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	sin_n	sin_v	13,883	5	9.2456	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11850	Christs counsell to his languishing church of Sardis. Or, The dying or decaying Christian, with the meanes and helpes of his recovery and strengthening. By Obadiah Sedgwicke, B. of D. late preacher to the inhabitants of S. Mildreds Bredstreet, London	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1640 (1640)	STC 22151; ESTC S117037	59,254	284

my grace is weakened when I yeeld to sinne but it stands in strength when it stands in defiance and conflict with sinne it argues the violence of sinne to breake out against grace and also it argues the potency of grace to keepe the soule from serving unruly and boysterous lusts 3 Betwixt sinne in temptation and sinne in the affection even a strong castle may be assaulted and a stout Christian much tempted then the spirituall part is weakened when sin is favoured If as there is much temptation in thy sinfull flesh so there is much detestation on thy spirituall part thy bow yet abides in strength Object But another Christian replies if these signes of decaying be right which you deliver then surely I am in a dying frame for heretofore when as I thought God looked on me in mercy in quickening me from the dead I had a very melting heart for sinne and a surpassing●y zealous love to God and his glory but now I finde no such height and flames and measures Sol. To this I answer 1 You must distinguish betwixt equall sensiblenesse and equall spiritualnesse upon the inchoation of grace there may be more sensiblenesse for as much as grace erects it selfe much in the affections of whose acts we are more apprehensive being more neere to sense but upon the advance in grace there may be more spiritualnesse though not such a sensible griefe in the affection yet a pure lothing of sinne and displicence with our selves in the will 2 Betwixt passionate expressions and deliberate or judicious expressions I confesse that heretofore thy zeale and love might be more passionate and violent but now they worke upon more pure and mixt grounds and for ever know it argues the grace to be the more strong which can act its parts with lesse turbulency and unquietnesse 3 Betwixt grace generally diffused and it particularly imployed at the first all the water ranne as it were in one channell grace exerted it selfe mostly in the humbling part and therefore seemed to be very much because very much imployed in a particular but upon further knowledge of Christian duties grace diffuseth its strength to all the acts of holinesse it is not the lesse because the more improved onely it is the lesse perceived Simile as health and strength are when totally diffused over the whole body 4 Betwixt interruption and corruption spirituall principles may sometimes be interrupted Simile like a river which yet is scrambling over the bay by temptations the passages are not alwaies so open for operation the very ineptitude of a mans temper may occasion unequall expressions of the visible act actus Imperati and yet there may be no weakening and decaying in the spirituall condition for the invisible frame actus eliciti are sure and full still the will and desires doe act as much as ever though the tongue or hand cannot render it and besides this the worke is made up by a secret humbling which is so unavoydably hindred from an open acting 6 But lastly if upon solid grounds when wee are our selves we finde a manifest inequality of our present with our former condition in grace then counsell is better for thee then comfort and mee thinkes no better advise can be prescribed then that of Christ himselfe to the Ephesian Church slaking in her first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works Vse 2 If though upon perusall of these trials you finde your selves not to be in a dying condition 1 Then first blesse the arme of the Almighty God who hath given grace and upheld it 2 Beseech him for ever to preserve and increase thy spirituall qualities all thy daies it is by his goodnesse that thou art good and of his strength that yet thou abidest in thy strength 3 Vse all the meanes thou canst to keepe up thy graces that thou sink not into a dying condition Meanes to preserve us from a dying condition be these 1 Be humble Simile the high tide quickly ebbes and the highest sunne is presently declining faith is the champion for our graces and feare the watchman and humility the nurse Spirituall pride fils our fancies but impaires our graces now a man thinkes he hath enough and then he is sure to lose much if any thing keepes us from being low in grace it is this that we still grow low and poor in spirit In the Rickets they have large heads but weake feet so c. 2 Strive for further perfection 2 Pet. 3. 17. 18. in holinesse 2 Pet. 3. 17. the most of what wee have is but the least of that we want He that will not strive to be better will be worse in temporals we should insist more on our receits and that will make us thankfull in spirituals wee should insist more on our wants and that will make us fruitfull 2 Pet. 1. 5. Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 6 v. and to knowledge temperance c. 8 v. for if thou doe these things they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull c. 3 Quit all formality in all holy duties take heed of the first coolings much impiety may hang upon much indifferency a coole spirit is alwaies a losing spirit he who gives way to do duties in a slight manner will after a while be able scarce to performe them in any manner But as the rule was Hoc age so still keep up thy spirit with the duty stir up thy graces in all duties put out thy heart and strength in holy actions of praying and hearing and that will keepe thee alive in grace A conscionable and cordiall acting of good is blessed not onely with a preservation of grace but likewise with an addition and increase 4 Maintaine an holy jealousie and feare of decaying Blessed is the man who feareth alwaies saith Salomon Prov. 28. Three things arise from this One is tender watchfulnesse against all decaying occasions Another is frequent search and examination of our spirits and estates Quicke repairings of all faylings all which preserve us from a notorious decaying or dying 5 Be prudently serious in christian society spend not thy houres in vaine disputes lest while thou studiest odde notions thou in the meane time losest precious grace There are disputes which end onely in division and there are inquiries which tend to edification rather studie to make thy selfe better then to prove another to be bad 6 Keep up uprightnesse and by no meanes away with hypocrisie say not the sinne is little Simile for many a man hath dyed of a little wound and we all know that the small end of the wedge makes way for the greater nor say it is secret a man may dye of a secret stab as well as of an open wound When the children of the Prophets tasted of the pottage they cried out Mors in olla death is in the pot and so shall wee finde upon experience that there goes a dying influence with

every sinne Therefore take heed of all sinning especially of those against knowledge and conscience these are peccata vulnerantia divastantia wounding and wasting sinnes The tender heart and the upright these are the living and the lively hearts 7 I might adde that we must apply our selves to a living Christ and to living ordinances c. but these alledged rules shall suffice for this time Object But suppose wee are in a dying condition what meanes now Sol. 1 Finde out the speciall diseases or causes of thy decaying in what grace most and by what meanes and waies and acts 2 Be lowly humbled that thou hast so humbled and abased thy glory Thou shouldest grieve exceedingly that by thy great decayings God hath been so much dishonoured his spirit grieved religion shamed conscience wounded and grace impaired 3 Then use the meanes prescribed here in the Text strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dye whence wee come to the next proposition viz. Doct. That spirituals if languishing and dying are to be strengthened For the understanding of this assertion premise with mee a few particulars 1 That there is a difference betwixt the Implantation Perfecting Strengthening of holy principles The Implantation of them is nothing but their free and effectuall communication unto a person from Gods holy spirit his hand alone sets all these heavenly plants and from his sole goodnesse and power are all those starres those shining and beautifull stars created in our soules Perfecting of holy principles is nothing but a successive addition unto grace received a rising or sprouting of those plants a going on from a weaker to a stronger degree The strengthening of them differs from both for it is not a new creation of holy principles but a restauration of them and so it differs from grace implanted and though it be an addition to grace received yet this addition is not to grace as meerely weake but properly to grace as weakened and so it differs from the perfecting of holy principles 2 The strengthening of decaying principles or habits of grace it is a spirituall and proportionable reparation of them unto their former liberty and ability and efficacie It is not a meere sustaining of them in genere gratiarum or in esse vitali that they shall not quite extinguish Simile as when a house is onely so kept that it fals not to the ground this is not sufficient to sustaining for graces may be strengthened as radicall habits when yet they may be pining in their vigour and remitted in their measure and graduals But strengthening of grace imports addition as well as sustentation Simile like recovery which is health in some measure comming and rising againe Nor is all regaining sufficient unlesse it be proportionable to the estate of grace when it began to decay sink when the decayed Christian recovers againe unto that ancient pitch of heavenly power and inclination and unto his old liberty of holy acts whether inward in the minde will and affection or outward in his open and visible duties now hath he rightly strengthened himselfe It is true that before he fully recovers that equall pitch hee may be said to strengthen his graces by way of disposition but punctually by way of habit the strengthening implyes a new equality as it were to the latitude of his former condition 3 There is a threefold strengthening of decaying principles A threefold strength of holinesse 1 One is by way of authority and plaine causality this strengthening is the worke of the spirit of Christ Iesus for as he onely is life to a dead man so he onely is medicine to a sicke soule his bloud is the onely comforting medicine to a troubled conscience and his spirit is the onely strengthening medicine to a decayed Christian It is he who must set us upon our legs againe and who must make our withered branches to flourish againe Now Christ Iesus doth Christ strengthens three waies strengthen the languished Christian as I suppose three waies 1 Excitando by awakening him out of his drowsie and deadly sleepe like those to Ionah what meanest thou O sleeper arise so doth Iesus Christ awaken the decaying Christian partly per sermonem sonantem by the powerfull knocking 's of the word which will not let him rest thus but charge on him all the wrath of God and the withdrawments of his love if hee will continue thus Partly per sermonem tonantem by some singular afflictions and neere corrections scourging of him in some singular outward mercies that hee may see his spirituall losses in temporary ones Partly per sermonem pulsantem by his owne spirit clearing the eyes of his understanding to open and reflect and consider on the decayed condition as also by exciting the conscience bitterly to accuse and judge him for this reciduation and witherings with much torment feare and shame 2 Adjuvando by conferring Alvarez de aux Gr. disp 88. p. 698. on him actuall and efficacious strength specialem concursumro bur actuale whereby his will resolves to forsake those courses of death and to turne backe againe into the pathes of lite and is also inabled by that helping grace both to bewaile its former decayings and also earnestly and constantly to supplicate the throne of grace and mercy for pardon and for strength to recover 3 Renovando by a daily infusing in the use of meanes such new measures and degrees of holinesse untill the decayed Christian recovers his former ability and vigour shaking off his corruptions and attaining unto that strength of holy understanding faith will love desire feare care obedience as heretofore 2 Another is by way of ministery and office this concerns the Pastors of flockes who should consider the estate of their sheepe and if they finde any to wander to reduce them into the way of truth if any to be weake to beare them up in their armes with comfort if any to be pining and decaying to stirre them up by holy reproofes and pious counsels and directions for all the waies of a speedy and safe recovery and many interpreters thinke this the principall strengthening meant and intended in this place 3 A third by way of personal duty and so the decaying Christian strengthens himself when being awakened and excited and assisted by the Spirit of Christ he applies himselfe unto and continueth in the use of all holy and raising meanes whether private or publicke or both untill God againe strengthens what he hath wrought in him This strengthening is partly Privative in the expulsion of those diseases and occasions which have impaired the spirituall condition Positive in a continuall succouring of the spirituall condition till it recovers to its ancient degree and station Quest But why must the spirituall condition be thus strengthened Reasons hereof are many Sol. 1 Spirituall decaies are exceeding losses therefore to be repaired and strengthened they are a losse In that which is our excellency holinesse is the glory of a