Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	affliction_n	fit_a	great_a	40	3	2.1033	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90696	Two sermons preached in the Tovver. The former, on Sunday the 30. day of Ianuary. 1641. The later, on Sunday the 24. day of April. 1642. By the Bishop of Bath and Wells.	Piers, William, 1580-1670.; W. D.	1642 (1642)	Wing P2211; Thomason E155_21; ESTC R23322	31,288	88

prosperity and from despaire in adversity this supports us against all temptations and comforts us in all woe and distresse this makes all our weake endeavour acceptable with God and without this all our best actions are but splendida peccata glittering sins It is not the grace of the body that can doe us any good for it is but vanity nor the grace of the world that can helpe us for it is deceitfull faith Salomon Prov. 31.30 and in the end will deceive her greatest favourites All the grace of the world is not able to keep a man from the least fit of an ague much lesse from a fore temptation or affliction and when a man lyes upon his death bed and Satan begins to tempt him what good can all the grace of the world then do him With this grace of God we are equall to the Angels of God in heaven but without this grace we are worse then Toads and Serpents and the worst of all Gods creatures yea we are as bad if not worse then the Divells in hell although we make never so faire a shew in the world O then let us pray for this grace which no chance can dispoile us of which no man no creature can take from us which never faileth us but continueth with us for ever Psal 103. For whom God loveth hee loveth unto the end Ioh. 13. And so I come to the measure and efficacy of this grace sufficit tibi it is sufficient for thee Sufficiency is a word of mediocrity betweene two extreames want and abundance for where there is sufficient there is neither too much nor too little And here we may admire the wisdome of God who is liberimum agens a most free agent doth not worke like a naturall agent the sunne shines the fire burnes the water moistens quoad ultimam sphaeram activitatis according to their uttermost abilities to bring forth their effects but God giveth his grace unto every one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ as seemeth best unto himselfe Eph. 4.7 bestowing such a proportion of Grace upon all as is sufficient for all For with God is an ocean of grace there is grace enough for you and for me and for us all and for as many worlds of men as God can make And God doth give unto every one of his servants that sufficiency of his grace whereby they shal be able to overcome all temptations and afflictions and save their owne soules Wherefore then let us not murmure against God if we attaine not unto that abundance of grace wherewith the Apostles and many other Servants of God have beene endued above us they have had the plentifull showrs of Gods graces but we will be content with the dew of his grace they have had the full sheaves of Gods graces but we will bee glad of the gleanings of his grace they have had the rich banquet of Gods graces but we will thinke our selves happy if we may have but the crummes of his grace for if we have but sufficiency of grace here wee shall have abundance of glory hereafter It is with Grace as it was with Manna hee that hath much hath nothing over and he that hath little hath no lacke because hee hath that which is sufficient for him And every grace of God that is sufficient is also effectuall and the efficacy of grace is from it self not from the wil of man therefore God in his answer here unto Saint Paul doth not say gratia mea sufficit tecum my grace is sufficient with thee but gratia mea sufficit tibi my grace is sufficient for thee for we are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing that is good but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 and therefore we must take heed we doe not part stakes between Gods grace and mans will as the Papists doe but wee must ascribe all this sufficiency to the grace of God for it is he which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Philip. 2 1● And therefore let us be covetous after nothing but this sufficient grace of God let us pray that we may have grace enough and then we shall have all things enough It is a true maxime in Divinity there is nothing that can suffice the heart of man but onely Gods grace where shall you finde the man that saith truly and from his heart he hath enough When he hath a house he saith O that I had a little land to it And when he hath that He saith O that I had a Lordship to it and when he hath that he saith O that I had the Mannor that is next to it or this Office or that Honour or one thing or other more and still as the world growes upon him his desires grow upon the world his enough changeth alwaies every yeare nay every day nay every houre he thinkes upon another enough but let a man have grace enough and he hath all things enough for Gods grace is alsufficient This sufficient grace makes a penny seeme to be as big as a shilling a cottage seem to bee as faire as a Pallace a prison seeme to be as large as a Country want seeme to be abundance and nothing to bee all things This sufficient grace makes us rich in poverty patient in adversity strong in weaknesse merry in affliction and hopefull in despaire And this grace is sufficient for us against all the assaults of the world the flesh and the divell against all troubles and afflictions whatsoever and although God could let his sufficient grace overcome all our temptations all our afflictions at first in a moment yet he will not have it so for God will have his graces to be exercised in us tolle pugnam non erit victoria tolle victoriam non erit corona saith Saint Ambrose if there were no conflict betweene our temptations and Gods grace there would be no victory and if no victory no price sometimes Amaleck that is afflictions and temptations prevaile and sometimes Israel that is grace prevaileth Victores victique cadunt victique resurgunt But in the end grace alwayes hath the upper hand and we are more then conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 Be not then dismaid O thou Christian soule whosoever thou art be not disquieted within thy selfe because thou art fallen into a sore temptation because thou art under an heavy affliction what wouldest thou be better then St. Paul Vide Apostolum patientem noli te facere desperantem saith Saint Austin behold the Apostle suffering and despaire not nay behold Christ himselfe who was tempted and afflicted that hee might succour us when we are tempted and afflicted Heb. 2.18 let us behold him then with a lively faith and sure confidence and hee will so succour us with his sufficient grace Vt nec caro cum omnibus oblectamentis nec mundus cum omnibus tormentis nec Diabolus cum

Saint Austines docta ignorantia learned ignorance in this who ingeniously confesseth that he knew not particularly what this thing was which so troubled this Apostle but sure he was it was some sore temptation or other affliction and in this all Divines agree You see then here that an Apostle and such an Apostle as Saint Paul was and after so many Visions and Revelations of the Lord had a thorne in the flesh given him a sore affliction from God and no marvell for the better the man the sharper and the deeper the thorne it must be so As the Church of God in generall so every childe of God in his Church is sicut lilium inter spinas as a lilly among thornes 2. Cant. 2. the thornes of troubles and afflictions Non decet sub spinoso capite membrum esse delicatum saith Saint Bernard he is not worthy to be a member of the mysticall body of Christ upon whose glorious head was platted a crowne of many thornes for the sinnes of other men who cannot endure the pricking of one thorne some light affliction if not for his Saviours sake yet for his owne sinnes Hath our blessed Saviour dranke so deepe of the cup of afflictions before us and for us and shall we be unwilling to pledge him a little to sip after him in the same cup Qui erat sine flagitio non erat sine flagello Since God spared not his owne and onely begotten Sonne who was without all spot of sin but delivered him up for us all shall wee who are but his adopted sonnes and altogether sinfull thinke to escape without any chastisement at all No no the Lord chasteneth every Son whom he receiveth and therefore qui non est in numero flagellatorum non est in numero filiorum saith St. Austin He that is without chastisement is a bastard and not a son Heb. 12.8 Give me the man saith St. Ambrose that was never troubled with any thorne of temptation or affliction and I will presently conclude that that man is not the child of God for every childe of God must have something one affliction or other to humble him and to bring him home to God in which he must take pleasure and rejoyce as St. Paul did We must not thinke to goe à deliciis ad delicias saith St. Ierom immediately from the pleasures of this world to the joyes of the next The children of Israel went not through gardens of flowers and Paradises of fruits but through uncouth deserts to the land of Candan this was a type of our pilgrimage through the afflictions of this world to the heavenly Canaan Afflictions are the infallible arguments and to kens of Gods favour unto us and therefore one who had beene a great while without any affliction said in his Prayer to God ergóne Domine non sun dignus qui patiar is it so Lord and I so much out of thy favour that I am not worthy of affliction What a large Catalogue doth St. Paul reckon up of his afflictions in the eleventh Chapter of this Epistle In stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft Of the Iewes five times received I forty stripes save one thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwracke a night and a day have I beene in the deepe in journying often in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills by mine owne Countrimen in perills by the Heathen in perills in the City in perills in the wildernesse in perills in the sea in perills among false brethren in wearinesse and painfulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse I am almost out of breath in rehearsing them and yet the Apostle was never out of breath in enduring them But here was his comfort and here is ours also All the afflictions of the servants of God they are but stimuli the prickings of thornes they are but colaphi the buffettings causing shame and smart onely they are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gentle punisnments of a loving father We are troubled but not altogether distressed perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but not destroied 2 Cor. 4.8.9 O welcome then yea thrice welcome to our soules these bitter sweets loving chastisements gentle corrections indulgent visitations pleasant crosses comfortable sorrowes wholesome calamities profitable miseries sanctifying distresses refining troubles joyfull temptations glorious trialls blessed revilings happy curses honourable reproaches all light and momentary afflictions which worke for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 By these we are humbled and seeke right early unto our God By these we are put in remembrance to sorrow for our sinnea past By these wee become more carefull of our waies hereafter By these Gods graces are exercised in us and our patience our faith and our love are tried By these wee are weaned from the pleasures and vanities of this life By these wee are prepared and fitted for the world to come By these our desires are inflamed to be dissolved and to be with Christ By these we are encouraged to embrace death with both our armes and therefore David said unto God I know that of very faithfulnesse that is in thy faithfull love to methou hast caused me to be troubled Psal 119. verse 75. I have been the longer upon this first branch the thing which troubled the Apostle because it is the thing upon which the whole frame of my Text doth turne I will therefore be the shorter in the rest But what did the Apostle here when the thorne of affliction began to vex him Why he went presently to his prayers the onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or soveraigne medicine to draw out the thorne of any temptation or affliction whatsoever For this thing rogavi I besought which is the second branch of the petition and comes in the next place to bee handled Is any man afflicted let him pray this was St. Iames his precept in the fifth Chapter of his Epistle verse 13. and this was Davids practice In my distresse I called upon the Lord and complained unto my God Psal 18. yea God himselfe saies wee will be sure to pray unto him when we are in trouble whatsoever wee doe at other times For in their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.15 We use to make prayer the last remedy and refuge onely in our extremities when all other meanes faile then to our prayers but it ought to be the first too for God is a very present helpe in trouble saith David Psal 46.1 other helpes are not alwaies at hand but Gods helpe is But will not God helpe us without our praiers No and why so First because prayer is a part of the worship and service of God which we owe unto him The great men of the world will not bestow their favours nor grant deliverances untill they bee petitioned and shall the great