Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A47587
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Four sermons publickly delivered at several times in Ecclesfeild Church in Yorke-shire By Immanuel Knutton preacher of Gods word there.
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Knutton, Immanuel, d. 1655.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing K743; ESTC R221976
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59,329
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142
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and trespasses as the other sort be if there were as many people upon earth naturally dead as there be spiritually dead it would be very sad fearful and doleful you may hear them wish for grace but they take no paines for it their hearts rise against such as are gracious when they be in health though in sickness they desire to die the death of the righteous it s very sad to see how long many have lived graceless under excellent meanes of grace if a man fall into a swound and we pour Aqua vitae into him we rub him and use meanes to recover him but we perceive in him no heat sense nor motion we conclude he is dead the like we may say of very many who have been long rubb'd and stirred by powerful preaching but there appears in them no motion towards holiness no warmth of love to Christ and his image no sense of grace but coldness in their hearts and lives doubtless these men are dead having no life of God in them 5. I told you in the fift place that Christ washeth us by gentle corrections and trials sanctified to us This Use still serves to reprove such as be nothing bettered by afflictions many crosses hath God laid upon them to humble and reform them but they like wicked King Ahaz sin more in their affliction 2 Chron. 28.22 Jerem. 5.3 he complains of the Jews for their perverseness O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not greived thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return In Amos the fourth chapter God by him complained of the Jewes how he had many wayes afflicted them Yet ye have not returned unto me saith the Lord To many plunge themselves deeper into wickedness when Gods hand is upon them they are incorrigible and grow more obstinate proud prophane worldly minded and malitious against the truth to such lesser crosses will prove the beginning of sorrows thou canst complain of bitter troubles and smarting miseries thou hast suffered but what change have they wrought in thy heart and life have they made thee more fearful to offend God and more studious and careful to please him then thou art in a blessed condition if it be so but if thou beest more hardened in sin by afflictions then know to thy terrour that the worst is behind Hosea 5.12 God threatens to be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottenness that is he would try them with lesser afflictions and wast them by degrees but if those did them no good he threatens verse 14. For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a young lion to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue him that is he would come with more fearfull and terrible judgements to destroy them forbearance is no forgiveness though God have leadē heels yet he hath iron hands easie warnings neglected ever end in destruction you that have been oftentimes crusht and prest with heavy crosses yet you are nothing better but wax worse and worse your judgement lingers not your damnation slumbers not Vse 2. For comfort I told you in the first place that Christ washeth us with the Sacrament of Baptisme This Use serves for singular consolation to all that be thus washed you are happy and have cause to rejoyce for 1. First you were baptized into Christ his death Rom. 6.3 4. you are buried with Christ by baptisme into death your old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth you should not serve sin now his death will destroy your corruptions as Irish earth kils venomeous creatures applied to it sin may dwell in you but it shall not have dominion over you it troubles you like a tyrant but it shall never be laid to your charge you by faith applying Christs death to your soules shall find your corruptions weaker and your hearts rising against them as Davids house waxed stronger and Sauls house weaker so shall grace grow stronger and sin weaker in you 2. You are planted together with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection that ye may walk in newness of life you live above others in a farre more excellent way than they do blessed are you that ever you were born but chiefly that you were born again you are more excellent than your carnal neighbours you are such of whom the world is not worthy you are precious in the eyes of Jehovah and he will honour you for ever your life is gracious and your death shall be glorious 3. You shall have the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience c. Here Peter hath respect to that custome which was used in the baptisme of those who were of age the person baptizing asked the person to be baptized Whether he beleived and he answered I beleive c. hence by the answer of a good conscience we may understand that unfained faith whereof they made confession at their baptisme and whereby their consciences were purified and whereby they received remission of their sinnes testified by Christs resurrection from the dead also we may understand that covenant whereinto they entred at their baptisme the embracing whereof they testified by their unfained confession of their faith this benefit you shall receive by baptisme by applying unto your soules the power of Christs resurrection your consciences shall be both quieted and assured of pardon and favour and is thereupon enabled to treat for and expect mercy from God and reconciliation with him and so the faithful soul in the confidence hereof boldly questioneth with God about his favour reconciled unto him by Christs death and testified by his resurrection saying hath not Christ reconciled thy favour unto us by his death to endure for ever certainly it is so for his resurrection doth testifie it seeing that unless he had made a perfect expiation of our sins by his death and reconciled thy favour unto us he could not have risen again to life and heavenly glory 2. I told you in the second place that Christ washeth us with his sacred Word This Use still serves to comfort all such as are washed it by these benefits thou shalt enjoy by it 1. You shall ask what you will if it be according to Gods will and for his glory and it shall be done unto you John 15.7 which is an high priviledge prayer is the wing of the soul wherewith it flies up to heaven to Christ it peirceth the clouds it is a corner of heaven to a gracious soul it hath a kind of omnipotency in it it is the key
a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season that is as full ripe corn is made into shocks and carried into the bâ—rn so thou shalt die in peace and shalt not be as wicked men cut off in their sins thy last day shall be thy best day and the day of thy death will be better than the day of thy birth whosoever closeth thy bodily eyes at thy dissolution the eye of thy soul shall see Christ in his glory whosoever bears thy body to burial the blessed Angels shall bear thy soul to heaven Vse 3. For direction I told you in the first place that Christ washeth us by baptisme This Use serves to direct us how to get our soules washt by baptisme First remember what a solemn promise we made in our baptisme and how often we break it this will be a good meanes to humble us and to make us more carefull to keep our covenant 2. Repent for the frequent breach of it else it will lie very heavy upon your consciences at the hour of death we would be ashamed to break our peace so often with man as we have done with God let Gods faithfulness to us make us be ashamed of our perfidiousness to him 3. Labour to feel the efficacy of your baptisme by faith in Christ indeavour to feel corruption mortified through the power of Christs death and your soul quickened with grace through the spiritual efficacy of his resurrection then you put on Christ to your eternal comfort 2. I told you in the second place that Christ washeth us by his Word This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules washt by it First We must hide it in our hearts Psalm 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee and when it cleanseth thy heart which is the fountain then it will cleanse thy words and actions streaming from it 2. Hear it with a purpose to practise it Psalm 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end verse 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart what good will the best meat do to an hungry man if he eat it not Or what good will an excellent plaister do to a wounded man if he apply it not So what is a man better for hearing and reading Gods Word if he do it not Micah 2.7 Do not my words good to him that walketh uprightly but if he walk not uprightly they are not like to do him good 3. Make use of it upon all occasions then as Christ said John 15.3 ye shall be clean through the word spoken to you obey the precepts of it apply the promises and stand in awe of the threatenings that your profiting may appear to all live by the rules of it walk in the light of it that you may be such as God would have you 3. I told you in the third place that Christ washeth us by the merit of his precious bloud This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules washed by it that must be by faith Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God We read in the New Testament how our blessed Saviour healed many that beleived in him there is mighty efficacy in a true lively faith to cleanse the soul by applying the merit and efficacy of Christs bloud beleive stedfastly in the Lord Jesus with all your heart and you shall find the strength of sin dying in you 4. I told you in the fourth place that Christ washeth us with the saving graces of his holy Spirit This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules thus washed First Get a clear sight of the worth and necessity of them then you will pray to Christ with Peter Lord wash not my feet onely but also my hands and my head there is no desire of a thing unknown grace is so exceedingly sweet and lovely that the spiritual sight of it will set the heart a longing after it 2. Hunger and thirst exceeding fervently after grace and you shall be satified and washed Christ is very bountiful of his blessings now he is in glory for Revel 22.17 he freely invites us And let every one that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the waters of life freely The more you thirst after these living waters the faster will they flow into you 3. Labour to grow in these graces that you may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect and holy as he that calleth you is holy think not that a stock of grace at your conversion without daily growth will bear you out to your latter end as many in their youth provide worldly riches enough to maintain them in their old age you must be alwayes adding to your stock if a child were no bigger at twenty yeares old than when its new born how could it help it self how could it maintain it self defend it self against dangers so if you grow no better after the receit of Gods abundant mercies and in particular under the plentiful meanes of grace how will you be able to serve please and glorifie God how will you be able to suffer for Christ to work out your salvation with fear and trembling therefore grow in grace and then you shall be more clean from iniquity 5. I told you in the fifth place that Christ washeth us by afflictions sanctified to us This Use still serves to direct us how to get our selves washed by them First Labour to know the right cause of them this course is prescribed in Lamen 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord that is let us not repine at Gods hand in correcting us but let us search and try our wayes to find out our sins our personal and particular failings which provoked God to afflict us this course if we take we may find cause enough in our selves to justifie Gods righteous hand in afflicting us 2. Let afflictions drive thee to repentance to make thee a partaker of Gods holiness Hebr. 12.10 But he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness then they are sanctified to thee and will tend to the health of thy soul as physick that works kindly proves healthful to the body let crosses make thee more penitent more holy more heavenly more upright then it will be comfortable to thee in thy latter end 3. Pour out earnest prayers and hearty suites to God in miseries this course Gods people took formerly Isaiah 26.16 Lord in trouble they have visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them pray to our Redeemer to be with thee in