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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	world_n	worst_a	wound_n	21	3	6.9472	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86549	Salvation from sinne by Jesus Christ: or, The doctrine of sanctification (which is the greater part of our salvation) founded upon Christ, who is both the meritorious, and and efficient cause of sanctifying grace, purchasing it for, working & perfecting it in his people. Applied (as it was specially intended) for the better information of our judgements, and quickning of our affections in holiness, wherein our everlasting our everlasting happiness chiefly consisteth. / Preached in the weekly lecture at Evesham in the county of Worcester, by George Hopkins, M.A. minister of the Gospel there.; Salvation from sinne by Jesus Christ	Hopkins, George, 1620-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing H2743; Thomason E1608_1; ESTC R208454	135,124	325

in his Epistle to Titus c. 2. pressing the duties of severall ages sexes and orders of people to ver 11 useth this with other weighty arguments that Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works ver 14. Thus also Peter exhorting the elect to be active in the wayes of holinesse not fashioning themselves to their former lusts 1. Pet 1. from ver 10. to v. 18. useth this as a most forcible argument among others ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ Arg. 1 The First Argument is drawn from Gods honour that is the chief work of Christ our Saviour wherein God is most honoured but God is most honoured in the saving his people from their sins therefore is this the chief work of Christ c. That that is the great or chief work of Christ wherein God is most glorified will need little proof for that must needs be the greatest work that most effectually atteineth the highest end And what end higher than the glory of God which was the supreme end of all Christs undertakings Joh. 17.4 That God is most glorified in the saving his people from their sins is manifest by its contrary God is most yea onely dishonoured by the sinnes and not all by the sufferings e As a cause or occasion given of his dishonour although the wicked take occasion to blaspheme God when his people are brought low Psal 79.10 12. of his people Gods people by their holinesse glorifie him and he is much honoured in the midst of their sufferings whereas Sin dishonours him in the midst of ease and abundance of mercies Gods honour Will well agree with the sufferings of his people but Sin is directly injurious to his glory though by accident he gets himselfe glory by it as he at first produc'd light out of darkness Thus God is much honoured by the great sufferings of Job while he sinneth not Job 1.20 21. yea God is so much honoured that he makes his boast against Satan of his Servant Job cap. 2 3. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause And on the contrary how much is God dishonoured by our sinfull ease and prosperity yea most dishonoured by it in those that are redeemed from the guilt and punishment of sinne The grosse miscarriages of Gods people give occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme his name and wayes Thus when David had foulely offended saith the Lord by his Prophet Thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 The crimes of Professors are ever the most scandalous yea the sins of Gods dearest children are most offensive to God himselfe because they are also committed against the greatest mercy and loving kindness The Lord in this case is ready to say with the Psalmist Psal 55.12 It was not mine Enemy that reproached me then I could have born it But when a Sinner is saved from his sins God is much honoured both before Angels and Men. Arg. 2 The second Argument is drawn from the greatnesse of the evill of sin above suffering That must needs be the greatest work in our Salvation whereby we are saved from the greatest evill but sin f It is better for a man to be cast into the torments of Hell among the Damned than to be overcome with any Sin Hookers Souls Prepar pag. 16. See Master Burroughs his Treatise of the Evill of Evills is the greatest evill and therefore our Salvation from it must needs be answerable That sin is the greatest evill is evident for many reasons 1. It is the procuring cause of all other evills and therefore must needs it self be the worst of evills The cause is ever more eminent than its effect whether for good or evill a good cause is better than its effect and an evill cause is worse That sin is the onely procuring cause of all evills is without controversie for as sin entred in the world death entred by sin and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5 12. And the wages of sin is death saith Paul Rom. 6.23 Death temporall with all the evills of life as sicknesse wounds sorrowes and whatsoever else tendeth to Death and Death eternall All the horrour of hell is the fruit of sin the foundations of Hell are laid upon sinne Hell the worst of torments was built meerly for sinners therefore sin must be the worst of evills And because that sin is the Souls greatest evill and unhappinesse it is that when God comes to deliver a Soul out of meer pity and bowels of compassion his Eye chiefly pities them and his Bowells yerne over them because of their misery in sinne it selfe as you may read at large Ezek. 16. the former part of the Chapter And the saving mercy that he sheweth his love in is opposed to hardning in sinne rather than damning for sinne Rom. 9.18 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth And the punishment of sinne with sin we account the greatest judgement 2. Sinne is Mans greatest evill because it hinders him from the enjoyment of the greatest good which is God himselfe It is sinne onely that separates between God and the Soule this is the onely partition wall Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you 3. Sinne is the greatest evill because of all things it is most displeasing to God the chiefest good yea there is nothing displeasing to God but sinne primarily and this is an abomination to him and therefore Sinnes are called in Scripture abominations Ezek. 9.4 And the Lord said unto him goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof Prov. 15.9 The way of ths wicked is an Abomination unto the Lord. And God doth so loath sinners for their sinne that he will not abide them in his sight The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity saith David Psal 5.5 But the evill of suffering is not at all in it selfe displeasing unto God Yea he himselfe who is infinitely good is the Author of it and there is no evill of suffering but what comes from him as the principall efficient Can there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 As by being saved from sinne Arg. 3 Man is

spirit c. Here the water of Baptism signifies Regeneration by the spirit of Christ Tit. 3.5 1 Pet. 3.21 The Lords Supper is for the strengthening of Faith and the several graces of the spirit in the Soule and Food is for the maintaining and increasing of naturall strength John 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed my blood is drinke indeed 5. Let us take a view of some of the principal Gospel inviations Isa 55.1 Ho Gospel-invitations every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Joh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Rev. 22.17 And the spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely In these texts we see free and gracious offers made to the thirsty and accordingly our Saviour Christ pronounceth them blessed which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 Hungring and thirsting are metaphoricall expressions and signifie the earnest and importunate desire of the soule for as the hungring and thirsting appetite is not satisfied but with meat and drink which it earnestly craveth so the soul that is truly sensible of its wants is restlesse unlesse it obtain a supply Now let it be considered whether the offers before mentioned be onely of pardoning grace and the blessednesse Christ speaketh of be to such as hunger and thrist after his justifying righteousnesse onely or whether sanctifying grace is not here principally I do not say only intended Should we understand these of pardoning and justifying grace alone who would not desire such grace that ever heard of it Should the blessedness here spoken of belong to all that earnestly desire Christs justifying righteousnesse who among us would fall short of the blessing that ever heard the Gospel preached The most wicked among us desire to be pardoned for the sake of Christ and justified by his righteousnesse and if in their health and prosperity they little regard it yet when sicknesse arresteth them and death looks them in the face they unfeignedly desire it which is to hunger and thirst after it and so the multitude of wicked and ungodly men that live and die in their sinnes would be pronounced blessed by Christ himself it here were no more intended When a wicked impenitent sinner lies upon his death-bed and expresseth his desire that God would pardon his sin for the sake of Christ and justifie him through his righteousness we have no reason to think that he dissembles not meaning what he speaks for who would be willing to be condemned But those gracious offers hold forth to us both pardoning and sanctifying grace and sanctifying grace more especially Hear John explaining the invitation of Christ forementioned John 7.37 38 39. But this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive And what Spirit is this but the holy Ghost which is our Sanctifier Here let me ask the sound Believer What hast thou hungred and thirsted after what hath been thy desire didst thou never earnestly desire sanctifying grace dost thou not still finde it to be thy greatest want dost thou not daily beg it at the hand of God would the assurance of a pardon content thy soule if it were possible to obtain it without sanctifying grace I know it cannot be Thus likewise saith Christ Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest These expressions are also metaphoricall and reteining the Metaphor what is the burden here spoken of If it were onely the burden of wrath due for sin Cain and Judas groaned under the burden and would have been glad of ease and so would the most desperate sinner● in the world If you say they did not come to Christ for ease I answer that coming is also a metaphorical expression and we cannot understand it of a locall motion To come to Christ for ease is but to be willing to be eased by him and to accept of his help And what reason have we to think that Cain or Judas were unwilling that Christ should ease them of that horrour and judgement their souls lay under Yea let me adde I doubt not but all the Devils in Hell would be willingly eased of the intolerable burden of Gods eternal vengeance If you say But there is no promise made to Devils but to Men I answer it is true but sure the men to whom this rest belongs have other kind of desires than what the Devils have And in this as James compares the faith that is not saving with the faith of Devils Jam. 2.19 so may I compare the desire that is not saving with the desire of Devils The burden then here spoken of is the burden of sin it selfe with the wrath of God as the fruit of it and those that have found or shall find ease by Christ are such as groan under the intolerable burden of sin it self and not meerly under the burden of wrath And here I might also appeal to the sincere Christian Wouldst thou think thy self sufficiently eased of thy burden if Christ should onely deliver thee from eternall torments would the body of sin be no burden to thee would it be a pleasure to bear it about thee It was Paul's greatest burden it made him groaning and panting after ease cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death His complaint in this expression is the voice of one tired out with a wearisom burden and neere spent with sorrow We shall now consider some other texts of Scripture When Paul states the doctrine of salvation by free grace he magnifies free grace mainly in the sanctification and not meerely in the justification of the sinner Ephes 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and not of your selves it is the gift of God What this salvation here spoken of is let the Apostle himselfe declare in the foregoing verses Ver. 1 2 3 4 5. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world but God who is rich in mercy for his great mercy wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved In which verses you plainly see that Grace is magnified up in the quickning from death in trespasses and sins to live the life of grace So likewise saith Paul to Tit. c. 33. to 7. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by

returned was the immediate principle of life Now when Christ had given life unto him and called Lazarus come forth would Lazarus have done well to answer Lord if I come forth and walk upon my own legs thy power will not be manifested in my resurrection the work will not appeare to be a reall miracle Would it not have been a dishonour to Christ for Lazarus to have laine still in the grave when Christ had thus called him forth to manifest his gracious power Certainly the more readily he came forth and the more he walked worked or performed any actions of life the more fully was the miracle and therein the glory of Christ manifest to the world And thus it is in our spirituall resurrection from death in sin To return again to the exhortation consider I beseech you what is the great work you have to mind as long as you live that which is the great work of Christ must be your great work also wherein you must diligently labour in subordination to him to wit in the saving of your souls from sin But I will not detain you in the generall exhortation but descend to particulars where I shall speak 1. To such as are in the state of nature Art thou yet poor soul in thy naturall condition under the power of Sin and Satan O consider thou art in a sad condition thou art lying under the greatest misery and thy great work is all yet to do wait upon God diligently in the use of his means for the saving of thy soul Obj. But thou wilt presently say Is it in the power of a naturall man to convert himself Am I able to deliver my owne soul Answ If thou art willing to be saved from the bondage of corruption know that the Lord is willing to afford thee help but if thou art not willing to leave thy sin why dost thou complaine for want of power Doubtless the same that Christ charged upon the Jewes Iohn 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life may be charged upon thee and the multitude of carnall persons that live under the meanes of grace When Christ bewailed Ierusalem's sad condition being ready to be destroyed he complaines How often would I have gathered thy children together and ye would not Mat. 23.37 So may I say how often hath the Lord tendred unto thee saving grace and thou wouldst not accept it Were thy defect a meere simple impotency thy condition were the more excusable but thy defect is mainly in thy will thou art in love with the sensuall pleasures of sin thou delightest in them and art not willing to exchange them for the precious graces that Christ offers thee Christ invites thee and thy excuse is I cannot when the truth is thou wilt not accept of grace offered Say not I cannot save my selfe when thou art not willing that Christ should save thee And to the end thou maist be left without excuse Consider 1. God is willing to save thee yea he would delight in thy salvation more than in thy destruction yea he hath bound it with an oath Ezek 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live Turne ye turne ye from your evill waies for why will ye die O ye house of Israel Hath not God also abundantly declared his willingnesse in the giving of his Son Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 2. Christ is willing had he not been so he would never have laid down his life to open a way for thy salvation Were he unwilling he would not send his Ambassadours to pray and beseech thee to accept of his help Had he been willing of Ierusalem's destruction he would not have wept over it for refusing the message of Salvation Hath God declared his willingness by his word and oath and the death of his Son And hath Christ declared his willingnesse by giving himself a ransome sufficient for thy soul Doth he offer to cleanse and purify thee with his dearest bloud Doe the Gospell-invitations Come come come often sound in thine eares Doth he stretch forth his hand all the day long for thy help and blame thee for thy backwardnesse to thy own good Where is now the fault but onely in thy selfe How doth the Lord still exercise patience and long-suffering wooing waiting for thy accepting of his gracious offers but yet thou turnest the deaf eare and hardnest thy heart against the salvation of thy own soul Suppose a man sick of some desperate disease and an eminent Physitian sends to him telling him Thy disease is very dangerous and there is no hope of thy life unlesse thou accept of my help if thou art but willing I will come and heale thee I have healed thousands of the same disease and can as easily heal thee if thou art but willing I should do it But he answers If God hath appointed I shall recover I shall and if not there is no help for me and so refuseth the Physitians offer slights the Messenger and dieth of the Disease Is not this man guilty of his own death and will not all that hear it say He might have been a living man would he but have taken the Physitians counsell Is not this the very condition of thy soule poore carnal wretch Thy disease is mortal and how often hath the Lord the spiritual Physitian sent his Messengers declaring to thee the pernicious danger of thy sinne that it will be thy eternal ruine unlesse thou accept of his help and how many hundred messages hath he sent unto thee telling thee if thou art but willing he will come down and heale thee And the more to convince thee of his skill he hath given thee examples of many that he hath cured that were as desperately sinful as thy self But thou sayest If it be Gods will I shall be saved I shall or else all meanes and endeavours are in vaine and slightest the offers of Christ by his Messengers Is not the fault now plainly in thy self and is it not manifest wilfulnesse if thou perish without help Say not as many doe in their hearts I know Christ can save me if he will Let me tell thee againe Christ is willing as well as able to save thee if thou art but truly willing of his help and if thou art not willing thy perdition will be of thy self the blood of thy soule will be upon thy owne head And let this be engraven for thy Epitaph that all may read it when thou art dead and gone Lo here he lies who perished in his sinnes because he would not be saved But yet my heart is very unwilling to part with thee thus yea methinks the Lord himselfe is unwilling thus to let thee go notwithstanding thy former wilfulnesse When the Lord had

mercy and say Satan with the world and my own corrupt flesh have handed themselves together and assaulted my soul with greatest violence They came upon me furiously to swallow me up quick and I was unable to withstand them for they were stronger than I. Then cried I unto the Lord in my distresse I said thou art my refuge I fly to thee for help Save me O my God and deliver my soule from the hand of mine enemies I have no power or might against them but mine eyes are upon thee In the day that I cried the Lord answered me and strengthned me with strength in my soule He saved me from my cruel enemies he set my feet upon a rock and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth even praise unto our God I will love thee O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high tower I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him Who is God save the Lord and who is a Rock save our God My spirituall enemies conspired against me with one consent they communed of laying snares privily for my soule saying Who shall see them They took crafty counsel against me to take me unawares and my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt I was almost taken in their net But the Lord was my helper he preserved my soule Blessed be the Lord who hath not given me up as a prey to their teeth d Gratias tibt ago piissime Deus qui me de multis angustiis tri●ulatienibus calamitatibus usiseriis infirm●tatibus de multis foveis laqueis peccatis da multis infidiis visib l●um inv●sibilium mimicorum de multis malis opprobriis adversitatibus corporis animae bactenus liberare dignatus es dirigens miscricorditer marabiliter vitam meam inter adversa prospera ita ut nec adversa me valde dejicerent nec prospera elevarent Posuisti enim propietate bonitate froenum tuum in maxillis meis non me dercliquisti penitus in manuarbitrii mei habens curam mei paterna pictate non permittens me amplius tentari supra id quod potuerim sustinere Ubi erat locus peceandi non crat voluntas quando voluntas erat non fuit locus Sit itaque tibi laus benedictio sit gratiarum actio c. Aug. Cons Theo. par 2. c. 17. but hath delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares my feet from falling My soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and I am escaped Blesse the Lord O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Thus consider I say what particular deliverances of this kinde thou hast received Hast thou been set upon by violent temptations to Atheisme Blasphemy or the like and hath the Lord preserved thee Hast thou been allured by pleasing baits to Lust Pride Covetousness or such like Evils hath the Lord withheld thee from them O consider what abundant cause thou hast to be thankful spiritual deliverances are not to be slighted And know that the more thankfull thou art for such mercies already received the better shalt thou be able to resist future temptations Exh. 6. Use this as an argument with thy self to make thee willing to leave this unhappy inticing world and thy sinful condition here for so it is in great measure at the best for that happy condition wherein sin shall be no more but thou shalt be perfectly saved from it O check thy self for being so busie in building tabernacles on earth and saying in thy heart It is good to be here Was it not thy sin alone that made thee miserable was it not this that defaced the Image of God in thy soule and cast thee from the Paradise of God to the very Brink of Hell Did not Christ come into the world live a wearisome life and die a miserable death to save thee from thy death in sin was not sin the burden of thy soule and the sorrow of thy heart under which thou groanedst when the Lord first awakned and rouzed thee out of thy carnal security Did not thy sin cause thee to cry mightily to God for salvation and deliverance when thou sensibly perceivedst thy lost condition And was not this the work that Christ took in hand when he called thee effectually to himself Hast thou complained of sin and professed to hate it thus long How comest thou now to plead a forbearance for thy mortall enemy Sure thou canst not dream with the dreamers of this age of a state of perfection here in the body Doth not experience tell thee that corruptions arise daily and hourly in thy heart which is a continual spring of sin Thou canst not walk work or go about any worldly businesse but sinful vanities are still flowing from that fountaine within thee Thou canst not hear pray or perform any part of Gods worship but this cursed carnal inmate calls away thy heart to other objects Check thy heart for gadding recall thy thoughts from wandring and how soon will they be gone again though thou make it thy daily work to watch pray and strive against sin thou canst prevent it but in part though thou daily weedest out the rambling tares and choaking thistles that hinder the growth of the good seed yet thou canst not rid thy field of them but they spring up afresh every morning If thou art negligent for a while what head do they get and how hard is it to bring them under again Is not this thy sad condition and art thou unwilling to be delivered from it Is sin so delightful a companion If it be so to thy flesh it cannot be to thy spirit or else thou art not spirituall Didst thou rejoyce when thy Redeemer brought thee out of thy worse than Egyptian bondage and art thou unwilling to enter into the heavenly Canaan of rest Is it better to be alwaies wandring e Cui peregrinatio dulcis est non amat patriam Si dulcis est patria amara est peregrinatio Aug. in Ps 86.7 in the wildernesse of sin wa st thou glad to see the foundation of thy happinesse laid and art thou loath to see the superstructure reared and completed Did it revive thy spirit when Christ first drew thee out of thy sinfull state and art thou afraid at last lest he should perfect thy deliverance Death is indeed in it self an enemy to nature and a part of the curse due for sin and therefore cannot be desirable for it self But learn to look beyond it unto Christ thy Saviour whose presence is most desirable as Paul did having a desire to depart and