Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A44819
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A sermon preached on the first of January 1698 in the parish church of St. Nicholas Cole-Abby being a New-Years-gift to the society of Christians united there to worship God in a more solemn manner after the way of the Church of England / by Robert Howson.
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Howson, Robert.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing H3198; ESTC R27121
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9,554
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34
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was then is now and for ever will be an infallible sign of passing from Death to Life Now may the God of Life and Love which brought again our Lord Jesus Christ from the Dead out of his boundless Love to his Church perswade us all in this divided Age to be like-minded one towards another and towards all that fear God and work Righteousness of what Opinion soever we are in lesser Points of Christianity But while one judgeth another despieth while one saith and swaggereth I am of Apollo another I am of Paul another I am of Cephas we are all carnal and talk and walk as Men For the Kingdom of God is not in these things but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Ro. 14.17 And the same Apostle tells us as plainly as words can speak That Circumcision is nothing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature And that as many as walk according to that Rule viz. that do not make Christianity to be in one or the other but in the Change and turn of the whole man to God which as that Holy Man of God Arch-Bishop Vsher hath long since told us is the new Creature Peace shall be to them even that Peace which our Church teacheth us to pray for in one of her excellent Collects which the World cannot give even the Peace of God which passeth all Vnderstanding Moreover this vital Principle of Spiritual life and love is that only that makes us Christians indeed For if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Ro. 8.9 This doth not only incline the Soul to God and to good Men who bear the Reflexions of his Holy Nature but likewise to the sincere Obedience of his Will and Law invigorating all the Powers and Faculties of their Minds in all their Operations and Motions inlightning their Understandings by turning them from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to God delightfully inclining their Wills to Goodness turning their natural enmity into love fulfilling that Prophetical Gospel-Promise To make his People a willing People in the Day of his Power Psal 110.3 and according as our Saviour in his most Heavenly form hath taught us to Pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven even with that Readiness and Alacrity that Delight and Complacency that the Angels and glorified Saints do it with in Heaven and as He did it when he was in the World Whose Meat and Drink it was to do the Will of him that sent him This divine Principle brings the Soul into a divine frame and Gospel Temper making it to be in some good measure of that Heavenly Spirit that our Blessed Redeemer was of when he was upon Earth And therefore he tells his Disciples Ye are not of the World but I have taken you out of the World If you were of the World the World would love its own but because you are not of the World therefore the World hateth you Joh. 15.19 Ye are not of the Temper and Spirit of the World The first Man is of the Earth earthy and speaketh of the Earth but the second Man is the Lord from Heaven heavenly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly their Conversations are in Heaven and their Hearts are where their Treasures are they look and live above Invisibles are to them the greatest Realities they antedate the Joys of Heaven Faith is to them the Substance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 They persevere as having a respect to the recompence of the Reward and as seeing him that is Invisible whom having not seen as the Apostle says with their bodily eyes yet believing on him are filled with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory This makes Men easy to themselves in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit which are Meekness and Temperance Love and Joy and Peace Long Suffering Gentleness Goodness and Faith against such there is no Law Gal. 5.22 having by the power of the divine Spirit overcome the corruptions of their Nature which made them mighty uneasie to themselves but now where the Spirit of divine Life and Love dwells there are these divine and blessed Fruits which make Men easy in and to themselves by giving them the Victory over all their turbulent and disquieting Passions setting up the Intellectual Rational power in its due place reducing the Man to himself and unto God which is a mighty point when obtained Fortior est qui se quam qui tutissima vincit Moenia which to Translate the Poet by the Prophet is He that overcometh his own Spirit is as he that taketh a City So much have our Corruptions and Passions got the ascendant of our Reasons in this our lapsed State that the Prophet calls such the Beast of the People And 't is not improbable that they were such Beasts with whom St. Paul fought at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15. which he in another place calls unreasonable Men. Finally Brethren pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked Men 2 Thes 3.1 2. where unreasonable and wicked Men are put together because all Wickedness is unreasonable 't is the very extremity of Madness and Folly And this doth not only make Men easy to themselves but to all others How easily are such Men Govern'd by the Laws of Civil Government which are all grounded upon Reason who make their own Reason to govern themselves To them as the Apostle calls the moral Law the Law may be as a School-master to instruct and now and then to correct some mistakes that must be allowed for the Frailty of human Nature but it can never be a Judge to Condemn them for as where there is no Law there is no Transgression so where there is no Transgression there can be no Punishment There is therefore saith St. Paul No Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spirit of holy Life and Love makes all good Men fit for all humane Conversation in this World All the Commotions and Troubles not only within our Selves but within our Houses our Towns and Cities our Kingdom and our Church proceed from our unsubdu'd Corruptions our Pride and Covetousness our Revenge and Malice and the like From whence come Warrings and Fightings among you Come they not from hence even from your Lusts that War in your Members For ye Lust and have not ye Kill and desire to have and cannot obtain Jam. 4.1 2. As much as if St. James had said By these rampant and reigning Lusts of yours you make all the mischief in the World and when you have done all you get nothing by it And then how fit these good Men are for all humane Societies and Government who have by the power of divine Grace mortified