Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	end_n	good_a	life_n	9,382	5	4.8333	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59956	The universality of the light which shines in darkness asserted, and the notions & opinions of Jeremiah Ives (divulged the 24th of the 2d moneth, 1674, in the market place at Crayden in the county of Surrey) detected &c. written and published ... by William Shewen.	Shewen, William, 1631?-1695.; Stubbs, John, 1618?-1674.	1674 (1674)	Wing S3426; ESTC R21692	18,539	30

all men the true Christians were taught by it others walked despightfully to the Spirit of Grace and turned from it into W●ntonness Also A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal One Talent at least is given to improve though Thousands answer not the End of the Lord who is the Giver thereof Life and Death Good and Evil is set before all men and the Lord is present and ready with his Wisdom and Power to enable men to chuse Life and Good and to eschew Death and Evil. But how men are said to be Darkness and to walk in it notwithstanding the True Light shines in them is a Mystery to the cunning Wit of men which cannot comprehend the Possibility thereof and are ready to cry out If all are lighted with the Light of Christ which is in it self a saving Light then why are not all men saved If all have a measure of this Light in them how can any be said to be Darkness And if this Light in it self be sufficient to lead to the true Teacher what need hath Christ to send forth a Ministry and what 's the End of your Preaching and Printing of Books c. if all men have a Light sufficient in them This hath been the Cry of the Spirit of this World which savours not the Things of God Now such Ministers which Christ sent and sends forth were and are sent to open the Eyes of the Gentiles and to turn their Minds from the Darkness to the Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God that they might receive Forgiveness of Sin and Inheritance among the Saints c. They had Eyes before though shut and Light before though their Minds were not turned to it nor exercised by it but by the Darkness and by the Power of Satan and so walking in this Darkness they stumbled and Mankind being in this State joyned to the Power of Satan and to Darkness is called Darkness notwithstanding the Light shines in it as the holy Scriptures fully evidence Now this Darkness and Power of Satan was and is inward within People and this Light and Power of God was also inward within People For it would be very absurd and ridiculous to imagine that Christ's Ministers were sent to turn the Minds of People from outward Darkness to an outward Light the Darkness and Power of Satan was spiritual and inward and the Light and Power of God was spiritual and inward and the pure Mind they were to stir up was within People Now though they walked in Darkness and sat in the Region and Shadow of Death and saw no Light by Reason that the Eye was shut and the Mind turned another Way though it was nigh they did not see it so as to have the Benefit of it or to believe in it because the Clouds of Error Ignorance and Unbelief were so thick and gross in them that though the light shined so far in them as to convince and reprove them for Evil yet they could not comprehend it or believe in it as a Light in that State but rather accounted Light Darkness and Darkness Light as many in this Age do Now when this Light shined out of Darkness and dispersed the Clouds and gross Fogs that were before their Understandings by means of Christ's Ministry then begun the Work of Regeneration then they became as new-born Babes desiring the sincere Milk of the Word then the Work of Christ's Ministers was as Fathers to cherish them and feed them with Food convenient and as it were lead them by the Hand till they grew strong Men c. And to effect this they travelled among them from City to City and from one Country to another to confirm them and establish them in the Light Power and holy Truth or Gospel of Christ Jesus which their Minds were turned to And this is the Work and End of Christ's Ministry now which we are made Partakers of And this is the End we have in writing printing and preaching for though all have one Talent at least yet Exhortation is needed that Improvement may be made according to the Ability given and that Men receive the Grace and Love that ●s tendered and make use of the Means given and appointed of God to lead to Salvation and this was and is the Work of the Ministry even to perswade Men to be reconciled to God who is Light and dwells in the Light and is not far from every one as a Light ready to lead them out of the Paths of Darkness though till their Minds are turned from the Darkness to which they are joyned and in which they walk and dwell they cannot see him Opinion That the Light which lighteth every man is not the Light of Christ yet it is a Divine Light This is a Piece of Ignorance and Contradiction not of the east Magnitude It is common with the Builders of Mystery Babylon grosly to err and mistake and be confused in their Language and the clamorous Woman pulls down her House with her own hands What! Grant that every man is lighted with a Divine Light but not with the Light of Christ How many sorts of Divine Light are there Is not the Light of Christ Divine What thou mayst form as a cunning Artificer by way of Argument to prove this Nice Carnal Corrupt Distinction will prove like a Castle built in the Air or vain Imagination and fall upon the Head of him that builds it For the whole Current of the Scriptures comprehends things under two Heads Good and Evil Light and Darkness Life and Death Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual and Natural Old and New Holy and Polluted Divine Nature Sinful and Corrupt Nature c. Now Divine Nature is the same with Divine Light Holy Heavenly Pure and Spiritual And it was by this Nature the Gentiles did those things contained in the Law c. they did them not by the corrupt Nature for that leads all that are in it further into Transgression and Breach of all the Law of God and as that is given way unto razeth out and demolisheth the Law in the Heart And how J. I. can set forth a Divine Holy Heavenly Spiritual Light wherewith men are lighted and shew that this Divine Light is not the Light of Christ I judge is a Mystery to himself unknown for I cannot find neither in the Scripture nor among Holy Men a President for the like Doctrine so for ought I know he may be called the Father of this Vain Conceit or Notion Opinion There is a Natural Light in all men which may shew them Sin and this Natural Light is Divine for every Gift of God is perfect therefore Divine Ans This Conceit or Opinion differs not much from the former only in this thou acknowledgest that this Light wherewith every man is lighted is able to shew or convince men that Sin is Sin now what that is that makes manifest and convinceth of Sin the Scriptures

bear witne●s in that of John Chap. 16. That which convinceth the World of Sin c. is the Saints Comforter even the Spirit of Truth it hath many Names in the Holy Scriptures but is one thing So this Light which is Divine Holy Heavenly and Spiritual is one with the Spirit of Truth in Nature and Operation and is the Gift of God to all men though some rebel against it and hath Power in it not only to shew and convince of Sin but to destroy Sin and convert to God those that love its Appearance and turn at its Reproof I perceive thou hast read That every Gift of God is Perfect and that the Light is the Gift of God therefore Perfect and Divine thou hadst better know it so and prove it by the Experience of its Vertue and Operation in thy self then by a Syllogism then thou mightest be a true Witness of its Divine Perfectio till then however I will take thy Argument for as good a Proof as thou canst give that the Light is Perfect and Divine Opinion Men may sin out all Sense of Sin and become Darkness and have no Light in them Answ Men through long Custom of sinning may have their Hearts hardened to that Degree that they may be compared to a Stone and to a Deaf Adder which will not hear the Voice of the Charmer c. And men may be so ignorant of the Law and Mind of God even while they profess him that they may think they do him good Service while they are serving the Devil and doing his Work yet there is Means of Redemption and a Possibility of Deliverance appointed of God out of this State and the stony Heart may be it be made soft and become changed into a Heart of Flesh and the deaf Ear and Eye may be unstopped and the ignorant unsensible spirit removed and done away and this State is upon men while the Light shines in Darkness which Darkness they are and cannot comprehend it c. But now after the Light comes to shine out of Darkness and men come to receive it and for a time to walk in it and to be so enlightened by it as that they may in some measure know God and Jesus Christ which he hath sent which is Eternal Life and may taste of the Power of the World to come and witness a Translation from Death to Life and from Darkness to Light and a cleansing from the Pollutions of the World over which their Faith in Christ had given them Victory and their House may be swept and garnished c. yet after all this they may fall into a worse Estate then that above mentioned out of which they may never come to witness Redemption nor Deliverance seeing after they knew God they did not like to retain the Knowledge of him nor to Glorifie him as God And seeing they make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and turn like the Dog and Swine to the Mire and Vomit again and crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and for want of Watchfulness let seven worse Devils enter the latter end of such will be worse then their beginning And it s such that are compared to Trees twice dead plucked up by the Roots and their Consciences are said to be seared as with a hot Iron c. for such it s said there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin this Estate is lamentable and little short of the utmost Hell seeing the Spirit of God hath ceased striving with such for their Salvation and that which they hate will be their Condemnation And there is none that ever did or shall sin themselves into such a state of Hardness and Unsensibleness as that they shall not feel the Reward of Sin sooner or later neither shall they escape the Biting or Gnawing of that Worm that never dyes nor the Anguish of that Fire which the Breath of the Lord kindles if the Wicked that hate the Light could dwell in such Darkness where the Light could not find them or if they could destroy this Gnawing Worm and extinguish or put out this Fire which the Breath of God kindles then should their Sensibleness of Pain and Anguish for Sin be at an end but as they cannot do the one so they cannot escape the other The Wages of Sin is Death even a dying Death a sensible Death where the Gnawing Worm will be felt and the Wicked shall be able to lift up their Eyes in Hell as Dives did when he saw Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom and cry for Help in the Sence of their Torment when it is too late the Gulf being fixed c. Opinion The Sun may shine and some men may shut their Eyes and will not see it and some are blind and cannot see it Are they therefore enlightned by it So likewise c. Answ The Strength of this Opinion of thine by way of Similes I take to be thus That though the Sun doth shine yet some are not willing and some are not able to see the Light of it and so are not or will not be lighted by it and from hence wouldst conclude notwithstanding thy former Concession viz. That every man is lighted with a Divine Light That some men have no Light in them nor are not in a Capacity to receive Benefit by the Light because blind And others will not come out of the dark C●lls of the Earth where they have taken up their Habitation to behold it Now the Scriptures bear witness That the Seers or Prophets saw Christ the Gift of God to be the Light of the Gentiles and to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and there was and is a Call to all the Ends of the Earth to look unto him and be saved and the Gentiles and Ends of the Earth looking unto him have had have and may have Salvation by him And the Lord desires not nor wills not the Death of him that dyes nor the Blindness of him that is blind but would have all men walk in the Light and come to the Knowledge of his Truth and be saved He bids or commands no men to Hear See or Walk when he hath not given them Ears Eyes and Ability so to do He calls to all men every where to Repent and he hath afforded them Light and Grace sufficient to enable them so to do if they would believe in it and obey it He shuts no man's Eyes neither is he the Author of any man's Blindness Wilfulness and Stubbornness It 's man's own Sin that separates man from his Maker and blinds his Eye and strengthens his Will that he cannot and will not see the Light when it shines in him so as to be saved by it and to walk in it though he hath in this blind sinful State so much Sight Sense and Knowledge of it as to feel its Reproofs and Convictions John 3.20 So every one that doth Evil hates the Light and cometh not to it lest his Deeds should be

reproved yet the Light cometh to such and follows such and finds them out as it did Adam in the beginning And none can be said to hate that which they have not nor never had no Sense nor Knowledge of nor be justly reprehended for not loving it and not coming to it and not bringing their Deeds to it if they have not Ability or are not in a Capacity so to do Therefore thy comparing Natural things with Spiritual will not hold true every way nor thy Conclusions therefrom Some indeed are said to stop their Ears and to close their Eyes and to stumble and grope like blind men for the Wall yet God is not the Author of this neither did he make Mankind in this Estate but this is come upon him through his own Transgression and Disobedience to the Law which is Light which was before Books or an outward Law was written which while he obeyed and walked in he enjoyed the Presence of God who gave it and lived in the Light of his Countenance but when he transgressed he dyed as to that Enjoyment though be lieved and remained in the Body as a man and here began Mankind to hate the Light and to walk in Darkness and to endeavour to hide himself for Fear and to cover his own Nakedness with the Works of his own Pands Now was laid the Foundation of all Self-Will Self Works Self Righteousness Self-knowledge and Imagination from this Foundation Christ the Lamb of God was slain he that reads let him understand And Mankind in this Estate is accounted Dead ●eaf Blind and Naked because that Life Eye Ear and Covering be hath is of his own ordering and making and he is truly Dead whill be thinks he Lives ●eaf and Blind while he thinks he Hears and Sees and Naked n●twithstanding his Invented Artificial Coverings And Darkness he may truly be called notwithstanding there is a Light that shineth in him in this Dead Dark and Blind Estate wherewith also he is lighted in some sheastre and by it may see his lost Estate And Mankind in Transgression may hear the Voice of God now as Adam did in the beginning but how men do hear the Voice of God while Shiners and how they are afraid of his Appearance or Presence and how Light shines in Darkness though Darkness comprehends it not and how men are lighted with a saving Light of Christ and yet walk in Darkness and are not saved by it and how the Word is as Milk and Honey and Bread to ome and as a Hammer Fire and Sword to others is a Mystery to the carnal Mind though plain to the Children of Light and evidently declared in the Holy Scriptures For the same Light which is the Condemnation of the World whom it lighteth which it hates and believes not in is the Salvation of those that believe leve and walk in it Now that which leads men to do the Will of Christ gives them the Knowledge of his Doctrine and reveals his Secrets to them but the Wi●e and Prudent in the selfish ●ensual Widem which believes not in the Light of Christ wherewith every man is lighted remains ignorant thereof Opinion I will stick by the present Translation of the New Testament which was effected by Twenty or Thirty Learned Wise Men by the King's Authority and if I understood Greek never so well it would be unmannerly to contradict them Answ Surely if thou hadst been so mannerly and so full of Reverence and Respect to Learned Wise Men who were countenanced with the National Authority when thou first tookest up thy Religion or turned Baptist and thereby contradicted the Opinions and Meanings of more then Twenty or Thirty Wise Learned Men who in their Wisdoms had setled Church-Government and Doctrine as they thought according to the Scriptures thou wouldst never have adventured to question their Work though thou knewest better things I judge thou hadst more sincerity Zeal and Knowledge then and less of this kind of Mannerliness when thou didst judge they erred in their Meanings put upon the Scriptures translated though they were reputed Learned and Wise And why may not the Translators commit an Error also and be short in giving every Word its sull Signification according to the Mind of the Spirit from whence it came though the King's Authority be with them Doth the Knowledge of Naturel Tongues make men Insallible May not a Peter and John who know not a Letter know the Mind of the Spirit in the Scriptures or understand them better then the Scribes Pharisees and Hypoerites Indeed Jeremiah I must tell thee This Mannerliness would have kept thee out of thy Religion and will now if thou follow it lead thee to out-live it or to differ nothing from those thou comest out from but in Name and Profession only Opinion The Light that is come into the World was designed of God to enlighten every man but Thousands are not enlightened by it Answ It s something that thou grantest so much Truth viz. That God designed all men a Benefit by the Light though Thousands receive it not 'T is true the Love of God is Universal and his Call is to all men every where to Repent and his Gospel which Paul was a Minister of Coll. 1.23 was and is preached in every Creature under Heaven his Sun shines and his Rain falls upon the Just and Unjust But many though they hear his Call Repent not and though the Gospel be sounded in their Ear obey it not and the Wicked may become like a Parched Heath that knows not when Good comes though the Dew of Heaven descend upon it and the Seed of the Kingdom be sown in it yet it grows not to Perfection The Seed is sown in Bad Ground as well as in Good and Christ is as truly the Light of the World as he is the Light of the Saints who are chosen out of the World the Difference is in its Operation it reproves and condemns the World because its Deeds are Evil and it justifies and consolates the Saints who believe in it and walk in it c. Now how it can be said that every man is lighted or enlightened with the Light of Christ notwithstanding they remain Darkness seems a Riddle and Paradox to the Learned and Unlearned Professors and Prophane And if that Scripture which saith The Light shined in the Darkness and the Darkness comprchended it not cannot be understood I cannot speak plainer to this Spirit that stumbles at the Light For if Light shineth in a People who were and are Darkness how can it be said that that People are not enlightened by it though they love the Darkness rather and so chuse Death and Darkness and refuse Life and Light And how can it be said That Mankind makes a Choice except he hath some Knowledge of both So which he joyneth to and walketh in that he becomes a Child of whether of Darkness or Light And the Condemnation of those who hate the Light and