Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	sin_n	soul_n	spiritual_a	8,699	5	7.0020	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91948	A faithfull friend true to the soul or The soules self-examination, preparing it self for the great triall of life or death eternall in the other world, in 86. quæries. Whereunto is added, the Christian jewell of faith, or the ready way to beleeve and be saved. By Timothy Rogers, minister of the church at Chappell in Essex.	Rogers, Timothy, 1598-1650?.	1653 (1653)	Wing R1854; Wing R1853; Thomason E1390_1; Thomason E1390_2; ESTC R209369	33,600	195

had of Gods dealing with you Psal 77.5 6. 4. Examples of others that have beleeved and how well they have sped must be much thought on Our fathers trusted in thee saith David and thou deliveredst them Psal 22.4 5. Yea the weak Beleeving of some and how they have overcome it may hearten us much this way One saith THOMAS his doubting hath done me more good then MARIES ready beleeving Plus mihi prosuit dubitatio Thomae quàm credulitas Mariae Gre. Mag. 5. Keepe a good Conscience which is a great nourisher of Faith and Nurse unto it 1 Tim. 1.19 CHAP. 19. What we must doe when it is wanting and more of it desired with Exhortation to all 1. LET every one for himselfe apply himselfe unto the meanes and manner of working thereof shewed in the beginning of this Treatise with a yeeldable heart especially attend upon Gods Ordinance the Ministery of the Word 1. Acknowledge Gods * 1 Cor. 3.4 Ministers his Instruments for it yea being well perswaded they are the parties God hath appointed especially your owne faithfull Pastour purposely to work Faith or more of it in you 2. Acquaint them how it is with you for beleeving as Act. 8.37 3. ● Cor. 16.16 Put your selfe into their hands to be ordered by them having more skill then your selfe concerning your Beleeving and how to doe therein as a sick patient puts himselfe into his Physicians hands for his body And thus lye waiting at the poole of Bethesda for the stirring of the water by divine power 2. Let every one endevour the bringing of others also to beleeve Ioh. 4.29 and Joy therein Act. 15.3 We account it a good and blessed worke to helpe one into this though a miserable sinfull world and therefore every one thinkes himselfe beholding to the Midwife how much better work is it to help one into that other most happie and blessed world by beleeving To conclude let my Counsell be acceptable to three sorts of people 1. To those that were never humbled Consider if your breath were but gone you were in Hell Be content therefore to suffer the paine of a broken heart and to be cut to the heart as Act. 2.37 now rather then torment in hell for ever as we see some are perswaded to be cut for the Stone or searched of a wound which else will cost them their life and will not you be perswaded to endure this for your Soule 2. To those that are or have been rightly humbled I say to beleeve is to betake our selves to a safe place as the usuall * Chasab Hebrew word signifies and as David did Psal 57.1 Therefore fly with all speed to Christ as the Citie of Refuge to get into him For if death the Avenger of bloud overtake you first you are undone for ever And know that when the distressed Soule seeing its selfe pursued with sinne and spirituall dangers feares and flies out of its selfe to Christ desiring to be sheltered under him it is sure and safe Object But will not he refuse it Ans No. Ioh. 6.37 Psal 9.9 10. figured by the Citie of Refuge to which the man-slayer flying for safetie could not be kept out 2 Object May not an Hypocrite do so much Ans No he onely dreames of comming to Christ but doth not so indeed or else makes some flourish of comming but comes not home to Christ 3. To those that beleeve in truth I say Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Heb. 10.35 Holy Confidence is like a Garment which the Soule wraps it selfe in the flesh and world goe about subtilly to steale it from us but the devill with his terrible blasts of Temptation to make us let goe or loosen our hold at least but God bids us hold fast for else the poore Soule will be naked and destitute Hold fast therefore what you have Rev. 3.11 Goe on in this your Strength you Saints of God and the Lord be with you and send you good speed to Heaven FINIS

and therefore the blessed work of Father Son and Holy Ghost Loe how goodly a thing it is as a rare peece of a famous Artist The instrumentall causes are Gods Ministers with the word preached in their mouthes Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 and how shall they heare without a Preacher verse 14. for though God could work faith in men without this yet he will not as he could if it pleased him preserve our life without food but we doe not therefore expect hee will doe it and so refuse our food because he can do it but rather consider what he will doe There are two parts of Gods Word Lawe and Gospell they both conduce to the work of faith and goe to the making up of saving beliefe the Law begins the worke the Gospell finisheth it the Law makes way for Christ and therefore is called our schoolemaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 the Gospell brings him into the soule and brings the soule into saving acquaintance with him Q. May not one beleeve rightly without the working of the Law first A. No 1. Because no part of Gods Word is in vaine but serves to speciall use to bring men to salvation 2. This were to have the work finished before it be begun for the Law begins the work and Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 3. They that beleeve by the Gospell without the working of the Law first doe but as one that is full fed having a dainty morsell offered him takes it indeed but layes it by or puts it in his pocket not receiving it into the Stomack to nourish him CHAP. 3. How the Law workes towards the bringing us to beleeve 1. The Law first enlightens us and makes us see our misery Rom. 3.20 2. It wounds us and makes us feelingly affected with our misery and therefore is said to slay us Rom. 7.9 11. by both these it is said to humble us Q. Must one needs be wounded and humbled distressed in soule for his sinne and misery A. Yes there cannot be healing before there be a wound nor a cure wrought till the patient be willing to put himselfe into the Phisitions hands to use his skill he cannot be willing till he see and feele his danger of death To see our misery is to be lost in our selves to feele it is to be sick Christ came to seeke and save them that are lost Luke 19.10 and to be a physitian to those that are sick of their sins Mark 2.17 and to heale the broken hearted and bruised ones Luke 4.18 and none els 2. Morever it is a condition which God requireth Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Iam. 4.10 and verse 9. Be afflicted and mourne and weepe c. 3. It is the way to have a pardon as a condemned subject or leud child must first humble themselves before they be taken to favour 4. It makes us willing that Christ should take us up and beare us or doe any thing with us as Saul Acts. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to doe As a wearied Traveller ready to sinke under his burden is willing and thankefull to be taken up and carried whereas a fresh and lusty Gentleman that walkes upon his pleasure scornes to be carried on a porters back therefore of necessity we must be first humbled before there can be any good done on us for beleeving to Salvation The law I say by inlightning and wounding the soule is said to humble us of which legall humiliation are divers steps and degrees for the law makes us see and certainly beleeve 1. That we are unbeleevers for none will seeke after beleeving that thinkes he hath it already 2. Our wofull case and danger therfore for he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 yea is condemned already Iohn 3.18 3. That we are nothing but sinne and vilenesse Tit. 1.15 16. all we have or ever have done being without faith and therefore no better then * Splendida peccata matter of damnation displeasing God Heb. 11.6 4. It makes us abhorre and loath our selves therfore Ezek. 20.43 5. Bitterly to lament for our lost miserable soule as Zach. 12.10 6. To be weary of our sinnes and therefore would be ridd of them and weary of our selves and therefore cannot indure in that estate wherein we are Math. 11.28 You that are weary come to me saith Christ 7. To be willing to forgoe our sinnes and doe any thing God shall bid us Acts. 9.6 yet not out of true hatred of sin or love to God that the law workes not but out of meere terrour and feare of hell 8. To despaire of our selves or as * Homil. Falling from God First part touching any hope that may be in our selves or any possibility to helpe our selves but that all we can doe rather increaseth Gods wrath against us being still without faith But note that this despairing of ourselves is not the despairing of the grace of God which faith comming in upon it prevents and keepes all those from in whom it succeedeth for the Law now hath brought the soule to the mouth of the gulfe of despaire ready to be swallowed up but here comes in faith in his proper place to doe the soule good in all such as attaine it who els would wholy despaire as Iudas 1. Ob. You named in the 4. and 7. places an abhorring our selves for our sinnes and a willingnes to forgoe them c. how may these be before faith Answ There is a kind of abhorring of our selves and our sinnes and a willingnes to be rid of them before faith wrought but not out of love to God or hatred of sinne as it is sinne and unrighteousnes contrary to the pure nature of God but as it is our torment as a rare delicious confection that exceedingly delighteth the tast yet hath a malignant quality and being eaten torments extreamely and burnes the bowells the party tormented therewith abhorres to see or thinke of it and cryes away with it fling it into the fire and yet it it as pleasant to his tast as it was before and as it was with Iudas his thirty peeces when his conscience was tormented 2 Ob. You speake of seeing and feeling our misery must there needs be both these will not seeing alone serve turne Answ No. Our seeing of our soules misery is the Lawes inlightning us Our feeling it is the wound it gives us as Peters hearers were pricked in their hearts Acts. 2.37 Many onely seeing their misery but their hearts not wounded with a sense of it go on still in their naturall state and come not to the honour to be true beleevers in Christ as one may see his dangerous soare and Vlcer hazarding his life and the Chirurgion comming to him with his lancing knife but yet unlesse he indure the launcing and feele the smart he cannot be cured Thus the Law having done its

Sheba of Salomon thou exceedest the fame that we have heard no money or monies-worth can buy it if one have it not and if he have it once nothing can make him part with it 1. It is a defence against all evill as against the Devill it 's a shield wherewith we quench his fiery darts yea a shield of Gods own making Ephes 6.11 and 16. so against the world the victory that overcomes the world Joh. 5.4 against sinne and the flesh They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 against men Heb. 11.33 34. c. It made David not afraid of ten thousands of people Psal 3.6 against the Creatures the very Lions could doe Daniel no manner of hurt because he beleeved in his God Dan. 6.23 Object But sometimes they both hurt and kill the faithfull A. It is no hurt though it seemes so Rom. 8.28 what hurt doth the Chirurgion in lancing the flesh to cure an Imposthume and save the life nay they hurt not the faithfull though they kill them for what hurt is death to a good man so that Faith is a Coat of Male and Armour of proofe against all evill yea spirituall also as death of Soul He that beleeveth in me shall never dye saith Christ Ioh. 11.26 the curse Christ hath redeemed such from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Condemnation there is none to such Rom. 8.1 2. It is as all the five Senses to the Soule It tastes and sees that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 It heares the Lord speake peace Psal 85.8 It smels the savour of Christs good Oyntments Cant. 1.3 It toucheth Christ and feeles his vertue Luke 8.46 47 any one Sense is of much esteeme but all in one is of most excellent worth such a thing is Faith to the Soule and that Soule that wants it may be said to want its Senses 3. As the Soule is to the Body that which keeps it alive so is Faith to the Soule nay more for it keeps it alive for ever that it shall never die more What would men give for such a thing as would keep the body ever alive how much better is this It is as Salt that keeps the Soule from corruption nay which is more it fetcheth it againe when before it was most odiously corrupted 4. It is a deare Friend indeed unto us that will stand us more in stead and doe more for us then all our friends then all the world yea then our own father and mother wife or husband c. It doth us many excellent Offices It 's as the hand to receive Christ Ioh. 1.12 to helpe the hungry soule to food and the thirstie Soule to drink Isai 55.1 to clothe the naked soule with the best Rayment it puts the Lord Jesus on us Rom. 13.14 It puls out sin as a Thorne in the heart Act. 15.9 and applies Christ as a plaister to the wound All these offices it doth as a blessed hand 5. It helps us to every good thing Whatsoever you shall aske in Prayer beleeving ye shall receive Matth. 21.22 so that if we want not faith we cannot want any good thing 6. It is of that excellent vertue that it turnes all our Crosses and Losses into gaine unto us Rom. 8.28 if not one way yet another if not in one yeere yet in another that our losses shall be but as the letting out or losse of superfluous bloud for the gaining of more health and saving of life 7. It prevents time and makes things future to be present as an Optick Glasse that drawes things neere and presents them to the sense that were a great way off before Heb. 11.13 8. It is our Ballast in the dangerous Seas and waves of Temptations that keepes us well setled and from perishing by an unballast lightnesse tottering and reeling every way 1 Cor. 15.58 9. This of all things is that for which God respecteth us our wealth beautie wit learning honour may make us accepted of men but it is our Faith onely that maketh God in love with us 10. It is like the Loadstone for as that pointeth ever at the North and hath power attractive so Faith pointeth ever at Christ for any thing the Soule needs yea drawes him to the Soule 11. It is such an admirable thing as Christ himselfe wonders at it as we see in the Centurion Mat. 8.10 we never finde him wondering at Silver or Gold or costly apparell or goodly sights no not at the Frame of Heaven and earth but at this he doth Oh then how good how great a thing is true Faith how rich a Jewell 12. It is our Credit and good report Heb. 11.2 3 13. it payes all our soules debts that none can claime any thing Rom. 8.33 CHAP. 13. The Necessitie of it SAving Faith is of absolute Necessitie not such a Thing as is convenient and usefull as a good helpe yet so as that a man may make shift without like a Staffe to a Travellor this is not so but as Legs and Eyes to a Travellor without which is no travelling in the way to Heaven possibly 1. Without this we are destitute of all Friends we have never a friend to help us being forsaken of all of God of Christ and the Creatures for they take part with the Creator and are Friends to none but his Friends 2. Without this all * such only materialitèr good works are lost unto us as 1. Hearing Gods Word The Word preached profited not them being not mixed with faith Heb. 4.2 yea though we goe never so farre or heare never so often with great paines and no lesse cost 2. The Use of the Sacraments as the Israelites that did eat the same spirituall meat and dranke the same spirituall drinke sacramentally as we doe yet With many of them God was not well pleased 1 Cor. 10.4 5. for want of Faith 3. Even Prayer is but prating and lying without this Psal 78.34 36. and for all other works either of pietie towards God or Charitie toward men they are all but meerly lost unto us if we have not saving Beliefe within us as it was with them that took pains in helping to build Noahs Arke but perished themselves at last in the floud or as they which take paines in digging setting planting seere boughes of Trees doe but loose their labour and shew their follie 3. Nay one cannot possibly doe a * viz. Formalitèr good worke without this for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 It being a Christians chiefest instrument as the work-man can doe no worke if he want his principall Toole as Axe or Hammer c. or if he doe any thing it will be but a Botch that will give no good liking therefore this we must have and that of Necessitie whatsoever shift we make for it whatsoever it cost to get or else it had been better for us if we had never been born Which seeing it is

earnestly desires it viz. whole Christ here Faith begins for this in the humbled Soule drawes with it inseparably secondly an act of the Will to wit the accepting of it for whatsoever is desired the will chooseth and accepteth of it accepteth of it in making choice of Christ above all and in Resolution to hold fast to him and never to forgoe him then the work runs back again to the heart to rest and trust on him thence to the understanding to be perswaded of our Soules welfare by him thence to the Conscience when as the partie by a reflected act knowes that he beleeves that is that he is perswaded truly and so is assured of his Salvation c. Object Rom. 10.10 With the heart man beleeveth Ans He saith not onely with the heart but the heart here is put for the whole Soule as it is frequently in * Ezek. 36.26 Psal 108.1 Job 38.36 1 Pet. 3.4 1 Joh. 3.20 Isai 6.10 Scripture elsewhere and that it is so meant here appeares by the contra distinction it beares to the mouth and outward man ver 9. CHAP. 11. The immediate Effects following upon sound Beleeving HEE that hath it wrought in him is presently brought as it were into a new world and like as it was with Peter when he was come to himselfe after his miraculous deliverance out of prison by an Angel loosed from his Chaines and passing through the iron gate the case was much altered and he in an Extasie These Effects or gratious dispositions immediately follow in the true beleever 1. True Love to God which could not be before for the apprehension of his love to us kindles love in us to him as a Sparke or burning Coale lights the Candle or sets the wood on flame Now we love God cordially more then one that should save our life it appeares thus 1. It makes us love him above our selves or any other in that we see he hath done more for us then we could or would doe for our selves or any other could doe for us 2. To study how to gratifie him and to think what shal I render to the Lord Psal 116.12 and willing to be at cost and paines for him and how to please him best 3. To love as he loves and hate as he hates 2. Hatred of sin not as before viz. because our bane only but because it 's cleane contrary to God and his holy and pure Nature for if we love one thing of necessitie we hate the contrarie to it thus loving sweet we hate sowre loving Light we abhorre darknesse loving pleasure we cannot abide paine 3. Godly or Evangelicall Sorrow which is sorrow for our sinnes out of love to God and because they are offence and wrong to him who is so infinitely good to us It differs farre from worldly sorrow which was in Nabal Ahab c. for that worketh death 2 Cor. 7.10 but this life and it differs from Legall sorrow for sin which was in Iudas for 1. That breakes the heart but this melts it as if the Icicles have the Sun shine on them they must needs melt and if Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse be rightly applyed to the Soule this melting Effect will undoubtedly follow in the heart making it plyable to receive any gracious Impression 2. That is chiefly in time of Humiliation for as Godly sorrow comes on so the other weares out 3. That arises out of horrour of Conscience but this out of love of God and his goodnesse 4. That is only for the punishment but this for the sinne 4. Sound and sweet peace inwardly which though it 's not perfect yet Consciences trouble is finely allayed and it is better satisfied and findes more ease then before as after the plucking out of a sting or thorne is more ease yet not perfect riddance of all paine Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 the sting of sinne is the damning power of it which upon our beleeving is plucked out and taken away Rom. 8.1 hereupon followes ease in Conscience Q. How may one know whether it bee sound peace Ans If it follow a sound cure of the wound first made and felt in Conscience for else it 's but a still and secure Conscience and like one that hath a thorne in his flesh and he asleep though he feele it not the raging of it is as much and the danger greater for so long he useth no means against it 5. Spirituall Joy The God of hope fill you with all Ioy and Peace in beleeving saith PAUL Rom. 15.13 and my heart trusted in him therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth saith DAVID Psal 28.7 This is not naturall Joy rejoycing in thigns pleasing to nature nor worldly Joy in the things of this world much lesse wicked Joy in doing evill but spirituall Joying in the Spirituall benefits and priviledges of Grace called Joy of the Holy Ghost very like that new Song which no man could learne but they which were redeemed from the earth Rev. 14.3 6. An holy Consecration or Resigning up our selves wholly to Christ Rom. 12.1 For if we beleeve truly that Christ gave himselfe to death for us it will make us according to reason give our selves wholly to him againe as in Marriage very Reason requires a mutuall giving of themselves each to other Q. How Ans By making a Covenant in good earnest with Christ to be all for him and not to be any more for the world or for dearest Friends or our owne selves any further then will agree with our being for him 7. Love to the Godly which before we could worst abide as Paul newly converted cleaves heartily to those whom before he persecuted Act. 9.19 26. and as new kindred that come by Marriage are much made on being before but as strangers and of ordinarie account Faith in Christ and love to all the Saints go together Eph. 1.15 Such now are called to us Ps 66.16 Come all ye that feare God others are shaken off and sent packing Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye evill doers though before our greatest Companions 8. Unfained Wishing and endeavouring of others beleeving Act. 26.29 Rom. 10.1 because now and not till now we have true love in us to God and others for true Charitie is a proper fruit of true Faith only making us aime at the greatest good of others that is of their Soule These are some immediate Effects or holy stirrings following instantly upon our quickning by Faith in Christ in every one more or lesse though not in all alike wherewithall note that Faith quickens as soone as it is conceived as in CHAP. 5. CHAP. 12. The Excellencie of saving Beliefe WHo is able to sound forth all its praise whose Price is above the Pearles yet to give a taste It is more worth then the whole world or any precious thing therein yea then Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 we may say Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Grace of God and as the queen of