Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	love_n	soul_n	8,923	5	5.0064	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57938	Joshua's resolution to serve the Lord Containing the resolution of every true Christian, fully and wholly to cleave unto the Lord, and to dedicate himself to the Lord and his service. Wherein is shewed, what the resolution of a Christian is. And the reasons of the necessity of this resolution with a word of exhortation both to private, and family worship. To which is added, a prayer for a family. By Robert Russel in Sussex. Licensed according to order.	Russel, Robert, fl. 1692.	1694 (1694)	Wing R2347F; ESTC R221582	13,384	27

endeavours to be more and more humble more patient more meek more holy and more heavenly let the Devil tempt him with Riches Honour Long-li●● and all Earthly Happiness on condition that he 〈◊〉 back again into the ways of sin yet 〈◊〉 will not yield but resist him with all his might a●d strength nay though all the Powers of Hell seek their utmost endeavours to d●aw him back though the Flesh intice and the wicked World use all means to discourage him yet in spire of them all he is resolved to go on in his Holy Course for neither Death nor Life nor Principalities nor Powers nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature is able to Seperate him from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 8. Thus a sincere returning Sinner is fully beat and resolved to give himself up Body and Soul to the Lord. And the whole frame and bent of his heart is towards Grace and Holyness That is the first thing Considerable that a Christians Resolution is a full Resolution Secondly It is a present Resolution he is not for delays and put offs but resolves presently to turn A Man you know that is fully bent and resolved to do a. thing his earnest desire is to be about it that it may be done he is not for putting it off from one time to another as if he did not care whether it were done or no. Even so a Christian that is fully bent and resolved after Grace and Holiness be longs and desires for the attainment of his Holy Ends the whole frame of his heart is set that way and therefore he presently sets about the Work without delay Indeed a Hypocrite has many purposes and resolutions to Repent and become a New Creature but he delays and puts off from one time to another being loath for ●…e present to part with sweet Sin with his Beloved Lust which shews that his resolution is not a firm and settle resolution his purposes are unsound and ●ipocritical There was one Luke 9.61 who made a kind of a resolution to follow Christ but this resolution was not for the present he begged liberty to go once more to his sinful Companions and take his leave of them Lord saith he I will follow thee but let me first go and bid them farewel which are at home at my house This shews that his purpose and resolution was not sincere he made a kind of a resolution to follow Christ But here lyes the case there was not a thorow change wrought in him he had not rooted out his Beloved sin the frame and bent of his heart was more towards the following of his Lust than it was to follow Christ therefore in setting his hand to the Plow by making a resolution to follow Christ and yet looking back with pleasure and delight upon his old sinful course of life he was not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven as our Saviour tells him verse 62. Lord saith he I will follow thee but let me first go and bid them farewel which are at home at my house Thus a Wicked Man when he is intreated and perswaded by a Minister of God's Word or by any of his Godly Relations to Repent and forsake his Evil Practices and to lead a New Life he perhaps under these Godly Admonitions makes fair promises and has some Purposes and Resolutions to Repent and become a 〈◊〉 Creature and yet notwithstanding these purposes and resolutions he has many delays and put offs because his heart remains still wedded to his 〈◊〉 the Drunkard ●e promises that he will return and follow Christ but he takes leave first to go once more to the Ale-house and take leave of his Drunken Companions and take one merry Cup more with them and then he will come and follow Christ He has friends at home at his House and he must first go and take his leave of them and make one merry meeting more among t em and enjoy a little more of their Iovial Company and then he will follow Christ The Covetous he must have ●…ave first to persue after a little more of this worlds Goods and then he will follow Christ The Valupteous he must have leave first to partake a little more of the Sweet of Sin he must enjoy a little more of his Beloved Pleasure he must down with one sweet Morsel more and then he will follow Christ Thus Sin is so sweet unto a Wicked Man the World and the Flesh is so bewitching that notwithstanding a Sinners fair promises and purposes to Repent and turn to God that by these he is hindred of putting any thing into practice but procraserates and puts off from one time to another until perhaps time is at an end before he has done any thing in order to his Eternal Salvation But a Christian that is fully and firmly resolved to dedicate himself to the Lord and his Service so that the whole frame of his heart is bent that way he is so far from delaying and putting off from ●ne time to another that he is even restless and ●an find no contentment in any thing he enjoys until he has got an intrest in Christ until he has got some assurance of the love of God and the pardon of his Sins it grieves him to the very heart to think that he should be so wild and follish as to wast so much of his precious time as he has done in fleshly Lust in abusing of God's Mercy Goodness and grieving his Spirit in that he has made a good and gracious God wait upon him so many years whilst he continued to run on in a Course of Rebellion against him And therefore he now resolves through the grace of God assisting him from the time forward to bid an everlasting farewel to his beloved sin he now fully resolves to continue no longer in his sinful course of life he is ready to cry out with St. Augustin How long shall I say to morrow to morrow why shall not this day be the day of my Convertion He therefore without delay sets about the Work of Convertion he now begins to beg labour and strive to work out his Salvation Thus a Christians Resolution is 〈◊〉 Present Resolution Thirdly and lastly a Christians resolution is a Settle and Deliberate Resolution He doth not as many do take up a suddain and inconsiderate resolution to follow Christ But he diligently considers first what it may cost him to be a thro' Christian the death of his beloved Sin that he knows it must cost him he knows he must part with every sin even with his most flesh-pleasing sin for Christ or else he can't be no true Christian But he considers that it may cost him the loss of his Credit and Good-name the loss of his liberty nay the loss of his life Now a Penitent Sinner considers diligently of all these things before he enters upon his Christian course lest aftar he has gone far with Christ Persecution

comes and he Apostatize and falls away and so his latter end be worse than is beginning What man saith our Saviour intending to build a Tower settech not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest happily after he has laid the Foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him Luk. 14.28.29 So whosoever saith he forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Desciples vers 33. Many have gone far with Christ So far their intrest lay with the intrest of Christ but when the intrest of Christ and their own Intrest crost then they have Apostatized and fell away But on the contrary a wise Christian before he enters upon a new Life he first sets down and counts the cost he considers upon Peter how sadly he fest when Christ had left him unto himself notwithstanding his strong Resolution saying If all should deny thee yet wist not I therefore he dares not purpose and resolve in his own strength for he knows himself to be very weak and cannot move one step towards Heaven without Divine Assistance therefore he is night and day in earnest prayer to God for strength from Heaven and so in the strength of Christ he is resolved to take him for better and for worse he is resolved to run all hazards with him he is resolved to venture all for him to venture the loss of a good name the loss of liberty and the loss of life it self as he expects to Reign with Christ so he resolves to choose him with all his Offices as a Prophet to instruct him as a King to Reign over him and Rule in him as a Saviour to save him from sin as well as from punishment he is resolved to oft with his Right-hand sins and out with his Right-Eye sins he is resolved to spare no sin but to strive against it watch against it and fight against it with all his might He is resolved to take Christ as he is offered upon self denying terms he is resolved to give up himself body and soul to Christ to walk with him to suffer with him and to dye with him if he be called thereunto he is resolved to forsake all for him that stands in competion with him and so to live by faith and rest fully and wholly upon his word and promise for Eternal Salvation he is resolved to follow Christ thorow all difficulties and dangers thorow sufferings and perfrentions thorow life and death until he comes to Reign with Christ in Glory Thus have I done with the first thing considerable what the Resolution of a Christian is I must be very brief in what follows Secondly the reason of the necessity of this Resolution Now for a Christian to make a settle firm Resolution is very necessary First Because that until a man sets a firm and full Resolution to turn to God He is in a ready way to fall by every temptation he is and to put off and delay his repentance from time to time he is still lyable to give himself more and more liberty to all kind of Wickedness to let the Bridle loose to his Lust nay until a man comes unto a full and settle resolution he lyes in the reade road to open Prophaness and to the Neglect of God and Holy Duties And when he performs Duties it is with such Coldness and Formality as if he cared not whether he performed them or no. But when a man comes to a resolved Point when the whole frame and bent of his heart is set toward Christ and Holyness then there will appear earnest endeavors after the Thing resolved upon when once a Sinner comes to be fully resolved then he delays no longer but immediatly sets about the Work of Conversion then he is upon his Watch and puts on the Whole Armor of God and strive and sight against Sin and Spiritual Wickedness This was the Resolution of Job Job 31.1 I made a Covenant with mine Eyes why then should I think upon a Maid as if he had said I have Resolved and made a Covenant with my self as much as in me lyes to avoid all temptation to sin why then should I run my self into temptation This also was the Resolution of David Psalm 39.1 I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a Bridle And this is the Resolution of every true Christian a settle firm and sincere Resolution is a great Enemy to Sin and Satan Secondly This Settle and firm Resolution is necessary to Repentance because it is the first step to Repentance A man may do many things in order to a work of Conversion yet if be hade not a settle and firm Resolution to turn to God he were as good do nothing But when once a man comes to set up a Settle Firm and Sincere Hearty Resolution to cleave fully and wholly to the Lord and to resi●e up all the faculties of his soul to him then the work is more than half done All the other Duties of Christianity will seem easy and pleasant David he resolved and swore and therefore he would perform I have sworn saith he and therefore will perform that I will keep thy Statures Psalm 119.106 Thus much for the Doctrinal Part I shall be very short in the Application There is but one Vse that I shall make of this point and that shall be a Vse of Exhortation Is it so that whatever the People of Israel did Joshua was resolved that he and his House will serve the Lord why Beloved Friends let me Exhort you nay let me intreat you all to enter upon a full stem present and settle deliberate Resolution that you and your Family will serve the Lord. In the first place make a Firm resolution to give up your own selves to the Lord and his Service let the Men of this World do what they please if they will not be reformed let them take their Course if they are so in love with Hell and Tamnation so that they will run head-long thither let them take their course But my Dear Friends into whose hands this little Book shall come do you sincerely resolve to give up your selves to the Lord and his service if others will be for Hell do you resolve to be for Heaven whatever it dost you resolve to cleave close to the Lord in opposition to the Malice of the Devil the Inticements of the Flesh and the Temptations of this Wicked World If wicked Men should intice and seek to draw you into Sin with them do not yield but rather answer them as Joseph did his Mistress How can I do this great Wickedness and sin against God ●…en 39.9 If at any time any of your old sinful Companions do intice perswade and intrude you to go with them to Drinking Gaming or any other Vile Exercise resolve with your selves never to yield to none of their perswading Arguments