Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	name_n	write_v	18,504	5	6.4426	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08488	Sions teares leading to ioy: or The vvaters of Marah sweetned First preached at Clonenagh in the Queenes County in seuerall sermons, and now published for the benefite of the Church. By Ri: Olmstead, minister of Gods word, and Master of Arts.	Olmstead, Richard.	1630 (1630)	STC 18811; ESTC S120808	86,010	266

rest of the sauing graces of Gods Spirit and so are in doubts and feares and the Spirit of bond●ge as the Apostle cals it 2. Some are ignorant of the causes of true ioy as that their names are written in the Booke of Life Iohn 1. that they are borne not of the will or blouds of men but of God sonnes of the most high heires yea coheires with Christ the naturall Sonne to an eternall Kingdome by adoption grace members of Christ estated into a blessed interest and right to al the creatures blessings and ordinances guarded by Angels kept by the Almighty himselfe and his power vnto saluation 3. They obserue not or conceiue how the Spirit of God doth exhibite and giue this ioy and comfort in the due vse of his ordinances as the ministry of the Word Sacraments and Prayer or else in the due vse of the priuate as meditation conference prayer reading singing of Psalmes c Ioh. 16.24 so grieue the holy Spirit 4. Ier. 33.3.8 They doe not seriously seeke the pardon of sinnes as condemned prisoners at the barre importune the Iudge for their liues or if they pray sometimes it is but seldome 4. They are not conscionable in the practice of all the duties of godlines they sowe not good seed a Iob. 4.36 Gal. 6.8.9.10 that be which soweth and he that reapeth may reioyce together Could men bee more fruitfull in wel-doing they should haue b Mat. 25.21 Is 35.8.10 more joy sterility barrennesse brings anguish and sorrow and fruitfulnes in obedience brings consolation and abundance of peace and heauenly delight and joy 5. Many are incumbred and intangled with some grosse sin as the sin of their nature or of their particular calling which hinders this consolation and joy of the soule Pro. 25.6 The transgress on of the wicked is his snare but the righteous doth rei● y●e and sing 6. They receiue not the Law of God into their hearts which if they did beholde the promise verse 11 Is 51.7.11 The redeemed of the Lord shall returne come with ioy to Si●n and euerlasting ioy shall bee vpon their beads c they only haue an idaea or superficies in the brain but it comes not into the heart 7. Many liue not in peace but are passionate and contentious and so breake off all their ioy or at least hinder and weaken it much for passion contention and pride do strangely though secretly disturbe and hinder the consolations of God therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Corinthes Be of good comfort bee of one minde 2 Cor. 13. ● liue in peace and the God of loue peace shal be with you 8. They sorrow not for their sins or not with godly sorrow for if they did Ps 126.5.6 Is 61.1.2.3 they should reape in ioy Thus it manifestly appeares that true Religion the profession thereof is not the cause of the vncheerefulnes heauines and sorrow that is in the world but the cleane contrary and that the fault is the corruptiō which is in men and therefore let vs lay the imputatiō blame where it is in mans owne corruption and defects Againe such professors are to be blamed as leade a melancholick he any vncheerefull life because thereby they obscure the lustre and glory of their Christian profession and are a dishonour to their Lord and Master for the world that know not the priuiledges and libertie of the sonnes of God easily thinke they serue a hard and rigide master or father who is not willing to haue his children and seruants inioy any sweet mirth or liue sweetly and comfortably They doe besides al this hinder wrong themselues by detaining themselues from thankfulnes it is also an obstacle to their faith pravers layes them open exposeth them to temptations or apostacy generally vnfits them to all the duties of piety and righteousnes And for the most part this deapnes of spirit and sadnes ariseth from passion pride worldly sorrowes and griefes or some of the causes before specified Quest But seeing so many sortes of false joyes may be are oft in the soule by what characters and symptomes may the true ioy bee discerned from the counterfeit especially the illusions of the deuill and temporary joyes of the hypocrite because an hypocrite goes farre especially in ioy yet lose his soule bee damned in the end for hee may receiue the word with ioy taste the heauenly gift haue some apprehension of Christs excellencie some sight of Gods fauour some worthy though but generall gift of the Holy Ghost and an hope of euerlasting life as appeares by the text of Scripture in the margent all which concurre together to lift him vp with false ioy yet lose all and his soule too Answ I consider the examination of this grace three wayes 1. In the causes thereof it ariseth from the apprehension of celestiall and heauenly things It is kindled vpon the sence of God● fauour and is a blessed handmaid of faith and therefore the Apostle Peter annexeth it to beleeuing 1 Pet. 1.8 Psal 4.6 Lord life thou vp the light of thy countenance vpom mee thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart c. 2. That our names are written in the Booke of Life a greater cause of reioycing by the restimonie of our Sauiour Christ himselfe ●●●e 10.20 then to worke miracles and cast out deuils and greater cause of ioy then wisedome strength riches c. to know God that he is mercifull in the assurance of Gods election and blessed resurrection and eternall life that our soules shall liue immortally happie 3. It is exhibited and giuen by the holy Spirit of God and ordinarily the soule as it were retyring it selfe into the sweete presence of God to haue some spirituall Soliloquie or priuate conference with him but especially principally in meditation primate prayer are these sweet ioyes selt though not onely but the soule doth draw the wine of ioy out of all the wels of saluation Is 12.3 but euery Christian soule who vsually trades with God can experimenlally iustifie this truth that it is felt most frequently and liuely in meditation priuat prayer Is 32.3 4. The Spirit neuer speakes cōfort to the soule but from the written word and promises of God and therefore the Apostle saith to the Ephesians After they beleeued Eph. 1.13 they were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise If it witnes seale and comforts not from the sacred promises it is a delusion of Sathan and not true ioy 5. It vsually followes humiliation and godly sorrow for sinne which is that true right branch that beares it our blessed Sauiour was sent to comfort those that mourne in Zion Is 61.2.3 to giue them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of beauiues c. Ioh. 16.20 23. Verily I say vnto you ye shall weape

It is as true that euery member of the Chusch wherof Christ is the Head must of necessity or else no true member of the Head Christ sympathize with their particular fellow members in all their wealth and woe euen the meanest of them so sayth that worthy Apostle Paul b 2 Cor. 11.29 who is weake and I not weake with him who is scandalized but I burne with it and so elsewhere c 1 Cor. 12.26 If any one member he honoured all the rest reioyce with it if any one suffer all the rest suffer with it Thus is it in the naturall body if any tread vpon or kicke the least toe or foot will no the head feele will not the tongue say why do you tread vpon or kicke me and thus it cannot but be in the mysticall body of Christ O Lord if this be true where are there any true members of Christ to be found in this age let mee but finde such a man or woman that when they see Christs members I meane his beleeuing neighbours hungry thirsty naked sicke imprisoned scandalized and he or shee humbly careth for them for care and ioy are the two fairest daughters of Loue and out of his care is affected with his miserie prayeth to God for his reliefe and indeauors to furnish his necessities So on the contrary if God turne the wheele of prosperity then to rejoyce with them especially in spirituall prosperitie after desertion and then I will beleeue that such a man or woman is the child of God hath attained to this blessed godly sorrow as a mostnecessary true symptome character thereof and if it be otherwise it plainly proueth is a black marke of reprobation as will appeare if wee consider these reasons 1. It plainely intimates d 1 Ioh. 5.14 we are but dead men and not translated from death to life e 1 Ioh. 2.10 that wee are still in darknes and without the true light it testifies to our selues Angels and men that we are not onely benummed or paraliticke members but rotten putrified mortified members which must be cut off these are like wooden legges that feele nothing of the bodies or members maladie how canst thou thinke thy selfe a true member of Christ and cryest not out vnder the afflictions of the poorest true beleeuer and expressest not thy sorrow by thine earnest indeauour to ease the crosse affliction what liuing members and feele nothing It is impossible that a true beleeuer member of Christ should bee thus blockish and sencelesse 2. It plainely manifests want of zeale to GOD and his glory when either the cause of the Churches calamitie or the particular afflictions of Gods people strike vs not at the very heart which should be more deare vnto vs shall I say then our owne wealth safetie life yea I may truely say then our owne saluation where is the zeale of Moses blot me out of the booke of life f Exo. 32 32. rather then destroying this people the heathen should insult and say because God was not able to bring his people into Canaan therefore hee destroyde them in wildernesse it was Gods Name that stroke Moses at the heart and this is oft eclipsed by the afflictions of Gods people Oh the miseries woes of infinite millions of men and women with whom it is all one what conditiō befals the Church or any particular member thereof Were old f 1 Sam. 4.18 19. Eli his daughter the wife of Phineas now aliue would not the captivity of the Arke be their deaths to heare of the desolations that are made in that famous and most auncient Church of Bohemia and her sister the Palatine with other partes thus wasted and depopulated the Name of the Lord of hostes to be dishonoured by that relation which our adversaries make of the victories triumphs and successes had by that Popish and Iherian faction and that vnnaturally by the Natiues and Popish English which should bee his Maiesties loyall subiects in this Iland But alas what doe I insist vpon these reasons to incite vs to commiserate the afflictions of the Churches of Christ abroad great is the dishonour of God at home euen in this Kingdome the state of both Sion and Ierusalem is so miserable that it giues vs just cause oh that wee had their affections to cry out g La● 1.2.16 La● 2.18 Ier. 13.27 mine eye droppeth c. Oh that we had not onely cause to say with the Prophet Ieremie Because of eathes the land mourneth but we haue just occasion to say with the Lord by the Prophet Hosea that h Hos 4.1.2 c. God hath a controuersie with vs because there is no mercy truth nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing lying killing stealing whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud therefore shall the Land mourne and all that are therein shall be cut off with the beasts of the field c. I may adde the abominable drunkennesse oppression idolatry with swarmes of those Locusts the Friers Priests and that Ignatian brood the Iesuites swarming in euery corner by scores seducing and beguiling vnstable soules robbing and impouerishing not only the poore Natiues but the whole Kingdome by their intollerable exactions it is almost incredible the masse and summes of money that they daily rake together I could not beleeue it vntill I saw it by probable demonstrations that at the least 500000 pound sterling and vpward of treasure is exhausted out of this poore Kingdome yearely to maintaine that woful generation at home and corroborate and animate the enemies abroad that the Kingdome of necessity must grow full of penurie their insolencie increaseth so fast and our sinnes provoking the Highest in such degree that except l Am●s 4.12 wee prepare to meet the Lord by speedy repentance as the Eternal himselfe adviseth his people what may we looke for but some bloudy massacres as in Paris and Vastie in the dayes of Charles the ninth in France or at Antvverpe in the Netherlands or else some other grieuous judgments another way Oh that we which are k Is 62.6 ● the Lords remembrancers vvould giue him no rest till he repaire his Ierusalem and Zion Oh yee Reuerend Fathers let these silent lines speake in your cares and be not incensed against them why doe you not imploy rhe Churches weapons which are praeces lachrymae to implore his Maiestie and the State for reformation of these horrible and detestable abominations GOD perswade your hearts to this I know it is the desire of sundry of your soules to see the prosperitie of Bethell and Zion the ruine and desolation of Bethauen and Babell and you Right Honorable the Nobility State of this Kingdome pardon the importunity of these rude lines and let them incite your noble spirits to intreat our God by vnfeigned and carnest supplications prayers l Heb. 5.7 with strong cryes and teares as our