Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	faith_n	law_n	sin_n	6,700	5	5.1939	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65935	A sermon preached to the Society for Reformation of Manners, at Nottingham, on the 25th of August, 1698 by John Whitlock ...	Whitlock, John, 1625-1709.; Societies for the Reformation of Manners.	1699 (1699)	Wing W2027; ESTC R39388	19,943	58

on is That when a People have sinned themselves into a Valley of Achor in regard of Trouble yet if it prove to them as the Valley of Achor did to Israel a means to bring them to Repentance and Reformation of Manners yea both of Heart and Life and that Work be throughly and effectually carried on it is and will be to them a Door of Hope of the restoring of God's gracious Presence and his bestowing temporal and spiritual yea and Eternal Blessings upon them Now in handling this Proposition I shall speak somewhat God assisting to these particulars I. Briefly shew what kind of Reformation of Manners that is which will render a Valley of Achor a Door of Hope and which all must endeavour to set on foot and carry on to the uttermost as they would have well-grounded Hopes that it will be so II. Prove from Scripture That the right endeavouring and much more the effecting such a Reformation will open a Door of Hope III. Give the Reasons of it IV. Shew what it will be a Door of Hope of and V. Apply it I. What kind of Reformation it is and what Attempts and Endeavours towards it are those that will prove a Door of Hope of God's gracious Presence with and Blessing upon a People 1. The Attempts and Endeavours after Reformation of Manners that will be a Door of Hope to those that ingage in such a Work whether Magistrates Ministers or private Christians and whether in Societies or single Persons they must be vigorous unwearied and persevering not giving over upon any Discouragements they meet with All that ingage in such a Work as the Reformation of the loose profane Manners of a degenerate debauched Age had need be furnished with holy Courage and Resolution to go on against all Discouragements Weak and faint Endeavours will never prevail against strong and rampant Sins and raging Corruptions Satan will rage and raise Opposition when he sees his Kingdom struck at and shaken and wicked Men will struggle hard e'er they will part with their beloved reigning pleasing profitable Sins that they have been long accustomed to and see them dethroned and restrained 2 Sam. 23.6 7. The Men of Belial are such as cannot be taken with Hands or gentle dealing but he that toucheth them must be fenced with Iron and the Staff of a Spear See therefore all you that ingage in this Work that you and your Endeavours for Reformation of Manners be and pray that they may be vigorous and unwearied 2. The Reformation that will be a Door of Hope and which you must endeavour to promote must be thorow both in Heart and Life not a Reformation by halves not only reforming the gross outward Acts of more than ordinary heinous scandalous Sins such as Swearing Drunkenness Uncleanness open Sabbath-Profanation and the like but even those that are lesser Sins in the Esteem of Men such as unruly Passions Covetousness Pride of Heart and Life c. These we must pray and endeavour to our utmost the Reformation of first of all in our selves and then in others as ever we would open a Door of Hope for thorow Mercies especially spiritual and eternal ones There must be Endeavours to promote a Reformation in our selves and others of Sins of Omission as well as of Commission To bring our selves and press others to the conscientious Performance of Family-Worship of constant daily reading the Word and Prayer Morning and Evening frequent instructing and catechising Children and Servants strict Sabbath-Sanctification as well as reforming gross Sabbath-Profanation and the Performance of secret Duties It is true we cannot reform others secret and Heart-Sins the Laws of Men do not reach these but we must earnestly pray for and press this Reformation Nor can we compel Men by the Laws of Men to Family and secret Duties but we must exhort to these Duties Those Governours of Families that are known to live in the Neglect of these Duties may as justly be kept from Sacraments as Persons guilty of outward Acts of Sin till they give Evidence of their Repentance and Reformation I grant that even upon the Reformation of Manners as to outward Acts of gross and scandalous Sins God may suspend the Execution of temporal Judgments for a time and may vouchsafe some temporal Mercies as we see exemplified in Ahab's Humiliation and Nineveh's Repentance and present Reformation but these were but Reprieves both in the Case of Ahab who afterwards was cut off by an untimely and violent Death 1 King 22.34 35 and so it proved with Nineveh as the Prophecy of Nahum doth emphatically shew It is only thorow Reformation that can open a Door of Hope to obtain thorow Mercies especially spiritual ones this therefore you should be sure to labour after your selves and pray for press and endeavour to promote in others yea carry on outward Reformation in order to promoting this 3. That Reformation of Manners which will be an effectual Door of Hope of obtaining thorow Mercies especially spiritual ones must be a sincere unfeigned Reformation such an one as hath the Heart ingaged in it so as that Sin is not only left but loathed Duties not only performed but loved and delighted in Sin forsaken and Duty performed from Principles of Faith and Love When Judah returned not with her whole Heart but feignedly Jer. 3.10 out of Complyance with or Fear of the Laws of Men Judgment was suspended for a time during the Life of a good Josiah but was executed upon Judah after his Death Therefore if any of you be reformed from gross Sins see it be not only from Fear of Men or their Laws or to procure their Favour but that your Reformation be sincere and unfeigned as ever you would have it to be a Door of Hope of obtaining spiritual Mercies or lasting temporal Mercies 4. That Reformation that will be a Door of Hope of obtaining God's gracious Presence and spiritual Mercies yea temporal Mercies in Mercy must proceed from and be accompanied with Faith in Christ Men must not only come off from the allowed Practice of Sin to the Performance of formerly neglected Duties but they must come thorowly home to Christ so as not to trust in their Reformation as their justifying Righteousness but trust in Christ and his Righteousness alone for their Justification trust in him and him alone as the Lord their only Righteousness and their only Strength Isai 45 24. so as by Faith to fetch Strength from Christ to forsake Sin do Duty and exercise Grace and be able to say as 2 Cor. 6.13 I have believed and therefore have I spoken I have forsaken such Sins done such Duties not only for Fear of Punishment by the Laws of Men or to please Friends gain Credit among Christians or stop the Mouth of Conscience but because I believed the Precepts Threatnings and Promises in the Word yea do believe in and rest upon Christ for my Justification Sanctification and Salvation and rely upon him for Strength