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	true_a	4,445	5	4.7126	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66610	Totum hominis, or, The whole duty of a Christian, consisting in faith and good life abridged in certain sermons expounding Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians, Epist. 2, Chap. 1, Vers. 11, 12 / by the late reverend and worthy Mr. Samuel Wales ...	Wales, Samuel.; Wharton, Philip Wharton, Baron, 1613-1696.; Wharton, Thomas, Sir.	1681 (1681)	Wing W296; ESTC R41158	76,673	232

no confidence in God 2. No man can doubt that the spirits of just and perfect Men now in Heaven do believe and wait for the redemption of their bodies therefore faith and sight are not so opposed as they cannot stand together 3. If there shall be a word in Heaven then faith but there shall be a word not this written or printed Bible but the substance of that Doctrine which is contained in the Bible and consequently all those Promises which speak of the Eternity of that glorious Estate reserved for Believers in He aven shall be written in their hearts So that if any ask what use shall there be o● Faith when now they enjoy the Lords promised Salvation I Answer they shall believe that God will perpetuat and continue those joys and pleasures that blessed condition to them for ever and ever 4. I suppose this is sound Doctrine which hath hitherto gone for currant among our Divines unless in that late Controversie whether faith or repentance hath precedency it have received some affront Faith is the root foundation original of holiness Doth the root wither when the tree and branches flourish more than ever 5. In the day of Judgment the Lord shall pronounce all the sins of the righteous eternally forgiven the sentence of absolution remission shall be openly and fully declared and confirmed as Divines teach Shall they nor believe what Christ speaketh 6. Why may we not say that as the godly in this world believe things past as the creation the incarnation death resurection of Christ so shall they in the life to come These arguments sway me to this opinion as most probable that Faith in God is an eternal gift abiding in the Heavens the some Operations of it shall cease in Heaven whereof there shall be no number The matter is not of such weight that I would contend with any man about it Let the Prophet judge and instruct him better if he orr who in points of this nature suspecteth his own judgment as much as any other and is more desirous to learn than to teach Lastly from this instruction its easie to gather that we must seek unto and rest upon God as well for the finishing as beginning of our salvation Should the beginning be Gods work the accomplishment ours so wise an Apostle would not have spent nor by his own example taught us to spend so many prayers for it This is to be marked as meeting with the Papists they will have God lay the foundation of mans salvation by Predestination redemption free remission of sins but afterwards they will not be much beholden to him they can now perfect the building themselves for they can merit increase of justice and eternal life so that in effect they say to God as a man sometimes to his neighbour when he would have this or that work done do but set me in and I shall do well enough But that doctrine which suffereth us not with the Apostle to pray while we live Lord accomplish in us weak and worthless Vessels by thine own power the work of faith and all the good pleasure of thy goodness is not from heaven but from men and the Devil Hitherto we have unsolded the special requests which the Apostle made unto God for the Thessalonians There now remaineth only the end why or for which he thus intercedeth with God and moveth him for the forenamed blessings and its double 1. Principal respecting Christ 2. Subordinate respecting the Thessalonians themselves The former is set down in these words that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you that is that Christ himself by this means may be honoured in you and by you in this present world As if he should say I do the rather beg these things for you because they mainly tend to the promoting of the glory of Christ among the sons of men which thing I am sure your souls earnestly wish and desire Observe from these words to instructions First Doct. 1 that the scope of Christians must be the glorifying of Christ The Apostle testifieth of himself in another place that he desired nothing more than that Christ might be magnified in his frail body Phil. 1.20 whether by life or death and professeth that he made this the only end of his life the mark at which he aimed in his whole Ministry all his actions and passions to bring glory to Christ For so I expound those words for to me to live is Christ and generally of all true believers he saith elsewhere Whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we die we die unto the Lord. And good reason For First Reas 1 Christ is the Author both of their being and conservation From him they have life and sustentation natural and spiritual For by him all things were created Col. 1.16 do subsist and are upholden by the word of his power he gives unto every Mun that comes into the World a reasonable soul he quickens sanctifies the elect Feeds them with his own flesh and bloud 1 Cor. 1.2 2 Co. 5.17 presenteth stablisheth enableth to every good word and work holds them in his hand supports them by his grace as the High Priest the ruines of Israel on his shoulders without him we have nothing can do nothing would return to nothing Therefore nothing is more meet than that Christians should wholly addict themselves to his glory Secondly Reas 2 consider the several relations of Christ unto Christians Is he not their Husband Must not all Wives give honour to their Husbands Is he not their King yea the King of glory are not subjects bound to honour their King Is he not their Lord and Master ought nor servants to count their masters worthy all honour Lastly he is their dear Redeemer who willingly disrobed and emptied himself of his regal glory and put on the homely mantle of humane flesh that he might ransom them with the price of his own bloud Therefore they owe themselves wholly to him and stand obliged to glorifie him in soul and body whose they are both in soul and body For to this end saith the Apostle Christ died for them 1 Co. 6.20 that they should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them Hence the living Creatures are brought in saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honour glory and blessing Thirdly Reas 3 it s no small honour which through Christ is already put upon them and from Christ they expect far greater in the next life They are now partakers of a glorious adoption a glorious shining righteousness glorious graces glorious joys they are called to glory and wait for a richly glorious inheritance an eternal weight of glory to be conferred upon them by Christ Now shall not those that have and look to receive so great glory from Christ endeavour so to live as Christ may have glory from them But alas Vse

they are most subject to be poisoned with pleasures puffed up with pride surfet of prosperity let loose the reigns to all injustice violence cruelty in a word to break the bonds of all discipline promise to themselves impunity and become incorrigible while they powre out themselves to all licentiousness because few dare freely reprove them hence no doubt sprung that Dutch Proverb which must be taken with a corn of salt Princes in Heaven are as scarce as Venison in poor mens Kitchins therefore they have need to be extraordinary careful of their salvation and guarded with double diligence watchfulness zeal in all religious duties Lastly their lives are very exemplary obvious to publick inspection and imitation many eyes are fixed upon them their actions are powerful to command effectual to corrupt inferiours who are too ready to follow and conform to their courses and think if great men live wickedly they may do the same by authority Satanknoweth that by their exorbitances they not only lose their own souls but draw much company with them to perdition Examples even of greatest Princes Kings Emperours further confirming this point are not wanting David though entangled in many wars besides other incumbrances and employments not a few spent no small time in communing with God and his own heart as appears by this that 140 of the Psalms in probability are of his penning and composing King Josiah in the eigth year not of his life as some mistake but of his reign that is in the sixteenth of his life began to seek after the God of David his father that is to give himself to the private study of piety to reading prayer and such like exercises Who more devout than Daniel and Nehemiah two great Courtiers and Governours Constantine the Great besides reading and praying with his family did every day at set times shut himself in his closet and there converse with God by solitary Prayer Alfred King of England spent eight hours the third part of every natural day in prayer study and writing These things I have thus discoursed that your Lordship may see and others acknowledge I do not without cause offer to your hands and eyes a Treatise wherein the two main parts of religion faith and good life are explained and urged It pleased your Noble Father while yet he dwelt in the land of the living to vouchsafe me the meanest of Gods messengers that gracious respect which I could never have expected from so honourable a personage and your Honour also in those times to take notice of me The remembrance of those things hath emboldened me to this Dedication which otherwise I should never have presumed to attempt Wherein the Searcher of hearts knoweth I seek and aim at nothing else but the honouring of his memory who now sleepeth in the Lord and stirring up your tender mind to the imitation of his vertues What honest heart ever knew him and did not lament his departure as a publick loss or say this world which now wants him was unworthy of him He was a professed enemy of Popery and Prophaneness a true friend and favourer of all godly and painful teachers without exception or partiality receiving their persons and doctrine with such gladness and singular reverence as I must needs say to me was vvonderful and in persons of his ranck is rarely seen ready at all times by his authority speech letter to help and encourage them in their holy function What shall I say of his supported life in the slippery time of youth his religious care of constant frequenting Gods house not only twice on the Lords day but ordinarily on Lecture days and preparing himself for the use of the Lords Supper his sincere affection to the holy ways of the Lord and all that walk in the same which to any observant eye appeared by many not obscure signs and testimonies I shall comprehend all if I do but say by profane great ones who openly reverenced him he was secretly twitted for Preciseness and Puritanism And could the Epilogue of such a life be any other but a blessed death Though his sickness was violent yet how sweetly he comforted himself in the Lord and having foretold the day of his death rejoyced in spirit from assurance of being with Christ after his dissolution how graciously feelingly powerfully he powred out his heart in supplication before the Lord those that were present can witness and will never forget and amongst the rest I remember one an ancient and reverend Minister who professed to me that himself was exceedingly affected and refreshed by his prayer and that he hath seldom heard any Preacher pray more excellently more divinely Novv my Lord vvhy hath the Divine Providence which doth nothing in vain sent set before you such a domestical precedent Surely for your admonition and instruction that you might be warned there by to tread in the same steps and learn the path of life by example as well as precept Suffer therefore I beseech your Honor the word of exhortation As God hath made you heir of your fathers greatness so labour to shew forth an express image of his graces and godly conversation and think often you hear his voice thus sounding in your ears for by his life being dead he yet speaketh to you My son know the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind Macte nova virtute puer sic itur ad astra By the grace of God I have led you the way walk as I have walked that we may meet and enjoy one another in Heaven Repel with infinite loathing the whisperings of those witches who go about to perswade that though it s not amiss for Nobles to have a form of godliness yet forwardness in Religion is a stain and blemish to Noble bloud Such things are suggested by the father of lies to rob you of true comfort in this life and a Crown of glory after death For I assure your Lordship in the word of truth as true piety is able to accommodate Noblemen with the best Musick peace of Conscience the best Counsellor the wisdom which is from above the fairest and strongest house Gods protection the best weapons defensive offensive faith and the spirit of prayer the best attendants Gods holy Angels so it will wonderfully adorn and beautifie all other excellencies purchase them more true honour than an external accomplishment even the honour that cometh from God only a place and a Name better than of Dukes Earles Lords an everlasting name that shall never be cut off and at last put them into the possession of immortality and eternal life The father of mercies inrich with all blessings of heaven and earth the noble and vertuous Lady Philadelphia your mother keep your Honour from every evil now and ever season and govern your young years by his holy spirit that as you increase in days and stature so you may increase in all sanctifying gifts and in favour with

renewed our souls repaired than our decaying bodies bodily strength by daily food Now Prayer is that which gets these vvants supplied fetcheth from Heaven that blessing by vvhich spiritual strength and stature is augmented yea by exercising and stirring up Gods graces in the heart increaseth them Fifthly We are commanded every day to lead holy lives to walk as becometh Saints to have our conversation in Heaven to pass the time of our dwelling here in fear to spend that which remaineth of our life not according to the lusts of the flesh but according to the will of God Novv Prayer is a necessary help and prop of a godly life a good means of quickening seasoning well-ordering the heart of vvinding it up from Earth to Heaven and of passing thorough all the parts and businesses of the day christianly and purely Lastly vve are every day yea every hour subject to many dangers outward in our bodies families estates inward in our Souls Satan incessantly vvatcheth all opportunities to do us a displeasure to strike us to the heart vvith some fiery dart to overthrovv our goings lays snares for us in the most lawful things provocations to sin abound every vvhere hovv soon are vve distempered dissetled hovv hardly brought into good frame again Novv Prayer is our Hedge fencing us an excellent Weapon by vvhich vve drive back Satan and overcome the evils vvithin or vvithout vvhich encounter us Have vve not need to be daily armed vvith such a notable help that so vve may stand fast against temptations vvalk safely and hold fast peace vvith God This Doctrine if vve descend to application vvill first reprove Three sorts 1. Those that Pray not at all except in the publick Assembly that rise up and lie dovvn daily vvithout request-making to God urge upon them praying at home their reply is ready that 's too much purity they have other things to mind and vvill leave that burden to the Minister The Scripture hath long since branded these for Atheists Not Papists only but even Gentiles shall condemn them one of which counselleth his Brother every Morning and Evening to offer to God pure incense and oblation that Gods favour may be towards him and he may have success in his affairs If amongst us after so long teaching any continue in this sin let them know that as Gods fear is not in their hearts so God is not in their houses for he dwels where he is worshipped by prayers and praises the Devil rules all and unless they repent the curse of God as a canker shall consume them and theirs 2. Those that pray by fits only as when Conscience gnawes fickness binds them to their beds death threatens business calls not or suffer any worldly any trivial occasion to break off or justle out this duty Shall I fear to say this seeking Gods help only in extraordinary straits argueth that men think they can do well enough ordinarily without his help and by their own wit strength industry compass their own ends and desires which a Papist will tell them is Gentilism Had some of these Men a Neighbour who would never visit them but when some urgent necessity did press him would they not suspect his affections towards them to be cold and that he cared little for their company I dare assure them the Lord judgeth of them as they of this Neighbour It may justly be doubted vvhether ever they knew the necessity or selt the sweetness of true Prayer Let us fear least if we send for and entertain Prayer but now and then as a stranger God be strange to us when we vvould most gladly be acquainted with him 3. Those that are fallen from their former Conscience and care of practising private prayer whoseharts can tell them they are particularly touched if I do but say there are some amongst us vvho in former times were as forward and servent this way as the best and are now become as careless of praying as the prophane It s easie to shevv the reason why they are weary of Prayer They have banished the holy Ghost and entertained the unclean Spirit again which carries them to swearing drinking delighting in bad company and those abominations from vvhich they were washed vvhence it is that they have lost both skill and will to call upon God they are condemned by their own Mouths by their own Consciences when they do pray and therefore dare not call upon God but flie from his presence The Lord be merciful unto you that you sleep not the sleep of death but may remember whence you are fallen and come out of the snare of the Devil I say unto you in the name of the Lord take heed you become not very Cains spiritual vagabonds straying and running further and further from God till you arrive in the land of eternal horrour Secondly let all the Servants of God continue their holy care of daily offering the Sacrifice of invocation Observe the seasons and occasions of prayer as thou dost thy Meal-times Persevere in Prayer and faint not Resolve with thy self rather to strive to perform this duty in a better manner and more abundantly than to break it off and take liberty to neglect it Brethren why are we so backward to come unto him to whom the oftner vve come the more we are vvelcome the more importunate the more acceptable Whence is it that every Year we see or hear of strange punishments heavy accidents befalling men whereby they are brought to misery or untimely death Is it not hence that true Prayer is out of request with the most Whence is it that many ahve no better success in their Earthly Callings and Affairs They pray not Whence that we hear Men complain their Houses are insested with Spirits all such things are not fables and illusions though many be There is no Prayer in their Houses Whence is it that we find not help or more comfort and strength in our troubles We pray not Whence that many of us are ensnared and overturned by every temptation We Pray not Pray and thou canst not want any good thing which God can give unless the want be better for thee than the possession In few words think seriously of thine own need and the great gain of Prayer the danger and hurt of careless and willing neglect of it how highly it honours God and I shall not need to use many reasons for perswading thee to assiduity and constancy in the performance of it Far be it from any truly fearing God to think a Christian may be as strong and well armed against temptations as heavenly minded as able to walk holily and faithfully in his calling to preserve peace and purity of heart without Prayer as with it They that are thus minded shall I hope acknowledge before they die if they belong to God that this is not the perswasion of him that called them Thus much of the circumstance of time The second point is the motive or cause which induced

believe as sted fastly as they lift From their own vvords their faith is evinced to be nothing but an idle sancy for the child of God seels such craziness in his faith as vvrings from him many deep sighs bitter cries dolorous complaints before his heavenly father who seeth in secret He who never groaned under sence and conscience of great infidelity is yet in the state of infidelity and death and hath no more true faith than the Devil But is it possible may some say that any man should be so deceived and mistaken Object as to perswade himself he is rich in faith vvhen he hath none at all I answer Answ Yes very easily For 1. the heart is naturally very full of strong presumption vvhich these men because of the ignorance that is in them not being able to distinguish from saith do therefore take and rest in the one instead of the other 2. Being full of darkness destitute of spiritual light they see not that mighty mass that sink that sea of unbelief vvhich is in them they knovv not what infidelity is nor what are the proper symptomes and effects of it and therefore though it be continually stirring yea ruling in them and breaking out so as others may discern it yet they see it not themselves because they know not them selves nor what is in them as one bodily blind or going into a dark night without a candle into a room cannot discern what filth and baggage is in it 3. All unconverted are in a deep and deadly sleep for repentance is called awaking therefore we need not think it strange or impossible they should dream of great riches when they have nothing of eating and drinking while their souls are empty 4. The Devil will do his best to keep such from doubting for fear of losing them for well he knows that to doubt one hath gone wrong is a step to returning and to fear ones heart is faithless and graceless a step to believing Secondly Let the child of God take heed of numbring himself among unbelievers and concluding that he is void of faith because sometimes he finds his heart trembling and shaken with doubtings and fears Indeed Satan will encounter a Christian with this sophistry Thou hast experience o● much wavering thou art not stedfast and rooted in faith therefore thou art not found in the faith but vve must ansvver the tempter boldly If this reason be good all the generation of the just must be condemned none of vvhich vvere exempted and priviledged from knovving vveaknesses and failings of faith If it be objected Object Christ prayed for every believer as vvell as for Peter that his faith should not fail I ansvver Sol. faith may be said to fail either in regard of habit vvhen it s utterly lost and extinguished and this failing doth not shall not befall a true believer according to our Saviours prayer and the true meaning of it or in regard of act and operation vvhen in time of danger some grievous fall or temptation it fainteth svvouneth vvorketh not or but very vveakly and in this sense and manner the best mans faith may fail as Peters did for his denial proceeded from such a cause as strength or lively povverful vvorking of faith expelleth viz. predominancy of carnal fear neither did our Lord Jesus pray that his elect might be preserved from it If it be objected again Object Abraham believed without staggering I answer 1. True Sol. when God promised Isaac but it doth not hence follow that he never at any time staggered 2. This example teacheth what a strong faith ordinarily can do and what every Christian should labour to do but not that every one who reacheth not Abrahams measure is an hypocrite I speak this for the comfort of true believers not to nuzzle up any in their doubts if any man shall hence take occasion to please himself in a floating uncertainty hanging between hope and fear and neglecting to try or labour for more strength of faith because he hears the best faith hath weaknesses he perverts and wrests the word of God to his own destruction But may some man say seeing a good Christian may be troubled Quest and tossed with doubts shall not I conclude I am the child of God and in an happy case if I feel doubtings Take heed of this deceit Answ A right believer may doubt and he may doubt that never was believer The difference between them is this First The doubts of a wicked man touching his salvation are caused or confirmed by the light and power of Gods word rightly divided and applied discovering his unfoundness and so convincing his conscience that its forced to give sentence against him and roundly to tell him he is not qualified like one that shall inherit the promises and enjoy the salvation of God they come not from Satan ordinarily for his custom is and he knows its for his profit to apply false comfort to hypocrites when God hath terrified and wounded them not to tempt them to unbelief I mean still about the matter of their salvation except when he gets them at a dead lift as in the hour of death or in some great extremity wherein he hopes to push them headlong into desperation because then he should minister occasion of seeking that precious faith of which himself is as much afraid as the Lion of fire and consequently should be divided against himself his own enemy But the doubts of a sound Christian come principally from Satan yet not without the help of natural ignorance and infidelity by means whereof he hath great advantage to work whose policy is when he cannot keep the child of God from grace then by aggravating his sin and unworthiness by extenuating or hiding from his eyes the good things God hath given him to hold and deter him from beleiving to make him if it were possible wholly to cast away his hope or else to languish in an heavy uncomfortableness greatly displeasing and dishonourable to God But how may one know that his doubts are from Satan 1. If after a diligent privy search in the closet of his soul he finds such signs of faith as certainly declare its there present though the comfort of it be not presently felt and discerned as namely a turning of the streame and bent of the thoughts and affections after heavenly things an ingenuous and lovely melting of the heart into sorrow for offending to the Lord strong desires of honouring and pleasing God with resolutions of cleaving to and following him though he should never receive comfort from him an hearty hatred of joyned with a serious strife against secret hypocrisie and carnal ends in well-doing and the like 2. If he feel that the spirit in the ministry of the Word fights against his doubts sweetly perswades and draws him to believe comforteth and rejoyceth his heart not beatting and battering down his confidence as ordinarily it doth the hypocrites but bettering and strengthening it for hereby

consequently the greater faith the more peace holiness strength comfort in afflictions who seeth not how needful it is that every Christian do chiefly and above all things desire the accomplishment of saith This discovers Vse 1 and reproves a great fault in some Christians who travel and take pains to increase knowledge sorrow for sin zeal to subdue and root out hypocrisie evil thoughts and lusts while the care of growing in Faith lies neglected or is superficially prosecuted fecondarily attended Alas do you not see my brethren I speak to such whom this point concerns that this is to begin at a wrong end as if a man should take Physick or apply Medicines for Stomach Eyes Legs Armes and be careless of the Vital Parts as the Heart and Liver or look well to the branches of a Plant and neglect the root Assure your selves the hand of Satan is in this matter who like a most subtil enemy when he cannot keep you now quickned with the life of God from seeking grace and working that which is good labors that you may seek and work preposterously and so without success or comfort doing any thing rather than that which chiefly and above all things should be done Wherefore Secondly Vse 2 let my counsel be acceptable to you as you labor to excel in every gvace so bend and apply your principal endeavours hither that you may flourish and a bound in this Cardinal Grace this Queen-Mother of graces which gives life to all other vertues and duties if ever you have tasted the sweetness and known the worth of Faith stir up your selves with an holy contention to aspire after a plenitude of Faith Why are we so shaken and disquieted when troubles yea rumors of troubles come so faint-hearted or dead in afflictions so oppressed sometimes with fears or fruitless pensiveness so burthned or distracted with want of this or that earthly blessing so weak in love to God in resisting our lusts in holy duties Why is there not as indeed there should such a light of heavenly joy and sanctity in our lives as might make the men of the world stand wondring at the glory of Christianity is it not want of this great faith this strong faith the Scripture commends Let us trace our own hearts and search the matter impartially and we shall find it to be so We all desire strong bodies strong houses firm evidences and Writings for money or land and shall we content our selues with a weak and wavering faith which will be dasht out of countenance with every doubt not labour for that stedfast and grounded assurance which will minister strong consolation It s a shame for us to be babes in faith who have so long enjoyed the means of faith We are now nearer our salvation than when we first believed and therefore should lay faster hold upon eternal life Little do we know what need we shall have of the strongest saith before we die Suppose we should be freed from outward trials the Devil will sift and winnow us and when that time comes the best of us shall find all the faith we have gotten little enough Besides oh the benefit of a manly and grown faith It s the crown and glory of a Christianity before Men and Angels it brings a man to know and enjoy a Heaven upon earth works for him wonderful things and incredible to reason fills the heart with such triumphant and glorious joy in tribulations as prophane men in all their wealth and prosperity never feel nor can possibly attain makes him conquer by suffering Wouldst thou gladly be broken-hearted humble patient heavenly minded Let faith have her perfect work and thou shalt be all these and more Gods yoke shall be sweet and easie to thee thy corruptions like Davids enemies shall fall under thy feet thou shalt chase and put to flight armies of temptations and lead about the roaring Lion in Triumph thou shalt behold God more neer and see him more clearly than many others when thou art weak thou shalt be strong when thou art poor thou shalt abound in darkness thou shalt see light and in the shadow of death find life eternal What could we want if we wanted not Faith how happy might we be if we were rich in Faith My exhortation therefore and earnest suit unto all Gods people is and shall be that they would not only strive to ferret insidelity out of their hearts and confirm Faith but seek and reach after the most excellent and eminent degree of Faith a powerful and victorious Faith carrying them far above the World in all conditions and labour by often chewing particular promises and meditation of their glorious hopes by praying earnestly with the Apostles Lord increase our faith by constant hanging upon the breasts of the Ministry coming to the word of faith with an eager appetite receiving it with application by keeping in memory and revolving the experience they have had of Gods Faithfulness and Mercy by fellowship with strong and experienced Christians exercising Faith in all occurrents and such like holy meanes labor I sy that the small grain of Faith which God hath sown in the soil of their Souls may grow up to a tall Tree whose height reacheth unto Heaven full of fair leaves nnd savoury Fruits yielding shade and shelter to many Blessed is he that heareth and keepeth for he provideth well for his Soul he shall sing when others sorrow stand when others stagger or fall the Lord shall reveal to him the abundance of peace and truth The Lord give us understanding in all things and perswade our hearts to the things which belong to our peace Thirdly I gather hence Vse 3 that Gods word doth warrant Christians to prize prefer respect Faith before all other Gifts which I note to let you see a difference betwixt Apostolical and Apostatical doctrine the spirit of Paul and the spirit of Papists for they depress the dignity of saith and extol charity and the works of charity far above it They teach that the Scripture when it hath to deal with men faithful and regenerate calls not for faith any longer but urgeth good workes they teach that true righteousness consisteth principally in charity that charity onely is the forme and Queen of vertues even of faith as if one should say the form of justice is temperance an habit distinct from it or motion the form of the spirits in our bodies prosound learning indeed by some of their own men disliked they teach that faith doth out only dispose us unto justification make us meet to receive grace and obtain Christs merits but charity alone sufficeth it to justification charity will purge away sin and deliver from the guilt of death eternal Who can endure to see the Daughter lift up above the Mother to hear the hand honoured above the heart But that such Divinity should come from Papists we shall think it less strange if we do but remember two things 1. That the Roman Synagogue