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	righteousness_n	sin_n	20,387	5	5.1345	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61638	Shecinah, or, A demonstration of the divine presence in the places of religious worship being an essay, tending to promote piety, prevent apostacy, and to reduce grosly deluded souls, first to their right wits, then to the right waies, of Gods publick instituted worship / by John Stillingfleete ...	Stillingfleet, John, 1630 or 1-1687.	1663 (1663)	Wing S5680; ESTC R9466	109,230	256

before his eyes is it from Man or from God VVee must acknowledge 't is the VVord of God and not of man that does it even that VVord that reaches mans heart and discovers those secret sins there and this manifests Gods Presence by his VVord VVhat is it that makes the hearts of Kings to stoop and their consciences to be startled upon the discovery of their sins as Sauls was when Samuel told him of his disobedience to God 1 Sam. 15.24 Is it the word of man that is thus formidable to them alas this cannot be when man hath no coercive or compulsive power over Kings and Soveraigns and the sharpest menaces of mortal men cannot make these Pillars of the Earth to shake Must it not then be the Word of that God that doth this to whom Kings and Scepters must vail and yeeld obedience And if the Word at any time produces such a fearful amazement in the heart of Majesty it self must wee not say God is in that Word of a truth Men are apt to think well enough of themselves till the Word reveals their sins to them then they see much sin they took no notice of before when once the Word of God comes close to the conscience This was the case of St. Paul Rom. 7.7 9 I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet Vers 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed 3. The Word meets with and answers the scruples of doubting souls whence is this but from Gods Presence with the Word Have not many souls experienced the Word to come close to their very doubts and to have satisfied them When labouring under unbeleef it hath much informed their minds when fearing Apostasie by it they have seen solid grounds for perseverance the Word teaching that they are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto eternal salvation 4. The Word affords suitable comforts to particular cases of the soul and to afflicted consciences No cure for the Corrasives of the world like to those Cordials of Comfort out of the Word No plaister for a wounded conscience like to the Balm of Gilead purchased by Christ and prepared in the Word alwaies to be found ready for the use of saving Faith in the boxes of Gospel-Promises It was the very design of the Word of God to back and strengthen our souls with comfort in this life upon well-grounded hopes of life in the world to come Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope These are all matters of experience and I dare appeal to the hearts of Gods Children for the truth of them Have you not had your thoughts discerned your secret sins discovered your doubts answered and suitable comforts given in at Sermons Whence comes all this Alas the Preacher is but a finite creature and is no more able of himself to reach mens hearts and particular cases than hee is to create a world Well! but though the Preacher cannot yet the Word preached can and this speaks Gods Presence with his Word § 4. 3. The Word of God presses those duties and discovers those Truths which must needs own God for their Author and this also speaks the Presence of God with his Word As Gods People are his Segullah his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Peculiar People So Gods Word hath its peculiarities with it which own God as the proper Author of it Now there are both Mysterious Truths and also some Practical Duties that are peculiar to the VVord of God 1. Some Mysterious Truths such as these First The great Mystery of the Incarnation of Christ Without controversie great was the Mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Secondly That any should obtain Righteousness for their salvation by imputation when they are inherently sinful and unrighteous For hee made him sin for us who know no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that wee might become the Righteousness of God through him Thirdly That sinners should obtain Life Eternal by anothers Temporal death and suffering for a season Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Fourthly That two natures should be united into one person and that that person should be so worthy as to make an expiatory Sacrifice and full satisfaction to the offended Justice of God for the sins of so many thousands as shall be saved Hee is a Propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 He was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed Isa 53 5 These are such Truths many more might be named that neither men nor Angels could ever have thought of Yet these wee preach and declare these the VVord of God clearly discovers these are the very foundations of our Faith Hope and Eternal Salvation Adam in innocency was unacquainted with these Mysteries and now they are not mens inventions wee preach or a bundle of fallacies bound up in a little canting language fit onely to entrap ensnare souls into gross delusions to which veracity is as great a stranger in the notion and sense and pertinency in their delivery as the lively power of Religion in the practice of them But the very mind and the will of God revealed in his written VVord which is an evidence of Gods Presence with that VVord wee preach § 5. 2. Some Practical Duties such as these are First To live by Faith not by sense or reason Brutish men as well as bruit beasts live meerly a life of sense wallowing in the filthy mire of sensual lusts The most raised Moralists that have most refined understandings but yet want grace live onely the life of reason at the best The light of reason the inward light of the mind improved with rules of morality may make us morally honest but it is the VVord of God that teaches us how to be truly gracious This directs us to the life of Faith And this is his Commandment his Commandment 1 Joh. 3.23 by way of peculiar appropriation that yee beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is the Alpha and Omega of true Christianity the beginning and end of a saving Faith in Christ and love to the Brethren How ever carnal men may live by sense and serve their sins yet the Just shall live by Faith Hab. 2.4 in the service of their Saviour Neither is this an idle notion or a meer speculation 't is the very life of the Saints practice as wee see by St. Paul The life which I now live in the flesh Gal. 2.20 is by Faith in the Son of God VVhat a poor

The Word of Christ is the Instrument the Spirit maketh use of to beget life in the soul by working Faith Christs very Sermon could do no good in order to the producing of life in the soul were it not accompanied with the Spirit of Christ § 6. I shall onely hint at one place more It 's very observable that St. Paul calls the Gospel The Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 because of the Spirits Presence with the Word and because it hath the efficacy of the Spirit joyned with it For the understanding of this observe a twofold opposition betwixt the Law and the Gospel First The Law is called the Ministration of the Letter the Gospel the Ministration of the Spirit The Law is called the Ministry of the Letter because whilst it commands or forbids us any thing it affords no inward strength at all whereby the heart may have an inward obedience wrought in it but onely propounds the external command written in Tables of Stone and therefore called the Letter But the Gospel whilst it declares remission of sins and life eternal through Christ it administers also the help assistance and presence of the Spirit by which Faith is stirred up in our hearts whereby wee apply Christ himself and all his benefits unto our souls and therefore 't is called the Ministration of the Spirit Secondly The Law is called the Ministry of Death the Gospel the Ministry of Righteousness and Life The one the Ministry of Death because of the Letter for the Letter killeth whilst it giveth no inward strength or assistance to yeeld obedience to those commands it layes upon us and so the flesh and corrupt nature is more and more provoked and becomes more obnoxious to death and sin than before This is clear from Rom. 7.11 The Law gives occasion to sin to slay the man The Gospel is the Ministry of Life because it affordeth power and the help of the Spirit which produces Faith by which Christ is applied to the soul for life and salvation so that by the Spirit the Gospel affordeth life to the beleeving soul This made Paul say Gal. 2.20 the life which I now live is by Faith in the Son of God Take a Christian without Faith and you do unchristian him hee is left as an ordinary man So take the Gospel without the Presence of the Spirit and it is but a dead Letter That there is such a Presence of the Spirit I have shewed by Scripture The next thing is to shew it from reasons grounded upon undeniable experiences For the better apprehending of them I have moulded them into so many practical Queries § 7. Qu. 1. What makes Gods Children that have excellent Teachers yet pray for the opening of their eyes and spiritual illumination It is from their sense and sight of the want of the Spirits teaching to be superadded to the preaching of men Though David had Nathan and Gad excellent Teachers yet hee begged of God that hee would open his eyes that hee might see the wonderful things of his Law All the light in the world cannot make a man see if hee want a seeing faculty The most raised Preaching can do as little good to the souls of men if they have not spiritual eye-salve bestowed upon them to open the eyes of their dark understandings Barrenness in Prayer is seldome without unfruitfulness in hearing because they seldome get much good in hearing of the Word that are not often begging the Spirits Presence in the Word § 8. Qu. 2. What made so many that heard our Saviour Christ in the flesh yet remain in their unbeleef Was it not because they onely heard the Word of Christ but had not the Spirit of Christ going along with it How blinde were the Jews even after Christ brought light into the world They loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil When the good Word of God comes to had hearts unless the Spirit sets it home effectually to make them better they ordinarily become worse For wicked men are much like Swine turn their eyes up to the light and they fall a crying and bring the light of the Word to wicked hearts and they fall a railing and reviling Thus the Jews dealt with our Saviour You would think it were an admirable way for conversion to have heard Christ preaching to men and truly so it was yet wee see many beleeved not You may be ready to think the Ministers preaching foolishness as many do yet many have been converted by their teaching Is it not strange that ever any that heard Christ should go away unconverted that was God as well as Man and that any should be converted unto God that hear sinful men preach Truly not at all because the Word of Christ went to some men and was not set home by the Spirit And the same Word and Gospel-Truths though preached by sinful men is accompanied with the Spirit and that makes it effectual § 9. Qu. 3. What made Peter so successful in his Ministry that at one Sermon hee converted three thousand souls Act. 2.41 And yet wee never read of such a plentiful harvest gathered in at once by our Saviour Christ That chapter tells us God had just then poured out the Spirit which was the fruit of Christs Ascension Vers 33. There were the same Truths before and one would have thought a better Preacher when Christ himself was in the Pulpit And see how Christs Sermon takes with the people From vers 16. to vers 31. ●uke 4. Is not this Josephs Son Instead of looking well at the Doctrine they fall a cavilling at the Person a poor mean inconsiderable fellow a Carpenters Son Hee was then upon as precious matter as any in all the Book of God Hee told them what hee came into the world for it was to do good and to save souls vers 18 19. Enough to have melted the hardest hearts and humbled the proudest sinners if meer words would have done it and 't is said they all wondred at his gracious words vers 22. Well! but see the issue of all Vers 28. They were filled with wrath Vers 29. They thrust him out of the City and indeavoured to tumble him down the Hill You see here their good will to Christ notwithstanding all his pains and preaching Hee came to break their hearts and they in recompence would have broke his neck Hee preached to save their Souls and they would have taken away his life Certainly if Christ had so bad successe then Peter who denyed his Master would have had far worse if worse could be had No such matter There was the Spirit powred out and did powerfully set home the Word by Peter's ministry which Christ was not pleased to let work powerfully upon the hearts of his hearers for reasons best known to himself And that is the reason of that kind welcome the Word received Now when they heard this Acts. 2.37 they were pricked in

their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall wee do § 10. Quer. 4. What makes the same Preacher successeful at one place and not at another Onely this that God accompanies his Word with his Spirit at one place and not at another Wee may suppose the same Word Preached to a different people to a very different event The one mock raile revile The other prove humble meek yea true converts The Word is the same all men by nature have the same vilenesse in their hearts and opposition to the Word and truths of the Gospel The difference then lyes in the presence of the Spirit of God And now that God is not alwaies present by his Spirit to set home the Word upon all This should not make us sleight and neglect hearing but make us more diligent in praying that the Spirit may alwaies bee present with the Word to render that which wee hear truly and really effectual to our souls § 11. Quer. 5. What makes the same truths heard by the same man at several times produce different and several effects Is it not wholly from the Spirit of God One hath often heard of Christs death and passion and sufferings for mankind of his tendernesse love and compassion for the good of lost and undone souls And this perhaps hee hath not onely once or twice but many times heard and yet no profit Hee can still boldly sleight Christ carelessely neglect his soul and highly contemn the Gospel that offers him Christ and salvation by Christ At another time perhaps this makes him quite another man Is Christ dead for mee and my sins and shall I love sin more than my dear Saviour Did Christ bleed to cure the wounds of my Soul and shall I wound Christ again by my cursed lusts Did Christ descend from Heaven to save mee out of Hell and shall I sleight his infinite condiscension of love follow sin and vain lusts upon the earth and sink into Hell and ruine at the last What makes this great change upon hearing the same truth is it not Gods Spirit The same truth hath no life at one time no effect upon the soul At another Oh! the most precious truth in the world the Soul would not part with such a truth such a promise for all the world when the spirit sets it home upon the heart Thus 't is in reading we sometimes reap much benefit from that portion of the Word when God sets it home which we often read before in the Bible and found no comfort from it took no notice of it at all § 12. Quer. 6. What makes the same passages delivered at the same time to men of the same profession temper and opinion produce differenteffects That the one is affected the other not the one trembles the other not the one is converted by it the other not The Word is the same and the parties supposed the same as to temper education profession and the like Yet the Spirit works on the one and not on the other and that makes the difference § 13. Quer. 7. What makes men of the same age living under the same powerful ministry to bee converted and brought home at divers years distance Is it not because the Spirit sets home the Word betimes on some and not on other mens souls Conversion when ever it is wrought is the irresistible work of the Spirit of Grace it is the gift of God when ever effected Yet the Holy Spirit that bloweth where hee listeth bloweth also when he listeth on some sooner on others later § 14. Quer. 8. What makes the same truths working conversion in diverse persons work not one and the same way But in one it causes many terrours and in another sweet Gospel meltings of Soul and both by it are brought home to Christ It is certainly to bee resolved into the Spirits arbitrary working upon the soul in order to conversion Conviction of sin is necessary to every mans conversion but terrours are not The spirit works the former more or lesse in all But the terrours of conscience and ratlings of the chains of Hell are not alike in all And the same spirit may use the same truths in a different manner to bring home diverse souls to God Great sinners have oftentimes the greatest terrors Yet the spirit of God may use the same Gospel truths to bring home some to God by strong terrours and others by a Gospel sweetnesse and pouring in much comfort at first conversion § 15. Qu. 9. What makes the Gospel Preached to bee a savour of life unto some and a savour of death to others in the same Congregation perhaps in the same seat 'T is because some are left to the hardnesse of their own hearts and the Spirit comes powerfully with the Word unto the hearts of others In a plain and powerful Sermon Christ stands at the door and knocks at the hearts of all that hear it in a Congregation Now the Spirit that hath the Key of mens hearts in his hands opens some and lets others alone lockt fast up in their impenitency and unbeleef Thus God opened the hearts of Lydia and the Jaylour And others again go to Hell unconverted perhaps unconvinced from under powerful Preaching Of whom I say as St. Paul did If our Gospel be hid 2 Cor. 4.3 it is hid to them that are lost § 16. Qu. 10. What makes diverse truths set home upon diverse men produce one and the same effect Is it not from the Spirit of God that different truths should bee set home in order to Conversion If in the Word onely why not the same portion of it alwaies a means of conversion But wee see one place for one and another place for the conversion of another Fr. Junii vi●● p. 11. c. 2. Junius reports it of himself that hee was converted by reading the beginning of the first chapter of St. Johns Gospel Austin after his hot fits of Lust Hears an Eccho sounding in his ears Tolle lege tolle lege Take up the Book and read Hearing a voyce but seeing no Person he presently takes up the New-Testament Reads Rom. 13. Not in Rioting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonnesse and by this Scripture brought home to God Luther was first wrought upon by Rom. 1.17 Therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith This now must needs bee the work of the Spirit which can produce one and the same effect on diverse Subjects by different Truths CHAP. XII Quest How does the Spirit teach Removendo Removing impediments unwilling to bee taught Fleshly lusts Pride Curiosity Five waies Satan promotes Curiosity Suggerendo Suggesting Gospel Truths to the Soul 1. John 2.27 John 16.13 Expl. Illuminando By enlightning the mind Ephes 5.8 Opened Inward light of the Saints stated Corroborando By strengthening the Soul Recolligendo By raising Truths Heb. 2.1 John 14.26 Explained § 1. HAving shewed by Scripture

unnecessary Jewish and meerly Ceremonial 2. Tithes are abolished as Jewish and Ceremonial a burden to the Saints of God and a discouragement of Industry and Tillage 3. Ministers are abolished as Antichristian and of no longer use now Christ himself descends into the hearts of the Saints and his Spirit enlighteneth them with Revelations and Inspirations 4. Magistrates are abolished as useless now that Christ himself is in purity of Spirit come amongst us and hath erected the Kingdome of the Saints upon the Earth besides they are Tyrants and Oppressors of the Liberties of the Saints and tye them to Laws and Ordinances meer humane inventions 5. Shewing them a Bible hee said here is a Book you have in great veneration consisting of two parts the Old and New Testament I must tell you 't is abolished it containeth beggarly rudiments Milk for Babes But now Christ is in glory amongst us and imparts a fuller measure of his Spirit to his Saints than this can afford and therefore I am commanded to burn it before your faces so took a Candle that hee had in a Lanthorn and set fire on the leaves Oh horrid and monstrous blasphemy Are not these New Lights think you such as are kindled with some sparkles from the fire of Hell When such Revelations and Visions are admitted then the Word is vilified and decryed And the same Spirit wee see that witnesses in the Saints as they call themselves against Tithes witnesses also against Sabbath Ministers Magistrates yea and against the very Bible too So true is that observation of Aristotle Grant one absurdity and many will unavoidably follow Admit once of New Lights and Visions of the Spirit as they are termed and you cannot keep out the most devilish and damnable errors from following after To return therefore from whence I have a little digressed when I say the Spirit teaches gradually It is thus to be understood that hee sets home Old Truths with New Light and Discoveries of them made to the soul which were not experienced before Gradual progress and such growth in grace and knowledge is the Christians duty as well as the donation of the Spirit of God Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 God in the Gospel commands us and hee by his Spirit helps us to grow in grace and knowledge And though the Spirit teaches in the Word that there can be no absolute perfection in this life telling us in the Words of St. John 1 Joh. 1.8 That if wee say wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us Yet the Spirit teacheth the soul of a true Christian gradually to breathe after Perfection Hee makes him come to God in and through Christ for justification and absolution from sin ne damnet that the condemning power of sin may be taken away hee breathes after sanctification ne regnet that sin should not reign in their mortal bodies hee breathes after glorification ne sit that sin should not exist or have any being at all in him that hee may be wholly freed from sin CHAP. XIV Practical Deductions from Gods Presence by his Spirit Matter for examination and tryal Seven Rules to try whether wee are taught by Gods Spirit Exhortation to own the Spirit as our Grand Teacher Motives and Directions Matter of Reproof to those that are all for the Spirit and nothing for the Word To Formalists To Carnal Persons Matter of Consolation to true Christians The Spirit teaches them the best lessons Especially four They are taught to walk in the best way To aim at the best ends § 1. FRom the Presence and Teaching of the Spirit of God many practical and profitable inferences may be raised Some few that are most material and most subservient to the design of this Treatise I shall propound and prosecute in this chapter as the Conclusion of the whole I. If God be present to teach his Children by his Spirit If wee would know then whether wee are the Children of God let us examine and try whether wee are taught by the Spirit or no. There is an easie way for our being deceived herein Natural parts may carry men far in the knowledge of the things of God and common illumination of the Spirit may carry us much further and yet all this while wee may come far short from the saving teaching of the Spirit of God 'T is worth while then to examine our selves by such Rules as may clearly undeceive us in a matter of so great concernment § 2. Rule 1. That Knowledge of Divine Truths that drives us off from God comes not from the teachings of the Spirit The very end and main design of the Spirits teaching is to bring us home to God and Christ Now if any Truth drives us off from God how can this come from the Spirits teaching Conviction of sin and self-abhorrency under it may and usually do come from the Spirit of God but then these drive the soul to God for the pardon of sin And when the Spirit is come he shall convince the world of Sin Joh. 16.8 and of Righteousness When the Spirit sets home sin upon the soul in order to conversion and salvation hee also clearly discovers the Righteousness of Christ for the removal of it But when sin is discovered so as to drive us to despair or to tempt us to presume upon Gods mercy without any consideration at all that the Justice of God also must be satisfied this is no teaching of the Spirit Coming unto God in a way God never owned nor prescribed is a direct running away from him So that though wee come to God to presume upon his mercy wee do in reality run away from him because God cannot shew mercy to the eternal dishonour and ruine of his Justice Mercy cannot be exerted on poor sinners till the breaches of Gods honour are repaired and his Justice satisfied Coming to God by Faith through Christ makes way for both and then both Mercy and Justice shall triumph and rejoyce together in the salvation of rebellious sinners § 3. Rule 2. Hee that pretends to much new knowledge and yet continues in his old sins is not taught by the Spirit of God To pretend to the Spirit and live in the flesh is double iniquity Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas The Law of the Spirit frees the soul from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Vers 5. They that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit read 6 7 8 9. verses Gods Spirit teaches none to continue in the constant practice of known sins Hee doth not allow them to sin and then teach them that that is to be spiritual to deem nothing sin that wee possibly can commit Hee doth not allow souls to live as they lift and then teach them that God sees no sin in his Children How can you be taught of God and yet follow your old courses of sin