The Works of the Reverend Richard Sibbs (Volume 1); To Which Is Prefixed, a Short Memoir of the Author's Life

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1809. Excerpt: ... THE FOUNTAIN OPENED: OR THE M7STERT OF GODLINESS REVEALED. COD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH--JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRlfSEEN OF ANGELS--PREACHED ONTO THE GENTILES--BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD--RECEIVED UP TO GLORY. 1 Tim. iii. 16.--And without controversyy great is the Mystery of Godliness, is'c.------ THERE are two things that God values more than all the world besides; the church, and the truth: the church, that is the pillar and ground of truth, as it is in the former verse; the truth of religion, that is, the seed of the church. Now the blessed apostle St. Paul, being to furnish his scholar Timothy to the ministerial ossice, he doth it from two grounds especially; from the dignity of the church, which he was to instruct and converse in, and from the excellency os the mysteries of the gospel, that excellent soul-saving truth: hereupon he doth serioully exhort Timothy to take heed how he conversed in the church of God, in teaching the truth of God. The church of God Is the house of God, a company of people that God cares for more than for all mankind besides; for whom the world stands, for whom all things are; it is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. And for the truth of God, that must be taught in this church; it is so excellent a thing, that we see the blessed apostle here ufeth great words, high styles lofty expressions concerning it. As the matter is high, and great, so the apostle hath expressions suitable: a full heart breeds full expressions. As no man went beyond St. Paul, in the deep fense of his own unworthiness, and of his state by nature, so there was no man reached higher in large and rich thoughts and expressions of the excellency of Christ, and the good things we have by him: as we fee here; setting forth the exce...