tim. '· '4' fouls! bow do we long for your converfion and falvarion ? how are you i• our beans, in >;.our prayers, in our Sermons ?my little childYen how do we travel in birth agAin nntil Chrijf be for,med in yote ? how gladly would we fpend and be [pent for )'olt, though the more abundantly we love you, the lefs we are loved ofyou .< lf I knew bur one Tho– mao in rhe great oiTembly ofGod• people, I Owuld think it a; a crown, and the glory of Gol. 4·'9· my miniltry to perfwade this man into faith. Chrill: in this apparition eye< one efpeci. '·Cor. "· 1; ally above all the reft; when hi< Difciples were within, and Thomas with them, then came Jefu.J, 4· The manner how he oppeared, I. He came, the doors being jlmt. 2. He flood in the midft 3. He faid peace be tmtoyou. All thefe we h~ve difparched in.rhe former appari– tion · I 01all therefore proceed to rhar which IS peculiar ro rillS, then Jmth he to Tho,;ao reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, andreach hither :hy hand and thnsjf it in to my fide, and be notfaithtefs but believing. In Ihis apfantion h~ argues b1s j<h. 10, 'i· refurrection, I, From words. 2. From deeds. . . 1 • From words, ThomtU had faid, except J foe in his hands the prmt of the nayls, ctud put my finger into tht printofthenaylJ, andthmft my hand into hfs fide,! will ·not believe. 1. Now Chrill: repeats the very felfJamewords, and there! ngtves mone argument ofhis refurrection; for ifChrill: could know what Thomao had faid, l1ow is he but alive and rifen from rhe dead? the dead have nor fenfe, much lefs the ufe of reafon, but lea(! ~fall the knowledg of anorhers mind ; bur Chrill: bath fenfe, and reafon, fcience and omnifcicnce ; obferve, though Chrifi be abfent M in hi; bodily prefence, yet he underftandcth all our thoughts, and if need.IVere,. he co11/d repeat all o11rfayings, word by word; howirhen may rhis convince all unbeheyers In t!Je world,rhar Chnft Is nfen, that he rhar was dead now liveth, and that he1sahvefor ever more? 2. He appears arg~ing his refurreition from deed>, wherein is an atl: and objec.'l:. 1. The rl't is, Thomtt.J feeing and feeling and q.d, 1.homap,tho" wilt not believe e.wcpt tho~tfoeft, - and

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