Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	resurrection_n	sin_n	7,438	5	5.1303	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57167	The substance of two sermons one touching composing of controversies, another touching unity of judgement and love amongst brethren : preached in two honourable conventions of parliament : the former, Jan. 27, 1657, the other, Feb. 4, 1658 / by Edward Reynolds ...	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1659 (1659)	Wing R1291; ESTC R1300	23,395	44

therefore I abhor my f self the greater our approaches and acquaintance is with God the lower our thoughts will be of our selves the Stars disappear when the Sun riseth Though Heaven be high yet the more there is of Heaven in the soul the more humble and low it is Mountains must be level'd to make a way for Christ As the g Orator said of Trajan Te ad sydera tollit humus that his walking on the ground raised him in the estimation of his people unto Heaven we may say of an heavenly soul Te ad humum Caelum deprimit the more heavenly the more in the dust Qui deo placet sibi de se nil relinquit h the more we study to please God the more nothing we are in our selves 2. To rejoyce in the Lord and in his righteousness alone I will make mention of thy righteousness of thine onely saith the Psalmist Psal. 71. 16. All mine own is as a menstruous cloath so true is that of St. Austin i Justitia nostra potius in remissione peccatorum constat quam in perfectione virtutum 3. To have communion and conformity to Christ in his death and resurrection by inchoate holinesse by mortifying our earthly members glorifying God in an heavenly conversation k The love of Christ constraining us to dye unto sin because he died for it to give our selves l Living Sacrifices unto him who was pleased to give himself a dying Sacrifice for us m For our own we are not but his that bought us n as the Civil Law saies that a redeemed captive is his that bought him per modum pignoris though not per modum mancipij till he can restore the price by which he was redeemed This we can never be able to doe therefore we must ever be the servants of him that bought us 4. To be alwaies so tenderly affected with the Sense of our own manifold imperfections and coming short of the glory of God that thereby our hearts may be the more inflamed by an heavenly ambition and noble pursuite to press forward in the use of all holy means unto more neernesse and intimate communion with the Lord Christ The Lord is pleased here in the Church militant in the land of temptation by such slow and slender progresses to renew his servants a Ut sit quod petentibus largiter adjiciat quod confitentibus Clementer ignoscat as Austin excellently speaks that there may still be a residue of Spirit and grace wherewith abundantly to answer the things which are desired and mercifully to pardon the sins that are confessed that every mouth may be stopped from its own praises and opened in the praises of God from whence it cometh to pass that Gods servants being alwaies b displeased with their present imperfection do presse forward unto that whereunto they have not yet attained like the waters of the Sanctuary from the ancles to the loins the water of life within them never giving over flowing untill it spring up unto eternal life Joh. 7. 38. that those sins which in our c justification are remitted may be so daily in our Sanctification weakned and diminished that at last in our salvation they may be utterly removed d Hic enim non peccare praeceptum in Caelo praemium In this life not to sinne is our duty in the next it shall be our reward and glory Thus as Christ never gave over his work on Earth till he had brought it to a consummation Joh. 19. 13. nor will give over his work in Heaven till that likewise be pronounced consummate Rev. 16. 17. 21. 6. For he must reign till he hath put down all authority and power 1 Cor. 15. 24. that he may save to the uttermost those that come unto God thorow him Heb. 7. 25. so the servants of Christ rest not in any past performances are not weary of well doing but labour to perfect holinesse in the fear of God as by repentance they break off their sinnes and do not finish them of which we read Dan. 4. 24. Jam. 1. 15. so by a continual progress of Sanctification they labour to increase more and more 1 Thes. 4. 1. to grow in knowledge and in grace 2 Pet. 3. 18. till they come to be perfect men and to that measure of the stature of the fulnesse in Christ which he hath intended for them that they may be compleat in him and filled with all the fulnesse of God Ephes. 4. 13. Col. 2. 10. Ephes. 3. 19. thus as in the body so in the soul Hunger is usually a sign of health and the greater our present perfection is the greater will be our longings after more perfection No man in those dayes was nearer God then Moses was and no man ever made if I may in a spiritual sense so call it a more ambitious prayer then Moses did Exod. 33. 18. I beseech thee shew me thy glory As Absalom when he was brought from banishment aspired higher to come into his Fathers presence 2 Sam. 14. 32. so the soule when it is once delivered from the thraldom of sin is still more more ambitious of neerer approaches and accesses unto God Rom. 5. 1 2. Psal. 42. 2. In these things consisteth the highest perfection attainable here in Remission of sin in the gift of Righteousness in conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ in an humble and penitent apprehension of our own failings in renouncing all carnall confidences and in an importunate and indefatigable contention unto more grace and glory III. In that the Apostle saith If in any thing ye be otherwise minded viz. touching Legall Rites and Mosaicall Ceremonies or touching the Doctrine of Christian perfection and the weakness of your present graces and attainments the Lord will in due time out of his Word and by his Spirit if you be carefull in the use of means and attendant upon his teaching reveal the same unto you We may from hence learn That in the best ages of the Church there have been and therefore we cannot expect but that there ever will be varieties and differences of judgment amongst the Members thereof 1. While we know but in part and prophesie but in part 2. While there is difficultie in the disquisition of truth 3. Weaknesse of judgement in men to make that inquirie 4. Carelesnesse to try the spirits and to prove all things 5. Prevalency of some Lust or spirituall Interest darkning the mind and entangling the judgment 6. Credulity in attending unto false Teachers 7. Itching ears affecting and hankering after novell suggestions 8. A too great Reverence to the persons of men having them in admiration and giving our selves up by a blinde obedience and implicite faith unto their hands 9. While there is sleepinesse and inadvertency in the labourers 10. Cunning and Sedulity in the adversaries 11. Unweariednesse in circumambulation and supersemination of the envious man we cannot expect but there will

Where there is agreement in these Fundamentals there is 1. A fair way unto discovery of truth in the things of difference for where true Principles are laid there is a great preparation unto all true conclusions deducible from them and the more clearly we understand the comprehension and latitude of thesePrinciples which are Omnimm Doctrinarum Matrix the more skill we have to discern the genuine deduction of true conclusions and the inconsistency of those which are false and spurious for matters of Division are to be measured by the Doctrines which we have learned Rom. 16. 17. we must not suffer any Doctrine to corrupt our judgement or enthrall our Conscience which doth either directly or by visible and just consequence overturn or wrench or shake or endanger the Foundation we must not doe with Doctrines in Religion as Herodotus saith the Babylonians did with their Virgins sell the fair ones to raise portions for the foule plead agreement in Fundamentals for prevarication in other things for the Rule is made to rectifie other Errors by not to warrant them They who consent not in this necessary disposition to Peace but wil have al Opinions strike sail to theirs and will exercise Domination over the Faith and Consciences of their Brethren which is the case between us and the Roman Church which boasteth of her Infallibility and that her Laws binde the Conscience as if the Pope and not Christ were to sit in Judgment at the last day these I say will be found to have been the greatest Scismaticks who by intollerable tyranny over the Consciences and cruelty over the Lives of men have miserably torne the peace and unity of the Church of Christ 2. Where there is this agreement in Fundamentals there ought to be mutual and Fraternall affections notwithstanding differences in other things no Reproaches no Exasperations no invidious consequences no odious imputations no uncharitable digladiations but an owning of one another as Brethren and a discussing and ventilating of the points in difference with a Spirit of Love and meekness saying to one another as Abraham to Lot Let there be no strife between thee and me for we be brethren III. The last expedient which the Apostle useth for pacification amongst Brethren is To walk by the same Rule and to minde the same things that is notwithstanding all their differences to preserve unity in these three things unity of wills in Love unity of holiness in life unity of ends in design The Apostle putteth Faith and Love Faith and a good Conscience together calleth Christian Doctrine a Mystery of godlinesse and knowledge which is according to godliness without this our judgments are volatile and unfixed for the heart is established by grace He who holds truth to serve turns or maketh it an Handmaid to his own lusts and ambition like that Atheist in Hierom Fac me Romanae urbis Episcopum ero protinus Christianus or like Hermogenes in Tertullian Legem dei in libidinem defendit in artem contemnit will for advantage be ready to set the truth to saile and to exchange his opinion that he may gratifie his lust And usually we finde that through mens own wickedness and the just judgment of God upon them Corrupt lusts are the causes of corrupt mindes and that Carnall ends have been the rise and originall of dangerous Heresies as Tertullian hath observed of Valentinus the Heretick and Theodoret of Arius Carnall ends and crooked affections open a passage unto Hereticall Opinions and there is an excellent speech of the Philosopher which gives us the reason of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That commonly as mens courses of life are so would they have the Doctrines to be which their Teachers instruct them notable examples whereof we have in Scripture The best way then to know that wherein we differ is to obey that wherein we agree for as a corrupt heart will make a corrupt judgment so purity of heart is a good step unto unitie of judgement the Lord having promised that they who do his will shall know his doctrine Joh. 7. 27. that they who are his sheep shall discern his voice Joh. 10. 4. that the meck he will teach his way and reveal his secret to them that fear him Psal. 25. 9 14. Let us therefore as we have received Christ so walk in him and we shall certainly reap one of these two fruits either we shall get to the knowledge of the truth and so our differences cease or we shall so allay them with humility and love as Austin observes of Cyprian that they shall never break forth into bitternesse animosity or scornful esteeme of our fellow brethren I conclude all with a very few words of exhortation unto this Honourable Assembly all grounded upon the particulars of the Text 1. To acknowledge with the Apostle your own imperfection Solomon was sensible of the disparity between his work and his strength and so all good men are and thereupon 1. Wait upon God for wisdome Jam. 1. 5. 2. Do not precipitate counsels but mature them by grave and full deliberation Ita enim nati estis ut bona malaque vestra ad Remp. pertineant 2. To settle and secure the weighty doctrines of righteousnesse by Christ alone of holinesse and conformity to his death and resurrection of imperfection of humane righteousness of necessity of daily progresse in the waies of grace and of those means which Christ hath set up in his Church in order thereunto 3. In making Laws and penalties to be tender towards the weak consciences of your brethren There is indeed a very great veneration due to Laws and Magistrates do with good reason expect to have their Sanctions obeyed rather then disputed But they must remember they are brethren as well as Magistrates and therefore must take heed of writing or binding heavy burdens no Law-maker can know the lawfulnesse of his own edicts more certainly then the Apostles knew that Legal ceremonies were extinguished by the death of Christ Yet knowing likewise the weakness of their brethren the Jews they did not presently put forth their Apostolical authority to the inhibiting of them but suffered them to die a lingring death It is a sad thing to be reduced unto that uncomfortable Dilemma of choosing either iniquity as to a mans own conscience I mean or affliction And if by any means he be brought unto it he may take more comfort in suffering it then others in inflicting it I speak not this to weaken the hands of Law-makers or to derogate from the authority of Laws unto which I shall ever both out of principles of conscience and prudence carrie all Reverence and submission either chearfully to do or meekly to suffer But I speak it as an humble caution that since there are some of humble and quiet spirits who may sometimes be otherwise minded Laws may be made so exactly consonant to the general rules of