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A15495 Physicke, to cure the most dangerous disease of desperation Collected for the direction and comfort of such Christians as trauayling and being heauie loaden in their consciences, with the burthen of their sinnes, stand in danger either in time of their sicknesse to fall away from their God, through deepe despaire, or else in time of their health, to yeelde to one desparate end, or other, to the ruine and vtter confusion of both bodyes and soules for euer. By W.W. Willymat, William, d. 1615. 1605 (1605) STC 25762; ESTC S102526 47,571 122

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fayth hope patience against Desperation who were so h●at in contention one against an other that they forsooke one anothers companie in high displeasure and heate of their stomackes the one taking with him Luke the other Iohn What though we haue yeelded vnto practised and followed Oppression Extortion polling pilling and wresting what we can by hooke or crooke from our brethren Luke 19.2 So did Zacheus yet notwithstanding after his repentance his forsaking and ceassing from bad getting his restitution and almes giuing receiued that most chearefull and comfortable saying of Christ Luke 19. ● This day is saluation entred into thine house What though we haue been Theeues robbers and stealers of our neighbours goodes so was the Theefe that was crucified with Christ and yet vpon his humble contrite and sorrowfull confession of his sinnes he heard this most sweete word from Christ This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise What though we haue murthered and shead the blood or caused the blood to be shed of some of our brethren so did Dauid to Vrias and yet vppon his zealous inward true vnfained sorrowfulnes and repentance he was not taken away in his sinne but found pardon And so did the Iewes which put to death the Lord of life King Manasses was an Idolater he defi●ed the Temple of God he withstood and did beat downe the trueth he set vp Idolatrie 2. Kin. 21. he was a Coniurer and a Southsayer he shed a boundance of Innocent blood so that the streetes flowed therewith he committed more abhominations then the Cananites or Amorites whom for their filthinest the Lord cut off out of the land of the liuing he sacrificed his sonnes and daughters to Diuels and yet vpon his true returning to the Lord from the bottome of his heart he found fauoure and mercie 2. Chro. 33. If our sinnes then or the sinnes of any one of vs were as greeuous as euer were the sinnes of Manasses yet vpon our true and vnfaigned returne to the Lord shal● we despaire of his mercie shall we or may we or dare we thinke that the mercie and power of the Lod is shortened or that God is not the same God he was Is he not as readie to pardon and forgiue sinnes the sinnes of a man repenting returning and faythfully calling vpon him as euer he was the sinnes of Manasses All these examples and many more are written for our learning comfort and strengthening of our fayth hope and patience that we should in no wise despaire vpon our true repentance neither for the multitude nor greeuousnesse of our sinnes And likewise also it is written for the brusing and as it were euen for the breaking of the backe of all damnable Desperation and to hold the heartes and to restore the faynting and dullie sprites of all such as the seruitude and bondage of sinne this our third cause of Desperation doth vexe and presse downe It is I say written Luk. 9.56 that the Sonne of man is come to saue mens liues And he him selfe hath sayd I am come to call not the iust but sinners Math. 10. Math. 20. Ioh. 3. Wherefore Christ can into this world And againe Iesus Christ is come to giue his life a redemption for many Also God the Father hath not sent his S nne to iudge the Worlde but to the ende the Worlde may be saued by him Now what is it to saue not to iudge but to deliuer from death and damnation wherein we lay in the middest of the bondage of sinne for sinne is the death and damnation of the soule Now he can not saue vs except sinne be first taken from vs And therefore and for this cause came Iesus Christ the Sonne of God Ioh. 8. and he hath declared himselfe to the world to the end that he should take away sinnes and should destroy the workes of the Diuell If it be so that Iesus Christ be come into the world to take away sinnes and if the same were his intent and his message the purpose of Iesus Christ shall not fayle at all and his message remayneth stedfast and true he then without all doubt hath taken away this which the Diuell would perswade vs to be a cause of Desperation this great seruitude and bondage of sinne from all those that trust in him and do verily beleeue and perswade themselues in the bottome of their consciences that it is most true but yet how comes this to passe to wit by Iesus Christ onely by his owne free grace and mercie by the benefites and merites of himselfe who is our onely Sauiour Ioh. 1.29 without any other meane or merit for he is the only Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Act. 4.12 As also S. Peter sayd to the Iewes There is none other saluation but onely in Iesus Christ for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must be saued And so Christ himselfe sayd after he was rysen from the dead It must needes haue been that Christ must haue suffered death Luk 24.44 and that he must haue rysen the third day from the dead and that amendement of life and forgiuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name to all people and to all nations O how sweete and comfortable are these wordes and sayinges of God which is the onely eternall trueth in deed O how worthy are they to be layde vp in the deapth of our hearts and to haue our whole confidence reposed freely vpon them Colloss 2. And to the Collossians it is sayd God hath quickened vs which were dead in sinnes with Iesus Christ forgiuing vs all our trespasses and hath put out the hand-writing that was against vs hee euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it on the Crosse What meaneth he by this but onely that Iesus Christ hath taken away the Obligation of our debt to wit that we did owe for our sinnes and hath taken it and tyde it with him selfe vpon the Crosse and hath in deed payde it full bitterly who also is for vs and will surely take away this great seruitude bondage of sinne which the Diuell would vse as an instrument of Desperation against vs in case we will beleeue his word and that we can settle out mindes and quiet our harts to account and esteeme his bitter passion and merites to be so great and of such value th●● they are able effect●all and of sufficient strength to obtaine these aforesayd thinges for vs. And Christes prayer to his heauenly Father is heard and remayneth heard continually when he prayed ●o 17 20. saying I p●●y not for these alone ●eaning his there present Disciples but for them al o which shall beleeue in mee through their worde Wherefore the same prayer includeth euery one of vs so farre foorth as we beleeue and place the same in our heartes and wholly repose our selues thereon ●ct 10.42.43 And
S. Peter sayth Iesus Christ hath commaunded vs to preach vnto the pe●p●e and to test●fie th●t it is hee that is ordayned of God a Iudge of the quicke and the dead and that to him al the Prophets giue witnesse that through his name all that beleeue should receiue remission of sinnes Moreouer S. Paul sayth 2 Cor. 5.21 God hath made him which knew no sinne sinne for vs to the ende that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him And heere is to be noted What maner of righteousnesse God requireth at our handes what Righteousnesse or Iustice and Goodnesse that is which God requireth and esteemeth which is no other but that onely which dwelleth and holdeth vpon the Iustice Goodnesse and Merite of Iesus Christ being vtterly ignoraunt of the Iustice or R ghteousnesse and Goodnesse which many do seek in their owne good works But yet when I stande so much vppon this poynt to prooue that our sinnes should be no cause of Desperation a thing which the Diuell greatly vrgeth obiecteth against the conscience of an ignorant man for that our sinnes are taken away by the innocent Lambe Christ Iesus that he hath sufficiently pai●e the ransome therof that we are become righteous by the righteousnes of I sus Chri●t it is not here my meaning neither would I haue any man so to mistake mee and misvnderstande mee that I thinke or would haue any other men to thinke hereby that there is no more sinne in vs or that sinne dwelleth not in these our mortall bodyes Sinne dwelleth euen in the beleeuers and in the most righteous men in the world but yet raigneth not in them for I confesse it plainelye and it is too true that sinne indeede dwelleth in vs but yet to the great comfort of an afflicted conscience against Desperation I affirme it hauing the holy Scriptures for my teachers herein that although the roote of sinne the naughtie disposition and inclination to sinne remayneth alwayes strong in a Christian and neuer can be wholly vanquished before we put off by death this sinfull flesh of ours although I say it do dwell in vs yet it doth not raigne in any Christian beleeuer yet it is not able to damne a true faythfull beleeuer It can not I say damne vs for as much as we are in Iesus Christ and that we do fight and striue against the remanent of sinne albeit we stagger and wauer sometimes and do feele and perceiue our selues to be assayled sometimes by the strong temptations of the Diuell and the flesh This is it that S. Paule writeth of when he sayth There is now no dampnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. ● which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit The remaynent roote of sinne dwelleth alwayes in vs but wee like vnto licentious worldlinges giue it not the bridle and suffer it not to range too farre and to take too deepe a roote but wee breake it tame it and make it subiect vnto vs by walking after the spirit c. and then nothing more sure then that there shal be no condemnation at all vnto vs thereby neither any cause of Desperation thereby for that we are iustified by our Fayth and deliuered from sinne to wit these sinnes which might condemne vs the roote originall and mother of sinne yet notwithstanding still abyding remayning and dwelling in vs against which we warre and striue as long as we continue in this life but the victorie remayneth to our Chieftaine head-Captaine Iesus Christ by the law of his spirit which maketh vs to liue in him and hath set vs free from the right of sinne and death in such sort that we may no more feare sinne nor death by Iesus Christ who hath ouercome all for our wealth and hath reconciled vs eternally to his Father who as our deare Father from hence-foorth will shew fauour vnto vs for the loue of Ies s Christ his deare Sonne and so will take from vs all our sinnes as though we had neuer committed them Euen so doth he promise saying Mich. 7.18.19 God is one God willing to shew vs grace and mercie hee will ●u●●e to vs and will be fauourable and hee will t ke away our iniquitus and cast our sinnes into the deapth of the Sea And againe it is sayd of Gods wonderfull mercies The Lord is full of compassion and mercie 〈◊〉 10● 8 ● 10 c. long suffering and of great goodnes Hee will not alwayes be chyding neither keepeth he his anger for euer He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For looke how ●igh the Heauen is in compa iso● of the Earth so great is his mercie also towards them that feare him Looke how wide a●so the Fast is from the West so farre hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea lik● as a Father pittieth his owne children euen so is th● Lord mercifull vnto them that ●●●●e him For he knoweth whereof we be m●●e he remembreth that we are but dust c. Of the great mercies of God towardes sinners read more in Psal 145 8.9 and 147.8.10 in Ioel. 2.13 Math. 18 11. 2. Cor. 1 3. Places of holy Scriptures setting foorth gods great mercies Ephes 2.4 1. Tim. 1.13 vnto the 18. verse Surely these places are wordes of most rare and singular comfort and they be certaine sinne sure and vnchangeable spoken and pronounced by the eternall veritie it selfe and therfore not to be mistrusted or despaired of But yet let vs take heed least that verse be verified in vs Stulti dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt Let vs not abuse Gods mercies making a cloake thereof to couer our sinnes Let vs not presume too farre and say as in Ecclesiasticus 5.6 The mercie of God is great hee will forgiue my manifolde sinnes for mercie and wrath commeth from him c. CHAP. IIII. The fourth Chapter concerning the Remedies to be vsed against the Fourth cause of Desperation arysing of the doubts suggested by the Diuell vnto many men to bring them into despaire of their saluation by meanes of the small number of those that shal be saued in comparison of the great number of the reprobate GReat in deed is the power and manifold and marueilous are the pollicies deuices wyles subtilties assaultes and suggestions wherewith and whereby that wylie Foxe A catalogue or rehearsall of many thinges ●hereby the Diuell craf●ily temp●eth men to sinne des●eration that old bitten Dogge that subtill Sathan the Diuell dayly and howerly practiseth to entice allure and euen as it were to force multitudes of men heere on earth into one sinne or other wherevnto he findeth and prooueth them to be naturally enclyned and last of all vpon one occasion or other into Desperation How the di●●l tempteth by riches If he espieth a man to he rich and to haue worldly blessinges through the gift of God
be aware into the most deadly and diuelish gulph of Desperation as though saluation and peace of a godly conscience were a matter not worthy the talking of or labouring for A thing to be lamented It is a lamentable thing to behold how many in the world will vndertake and attempt any thing be it neuer so chargeable and troublesome not sluggish not sleepie not carelesse and slouthfull but most earnest watchfull most carefull painefull at euery assay by prudence and prowesse by witte and by warinesse by counsaile and by cunning by learning and by labouring ambitiously to hunt gaine and gape after honour and vnfatigablye seeke to attaine fame and highly account of it to be gazed on and talked of with the eyes tongues of all men And againe how few take any cate at all or once endeuour themselues to auoyde shame and confusion in the presence of the Almightie to become glorious in the sight of God and his Angels and to vse and exercise any of those good meanes and instrumentes ordeyned and appoynted of God for the increase of Fayth Hope and Charitie and for the weakning and abandoning of all desperation diffidence in Gods infinite mercies and infallible promises It is a lamentable thing to marke and consider how vigilant carefull The second thing to be lamented heedfull many of the wyser and circumspecter sort of men of this world will be to escape and auoyde all the penalties paynes and punishmentes prouided and set downe for offenders of mortall mens lawes how painefull they will be in Penall Statutes how skilfull in euery braunch of the Ciuill Lawes least they should ignorantly incurre the dangers of imprisonment of losse of landes forfeytures of their goodes or death it selfe Many haue greater ca●e of mortall mens lawes ●hen of Gods lawes But the mightie God the only highest Law-giuer that Lord of Lordes and King of all Kinges Let him ordeyne publish and proclayme his Lawes Statutes and Ordinaunces to be harkened vnto obserued and kept and that vnder neuer so rigorous and seueere conditions punishmentes and penalties How few men will search his Booke of Statutes and Lawes How few are afrayde of his not temporarie but euerlasting threatninges and punishmentes contayned in his Lawes and how few men regarde esteeme an● thankfully embrace his couenant of Reconciliation set foorth in his most ioyfull and comfortable Gospell And yet most certaine it is that all these aforesayd thinges so much to be wondred at and so greatly to be lamented for so lightly looked on so smally regarded and so little thought on many such other of the like fraternitie order of disorders sinnes being delighted in and securely continued in without all care or indeuour to forsake them in time by repentance and true returning to the Lord do first breed and ingender and afterwardes bring foorth Desperation then the which all the ●uries and Diuels in hell can not lightly excogitate nor finde out a greater torment or a more intollerable paine and that because that all other tormentes penalties and paines are but temporall and pursue men no further then bodily death but this endeth not with bodily death but becommeth eternall Whosoeuer then he be that is once surely catcht in this nette of Desperation hee needes no moe accusers to come against him then his former vnrepented sinnes which lye at the doore to arrest him his owne heart will giue euidence against him and his owne iniquitie will plead him to be guiltie and that to his owne face Vpon consideration of these things I haue now in this Treatise following good Christian Reader endeuoured my selfe to set downe First a definition of Desperation then the greeuousnesse thereof after this certaine principall causes thereof togeather with remedies for the same and lastly a generall Preseruatiue against Desperation arysing of what cause so euer To the intent that the children of God falling by some occasions into some degrees of it for if it rage in extremities in the opinion of some learned Writers it is an euill incurable and vnrecouerable may with the more ease and quietnesse be recouered and saued as it were out of the Diuels clawes euen out of as great danger as euer was the poore Sheepe that Dauid tooke out of the Beares or Lions mouth 1. Sam 17.34 35. Accept hereof gentle Reader with no worse a minde then I haue attempted to be the writer and then I doubt not but it shall either minister vnto thine heart some comfortable Phisicke or els giue thee occasion to seeke reade or collect a better Thine in all christian affection W. W. The Contents of this Booke entreated of in euery seuerall Page as followeth A Definition of euery thing which is to be disputed or reasoned of is necessarie and wherefore Page 1. The Definition of Desperation of two sorts Page 1. 2. Two kindes of Desperation the one wicked the other good and holy Page 3. Three thinges especially to be noted in the Treatise of Desperation Page 4. God is constant and faythfull and how and wherein Page 4. The duetie of the faythfull towardes God in regard of Gods faythfulnes towardes him Page 5. The horriblnes of the sinne of Diffidence Mistrust or Desperation Page 5. When especially the Diuell deginneth to tempt to Desperation Page 6. What kind of Phisicke and surgerie the Diuell practiseth Page 7. The absurd dealings of such as yeeld to desperatiō Page 8. What great inconueniences they fall into that yeeld to Desperation Page 8. Saint Bernard his opinion concerning the hainousnesse of the sinne of Desperation Page 9. Scilla and Charybdis not so dangerous as Desperation Page 9. The dangers of Desperation Page 10. 11. Of the degrees by which the Diuell draweth men into Desperation Page 13. The Diuel the chiefe cause of Desperation Page 13. The forerunners of Desperation Page 14. What the Diuel wil obict to bring vs to desperatiō Page 15. Ignoraunce the second cause of Desperation Page 16. Ignoraunce the mother of Desperation Page 17. Seruitude or bondage of sinne the third cause of Desration Page 17. The wofull effectes of sinne● Page 18. The fourth cause of Desperation Page 18. The manifold aduersaries of mans saluation all which the Diuell vseth as meanes to Desperation Page 19. The fift cause of Desperation Page 20. 21. The sixt cause of Desperation Page ●2 Long custome groweth into a second nature Page 22. The first preseruatiue against Desperation Page 88. An example shewing that many men put more trust in mortall men then in God Page 89. An other profe that many put more trust in mortall man then in God Page 90. The second generall helpe against Desperation Page 91. The third generall helpe against Desperation Page 92. What soeuer could be looked for at Gods handes or what soeuer man could be charged with that hath Christ performed Page 93. The fourth generall helpe for the auoyding of Desperation Page 94. The fift generall