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	put_v	sin_n	4,748	5	4.7703	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67047	A word in season. Or Three great duties of Christians in the worst of times viz. abiding in Christ, thirsting after his institutions, and submission to his providences. The first opened, from 1 John 2.28. The second from Psal. 42.1,2. The third from Jer. 14.19. By a servant of Christs in the work of his Gospel. To which is added, by way of appendix, the advice of some ministers to their people for the reviving the power and practice of godliness in their families.	Servant of Christ in the work of his Gospel.	1668 (1668)	Wing W3548A; ESTC R204145	100,163	272

engaged themselves to Christ and as it were taken an Oath of Allegiance to him and after this are found so far from serving Christ that they are in the thickest of his enemies Is there such a thing as treason and rebellion against earthly Powers and Princes and is there none against the God of heaven Shall an earthly Prince be judged just in tormenting to death a traitor to his Crown and Dignity and shall not the Lord of Lords and the Ruler of Princes be judged just in taking exemplary vengeance upon those that are traitors to his Majesty Is it an odious thing to be a traitor to a man and is there no odiousness in being traitors to the glorious God Every person that hath been baptized into Christ and after this lives in drunkenness uncleanness profane and open sinning defying God and his Word is such a traitor Do these men abide in Christ these that do not abide so much as in moral vertue these that have not yet attained to the perfections of a good Heathen Oh remember your vows Christians remember your baptismal vows to the great God remember his Name into which you were baptized Were you baptized into the name of the devil or into the name of the world or were you baptized into Christ You that abhor the names of traitors and rebels to your Prince abhor also the name and thing of treason and re●lion to the glorious Son of God Secondly So many as have made a more explicit profession of Religion not only entring their names into Christs Muster-roll as every baptized person doth but who have shewed themselves in his Artillery-ground worn his colours actually put themselves under ●he conduct of his Officers in his Church and walked with the Church of God and after this have gone out from them not to another company whose profession was more strict and exact but to associate themselves with ●he children of the world for whose ●ecks the yoke of Christ is too strait ●hese are some of those who do not abide in him And is there any time that doth not afford either a Demas that forsakes the ways of God to embrace the present world or some Di●trephes that loves the preheminence Some or other who either from impatience of dishonour and reproach or a desire of honour places of trust repute c. or fear of a prison and danger or out of a principle of covetonsness for a piece of bread or for the gaining of a great estate will not the sert the holy and right ways o● God Thirdly Such as have indeed tasted 〈◊〉 the distinguishing goodness of God having not yet perfectly put off the old man 〈◊〉 labouring under a body of death may 〈◊〉 the law of their members be brought in some captivity to the law of sin for a tim● 'T is true their union with Chri●● abideth indissoluble but in an hour o● temptation they may possibly fa● away not totally not finally but foully abating of their commumon with God waxing cold in their love and zeal for the glory of God Now to all these 〈◊〉 would direct the close of my discour● speaking to them in the language of the Prophet Jer. 3.13 Turn unt● me you back-sliding children saith the Lord. Turn turn why will you die O you sons of men I shall mostly for arguments to enforce this Exhortation confine my self to that excellent Prophet in the second and third chapters of his Prophesie to which I shall desire you to turn your eyes 1. Consider in the first place What God hath done for you Thus the Lord impleaded the Israelites Jer. 2.31 give me leave to alter the words a little Was the Lord ever unto you a wilderness or a land of darkness Is it not he that hath made you that hath preserved you ever since you hung upon your mothers breasts Hath he not sent his Son to die the accursed death of the cross for you Is it nothing to you that he hath admitted you to be baptized into his Name to live within the pale of his Church under the constant droppings of the fountain of life Hath not he for some of your souls done greater things in plucking you as brands out of hell fire in making a particular application of the blood o● Christ to your souls And can you forsake such a God as this Hath not ●e who died upon the Cross for you deserved so much at your hands as to watch with him in one hour of temptation Have you thus requited the Rock of your salvation O you unthankful souls Are you afraid of a nick name or a prison for him who was not afraid of a Cross for you Hath the Lord brought you under the light of his Gospel shewing you the right way of the Lord when the● Pagan world where are ten thousand● under more valuable circumstances 〈◊〉 to humane estimation than you lie in darkness worshipping devils and stocks instead of God Nay hath he brought you into the purest light to live in the Reformed Church when a great part of the Christian world lies in the darkness of Popish idolatry and superstition Yet further Hath the Lord illuminated any of you with the common light at least of his Spirit so as you have tasted of the heavenly gift Heb. 6.5 6. and been made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come And after this are you gone away What will you answer the God of your mercies another day But yet further If any have tasted the distinguishing grace of God and been made partakers of his saving grace which is communicated but to one of a City or two of a Tribe to a few a very few if you should abate in your strictness if you should not abide in the closest communion with the Lord Christ How will you ever behold the face of Christ with confidence O let the reflection upon the former kindness of ●od to you prevail with you to repent and do your first works Secondly What iniquity have you ●ound in God that you could not abide 〈◊〉 him This argument the Prophet useth to back-sliding Israel in Jer. 2.5 I here make an appeal to the consciences of those who have formerly walked with the Saints of God in visible communion and themselves made a profession of those ways from which they have turned aside and which it may be they now persecute What in●● quity did ever you find in the ways of Go●● I know what the world saith of th● courses of pure Religion and of th● professors of it Acts 24.5 Tertullus the Rom● Lawyer charged Paul with being 〈◊〉 mover of sedition a pestilent fellow 〈◊〉 that profaned the Temple The me●● the world speak the same langua●● still But I appeal to you did you e● find any such thing in the principle● practice of severer piety and p●● communion with God This th● thing makes my heart to tremble 〈◊〉 many

best of souls are growing but ●●ver come to their full growth Now the ●●titutions of God are the souls food and ●●ment in order to this growth The mark which is set in a Christians eye is The fulness of the measure of stature which is in Christ Perfection Being holy as Christ is holy perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect These are high marks every good Christian levels at them none hits them St. Paul himself had not attained but this one thing he did forgetting what was behind he pressed on to what was before A good Christian never standeth still but is always moving adding to his faith vertue to vertue temperance c. Growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ Going on from strength to strength Now the institutions of God are the means of growth they are the souls food and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born habes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby Psal 119.130 The entram● of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple They make wise the simple enlighten the eyes By them the servants of God are warned c. As well then can a growing child not hunger and thirst after food the prop●● nourishment of its body as soon m● a man not hunger and thirst for his m●● and drink by which his soul is kept●● life as a Christian not hunger and thir●● after the institutions of God by which he groweth and by which he is preserved in his spiritual state 2. Though the weakest of Gods childr● be in a better state than the best unreg●● rate man yet none of their souls are in persect health Now the Ordinances of God are their spiritual physick The child of God while he lives on this side heaven is like a man or woman that hath a weak crazy constitution he is not always alike ill disposed nor always complains of the same distempers but 't is seldom that he is not complaining of one distemper or other One while of an hard heart another while of an heavy ●ull and dead spirit one while of a sad and dejected spirit another while of a di●racted vain spirit c. some ailment or other he always carries about with him and will do while his body of death abides in him the fountain of all spiritual diseases One while he is buffeted by ●●atan another while he is pressed with ●s own corruptions Now the Ordi●●nces of God are the leaves of the tree of life appointed for the healing of the Nations David was sadly distempered with a temptation from the prosperity of the wicked while he was in adverfity till he went into the sanctuary Psal 73.13 Hannab was of a troubled spirit till she went into the tabernacle to pray then her countenance was no more sad Psal 119.81 My soul fainteth for thee but I hope in thy word verse 50. And so in many other Texts As soon therefore may one labouring under daily pain weakness and distempers not desire deliberately what shall heal him as the child of God no● thirst after the institutions of God which are All-heal to his soul The gre●● and easie means for his spiritual cure Thirdly The gracious soul is alway looking after God but never in this liffully seeth him Gods institutions are a● glasses to the soul by which it hath a cleare● and fuller sight of God The power and glory of God are seen in the Sanctuary Psal 63.3 Next to the beholding o● God face to face it this beholding of him in duties of communion with him O● what a communion with God doth the soul of a godly person oft-times enjoy in a Prayer in a Sacrament in the hearing of the Word and every sighted God is exceeding sweet Thus I have opened to you the second thing which is the cause of this singular spiritu● thirst 3. A third is The Saints experiences God in Or dinances There is no gracious soul but at one time or other in Prayer in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacrament hath tasted and seen how good the Lord is Now it is of our nature having tasted that which we have found good and excellent the more to long for it But I shall adde no more to the Doctrinal part of this discourse I shall now come to the Application In the first place we may learn what to judge of those 1. Vse In truct who either despise Gods institutions or at least are very indifferent to them 1. There are too too many that despise them they mock at Preaching at Sacraments at Prayer they like a Play better or see no need of them at all some out of a principle of profaneness fordid souls that savour nothing of heaven and heavenly things nothing of that noble end for which man is created or to which he is obliged to direct his actions whether they have souls or no they scarce understand or if they have whether they differ from the sensitive souls of Dogs or Swines they consider not What the natural and animal life means they understand but what the spiritual life meaneth they understand not The drunkard thirsts after his cups of wine or other liquor the voluptuous man after his pleasures the covetous man after wealth but for those holy institutions of God which are pabulum animae those precious things by which mens souls live they understand them not they trample them under foot and it may be rend them who bring them to them Others there are that are not altogether thus bad but yet are very indifferent as to these things they can hear a Sermon and they can let it alone whether ever they be at one or no whether ever they sit at the Lords Table or no whether ever they pray or no they are very mdifferent O how unlike is the spirit of these men to the spirit of holy David What would you say to a child that should be born and never cry for food would not you sit it had nothing in it of humane nature or that it would not live long● You may as certainly conclude conceming such souls as these that they have nothing in them of the Divine Nature and they do not live at all the life of grace nor ever will live the life of glory There is no sadder sign either of a dead soul dead while it lives dead in trespasses and sins or of a decaying perishing soul than the want of this spiritual appetite this hungring and thirsting after the institutions of God Hence secondly observe 2. Br. How necessarily precious the true able faithful Ministers of the Gospel must be to gracious souls They are the earthen vessels which bring this heavenly treasure It was said of old Blessed is he that comes unto us in the name of the Lord. And Rom. 10.15 Rom. 10.15 How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace The Ordinance of the Ministry in this hath the preheminence of other

passionately desirous of them or of some of them at other times me think I find too much of an indifferent Spirit in this point I even force my self sometimes t● my duty at other times I can attend them but I do not find such a desire to them as 〈◊〉 would do but could almost be content to live without them● What shall I judge of my self i● this case To this case which is complex containing the cases of different souls I shall speak in some few Conclusions following A Real Spiritual vehement thirst after God in Divine Institutions 1. Concl. will I think unquestionably speak a true Christian I say a true thirst not pretended and feigned a spiritual thirst after the pure divine substantial part of the Institution separated from the less significant circumstances of the administration after God in the Ordinance when the enjoyment of the presence of God and communion with him is made the ultimate object and Ordinances are desired for that This thirst I say will argue one to have tasted of the grace of God For 1. We find no record in Scripture of any such thirst but in truly honest and gracious souls 2. Whence can such a thirst proceed but from the new nature making choice of its spiritual food Those that walk after the flesh mind the things of the flesh Those after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 In Ordinances the carnal man can mind nothing but the carnal part he is more pleased with the noise of the Musick than the matter of the Song with the tone and method and behaviour and phrase and wit of the Preacher than the spiritual convincing matter of the Sermon more with the tone and language of him that prayeth or ministreth in prayer than with the pouring out of the soul in prayer it argues a spiritual man in duties to mind the things of the Spirit In them 3. Again A Christian is not to be judged from his success in duty nor from his action but from his affection and temper to it The success is from God and is various as it pleaseth him to deal with a poor soul In his action he may be hindered of his will by the incumbrance of the body of death which cleaveth to the best of Gods children and bringeth the Law of his mind in captivity to the Law of his members So that were a Christian before me that could say no more than this My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Ordinances of God I cannot say that when I enjoy them I find so much in them of peace or satisfaction as I desire but yet my heart beateth for them I could be content to be a dweller in the House of the Lord alwayes hearing his word alwayes at prayer yet I cannot hear as I would nor pray as I desire I should not doubt to say Be of good chear thy soul is in a good condition Flesh and blood hath never revealed this to thee this thirst this passionate desire cometh from him that hath called thee to be partaker of his distinguishing grace There is no such thirst found in any unrenewed soul Secondly As it is with the natural body the appetite may decay 2. Concl. but the body cannot long subsist without some appetite so it is with the soul there may be some decay in the spiritual appetite but the soul that hath a truth of spiritual life cannot long subsist without some spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions I say there may in a gracious soul be some thatement of spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions which may be caused 1. From a plenty of them through our natural corruption when we are full we wax wanton when the Israelites had a fulness of Manna Nu. 21.5 Num. 21 5● They cryed out Our soul loatheth this light bread 1 Sa. 3.1 1 Sam. 3.1 The word of God was precious in those dayes there was no open vision intimating it was less precious when it was more common We have seen sad experiences of it Have you seen persons delicately sed with plenty of choicest meats pingle at a good and wholsom dish before them scarce knowing where to pick a bit to please them or how to advantage their stomach with Sauce rare enough and turning it away when there hath been but a little error of a Cook in roasting or garnishing it o● in the cleaness or brightness of a dish it hath been served up in When an hungry labouring man hath presently sell greedily to it though without any Sauce and in a plain dish Such a sight you might lately have seen in the House of God amongst us how nice and squeamish were Christians how little cared they for an honest Sermon if not delivered with such a grace such an authority and gravity as was the gift of God to some particular persons with such neatness of method and ●hrase as was not the portion of every faithful Minister to serve them with This proceeded only from our corruptions in regard of our plenty of spiritual enjoyments 2. Secondly Such an abatement of spiritual appetite may proceed from the pre●●minancy of some particular lusts or corruptions It is no wonder if the young man that eateth coals and dirt or the man whose stomach is clogged with crudities and noxious humours abates in his appetite to his due food A child of God though he doth not seed 〈◊〉 coals and dirt lusts and corruptions ●s his daily bread as natural and unregenerate men do yet he may sometimes have a vitiated pallat a stranger ●ay come even to Davids house there may be a time when iniquities may ●●●ail against him when the Sons of lerviah may be too hard for him and 〈◊〉 such a day there will be an abatement of the spiritual appetite to its ●oper food 3. Sometimes this abatement may be caused from some discouragement which the soul hath received at the Ordinance It may and it often doth so happen that the soul of a Christian findeth not that satisfaction at Sermons at Sacraments in hours of prayer which he expected and hoped for but it may be he returneth from the Ordinance more sad than he went and this from day to day and this discouragement abateth his appe●ite he hungers he thirsteth still but not with such a degree as he formerly found under better encouragements 4. Lastly It sometimes happeneth by his listening to some powerful Temptation A melancholick fancy or an ill report of our food from others will often spoil our natural stomack and at least abate our appetite We see it often in melancholick persons either some odd fancy of their own or some idle story of another persuading them the meat is not proper for them will take them of their stomach the same unhappy humour will do it as to our spiritual food especially if advantaged by any suggestion of the Envious One who knows our advantage from the institutions of God Upon those accounts