Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	see_v	sin_n	soul_n	9,644	5	5.1376	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49515	Three sermons preached at Sherborne in Dorsetshire by William Lyford ... being his last sermons ...; Sermons. Selections	Lyford, William, 1598-1653.	1654 (1654)	Wing L3557; ESTC R3029	24,872	37

and not to another Remarkable to this purpose is that Rom. 11.7 But the Election hath obtained it The question is propounded vers 1. Hath God cast away his people No He proves it first in himselfe I am a Jew therefore all are not cast away Secondly God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew What then how stands the matter Why this is the conclusion the election hath obtained it the rest were blinded the elect have a preeminence above the rest the God of grace doth shine into their hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ But the God of the world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4.6 Reason 2 Of the event per accidens occasionally it provesa savour of death to some Quest Now let us consider what those occasions are or what those distempers are in the parties themselves seeing the difference cannot be in the ordinance it selfe which is the same to both it must be sought elsewhere Answer 1 The Gospell therefore proves a savour of death First sometimes on the Ministers part when they doe not deale faithfully when by flatteries they say to the soules that shall die yee shall live This the Lord complaines of Jer. 6.14 They dealt falsely they healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there was no peace Thus it comes to passe that the poore soule is hardned when men preach the free grace of God and mercy without laying before people the conditions whereupon mercy is promised when we promise them life and doe not presse upon them the necessitie of holy walking in the path of life mercy without repentance People must be sound in repentance in faith in puritie of conscience else we can promise them no peace of conscience we must put a difference betweene pretious and vile Jer. 15.19 We must not preach as if all alike should be saved as if the outward ordinances and communion therein were sufficient unlesse yee be circumcised in the heart as well as in the flesh baptized with the spirit inwardly called really converted c. Ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven we must deale clearely in this point else we delude the people Wee must tell you that 't is not all your moralities nor all your civilities nor all your formalities in prayer and comming to Church that makes a sound Christian yee must be humbled brought into covenant with Christ whatsoever is short of regeneration is short of salvation Thus Mat. 7.22 profession of Christ's name will not serve the turne A distinguishing Ministry is the savory saving Ministry which lets you see in what state you are whether in nature or in Grace Sheepe or Goates c. A promiscuous preaching of Christ's mercy to all without any other distinguishing markes doth cause a mis-application of the Gospell men that are sons of death thinke themselves Children of life Poore souls are blinded to their destruction through Ministers fault we must not warrant repentance to be true without faith nor faith to be true in any that see not their cursed state in nature that feele not their need of faith by reason of sin and misery Nor can we warrant faith in any Body that is not become a new Creature and the new-borne desire to grow by the sincere milke of the word c. The Gospell preaching mercy to the Lumpe is a truth But that word must be rightly divided and mercy applyed to whom it is promised On the peoples part foure waies 1. By reason of their carelesnesse customarinesse in religion not Examining Trying and Applying to themselves in particular the markes and truths deliver'd when the faithfull Ministers shew the world how their sins are pardoned and how they must get into the Covenant of Grace to have their deadly woe removed people doe not marke it nor take paines about it but esteeme of it as a light matter as if God were beholding to them for hearing the Gospel of Salvation This Customarinesse you discover by carelesnesse in hearing and after hearing some lay them to sleepe others play with their Children others place themselves out of hearing c. people plainly shew that they come not as people that are to deale in matters of salvation and damnation If our Gospell be hid 't is hid to them that are lost the light thereof shines cleare but the fault is in your selves you are content to be blindfolded and holden back from so great a treasure as is cōmunicated in the Gospell O Is it not a sad thing and yet too true that in many houses not one of the familie knowes himselfe to be saved All such saving knowledge is a mysterie to them you think you have repented because you have sorrowed for some particular sin and that you have faith because you hold some doctrines of faith the Divels doe the same But how to know your selves to be the elect of God though it be clearly laid forth by your Ministers yet that heavenly truth is not understood because you are not carefull to trie your selves and to prove your estate to be good All is but a dead and unsavorie thing upon your spirits Whereas the conscionable hearer doth finde spirituall life in such distinguishing truths he is comforted and quickned finding his name to be written in the book of God 2 Secondly it proves a deadly savour to you by reason of the discontent pride selfe-love and contentiousnesse of your spirits that will not endure to be reproved or searched you stumble at the word through disobedience be angry with that which should doe you most good quarrell at the Light Now when people be thus settled on their Lees when they have such stumbling-blocks of iniquitie in their hearts now I say that word which brings life to others brings death to you you see no good in it As if you stir a dunghill it stinks the worse so if you rake in a fowle heart the mud and filth that 's in it doth arise and corruption works the more O what reasonings and sidings with sin and Satan ô what anger and opposition against the Light Sin taking occasion by the Commandement saies Paul wrought in me all maner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 The Law did put no evill motion into his heart but wrought that is did stir it up it was there before it set corruption aworke If the word doe not prevaile to subdue and purge out corruption then it stirs it up and sets it a working and so proves a savour of death to you Whereas the same doctrines reproofes and searching trialls to the saved ones do yeeld a savour of life Good is the word of the Lord I am vile I am uncleane thy word is truth Hic ure hic seca ut in aeternum parcas Let thy word cut

worketh one way or other if not to life it will be unto death it is sharper then a two-edged sword which cuts on both sides for the hardning or converting of the sinner if a man believe and obey it it is life to him it brings about his good and safetie if not it falleth a working also to augment his naturall blindnesse hardnesse and to binde him guiltie unto judgement it alwaies helpeth or hurteth the hearer Therefore you shall do well to observe what sort of working it hath upon you that so you may be framed to the better by it Observe under which effect of it you lie is it a savour of life or of death to you For your Humiliation and to break the heart to repentance I will give foure Convictions whereby it may appeare to your owne conscience that it is a dead unsavorie unfruitfull thing unto you that you never yet did rellish any thing of life in it 1 The first is Because you take so little delight in it and so little paines about it for 't is the propertie of every blessed man to delight in the law of God to meditate in it to walk in it both day and night Ps 1.1 2. My delight and my counsellonrs Ps 119.24 How doth his soule break out in holy longings and love to the law of God And also to take paines for this bread of life the Queene of the South came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solomon Mat 12.42 Wheresoever the carkasse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together As Eagles by a naturall instinct flie to their food so where Christ is preached believers by the motion of the spirit will resort to him Can yee tast honie and no sweetnesse in it Can yee want bread take no paines for it Take us and all we have for Bread said they to Joseph you labour for meat that perisheth because there 's life in it so would you after the meat that endureth to eternall life if yee did rellish it Joh. 6.27 Labour not for meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life that is labour more for eternall life O what a deale of contriving sweating of unwearied diligence to raise an estate to raise posteritie to enlarge possessions to live And yet how it shall goe with you and how you shall live eternally did did never put you to the trouble of one houre 's serious consideration or paines God is our chiefe good and all our happinesse consists in his love therefore it should be valued and sought above all things The very businesse we have in this world is to glorifie God and to provide for a better life And yet how little doe you set by the meanes of life You will not be at the paines to acquaint your selves or familie with the doctrine of salvation● I cannot perswade you to read the Bible and other good books or to learne the grounds of Religion in some Catechisme or to sanctisie the Lord's day in holy exercises of prayer selfe-examination Hearing the word Nay with much coldnesse do you come to the congregation These things are burdensome irksome unsavorie to you you finde no life in this holy course and why Because you are dead soules Let me speake unto you Husbandmen Tradesmen and Labourers consider your waies and your daies spent in toyle and labour up to worke early there 's much to be done in the mornings no time in the evenings the head is heavie unfit for spirituall matters The Sabbath is your day God in mercy provided it for your rest for your soules refreshing also yet that day is too much from your worldly businesse In the morning goe see such a piece of ground or such a parcell of sheep or such a customer then to Church if time be left poore soules what doe you thinke Is this to delight in the word O how little doe you set by heaven If you did but take halfe so much paines and delight for heaven as for the world I should think you did finde some spirituall life in the word I speake to you Careles daughters perhaps once in the day you give us the hearing and stay at home the other part you trifle away the Sabbath-mornings about Children you spend idly as much time as your necessary affaires of house require therefore yee cannot come to Church perhaps in the afternoone yee have some Cloaths to mend or starch This providing for and trimming of the body is your Sabbath-daie's worke as if you were borne to be drudges and poore and so to the grave O what a fearefull spirit of slumber is upon our people Not more ignorant earthly-minded in any parish there is no signe that you rellish the Ministrie of the word as a word of life you taste no such thing in it all your carriage savours of death if you had tasted life in it you would have love to it and thinke nothing too much that you could possibly doe You would have zeale to rouze you and faith like the spring in a watch to set all the wheeles of your soules agoing The zeale of thy house hath even eaten me up Conclusion I conclude with that of Heb. 12.16 Looke diligently least there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his Brith-right He rellished good in the morsell of meat none in his Birth-right Esau must have food what with the losse of his Birth-right The Constant call of the Scripture is Strive to enter in at the straight gate Work out your salvation with feare and trembling Walk precisely not as fooles but as wise Conforme your selves not to this present world The judgement of the carnall world is otherwise These rules are too strict and precise if we live by them we were as good goe out of the world O are yee wiser then all the world Shall I make myselfe a laughing-stock to the world Nay but will you be wiser then God 2 Cor. 2 16. THe third Conviction followes whereby it may appeare to your consciences that hetherto the Gospell hath been but a dead and unsavorie thing upon your spirits and that is by the little account of any spirituall good received by all that you heare it hath left dead hearts dead unrenued affections under an outside profession you have not felt the experience of the things taught and heard you doe not understand it feelingly it affects not it alters not the judgement nor affections There is a twofold knowledge of matters in Religion the one is by rule the other is by proofe triall or experience the one is gotten out of the letter of the Scripture only so men have it but by rule the other is learout of●● the scripture too but it is felt to be the sword of the spirit for the bettering of us As in all trades and sciences there is a knowledge which one getteth by rule and instruction