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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	eternal_a	life_n	11,601	5	4.9057	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10038	The godly mans inquisition lately deliuered in two sermons before the right honourable Henry, Lord Montague, late lord high treasurer, priuie counsellor, &c. other gentlemen of worship, at Kimolton on their annuall feast day. By R. Preston, Preacher of Gods word.	Preston, Richard, d. ca. 1624.	1622 (1622)	STC 20285; ESTC S111971	37,702	74

thy Master to stand before his face and not to shrinke from his presence Thus much of the Supposition Now of the Position Seeke the Lord Hauing laid downe how that by sinne we are out of Gods fauour and lose his presence of grace it remaineth to speake of the meanes to finde the Lord and to get into his fauour and that is here said to be Seeking whether it be by prayer Repentance obedience or hearing of the word daily and diligently c. Doct. 1. God being lost by sin must be sought by all holy meanes And the Point is this that hauing lost the Lord by iniquitie we are to seeke him againe by all godly helpes and meanes we must not stand vpon arguments but resolue present diligence to seeke when God seemes to leaue the Cabin of our hearts and begins to write bitter things against vs. The seruant put out of his Masters seruice knowing the profit by it will not stand vpon his termes My master did me wrong why did he thus but he seekes all meanes to procure his masters wonted loue and affection neither doth it become vs Gods seruants to argue vpon points without ground but rather we should seeke Gods face when he calleth vpon vs to that purpose saying Psal 27.8 Hos 5.3 Seeke ye my face Thus did the men of Israel they sought the Lord and he was fauourable gracious vnto them God sends not his workmen away without wages nor those that seeke him by Repentance in faith c. without a reward Dauid saith Psal 34.4 I sought the Lord and he heard me He did not so much vse his bodily feete to runne after the Lord as the good temper of his affections to take delight in the Lord. Neither did he say I prayed and was heard but I sought and was heard 2 Chron. 20.3 and thus Iehosaphat fearing God set himselfe to seeke the Lord And why are all the Elect of God called a Generation of seekers but in respect of their enquiries after Gods fauour Psal 24.6 according as it is the brand of the vngodly that they seeke not God And surely Reason if either the comforts and ioy we may reape by Gods presence or the necessitie thereof may be of force to perswade inquirie and to stirre vp our care neither of them is wanting in this so weightie a matter for comforts and ioy what thoughts are able to reach to the excellency of them Eye hath not seene nor eare heard 1 Cor. 2.9 nor heart conceiued the multitude and worth thereof the presence of great men will astonish and amaze their inferiours it will make them fearefull to behold their faces Math. 5.8 but such is not Gods presence his face and countenance is delectable and at his right hand is pleasure for euermore Psal 16.11 and the more we can behold it the lesse is our feare and the greater our reioycing 1 Sam. 6.13 when the Arke was restored the men of Bethshemesh exceedingly reioyced when the publicke teaching of the Law which had a long time beene discontinued was againe established Nehem. 8.12 the people of Ierusalem were much comforted But how much more will the Children of the marriage Chamber reioyce Math. 9.15 when the Bridegroome is among them This ioy arising from Gods presence concerneth either the qualification of the Conscience or the fruition of Gods fauour in the estate of glory for the conscience when after many skirmishes and secret terrors it begins to gather heart as we say and to feele euidences of grace then there is much ioy yea such ioy 1 Pet. 1.8 as Peter calls it glorious and vnspeakeable Touching this Ioy looke vpon Dauid boasting in the ioy of heart which was giuen him by the Lords lifting vp of his countenance vpon him Psal 4.7 Looke vpon the Eunuch going on in his way reioycing Act. 8.39 because he felt how faith in Christ was wrought in his soule and that was Maries Ioy reioycing in spirit Luk. 1.46 that she knew God in Christ was become her Sauiour For the fruition of the state of glory hereafter it may well lift vp the beleeuers heart with comfort Reu. who shall stand before the lambe accompanied with 24. Elders singing and reioycing he shall be where God is for euer Ioh. 14.16.17 1 Cor. 13.12 and shall see him face to face If this glimmering light of heauenly knowledge when we see but as in a glasse darkely be so delightfull what shall it be to see and know the Lord as he is If the communion we haue here with Christ in his word and Sacraments be so ioyous what shall it be to enioy the immediate presence of God our Father Christ our Redeemer the holy Ghost our Comforter Now shall not such excellent comforts springing from the enioyment of Gods presence be reputed worthie our inquiries What doe many vulgar people oftentimes to see the Kings face or at least his person Strange things are done out of the desire thereof As earnest should we be to get a sight of God Thus I haue briefely pointed you to the ioy of the Saints in their apprehensions of God and the beholding of his bright countenance Now let me shew you the necessitie too the necessitie in a word is such that without God and the presence of his grace there is no possibilitie of admittance into heauen for vpon all those that are without the pale of his fauour shall be executed that sentence passed vpon the man without the wedding garment Mat. 22.13 Binde them hand and foote and cast them into vtter darknesse where shal be neither comfort nor light nor yet hope of either To be in a darke Dungeon where is no penetration of light nor any consolation is great paine and misery 2 Thes 1.9 but to be excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power is euen to be punished with euerlasting destruction As is the world without a Sunne a pining child without a Mother a distressed land without a gouernour euen so is the soule and body without the blessed and glorious presence of God nay they are in a thousand times worse taking for their exemption shall be perpetuall and easelesse their eye-sight shall onely be of Gods wrath and his eternall furie They shall feed his Iustice while they are burning in fire and brimstone Reu. 21.8 which is the second death Looke then of what necessitie saluation and happinesse and life eternall is of the same is the fauour and louing countenance of the Lord. If it be necessary for a man to seeke to be saued it is necessary to seeke the present and future good of his soule by seeking a conioyning to the Lord by meanes of his grace What can deserue the very best and as it were the very quintessence of our care if not this Ob But it will be sayd Ob Why neede we seeke God

speciall testimony of his presence there is called the seeking of his face And because he was so specially present there the Iewes in their Prayers must turne their faces towards the Arke and towards Ierusalem And that the Iewes might know where to finde God at all times Exod. 25.8 he told them that he would dwell in the Sanctuary and sit betweene the Cherubins So in the new Testament God hath appointed certaine signes as so many way-markes to finde him out as the publique seruing of him in spirit and truth resorting of Gods Temple and there ioyning in holy worship with the rest of his people is the way to seeke him The offering vp of the sacrifices of prayer and praise Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 and I will heare thee and thou shalt prayse me The frequenting of the Sacraments which represent that to the eye which the word doth to the eare In all which he will be sought and out of these will not be found God cannot be seene or found but by his owne light and therefore he that must seeke him must haue the light of vnderstanding Psal 14.2 The Lord looked downe to see if any would vnderstand and seeke after God Fourthly seeke God in the right way Ier. 6.16 Fourthly as we must seeke God by his owne meanes so in the right way which is called the old way and therefore the good way We must not seeke God that way we lost him for so it is likely we shall neuer heare of him but there is another way though a strait and backe way which soone brings vs to him The familie of Iacob those seuentie soules came downe to Egypt through the land of the Philistims but after fortie yeares circled about to Canaan through the Arabian Desert The three Wisemen that worshipped Christ were warned by the Oracle to goe into their Countrey another way Imitate these Sages thou lost God by transgression seeke him not in that common beaten way but by obedience and humiliation thou lost God by adultery seeke him by chastitie thou lost him by the way of pride hatred wantonnesse wrath ryot seeke him by the way of humilitie loue temperance patience sobrietie thou lost God by the way of couetousnesse contention swearing prophanenesse seeke him by the way of contentation peace honouring his name holinesse of life thou lost him by the way of vaine superstition seeke him by the way of Christian Religion to conclude as thou lost him by the way of sinne so now set on to seek him by the way of repentance and reformation A reformed life is the new way and best way till thou set foote in it thou art out of the right way and soone shalt loose thy way to God enter into it and bid farewell to thy sinnes that thou maist with a quicke dispatch wheele about into thy owne Countrey Fiftly as we must seeke God in the right way Fiftly seeke God in his owne manner 1. Early Psal 63.2 so in Gods manner and that is diuerse sorts of wayes First Earely This was the Prophets practise Early in the morning will I seeke thee That is euery morning the beginning of my worke shall be to looke towards thee I will beginne my duties in faithfull inuocating thy helpe and aid And as in the morning of the day so also in the morning of thy life forget not to seeke God by Repentance faith obedience c. This is the chiefe season Eccl. 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth A wound lookt to at first when its freshest is soonest healed A groat newly dropt downe through the fingers if it be presently sought after will soone be found So will God in youth from whence as a friend he hath lately departed by reason of sinne Behold then as euery day of thy life so principally thou owest the prime part of thy life to this dutie when thou art strongest and aptest But many deferre to seeke the Lord vntill the last weeke of their life the last day of the weeke the last houre of the day the last minute of the houre It is an exorbitant course while the ship is sound the tackling sure the Pilot well the sailes strong the gale fauourable the Sea calme to lie idle at Rode carding dicing drinking burning the seasonable weather and when the ship leakes the Pilot sicke the Mariners faint the stormes boysterous and the Sea a turmoile of outragious surges to launch forth and hoyse vp saile for a voyage into farre Countries and yet such is the skill of euening seekers who in the morning of youth and soundnes of health and perfit vse of reason though they cannot resolue to weigh the Auchor and cut the Cable that with-holds them from seeking of Christ neuertheles they feed themselues with a strong perswasion that when their wits are distracted their senses astonied all the powers of the mind and parts of the body distempered then forsooth they thinke suddenly to become Saints at their death howsoeuer they demeaned themselues as Deuils all their life Let vs awake from sinne with Dauid early Psal 57.9 1 Sam. 15.12 Gen. 21.14 Ioh. 8.2 Ioh. 20.1 rise with Samuell early with Abraham send away Hagar early with Christ and his Audience come to the Church early seeking the Lord with Mary Magdalen early Of this point more largly touching the opportunity of seeking hereafter following Secondly 2. Earnestly Earnestly As the husbandman for gold siluer and his earthly Commodities so we must seeke for this spirituall and eternall treasure the former seekes eagarly and instantly and so must we Our desire as it is to enioy so it must be earnest and feruent in the pursuit we ought to neglect no time nor pretermit any the least occasion of finding A loitering man that cares not whether he worke or no Prou. may get for his idlenesse a suit of ragges and he that thinkes to gaine Gods graces with nothing adoe may well goe without them There goes the striuing for masteries before the Crowne a painfull sweating race before the getting of the goale and an industrious diligence notwithstanding all serious thoughts to this purpose before the obtaining of the Lords grace and fauour Seeke painefully not carelesly not ouerly Luke 15. Pro. 2.4 as the woman for her groat seek as for siluer search as forgold The mint of gold lies not in the first spade it lies deeper search with a desire of finding for it s well if after all paines we finde at the last Thirdly Sincerely Thirdly Sincerely with a good and honest heart Quod cor non facit non sit What the heart doth not is not done at all Adams body being newly framed of the slime of the earth lay liueles and breathlesse vntill the breath of life was breathed into it So the action of seeking God with all the circumstances and tearmes thereof is nothing worth in the sight of God vntill

hunger-bitten beast is death Say now were it not foolish presumption to deferre Repentance vpon hope of long life depending on so doubtfull condition Many yong men are taken away on the sudden before euer they looke or prepare for death Iob. 21.13 And 24.24 They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly they goe downe to the graue and are cropt off as an eare of Corne. Haue we not examples euery day almost of some that goe well to bed at night and are found dead in the morning And of others that drop downe by the high way side and die in the field We may not take vpon vs to determine peremptorily of such Rom. 11.33 because the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and his wayes past finding out Therefore adde not one euill day vnto another Sufficient for the day is the euill thereof Math. 6. yesterday to day to morrow time past present and to come that is all the dayes of our life are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dayes of sorrow 2. Delay is danderous breeds second nature 2. Delay is dangerous and custome of euill whereon God vsually layeth a fearefull commination Reu. 22.11 Let him that is filthie be filthie still And when the soule is invred to an euill habit it is hardly capable of better impressions and vertuous dispositions Ier. 13.23 Can the Black-moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots So hard it is for them to doe well who haue learned to doe euill The Israelites long acquainted with Egyptian bondage were loath to leaue it but the hurt was their owne their losse had beene greater if the Lord had not redeemed them with a strong arme When sinne pleads prescription and Sathan possession the Soule of the Combatant shall finde enough to doe to be rid of it for his bones were filled with the sinnes of his youth Iob. 20.11 and now they will sleepe with him in the dust Reason 3. It is disasterous 3. Deferred seeking is dismall and disasterous He that neglects to day shall haue no time to morrow Ren. 10.6 but shall for his negligence purchase an eternitie of displeasure The rich man Luk. 12. promised himselfe many dayes of pleasure Luk. 12.19 But thou foole saith the Text this night shall they fetch away thy soule And many a man feeds his conceit with an Euening Conuersion and with the Backe to spread his wings of Repentance in the twi-light but that is not Gods houre and therefore his head and heart may ake with crying but shall not be the better for he shall end his dayes in woe this is an approued truth Heb. 12.17 Esan sought the blessing in vaine though he sought it with teares when there was no place for Repentance Math. 25. The fiue foolish Virgins comming too late when the Bridegroome was entred and the doore shut had a fearefull and finall repulse I know yee not When I called yee answered not Prou. 1.28 when I said Returne to me yee sonnes of Adam yee would not returne therefore when you shall call vpon me I will not answere when you seeke me early I will not be found c. Oh therefore let vs not wast away that little light of time left vs in gaming ryoting reuelling drinking dauncing dallying swaggering swearing c. but take present hold on it so friendly smyling for as Christ sayd of Iohn Baptist This is Eliah if yee will receiue him So I say This is the time of our repentance euen this houre this minute this moment Reason 4 For the performance of this speed requiring dutie The precepts and examples of others may moue to this dutie we neither want sufficient Precepts nor examples of others First we haue many incitements and precepts 1. Of Christ Walke in the light while yee haue the light Ioh. 12.35 And 9.4 for the night commeth when no man can worke Ierusalem Ierusalem would to God that in this thy day c. 2. Of Gods Children who all are so nearely conioyned in vrging the present opportunitie that they need not be rehearsed Eph. 5.16 Prou. 23.23 1 Pet. 5. counselling vs in generall to buy the truth but not to sell it to redeeme the time to gird vp our loines c. Secondly we haue store of examples vnto this dutie as 1. of Christ who like a Gyantran his race and as the Sunne in the firmament he went about preaching the word Math. 4.23 doing good and healing all diseases among the people He gaue his eyes no sleepe his eye-lids no slumber nor the temples of his head any rest vntill his Father gaue him his Quietus est Sit thou on my right hand 2. Of the Angels who attend the Lord and doe his heasts and his will at the first command with speed they make no delayes but when the Lords pleasure is to doe his message they runne 3. Of holy and godly men to whom as soone as the Lord sayth Seeke my face they forthwith addresse themselues to it and shape this answere Luk. 19.6 Thy face Lord will we seeke Zacheus being bidden to come downe from the tree came downe hastily and receiued Christ ioyfully Gen. 31. When God charged Iacob to returne into the land of his Fathers and to his kindred he protracted no time but informing Rahell and Lea of the necessitie of his voyage he suddenly departed without taking his leaue of Laban and the prophet Dauid sayth of himselfe Psal 119.60 I considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies I made haste and delayed not the time c. Againe we are taught from the vnreasonable creatures to obserue our time Ier. 8.8 The Storke knoweth her appointed time the swallow her season Why should we that are endowed with reason neglect the gracious time why stand we idle Math. 20. or sit we gaping one on another Gen. 42.1 Let vs put on the shooes of the preparation of the Gospell on our feete and let vs take the staues of trauellers in our hands that so we may make hast to him who will crowne our righteousnesse imputed by Christ with glory and immortalitie Vse 1 This Doctrine makes against all such as haue a iust opportunitie of Repentance and yet driue it off Some are visited with the weightie hand of God through sicknesse infirmities losses c. One would thinke this time would wholly presse their Consciences with this so good a dutie and vrge a perseuerance of humiliation but yet behold no sooner is Gods hand remoued from them but like Horses well fatted and pampered they kicke against their maister and fall to tumbling in their out-casted dung Others vnder the painefull Ministery and while the zeale thereof seemes to touch them are all on the spurre they will cry and take on as if they were vtterly destroyed they will seeme to reforme all whatsoeuer hath beene done amisse but like stubborne and deceitfull seruants that stand silent and