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	life_n	raise_v	5,696	5	7.1101	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12171	The bruised reede, and smoaking flax Some sermons contracted out of the 12. of Matth. 20. At the desire, and for the good of weaker Christians. By R. Sibbes. D.D.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1630 (1630)	STC 22479; ESTC S102404	79,256	424

whatsoever the judgement shall say to the contrary there is no connaturall proportion betwixt an unsanctified hart and a sanctified judgment For the heart unaltered will not give leave to the judgement coldly and so berly to conclude what is best as the sick man whilst his aguish distemper corrupteth his taste he is rather desirous to please that then to hearken what the Physitian shall speake judgment hath not power over it selfe where the wil is unsubdued for the will and affections bribe it to give sentence for them when any profit or pleasure shall come in competition with that which the judgement in generall only shall thinke to be good and therefore it is for the most part in the power of the heart what the understanding shall judge and determine in particular things Where grace hath brought the heart under there unruly passions doe not cast such a mist before the understanding but that in particular it seeth that which is best and base respects springing from selfe-love doe not alter the case and byas the judgment into a contrary way but that which is good in it selfe shall be good unto us although it crosse our particular worldly interests The right conceiving of this hath an influence into practice which hath drawne me to a more full explanation this will teach us the right method of godlinesse to begin with judgement and then to begge of GOD together with illumination holy inclinations of our will and affections that so a perfect government may be set up in our hearts and that our knowledge may bee with al judgment that is w th experience and feeling when the judgement of CHRIST is set up in our judgements and thence by the Spirit of CHRIST brought into our hearts then it is in its proper place and throne and untill then truth doth us no good but helpeth to condemne us The life of a●… Christiā is a regular life he that walketh by the rule of the new creature peace shall be upon him he that despiseth his way loveth to live at large seeking all liberty to the flesh shall dye And it is made good by Saint Paul If we live after the flesh we shall dye VVe learne likewise that men of an ill governed life have no true judgement no wicked man can bee a wise man And that without CHRISTS Spirit the soule is in confusion without beauty and form as all things were in the Chaos before the creatiō The whole soule is out of joynt till it be set in againe by him whose office is to restore all things The baser part of the soule which should bee subject ruleth all and keepeth under that little truth that is in the understanding holding it captive to base affections and Sathan by corruption getteth al the holds of the soule till CHRIST stronger then he commeth and driveth him out and taketh possession of all the powers and parts of soule and body to be weapons of righteousnes to serve him and then new Lords new Lawes CHRIST as a new Conquerour changeth the fundamentall lawes of old Adam and establisheth a government of his owne The second Conclusion is that this government is victorious The reasons are 1 Because CHRIST hath conquered all in his owne person first and hee is GOD over all blessed for evermore and therefore over Sinne Death Hell Sathan the world c. And as he hath overcome them in himselfe so he overcomes them in our hearts and consciences Wee use to say Conscience maketh a man a King or a caitife because it is planted in us to judge for GOD either with us or against us Now if naturall conscience bee so forcible what will it be when besides it owne light it hath the light of divine truth put into it It will undoubtedly prevaile either to make us hold up our heads with boldnesse or abase us beneath our selves If it subject it selfe by grace to CHRISTS truth then it boldly overlookes Death Hell Iudgement and all spirituall enemies because then Christ sets up his Kingdome in the conscience and makes it a kind of Paradise The sharpest conflict which the soule hath is betweene the conscience and GODS Iustice now if the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ hath prevailed over assaults fetcht from the justice of GOD as now satisfied by CHRIST it will prevaile over al other opposition whatsoever 2 We are to encounter with accursed and damned enemies therefore if they begin to fall before the spirit in us they shall fall if they rise up againe it is to have the greater fall 3 The spirit of truth to whose tuition CHRIST hath cōmitted his Church and the truth of the spirit which is the Scepter of CHRIST abide for ever therefore the soule begotten by the immortal feed of this spirit and this truth must not onely live for ever but likewise prevaile over all that oppose it for both the word and spirit are mighty in operation and if the ill spirit be never idle in those whom GOD delivereth up to him we cannot thinke that the Holy Spirit will bee idle in those whose leading and government is committed to him No as he dwelleth in them so he will drive out all that rise up against him untill hee be all in all What is spirituall is eternall truth is a beame of CHRISTS Spirit both in it selfe and as it is ingrafted into the soule there fore it and the grace though little wrought by it will prevaile a little thing in the hand of a Gyant will do great matters A little faith strengthned by CHRIST will worke wonders 4 To him that hath shall be given the victory over any corruption or temptation is a pledge of finall victory As Ioshua said when he set his foot upon the five Kings which hee conquered Thus God shall doe with all our enemies heaven is ours already onely we strive till we have full possession 5 CHRIST as King brings in a commanding light into the soule and bowes the necke and softens the Iron sinew of the inner man and where he begins to rule he rules for ever his Kingdome hath no end 6 The end of CHRISTS comming was to destroy the workes of the Devill both for us and in us And the end of the resurrection was as to seale unto us the assurance of his victorie So I to quicken our soules from death in sinne 2 to free our soules from such snares and sorrowes of spirituall death as accompany the guilt of sin 3 to raise them up more comfortable as the Sunne breakes forth more gloriously out of a thick cloud 4 to raise us out of particular slippes and failings stronger 5 to raise us out of all troublesome and darke conditions of this life And 6 at length to raise our bodies out of the dust For the same power that the Spirit shewed in raising CHRIST our Head from the sorrowes of

death and the lowest degree of his abasement The same power obtained by the death of CHRIST from GOD now appeased by that sacrifice will the Spirit shew in the Church which is his body and in every particular member thereof And this power is conveyed by faith whereby after union with CHRIST in both his estates of humiliation and exaltation we see our selves not only dead with Christ but risen and sitting together with him in heavenly places Now we apprehending our selves to be dead and risen and thereupon victorious over all our enemies in our Head And apprehending that his scope in all this is to conforme us to himself wee are by this faith changed into his likenesse and so become conquerors over all our spirituall enemies as he is by that power which we derive frō him who is the storehouse of all spirituall strength for all his CHRIST at length will have his end in us and faith resteth assured of it and this assurance is very operative stirring us up to joyne with CHRIST in his ends And so for the Church in generall by CHRIST it will have its victorie CHRIST is that little stone cut out of the mountaine without hands that breaketh in peeces that goodly Image that is all opposite government untill it become a great mountaine and filleth the whole earth So that the stone that was cut out of the mountaine becomes a mountaine it selfe at length who art thou then O mountaine that thinkest to stand up against this mountaine all shall lie flat and levell before it Hee will bring downe all mountainous high-exalted thoughts and lay the pride of all flesh low When chaffe strives against the winde stubble against the fire when the heele kickes against the prickes when the potsheard strives with the potter when man strives against GOD it is easie to know on which side the victorie will goe The winds may tosse the ship wherin CHRIST is but not overturne it The waves may dash against the rock but they doe but breake themselves against it If this bee so why is it thus with the Church of GOD and with many a gracious Christian the victorie seemeth to goe with the enemie For answer remember I GODS children usually in their troubles overcome by suffering here Lambes overcome Lyons Doves Eagles by suffering that herein they may be conformable to Christ who conquered most whē he suffered most together with Christs kingdome of patience there was a Kingdome of power 2 This victory is by degrees and therefore they are too hasty spirited that would conquer so soone as they strike the first stroke and be at the end of their race at the first setting forth the Isra●…ites were sure of victory in their voyage to Canaan yet they must fight it out GOD would not have us presently forget what cruell enemies CHRIST hath overcome for us destory them not lest the people forget it saith the Psalmist That so by the experience of that anoyance wee have by them we might be kept in feare to come under the power of them 3 That GOD often worketh by contraries when hee meanes to give victory he will suffer us to bee foyled first when hee meanes to comfort he wil terrifie first when hee meanes to justifie hee will condemne us first whom he meanes to make glorious he will a base first A Christian conquers even when hee is conquered when hee is conquered by some sins he gets victory over others more dangerous as spirituall Pride security c. 4 That CHRISTS worke both in the Church and in the hearts of Christians often goeth backward that it may goe the better forward As seed rotts in the ground in the Winter time but after comes better up and the harder the Winter the more flourishing the Spring so wee learne to stand by falls and get strength by weaknesse discovered we take deeper root by shaking and as torches flame brighter by mooving Thus it pleaseth CHRIST out of his freedome in this manner to maintaine his government in us Let us herein labour to exercise our Faith that it may answer Christs manner of cariage towards us when we are foyled let us beleeve wee shall overcome when wee are fallen let us beleeve we shall rise againe Iacob after he had a blow upon which he halted yet would not give over wrastling till hee had gotten the blessing so let us never give over but in our thoughts knitt the beginning progress and end together and then we shal see our selves in heaven out of the reach of all enemies Let us assure our selves that GODS grace even in this imperfect estate is stronger then mans free will in the state of first perfectiō and it is founded now in CHRIST who as he is the author so will be the finisher of our faith we are under a more gracious covenant Here upon it followeth that weaknesse may stand with the assurance of salvation the disciples notwithstanding all their weaknesses are bidden to rejoyce that their names are written in heaven Failings with conflict in sanctification should not weaken the peace of our justification and assurance of salvation It mattereth not so much what ill is in us as what good not what corruptions but how we stād affected to them not what our particular failings bee so much as what is the thred and tenor of our lives for CHRISTS mislike of that which is ami●…e in us redounds not to the hatred of our person but to the victorious subduing of al our infirmities Some have after conflict wondered at the goodnesse of GOD that so little and shaking faith should have upheld them in so great Combats when Sathan had almost catched them And indeed it is to be wondred how much a little grace will prevaile with GOD for acceptance and over our enemies for victory if the heart be upright Such is the goodness of our sweet Saviour that hee delighteth still to shew his strēgth in our weaknesse First therefore for the great consolatiō of poore and weake Christians let them know that a sparke frō heavē though kindled under greene wood that sobbes and smoakes yet it will consume all at last Love once kindled is strong as death much water cannot quench it and therefore it is called a vehemēt flame or flame of GOD kindled in the heart by the Holy Ghost That little that is in us is fed w th an everlasting spring As the fire that came downe from heaven in Elias his time licked up all the water to shew that it came from GOD so will this fire spend all our corruption no afflictiō without or corruption within shall quench it In the morning we see oft clouds gather about the Sun as if they would hide it but the Sunne wasteth them by little and little till it come to its full strength At the first feares and doubts hinder the breaking out of this fire untill at length it gets above