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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	word_n	4,388	5	4.1531	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12210	Yea and amen: or, pretious promises, and priviledges Spiritually unfolded in their nature and vse. Driving at the assurance and establishing of weak beleevers. By R. Sibbs D.D. master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and preacher of Grayes Inne London. Reviewed by himselfe in his life time, and since perused by T.G. and P.N.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1638 (1638)	STC 22521; ESTC S102402	91,199	446

and prophanenesse and yet for all this say they love God Is it possible that the love of God and the love of sinne shold ever stand together Proceed wee now to some reasons and directions for the attaining of this grace And first let us not rest in an inferiour degree of this affection but rise up therin and labour that it may have full assent There are degrees of assent as when we love God because we love our selves a naturall man may doe so but this is not enough for if wee love God for our selves we make our selves our God Where the heart is truly set upon God it delights in him only for himselfe and takes comfort in no condition further than he sees God in it He never affected Christ in truth that is more taken with the benefits and priviledges that come by him than with the excellency of his person What friend will bee content that a man should only love him because he doth him good We must love our selves and all other things in and for God Moses and Paul rejoyced to honour the Lord though themselves were accurfed and deprived of happinesse and if wee could so love Christ as not to desire heaven it selfe if Christ were not there This were truly to affect him for indeed if Christ were not there heaven should not be heaven unto us Wee must love our happinesse no further than we can have with it Gods good leave and liking Againe we shall know our love to God whether it be sincere or no by our abstaining from sinne If wee avoid evill for feare of punishment or hope of reward only our love is unsound but when we so love God that wee will not doe any thing contrary to his spirit it is a speciall signe Such a man if there were no hell to punish him nor place of blisse to receive him yet would not breake with God upon any termes For the meanes to attaine this love we must in the first place labour for an humble empty soule Blessed are the poore in Spirit saith Christ for such only apprehend their misery without Christ and their need of him which occasions an holy rejoycing in the Lord and unfained love to him What is the reason that some are so ravished with the favours of the Almighty Is it not for that they were so formerly stung with the sight and feeling of their sinnes the more loving Christian ever the more humble Christian. Mark it when you will and you shall find this disposition manifest in every true convert they are daily humbling themselves for the least offence A second direction is to tast of the love of God in Christ. When the beams of his favour once shine into our hearts we cannot but reflect upon him againe We love him saith the Apostle because he loved us first Mary therefore loved much because shee had experience of Gods love in forgiving her many sinnes When a broken humble soule truly savoureth the goodnesse of the Lord it cannot but be enflamed with desire after him A Christian after hee hath had a taste of the love of God hath another manner of judgement of justification than before Taste and see saith David how good and gracious the Lord is A man that rellishes the sweetnesse of a thing can better judge of it than hee which never tasted it A third direction is to see what motives and reasons wee have from the love of God in Christ to exercise our understanding this way Wee know heat commeth from light and there is a sympathie betweene the braine and the heart the braine must make a report to the heart before that can bee enflamed with affection therefore seriously search into the grounds of thy affection The first ground is goodnesse in God God is goodnesse it self in whom all good is involved if therefore wee love other things for the goodnesse which wee see in them Why doe wee not love God in whom is all goodnesse All other things are but sparks of that fire and drops of that Sea seest thou any good in the creature remember there is much more in the Creator leave therefore the streames and goe to the well-head of comfort Another reason of love is our affinity with God our Father and friend who is unto us in all degrees of neerenesse both our head and our husband were not the Sonne ours what fellowship could we have with the Father having such a Mediator with God that is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh why should we feare to go unto him He hath taken upon him these comfortable relations of Shepheard and Brother to possesse us of his acquaintance with our infirmities and readinesse to releeve us For shall others by his grace fulfill what hee calls them unto and not he that out of his love hath taken upon him these relations so throughly founded upon his Fathers assignment and his owne voluntary undertaking How doth the tender Mother sympathize in the anguish of her child notwithstanding all its froward aversenesse and shall we think there is more bowells in our selves than in God can there be more sweetnesse in the streame than in the spring If the well of consolation be alwayes open and the fountaine of living water bee never shut up let us teach our hearts to suck and draw comfort from these rivers of refreshing What a shame is it that men should hunger at such a feast Consider likewise the benefits which wee have bestowed upon us and the end why God vouchsafes us so much favour Benefits win love even from bruit creatures therfore wee are worse than beasts if we love not God for his benefits The Oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib what are wee indeed but an heap of Gods benefits All our faculties of soule and body are the blessings of God Whatsoever wee have or hope to have is from him Our breath life and being subsists in God who hath promised that heaven and earth men and Devils crosses and blessings sinne and death all shall be turned by his over-ruling power to our good Consider what now we are what a happy condition God hath made us capable of hereafter Is it a small matter that wee should be regarded above the Angels that fell And that he who knew no sin should be made sinne for us nay become a curse to free us from the curse It was strange that the three Children being cast into the hot fiery Furnace should not burne So likewise it is a wonder that Christians being in the midst of the flame of Gods love should be so cold and dead hearted it is not only the guilt of sin that we are freed from but the unsupportable vengeance of the Almighty due for the same and is this a small matter If we regard the manner of bestowing his benefits it will much advance Gods goodnesse towards us and raise up our spirits to love him againe Doth not

17. Rom. 8. Faith and Hope what they are and of what use Heb. 11. 1. Division of the Promises Temporal promises conditionall Mark 10. 20. Vse Object Answ. Deut 28. 16. Quest. Answ. How to get in Christ. Quest. Answ. Iohn 17. 3 Quest. Answ. Phil. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 8. The stability of a Christian having promises Heb. 13. 5. 1 Tim. 4. 8 Psal. 88. 4. Psal. 91. Psal. 112. 7 Psal. 12. Psal. 119. Obser. 1. A Christian needs stablishing grace Obser. 2. The life of a Christian fullof dependancy Mar. 16. 17 18 19 Vse 1 Sam. 2. 9. Prov. 3. Psal. 115. Object Answ. How to discerne establishing grace Helpes to obt●ine confirming grace Object Answ. Psal. 9. 10. Sue the Promises in Prayer Quest. Answ. Why troubles are so irksome Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 105. 15 The Spirits sealing Quest. Answ. What our sealing is and the use of it Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Ephes. 1. 13. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 42. 13 Vse Psal. 45. Psal. 116. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. In want of comfort what is to be done Quest. Answ. Why the Spirit is called an earnest Quest. Answ. God meanes truly in giving his earnest Assurance of our estates not alwayes alike A double act of faith to work assurance Things hindring our assurance Sense of Gods love how preserved Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Symptomes of the Spirits inhabitation out of Rom. 8. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. How the Spirit is grieved Parts of the Text. Psal. 119. Quest. Answ. Doct. All good things 1 God the Father 2 God the Sonne 3 God the Holy Ghost 4 Angells Psal. 34. 5 Magistrates 6 Ministers 7 The Word 8 Sacraments 9 Outward gifts 10 Outward gifts of Reprobates 11 Favour of Princes 1 Sinne. 2 Corruption of nature 3 Inward and outward grosse sins 1. Doubtings 2 Anger covetousnesse c. 3 〈◊〉 sinnes 4 Carnall sinnes Gal. 6. 6. 5 Sins of others of Gods children Vse Vse 4 Desertions Psal. 6. 5 Wounded Spirit Luke 4. 1. 6 Blasphemous thoughts 7 Continuance in sinne 8 Outward evils 9 Slanders 10 Evils of body 11 Death 12 Death of friends Afflictions 14 Devil and Hereticks Causes why all things work together for the best 1 Gods Decree 2 Gods maner of working 3 Gods covenant 4 Foundation of the covenant Gal. 4. Object Answ. Iob 3. 25. 2 Chron. 31. 33. Object Answ. Simile Object Answ. Evils not to be done that good may come thereof Matth. 4. 4 Danger of wilfull sinning Note 1 God 2 Creatures 3 Good gifts 4 Truth of God 1 Iustification 2 Ch●istian liberty 3 Mor ality 1 Cor. 4 Gods patience 5 The Word Evill things 1 Spirituall ill things 2 Outward evils and crosses Causes Vse Vse Obser. 1. Salvation certaine Obser. 2. Gods particular providence to be observed Obser. 3. Observ. 4 Observ. 5 2 Cor. 6. A ground of understanding the promises A direction to pray for temporall blessings Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Psal. 34. Psal. 24. Double eye A Christians joy And contentment Vse 5. Holy boldnesse Prov. 29. Prov. 28. 1 Vse 6. 2 Persons to whom this prviledge belongs Excellency of love Christianity not a b●re title only Comfort not to be preached to all Ground of love Nature of the love of God 1 Branch Triall whether we have made a right choice 2 Triall Rom 8. 3 Triall 2 Branch Desire to please the beloved True love rejoyeeth in suffering 3 Branch Love covets union 2 It adviseth with the party loved 3 And fits it selfe for his appearing And hungers after God Psal. 4● 4 Branch Psal. 77. Psal. 4. Psal. 51. Psal. 18. Psal. 71. Quest. Answ. Psal. 26. Directions unto love 2 Direction Meanes to attaine the love of God Psal. 34. 1 Grounds of our love to God Motives to stir up exercise in the love of God

lives much by faith will finde it no hard matter to die in it But let a man stagger and doubt whether hee belong to God or no what a miserable case will he be in at the time of dissolution Death with the eternity of torment after it who can looke it in the face without the assurance of a happy change This makes men that see no greater pleasure than the following of their lusts resolve of swimming in worldly delights still Alas say they I had as good take this pleasure as have none at all what shall become of me hereafter who knowes FINIS THE PRIVILEDGES OF THE FAITHFVLL ROM 8. 28. Also wee knew that all things work together for the best to them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose THere are three things especially that trouble the life of a Christian or at least should trouble the same The first whereof is sin with the guilt and punishment thereof The second is the corruption of Nature which still abidesin him even after his vocation and conversion to Christ. The third is the miseries and crosses of this life which doe follow and ensue both upon sinne and the evill thereof as also by reason of that corruption of Nature still remaining in him after his recovered estate in grace For the first The guilt of sinne which doth bind men over to death and damnation that is forgiven to all beleevers in Christ Jesus the second Adam The second which is the corruption of Nature which cleaves so fast to us that is daily mortified and crucified in the Saints by the Word and Spirit of God For the third which is the grievous crosses and afflictions which doe accompany and follow the guilt of sinne and the corruption of nature still remaining in Gods children however they are not taken away yet they are made to have an excellent issue For all things work together for the best unto them that love God So that these words of the Apostle do afford us 1. A ground of Patience 2. A ground of Comfort In the former part of this Chapter the Apostle had told us That we know not how to pray as we ought but that the Spirit it selfe doth teach us how to pray and makes requests for us with sighes that cannot be expressed And therefore how ever our corruptions and miseries in this life are not quite taken away yet the evill of those evils is removed God teaching and directing us by his Spirit to seek by prayer unto him for grace to profit by them And this is the co-herence of these words with the former The parts here to bee handled may be these An excellent prerogative All things work together for the best Secondly the persons to whom this prerogative belongs To them that love God and whom hee doth call Thirdly the main cause of this blessed Prerogative Those that love God have this priviledge belonging to them because they are effectually called by his Word according to his purpose We know saith the Apostle that all things work together for the best to these He doth not say We hope or wee conjecture but wee know it assuredly We have the Scriptures of God for it David saith that it was good for him that he was afflicted for therby he had learned to reform his wayes hee knew by observation that all things would tend to his future happinesse For hee had seen in the example of Iob that notwithstanding his sore afflictions yet he had a blessed issue out of all he knew this many wayes he knew it by faith as also by experience that every thing should further the Saints wel-being We know that is we only know it who are led and taught of God and none but wee can be assured hereof which excludes the wicked who shall never know any such thing but what is it that Paul is confident of here Namely that all things work together for the best to them that love God And this may serve to be a prevention of a question which weak Christians might move in their troubles and say Never was any more afflicted than I am Why saith the Apostle bee it so yet neverthelesse all things whatsoever all thy crosses vexations and 〈◊〉 shall work together and joyne issue though they bee averse one to the other and opposite to the good of Gods children as Herod and Pilat were yet all things thus contrary notwithstanding shall work for the best unto them there is 1. A good of Quality 2. A good of Estate Now therefore what kind of Good is this the Apostle meaneth He doth not here mean the naturall or civill good estate of them that love God but their spirituall condition in grace and their glorious estate for the life to come for the furthering whereof whatsoever befalls them in this life shall help forward still And thus much for the words themselves The first point to bee spoken of is The excellent priviledge of Gods children That all things shall work together for the best both good and evill shall turne to their happinesse The reason stands thus All things shal work together for the best to them that love God Therfore all afflictions crosses and vexations whatsoever that betide such persons shall work together for their good and for this cause all Gods servants must learne patiently to beare and cheerefully to undergoe poverty or riches honour or dishonour in this world That all good things do work for the best to Gods servants is most apparent by daily proofe and experience To begin with the first chiefe good of all which is God the Father who is goodnesse it selfe and unspeakably comfortable to all his Doe not all Gods attributes conduce to our eternall welfare Is hee not set forth in Scripture under the sweet name of a Father of a Shield and Buckler of a Tower of Defence of an All-sufficient Almighty God just wise provident mercifull full of boundlesse compassion and all to support his poore creatures from failing before him As he is our Father he is carefull of us above the care of earthly parents to their children As he is a Shield so he shelters us from all wrongs As he is God Almighty and All-sufficient so his power and bounty serve to sustaine us in this world and reserve us for ever safe in the world to come His wisdome makes us wise to prevent the politick plots of the Devill or wicked men His justice and providence they serve to defend us in our right to provide for us in all our wants and prevent the evills of the ungodly intended against us His power is ours to keep us his providence to dispose all things for our advantage Every thing in God shall co-work to provide and fore-see all good for us and mercifully to impart and bestow whatsoever is behoovefull upon us So that God being our Father we have right and title to his lov emercy power

suffered Adam to have fallen but for his owne further glory in the manifestation of his justice and mercy and for the greater felicity of his servants in Christ their Mediatour The next spirituall evill is the corruption of nature remaining in all mankinde howsoever broken and subdued in the Lords deere ones this worketh for the best to them after this manner First it serveth to make us see and know we are kept by God how that we are not the keepers of our owne selves but are kept by his power through faith unto salvation For were it not that God upholds and sustaines us our corruptions would soone overturn us but the sight of corruption being sanctified to the soule causeth us to ground our comfort out of our selves in Christ and no whit to rely on any thing that is in us Our corruptions are also good to abase the pride of our natures and let us see the naughtinesse of our spirits that we may be humbled before GOD. And it is good we should have something within us to make us weary of the world else when wee have run out our race we shal be unwilling to depart hence Now our bondage to this naturall corruption serves exceedingly to make us mourne for our sinfull disposition and hunger after our God to be joyned with him as we see in S. Pauls exam ple Rom. 17. where finding the rebellion of his nature and the strise that was in him the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh he cryes out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and seeketh to God in Christ for mercy strait Sometimes God suffers corruption to break out of us that we mayknow our selves the better and because corruption is weakned not only by smothering but many times by having a vent whereupon grace stirs up in the soule a fresh hatred and revenge against it and lets us see a necessity of having whole Christ not only to pardon sinne but to purge and cleanse our defiled natures But yet that which is ill it selfe must not be done for the good that comes by it by accident this must be a comfort after our surprizals not an encouragement before It is our great consolation that our nature is perfect in Christ who hath taken our nature upon him and satisfied Divine justice not only for the sinne of our lives but for the sin of our natures who will finish his owne worke in us and never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our natures holy and pure as his owne till he hath taken away not only the reigne but the very life and being of sinne out of our hearts To which end he leaves his Spirit and truth in the Church to the end of the world that the seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing spring of al holy thoughts desires and endeavours in us and dry up the contrary issue and spring of corrupt nature Lastly it is good that corruption should still remaine in us that the glory of God may the more appeare when as Satan that great and strong enemy of mankinde shall be foiled and overturned by a weak and poore Christian who is full of corruptions and that through the strength of faith though mixed with much distrust for a Christian in the state of sinne and corruption to overcome the great adversary of mankinde what a wonderment is it It tendeth much to the shame and dishonour of that fiery Dragon that weake and sinfull man should be his conquerour Oh how it confounds him to think that a graine of Mustardseed should bee stronger than the Gates of Hell that it should be able to remove Mountaines of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts betweene God and us Abi meleck could not endure that it should be said a Woman had slaine him and it must needs be a torment to Sathan that a weake Child a decrepid old man should by a spirit of faith put him to flight A third kinde of spirituall ill ●f sin are the things that issue out of this cursed stock and those are either inward or outward For inward sins they are eithers errours or doubt ings or pride or wrath or such like And first for doubtings of the truth this makes Gods servants often more resolute to seek and search out the same and to stand afterwards more firme and couragious for it For if wee doubted not of things we should not afterwards bee put out of doubt nor seek to be better grounded and instructed in them The Corinthians doubted once of the Resurrection but were ever after better resolved in that Doctrine the benefit whereof hath much redounded to the Churches good ever since Thomas had the like wavering disposition but this doubting more manifested the truth Luther being a Monk at the first and not fully grounded in the Doctrine of the Gospell did therefore suspect himselfe the more and wished all men after him to reade his writings warily The Doctrine of the Trinity hath formerly been much doubted of and therefore hath bin with the greater paines and study of worthy men then living in the Church more evidently prooved And when the Pelagians grew into Heresies they were by S. Augustine gainesayd and very strongly withstood So the doctrine of the Church of Rome being branched into divers erronious opinions and broached to the great hurt and prejudice of Christians hath occasioned the truth of God against them to bee the more excellently cleered and made knowne For when Religion is oppugned it is time then to hold fast as the Apostle S. Iude saith with both hands the Word and to fight for the faith that so wee may know both what to hold and upon what ground we oppose Heresie Now for inward sinnes as anger covetousnesse distrust and such like these often proove advantagious to the Saints their corruptions are a meanes of their humiliation Paul and Barnabas having a breach betweene them were so exasperated that they forsook each others company by which means it came to passe that the Church was more instructed than before And hence wee may see what the best men are in themselves If Luther had had no infirmities how would men have attributed to him above measure as we see they were ready to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas which shewes us that even the distempers and weaknesses of Gods servants are disposed by Divine Providence to their eternall welfare Yea God often suffereth his children to fall into some outward grosse sinnes that by meanes thereof they might bee humbled and abased and in the end be cured of that provoking sinne of being proud in spirit The falling of Gods children doth much deject them and bring them upon their knees with shame It makes them gentle and meek in the reprehension of their brethren for having