Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	eternal_a	life_n	4,687	5	4.8521	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03494	Great and precious promises; or, Some sermons concerning the promises, and the right application thereof whereunto are added some other concerning the usefulness of faith in advancing sanctification. As also, three more concerning the faith of assurance. / By Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All being revised since his death by some friends.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1663 (1663)	Wing G1608A; ESTC R177624	115,304	218

trial as if he had said would ye have a distinct perswasion that y● are in Christ then be much in the exercis● of self examination For the rest of th● words of the verse we intend not 〈◊〉 handle As to the first That there is such a thi● attainable I shall only propose these reasons unto you to make it evident 1. It is known in Scripture that the Saints of old have in ordinary way attained to distinct perswasion of their interest in Christ Song 2. vers 16. My beloved is mine and I am his and Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ And 2 Cor. 5. ver 1. For we know if this our earthly tabernacle were dissolved we have a house with God not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2. It is the great scope of many Scriptures to shew how Christians may attain to assurance 1 Job 1.13 These things I write unto you that ye may know what ye have eternal life The great end and design of John writing in these Epistles is to make a soul acquaint with Christ and to make them to accept of him and to give them a distinct assurance that Christ hath accepted them 3. There are many commands in Scripture for Christians to be serious in scarching after assurance 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure It is the blessed end of Gods oath in the everlasting Covenant that a Christian might get assurance What was the ground and great end that God confirmed his Covenant with an oath was it not Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lie ye might have strong consolation 5. If assurance of our interest in Christ were not attainable then th●se precious graces of joy and love could not be well exercised i● Christian were evermore in the dark conce●ning his interest in Christ he could not giv● obedience to that exhortation Rejoyce eve● more again I say rejoyce 6. The Scripture hath set down these means by which 〈◊〉 Christian may win to assurance as is clea● 1 Joh. 3.18 19. 2 Pet. 4.5 compared wit● vers 10. where the Apostle Peter pressing th● Doctrine of making our calling and election sure he setteth down these excellent mea● by which they may win to it and doubtless the marks and evidents that are registrate i● the Scripture of a gracious state do assur● us that assurance is attainable 7. What ar● the ends of the Sacraments but that our assurance may be confirmed and that our faith may be strengthned the two Sacraments are the two great Seals of heaven that are put to the Charter of the Covenant Now as to the application and the mor● full improvement of this first point I shal● only offer these considerations 1. I woul● have it taken notice of that though grac● and assurance be two lovers yet there is 〈◊〉 such band of union between them that th● one cannot consist without the other 〈◊〉 Christian may have the real grace of God 〈◊〉 and yet walk in darknesse and have no light 〈◊〉 a Christian may be going to heaven and ye● that word oftentimes in his mouth I am 〈◊〉 off from thy sight yea are there not eve● some who have had assurance and somtim● a day have been admitted to draw that co●clusion I am my beloveds and his desire 〈◊〉 towards me who are now under darknesse concerning their interest and in much bitternesse of spirit do sometimes cry out My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord. But therefore let me say this one word both to weak ones who never had assurance and deserted ones who have lost it when ye misse assurance beware of drawing such negative conclusions concerning your graces but when ye sit in darknesse and see no light Trust in the Name of the Lord and stay your selves upon your God that is when ye cannot reach the faith of assurance be much in maintaining of adherence remember Jobs divinity Though thou should kill me yet will I trust in thee and consider that sweet word He will keep them in perfect peace whose hearts are stayed on him My second consideration is That since assurance is attainable ye would 〈◊〉 find out and remove these things that 〈◊〉 hinder you from attaining unto it And that we may help you in this we conceive that the obstructions of a Christians assurance are especially in these two 1. Our mistaking of the Lords dealing towards us And 2. Our untender and unsuitable dealing towards him Of the first sort we shall lay before you these five The first is want of favourable termes of prayer this often maketh a Christian to debate his interest and call in question his evidence Lam. 3.8 compared with verse 18. I cry and shout but he shutteth out my prayers and this is the conclusion of that dispensation verse 18. My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord and this especially occasioned when the Christian most serious and servent in prayer and the he meereth not with a return this maketh them exceedingly debate their interest A●● I confesse it is a sad dispensation to m●● with a silent Christ in prayer but yet th● needeth not make a Believer question all a●● debate the reality of his interest in God since the dearest of all the children of th● Kingdom have been so dealt with even 〈◊〉 David Psal 22. Cryed night and day without silence and is not heard but cryeth out Why art thou so far from helping and from the word of my roaring yea that passage may relate t● him who was the root and off-spring of David for even he was so dealt with and had not presently a sensible return when he ha● prayed thrice that the cup might passe from him Secondly The want of sensible enlargement and liberty in prayer that he never got to his knees but his heart beginneth to die like a stone within him then he cryeth forth that word 2 Cor. 3.17 Where th● Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and sur● if I had the Spirit of the Lord I would ha●● liberty in the exercise of prayer and tha● this is a rise of the disputing of our intere●● is clear from Psal 77.4 compared with 〈◊〉 7.9 saith David I am sore troubled that 〈◊〉 cannot speak I have no liberty in prayer 〈◊〉 never go to God in prayer but as it we●● my tongue sticketh to the roof of my mou●● he from hence draweth that conclusion 〈◊〉 God forgotten to be gracious and hath 〈◊〉 wrath shut up his tender mercies for ever I confesse this also is a sad dispensation to meet with an absent and vailed Christ in prayer so that we can never go to seek God in secret but we may write this upon our prayers He is gone he is gone especially when we have lost that liberty that formerly