Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	threaten_v	4,607	5	10.0030	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09981	A liveles life: or, Mans spirituall death in sinne Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure doctrines the spirituall death in sinne. The doctrine of humiliation. Mercy to be found in Christ. Continuance in sinne, dangerous. Being the substance of severall sermons upon Ephes. 2. 1,2,3. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins, &c. Whereunto is annexed a profitable sermon at Lincolnes Inne, on Gen. XXII. XIV. Delivered by that late faithful preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1633 (1633)	STC 20235; ESTC S122552	73,904	134

A LIVELES LIFE OR Mans Spirituall death in Sinne. Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure Doctrines The Spirituall Death in Sinne. The Doctrine of Humiliation Mercy to be found in Christ. Continuance in sinne dangerous Being the substance of severall Sermons upon EPHES. 2. 1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins c. Whereunto is annexed a profitable Sermon at LINCOLNES INNE On GEN. XXII XIV Delivered by that late faithful Preacher and worthy Instrument of Gods glory IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns-Inne ROM 7. 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sinne revived and I dyed LONDON Printed by I. Beale for Andrew Crooke at the Blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1633. AN EXCELLENT TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL DEATH IN SINNE EPHES. 2. 1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also wee all had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath euen as others THe scope of the Apostle in the former part of this Chapter is to stirre vp the Ephesians to a high estimation of their redemption by Christ and that hee might the better doe this hee sheweth ●hem their estate without Christ That they were children of wrath and dead in sinnes and trespasses and that they were dead in sinne hee proueth Because they walked in sinne That they walked in sinne he proveth Because they had amongst them some false guides which here hee reckons up and declares them to be these three First the World They walked according to the course of the world Secondly the Devill According to the prince of the power of the aire Thirdly the lusts of the flesh Among whom also we all had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh c. The first point that we will observe as naturally arising out of the words is this That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sinnes This point is to be considered of all men both those which are alive and quickened out of this Lethargie and those which are yet dead in their trespasses and sinnes That wee are thus dead in sinne it plainly appeares by this reason All mankinde were represented in our first parent Adam of whose fall this death of sinne and of nature was made a part of the punishment now he being the root of us all and that being dead all the branches must needs be dead also It is also plaine by places of Scripture as Ioh 5. 25. The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live so againe Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Also in the Gospell our Saviour Christ saith Let the dead goe burie the dead that is let such as are dead in trespasses and sinnes goe burie those that are dead through sinne By all which places it plainly appears that all men by nature are dead in sinne This men consider not You would thinke it a gashly sight to see Churches streets and houses for to lye full of dead corpes but for to see places full of men spiritually dead which is farre the worse is a more gashly sight and yet who amongst us is there almost that doth consider it In this death in trespasses and sinnes for our fuller understanding of it I will shew you these five things 1. What this death is 2. The kinds of this death 3. The signes of this death 4. The degrees of this death 5. The use to be made of it First What this death is To know this we must understand that as a corporall death so a spirituall death hath two things in it First As in the naturall death there is a privation of life when the soule is seperated from the bodie so in the spirituall death there is a privation of the life of the soule namely the extinction of originall righteousnesse by reason of which a man can neither set hand nor foot forward in the waies of goodnesse as Paul confesseth of himselfe for as the seperation of the soule makes the body to dye so the extinction of originall righteousnesse makes the soule to dye Secondly As in the death of the bodie there is a stinking carkasse left when the soule is departed thence so in the death of the soule there is a positive corrupted qualitie left called the flesh whereby a man is prone to doe all evill And therefore they are called dead workes Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us goe on unto perfection not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead workes c. Heb. 6. 1. And so againe in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle and 15. verse where it is said How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Now it seemes a contradiction that they should be workes and yet dead but yet it is so because besides the privation of good there is a positive evill and stirring qualitie which is active and bringeth forth these evill and dead workes Now for the chiefe seat of this death It is chiefly seated in the minde and understanding and not in the will The Understanding is primum vivens moriens primum the first living and first dead for although the will bee corrupted yet whatsoever is in it is carried through the understanding And this death of the understanding is such a darkenesse of judgement as thereby a man esteemes not but dislikes the wayes of God and goodnesse and approves the wayes of sinne and wickednesse And in this facultie of man the understanding is this death of sinne chiefly seated therefore it it is said Ioh. 1. 4 5. In him was light and that light was the life of men So also Ephes. 5. 14. the place before mentioned Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall give thee light where hee sayes not life but light for if there be light life will certainly follow So againe Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes that they may turne from darknesse to light One would thinke that in these places it should bee life and not light but it is so put to shew that the chiefest seat of this death is in the understanding Therefore also is it said Be renewed in the spirit of your mindes Rom. 12. 2. And to

Rom. 6. 14. Sin hath no dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace that is if sin hath but dominion over you then were you in the estate of death if but any lust hath dominion over you so that you must yeeld obedience to it you are not in the estate of grace but of damnation and the reason hereof is vers 18. because you are the servants of sinne for his servants you are whom you obey Suppose you have but any one predominant sinne it is enough to damme thee There are some that can deny the sin of lusts but for to leave their company that they cannot doe Againe some can leave their company but by no meanes will part with the sinne of lust some can part with both but for their riches they will not part with a penny and so for other particulars many will be content to part with some of their sins but one is so sweet that they will not part with it But let all such know that if they have but any one sinne to rule and reigne so in them that they must needs obey it if it be so sweet unto them that they cannot leave it they are in the estate of condemnation yea if they continue but in any one knowne sinne for there is but one way to heaven but by-waies a thousand now if thou takest but one by-way it will leade thee from heaven as well as if twenty for the right way to hit the marke is but one but there are many by-waies wherein we may misse I added Whosoever walketh in any knowne sinne Indeed a man may sometimes by chance slip out of the way into some sinne but I meane not such a man but him that maketh some sinne his continuall walke But every one will be ready to say This is a hard saying and who can indure it I will therefore shew you some reasons for it The first reason is because that whosoever walketh in any knowne sinne is overcome of sinne and whosoever is overcome of sinne cannot be saved Indeed a godly man may oftentimes be foiled but never is overcome and at the last getteth the victory But when a man assimulates himselfe to sinne and without any reluctation is overcome of it striving no more against it as fire when it is ouercome by water that man is certainely in the estate of condemnation This is the meaning of the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2. 9. While they promise them libertie they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same hee is brought in bondage If any sinne overcome thee thou art in the estate of damnation It will not serve our turne to use those weake excuses which commonly is our plea to say wee cannot leave them because we are flesh and blood and they are naturally in us The second reason is because whosoev●r walketh in any knowne sinne in him sinne is predominant and hath the chiefe command and where that hath the chiefe command and rules God hath no place for the motion followes the predominant element if godlinesse be predominant that moves us and rules us if sinne be predominant in us that rules us As a man speaketh out of the abundance that is in his heart so also he worketh out of the abundance that is in his heart This is plaine for when Christ would shew their hearts to be bad hee biddeth them consider their speech and if he could gather the naughtinesse of their hearts by their speech then certainly much more by their actions and workes I but some may say I have a secret sinne in my heart yet it breaketh not forth I keepe it in and will not suffer it to come out and so long it is not predominant neither doth it beare rule neither doth he walke after it but covers it I answer they have so and though they doe not walke after them yet they are not the better for that for God judgeth according to the inward heart he judgeth according to the heaven we aime at in our owne hearts he feeth the secret bent of the heart which way it is it may seeme contrary to the eyes of men but hee judgeth not according to the outward appearance but hee judgeth with righteous judgement The third reason is because that whosoever lyeth in any knowne sinne is an hypocrite and no hypocrite can be saved though he doth other things never so well for such an one hangeth not like the sprigge but like a bough that is almost rent off the olive tree which can never prosper If he did but a little and yet did it in sinceritie it would be accepted whereas while he doth much yet in hypocrisie God regardeth it not This I finde by comparing these two places together 2 Cron. 25. 2. And 2 Cron. 15. 17. In the first place it is said that Amazia did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart and therefore God rejected him the meaning is that he was not throughout perfect but had some secret sinne in him therefore God rejected him Now in the other place It is said The hears of Asa was perfect all his daies yet as we may read he had many infirmities as 1 He put not away the high places 2 He relied upon the King of Egypt 3 He trusted on the Physicians 4 He put the Prophet into prison Yet notwithstanding all these infirmities it is said his heart was perfect because that these did not rule in him For where there is found humiliation wrought in any man he though these through infirmity may be in him yet he walketh not after them and then only humiliation is good when a man is desirous to be rid of his sinnes and this the hypocrite wanteth because there is rottennesse at the core and his heart is not truly sound The fourth reason is because that hee that walketh but in any one knowne sinne if he had but tentation unto other sinnes he would runne into them also Thence is that of the Apostle Iames 2. 10 11. Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guiltie of all his meaning is that if such a man had but as strong tentations unto other sins he would commit them also for if a man doeth any duty out of sincerity he would do all because that God commandeth all as it followeth in the same place For he that said Doe not commit adulterie said also Doe not kill Now if thou commit not adulterie yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the whole Law For looke what sinne soever thou art tempted unto the same thou wilt commit and if a hundred tentations should as much beset thee thou wouldest yeeld to them all as well as to one For the better meaning of the point here it may be demanded what this walking is To

he is not moved because he beleeves not But here some man will be ready to object and say Afflictions often humbleus therefore it is not the Law that doth it To this I answer Afflictions as the plow make way but it is the seed of the Law sowne in our hearts that must humble us indeed those notions which they had before are in afflictions made to seem otherwise then before but we must take heed that afflictions cause not worldly sorrow for that is the applying of the corrosive to a whole place Now you must know that there is an extraordinary humiliation which God at some times workes in some men we urge not to that God workes that in whom he pleaseth and intendeth to make extraordinary wee urge to the ordinary humiliation Now the meanes to attaine that are these five The first meanes to aftaine humiliation is To enter into a serious consideration of our estate as the prodigall Sonne did he is said Luk. 15. to come to himselfe and consider that his father had enough and he starved So every one of us should doe consider First the greatnesse of thy sinnes in particular and make Catalogues of them And then secondly let our actuall sinnes leade us to our corrupt heart which is the root of all So God dealt with the children of Israel Deut. 8. 2. where it is said God led them forty yeares in the wildernesse to humble them and to prove them and to know what was in their hearts c. Hee himselfe knew it well enough but by their sinnes he would make it knowne to themselves and others So also God dealt with Hezekias 2 Chron. 32. 31. Where it is said God left him to try him and to know all that was in his heart Hezekiah had a proud heart and God left him to himselfe not that God might know what was in his heart but that hee himselfe might know So God tels the Israelites Ezek. 36. 31. Yee shall remember your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity c. Thirdly Having thus considered your sinnes consider Gods wrath and the certainty of it the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then is the wrath of almighty God even as the power of God is more than the power of man so is his wrath also as long as he lives so long will he punish thee in hell The consideration of this made Moses breake out Psal. 90. and say Who knowes the power of his wrath Paul is in great heavinesse for the Iewes Rom. 9. And as God shewed his almighty power in making of man so will he in destroying and punishing And this wrath of his shall fall upon the most sensible part of man viz. the soule which as it is capable of the greatest measure of joy so is it capable of the greatest measure of griefe What is God but infinite what is his wrath but infinite under it thou shalt most wish for death which now thou most fearest The second meanes to obtaine Humiliation is to stay a great while on this consideration to suffer sorrow to abide on our hearts for it is the oft and serious consideration that effects this and therefore we may learne something from Sathan when he would drive a man to despaire he oft puts thoughts of Gods wrath due unto our sinnes into our mindes hee holds the object close unto our mindes and so letteth us thinke of nothing else It is the frequent and seirous consideration of these things that humbleth us This was that that humbled David Psal. 51. My sinne was alwaies before me so Iam. 4. 8. cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts yee double minded How is that done vers 9. be afflicted and mourne all waveringnesse and instability comes from the corruption of the heart and therefore cleanse that and the way to cleanse that is to be humbled and the way to be humbled is to sequester your selfe from all carnall mirth though else lawfull and stay on these considerations The third meanes is this If you cannot see sinne in it selfe labour to see it in his effects All miseries which you feele in your selfe or know in others are the fruits of it and this will make you say it is a bitter thing to sinne so Peter in his second Epistle and second chapter by this effect aggravates sinne where he shewes it was for sinne that the Angels were throwne downe into hell that the old world was drowned that Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed The fourth meanes to attaine humiliation is to make these evils present before you by faith as in an opticke glasse those things that are a far off will seeme neere to those that looke in it so these by faith should seeme at the very doore it may be the not considering them as present makes them not affect you for what is a farre off although it be in it selfe feareful yet is not feared as death c. therefore set hell before your eyes and see it as present before you Make present unto you these two things 1 All sinnes past a thing that is past vs will seeme small unto us though it be as great as ever it was before and so doe our sinnes to us we usually doe as men that leave something behinde them when they are far gone they thinke it is but a little and therefore they will not returne for it so we being far off from our sinnes they seeme little unto us but we must remember the day of our iniquity Let us therefore make them our sinnes present God he esteemes them as great as ever they were let us doe so therefore let them seeme abominable to us thus did Iob possesse the sinnes of his youth 2. Things future as Gods judgements which are neere at hand and lye at the doore as God saies to Cain although they seeme to us a farre off But this is Satans cunning to deceive us he is as a Painter who by the collusion of colors makes things seeme far off which are nigh so he makes Gods wrath which lyes at our doore seeme a farre off when as it may bee it will light on us the next day The fifth meanes to attaine Humiliation is To take heed of all such false shifts whereby you may seeme to keepe off the blow of Gods law from lighting on you wee are never moved with these considerations untill all shifts are removed so that wee see nothing but death and then we tremble The shifts by which men thinke to keepe off the blow of Gods judgments and so with-hold themselves from being humbled are these eight 1 Civilitie this Gloworme of civility so glittereth in the darke that wee thinke it to bee a true sparke of grace but where the spirit shines wee shall finde it false and as the Divell deludeth Witches in

giving them leaves instead of silver and gold so doth hee deale with thee here for except there be a supernaturall frame of thy hear● there is not cause of comfort notwithstanding all thy civility and therefore thou must bee sure to have something in thee more than nature for civility will not bring to heaven 2 Formall performance of holy duties as praying reading c. that puffes men up and keeps them from humiliation If you either omitted them altogether then your conscience would checke you or performed them well then your heart would be bettered and you would be humbled but this formall doing of them keepes the heart dead and senslesse Remember therefore that no sacrifice is acceptable to God but that that comes from a Broken heart Psal. 51. 3 The badnesse of your nature you would doe better but your nature is so bad that you cannot But remember first That that aggravates your sinne and God likes you the worse for that and will the hardlier pardon you even as wee our selves are readiest to pardon an offence in a good nature Secondly your selfe is the cause of the badnesse of your nature God gave you in Adam a good nature but you have lost it and since by many sinnes have made it worse by farre 4 Gods mercy he is mercifull therefore you will not feare but what if hee be mercifull hee calls not thee thou art not burdened with thy sinnes he cals onely such Come unto mee all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you What hast thou to doe with mercy which seest not thy misery thou hast no part in it as Iehu said to Iezabell 5 The making conscience of many things so Herod did many things after Iohns preaching so the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law yet were without God Rom 2. but there is no example like unto that of Amazia 2 Chron. 25. 2. he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for a long time but not with a perfect heart One may make conscience of praying in private and of doing many good duties and yet have no true grace but doe all out of a naturall conscience for feare of punishment 6. Because Judgements come not swiftly and are not speedily executed Ministers threaten but they feele nothing But wee must know that the lesse afflictions we have had the more are behind and I know not a more miserable condition than this is it is a most dangerous signe thou art ordained to death when thou art thus let alone vnpunisht As we use to say when men are frequently sicke there is no danger of death but when they never have beene sicke and at length fall into it it is very dangerous so it is to be feared that when once God beginnes with thee hee will make an end as hee threatned to Hophnie and Phincas hee will so strike that he will not strike twice so that nothing can be worse than for a sinner to goe on without trouble 7. Men judge their estates and sinnes in a false ballance of opinion none say they thinke ill of them but a few that are more precise than wise But consider 1 That Ministers are onely the men by whom ye beleeve not whom ye should beleeve take our words but so farre forth as they are proved unto you by Scripture and if they be true then although few be of that minde yet you ought to beleeve them 2 Consider whether that latitude of Religion which thou stickest unto and hopest to bee saved by will serve thee on thy death-bed and at the day of Judgement 3. Consider that it is the part of holy men and of none else to discerne which are the wayes of God every one is to be beleeved in his owne art therefore beleeve them Men thinke that it concernes onely some to bee holy as Ministers c. and not all I will answer such with the saying of Wisedome The way of godlinesse is too high for a foole If thou wert wise thou wouldest thinke it concerned thee also Now I beseech you brethren humble your selves and so much the rather because now the time and necessity of the Church requires it now while shee is thus in her mourning gowne seeke not after your profits and pleasures drinke not Wine in bowles use not now the liberties that otherwise lawfully you might Remember that saying of Vriah 2 Sam. 11. 11. The Arke and Israel and Iudah abide in tents and my Lord Ioab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields shall I then goe into my house to eat and to drinke and to lye with my wife c. And doe as Daniel did chap. 9. Now practise all the parts of Humiliation now Gods Church needeth it although you your selves were free yet humble your selves for the sinnes of others continually pray to God for them Remember what God threatneth to those Esa. 22. 12. that when he called to mourning they followed their pleasure hee saith He will not forget it to the death so Esa. 66. 4. God is angry with all that neglect this duty and will not bee stirred up to performe it but those that doe call on him he will heare The unrighteous Iudge Luk. 18. was overcome by importunity and then much more will God if we humble our selves as Mordecay Ester 4. 14. concluded excellently Their deliverance shall arise from another place so may we then certainly the Church shall stand and Antichrist shal fall as a mill-stone into the sea never to rise up againe I grant hee may rage very farre he hath raged farre already and how farre more he shall rage God onely knowes yet in the end certaine it is he shall fall the Church shall stand Let us all therefore be humbled you which have not yet begunne this humiliation now beginne and yee which have begunne bee stedfast therein knowing that your labour shall not bee in vaine in the Lord. Mercy to be found in Christ. The next thing to be shewed after this doctrine that wee are dead in sinne is the meanes of recovering our life and that is by Christ as it is in the Text you hath hee quickened that were dead c. Hee that is Chist hath done it Hence learne this doctrine of comfort as a refreshing cordiall next after the bitter potion of humiliation That Whosoever will come to Christ may come and finde mercy Rev. 22. 17. Whosever will let him taste of the waters of life freely Here I will shew 1 What is meant by will whosoever will that is he that will receive Christ with all his conditions to be his Lord and his Ruler c. Whosoever will thus take Christ hee may if wee would take Christ before wee were humbled we might but till we be humbled we will not take him It is Christ that gives life but till we be hungry we wil