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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	sin_n	spiritual_a	6,216	5	6.8219	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73836	Seuen godlie and fruitfull sermons. The six first preached by Master Iohn Dod: the last by Master Robert Cleauer. Whereunto is annexed, a briefe discourse, touching, 1. Extinguishing of the spirit, 2. Murmuring in affliction	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.	1614 (1614)	STC 6944; ESTC S109731	185,148	341

a sort the torments of hell that they might partake of the ioyes of heauen the sound meditation thereof cannot but wound the hearts of such as haue any sparke of grace in them When it was told Dauid that Abner was slaine by Ioab though he had formerly been a rebell and was now newly reconciled vnto him yet hee mourned for him till the euening because he was a worthy man albeit he himselfe was altogether guiltlesse of his death Oh then how much more should the Saints of God lament ouer Christ Iesus who was not a worthy man but infinitly more worthy then all both men and Angels and not murdered by the treachery of another but killed by the sinnes of their soules the sins of their lips and the sinnes of their hands and if he had not been so killed they had been euerlastingly damned Put case that a man had one onely sonne which was to bee the heire of the family and hee of a sudden should find him starke dead would it not inwardly touch him and strike cold vnto his heart especially if he himselfe had vnwittingly been the cause thereof yes certainly it would go through his heart euen like a sword and such will be the griefe of those who through their transgressions haue slaine their blessed Sauiour as this very text witnesseth when they by the eye of faith doe see him heauy vnto the death crying vnto his Father in the bitternesse of his griefe being ful of torment in his bodie and fuller of anguish in his soule and that for their sakes euen for their sinnes they cannot but be exceedingly moued hereat And a little to presse the other comparison vsed in this text if the people of God did so bewaile the death of their worthy king Iosiah who yet died vnwillingly and without any intent to benefit them thereby how much more bitterlie should wee lament the death of our blessed Redeemer who was a farre greater and excellenter king then Iosiah was and yet willingly and freely laid downe his life for our sakes that he might free vs from eternall death and destruction both of our bodies and soules Questionlesse if wee haue any spirituall life and sense in vs this will make vs loath our sinnes that brought our deare Sauiour so much woe and miserie and cause vs heartily to mourne for the same euen as a man would do at the sight of a knife or sword or some such like instrument whereby at vnawares hee hath slaine his child or wife or any that was neere and deare vnto him Especiallie if wee consider that God out of his meere loue gaue his onelie Sonne vnto vs when we deserued nothing at his hands but his heauie curse and vengeance to be executed vpon vs Iohn 3.14 and that the Son of God was content from the aboundance of his loue to bee so abased and vilified so afflicted and tormented for our offences this must needes worke vpon our soules if wee haue but the least drop of goodnesse in vs. But here some man may obiect and say Obiect Indeed if al this had been done for me alone you say wel if my heart were not altogether flinty and vtterly hardened I could not but relent at the consideration hereof but all Gods elect were the cause hereof as well as I. This doth nothing diminish the loue of God and of Christ toward you Answ and therefore it should no whit lessen your good affection towards him for your Sauiour suffered as much for your iniquities as if he had suffered for no mans else for your sinnes alone required an infinite satisfaction Againe Obiect it may be asked how the consideration of Christ his death can make vs mourne sith it is the happiest thing that euer fel out since the foundations of the world were laid and therfore may seeme to bring with it greater matter of ioy then of sorrow The answere hereunto is easie Answ because ioy and sorrow may very wel stand together as may plainly appeare in this similitude If any of vs had committed some notable offence and were thereupon apprehended and condemned and now going to the place of execution there to endure whatsoeuer torture the wit or malice of men could inflict vpon vs and at this instant some deare friend of ours in singular compassion toward vs should intreate that the execution might be staied that we might be set at libertie and hee come in our steed to suffer whatsoeuer our ill deeds haue deserued we could not but be glad that we speede so well in being freed from so much miserie and yet withall if we had but naturall kindnesse and common humanity in vs it could not but grieue our soules that so good a friend of ours should be put surety should be content to sel his lands and goods for the discharge of our debts we had iust cause to reioyce thereat and yet reason requires that wee should be touched with inward griefe for that we had been such bankrouts and prouided so ill for the state of our suertie Euen so the case standeth betwixt Christ and vs he did vndergoe those punishments which were to bee inflicted vpon vs and discharged those debts which otherwise should haue been charged vpon vs in regard of our freedome wee ought to take comfort and in regard of that which our Sauiour did and suffered for vs wee must bee humbled and grieued Which serueth for the great terrour of sundrie gracelesse persons Vse 1 who being rebuked for their sinnes will confesse that indeede they haue their faults and infirmities but did not the Sonne of God die say they to redeeme vs from the same Hee did so indeed if you belong vnto him and wil you crucifie him again by your wretched and sinfull behauiour Did Christ weepe and cry and sweate droppes of blood for sinne and will you make no better vse thereof then to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and to take your swinge in sinning because Christ hath made himselfe an offering for the same You proclaime vnto all the world that you are not led by the Spirit of grace and that you haue not a liuely faith in the merites of the Sonne of God for if you were a true beleeuer you would bee so farre from continuing in sin because Christ hath redeemed you by his blood that you would therefore abhorre it and eschue it because it cost him so deere Euen as one that hath any sparkle of ciuilitie in him if his friend haue endured great tortures to free him from the imputation of treason or haue been at great charges to deliuer him being cast in prison for debt will walke more circumspectly and aduisedlie all the daies of his life and will be so farre from aduenturing vpon those bad courses againe that hee will bee so much more carefull to auoide them by how much more paines and cost his friends haue been at for his redeeming Secondlie Vse 2 let this teach vs to exercise our thoughts often

The soundnesse thereof both which are more fully laid open in that which goes before Thus much concerning the meaning and order of the words now let vs consider of such instructions as may thence arise for our learning Vers 11. And I will poure vpon the house of Dauid c. the Spirit of grace c. In that the Lord hauing promised that his Church shall bee brought to wonderfull excellencie doth set downe this as the meanes whereby he wil effect it that they shal haue the Spirit in great plenty powred downe vpon them this shall be the doctrine That the way to all happinesse and blessednesse Doct. 1 is to haue the Spirit of grace bestowed vpon vs. The Spirit of God is the author of all happinesse Whosoeuer hath not this though he bee neuer so great in the world hee is altogether wretched and miserable subiect to the curse of God and to continuall vexations and discontentments and on the other side whosoeuer hath this holy Spirit dwelling in his heart is an happy and blessed man though hee be neuer so much deiected and cast downe through outward afflictions and tribulations This point is euident in the prophecy of Isaiah Isa 32.13.14 c. where it is shewed that so long as the Spirit of God is withheld from men they haue grieuous ruines and desperate decaies among them and they still go from ill to worse being ill without and ill within but how long doth this continue Vntill the Spirit bee powred vpon them from aboue And what then The wildernesse shall become a fruitfull field That is those men and women that were like a wildernesse before bringing forth nothing but brambles and briars nothing but pride and worldlinesse and such like fruites of the flesh euen those men and women shall be as a fruitfull field being beautified and adorned with the vertues of Christ and with the graces of his Spirit and not onely so but likewise enriched with all good prosperity which the Lord seeth needfull for them Now the reasons why the Spirit maketh men so happy Reasons are these First Reas 1 because it doth mortifie and crucifie the flesh that is originall corruption Rom. 8.13 with all the lusts and fruites thereof It doth not lye still where it is suffering the soule of the party to be vnder the dominion of sinne but it abateth and consurneth it by little and little till at length his soule and body bee as cleare from sinne as Adams was before his fal So that looke how the Israelites did by degrees weare and wast the Canaanites out of the land till it was wholly brought in subiection vnto them so doth the holy Ghost destroy and root out the enemies of our soules not making them tributarie as Ioshua did some of the cursed Canaanites but spoyling them of their strength by little and little and at length vtterly consuming * This is to be vnderstood of the time of their dissolution as it appeareth by diuers other Doctrines of Master Dods as that on Isaiah Doct. 4. and Doct. 8. that God lookes not for perfection in this life See also the 3. vse of this Doct. Ephes 2.1 Rom. 8.11 1. Iohn 4.4 them so that they shall haue no place at all within vs. And as it killeth sinne so it quickeneth the dead soule and maketh the whole man apt and fit for euery good worke That Spirit which raised vp Christ Iesus from a naturall death doth also raise vs vp from the death of sinne to the life of grace and putteth more spirituall strength into vs then the flesh the world and the diuell can bring against vs. Further more in the third Chapter of the second to the Corinthians Reas 2 there are three speciall reasons to shew the happinesse of him that is endued with Gods Spirit the first whereof is this That whereas all men naturally are like the Iewes who as it is there said when they come to the meanes of saluation haue a voile vpon their minds 2. Cor. 3.14 so that they can see nothing to saue their soules to further their repentance to cause them to beleeue in Christ Iesus and to place their hope and happinesse in him as soone as euer the Spirit of grace entreth into them this blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart is remooued and then they are enabled soundly to vnderstand and truely to applie the word preached vnto their owne soules Verse 16. Againe it is said in the selfe same place That where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie Vers 17. Till such time as that doth set men free they are held fast in the cordes and chaines of iniquity and are miserable slaues vnto the vilest slaue that is euen vnto Satan himselfe who is an Apostata and a reprobate and in the most wretched slauerie that can be imagined viz. to serue sin in the lusts thereof and which is the most grieuous of all the rest they shall haue the worst wages that may be euen the curse and vengeance of God while they liue and eternall damnation of body and soule after they are dead Now when the Spirit of Christ taketh possession of vs it causeth vs to disclaime the seruice of Satan and to become seruants vnto the liuing God Rom. 6. it filleth vs full of good meditations of holy desires and spirituall affections it furnisheth vs with ability to performe the duties of religion of our callings in a word it maketh vs willing and able both to do all maner of good and to resist all manner of euill So that after wee haue receiued the holy Ghost into our hearts we shall not say This is my nature and I cannot doe otherwise but with the Apostle Paul I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee I wil neuer bee in bondage vnto my corruptions any more for grace shall haue the vpper hand of nature and the Spirit shall master the flesh and get the better of it Lastly it is added in the same place that by vertue of the Spirit wee see the glory of Christ in the Gospel and are changed into his image from glory to glory that is from one measure of knowledge and holinesse into another verse 16. Wee would thinke no price too great to be giuen for such a looking glasse as would make one that is deformed to become beautifull by the very beholding thereof how much then should wee esteeme the holy word of God which through the operation of the Spirit is made effectuall not to change the naturall visage which is a smaller matter but to alter the forme and shape of the soule and to make it very beautifull and amiable in the sight of God and of his holy Angels which was before time a most vgly and deformed creature This must needs be a maruellous great benefit for if the defacing of Gods Image be the cause of all our woe then the repairing thereof must of necessitie be the

substance so much high-mindednes there is in the parties so addicted The more men trust in God the more humble they will be but the more they trust in their wealth the more high-minded they will bee If men would trie themselues by this touch-stone they should easily discerne abundance of pride in themselues for who almost is there but doeth thinke himselfe the better and safer for the very hauing of earthlie things and who doth not iudge his case more miserable meerly for the want of these deceitfull vanities Let vs therefore sifte our owne hearts and by these and the like fruites of pride learne to iudge what abundance of this poysoned sappe there is within vs. And then perceiuing how liable wee are vnto many fearefull stroakes of God by reason thereof let vs carefully vse these remedies following against the same First let vs often search and trie our owne hearts and workes by the right rule Remedies against Pride that is by the holy law of God for none are lifted vp but such as doe not knowe themselues for if wee rightly considered what we are and what our actions are it would take downe all that foolish conceitednes that is naturallie ingrafted in vs and cause vs to say with the Publican Lord bee mercifull to mee a sinner and with Paul Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Luke 18.13 Rom. 7.24 hee was aliue that is thought himselfe aliue and in verie good case before the law came cōuinced him of his wretched corruptions hee was euen as a blinde man that feares nothing though a man came running vpon him with a sharpe sword or he were ready to fal down violētly frō an high and dangerous rocke he would neuer be daunted at the matter nor one whit moued because hee sees not that hee is in any danger such was Pauls case and such is the state of euery vnregenerate man but when Gods law is once pressed vpon the conscience by the liuely working of the holie Ghost it inlightens the minde and makes men see their owne sinfulnes as Paul did which is an excellent meanes to kill all proud and loftie conceits If therefore we desire to be ridde of this hatefull and hurtfull companion I meane pride let vs often and earnestly examine our selues by this straight rule of Gods law we are giuen to try our selues often by examining whether we be not better than such a man or such a woman but this is a false and a deceitfull rule for a man may be better than such and such and yet be starke naught But the proud flesh will be readie to obiect and say Obiect I doe not onely goe beyond these and these wicked ones but I am better than diuers that are esteemed godly and religious Are you so you may easily be deceiued Answer and the better conceit you haue of your selfe the worse you are likely to be but grant for the time that you excell others in some things doe not they goe before you in some other you haue a better gouernement of your tongue than many of your neighbours but are you not more grosly tainted with couetousnes than they are You haue a better gift of chastitie than another but doeth not he lesse offend in violent distempered passions than you doe and the like might be said in other particulars If you consider your owne goodnes and others badnes you may easily growe to thinke better of your selfe than of others but if you would withall set before your eyes their goodnes and your owne badnes it would happily make you to haue a better opinion of them than of your selfe and cause you to conclude that all things considered their graces are more excellent than yours But let that be yeelded that you are indeed beyond many others in pietie and godlines doe you not yet come farre short of that which the law requireth for those gifts that you haue whence proceeded they are they not bestowed vpon you out of the Lords meere bountie and if you haue receiued them why are you puffed vp as if you had not receiued them If you did aright consider that you are no more worthy of the least blessing of God than the vilest creature in the world and that not your goodnes but Gods goodnes is the cause that you excell others there would be no place left for ouer-weening cōceits of your selfe but you would conclude as the truth is that the better you are gifted Rom. 1.14 the more you are indebted and the more talents you haue the more thankes you owe vnto God Math. 25. and the more seruice vnto his people And thus much for the first remedie against pride which is to try our selues and our actions by the true touchstone of Gods word The second is often to bring our hearts into Gods presence by prayer thanks-giuing for that will make vs acquainted with that holines which is in the Lord and then we cannot but see and acknowledge that vilenes which is in our selues This was it that made Abrahā the father of Beleeuers and the most excellent of all the Patriarks Gen. 18.27 to confesse that he was but dust and ashes this was it that caused Isaiah a maruellous holy prophet Isa 42.6 to cry out that he was a man of polluted lips and this was it that made Iob that worthie and renowmed seruant of God Iob. 42.6 euen to abhorre himselfe and to repent indust and ashes And assuredly if we constantly and zealously accustome our selues to come before Gods glorious throane it will make vs much ashamed to stand vpon our owne worth and frame vs to a very lowly conceit of our selues And on the contrarie we may boldly conclude that they that doe not vse reuerently and faithfully to call vpon the Lord are proud and hautie and arrogant persons and neuer yet knewe what true lowlines meant where there are many and feruent prayers there is much humilitie where there are fewe and weake prayers there is little humilitie where there are no faithfull prayers at all there is no humilitie at all A third helpe against pride is diligence in some lawfull calling Eccl. 1.13 for labour and trauell as the wise man saith are appointed vnto the sonnes of men to humble them thereby As for idle persons they are alwaies proud and conceited A sluggard is wiser in his owne eyes Prou. then ten men that can render a reason for such kind of people hauing nothing to busie their heads about are very readie Sathan helping them forward to thinke of their owne worth to imagine high things of themselues and so to build ●astles in the aire besides that idlenes nourisheth in them all manner of vile lusts and the more sinfull any one is the more proud he is and therefore is the diuell more proud than any because he is more sinfull than any If then we would not be in bondage

lead by him according to his will but it pearseth them thorow with many sorrowes for greedy wordlings are euer disconted and froward falling out with one and chafing with another so that those things which seeme to glad their hearts doe not indeed bring them any sound contentment because their desires can neuer be satisfied but especially because they are often times much crossed as when their sheepe or cattle miscarry their grounds prooue vnfruitfull their seruants vntrusty theeues set vpon them by violence to spoile them of their goods or subtill aduersaries by craft seeke to defraud them of the same with many such like occurrences which will neither let them rest quietly in the night nor liue comfortably in the day and the hearts of such couetous persons can tell them that manie times all other things doe them no good sithence they cannot haue some one thing which they would as the case stood with wicked Ahab in the matter of Naboths vineyard But suppose that these and the like sinnes should not bring men into snares in their life time yet at the time of their death when they must goe out of the world they will Iob. 27.8 for what hope hath the hypocrite when God shall take away his life though he haue heaped vp riches as the dust yet when God shall vnsheath his soule and put it violently from his body as a rustie sword out of the scabberd what good will all his substance doe him then It was his hope while he liued that he should still get more wealth but when death sets vpon him he is past that hope and for better hopes he hath none and therefore must needs be full of woe and full of perplexitie Then though he call vpon God he will not answer Pro. 1. ●6 8 and though he seeke him early he shall not finde him but God will laugh at his destruction and mocke when his feare commeth Because God called and he refused he stretched out his hand and he would not regard therefore when he crieth the Lord will shut out his prayer But set the case they be not in such perplexitie at the time of their death but that they die securely and goe suddenly downe to the graue as senslesse blocks or stones yet must they come before the iudgement seat of Christ and then they shall be paid home for all Ordinarily they meet with extremitie of anguish while they liue or when they die but if they doe not they shall not misse of it when they appeare before the Iudge of heauen and earth Rom. 2. but tribulation and anguish shal be vpon euery soule that hath offended of what estate and degree soeuer he hath beene Then their distresse and honour shall be such that when they arise out of their graues they shall wish to returne thither againe yea they shall desire that the mountaines and rockes might fall vpon them couer them from him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Then they would thinke no paines nor torment too much so they might perish euerlastingly they could rather desire that an huge rocke or great mountaine might crush them in peeces and that they might perish as beasts than to appeare before Christ Iesus to receiue that fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed c This is the proper wages of sinne and of disobedience against the Lord it castes the committers of it into a wofull Labyrinth of distresses and miseries and good reason is there that it should be so because otherwise the hatefulnes of it and the hatred of God against it would not cleerely appeare so men would like better of the broad way than of the narrow and chuse to be rebells against the Lord rather than obedient subiects vnto him euen the best would doe this as well as the worst Which serueth First Vse 1 for instruction that we should beware of all kinds of sinne and consider what will come of it before we presume to rush vpō it let vs looke before we leape lest afterwards we repent vs when it is too late Sinne will make goodly shewes of delight and preferment and commoditie that it will bring vnto vs that if we will giue entertainement thereunto it will neuer be a meanes of any disgrace vnto vs but will hide it selfe from the view of the world But what doth the Lord say of it Doth not he tell vs that it will breake out and flie abroad at length The adulterer would haue his wretched pleasure but not the iust reproach of his filthinesse But what saith Iob Iob. 31.3 Are there not strange punishments for such workers of iniquitie And though they may hide it from the eyes of men Verse 4. doth not God behold their waies and tell all their steps If Adam and Eue had considered what mischiefe would haue ensued on their eating of the forbidden fruit they would neuer haue tasted thereof but when they would beleeue the serpent rather then God did not they and shall not their posteritie for euer smart for it The Prophet Micaiah bid Ahab take heede of his iourney to Ramoth Gilead yet he would haue his owne minde let the prophet say what he would but when the arrow was shot into his side then he saw that Micaiahs counsell had beene worth the following but then it was too late and such is the folly and madnesse of most men they must haue their owne wils and their owne waies and will neuer hearken to those instructions that are giuen them either by God or by godly men till miserie haue ouerwhelmed their soules and they be past recouerie But let their follie teach vs to be wiser and let vs take heede of Sathans baites and of his sugred poyson Math. 4. he will make vs profers as he did vnto our Sauiour of maruellous great honour and pleasure and gaine that may be gotten by such and such sinfull courses but let vs neuer giue credit vnto him Iohn 8. for he is a lyar from the beginning but Secondly Vse 2 if we haue harkned too far vnto him already and haue fallen by our iniquitie let vs withall possible speede get out of that which holds vs in bondage and wrappeth vs in miserie and chaineth vs in many sorrowes and calamities let vs get sound repentance for it and striue for a reformation of it let not sinne keepe possession in vs and then iudgements shall not long continue vpon vs He that hath committed any grosse sinne is as it were a prisoner according to that of Salomon Prou. 5.22 His owne wickednesse shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne There is a iudiciall proceeding against him sinne commeth as an officer and chargeth the partie to stand then it apprehendeth him and bindeth him hand and foot as a malefactor it spareth not the mightiest Monarch in the world that is found guiltie before the Lord after there is a