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	world_n	write_v	4,962	5	5.8081	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19550	A sermon of predestination preached at Saint Maries in Oxford: by Ri: Crakanthorp.	Crakanthorpe, Richard, 1567-1624.	1620 (1620)	STC 5980; ESTC S109016	48,771	52

written among his chosen children and to bee of their number God would in his iustice pull off that vizor of hypocrisie and make it knowne to all by brauding them with some marke of his hatred as hee branded Cain that they neither are nor euer were of that flocke of his chosen seruants Which the Prophet expresseth by two seuerall phrases the latter whereof doth expound the former saying Let them● bee wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not bee written among the righteous wiped out according to mens iudgement who thought they were writt therein but in truth declared not to bee nor euer to haue beene written among his rightcous seruants Which to bee the Prophets meaning is most cleere by that of Saint Iohn Renel 17. 8. where speaking of all the wicked who shall goe into euerlasting perdition of which sort none may doubt but these cursed enemies of God were hee faith that their names are not written in the Booke of Life from the foundation of the world that is were neuer written in that Booke And if they were neuer truely but only in the iudgement of men written in that book neither were they nor could they be in truth but onely according to the iudgement of men charitable I confesse in this point but yet erroneous wiped out of the same Booke That seemeth of greater difficultie which they obiect from the prayers of Moses and Saint Paul who being without all doubt written in the Booke of Life the Spirit of God witnessing of the one that hee was faithfull in all the house of God and of the other that he was a chosen vessell for whom was layd vp the crowne of glory desired of God that rather then his name should bee blasphemed or his glory impayred he would euen blot them out of that Booke of Life and make them a curse for euer to bee separated from Christ. Which thing if Gods election were immutable had beene simply impossible and such as those holy men would neuer as it seemes haue requested and so earnestly prayed for at the hands of God I can no way here assent to the iudgement of Saint Ierome who expounds these prayers to bee meant of a temporall and bodily death onely but not of the eternall For such a death could not haue made them accursed or an Anathema nor haue separated them from Christ nay by it they should haue attained blessednesse and haue beene eternally vnited vnto Christ. By which and some other reasons Chrysosteme doth not onely refute but euen deride that opinion Much lesse may wee consent to some other learned men who rightly vnderstanding in these prayers a totall and eternall separation from God doe thinke them to haue beene somewhat rash ouer-heady and lesse considerate positious proceeding indeede from a minde full of zeale but so astonished amazed and carrted away with the aboundance of loue vnto God and to his people that they considered not neither that it was vnfit for themselues to haue or for God to yeeld to these requests nor yet how impossible it was which they now desired Such confusion and inconsiderate zeale wee may not admit in these holy men seeing Saint Paul did not speake but write this with most serious and aduised premeditation yea by the inspiration and guiding of Gods holy Spirit protesting also and calling God to witnesse of his hearts desire in this matter and Moses in his prayer was moued for the same cause and directed by the same Spirit to request the same thing of God yea and the prayers of them both are such if they bee rightly considered as euery true Christian and child of God may in the zeale of their hearts present before the Throne of God For whereas they suppose it in no wise allowable to pray for that which either in it selfe or in regard of Gods Decree and Praescience is impossible and cannot bee granted our Sauiours owne prayer doth vndeniably teach the contrary when hee conditionally desired of God that if it were possible that cup of death might passc from him And yet hee knew it to bee no lesse impossible for him to escape that Cup then it was impossible that Moses or Saint Paul or any elect vessell of God should eternally perish Now that Moses and Paul did in their prayers imply the like condition is not to bee doubted For seeing their Petitions proceeded from a true faith and aymed at nothing else but Gods glory they could not chuse but be accepted of God and granted by him in like sort as our Sauiours was Christ himselfe assuring vs that whatsoeuer wee aske in his name and with a belecuing heart shall be granted vnto vs now they could no way bee granted if simply and without condition they had beene asked of God for then they had beene actually wiped out of Gods Booke and separated from Christ who by his eternall and immutable Decree were elected and ordained to bee partakers with him in glory Their prayers then were conditionall and in effect thus much that seeing the glory and honour of God seemed much to bee encreased by preseruing his people of Israel whom hee threatened to destroy and cast away these men inflamed with the desire of Gods glory request that if it were possible and if it might stand with Gods holy will b●ee would rather destroy them then so great a Nation and rather blot them out of his Booke and make them an Anathema for euer to be separated frem God then by casting away those whom he had chosen for his inheritance and peculiar people suffer any part of his glory and honour to bee impayred Great loue I confesse vnto God but such as if any thinke them too prodigall of their soules hee therein bewrayeth himselfe to bee of the minde and affection of Iudas who when the box of Spikenard was powred on Christs feete moued the Disciples to grudge and say What needed all this waste Such men are too rife in this last and worst age of the world who if any thing bee bestowed on Christ or vpon his Church for the furtherance of his glory straightway they murmure and repine and cry out with Iudas What needeth all this waste But when they themselues haue spent many boxes nay barrels and Butts of Spikenard to wallow in the lusts and pleasures of their sinnes yea when they haue spent not onely their Lands and goods but their bodies and soules ●lso in the seruice of the Diuell yet in all this there is no was●e at all Now if such vile and wretched miscreants thinke nothing too much nor too deare for the honour and seruice of Satan why should Moses Saint Paul or any of Gods children thinke any thing though it be their very bodies and soules too deare or precious to bee bestowed on God or for his honour I am verily perswaded that if the true Child of God after serious meditation of these

celestiall Hauen they will certainly make shipwracke of their saluation the Spirit of GOD assuring them that bee that beleeueth not is condemned already and that euery Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be ●ewne downe and cast into the fire As for the rest wee cannot speake to any one in particular as one retected of God for neither can any knew of another no nor of himselfe neither that hee is a Reprobate seeing at the last watch yea euen at the last gaspe God may effectually call and conuert him and wee in charitie are both to iudge and hope the best of all Yet euen them also if wee know any to bee such wee would not cease to stirre vp vnto all the duties of a Christian life assuring them that if they will beleeue and liue in fanctitie and holinesse they shall be crowned with glory God himselfe saying to Cain whom hee knew to bee a Reprobate If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and Christ proclaiming that whosoeuer beleoueth shall baue euerlasting life Besides which vnto them both whether they be Elect or reprobate it may be further said that as by their refraining from sinne and doing that which is good in either of both estates they shall be sure to gaine so by their pursuing of sinne and heaping vp iniquitie they shall in either estate bee sure to lose thereby For if they bee elect though by reason of Gods ordinance they bee sure to obtaine remission of sinnes and eternall life and to bee in the number of those heauenly starres yet because euen in that eternall life there are many and diuers mansions and one Starre differeth from another in glory the moe and the more hainous sinnes that they doe commit the lesse portion and weight of that eternall glory shall bee giuen vnto them as there is lesse light and glory in those which they call obscure or cloudy starres and those of the fift or sixt magnitude whereas if their liues had here shined in sanctitie in innocencie in faith in purity and in sinceritie then themselues also should haue shined like those prime and fairest starres or like the Sunne in his strength and glory In like sort If they be reiected of God though by reason of their owne peruerse wils beeing hardened in sinne they are sure to runne into etnerall death and perdition yet because euen in that eternall death there are diuersities and degrees of punishments for some fewer for others moe and more bellish stripes the more they restraine themselues from sinne and the more they practise those workes of iustice and temperance which for the substance of the worke are good and such as Heathen men and Reprobates may performe euen by this they shall gaine thus much that their stripes and punishments shall bee farre more easie then if by their wallowing in sinne and letting loose the reines to impietie they had treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Seeing then whether soeuer they be Sheepe or Goates they are sure by impietie to lose and by good workes to gaine both of them in Tanto though neither of both in Toto euen in this respect if there were no other it behoues them both to labour and striue to represle sinne and doe that which is good that if they be elect their reward may bee more glorious and if they bee not elect their punishment may bee lesse grieuous Lastly in whom I pray you doth or can this holy doctrine breed securitie and carelesnesse Not in them who know or thinke themselues to bee elect For this very perswasion of Gods loue in whomsoeuer it is doth cause a more feruent loue and more earnest seruing of the Lord who hath vouchsafed them so great and vnexpressible mercy euen as the Apostles who knew that their names were written in heauen were most ready and desirous to doe and suffer all things for the loue they had vnto God the loue of Christ constraining them therevnto For as Saint Austen saith Hee is too churlish and ●nkinde qui amorem si nolit impendere nolit rependere who if hee will not bestowe loue vpon God will not yet requite the loue of God freely bestowed on him Not in them vvho thinke themselues Reprobates For seeing they doe not nor can know themselues to bee such why should they deiect their mindes and not rather hope by repentance faith and and sanctitie to obtaine fauour with God and bee found in the number of those of whom the Apostle faith 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall bee a vessell vnto honour Euen as in their bodily sicknesse and worldly estate they labour and toyle neglecting no meanes to attaine health wealth and welfare because they know no other but that God hath decreed an happy successe and to giue a blessing to those meanes vvhich are commanded and ordained by himselfe So because they know no other but that God hath decreed to giue saluation and eternall glory vnto them why should they not labour by faith sanctitie and all holy meanes to attaine vnto life and leaue the successe vnto him vvho hath said and assured them Ezekiel 18. 31. Returne and cast away all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction So many wayes is that their cauill of securitie cleerely refuted by which as by the chiefest engine which their wits could deuise they seeke to ouerthrow both the whole doctrine of Gods Predestination and that certainty or assurance of our election of which we now entreat But they further oppose the Scriptures against vs and against that assurance which we before declared seeing Dauid Psal. 69. 28 desireth of God that hee would wipe his enemies out of the Booke of Life Now if any may be wiped out whom God hath once enrolled among his elect then is not our election so sure and immutable as wee haue taught For answere whereunto I say with Saint Austen God neuer wipes out any whom hee writ in that Booke for if a wretched man was so constant that hee would not alter his writing but said What I haue written I haue written what indignitie were it to Almighty God to thinke him so wauering that hee will write and blot out againe which a sinfull man Pontius Pilate was ashamed to doe Those enemies then of God of whom Dauid speaketh who vnder the colour of an outward profession cloaked their inward hatred to God and his Prophets were written in the Booke of God or seemed so to be onely by the iudgement of men who saw no more then their outside and fained profession they were neuer written there in truth nor according to his knowledge who tryeth the hearts and reines And Dauid to whom Gods Spirit had reuealed their hypocrisie and deepe dissimulation among other curses prayeth that this also may befall vnto them that whereas themselues or other men thought them to bee