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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	justification_n	work_n	9,756	5	6.9844	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08802	Faith & experience:, or, A short narration of the holy life and death of Mary Simpson, late of Gregories Parish in the city of Norvvich: who dyed, anno 1647 in or about the thirtieth yeare of her age after 3 yeares sicknesse and upwards. Containing a confession of her faith and relation of her experience, taken from her owne mouth. To which is added a sermon preached at her funerall, upon Rom. 14. 6,7. / by John Collings.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Collinges, John, 1623-1690. Life & death of a true Christian deciphered in a sermon.	1649 (1649)	Wing C5316A; ESTC R231574	44,489	160

the wayes of his worship seeking to him for strength in every estate and condition what ever he put me into whether spirituall or temporall When Satan saw that I indeavored to be holy and strict he set before me a patterne of perfection by his shewing of me perfection I by the strength of Gods grace had such a sight of imperfection that I was Satans policy lost in my owne apprehension and concluded that there was no grace because there was so much imperfection and then God was pleased for to make me apprehend that Jesus Christ must come and take away the imperfections of our duties the defilement of sinne as well as the guilt which he did by revealing those promises which he caused me to rest upon in that 2 Cor. 5. 21. for 2 Cor. 5. 21. he had made him to be sinne for us who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his Mat. 1. 21. people from their sins which I beleeved should be done for the future though they were not done for the present so that I saw Christ to be of use to clense me Sanctification seene before Justification before I saw him Iustifying my person which was a great refreshment to my Spirit then I began to make use of those weapons that the Apostle speaks of which are not carnall but mighty through God for the pulling downe strong holds c. and the Lord did give me much sweetnesse by communion with himselfe so that I could goe to him more The spirit of Adoption freely then to any creature under heaven and the more communion I had with him the more strength I had against temptation and corruption I found it to be The benefit of frequent prayer the most excellent means under heaven the more frequent the more familiar with God and now I began in some measure to apprehended what a temptation was in a time of temptation which was halfe a deliverance out of it this through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus I found by experience in prayer and about prayer I found first the subtilty of Satans temptations wherein I found him Sathans malice against the worke of prayer to be as great hinderer of that work of prayer as of any other if he cannot keep from it he will afflict and discourage in it and notwithstanding all this I was by Satan put upon it to question my Condition againe but God gave me a word at the same time to stay my Soule upon it was Gods token to know Paul by behold he prayes from which words I saw God took special notice of those that praid and waited upon him and when the Devill saw me bent upon prayer then he put me upon prayer which in time I saw was his work and in time it proved greatly to the Devils disadvantage and much for my incouragement I found by experience that he is like an Ape imitating what ever good God does in the Soule and there is need of much of God to discern his policy in this particular he hath counterfeit grace as well as God hath true grace and he hath evill Ioy as God hath Soule-refreshing reviving and sweet consolation he will have scriptures as well as God only his are to discourage from duties and Gods to incourage all the wayes of Satan are evill and all the Note wayes of God are exceeding good and his paths are very pleasant When Satan saw he could not defile my soule by one temptation he sets upon me by another and with manifold temptations all at once So that he put my Soule into a darke mist by his temptations and I walked sadly for some Dayes together to the wonderment of my friends that were about me I could not expresse my selfe in any thing because my temptations and tumults in my spirit were so high in many things but the Lord at that time did much stay and refresh my spirit with the word Isay 50. 10. whereby Isa 50. 10. I saw that my condition at that time was no other then was incident to Gods owne people and so the Lord carried me on from one condition to another in straights and revealed no more to me for the present then this that my condition was such as was incident to the Saints The next thing I saw was that Iesus More Illumination Christ was the Iustifier of his people and that Iustification was conveyed to the soule in a way of beleeving and then my Soule said oh that I could beleeve on him that Iustifies the ungodly The more understanding I had of God in that way the more I saw of mine owne filthinesse I saw filthinesse in the holy things of God as performed by me so that I found that word of the Apostle good That in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing but to will is by the Rom. 7. grace of God present with me but how to doe good I found not which through the grace of God wrought in my Soule a restlesse desire after a Christ in a way of beleeving that so I might fetch strength from Christ for the subduing of every corruption that I might know whether I were in a state of Iustification this I found that the more Satan tempted me that his temptations were as a weapon put into my hand to fight against himselfe withall through the mighty operation of God his strength was made knowne in my weaknesse Still Faith hard God put into my Soule such a restlesse disposition that I could not be satisfied without Christ so that I said within my selfe give me a Christ or I dy and the disposition to beleeving I found very difficult and hard when God set me upon it a work too hard for me without the power of an Omnipotent God which The way of obtaining it made me the more eagarly to persue it at the hands of him who was able to give it God when his set time was come wrought every disposition in me sutable to the grace that hee was about to convey to my Soule and then I saw nothing in any thing either in heaven or earth that could doe me good but the revealing Iesus Christ to my Soule Duties would not justify no inherent grace was no Iustification in it selfe though a fruit of Iustification yet no cause of it Iesus Christ was the all in all both for Sanctification 2 Cor. 3. last and Iustification and there I saw a way to make use of Christ by way of Iustification I saw more fully then before that all my righteousnesse was imperfect but in Christ it was compleate when the love of God was thus discovered to my Soule then it did constraine me to work out of a higher principle then before I thought with my selfe were there no hell to punish nor Heaven to reward yet there was comfort enough in God and in the

thus made him and all things else for his use and service I believe That all that God made amongst which was man was exceeding good and whatsoever was afterward not good was through the defect of the Creature I believe That man being thus made and engaged to serve his God yet was made liable to fall Concerning the Fall of man VI. I believe That Man fell and that wholly from God and that being thus fallen God might justly have taken advantage upon fallen man and have cast him and his posterity off to all Eternity as hee did the fallen Angels Concerning Gods workes of grace 1. Of Election VII I believe There is an Election of Grace and that according to that Election there shall be but a few that shall participate of the way of recovery by Iesus Christ. Concerning the work of Redemption and Reconciliation VIII I believe That there was no cause in man being fallen to move God to recover him from that fallen estate but onely he was moved from his owne bowells I believe being moved so from himselfe hee found out a way himselfe for mans Recovery I believe That the way so found out and the meanes by which alone fallen man can be restored was by a Mediator taking upon him our Nature that so he might pacifie the wrath of God for the sinne of our Nature that wee might thereby be fit to live with God in our Nature Concerning Originall sinne IX I believe That our Nature was sinfull and that the sin of our Nature was the cause of all our sorrowes temporall and Eternall we dyed spiritually at the instant of the fall and all shall certainly dye a temporall death and only some shall be delivered from dying eternally Further. Concerning the worke of Redemption and Reconciliation the sole Redeemer the fruit of Redemption the mysterie of conveyance c. X. I believe That as the whole Trinity did worke in the Creation of the world so they did also equally worke in the worke of our Redemption God the Father and the Holy Ghost sending and the Son being sent and comming But I believe that Christ hath alone performed the worke of redemption and reconciliation fully satisfying the Iustice of God to the utmost for all his I believe also that every man in the world is beholding to God for Iesus Christ for the enjoyment of their lives and of the creatures and that for the present they are reprieved from hell and damnation I believe That Reconciliation is to be found in no other but in Iesus Christ who is the alone great Reconciler betwixt God and his people I believe That the worke of Redemption is a great mysterie for the divine Nature to take upon him the humane nature O it is a great Mysterie I believe also That it is a great Mysterie in regard of the way of its particular conveyance And that Christ hath not onely purchased this salvation but also makes a particular Declaration of it 1. By his Word 2. By the Worke of his spirit on the soule And 3. By the witnesse of the spirit I believe That in this worke Jesus Christ purchased strength for every beleever to withstand Sin Death and Hell Concerning Perseverance in Grace XI I believe That by the Lord Jesus Christ there is power purchased for every Believer to withstand Sinne Death and Hell Notwithstanding that the fallen Angels the Devils as they were the first occasion of the fall so they are great hinderers of this worke of Grace and Restauration they having us at such an advantage Concerning Death and the Resurrection and the Immortality of the soule XII I believe That all men according to Gods appointment must dye and continue in the Grave The bodies I meane of every Man and Woman that so they might be made fit for eternity some for eternall wrath others for eternall glory I believe That the soules of all immediately after death goe to God that gave them there to give an account for what they have done in the flesh I believe that the Resurrection of the Saints to grace here and glory hereafter is purchased by the Death Resurrection and Ascensian of Jesus Christ I believe That the same bodies both for substance and forme every joint and limbe shall rise againe and not a bone shall be wanting A substantiall body both for flesh and bones that I prove by Christs resurrection who was raised with the same body Object But you will say Christs body lay but three dayes in the Grave and so his body was not rotted in the dust but ours will lye so long that our bodies shall be turned into dust Ans I Answer The same power that made the body of Adam out of the dust the same power can raise our bodies again although turned to dust So that the worke of Resurrection is a curious worke and secretly wrought in the wombe of the earth as the child is secretly wrought in the womb of the mother There shall be the same matter to make the bodies of in the Resurrection at the last day that there was when God first formed the body of Adam viz. The Dust of the earth The same power shall raise all our bodies though turned to dust Concerning the day of Iudgement XII I believe That Christ shall come personally to judge the world and that with an audible voice by the word of his mouth he shall raise the dead And that at the day of judgement all the sins of the godly shall be laid upon Iesus Christ. They here in the world accuse themselves for sinne and so shall be excused at the last day It is the office of conscience to accuse here or hereafter Conscience having done its office there shall be nothing objected against them at that day But they shall heare that blessed Sentence Come ye blessed of my Father Concerning Glorification heaven XIV I believe The godly at the day of Iudgement shall heare that blessed Sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world I believe In Heaven there shall be no Infant of dayes nor old man of yeares The corruptible life of of the creature shall not inherit eternall life there shall no weaknesse no deformity what ever accompany that life there shall be no eating nor drinking in it but singing Hallelujahs to God for ever I will conclude with the Psalmist Psalm 139. I will praise the Lord for I am fearefully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soule knowes right well Reader Thou hast thus far read her Faith now hear her Storie that was faithfully taken from her own mouth And so also was this that followes being the Relation of Gods dealings with her Psalm 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is Psalm 66. 16. Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule I shall speake nothing but what God hath done in me and for me THe

refreshments A Gospell-spirit of his spirit to carry me on in a way of obedience to his gracious and holy Law and Commands and then though I had matter enough within my selfe to condemne my self by reason that grace which in me was weak my flesh being full of all imperfections yet I knew all was made up in Christs perfection I made use of the Law for a rule to walk by not expecting Her opinion of the Law and of those that reject it to fullfill it So that the law must have Dominion over a man for a rule as long as he liveth who so casts the Law of God behind his back surely hath not partaken so far as I can conjecture of the saving grace of God and this I saw that Christ came not to destroy the law but to fullfill it Christ is the end of the law to every one that beleeveth we are not to throw it by as of no use but in what we fall short to make use of him that is of Christ to make it up the more I made use of the Law the more I saw that it was holy just and good For wee should not walke as doe others as men without a rule there is infinite cause that we should look to our Lords Commandement as Christ kept the Commands when hee was upon earth so doubtlesse he would have his people keep them when we have such a blessed Mediator to stand up in the gap if in any thing the Christians engagement to keep the Law law condemns us he steps in and undertakes for us he gave full satisfaction for the condemning power of it but hath left the practical part of it for us to make use of I was troubled with in my self if at any time I thought any thought A watchfull and zealous frame of Spirit or did any deed contrary to the command of God yea how hath my Soule been grieved because other men kept not the law of God I found the actings of God in me and toward me I prayed in another manner then before that Her sense of God when I askt any thing for my selfe or others agreeable to Gods will especially in straights I found a holy boldnesse and confidence that God would answer and he did answer abundantly beyond what I can expresse not because of my request but because Iesus Christ Her experience of Gods hearing her prayer and her right construction and use of it interceded he took my broken and imperfect requests shattered expressions and presented them blamelesse before God not because I prayed but because he delighted to shew mercy and so ingaged and incouraged me to wait upon him in his service My soule can testify I have had as much from God in the way of that ordinance as any I have been filled as full of consolation by God in that ordinance A rare experience as my soule could possibly attaine unto I never wanted any thing for my selfe or others but I went to God for there was none greater in heaven or earth I could resort unto I find him to be a fountaine never drawne dry oh that none would goe to the Cisterne when there is so much in the Fountain To looke at Cisternes The use of Cisternes as they are in themselves they are nothing but they may be made use of to Gods glory when used by God and lookt at through God the Fountaine whatever is done by the creature God doth but by a secondary meanes So that it is in and from the Lord that we have all that we injoy and when God brought me to the bed of affliction then he was pleased to make a report a new of all that he had done for my soule which made my heart to burne within me in love to God and Sweet apprehensions with desire to make known to others how good the Lord was to my soule all his dealings with mee to soule and body I apprehend are in much love so that the place I found experimentally true Rom. 8. 28. Gods gracious Rom. 8. 28. dispensation in fitting me for affliction was exceeding great so that I may say with Job that nothing came upon me but the thing I feared God was pleased to tell mee what he was about to doe and that in a way of answer to prayer I could conclude as confidently that affliction should come as if it had been upon me already and God gave me a strong resolution to abide his pleasure whatever it was And after some time of prayer he gave a promise sutable to the condition he was about to bring upon me the promise was happy is the man whom thou correctest c. And he hath taught me four things necessary Four things sutable to an afflicted condition and sutable to every afflicted condition whatever The first is to eye the hand of God in the affliction for the seeing the hand of God made mee silent in his presence and made me willing to submit to him The second thing was that he shewed me his face and presence which is better than life Thirdly He brought off my will to submit to him as to a father from many speciall places of divine writ Fourthly He made me more than in an ordinary way to Gods gracious dealing with her in relation to Affliction 4 Ends of Affliction apprehended by her drawe nigh to God to know why hee did contend with mee one end was for sin sin hath a being though not a reigning power in me for which cause I have cause to lay low A second end was for exercise of faith and patience and other graces A third end was that I might have liberty to take occasion to make a report to others what God hath done for my soule that by this meanes I might bring some honour to God A fourth end was that I might be set upon that evangelicall worke of setting forth the high prayses of God which work though I could do it to the utmost here yet it s nothing to what shall be in heaven And therefore I desire to blesse God that there is an eternity to praise him in In my affliction God hath verified many places of Scriptures which I see to be experimentally true that I did not see before so that I am constrained to say oft and againe What am I and what is my fathers house that the Lord should bring me hitherto and with David Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest visit him Another Mercy in judgment thing I have observed in my affliction that God hath wonderfully chayned up Satan in this affliction He was never let loose upon me but twice in all my affliction he came forth often like a lion but in a chaine roaring for his prey but God stopt his mouth that he could get no dominion over me Those two times he was let loose The first time was about

of me as I am of Christ That is in this that I desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified and this Scripture this is eternall life to know God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent and this of the Apostle Brethren have fellowship with us for truly we have fellowship with the Father and the Son the Lord Iesus Christ Then I could not but break forth into blessing of God that I have had much fellowship with the sonne the Lord Iesus and as much as God hath seene good for me with the Saints so that I have cause to blesse God and to trust in God who hath given me society with the Saints out of the way as much as in the way so that that which God gives is not in reference to the way but to his owne love I see nothing in the way but what hath been injoyed out of the way and therefore not to be so much lifted up as it hath been and is by some I pray God that while others ingage themselves by covenant to watch over so many soules in a congregation which is a great work they be not to negligent in watching over themselves FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF A true CHRISTIAN Deciphered in a Sermon Preached upon the 14 Rom. 6 7 Vers At the Buriall of Mary Simpson a Religious young Maid lately living in the City of Norwich BY JOHN COLLINGS Mr of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word to Saviours Parish in the said City 2 Cor. Ch. 5. v. 2. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven Verse 3. If so that being cloathed we bee not found naked London Printed for Rich. Tomlins 1649. The Life and Death of a true Christian. Rom. 14. ver 7 8. For none of us liveth to himselfe And no man dies to himselfe but whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord Whether therefore we live or dye we are the Lords COncerning the Author of this Epistle none is so ignorant but knowes it is Paul It was written to the beleeving Romans For the subject matter of it it is an Elaborate discourse clearing up the Doctrine of Iustification that 's the subject of the doctrinall part of it in the eleven first chapters the ensuing part of it is more practicall in which the Apostle gives severall precepts to the beleeving Romans whether in publicke Offices or in private relations Instructing them how to carry themselves towards God and each towards another In this Chapter he instructs them how to demeane themselves towards their dissenting weak brethren In those primitive times there were some Christians that were stumbled at the present abrogation of the ceremoniall law and were not so fully as others instructed in the Doctrine of Christian liberty purchased by the comming and suffering of the Lord Iesus Christ Upon this from the too rigid Censoriousnesse of other Christians there grew a division and as I am apt to beleeve a separation in the Church It seemeth the stumble was concerning two points of the ceremoniall law First The eating of meats Vnclean by the law Secondly the other the Observation of such dayes as according to the Iewish law were to be kept holy Those Christians that were well instructed in the Doctrine of the liberty purchased by Jesus Christ from those Iewish ceremonies rightly conceived that First Those beasts which were Vncleane to the Iews were not now Vncleane It was since then that God had given leave to Peter to kill and eate with a command to him to call nothing Common or Vncleane which he had sanctified And I conceive that piece of the Ceremonall law did typifie the Uncleanenesse of the Gentiles till the Partition wall was pulled downe and 2. They knew that under the Gospell Christians were by no morall precept engaged to keep any day holy but the Lords day yet the other Christians not seeing with so cleare a light as they saw durst not doe these things but still persisted in abstaining from some meats and the observation of some holy dayes which needed not had they been but well instructed But as the consciences of these were too scrupulous and Superstitious So the spirits of the other were too rigid and censorious presently upon this to refuse communion with them The Apostle therefore in this Chapter writes to them to mind them how to carry themselves towards their weak brethren First He gives a generall precept To receive them but wisely Not to doubtful disputations and negatively Through the weaknes of their faith v. 2. not to despise them we ought not to despise but brotherly to Receive those that differ not from us in fundamentals though they cannot agree with us in circumstantialls For I conceive that the difference was not here a thing indifferent it was utterly unlawfull and superstitious to keep Jewish holydayes by vertue of an obligation from the Ceremoniall law It was unlawfull for them to account those creatures Common or uncleane which the Lord had Sanctified yet saith the Apostle be tender of them First despise them not Secondly puzzle them not in doubtful disputations Thirdly do not judge or condemne them Fourthly Receive them into your hearts by love and piety and affection toward them Into your Congregations not refusing communion with them Now having given them this generall Lesson of Exhortation he presseth it in the ensuing verses by severall Arguments The first is laid downe v. 3. God hath Received him Received him how he hath loved his soule in Jesus Christ and united him to himself will ye reject whom God receiveth doth God think him worthy of his heart and doe not you think him worthy of yours will God receive him to everlasting communion with himselfe and is he not worthy to be received into the Communion of your Congregations Secondly from the very law of Nature who art thou that condemnest another mans servant he stands or fals to his own master This is spoken to disswade them from censuring or judging why saith the Apostle he is Gods servant not yours who bids you judge him leave him to his owne master and doe not you exercise a rigid unwarrantable Mastery over him Thirdly from the love of God to him Yea he shall be established God that hath shined in with some light of knowledge and faith into him will in his due time saith the Apostle shine with more that though he seemes to be now weak yet he shall be strong though he be a little staggering now for the present yet he shall be setled and established and this is proved from the two strongest Arguments in the world to assure to a true Christian the accomplishing of any promise for the carrying on any work of grace First Gods power v. 4. He is able to make him stand Secondly Gods love he will doe to his utmost for him he shall be established The word is passive to denote