Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	jesus_n	law_n	spirit_n	7,842	5	6.0757	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57960	Two discourses; viz. A discourse of truth. By the late Reverend Dr. Rust, Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland. The way of happiness and salvation. By Joseph Glanvil, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty	Rust, George, d. 1670.; Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680. Way of happiness and salvation rescued from vulgar errours.	1677 (1677)	Wing R2368; Wing Q836; ESTC R218562	58,324	199

is far more acceptable to God who delights not in the exercises of meer Nature Psal. 147. 10. but is well pleased with the expressions of Grace in those that fear him So that a sincere and lowly-minded Christian that talks of no immediate incomes or communications and perhaps durst not out of reverence trust to his own present conceptions in a work so solemn but useth the help of some pious form of words sutable to his defires and wants who is duly sensible of his sins and the necessity of overcoming them and is truly and earnestly desirous of the Divine aids in order to it such a one as this Prays by the Spirit and will be assisted by it while the other doth all by meer Nature and Imitation and shall not have those spiritual aids which he never heartily desires nor intends to use This I think I may truly and safely say But for the Controversie between Forms and Conceived Prayers which of them is absolutely best I determine nothing of it here And indeed I suppose that in their own nature they are alike indifferent and are more or less accepted as they partake more or less of the Spirit of Prayer viz. of Faith Humility and holy desire of the good things we pray for and a man may have these that prays by a Form and he may want them that takes the other way and thinks himself in a dispensation much above it So that my business is not to set up one of these ways of Devotion against the other but to shew that the heights and vehemencies of many warm people in their unpremeditated Prayers have nothing in them supernatural or Divine and consequently of themselves they are no marks of Godliness which I hope no one thinks I speak to discredit those pious ardours that are felt by really devout Souls when a vigorous sense of God and Divine things doth even sometimes transport them Far be it from me to design any thing so impious my aim is only to note that there are complexional heats raised many times by fancy and self-admiration that look like these in persons who really have little of God in them and we should take care that we are not deceived by them Thus far also those may go that shall not enter I add III. A man may endeavour somewhat and strive in some degree and yet his work may miscarry and himself with it 1. There is no doubt but that an evil man may be convinced of his sin and vileness and that even to anguish and torment The Gentiles saith the Apostle Rom. 2. 14. which have not the Law shew the works of the Law written in their Hearts their thoughts in the mean time accusing or excusing one another Conscience often stings and disquiets the vilest sinners and sometimes extorts from them lamentable confessions of their sins and earnest declamations against them They may weep bitterly at their remembrance and be under great heaviness and dejection upon their occasion They may speak vehemently against sin themselves and love to have others to handle it severely All this bad men may do upon the score of natural fear and self love and the apprehension of a fature judgment And now such convictions will naturally beget some endeavours A convinced understanding will have some influence upon the will and affections The mind in the unregenerate may lust against the Flesh as that doth against it So that 2. such a meer animal man may promise and purpose and endeavour in some pretty considerable measure but then he goes not on with full Resolution but wavers and stops and turns about again and lets the law of the members that of death and sin to prevail over him His endeavour is remiss and consequently ineffectual it makes no conquests and will not signifie He sins on though with some regret and his very unwillingness to sin while he commits it is so far from lessening that it aggravates his fault It argues that he sins against conscience and conviction and that sin is strong and reigns 'T is true indeed St. Paul Rom. 7. makes such a description seemingly of himself as one might think concluded him under this state he saith vers 8. That sin wrought in him all manner of concupiscence vers 9. That sin revived and he died vers 14. That he was carnal and again sold under sin vers 20. That sin dwelt in him and wrought that which he would not vers 23. That the Law of his Members led him into captivity to the law of Sin and vers 25. That he obeyed the law of sin If this be so and St. Paul a regenerate man was in this state it will follow that seeking and feeble endeavour that overcometh no difficulty may yet procure an entrance and he that is come hitherto viz. to endeavour is safe enough though he do not conquer This objection presseth not only against this head but against my whole Discourse and the Text it self Therefore to answer it I say That the St. Paul here is not to be understood of himself He describes the state of a convinced but unregenerate man though he speaks in the first person a Figure that was ordinary with this Apostle and frequent enough in common speech Thus we say I am thus and thus and did so and so when we are describing a state or actions in which perhaps we in person are not concerned In this sense the best Expositors understand these expressions and those excellent Divines of our own Bishop Taylor and Dr. Hammond and others have noted to us That this description is directly contrary to all the Characters of a regenerate man given elsewhere by this and the other Apostles As he is said to be dead to sin Rom. 6. 11. Free from sin and the servant of Righteousness Rom. 6. 18. That he walks not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. That the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made him free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8. 2. That he overcometh the world Joh. 5. 4. He sinneth not 1 Joh. 3. 6. He hath crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. Which Characters of a truly regenerate person if they be compared with those above-cited out of Rom. 7. it will appear that they are as contrary as 't is possible to speak and by this 't is evident that they describe the two contrary states For can the regenerate be full of all manner of concupiscence and at the same time be crucified to the Flesh and its affections and lusts one in whom sin revives while he dies and yet one that is dead to sin carnal and yet not walking after the flesh but after the Spirit sold under sin and yet free from sin Having sin dwelling in him and a captive to sin and obeying the Law of sin and yet free from the law of sin and death how can these things consist To tell us 'T is so and

Iohn 14. 6. Jesus saith vnto him I am the way and the truth and the Life c TWO DISCOURSES VIZ. A DISCOURSE OF TRUTH By the late Reverend Dr. RVST Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland The Way of HAPPINESS And SALVATION By Joseph Glanvil Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for James Collins in the Temple-passage from Essex-Street 1677. A DISCOURSE OF TRUTH By the late Reverend Dr. RVST Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland Together with a LETTER giving an Account of the Author and the Book Written by JOS. GLANVIL Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for James Collins in the New Temple-passage from Essex-street 1677. A LETTER Concerning the Subject and the Author SIR I Have now perused and returned the Manuscript you sent me it had contracted many and great Errours in the Transcription which I have corrected I was enabled to do it by a written Copy of the same Discourse which I have had divers years in my Hands The Subject is of great and weighty importance and the Acknowledgment of the Truths here asserted and made good will lay a Foundation for right conceptions in the Doctrines that concern the Decrees of God For the first Errour which is the ground of the rest is That things are good and just because God Wills them so to be and if that be granted we are disabled from using the arguments taken from natural Notions and the Attributes and Perfections of the Divine Nature against the Blackest and most Blasphemous Opinions that ever were entertained concerning Gods proceedings with the Sons of Men. If there be no settled Good and Evil Immutable and Independent on any Will or understanding then God may have made his reasonable Creatures on purpose to damn them for ever He may have absolutely decreed that they should sin that he may damn them justly He may most solemnly and earnestly prohibit Sin by his Laws and declare great displeasure against it and yet by his ineluctable Decrees Force men to all the sin that is committed in the World He may vehemently protest his unfeigned desire of their Life and Happiness and at the same time secretly resolve their Eternal Destruction He may make it his Glory and Pleasure to triumph eternally in the torments of poor Worms which himself hath by his unalterable and irresistible Will made miserable yea as the discourse instanceth he may after his Decrees concerning the Salvation of the Elect after the death of his Son for them and the mission of his Spirit to them and after all the promises he hath made to assure them thrust them also at last into the dreadful Regions of Death and Woe I say if there be no immutable respects in things but Just and Vnjust Honourable and Dishonourable Good and Cruel Faithful and Deceitful are respects made by meer arbitrarious will it will be in vain to dispute from Them against any such dismal Opinions yea it will be great folly to argue for the Simplicity of the Divine Nature against the vile conceits of the old Anthropomorphites and the Blasphemies of the present Muggletonians of God's having a Corporal shape Parts and Members if there be no necessary Independent Connexion Immensity Spirituality and Perfection but this being establish'd that there are immutable respects in things and that such and such are Perfections and their contrary Defects and imperfections hence it will follow that it is impossible the forementioned Doctrines can be true concerning God who cannot lye cannot deny himself viz. He being Absolute and Infinite Perfection cannot act any thing that is Evil or imperfect But all the expressions in Scripture that at first sight look towards such a sense must be interpreted by the general Analogy and course of them which declares his Infinite Immutable Excellencies and these Notions of himself which he hath written on the Souls of Men. So that the Subject of this little Discourse is of vast Moment and the truth asserted in it is I think confirmed with an irresistable Strength and force of Reasoning and not to be convinced by it will argue either great weakness of Vnderstanding in not perceiving consequences that are so close and plain or great obstinacy of Will in being shut up by prejudices and preconceiv'd Opinions against Light that is so clear and manifest The Author was a Person with whom I had the Honour and Happiness of a very particular acquaintance a man he was of a clear Mind a deep Judgment and searching Wit greatly learned in all the best sorts of Knowledge old and new a thoughtful and diligent Enquirer of a free Vnderstanding and vast Capacity join'd with singular Modesty and unusual Sweetness of Temper which made him the Darling of all that knew him He was a Person of great Piety and Generosity a hearty Lover of God and Men An excellent Preacher a wise Governour a profound Philosopher a quick forcible and close Reasoner and above all a true and exemplary Christian. In short he was one who had all the Qualifications of a Primitive Bishop and of an extraordinary Man-This I say not out of kindness to my Friend but out of Justice to a Person of whom no Commendation can be extravagant He was bred in Cambridge and Fellow of Christ's Colledge where he lived in great Esteem and Reputation for his eminent Learning and Vertues he was one of the first that overcame the prejudices of the Education of the late unhappy Times in that Vniversity and was very Instrumental to enlarge others He had too great a Soul for the trifles of that Age and saw early the nakedness of Phrases and Phancyes He out-grew the pretended Orthodoxy of those days and addicted himself to the Primitive Learning and Theology in which he even then became a great Master After the return of the Government the excellent Bishop Taylor foreseeing the vacancy in the Deanery of Connor sent to Cambridge for some Learned and Ingenious Man who might be fit for that Dignity The motion was made to Dr. Rust which corresponding with the great Inclination he had to be conversant with that incomparable Person He gladly accepted of it and hastn'd into Ireland where he landed at Dublin about August 1661. He was received with much Respect and Kindness by that great and good Bishop who knew how to value such Jewels and preferr'd to the Deanery as soon as it was void which was shortly after He continued in that Preferment during the Bishops Life always dearly lov'd and even admir'd by him At his Death that sad stroke to all the Lovers of Religion and Learning he was chosen for the last solemn Office to his deceased Father and Friend and he preach't such a Funeral Sermon as became that extraordinary Person and himself It hath been since published and I suppose you may have seen it upon the lamented Death of Bishop Taylor which hapned August 13 th 1677. The Bishopricks were divided Dr. Boyle