Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	great_a	see_v	5,480	5	3.2974	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65069	Tēs pisteōs elegchos, or, The reason of faith briefly discuss'd in a sermon, preach'd at Pauls before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor, &c., the third of October, 1658, and publish'd by the order of his lordship, and Court of Aldermen / by Peter Vinke ...	Timoreus, Theophilus.	1659 (1659)	Wing V562; ESTC R39404	19,583	36

not to do any thing in Religion because I think it rational it may be will-worship but to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 Neither are we to admit only so much of Scripture as we fancy to be consonant to reason but we are to admit so much only of reason as we are sure is not contrary to Scripture the lesser gives way to the greater God made the Scripture-light as the Sunne to rule the gospel-Gospel-day the Moon-light of reason he makes to rule the night amongst those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death And if at any time we go to Law with revealed truths before this Heathen Judge reason we might win the case indeed but lose truth and hazard our souls The grounds of this assertion are 1. The impotency of reason this eye is blood-shot it cannot see throughly into natural causes if you think it can tell me from whence comes the heat of the stomack the strength of the nether jaw stand upon the banks of our Euripus the Thames and give a satisfactory reason of its ebbing and flowing Or answer me those questions propounded in the 36. 37 38. Chapters of Job And if thy reason be either not faithful or able in its own things who will commit unto it the resolution of those things that are not its own 2. But suppose it had not contracted any impotency yet at best reason is fallible and may be deceiv'd The eye is the most certain of all the senses and yet I have read of twenty wayes whereby it may be deceived in its Object I am sure there are many more wayes whereby this eye of the minde may be imposed upon reason at best is a creature Whittaker de authoritate Scripturae it hath erred it may erre and we should be alwayes at incertainties if we had not an infallible Rule for our souls something which may be believed for its own sake which only Gods Word may safely be Nay never did Gods children erre more dangerously then when they eyed natural causes and reason too much 'T was the cause of Sarah's laughing Gen. 18.12 Luke 1.18 Gal. 1.16 after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure and of Zechariah's doubting I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years And therefore Saint Paul sayes that when he was call'd to be an Apostle to go and preach amongst the Heathens in the midst of contempt and persecution he conferr'd not with flesh and blood certainly if he had they would have said to him too Master spare thy self Though then we yield that reason is a light yet we say also 't is but noctiluca cerebri Aug. Prov. 20.27 a glow-worm light for all its lustre we have still need of the Sun I grant it is the candle of the Lord but I am sure withal that it hath need of snuffing and if at any time it be a rule it must be regula regulata not regulans no further a Rule then it is its self ruled according to Scripture and the Word of God Consider 2 Negatively That that very truth promise c. which you do believe does not benefit your souls as to eternity in that 't is rational but as 't is believed for example that God might commiserate Mankinde and finde out wayes for its recovery is rational but as this is rational barely it does not at all conduce to our salvation but as there hath been a Declaration to this purpose made by God in his Word An assertion or principle how rational soever is low faint and dead as to the begetting or carrying on of a spiritual life till the Spirit it self does animate and enliven it 't is Gods speaking of these or the like truths in Scripture and to the heart which makes them seed apt for the propagating a new life The reason in them is but as a stick that bears up a Vine or Plant more precious than its self but gives it not life The life of faith is from its self not from reason The sum of what hath been spoken amounts to thus much Reason is our Reuben the top of our excellency Apollonius Tyaneus Musonius Vorstius c as men but if it goes up to our fathers bed it shall not excell and experience of all ages hath taught us that none have proved more desperate enemies to the truth of Religion than many otherwise excellently parted men Thus we have heard of some who having digged too deep have met with such damps as have extinguish'd the candle they were let down withal thus learning as a flash of lightning leaves men in the greater darknesse And surely there is much of that commination Isa 7 9. fulfill'd amongst us which the Septuagint and many of the Antients read thus if ye will not believe ye shall not understand Cypr. lib. 1. adversus Judaeot Tertull. adver●us Marc. Psal 25.9.1 Cor. 1.26 the things of God are to be believed that they may be understood The modest and humble believer not the captious and proud Philosopher hath the promise to understand them As beasts though of more exquisite sense then men yet cannot determine of humane affairs so men if barely though excellently rational will be as much at a losse in heavenly matters God would not that a tool any sharp instrument should be lifted up towards the making of his Altar Exod 20.25 C●ussin ●● saincte Cour. some think the truth and substance of that Law was to shew how much God did abhorre to have the point of the acutest reason lifted up upon the Altar of faith How much then certainly are they to blame who draw the Curtains and shut out in their very Sermons and spiritual discourses the day-light of Scripture that they may enlighten them as they think the better by the candle of reason but I would not prevent my self in the application which I am now come unto This Scripture instructs exhorts comforts Applic. 't is useful first for instruction we may hence learn 1. The nature of faith and 2. the condition of the faithful The nature of faith 1. Instruction which is twofold and concerning it these two things 1. 'T is not an opinion barely 1. In the nature of faith 't is an evidence But yet secondly 1. 'T is not a bare opinion 't is not an absolute assurance for 't is of things not seen In the first place we hence learn that true faith is not a bare opinion or imagination there are these two remarkable differences between them For first the object of opinion is something look'd upon as in its own nature uncertain the object of faith as in its self certain The Scepticks those great Opinionists held that there was nothing certain but notwithstanding whatsoever was said for any matter to day as much might be said on the contrary side to morrow But believers build upon a word which is not Yea and Nay changeable and inconstant

satisfaction to whom Gods Authority is foundation strong enough to build upon but that we may be able and ready to give an answer to them that ask us a reason of our hope 1 Pet. 3.15 And is not this evidence strong enough to a believer 1. He hath Gods Word for what he believes Dictum Jehovae The Word of the Lord came c. 2. Not a bare word but his solemn promises Rom. 1.2 3. Many of these things are confirmed with an Oath too Heb. 6.13 4. To which also God hath put his seal Rom. 4.11 5. And given actually an earnest of them all in their hearts that believe 2 Cor. 1.22 Surely then the Believers Thus ' saith the Lord is a better argument than the disputers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Thus saith the Philosopher Let then others give it for a Rule as the Philosophers did of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receive nothing upon the credit of whomsoever Or according to the late Mode To doubt of all things The believers way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take Gods Word and to think himself well enough assured of any thing that God hath asserted there though at present it be not seen That is the other property of the Object of Faith The other expression of faiths object 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not seen That is it is not it cannot be comprehended by sense or reason Thus throughout the whole Sphere of faith's activity its object does not appear 1. In things past it believes the Creation of the world Heb. 11.3 c. 2. In things present Faith believes the Providence of God Coloss 3 1. the sitting of Christ at the right hand of the Father his Intercession c. 3. In things to come It believes the Resurrection Judgment Psal 96.13 c. and yet none of these are seen Nay how many things does the Christian believe when the very contrary unto them seem to appear as that a Virgin should conceive that God should become man c. Unto which the unbelievers blasphemously reply Tam Jupiter Taurus quam Deus homo I shall make some further instances the rather because this is a main foundation of that truth which will close up all 1. Faith believes the doctrine of Justification that they who are called are justified Rom. 8.30 and yet what abundance of guilt is the true believer hanted withal what bitter complaints and teares come daily from him 2. Scripture tells us that the people of God are a holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.9 and do they see this Is not the Canaanite still in the land Oh what dirty corners doe the Sunne discover in that roome or heart where it shines when the Sunne is up what abundance of dust flies about when the house is sweeping what swarmes of corruptions whilest the heart is a cleansing 3. Gods Word sayes that they are blessed that trust in him Psal 2.12 But certainly it is an hidden and invisible happinesse is it a happinesse to be imprison'd mock'd ston'd c. as the Worthies were we read of in this Chapter 4. There is an abundance of all things promised to them that fear God Psal 34.9 And didst ever see this I mean by sense or reason it appears indeed they have an abundance but of all miseries not otherwise Paul had abundance of Ship-wracks Scourgings Stonings 2 Cor. 11.25 but nothing else 2 Cor. 6.10 5. Gods promise is that he will be with us Isa 43.2 Certainly this does not appear unless to the eye of faith who but a very strong believer could have seen God with his people in Gideon's time Judges 6.13 6. The children of God have an eternal life assured to them Rev. 2.10 What appears in order to this they dye as well as others and where is the promise 7. Ay but there shall be a resurrection 1 Cor. 15. This is as little seen as the other what preparation is there towards it after death the body runs through many changes into corruption wormes meat dust c. but still there is nothing seen in the charnal houses and sepulchres that seems a fit ingredient into the glorious body that is promised 1 Cor. 15.43 To forbear more particulars If sense and reason were to give in their verdicts on them it would be at best but a non constat there is not one of them evident And Gods hand appears much in thus ordering the matter Reasons why the object of faith is thus not seen that reason its self should not attain to the things pertaining to God 1. By these means God sets forth the vanity of the wisdome of the flesh which 't is his designe to confound and debase 1 Cor. 1.19 20. 2. God thus advances his own glory all saving knowledge and heavenly wisdome being necessarily his gift Hoc fides credat intelligentia non requirat ●e aut non inventum pute● incredibile aut repertum non credat singulare Bern. de cata Domini 1 Cor. 2.14 Prudentius when the noblest plant in natures garden reason cannot produce such fruit 3. Thus God observes a just proportion between the object and faculty spiritual objects require a spiritual faculty as the eye of the body cannot see spiritual substances no more can a carnal minde discerne spiritual truths nil diurnum nox capit To omit other reasons Having thus explained the words that which I shall pitch upon is the result of them all especially the latter clause in this observation That faith only is the evidence of things not seen Observ when the other faculties cannot discover them but look upon them as doubtful if not false faith accounts them evident and certain For the understanding of this we must know that every thing is properly evident to that faculty to which it does belong as sensible things are obvious to sense rational conclusions are approv'd of by reason and the things of God are in the sphaere only of faith Now these three sense Omne verum à quocunque venit a Spiritu sancto venit Aug. reason and faith being all from God his works in man cannot be contrary one to another neither does any one of them destroy the other neither can any thing be true in one that is false in another if rightly understood As for example when sense sayes that much drink is good for one in a Feaver or Dropsie reason does not contradict this that to sense 't is good only upon a better account it corrects its judgment so when reason dictates that nothing can be made out of nothing and so would deny the Creation that when the privation is total the habit cannot be introduc'd again and from thence would deny the Resurrection Faith does not deny but that these axiomes as to second causes and in the lower orbe of reason are true only it corrects their malignity by shewing a more excellent way and bidding of us look a story higher unto God unto