Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	call_v	sin_n	6,988	5	5.0240	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27358	Directions about preparing for death	Burroughes, Thomas, b. 1611 or 12.	1669 (1669)	Wing B181; ESTC R37044	25,256	98

there was betwixt Lazarus lying in the grave and Lazarus rising and coming forth at the call of Christ A man may therefore certainly know his Effectual Vocation by five sings viz. 1. The frame and temper of his heart toward sin from which he is called off 2. The workings of his Soul toward God who doth so graciously call him to Himself 3. The value and price he puts upon Christ through whom he hopes for acceptance 4. The esteem he hath of Gods Ordinances the means whereby his effectual Vocation hath been wrought 5. The respect he bears to Gods precepts which are the Rule of Life to all that are called He that deals impartially in the examination of himself upon these particulars cannot be deceived The first sign is the frame of our hearts toward sin which if we be effectually called will be this God in this blessed work of Vocation calls us off from sin unto communion with Himself And therefore the person that is called effectually looks upon all sin with detestation as knowing nothing separates between God and him but that only he is much in searching and examination of himself and that impartially that he may find out whatever he hath done amiss so far as he can compares for that end his life with Gods most perfect Law yea and begs of God earnestly with David Psal 139.23 to search him and discover to him if there be any way of wickedness in him He humbles himself deeply before God for all the evil he finds in his heart and life He repents unfainedly and shews his repentance by a godly sorrow mourning chiefly because he hath offended God He labours to make what amends he can by doing God so much the more service in his place for the future and by making Satisfaction and Restitution where his Conscience tells him he hath wronged or injured any person Luk. 19.8 He firmly resolves by Gods grace to look better to his steps the residue of his days and to fight and watch against all sin his special sins especially as being the Bane of his Soul and working all his woe To that purpose in sense of his own weakness he sends up ardent and frequent cries to Heaven for help and assistance and with all importunity begs pardon through the blood of Christ He is grieved to see God offended by others specially by those whom he loves and improves his authority and power where he hath any for nothing more than the suppressing of sin specially in his family and in them over whom God hath given him any charge In a word the person effectually called is troubled for nothing more then sin hates nothing more there is nothing he would so fain be rid of as that body of sin and death he carries about with him cryes out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Sin is that which he beareth and groneth under as his greatest burden which he prayes against watcheth and strives against to his very last and would count it as his greatest happiness to be freed from 2. For the workings of his soul toward God they are these and such like in one that is effectually called viz. Though once he had but low thoughts of God and of his love and prized the favour of men more and so he might keep in with men God was hardly to any purpose in his thoughts yet now through grace it is otherwise with him He sets an infinite price and value upon Gods favour and fully assents unto the Psalmist Ps 4.6 Many say who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and that shall cause a gladness in my soul greater than any the men of this World have when their Corn and Oyl and all their earthly contentments do most increase And as he desires and pants after nothing more then Gods love so he beareth to God a love as strong as death Cant. 8.6 Lov 's him with all his heart and strength and might Matt. 22.37 Lov 's him more then wife children relations more then his estate and wealth He saith with the Psalmist Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and what is there upon Earth that I desire beside thee He pants after Communion with God as the Hart brayes after the water-brooks Psal 42.1 And this love he bears to God shews it self in his sincere Affection and love to all Gods people and his readiness to do all offices of love to them as he is able 1 Joh. 5.1 He that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him And hereby do we know that we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 3. A man may know himself to be effectually called and so elected by the esteem he hath of Jesus Christ for he puts a value upon him no less then infinite And the reason is plain such persons however once they accounted not much of Christ like unto others that are unregenerate and conceited they could have made a shift without him yet now they see an excellency in him that makes him in their eyes the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 and inwardly feel a need of him greater than can be expressed and uttered Now with the Apostle Phil. 3.8 they count all things but dross and dogs-meat in comparison of Christ Their souls are even sick of love unto him Cant. 5.8 All their hope and Confidence is placed in him all their Expectations are from him They utterly renounce all their own righteousness and hope for acceptance with the Father meerly and alone upon his account After an interest in his righteousness they hunger and thirst They place all their happiness in having him to be theirs and in their being his Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his saith the Church and that was all she cared for In a word Christ is to the person effectually called All in All Col. 3.11 He is All to him in the enjoyment of All All that he hath is unpleasant to him and wants its taste and relish if he injoy not Christ He is All to him in the want of All If he have Christ he wants nothing He can find in Him All that his soul desires So great is his affection to Him 4. A man may gather a certain evidence of his effectual Calling by the account also he makes of Gods ordinances For such a one values his liberty to enjoy them above his outward Accommodations Oh How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts I had rather be a door keeper there then to dwell in the tents of wickedness Psal 84.1 He finds an unspeakable need that his soul hath of them Job could no more live Job 23.12 without the word of God then his body could subsist without his daily food He grievs for want of them more then for want of his chiefest accommodations Hence is that Promise which shews

their hands Lord give me that wisdom and faithfulness that I may not be found willingly and wittingly failing in my trust So convince me of the reality and truth of those things within the vail and so possess my heart with the apprehensions of the glory and pleasures and full satisfaction Psal 16.11 that is to be had in thy presence and at thy right hand that it may not be at all grievous to me to part with these things below which are transitory and give me that evidence of my interest and part in these Eternal things that I may willingly and cheerfully let go my hold of things Temporal when thou shalt call me hence 2. The second thing that is to be done in order to our preparation for death is with all speed and importunity to sue out our Pardon at the throne of Grace That which is 1 Cor. 15.56 the sting of Death indeed and makes it to be so terrible is sin If sin be pardoned death is disarmed and cannot hurt us But where the Conscience is loaded with guilt and the poor sinner knows not but that all his Transgressions will be charged upon him that all those Mat. 18.24 many thousand talents wherein he stands indebted to Gods justice will be exacted Mat. 5.26 to the utmost farthing He can look upon Death as no other than a Serjeant sent to arrest him body and soul and to hale him to that prison from whence he must never be released till he hath payd all that he owes and that will not be unto eternity But what is to be done in this case This is first to be premised that we have no way left us by any thing we can give to God any thing that we can do or suffer to make satisfaction in the least to Divine justice If a man should 1 Cor. 13.3 give all his goods to the poor if he should give a thousand Rams or ten thousand rivers of Oyl if he should give the first-born of his Body Mic. 6.6 7. or his own body to be burnt for the expiation of the sin of his soul it would not be accepted There is no way to be freed from the guilt of sin but by Gods pardoning and forgiving it and that pardon is not as Job saith of wisdom Job 28.16 17 18 19. to be gotten for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for the price of it it cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphire the Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of Gold c. The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God Joh. 1.29.36 1 Pet. 1.18 19. far more precious than Silver and Gold is the only price of it by that it was procured by the shedding of that blood full satisfaction hath been made to the justice of God And therefore pardon of sin if we would obtain it is to be sued out at the Throne of Grace through the blood of that blessed Redeemer of ours The Scripture teacheth us how that is to be done And the way which we are there directed to take is this viz. 1. With sorrow and shame humbly to confess wherein we have done amiss 2. Earnestly and as for life to plead Christs satisfaction and to beg pardon for his sake and upon his account First Confession is to be made to God and that fully without hiding any of our sins chiefly bewailing those whereby we have most offended and which lye heaviest upon the conscience with all the Aggravations of them Ah Lord what a grievous sinner have I been and how wofully have I gone astray from thee what command of thine is it which I have not broken How innumerable are my Omissions my Commissions Mine iniquities are gone over my head and as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me to bear Ps 38.4 Whether I look upon my nature or my life I have cause exceedingly to be confounded What sin or wickedness is there which I have not the seeds of in me and brought with me into the world I was hewed out of the same rock and digged out of the same pit that Cain and Judas and all the rest of the damned even the worst of them were That brutishness and pride and sensuality that prophaness and atheism that contempt of thy Majesty and thine Ordinances which do break forth and appear in the lives and ways of so many wretches every where all those wickednesses which I have known or heard committed by any of the Children of Belial Of all these evils and abominations I have the Principles in my cursed nature Lord Whose understanding is more blind and vain and foolish than mine whose Memory is more weak and feeble more apt to forget Thee my duty to Thee my Lord and Saviour the Things of my Peace more apt to remember what I should forget injuries received things evil or else impertinent How benummed is my Conscience How unspeakably perverse and rebellious is my Will and for my Affections how unruly and disordered are they continually either set upon things sinful or sinning when they are carryed out after lawful Objects From this Original Corruption which hath poysoned my whole nature thou Lord only knowest how many millions of vain foolish carnal unclean uncharitable impious prophane atheistical thoughts and imaginations have daily and hourly issued as sparks from a burning furnace So that every imagination of the thoughts of my heart hath been evil continually Gen. 6.5 and that from my youth hitherto And blessed Lord I know not but thou hast kept an account how many idle unsavoury rash besides wicked and ungodly words have upon any occasions proceeded out of my mouth from that evil treasure of my heart within me Those words are not wind as many vainly perswade themselves but such as our blessed Saviour tells us must be reckoned for at the day of judgment Matth. 12.36 if they be not in earnest repented of And Lord though here be more than enough and enough again to condemn me everlastingly yet blessed Father I have not only thought and spoken so much amiss but I have also done that which is evil in thy sight thou knowest in how many places how often and with what Circumstances for thou tellest all my steps and observest all my wandrings When I sin thou markest me for thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising thou compassest my path Job 10.14 and art acquainted with all my ways Psal 139.2 3. Thou knowest how little I have minded what thou hast given me in charge how industrious and diligent I have been in my worldly affairs how remiss and cold about my spiritual concernments how wise to lay up a treasure for my self on earth and how careless in providing for my precious and immortal Soul Thou knowest how little delight I have had in thy Word and worship how little zeal there hath been in me for thine Honour and Glory how I have