Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	life_n	open_v	3,184	5	7.3311	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67106	The doctrines of the resurrection and the reward to come, considered as the grand motives to an holy life. Discoursed of, from 1. Cor. XV. 58. / By the late pious and learned John Worthington, D.D..	Worthington, John, 1618-1671.	1690 (1690)	Wing W3621; ESTC R21563	58,484	157

before the Judges in Areopagus as we find it in Vers. 32. And when they heard of the Resurrection of the Dead some Mocked for he had said in the words immediately foregoing That now God Commandeth all Men every where to Repent because he hath appointed a Day wherein he will Judge the World with Righteousness by that Man whom he hath Ordained viz. by Christ whereof he hath given assurance in that he Raised him from the Dead Though he had seen before how this Doctrine was entertain'd with scorn as idle talk and for which he was counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for such and no better it was esteemed by Pliny in Hist. Nat. l. 2. c. 7. and l. 7. c. 55. pnerile deliramentum and also by the Heathen Cecilius in Minutius Felix Christianorum aniles fabulae yet he knowing of what great importance and weighty consequence it was to Preach this necessary Doctrine of the Resurrection and that which it is in order to the Judgment to come and what the Power of it was as it afterward made Felix the Roman Governour to tremble he thought it Seasonable to declare it before that Grave and Severe Senate and Judicatory of the Areopagites at Athens And what he did here assert and Preach before them was very fit and Seasonable for that Court or Judicatory was a little Figure and Emblem of the great Day of Judgment This Court was the Supreme Court of Justice at Athens the Judges were persons of great note and renown'd for their Wisdom and Integrity able and fit to Judge of the most weighty matters and therefore were the most difficult causes wont to be refer'd to them they sat in the Dark that they might not be moved to any undue affection and compassion upon Sight of the Malefactor they would not permit him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use any Rhetorick to move their affections but onely to make a plain and bare Narration They were also very strict and severe in enquiring into the Lives and Manners of Men for this was another End to which this Court was appointed and taking an account hereof ubi quid quisque Atheniensium ageret diligentissimè inquiri soleb at ut homines honestatem vitae rationem memores reddendam esse sequerentur as Valerius Maximus describes it they were strictly inquisitive what any one of the Athenians did how he demean'd himself that Men might see it to be their interest to live well as considering that they were to give an account of their lives and behaviour and therefore it was called Sanctissimum Consilium the most Holy Council or Judicatory and by this it seem'd a little Representation of the Great Tribunal of Christ and Solemn Day of Judgment at what time the Books shall be opened the Rolls wherein Mens Actions are Recorded and when All must appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether good or evil as the Apostle speaks in 2 Cor. 5. 10. And upon this account and consideration as a proper and powerful perswasive to a good Life he would have Christians to make it their great design and Holy Ambition to live so as to be acceptable unto God in the foregoing Verse as he adds also in the following Verse Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord this dreadful appearance of the Lord at the Last Day we perswade Men. Thus we see how the Apostle made it his great care and business to Preach the Resurrection of Christ as also the General Resurrection or which amounts to as much the Great Day of Judgment What ever Doctrine more smooth and flattering and complying with Mens e●e and carnality Others might Teach yet this is that which S. Paul with all faithfullness Preacht unto the World this was his Preaching of the Gospel he made sure always to clear and confirm and inculcate this great Evangelical Truth this Fundamental Article of Christian Religion The Doctrine of the Resurrection Concerning which I shall onely add this one Consideration more and it s worthy to be well consider'd by us That though in this Fifteenth Chapter to the Corinthians he useth many Arguments to evince and perswade the Belief of Our Resurrection yet first of all and principally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he makes use of the Resurrection of Christ for the proof of it who rose as the Head of the Church the Second Adam being a Common Head as well as the First in the Sense we have shewed and as the First fruits of them that Slept and the First-born from the Dead And further consider That the Argument drawn from Christs being Raised to Life and to a Life of Immortal Blessedness Rom. 6. 9 is a most plain and easie Argument to prove that there is a Blessed Life and Immortality hereafter There are other Arguments to evince this but some of them are too sublime for every capacity but the meanest are capable of understanding this For the Man Christ one in our nature and flesh Died and Rose again and is now Alive and liveth for Ever which is an evident proof of a future Life after the Death of the Body and a fair pledge of a Blessed Immortality hereafter which God will reward the faithful with those that have the Spirit of God dwelling in them as the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 11. And now having seen how Christians have good ground to hope for and expect a Future Reward of Soul and Body from the Light of Revelation we shall shew in the following Arguments how they may hope for it from the Light of Reason 2. From the Justice of God they may know their Labour is not in vain His Justice manifests it self in rendring to every one according to his works and this without any respect of Persons Both Maximes are much insisted upon in the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament The first is acknowledged by David the Royal Psalmist in Psal. 62. 12. by that Royàl Oracle of Wisdom Solomon his Son Prov. 24. 12. by the Prophets Jeremy 32. 19. Ezek. 33. 20. and by one greater then Solomon and the Prophets even Christ Jesus the Judge himself in Matth. 16. 27. Revel 22. 12. and by his Apostles S. Paul Rom. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 10. and S. Peter 1 Ep. 1. 17. Now the ways or works of Men are either good or evil and God who rewards cannot be deceived or mistaken as not corrupted or wrought upon by fear or flattery but he has a perfect knowledge and just value of Mens works knows the inward Springs and Principles of their actions And he which is Lord over all shall fear no Mans persons nor shall he stand in awe of any Mans greatness c. Wisdom 6. 7. He seeth not as Man seeth for Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the Heart 1 Sam. 16. 7. The Righteous Lord tries the Reines and Heart

a right principle nor directed to a right end And hereby they think they do demereri Deum and oblige Him for ever And yet all is but an empty Shell which they bring a Shell without a Kernel a Cabinet without the Jewels But such is their high esteem of it that they are ready to take it ill and to challenge God for not taking due notice of the Honour and Service they do him and he is not as they think so sensible and regardful thereof as he should be when things go otherwise with them then they wish The Inward Language of their Hearts is fully exprest by Isa. Chap. 58. 3. Wherefore have we Fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we Afflicted our Soul and thou takest no knowledge And yet this was but a meer Outward Humiliation as it is exprest in Vers. 5. The bowing down the Head as a Bul-Rush for a Day and the spreading of Sackcloth and Ashes under them But alas what is the hanging or bowing down the Head while the Heart is unbowed and unhumbled And what is Sackcloth and Ashes whenas Pride compasseth them as a Chain Psal. 73. 6. Here then is the difference between those that are Christians Outwardly and those that are Christians Inwardly as the the Apostle speaks of the Jew Rom. 2. The former make great account of their trifles as if they were the most solid realities and the most precious rarities The other account themselves and their Best performances their most substantial Services to be as nothing before God But though it becomes them to think thus humbly and meanly of themselves yet God who weighs the Spirits of Men and tryeth their Hearts he hath an high esteem of them God is not unrighteous to forget their Work and Labour of Love which they have shewed toward his Name Heb. 6. 10. but he will remember them and their Performances and an Honourable Commemoration shall be made of them at the Last Day Matth. 25. 34. 4. As they are Sensible of the little they have done for God and are grieved at their Omissions so they are sensible of the little time they have to repair their neglects of those fair advantages which they have had for doing good They are apprehensive of the Shortness and Uncertainty of their Life and continuance here that their time is but Short here to Testifie their Love to God in their Love of others and caring for their good they have but a Short space to Labour in and it is but short and as nothing to Eternity if they be in the Morning of their Age or in the Afternoon and indeed such serious Thoughts as these do more commonly possess those that are in the Afternoon of their Life And therefore they rouse up and excite themselves to a greater diligence Awake awake up and be doing they say unto their Soul Stir up the gift of God in thee be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus And show forth that Strength in a Power to do more and to endure more bardness as becomes a good Souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. While it is Day while the light of Life shines thou must Work the Works of him that sent thee the Works of God the business of Religion must be heeded by thee For the Night cometh when no Man can Work Jo. 9. 4. the Sunfet of thy Life the Night of Death approacheth and then the seasons and advantages for an active employing thy self about the good of others and Glorifying the Name of God in this World will be over and past And therefore because there is no Work nor deliberation nor Wisdom in the Grave whither thou art going whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might Eccles. 9. 19. Love God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more Emphatical word then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy Strength with all thy Mind with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul with whatsoever is in thee and in thy Power all thy faculties must be raised up to their best pitch And the best expression and proof of this Love is in serving the Will of God in thy Generation to the best of thy Skill and Abilities Live much in a Short time for the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought our own Will But Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh that we should no longer Live the rest of our time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men to the gratifying of those Appetites which Men generally Indulge themselves in but to the Will of God which is worthy to be obey'd and complyed with in all things by us Let it be our wonder and our grief that we were for so long a time the shortest time is too long Strangers to God and the ways of Religion that we should for any time live without God in the World and be unacquainted with the Best of Services and Employments which are the Services of Religion That we should be estranged from the Life of God which is the Noblest and Sweetest Lise a Life of the highest Excellency and of the most satisfying Pleasure And therefore being now restored to God and having found him whom our Souls Love and whom our Souls should ever have loved him who loved us first how should we cleave the more close to him even with full purpose of Heart How should we live wholly to his Will and Walk Worthy of him unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good Work studying to know what will please him what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God and then to do it with all Alacrity and Faithfulness Live then much in a short time Redeem the time repair thy Omissions in some measure by Redoubling thy diligence Let the Book of thy Life the Book that must be opened at the Last Day be full of Sense and worthy Matter Let there be no void spaces and empty lacunas Idle Words and an Idle Life are such in it Let every Page of it every Day be fill'd with what is Significant Intelligible Rational and Worthy to be Transcribed and Copyed out by others Live in an Exemplary way and follow that best Exemplar the Holy Jesus of whom S. Peter gives this short Character in his Sermon to Cornelius Acts 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went about doing good Think thou hast lost a Day as it s said of the Emperour Titus Vespasian if thou hast not done some good in it Think thou hast not lived if thou hast not lived to the Service of Religion As that Courtier who retired from the Vanities of this World and seriously applyed himself to the Services of Religion Seven Years before his Death would have this Epitaph Hic jacet Septuagenarius qui septem vixit annos Let that Speech of the Apostle Rom. 12. 11. be often in thy Thoughts let it be Written in fair Letters upon thy Heart Not Slothful in business Fervent in Spirit Serving the