Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	brethren_n	life_n	love_v	5,972	5	7.1555	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52043	Meroz cursed, or, A sermon preached to the honourable House of Commons, at their late solemn fast, Febr. 23, 1641 by Stephen Marshall ...	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1641 (1641)	Wing M762; ESTC R19516	35,043	59

their owne at home not doubting but there were men enough to do the work though they kept themselves quiet But this neutrality of theirs cost them deare in the end their owne heart blood paid for it and it is most probable that Meroz in this Text was guilty of no other fault The Lord grant that they may be warnings to us that we bee not made warnings to others I hope this may suffice for reproofe The second Use and that which I most aime at is for exhortation Oh that I were able to speake somewhat to raise up your spirits to make you these blessed men who willingly helpe the Lord against the mightie I confesse the day the occasion of our meeting this Text and your place and office Right Honourable and beloved give me an infinite advantage to speake if I were able to improve all for your good The thing I aime at is to send you home with Luthers resolution who protested to God that no portion which God could give him in this world should content him but onely this to bee Gods Servant to bee a usefull man in his Church he would care neither for silver nor gold neither for honour nor reproach ease and labour should bee all one so that hee might bee accepted and usefull And would the Lord vouchsafe to make my labour effectuall with you in this thing I should bee a blessed man in my worke and you should goe home the blessedest company that ever met in such an Assemblie To this end I shall endeavour two things First to give you motives or incentives to inflame your hearts after such a temper of spirit that you may be willing to give up your selves to the help of the Lord and his Church Secondly some directions to enable you in truth and realitie to be usefull And although most of the things that I shall speake doe chiefely concern you our honourable Worthies yet they will in their proportion reach the meanest in the congregation To stir you up consider these three motives First the honour of God Certainly the highest end of our living in this world is to honour God Hallowed be thy name is the first petition of every one that saith the Lords Prayer Now a man never gives glory to God as God never sets up God in his right place till he have devoted himself wholly and absolutely to serve him in what is most acceptable with him And I have made it apparent that the Church of Christ is that field from which he expects the most plentifull crop of glory and and therefore would have the most cost bestowed on it He gets glory by all our actions but in what wee doe for the Church wee give him glory and that in the highest degree Secondly as for Gods sake so for the Churches sake It is ever well with the Church when the members of it doe preferre the Churches good above their owne Polititians and Historians observe this of States and Empires that they usually thrive when the Subjects are Common-wealths men every one endeavouring to promote the publick good Livie observes this of Rome that so long as men would leave their trades farmes and merchandise Ladies part with their Jewels and ornaments rather than any detriment should come to the Citie all Nations were subdued to them But when they grew private wealths men every one labouring to preserve and adorn his owne Cabbin only the ship presently was endangered and went to decay This is as true of the Church In all the rising times of it God hath ever stirred up such noble and generous spirits who have given themselves to the Lord and the service of the Church In the Acts of the Apostles you shall find that they were all of one heart and one mind No man said that ought of the things that he possessed was his own they had all things common Sold their possessions and goods distributing them as every man had need and lived so as if one soule possessed them all This was the thriving time of the Church Then their multitude increased by thousands and ten thousands and walking in the feare of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed But when once men grew to seeke their owne things and not the things of Iesus Christ and his Church the Church soone fell into a languishing condition As therefore you desire to keepe up the spirits and strength of the Church so labour to keepe up your own spirits for the Church as you desire that may not faint so doe you take heed of fainting in the service of it Thirdly as for Gods sake and the Churches sake so for your owne sake for your owne comfort and benefit and that in many respects As first Such a frame of Spirit as this will bee the best evidence of your owne safe condition of your peace with God t is a comfortable thing for a man to hate his lusts to strive against them to waite upon duties to attend upon Ordinances to bee often enquiring What shall I doe to bee saved but all this may bee but selfe love although such a love God approves of but when the soule comes to enquire what shall I doe that Christ may bee glorified that his Church may bee edified to know no crosse but the Churches crosse to preferre the joy of the Church before all his owne peace and wellfare this is not only an Argument of a man looking Heaven-ward but one that hath proceeded farre in the way A Scholler of the first and highest forme and this is that which Saint Iohn meanes when hee doth so frequently ang all our evidence to Heaven upon Love of the brethren Hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee Love the Brethren In this are the Children of God manifest from the children of the Divell Hee that loves not his brother is not of God Hereby wee know that wee are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Every one that loves God loves him also that is begotten of him And many other expressions as if Saint Iohn knew no other evidence but Love now what Love is it Hee meanes it not of an inward affection only to wish well to them and so forth but by love to serve our brethren to lay out our selves our lives and parts and all to serve them To lay downe our lives for the Brethren as Christ laid downe his life for us This was that that bore up Hezekiahs heart in the time of his sicknesse when hee could pleade Lord remember that I have done that which is good in thy sight What was the good that Hezekiah had done even this Hee had set himselfe to purge Religion to set up Gods Ordinances to make the Church prosper given up himselfe to the publick service of the Church of God This made Nehemiah comfortably to goe to God Oh my God wipe