Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	darkness_n	light_n	see_v	5,466	5	4.4126	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90296	A vision of vnchangeable free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserved sinners: wherein Gods uncontrollable eternall purpose, in sending, and continuing the gospel unto this nation, in the middest of oppositions and contingencies, is discovered: his distinguishing mercy, in this great work, exalted, asserted, against opposers, repiners: in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, April. 29. being the day of publike humiliation. Whereunto is annexed, a short defensative about church-government, (with a countrey essay for the practice of church-government there) toleration and petitions about these things. / By Iohn Owen, minister of the gospel at Coggeshall in Essex.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1646 (1646)	Wing O825; Thomason E334_15; Thomason E334_16; ESTC R200768	49,154	60

any longer an holy land or any mountain of the world lift up its head above its fellows And this right hath a double foundation First The infinite value and worth of the bloud of Christ giving fulnesse and fitnesse to the promises founded thereon to be propounded to all man-kinde for through his bloud remission of sins is preached to whosoever beleeves on him Acts 10. 43. to every creature Mat. 16. 15. God would have a price of that infinite value for sin laid down as might justly give advantage to proclaim a pardon indifinitely to all that will come in and accept of it there being in it no defect at all though intentionally only a ransom for some but that by it the world might know that he had done whatsoever the father commanded him Jo. 14. 31. Secondly In that ●●conomy and dispensation of the grace of the new Covenant breaking forth in these later daies whereby all externall distinction of places and ●ersons people and Nations being removed Jesus Christ taketh all Nations to be his inheritance dispensing to all men the grace of the Gospel bringing salvation as seemeth best to him Tit. 2. 11 12. for being lifted up he drew all unto him having redeemed us with his bloud out of every kinred and tongue people and Nation Apoc. 5. 9. And on these two grounds it is that the Gospel hath in it self a right and fitnesse to be preached to all even as many as the Lord our God shall call These things being premised I come to the proof of the assertion Deut. 7. 7 8. Moses is very carefull in sundry places to get this to take an impression upon their spirits that it was meer free grace that exalted them into that condition and dignity wherein they stood by their approach unto God in the enjoyment of his Ordinances in this most cleerly rendring the cause of Gods love in chusing them mentioned ver. 7. to be only his love ver. 8. his love towards them is the cause of his love his free love eternally determining of his free love actually conferring those distinguishing mercies upon them it was not for their righteousnesse for they were a stiffnecked people D●ut. 6 6. Mat. 11. 25 26. Our Saviour laying both these things together the hiding of the mysteries of salvation from some and revealing them to others renders the same reason and supreme cause of both of which no account can be rendred only the good pleasure of God I thanke thee father and if any will proceed higher and say Where is the justice of this that men equally obnoxious should be thus unequally accepted we say with Paul that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth and who art thou O man that disputest against God si tu es homo ego homo audtamus dicentem O homo Tu quis to send a pardon to some that are condemned suffering the rest to suffer hath no injustice If this will not satisfie let us say with the same Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the c. Yea so far is it from truth that God should dispense and grant his word and means of grace by any other rule or upon any other motive then his own will and good pleasure that we finde in the Scripture the direct contrary to what we would suppose even mercy shewed to the more unworthy and the more worthy passed by reckoning worthinesse and unworthinesse by lesse or greater sin with lesse or more endeavours Christ preaches to Chorazin and Bethsaida which would not repent and at the same time denies the word to Tyre and Zidon which would have gotten on sackcloth and ashes when the other continued delicate despisers Mat. 11. 21. Ezekiel is sent to them that would not hear him passing by them that would have hearkened chap. 3. 5. which is most clear Rom. 9. 30 31. the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of faith but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse have not attained to it If in the dispensation of the Gospel the Lord had had any respect to the desert of people Corinth that famous place of sinning had not so soon enjoyed it the people whereof for worship were led away with dumbe Idols 2 Cor. 12. 2. and for their lives ye have them drawn to the life 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Fornicatours idolaters adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with man-kinde thieves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is to be repeated {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} some of you were fornicatours some Idolaters but ye are sanctified seem not these to the eye of flesh goodly qualifications for the Gospel of Jesus Christ had these men been dealt withall according as they had disposed themselves not fitter fuell for hell could the justice of God require but yet ye see to these the Gospel comes which the first a light shines to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death If God send or grant the Gospel which is the means of grace upon any other ground but his meer good pleasure then it must be an act of remunerative justice Now there is no such justice in God towards the creature but what is founded upon some preceding Covenant or with promise of God to the creature which is the only foundation of all relation between God and man but only those that attend creation and sovereignty Now what promise do you finde made to or Covenant with a people as yet without the Gospel I mean conditionall promises inferring any good to be bestowed on any required performance on their part free absolute promises there are innumerable that light should shine to them that were in darkenesse and those to be called Gods people which were not his people but such as depend on any condition on their part to be fulfilled we finde none God bargains not with the creature about the Gospel knowing how unable he is to be merchant for such pearls If a man had all that goodnesse which may be found in man without Jesus Christ they would not in the least measure procure a discovery of him I deny not but God may and perhaps sometimes doth reveal himself to some in a peculiar and extraordinary manner Whereunto tends that story in Aquinas of a Corps taken up in the daies of Constantine and Irene with a plate of gold and this inscription in it Christus nascetur ex virgine ego credo in illum O sol sub Irenae Constantini temporibus iterum me videbis But that this should be regular unto men living {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Justin Martyrs phrase or using their naturals aright which is impossible they should the right use of

cum Christo quam regnare cum Caesare said Luther a dungeon with Christ is a Throne and a Throne without Christ a hell Nothing so ill but Christ will compensate the greatest evil in the world is sin and the greatest sin was the first and yet Gregory feared not to cry O felix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem oh happy fault which found such a Redeemer All mercies without Christ are bitter and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but with a drop of his blood he truly is amor delitiae humani generis the love and delight of the sonnes of men without whom they must perish eternally for there is no other name given unto them whereby they may be saved Act. 4. He is the way men without him are Cains wanderers vagabonds He is the truth men without him are liars devils who was so of old He is the life without him men are dead dead in trespasses and sins He is the light without him men are in darknes and go they know not whither He is the vine those that are not graffed in him are withered branches prepared for the fire He is the rock men not built on him are carried away with a flood He is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the first and the last the Author and the ender the founder and the finisher of our salvation he that hath not him hath neither beginning of good nor shall have end of misery O blessed Jesus how much better were it not to be then to be without thee Never to be borne then not to die in thee A thousand hels come short of this eternally to want Jesus Christ as men do that want the Gospel 2. They want all holy Communion with God wherein the onely happines of the soul doth consist He is the life light joy and blessednes of the soul without him the soul in the body is but a dead soul in a living Sepulchre It is true there be many that say who will shew us any good but unles the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us we perish for evermore Thou hast made us for thy self ô Lord and our heart is unquiet untill it come to thee You who have tasted how gracious the Lord is who have had any converse and communion with him in the issues and goings forth of his grace those delights of his soul with the children of men would you live would not life it self with a confluence of all earthly endearements be a very hell without him Is it not the daily language of your hearts Whom have we in heaven but thee and in earth there is nothing in comparison of thee The soul of man is of a vast boundles comprehension so that if all created good were centred into one enjoyment and that bestowed upon one soul because it must needs be finite and limited as created it would give no solid contentment to his affections nor satisfaction to his desires In the presence and fruition of God alone there is joy for evermore at his right hand are rivers of pleasure the welsprings of life and blessednes Now if to be without communion with God in this life wherein the soul hath so many avocations from the contemplation of its own misery for earthly things are nothing else is so unsupportable a calamity ah what shall that poor soul do that must want him for eternity as all they must do who want the Gospel 3. They want all the Ordinances of God the joy of our hearts and comfort of our souls Oh the sweetnes of a Sabbath The heavenly raptures of prayer Oh the glorious communion of Saints which such men are deprived of if they knew the value of the hidden pearl and these things were to be purchased what would such poor souls not part with for them 4. They will at last want Heaven and salvation they shall never come to the presence of God in glory never inhabite a glorious mansion they shall never behold Jesus Christ but when they shall call for rocks and mountains to fall upon them to hide them from his presence they shall want light in utter darknes want life under the second death want refreshment in the middest of flames want healing under gnawing of conscience want grace continuing to blaspheme want glory in full misery and which is the sum of all this they shall want an end of all this for their worme dieth not neither is their fire quenched Thirdly Because being in all this want they know not that they want any thing and so never make out for any supply Laodicea knew much but yet because she knew not her wants she had almost as good have known nothing Gospellesse men know not that they are blinde and seek not for eye-salve they know not that they are dead and seek not for life What ever they call for not knowing their wants is but like a mans crying for more weight to presse him to death and therefore when the Lord comes to any with the Gospel he is found of them that sought him not and made manifest to them that asked not after him Rom. 10. 20. This is a seal upon their misery without Gods free-mercy like the stone laid upon the mouth of the cave by Joshua to keep in the five Kings untill they might be brought out to be hanged All that men do in the world is but seeking to supply their wants either their naturall wants that nature may be supplied or their sinfull wants that their lusts may be satisfied or their spirituall wants that their souls may be saved For the two first men without the Gospel lay out all their strength but of the last there is amongst them a deep silence Now this is all one as for men to cry out that their finger bleeds whilest a sword is run thorow their hearts and they perceive it not to desire a wart to be cured whilest they have a plague-sore upon them And hence perhaps it is that they are said to go to hell like sheep Psal. 49. 14. very quietly without dread as a bird hasting to the snare and not knowing that it is for his life Prov. 7. 23. and there ly down in utter disappointment and sorrow for evermore 4. Because all mercies are bitter judgements to men that want the Gospel all fuell for hell Aggravations of condemnation all cold drink to a man in a feaver pleasant at the entrance but increasing his torments in the close like the book in the Revelation sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly When God shall come to require his bread and wine his flax and oil peace and prosperity liberty and victories of Gospellesse men they will curse the day that ever they enjoyed them so unspirituall are many mens mindes and so unsavoury their judgements that they reckon mens happines by their possessions

the boatmen look one way and rowe another cry Gospel and mean the other thing Lord Lord and advance our own ends that the Lord may not stir up the staffe of his anger and the rod of his indignation against us as an hypocriticall people Secondly Take heed of resting upon and trusting to the priviledge how ever excellent and glorious of the outward enjoyment of the Gospel When the Jews cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the time was at hand that they should be destroyed Look onely upon the grace that did bestow and the mercy that doth continue it God will have none of his blessings rob him of his glory and if we will rest at the Cisterne he will stop at the fountain Thirdly Let us all take heed of Barrennes under it for the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon it and beareth Thornes and Briers is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. Now what fruits doth it require even those reckoned Gal. 5. 22 23. the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknes temperance Oh that we had not cause to grieve for a scarcity of these fruits and the abundant plenty of these works of the flesh recounted ver. 19 20 21. Oh that that wisedom which is an eminent fruit of the Gospel might flourish amongst us Jam. 3. 17. it is first pure then peaceable gētle easy to be entreated that we might have lesse writing and more praying lesse envy and more charity that all evil surmisings which are works of the flesh might have no toleration in our hearts but be banished for nonconformity to the golden rule of love and peace but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Come we now to the last proposition No men in the world want help like them that want the Gospel Or Of all distresses want of the Gospel cries loudest for relief Rachel wanted children and she cries Give me children or I die But that was but her impatience she might have lived and have had no children yea see the justice of God she dies so soon as ever she hath children Hagar wants water for Ishmael and she will go farre from him that she may not see him die an heavy distresse and yet if he had died it had been but an early paying of that debt which in a few years was to be satisfied But they that want the Gospel may truly cry Give us the Gospel or we die and that not temporally with Ishmael for want of water but eternally in flames of fire A man may want liberty and yet be happy as Joseph was a man may want peace and yet be happy as David was a man may want children and yet be blessed as Job was a man may want plenty and yet be full of comfort as Micaiah was but he that wants the Gospel wants every thing that should do him good A Throne without the Gospel is but the Devils dungeon Wealth without the Gospel is fuell for hell Advancement without the Gospel is but a going high to have the greater fall Abraham wanting a childe complains What will the Lord do for me seeing I go childelesse and this Eliezer of Damascus must be my heire much more may a man without the means of grace complain What shall be done unto me seeing I go Gospellesse and all that I have is but a short inheritance for this lump of clay my body When Elisha was minded to do something for the Shunammite who had so kindely entertained him he asks her whether he should speak for her to the King or the Captain of the host she replies she dwelt in the middest of her own people she needeth not those things but when he findes her to want a childe and tells her of that she is almost transported Ah how many poor souls are there who need not our word to the King or the Captain of the host but yet being Gospellesse if you could tell them of that would be even ravished with joy Think of Adam after his fall before the promise hiding himself from God and you have a perfect pourtraicture of a poor creature without the Gospel now this appeareth 1. From the description we have of the people that are in this state and condition without the Gospel they are a people that sit in darknes yea in the region and shaddow of death Matth. 4 16 17. they are even darknes it self Joh. 1. 7. within the dominion and dreadfull darknes of death darknes was one of Egypts plagues but yet that was a darknes of the body a darknes wherein men lived but this is a darknes of the soul a darknes of death for these men though they live yet are they dead they are fully described Ephes. 2. 12. without Christ aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Christles men and godles men and hopeles men and what greater distresse in the world yea they are called doggs and unclean beasts the wrath of God is upon them they are the people of his curse and indignation In the extream North one day and one night divide the year but with a people without the Gospel it is all night the sun of righteousnes shines not upon them it is night whilest they are here and they go to eternall night hereafter What the men of China concerning themselves and others that they have two eies the men of Europe one and all the world besides is blinde may be inverted too the Jews had one eye sufficient to guide them they who enjoy the Gospel have two eies but the men of China with the rest of the Nations that want it are stark blinde and reserved for the chains of everlasting darknes 2. By laying forth what the men that want the Gospel do want with it 1. They want Jesus Christ for he is revealed onely by the Gospel Austine refused to delight in Cicero's Hortensius because there was not in it the Name of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is all and in all and where he is wanting there can be no good Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna the bread of life which is Jesus Christ and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread Thirst cannot be quenched without that water or living spring which is Jesus Christ and what shall a thirsty soul do without water A captive as we are all cannot be delivered without redemption which is Jesus Christ and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom Fools as we are all cannot be instructed without wisdom which is Jesus Christ without him we perish in our folly All building without him is on the sand which will surely fall All working without him is in the fire where it will be consumed All riches without him have wings and will away mallem ruere

and suppose the catalogue of their titles to be a roll of their felicities calling the proud happy and advancing in our conceits them that work wickednes Mal. 3. 15. but God will one day come in with another reckoning and make them know that all things without Christ are but as cyphers without a figure of no value In all their banquets where Christ is not a guest their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the field of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Deut. 32. 32 33. their palaces where Christ is not are but habitations of Zim and Ochim Dragons and unclean beasts Their prosperity is but putting them into full pasture that they may be fatted for the day of slaughter the day of consumption decreed for all the Bulls of Bashan the Gospel bringing Christ is the salt that makes all other things savoury To shew us the great priviledge and preeminence which by the free grace of God many parts of this Island do enjoy To us that sat in darknes and in the shadow of death a great light is risen to guide us into the waies of peace Let others recount the glories benefits profits outward blessings of this Nation let us look only upon that which alone is valuable in it self and makes other things so to be the Gospel of Christ It is reported of the Heralds of our neighbour Monarchs that when one of them had repeated the numerous titles of his Master of Spain the other often repeated France France France intimating that the dominion which came under that one denomination would counterpoise the long catalogue of Kingdomes and Dukedoms wherewith the other flourisht Were we to contend with the grand signieur of the East about our enjoyments we might easily bear down his windy pompous train of titles with this one which millies repetitum placebit the Gospel the Gospel upon all other things you may put the inscription in Daniel mene mene Tekel they are weighed in the balance and found wanting but proclaim before those that enjoy the Gospel as Haman before Mordecai Lo thus shall it be done to them whom the Lord will honour The fox in the fable had a thousand wiles to save himself from the hunters but the cat knew unum magnum one great thing that would surely do it Earthly supports and contentments are but a thousand failing wiles which will all vanish in the time of need the Gospel and Christ in the Gospel is that unnm magnum that unum necessarium which alone will stand us in any stead In this this Island is as the mountain of the Lord exalted above the Mountains of the earth it is true many other Nations partake with us in the same blessing not to advance our own enjoyments in some particulars wherein perhaps we might justly do it but take all these Nations with us and what a molehill are we to the whole earth overspread with Paganisme Mahumetanisme Antichristianisme which innumerable foolish Haeresies And what is England that it should be amongst the choice branches of the vineyard the top boughs of the Cedars of God Shews that such great mercies if not esteemed if not improved if abused will end in great judgements Wo be to that Nation that City that person that shall be called to an account for despising the Gospel Amos 2. 2. you only have I known of all the families of the earth what then Surely some great blessing is coming to that people whom God thus knowes and so ownes as to make himself known unto them No but therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities How ever others may have some ease or mitigation in their punishments do you expect the utmost of my wrath Luther said he thought hell was paved with the bald sculls of Friers I know nothing of that yet of this sure I am that none shall have their portion so low in the ●●thermost hell none shall drink so deep of the cup of Gods indignation as they who have refused Christ in the Gospel Men will curse the day to all eternity wherein the blessed name of Iesus Christ was made known unto them if they continue to despise it He that abuseth the choisest of mercies shall have judgement without mercy What can help them who reject the counsell of God for their good If now England have received more culture from God then other Nations there is more fruit expected of England then other nations A barren tree in the Lords Vineyard must be cut down for cumbring the ground the sheep of God must every one beare twins and none be barren amongst them Cant. 4. 2. If after all Gods care and husbandry his vineyard brings forth wilde-grapes he will take away the hedge break down the wall and lay it waste For the present the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of England and if it be as earth which when the rain falls upon it brings forth nothing but thornes and briers it is nigh unto cursings and the end thereof is to be burned Heb. 6. Men utterly and for ever neglect that ground which they have tried their skill about and laid out much cost upon it if it bring not forth answerable fruits Now here give me leave to say and the Lord avert the evil deserved by it That England I mean these Cities and those other places which since the beginning of our troubles have enjoied the Gospel in a more free and plentifull manner then heretofore hath shewed it self not much to value it 1. In the time of Straits though the sound of the Gospel passed thorow all our streets our villages enjoying them who preached peace and brought glad tidings of good things so that neither we nor our fathers nor our fathers fathers ever saw the like before us Though manna fell round about our tents every day yet as though all were lost and we had nothing Manna was loathed as light bread the presence of Christ made not recompence for the losse of our swine men had rather be again in Aegypt then hazard a pilgrimage in the wildernes If there be any here that ever entertained thoughts to give up the worship of God to superstition his Churches to tyranny and the doctrine of the Gospel to Episcopall corruptions in the pressing of any troubles let them now give God the glory and be ashamed of their own hearts lest it be bitternesse in the end 2. In the time of prosperity by our fierce contentions about mint and cummin whilest the weightier things of the Gospel have been undervalued languishing about unprofitable questions c. but I shall not touch this wound lest it bleed For exhortation that every one of us in whose hand there is any thing would set in for the help of those parts of this Island that as yet sit in darknesse yea in the shadow of death and have none to hold out the bread of life to their fainting souls Doth