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	sin_n	word_n	4,593	5	4.4164	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19551	A sermon of sanctification preached on the Act Sunday at Oxford, Iulie 12, 1607. By Richard Crakanthorp Doctor of Diuinity.	Crakanthorpe, Richard, 1567-1624.	1608 (1608)	STC 5982; ESTC S109018	32,903	41

birth a quickning or regeneration to teach vs that as in our naturall birth and first creation we are no agents at all to giue life will or motion to our selues but all proceeds from him who breatheth life into a liuelesse body right so in our new birth or new creation which is our conuersion vnto God we which to grace are whollie dead cannot po●●iblie be any agents to giue either a spirituall life and quickning or will or motion vnto our selues but all proceeds onely from that spirit of grace by which being first spiritually reuiued and quickned we are then made both willing and able to performe the workes of grace And like as iron of it selfe being a dead and dull mettall hath no other motion nor inclination at all but onely to the earth and centre yet when it is once touched with the loadstone it then directs all his course and motions toward the pole in heauen nor euer can rest till it point thereat Euen so it is in vs we of our selues in this our depraued nature being in all spirituall actions like iron of a very hard and besides of a dull and dead metall all the motions affections and inclinations both of our minde and will b●nd onely to the earth and to base and earthly desires but when once our hearts are touched with Gods spirit as with a loadstone and wee anointed with that sacred vnction of which the Apostle saith that it is H●lie then by the force and diuine vertue and vigour thereof both our selues our wils and actions are conuerted and turned towards God and toward heauen and bend to Christ Iesus as to the onely Cynosure and that celestiall pole whereby we are directed in this our short but very troublesome and tempestuous pas●age till we arriue at our last and best hauen in Gods kingdome and in heauen All which God most cleerely expresseth to be his owne worke and in no part ours Ezek. 36. A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away your stonie heart and I will giue you an heart of flesh and I will cause you to walke in my statutes to keepe my iudgements and to doe them The giuing of a new spirit to quicken of a new heart to will and desire the changing of our stonie and as S. Austen cals them inflexible hearts into pliable and teachable hearts of flesh the making of vs to walke in his statutes and to do them all this God challengeth wholly to himselfe alone leauing nothing in this whole worke for vs but only that excellent confession of S. Cyprian so often commended by S. Austen In nullo gloriandum est quia nihil est nostrum we must boast our selues of nothing because nothing is our owne but all is the gift and worke of God As for the maner of this working of God in our hearts though I may not in this straitnesse of time at large staie to vnfolde it yet suffer me in this place especially though but in few words to touch the same the rather because hereon in my opinion depends the very point and maine issue of the whole controuersie twixt vs and them For it is most iniurious to the grace of God which they teach that in our conuersion Gods grace is onely excitans gratia as if by it we were only awakened out of some slumber or sleepe in sinne The efficacy of which grace consists as they suppose in those motions inducements and suggestions which God proposeth to our vnderstanding that our reason being enlightned and enformed thereby our will of it selfe without any further agencie or speciall worke of God may at his owne choice freely yeeld or denie assent thereto This Bellarmine at large declareth in his first booke De gra lib. arbitr and in diners chapters thereof where in the whole scope of his treatise hee sheweth that God in our conuersion is no Physicall but onely a morall cause and agent which works suadendo hortando corsulendo as he saith by aduising exhorting proposing perswasions vnto vs as if a man should perswade his friend to some iourney or voyage which he were able to vndertake but onely vnwilling till he were induced thereto by some reasons which is Bellarmines owne comparison And to omit other citations in his 6. booke 15. chap. and 8. proposition he expresly saith Gratia dei quantumuis essicax nihil est aliud nisi suasio quae non determinat voluntatem sed inclinat per modum proponentis obiecti the grace of God how effectuall soeuer it be is nothing els but a suggestion and motion which doth not determine the will but incline it by proposing obiects vnto it I will heere omit what before out of the Scripture is declared that Gods grace in our conuersion is not onely an excitant but a viuificant grace whereby we are not wakened but reuiued and quickned as the Apostle saith from the death of sinne as also that it is not onely an alluring or perswading but an attracting and drawing grace as both Christ himselfe witnesseth None can come to me except the father draw him and his Church acknowledgeth Draw me and we will run after thee Of which drawing S. Ierome truely obserues handling those words of our Sauiour in his 3. booke aduersus Pelagiano● frangit superbientem arbitrij libertatem this doth ouerthrow the arrogant freedome of our wil for he that is drawen comes not of his owne will sed aut retrectans tardus aut inuitus adducitur but either with strugling or vnwillingly is hee brought vnto Christ. But to omit these S. Austen is most cleere and pregnant in refuting these new Romish but in verie deed old Pelagian fancies In his first booke against Pelag. and Celest. 10. chap. he first shewes how Pelagius with these very answers of Bellarmine shifted off that testimony of S. Paul It is God that worketh in vs to will he works it said Pelagius when by reuealing wisedome in desiderium Dei stupentem sus●itat voluntatem he awakens and stirres vp our stupid will to the desire of God when he enflames vs with proposing the promises of future glory rewards and when he doth suad●re omne bonū aduise and counsell vs vnto all goodnesse Thus said Pelagius Sed nos eam gratiam nolumus saith S. Austen but this is not that grace which the Scripture which we do teach for it is not enough that the promises be proposed vnlesse they be beleeued nor that wisedome be reuealed vnlesse it be loued nec suadetur solum omne quod bonum est verùm persuadetur neither doth Gods grace in our conuersion onely counsell and perswade vs vnto good but it makes a man effectually to yeeld vnto Gods motions and perswasions and in the 24. chap. speaking of this very worke of God which is as he there saith inward and hidden he addes mirabili ac

ground of obedience though but in one point is indeed guiltie of all as being then ready vpon any occasion of his owne pleasure to take like allowance to himselfe in any part of the law as he hath alreadie done in that one And therefore God in his law requires an intire and totall obedience to be giuen to him Thou shalt loue the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thou shalt obserue and doe all that I command thee Thou shalt not decline from any of the words which I command thee Let v● clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Cast away all your transgressions and iniquities for why wil yee die O yee house of I●rae● And to omit S. Austens comparison that euen one wound or disease if we neglect or refuse the cure thereof will endanger the whole body though the rest be ●ound or that one ch●nke if it be not preuented may endanger the whole shippe I rather propose that one but most effectuall testimonie of God Ezech. 18. If a father beget a sonne that is a theefe or a shedder of bloud 〈◊〉 he doe any one of these things though he doe not all these things but either hath eaten vpon the mountaines or defiled his neighbours wife or hath oppressed the poore and needy or hath spoiled by violence or hath lift vp his eies vnto Idols or hath giuen foorth vpon vsurie or hath taken encrease shall he liue He shall not liue but in the abominations that he hath done he shall die the death Consecrate therfore I beseech you your selues wholly vnto the Lord. Consecrate first as the Apostle heere teacheth your spirits and inmost affections vnto God for God loueth trueth in the inward parts And as he is a spirit so hee lookes to be serued first and chiefl● in spirit and in trueth Be thou vpright said God to Abraham before me that is not onely before men but in my sight who search the hearts and reines without this all externall and outward holinesse is but Pha●saicall ostentation and that outward clensing of the cups and painting the tombes which within are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie full of filthinesse and rottennesse against which our Sauiour hath denounced a woe in the Gospell Well may yee by this visor of sanctitie dazell and bleare the eies of men as the Poet signified Pulchra lauerna da mihi sallere d●●ustum 〈◊〉 evider● but neuer can yee deceiue the al-seeing eies of him who saith by the Prophets I know thy dwelling thy going out and thy comming in and againe Mine eies are vpon all thy waies they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquitie hid from mine eies of whom the Psalmist saith Thou art about my path and about my bed spiest out all my waies there is not a word in my toong but thou knowest it altogether yea thou vnderstandest my thoughts long before and of whom the Apostle saith All things are naked and open vnto his eies Let me then heere say vnto you as Dauid did vnto his sinne when drawing neere vnto his death he bequeathed this as a part of his last and best legacie vnto him Thou my sonne serue thou the Lord with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts it thou thus seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he wil cast thee off for euer Consecrate next your bodies vnto God that as the Apostle heere wishes your bodies may be kept holy and without blame I beseech you by the mercies of God saith the Apostle that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to God and aga●ne Giue your bodies not as seruants of iniquitie vnto sinne but as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God Know yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ and temples of the holy Ghost and yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price glorifie therefore God both in your spirit and in your bodies for they both are Gods Consecrate lastly your externall and outward actions vnto God that yee may shew foorth the vertues of him that hath called you and that your liues being as lamps of pietie vnto others may shine foorth in good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them If wee haue onely outward sanctity wee deceiue others if we haue onely inward sanctitie wee deceiue our selues for neuer is faith charitie or holinesse rooted in the heart but it buds foorth and shewes it selfe in the fruits of good works and of a godly life If these things saith S. Peter that is godlinesse temperance patience brotherly kindnesse and loue be in you they will make you that yee shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ. In the 2. Corinth and 5. chap. S. Paul giues a reason why he tooke all that toile and labour in the Gospell and in gaining others vnto God and the reason is this the loue of Christ saith he constraineth vs. Doubtlesse where the true loue of God and Christ is in a mans heart it will euen constraine him to his duty and to obedience vnto God and will be like the fire in Ieremies bosome which could not be shut vp but made him wearie of forbearing that he could not staie Amor Dei saith S. Gregorie otio●us non est operatur magna si est si operari renuerit amor non est Where the loue of God is it is not idle but works greatly where it doth not work it is not There were some euen in the Apostles time as S. Austen shewes who boasting of their faith and yet liuing a most dissolute and wicked life did recken themselues as good Christians and as sure inheritors of Gods kingdome as the best Which most pernicious and pestilent heresie being first broched by that arch-heretike Simon Magus as Irene declares in his first booke and 20. chap. was afterwards embraced and maintained by the Eunomians who taught as S. Austen shewes in his 54. heresie Ad quod vult that if a man did beleeue their doctrine it skilled not how he liued neither how many sinnes hee committed nor how long hee perseuered therein To which heresie when some in S. Austens own time inclined he purposely writ against them his book De side operibus the summe and effect wherof is the very same which S. Iames in his epistle most effectually vrgeth What auaileth it my brethren though a man say he hath faith when he hath no works Can such a faith saue him And the Apostle answering that such is but a dead and euen a diabolicall faith in the end he vseth a most fit comparison to expresse the same that as the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without breath for