Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	adam_n	sin_n	sin_v	19,442	5	9.9710	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94063	Lydia's heart opened: or, divine mercy magnified in the conversion of a sinner by the Gospel Being the sum of several sermons preaced lately by James Strong, M.A. and Minister of the Gospel.	Strong, James, 1618 or 19-1694.	1675 (1675)	Wing S5993; ESTC R232916	38,722	113

that Christ dwells in them by faith and sith they have good evidences that they are such what need more ado for them A. There are divers degrees and measures of Grace whereby Christ dwells in his Elect and though we have already opened to him yet 't is our duty to open wider still Our case is like that of the blind-man whom Christ cured in the Gospel who after the first touch saw men as trees walking but Christ touches his eyes again and then he saw plainly Mar. 8.25 'T is just so with the best of Gods Saints Alas we have but a little of the Power and Spirit of Christ at our first acquaintance with him and therefore we must evermore widen our hearts and make more room to entertain him Arg. 5. Consider the many engagements God hath laid upon us to open our hearts to him God hath opened his heart to us he hath not lockt up the Mysteries of the Gospel in secresie No as we read of Sampson for the love he bore to Delilah he told her all his heart so hath God to us he hath kept nothing from us that may make us wise to Salvation The Apostle tells the Church of Ephesus That he had shewed them all the counsel of God Act. 20.27 And that the will of God was never revealed to other ages as now it is revealed to us Eph. 3.5 2. God hath opened Heaven to us that for sin was shut against all Adams posterity for as Adam sinning was driven out of an Earthly Paradise so was he also out of the Heavenly Paradise and Christ came from Heaven and suffered death for us that he might open a way for us again into Heaven therefore he is called our forerunner Heb. 6.20 Whither our forerunner is entered in for us The Holy of Holies in the Sanctuary was a type of Heaven this holy place was severed or parted from the body of the Sanctuary by a veil at Christs death we read this veil rent in twain Mat. 17.51 hereby shewing us that Christ by his death hath made an open way for us into the Holy of Holies in Heaven God hath paved us a way in the blood of his Son and now we may come with boldness 3. God opens his ears to our prayers Isa 37.17 his eyes to distresses Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people Israel which are in Egypt and have heard their cry c. He hears his peoples prayers and their enemies threats he hears the railing of Rabshekah the cursing of Shimei and the least injuries that are plotted against the just shall not we open our heart to him 4. He hath opened hell and the grave for us We read when Christ suffered at the Resurrection many dead bodies of the Saints which slept arose with him Mat. 27.53 to assure us that he hath the keys of hell and of death and that he will not leave the dust of his Saints for ever under the power of death No I know thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave c. Psal 16. The grave until Christs Resurrection was an impregnable hold and from thence had been no redemption had not Christ opened it for our deliverance 5. God opens his hand to us daily in the gifts of his bounty God comes loaden with plenty of all good things He openeth his hand and filleth every living thing with goodness whatever wants the poor creature sustains God alone supplys them all Oh shall God open so much to us and shall we not open our hearts to him it would be horrid ingratitude should we thus requite the Lord. The duty though most reasonable yet it 's difficult these Directions improved may make it easie Direct 1. Be faithful and diligent in searching into the state of your hearts know that there are a thousand deceits that lodg and lurk in the hearts of the sons of men The Psalmist tells us That the ungodly boasteth of his hearts desire When Solomon assures us That the soul of the wicked desireth evil Prov. 21.10 O let not your treacherous hearts deceive you pose your selves with such serious Questions as these Heart what is thy case how is it with thee tell me faithfully whether thou art the old heart or the new whose Image dost thou bear Christs or Satans Art thou a dead heart or a living hast thou been ever new-made or no hast thou new affections new motions and desires or no tell me hath Christ taken possession of thee or not These would be close Questions if our hearts were held closly to answer them Know you not saith the Apostle that Christ is in you except you are reprobates 2. If you find not Christ within you mourn over your empty hearts What a lamentation did Mary make when she found the grave empty when she sought Christ Ah they have taken away my Lord c. Much more reason have we to break our hearts with sorrow if upon a serious search we find not Christ in our heart Oh cry out Sin and Satan have robbed me of my dearest Saviour no tokens or footsteps of Christ to be seen in me 3. Seek Christ diligently imitate the Church in a like case who sought Christ Jesus at home and abroad by night upon her bed she sought him whom her soul loved arose and went about the City and enquires of the Watchmen and all to find her Beloved Cant. 1.5 4. Be gleaning in Gods field the Ordinances of God are a spiritual harness where you may fill your empty sacks as Joseph did his Brethrens Ruth gleaned in Boaz's field among the sheaves and reapers and so returned laden Christs Ordinances are like Israels Camp where the Heavenly Manna falls If your souls are sick of love to Christ here he 's present to refresh you with flagons of spiritual liquor far better than wine Take then Christs own counsel get forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed your kids beside the shepherds tents Cant. 1.8 The Prophet calls the Word a hammer come under this hammer and there 's hope of opening Again the word is Christ's voice and 't is worth our observation that the Church first cried out It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh before she opened Cant. 5.2 5. Affect your hearts with the incomparable excellencies of Christ We are all in a deep sleep by nature and who will rise and open to one whom he doth not know Observe when Christ sollicited his Church she had never stirred out of that deep slumber she was in and opened to him had she not been thorowly convinced of those rare endowments that were in him witness that rare description she makes of him from the 10. v. to the end of that Cant. 5. the daughters of Jerusalem wondered she troubled her self so much about her Beloved to whom she replys Do you wonder my beloved is white and ruddy and the chiefest among ten thousand c. 6. Labour for Faith as for Heaven it self as Faith empties