Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	become_v	life_n	sin_n	4,944	5	4.5763	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32041	The monster of sinful self-seeking, anatomizd together with a description of the heavenly and blessed selfe-seeking : in a sermon preached at Pauls the 10. of December, 1654 / by Edm. Calamy, B.D. ...	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing C259; ESTC R15527	29,832	44

proceedeth from that cursed selfe-love which is in all men by nature Of this you shall read 2 Tim 3. 2 3 4 5. where selfe-love is placed in the fore-front as the cause and r●ot of all the other sins there named Selfe-love is like a great tree and eighteen sins as eighteen branches sprouting out from this root because men are lovers of themselves therefore they are covetous proud unthankfull unholy lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God c. From this sinfull self-love proceeds this sinfull self-seeking As the love of Christ is the root of Christ-seeking so the love of our selves is the root of sinfull self seeking 3. From that immoderate and inordinate worldly love which is in all men by Nature for as a Martyr well said at the stake if we should unrip and anatomize a wicked man we should finde nothing in him but self-love and worldly love by Nature we love the Creature m●e than the Creator pleasures more than God and the praise of Men more than the praise of God By nature we love our own gain and our own safety and ease more than the things of Christ and therefore it is that we seek our own things and not the things of Christ 4. From that hypocrisie insincerity and rottennesse of heart which is in all men by nature hence it is that men pretend Jesus Christ but intend their own private interest because of the hypocrisie and falsenesse of their hearts Thus the Pharisees who were Hypocrites under pretence made long prayers that they might devour widdows houses Mat. 23. 14. Thus Herod pretends to worship Christ when his intendment was to worry him Mat 2. 8. Thus Jesebel proclaimeth a Fast and pretends Religion but intends onely to put Naboth to death and to get his Vineyard Thus Absolem covers over his Rebellion with the faire cloak of Religion 2 Sam. 15. 7. There are two things that are in all men by nature 1. To make a shew of Religion 2. To cover over all manner of wickedness under the shew of Religion Ungodlinesse is so odious that if it should appeare in its own colours all men would abhorre it and therefore as the Devill never sheweth himself but under some handsome form sometimes under Samuels mantle sometimes transformed into an Angel of light so doth sin and iniquity alwaies appeare under the form of godlinesse The Apostle tells 2 Tim. 3. 5. that in the last times there should be men who should be lovers of themselves treacherous heady high-minded without naturall affection c. having a form of godlinesse which last words are to be understood {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as relating to all the former sins They should be Covenant-breakers having a form of godlinesse covetous false accus●rs blasphemous self-lovers having a form of godlinesse They should through the Hypocisie that is in them cover all their sins under the vizard of a form of godlinesse 5. This sinfull self-seeking ariseth from that spirituall ignorance and blindnesse which is in all men by nature There is no wicked man rightly understands what it is to seek himself for he thinks that if he seeks to satisfie his corrupt self he seeks himself if he seeks the good of his body with the neglect of his soule he seeks himself He thinks that if he seeks his own ease gain safety and preferment without looking after the things of Christ that he seeks himself Thus did the rich Fool Luke 12. who built his barnes bigger and said soule take thy ease c. he supposed that he sought his own happinesse in so doing and so did the rich Glutton when he cloathed himselfe in purple and fared deliciously ever day c. But now did a wicked man convincingly understand that this self-seeking is self-hating and self-destroying That the rich Glutton by pampering his body damned his soule that the rich Fool by laying up goods for a few yeares lost his soule to all eternity That he that denieth himself most seeks himself most He that serves God best seeks himself most He that seeks the glory of God before his owne glory and the good of Church and State more than his own good seeks himself most that he that loseth his life for Christ shall finde a better life in Christ Did he I say convincingly believe this he would not sinfully seek himself Therefore this sinfull self-seeking proceedeth from that spirituall ignorance and blindnesse that is in all by Nature 6. Lastly it springs from that spirituall self-deceit and souldelusion that is in all men by nature Every man by nature is Narcissus like in love with himself blinde in his own cause and apt to think that he seeks the things of Christ when he doth not and that he doth not seek his own things in opposition to competition with or comparison of the things of Christ even as the Philosopher who could not be perswaded but that snow was black or the mad Athen●an hat all the ships that came to Athens were his So there are multitudes of Christians who fancy to themselves that they do seek the things of Christ when it is apparent to others that they doe not and by this self-deceit couzen themselves into Hell Thus you see the cursed roots from whence this sinfull self-seeking proceeds The fourth and last question is wherein the grievousnesse and mischievousnesse of this sinfull self-seeking consisteth Answ. It is a sin of the first magnitudô Though it be an inward invisible sin and therefore not so infamous and scandalous to the eyes of men as some other sinnes are yet it is very odious and abominable in the sight of God Though it be minoris infamiae yet it is majoris culpae For 1. It is a sin against the expresse words of the Scripture The Apostle saith 1 Corin. 10. 24. Let no man seek his owne but every man anothers wealth The sinfull selfe-seeker lvies Antipodes to this Text he seeks his own and not anothers wealth 2. It is a sin against the light of nature Nature it self teacheth us that no man is born for himself but for the good of the Common-wealth in which he lives The very Heathens abominate a self-seeker 3. It is a sin against the pattern that Christ hath left us For he came into the world not to doe his own will but the will of him that sent him he pleased not himself Rom. 15. 2. he made himself of no reputation he humbled himself and became obedient even to the death of the Crosse He denied himself so far as to be made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Now it is a certain Maxime That he who doth not follow the example of Christs life shall never have any benefit by the merit of his death Christ is meritum only to those to whom he is exemplum 4. It is a sin against the royall law of Charity Charity is a most noble grace the very

of his body and neglects the welfare of his soule destroyes as I have said both body and soul This is just as if a Husbandman in time of Harvest should gather in his stubble leave his corne to be devoured by hoggs Just like a Father who takes care to feed cloath his children but not to instruct and teach them In a word he that seeks his owne ease and safety his owne gaine and credit his owne pleasure and satisfaction and neglecteth and slighteth the things of Christ this Man is the greatest selfe-hater and selfe-destroyer For he that sesks not the interest of Christ shall never have any interest in Christ 2. To beseech you to labour for the divine heavenly and blessed self-seeking mentioned in the beginning of the Sermon Physitians when they see men bleed immoderately at the nose will let them bloud in another veine that so they may make a diversion and thereby stop the bleeding Oh that God would use me this day as his instrument to make a most glorious and most happy diversion and to turn you all from self-seekers into Christ-seekers Oh that I could prevaile with you to seek the things of Jesus Christ before and more then your own things Oh how happy would London be if it could be said of it All thy Magistrates Ministers and private people seek the things of Christ more vigorously and cordially then they doe their own things To move you to this consider 1. What these your own things are which you so immoderately and inordinately seek after 1. They are not your owne in a proper sence as you have heard 2. They are not Worth owning they are vain and empty empty of reality and Soul-satisfaction they are vanishing perishing like houses made of Snow or waxe and not only so but they are also vexing and tormenting according to what is said by one that had full and ample experience of them Eccles. 2. 2 17 26. 2. Consider the excellency of the things of Jesus Christ which you so much neglect undervalue The truths of Christ the Ordinances Day Ministry and Government of Christ the Preservaon Propagation and Reformation of Religion These are Glorious and Excellent things in their own Nature and so far exceeding your own things which you so greedily labour after that they are not worthy to be named that day in which we speak of the things of Christ I want time to set out the transcendent Glory and Excellency of Gospel concernments and the vanity emptinesse and nothingnesse of all our own Earthly enjoyments Onely let me desire you to take notice 1. That Jesus Christ sought not his owne things he left Heaven for us and shall not we neglect Earth for him 2. For what poor trifles you despise the glorious things of the Gospel 3. If you seek not after the things of Christ more then your owne you are in a cursed condition and better you had never been borne 4. The things of Jesus Christ shall prosper though you seek not the prosperity of them What Mordecai said to Ester in another case I crave leave to say to you Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the people of God from another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed There will a time come when the Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow to it when the Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ when the little stone cuts out of the Mountaine without hands shall destroy all opposite Kingdomes and become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth when every Nation and Kingdome that will not serve the Lord Jesus shall perish and be utterly wasted For neglecting to set up this Kingdome of Christ God hath destroyed many Nations and Kingdomes and so he will us if we follow their examples If we preferre the building of our owne houses before the building of Gods house God will build up his owne house by other instruments but he will destroy us and our Houses 3. Lastly Consider That man seeks himselfe most who most seeketh the things of Christ He that is the greatest Christ-seeker is the greatest selfe seeker For God hath said Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you When Solomon begged wisdome God gave him wealth and riches as an overplus If we seek the things of Christ in the first and chiefe place God will give in our own things into the bargaine even as Paper and thred is added to a bought commodity Thus I have put an end to the Sermon of selfe-seeking Oh that I could put an end to the sinne of selfe-seeking Two things I dare affirme 1. That this sin hath been the Originall cause of all Englands miseries 2. That it will never be well with England nor shall we ever see better dayes till this sinne be mortified Let us goe to Christ and labour by Faith to fetch power from his Death to crucifie and mortifie this sinne Let it be our daily prayer that England may have more Christ-seekers and fewer selfe-seekers or which is all one That God would make us all true selfe-seekers by making us true Christ-seekers FINIS ERRATA PAge 2. line 18. Their owne what in the marg. put into the Text next after their owne p. 3. l. 28. leave out the figure 4. and joyne the line to the foregoing p. 7. l. 7. for could r. would p. 9. l. 33. for haugtinesse r. naughtinesse p. 17. l. 14. for blasphemous r. blasphemers p. 18. l. 29 for ●vies r. lives p. 19. l. 17. for vel amicitia r. non amicitiae p 19. l. 23. for abhorsed r. abhorred p. 2● l. 3. for runam r. ruinam ibid l. 33. for thy r. the p. 24. l. 36. for would r. should p. 33. l. 25. for builing r. building Civitas Dei incipit et construitur ex amore Dei et crescit ad odium suiipfius Civitas vero Diaboli incipit ab amore sui et crescit usque ad odium Dei per contemptum proximorum Qui enim proximū odit et contemnit mox etiam Deum odio babebit et contemnit Aug de Civ. Dei lib. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 5. ● Tim. 3. 2. Decet sa●è cum qui mag● vir futurus est neque seipsum neque s●a diligere sed ju●a semp●r five ab ipso five ab also geran●ur Nescio quo inexplicabili mod● quisqu● 〈◊〉 non Deum amat non se am●t quisqu● D●um non s●psum amat ip●e se amat Qui enim non potest vivere d● se mo●itur utique amando se cum ve●ò ille dil●gitur de quo vivitur ●on se diligendo mag● diligit qui prop●rca se non diligit ut cum diligat de quo vivit Aug de T●ctat 123 in Joanne● Neh. 2. 10. Psal. 137. 6. No● loquitur de i● qui planè abjece●ant studium 〈◊〉 sed de i● ip●s quos pro fratribus habebat in ò quos ferebat in su● 〈◊〉 Illos tamen ita calore dicitur rebus suis curandis ut sint ad opu● Domini frigidiores Calv. in loc. De Christians Ministris Apostolo Ser●o est Est. in loc. Their own 〈◊〉 Non ita accipi● quasi suis tantum commodis intenti nullam p●or us Ecclesiaecura 〈◊〉 haberunt sed quod impl● it● privatis co●dis ad publicum Ecclesiae bonum p●omovendum negligentiores erant Calv. in loc. ●in Prop. 1. Prop. 2. Prop. 3. Prop. 4. Prop. 5. Prop. 6. Prop. 7. Prop. 8. Qu. 4. Applicat Titus 1. 11. Rom. 16. 18. 2 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Mat. 7. 15. 2. Use Exhort 1. Exhort 2. Ester 4 14. Isaiah 2 2. Rev. 11. 15. Dan. 4. 35. 41 45. Isa 6. 60. 12.