Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	book_n	life_n	write_v	4,779	5	6.1891	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39932	Aytokatakritos or, the sinner condemned of himself being a plea for God, against all the ungodly, proving them alone guilty of their own destruction; and that they shall be condemned in the great day of account, not for that they lacked, but only because they neglected the means of their salvation. And also, shewing, how fallacious and frivolous a pretence it is in any, to say, they would do better, if they could; when indeed all men could, and might do better, if they would. By one, that wisheth better to all, than most do to themselves.	Ford, Thomas, 1598-1674.	1668 (1668)	Wing F1511B; ESTC R222667	153,768	273

that 't is a most dreadfull calamity to want them But this is no argument against what I have undertaken to prove seeing God hath not left himself without witness towards all so as they are without excuse upon this account viz. Because they neglected and no way improv'd the talents with which they were entrusted God as we see gives some persons more wit and others more wealth c. yet they who have less are liable to accounts for what they have because it is a trust though less than some others have As for others who are not as the Gentiles nor as Infants one would think the case as to them were much clearer For they have means as much as any ever had and yet even these have somewhat to say for themselves Obj. True we have the Gospel Preached to us and plenty of precious means as you call them to know Christ But to what purpose so long as we are one way or other shut out so as not one nor all nor any of these means shall ever have any effect on us for our salvation For this purpose they alledge 1. An absolute and irrecoverable decree of God that shuts out more than shall be received in 2. The narrowing of Christs death by some as to the extent of it that a great many may well think themselves uncapable of any benefit by it 3. The lamentable estate of all men since Adams fall under an invincible inability to recover themselves from that estate more than a dead man hath to raise and lift himself out of the dust These are the stumbling blocks which too many lay in heavens way to hinder their own salvation and I cannot pass them by without using my endeavours to remove them For these have been and still are unhappy occasions to many of putting off all the blame from themselves yea and obliquely by consequence at least to charge God himself In answering these objections I am no way bound to engage in the controversies that still are among the learned nor shall I resolve one way or other to the prejudice of any party but leave them to end their quarrels as they can All the business I have to do is to apply my self to the capacities and if the Lord so please to resolve the doubts of those that understand nothing or very little of these matters more than to make them so many stumbling-blocks to hinder themselves and others in their way to heaven and sad occasions of blessing themselves in their own hearts whiles they walk on in their own imaginations to adde drunkenness to thirst And now I come to Particulars after I have premised this one thing in general viz. That let the decrees of God be as absolute as any of the learned have made them or the death of Christ as much narrowed in the extent of it as ever it hath been by any yet my conclusion will stand firm that men only are wanting to themselves and no charge in the least can justly be laid upon God Sol. 1. In answering the first objection from Gods absolute decrees I shall say enough in this that they are to us secret things and cannot be known by us till the event declare them We will suppose every mans name who is certainly and infallibly ordained to eternal life to be recorded and all and every of them● and no other to be saved This I say we suppose resolving nothing in the question But this I say too that if this be granted yet there will be no excuse by it for any ungodly men And my reason is this Because no man can know himself left out of that Book of Life till he comes to lye down under the power of death and so be past all possibility of working out his salvation Whatever is said in Scripture of Gods electing some and leaving others take it in the strictest and most rigid sense of any certainly no part of holy writ hath revealed to us who those men are so as we can know them The day is yet to come when the books of Gods decrees shall be opened The written Word of God serves only to shew the revealed will of God which if any man without all exception be carefull to observe he is sure of eternal Life unless God fail of his promise which indeed he cannot do Gods decrees are his arcana imperii mysteries of state not to be pried into but in all humility to be ador'd because though never so secret yet they are alwaies most righteous In Kingdomes and Commonwealths on earth Subjects have nothing to do with reasons of State but are bound to obey the known Laws which if they be careful to observe they may justly expect to lead a peaceable and quiet life The Lord hath shewn thee O man what is good and what he requireth of thee Be carefull to do this and thou needst take no other care for thy Salvation thou mayst assure thy self that thy name is written in the book of life And for thy fuller assurance consider what is clearly revealed in Scripture viz. that the sentence of Life and Death shall pass at the last day only according to what men have done with respect to Gods Commandments Hence we read so often in Scripture of Gods rewarding men according to their works and according to what they have done in the body I need not quote the several Texts that are to this purpose The grand inquest at the great day of the Lord will not be Whether thou art elected or not but whether thou hast observed to do as God hath commanded thee If thou hast received the Lord Jesus Christ as he is tendered to thee in the Gospel and hast denied all ungodliness and worldlly lusts and lived soberly and righteously and godly in this present world there will be no question of thy Salvation in the world to come Sol. 2. I answer yet further that Gods decrees be they never so absolute and infallible do no way in the least infringe the liberty of second causes but men act as freely in all they do as if there were no decrees at all Suppose there was a decree of Adams fall we assert nothing but only suppose it yet Adam was at liberty whether to stand or fall 'T was never said by any sober man that there was ever any decree more than of permitting the fall of man For certain God did not force him to fall or cast him down but he might have stood if he would himself The Reverend and learned Davenant with others so resolves That man fell according to Gods decree but not because of it And the Schoolmen resolve unanimously That Gods decrees do not infringe mans liberty Suppose again all the actions of men to be under a decree yet no man hath said that mens actions good and bad are alike under it For if they were no man could possibly clear God from being the Author of sin But there

his will and pleasure And that he sent his Son into the World to condemn the World and not that the World through him might be saved Will he say indeed That he set men in such a way as they could not but perish in it and left them wholly depriv'd and destitute of all means and helps to save themselves from wrath to come Consider I say and bethink your selves before-hand Whether the righteous God will take home all this to himself and say It was he alone that hath been the cause of all the ruine and misery that is come upon his Creatures and so quit them from any the least blame of their destruction Yet this is it or very like it that men would fasten upon God if they knew how to do it This is the tendency of all their disputes about Gods Decrees and Dispensations of Grace and Providence It is this and no other even to charge it on God That if he had purposed and provided better for them it had never been so sad with them but they might have been happy and blessed for ever But le● God alone and it will appear one day where the fault lieth He is the Judge of all the Earth and will not he do right Yes he will do right to all and this the Apostle layeth down as a● unmoveable Principle Ro. 3.5 6. God is not unrighteous who taketh vengeance For then ho● shall God judge the World He will then acquit himself and say for ever These are the work of my hands and I made them so as they might have been happy for ever in communion with my self I allowed them means sufficient for that en● but they cast me off and chose somewhat else to 〈◊〉 their only good and though I have besought 〈◊〉 intreated them again and again with all poss●●●● earnestness and admonished them of the danger of their own wayes they would goe on however 〈◊〉 their frowardness and wilfullness in their own devices against my express command to the contrary hath brought them to this which they now see and feel but would never believe till now I have passed the sentence of condemnation upon them an● it cannot be recall'd nor can there be any reprieve or respite But I have not done it without cause and only for that I had a mind to see them lye for ever in torments and misery It was indeed 〈◊〉 will to damn them but I will'd their damnatio● only for their sin and because they would not be re●claimed I delighted not in their damnation 〈◊〉 as to condemn them meerly for my will and pleasure I have only done justice upon incorrigib●● Offendors such as have despised my grace an● mercy and the reward of these wicked ones is according to their works yea as they would have it For I fore-warn'd them of it as often and as earnestly as needed and they would not beware nor could any intreaties prevail to turn them from those ungodly wayes which led them to their destruction as they knew Let men say now as they please This is that which God will say to justifie himself against all the World And O! that men were wise to consider it in time and apply themselves to make their peace with God which I assure them they may do if they be not wanting to themselves And for their encouragement I shall give them the best account I am able how and in what manner God will proceed in the last and general Judgement The way that he will take in that day will be this That every man shall be tried according to a known Law 'T is a gross mistake in men to imagine That God will judge the World according to that which was never made known The question will not be Whether a mans Name were written in the Book of Life but how he hath behaved himself according to the Rule laid down in the Bible That is more particularly and plainly thus Whether when Christ was offered to them they accepted of him and closed with him upon his own terms For as they have answered the dispensations and overtures of his grace so shall their doom be If they counted all but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of him and valued nothing else in comparison so they might serve and honour him whether by doing or suffering in life or in death Peace and Life and Glory and Immortality will be their portion and the lot of their inheritance for ever The Cause will for certain goe on their side for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But if they have been contentious and disobedient and would not have the Lord Christ to reign over them but would walk after their ungodly lusts whatever could be said or done to reform them th●re's a declared Law to condemn them God will not needs not look into any other Records about it Obj. If any say That all shall not be judged by the Gospel Sol. I shall not contend but only say That all shall be condemned by a known Law one or other And if it be said further That as many as have sinned without law shall perish without law I answer That the Apostle shews what he means in the 14 th Verse of the same Chapter They that sin and shall be condemned without Law are the Gentiles who had not the Law delivered to them as the Iews had it in writing But yet they had the Law written in their hearts and that will be plain enough because it bare witness and accus'd them while they were in their sins And this we may well inferr from that place That if there be a Law that condemns men now in this World by witnessing against their wickedness much more will there be a Law found for their condemnation in the last day of account Or this That the same Law that condemns them now will certainly condemn them then And let that be observ'd also That as Sin is the transgression of the Law so Condemnation for Sin cannot be otherwise than according to that Law Once it cannot be according to that which never was a Law and that cannot be a Law which was never declar'd to be a Rule of Life and Duty Gods Decrees and Counsels are all righteous but they were never made known to us as a rule of moral actings When God is pleased to declare his counsell by the event we cannot without sin goe against it and it is impossible for us to alter it But still the rule we are to walk by is the will of God reveal'd for that end and purpose that ●e may know what to do in obedience to him who is our Soveraign Lord. And as we do or 〈◊〉 not according to this will of God so we are guilty or innocent before him And good rea●on why it should be so and not otherwise For 1. How can we be obedient to God in any thing but that which we know to be his will Obedience