Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	sin_n	world_n	10,547	5	5.2298	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04859	The straight gate to heauen A sermon preached before the poore distressed prisoners in the Kings Bench common gaole, to their heauenly comfort. By William King preacher of the word of God.; Straight gate to heaven.	King, William, preacher of the word of God.	1617 (1617)	STC 14997.7; ESTC S106997	20,884	50

the man Christ Iesus with a full perswasion of the hart a sure confidence of an assured rest of conscience grounded vpon the promise of Gods mercy that we shall be fréely accepted with God in Christ for that First our sinnes are purged in his blood 1. Ioh. 1.2 Esa. 53. Secondly his righteousnes is imputed vnto vs. Rom. 4.1 1 Cor. 1.30 The fathers looked for none other righteousnes thē this righteousnes of Christ as the Apostle Paul proueth sufficiently by that one example of Abraham who is said to rest himselfe vpon that righteounesse of faith which is the righteousnes which God giueth vs in Christ apprehended by faith onely The Apostle S. Peter which fel most dangerously comforted himselfe with this righteousnes all men that will beleeue his doctrine affirming that we cannot be saued with siluer or gold but with the precious blood of Iesus Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled Here then we sée what is required of all that shall be saued by Christ which things if we doe belieue with a liuely faith planted and grounded vpon the sure promises of Gods mercy offered vnto vs in Christ and not doubting thereof but with all diligence kéepe and performe the premises aforesaid then we shall bee assured to enter in at the straight gate and narrow way leading vnto eternal life Saluation is he gift of God which he fréely bestoweth vpon all that séek him aright This is eternall life to know the Father and him whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. We must seeke God aright But some perhaps will say how shall wee seeke him aright I answer Dilige Deum mandata eius obserua Loue God kéep his commandements Héerby shall all men know that you seeke him as you ought S. Augustine speaking of this matter saith Da amantem et sentit quid dico si autem frigido loquor nescit quid loquar Giue me a man that is in loue with God he seeth this to be true which I say but if I talke to a cold Christian he vnderstandeth not what I say And this is the cause why Christ talking of the kéeping his commandements repeateth so often this word loue as the surest cause of keeping the same for want whereof in the world the world kéepeth them not as there he sheweth If you loue me keepe my commandements Againe Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them hee is he that loueth me And againe Hee which loueth me will keepe my commandements See what S. Austen exhorts vs vnto Ama amorem illius Loue this his loue His deserues and requires loue O loue the Lord saith the Prophet Dauid all his saints If no loue no saints and yet no true loue vnlesse fath Ye that loue the Lord sée that you hate euill and doe good séeke the Lord and yee shall liue for euermore Can God bestow better things vpon his children then eternall life who is the efficient cause of saluation by the working of the holy Ghost in the hearts of his children through faith in Christ Iesus For faith is the testimony of Gods spirit which spirrit doth not only speak within vs but also perswadeth vs of the good grace of God towards vs by arguments drawne from our free redemption in Christ. Lastly the same spirit mortifieth sin in vs and quickeneth our mortal bodies to bring forth most swéet pleasāt fruits vnto God This bréedeth that inward solace ioy and peace which the mind and conscience hath with God because it is freed from the bondage of sinne the curse of the law c. and restoreth to grace againe This ioy and solace of a good conscience the Apostle calleth it the kingdome of God Ro. 14.17 And an especiall fruit of the holy Ghost Gal 5 22. And a sure consequent of our iustification by faith Ro. 5.1 and the child of God in all his troubles comforteth himselfe therwith as with a feast Dauid longed for this ioy as appeaeth in his earnest prayer for it where hee cryeth saying Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit Many which seeke to enter in at the straight gate shall not be able Wherefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet sought the Lord aright thou hast not yet repented and thou art not yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And further thou knowest that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thée forth of the world the next yeare the next hower yea he may strike thee with a sudden death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest forth of this world being no repentant sinner thou goest damned to hell Therfore delay not one minut of an houre longer but with all speed repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life that all thy sins may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shall be And do not think with thy selfe it shall be sufficient to defer thy turning vnto God till the last day for late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sin is in a dangerous case If a man lie long sicke in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and he which is growne in the custome of any sin the sin is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of S. Iames Sinne being perfitted bringeth forth death Let vs therefore without any delay repent and turne vnto God for if we liue in this world not being true Christians wee are far more vile then the basest Creatures of all euen the dog or toad For first we are nothing else but a filthy dunghill of all abomination vncleannes the stink whereof hath infected heauen and earth and no perfumes could euer delay it in the nostrils of God but only the suffering of Christ being a sacrifice of a swéet smelling sauour to God we make it very dainty to come néere a lazer man full of botches blaines sores but much more are these mē to be abhorred which haue lien many yeares stark dead in sins trespasses therfore now do nothing els but rot stink in them like vgly loathsome carrions Againe if we liue as secure worldlings carnall Ghospellers not as true Christians we are in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of thē may befall vs· We may perish sodainly by water with the old world we may be consumed with fire brimstone with Sodome Gomorrah we may be swallowed vp of the earth with Corah Dathan and Abiram we may hang our selues with Iudas wee may haue our brains dashed out against the ground be eaten vp of dogs with Iesabel we may die in hardnes of heart with Pharaoh we may

that may be both within vs and without vs we haue as they say the Sun Moone seauen starres against vs we haue all the Diuells in hell against vs with all their hornes heads maruelous strength infinite wiles cunning deuises déepe flights and methodicall temptations Heere raues a sore streame against vs then haue we this present euill world against vs with his innumerable baites snares nets ginnes grins c. to catch vs fetter vs and intangle vs. Here haue we both profits and pleasures riches and honor wealth and preferment ambition couetousnes Here comes a campe royall of spirituall and inuisible enemies Lastly wee haue our flesh that is our corrupted nature against vs we haue our selues against our selues For we our selues are as great enemies to our saluation as either the world or the Diuell For our vnderstanding reason will and affections are altogether against vs. Our natural wisedome is an enemy vnto vs our concupiscences lusts doe minister strength to Sathans temptations they are all in league with Sathan against vs They take part with him in euery thing against vs and our saluation they fight all vnder his standerd and receiue their pay of him This then goeth hard on our side that the Diuell hath an inward party against vs and wee carry alwayes within vs our greatest enemy which is euer ready night and day to betray vs into the hands of Sathan yea to vnboult the doore to let him in to cut our throats Here then wee sée an huge army of dreadfull enemies and a very legion of Diuels lying in ambush against our soules are not we therefore poore wretches in a most pittifull case which are thus bessedged and betrayed on euery side All thinges then duly considered may not wee iustly maruaile that any shall be saued For who séeth not who knoweth not that thousand thousands are carried headlong to destruction without the great mercy of God either with the temptations of the world the flesh or the Diuell But yet further I wil shew you by other apparant and euident reasons that the number of Gods Elect vpon the face of the earth are very few in comparison which may thus be considered First let there bee taken away from amongst vs the Papists Atheists and Heretiques Secondly let there be shouelled out all vitious and notorious euill liuers as swearers drunkards whoremongers carnall worldlings deceiuers cosoners proud men riotors gamesters and the prophane multitude Thirdly let there be refused and sorted out all hippocrites carnall Protestants vaine professors backe-sliders decliners and cold Christians Let all these I say be seperated and then tell me how many sound sincere faithfull and zealous worshippers of God will bee found amongst vs I suppose we should not néede the Art of Arithmeticke to number them for I think there would be very few in euery village towne Citty I doubt they would walke very thinly in the street so as a man might easily tell them as they go Our Lord Iesus asketh a question in the Gospell of S. Luke saying Doe you thinke when the sonne of man commeth that he shall find faith on the earth to the which wee may answer surely very little To make it more clearely manifest that few shall bee saued in the first age of the world all flesh had so corrupted their waies that God could no longer beare them but euen vowed their distruction by ouerflowing of waters when the flood came how few were found faithfull eight persons were only saued by the Arke How few righteous found in Sodome the Citties adioyning but one poore Lot and his family How few beleeuers were found in Iericho but one Rahab How few of the old Israelites entred into the Land of promise but two Caleb and Iosuah the rest could not enter in because of vnbeliefe The true and inuisible Church was small during the gouernment of the Iudges as apeareth plentifully in that booke In Elias time the Church was so small that it did appeare weak In the raign of the Kings of Israell and Iudah the sincere worshippers were very few as appeareth by the complaint of all the Prophets During the captiuity the Church was as the moone vnder a cloud she was driuen into a wildernesse where she did hide herselfe During the persecution of the Gréeke Empire by Gog and Magog and Egypt they were fewest of all In Christs time with what silly company did hee begin withall How were all things corrupted by the Priests Scribes and Pharises preaching there were few beléeuers After the first six hundreth yeares what an ecclipse was in the Church during the height of Antichrists raigne How few true worshippers of God were in the world for the space of almost nine hundreth yeares Since the Gospell was preached and spred abroad how few doe beleeue And as the Prophet Esay saith Domine quis credidit auditui nostro Lord who hath belieued our report Thus then you sée it doth appeare both by Scripture reason and examples of all ages that the number of the elect is very smale and when when all comes to all few shal be saued Therefore let vs striue earnestly to goe in at the straight gate for the small number of those that shal be saued ought to thrust vs forward to enter in thereat Christ saith Contendite intrare per angustam portam quia multi dico vobis studebunt intrare et non poterunt Striue to enter in at the narrow gate for many I say vnto you will séeke to enter in and shall not be able And in an other place hee saith The gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it If men would consider of this and try with themselues whether they be of that small number or no it would make them looke better about them c. Death threatneth vs who is very terrible to the flesh and the remembrance of it very bitter to a man that is sowced soaked and setled in the pleasures of this world It flattereth no man it regardeth not persons it waigheth not friendship it careth not for rewards it is very grim vgly and cruell and killeth downe right where it hitteth Therefore Christ bids vs striue earnestly To knit vp this point S. Bernard saith there is none of vs all which standeth not in néed of councell propes and helpe The generall misery of mankind is triple c. For both we are easie to be seduced and vnable to doe well and very weake to resist If we would discerne between good and euill we are deceiued if we goe about to doe good wee quickly faint if we endeauour to resist euill wee cannot endure but are easily ouercome The tiranny and rage of Sathan is vnspeakeable and his power mighty the baytes of the world be innumerable and our flesh fraile and weak They are thrée deadly enemies to our saluation against whom we must al ioyntly fight Our