Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	action_n	good_a	holy_a	1,345	5	4.7466	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09963	An elegant and lively description of spirituall life and death Delivered in divers sermons in Lincolnes-Inne, November the 9.th, M.DCXXIII. vpon Iohn, 5.25. By Iohn Preston then Bachellor of Divinitie, and chaplaine in ordinarie to the Prince his Highnesse.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1632 (1632)	STC 20221.5; ESTC S115172	68,183	135

soule feele more evill and good a man that lives a naturall life not knowing the life of grace is sensible of more good and evill than sensible beasts hee apprehends Heaven and Hell but a man that lives the life of grace is more capacious of comfort here you may suffer your faculties to runne out to the utmost If yee desire wealth or pleasures your affections must not runne out yee must hold them in else they drawne you into perdition pierce you thorow with many sorrowes If yee affect heavenly Treasures if yee affect praise with God yee may be as covetous of them as you will Thirdly let this move you to seeke this life of grace because it is the most excellent thing of all others All other things are subordinate to it the utmost end is still most excellent the end of warre is for peace therefore peace is better than it yee plow for harvest therefore harvest is best the end of all actions is for this life of grace Why labour yee for foode but to maintaine life why live ye but to serve your soules Prudence is a steward to this holy life as the steward provides for the family that the master bee not troubled with those meaner things so prudence is a steward that the soule may be occupied about things that are agreeable to it that it may have its conversation in heaven and with God Pervert this order it destroyes the creature Beasts living the life of sence it doth perfect them for that is their utmost end man having reason living as a beast destroyes himselfe because that is not his end hee that perfects himselfe as a beast destroyes himselfe as a man perfectio mentis est perfectio hōinis Let this stirre us up to live this life it is the utmost end of all To be Lawyers Physitions and other callings helpe us in the living of this life yet they are subordinate to it drowne not your selves in subordinate things if yee doe it it is your destruction therefore pitch on the principall Fourthly that which is best in the end I take end now in an other sence is to be chosen above all things else that is well which ends well In this life of grace yee have this advantage which yee have no where else Eccles. 7.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning that is this life disposeth us to thinke of death the end of all which to doe is wisedome Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise then would they consider their latter end In other things the beginning is good the end is bitter but the actions of the life of grace are sweet yee fare the better for them the very remembrance of them is sweet and the reward of them comes not long after All other things are called perishing meates Iohn 6.27 there is a parable in it that is they are as perishing meats that are sweet in the palate yet they passe away but this indures unto eternall life it continues The worst thing in this life yee never repent of as it is said of sorrow for sinnes that it is sorrow never to be repented of but the best things that yee doe in the other life yee repent of All other things that yee doe they may bee sweet for the present yet as it is said of drunkennesse Prov. 23.32 so may it bee said of them that they bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder though they seeme sweet The strange woman is sweet yet Prov. 5.4 her end is bitter as wormewood sharpe as a two-edged sword goods evill gotten are sweet for the present yet their mouthes shall be filled with gravell that got them But on the other side the end of all the actions of this life is good as it is said of Iob that his latter end was more than his beginning Iob 42.12 Psal. 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace If a man being to dye and having ended his daies should put all his honours wealth and pleasures into one ballance and all his good workes all his faithfull prayers all the actions of the life of grace into another he would find them to be best The bad man doth as the Silkeworme doth winding up himselfe into his ill workes he perisheth the other winding up himselfe in his gracious actions enters into salvation Fiftly choose this life before all others because God is pleased with it it being like himselfe as the creature is pleased with that which is like it God is a Spirit and will bee worshipped in Spirit and truth hee is a living God and doth delight in a living man wee our selves delight not in dead men no more doth God therefore Rom. 12.1 we are exhorted to give up our soules and bodies a living sacrifice to God God regards not dead bodies bee yee living sacrifices which is the act of your will acting the duties of this life This is called walking with God which is to bee in his presence to goe his way and to maintaine communion with him this is when as men doe audire et reddere voces when there is naturall delight when as they are in presence one with another and therefore walking with God and pleasing of God are used promiscuously for one and the same thing For Heb. 11.5 it is said of Enoch that he walked with God and Gen. 5.22 It is said that he pleased God But you will say what benefit is this I answer that it is great God disposeth of all things in the world is it not wisedome then to have him your friend Gen. 28.9 Iacob being to take his journey Isaack said unto him God all-sufficient be with thee God is all-sufficient if yee have him yee have all In the creature there is no such thing there is nothing but vanity in them they are but as candles as Starres to the Sunne God is all-sufficient all the happinesse of the creature makes not men happy All men seeke happinesse yet they never finde it without having God All happinesse is in Gods favour In outward happinesse you must have other compounded things Christ rebuked thē that counted her happy in the creatures saying Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee sucke No saith Christ these will not make a man happy but blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it having God yee have all things God disposeth all things and giveth the comfortable fruition of them Yee may have all outward things and yet want comfort Gods curse makes all miserable though yee have all that the creature affords therefore give your selves no rest till yee have got this life without which he delights not in you Adam losing Gods Image was not happy because God was gone from him yet hee had all the creatures which he had before This life of grace brings us to that state that Adam was in at first this restors

sinne as death as one that is to be executed forthwith apprehends death so must you apprehend sinne then it is a signe that there is life within you Secondly are yee made alive againe Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures as if yee lived an other life Where this life is it works an alteration and a change gives us another being makes us to bee no more the same men whoever is in Christ is a new creature it workes a generall change from death to life it makes all our actions to be rigorous like the actions of living men Old ●hings passe away all things become new it makes men leade a new life If old aquaintance ●nd lustes would draw us away we answer ●hat we are dead that we live no moe to these ●hat now we have not our owne wills Christ ●ives in us and workes in us Gal. 2.20 It is not that live but Christ lives in me The same mind ●ill be in us that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 ●ow if ye desire to know whether Christ live ●n you or no or whether you are in an estate ●f death you must see whether you have these ●wo things which are in every one in whom ●hrist liveth first see whether you live to him ●e died that we should not live to our selves but him alone In morall things the end and prin●●ple are all one Before Christ lived in you 〈◊〉 you did was from your selves ye were your ●wne principle and end but Christ living in ●●u there is another end ye eye Christ ye ●●oke to him all that ye doe is done in sinceri●● it is done for him and from him But how can Christ bee the end of our cal●●●gs eating drinking and recreations I answer that of every action Christ must be ●●e end yee must doe as a man in a journey ●●ough every 〈◊〉 trea●es he thinkes not of 〈◊〉 journeys end yet the generall ayme of 〈…〉 must be for that ●nd and that causeth every step so in all yee doe the genera● end must be Christ. Secondly if Christ live in you your hear● cleave to him as to the Principle of life the child to the dug or the element to its nat●rall place What ever our life is wee cleave it Some place their life in their credit take ●way it and they dye others in riches take ●way them and they perish What ever is yo●● god if it be taken away you perish Therfor● Iohn 6.68 when Christ demaunds of the twel●● whether they would likewise goe away Pet●● makes this answer Lord whither shall we g●● thou hast the words of eternall life Thirdly ye may know what life ye live the food that feeds it Oyle feeds the Lamp fuell the fire If your life be fed with the duti● of obedience then ye live If yee keepe 〈◊〉 Commandements yee shall live in them sai●● Christ you shall live in them as in your pr●per element as the Fish in the water eve●● motion out of it is to death There are tw● sorts of men to whom this triall doth b●long The first are those who have a name they l●●● and yet are dead like the Church of Sardis R●●● 3.1 The second to whom this belongeth are th●● who are dead indeed The first of these are like the Angels t●●● take bodies and doe actions they are not t●●● living men though they appeare to be Now the signes that Characterise these dead men from those that are truly living are five taken from the signes of the fained life in the Spirits that have true bodies but onely in appearing whereby they are distinguished from bodies that truly live First Angels that take Assumed bodies eate and drinke and are not nourished as the Angels that came to Lot and Abraham and had created bodies So these dead men doe all the actions that living men doe they heare they pray they read but they turne it not into flesh and blood because there is no life in them they are not the stronger for hearing or any thing they doe they thrive not as those that have the Boulimia they eate and drinke not because there is an Atrophy in their bodies Wee preach to men yet they are the same this yeare they were the last they have a name to live and yet they live not they turne not the meanes to flesh and nourishment it is a signe of a living man that he growes That which is said of a good will that it makes use of every thing may be said of grace It turnes all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment stormes as well as faire gales helpe a living man to the haven Affliction prosperity all put him on and helpe him forwards Take one not having this life doe what yee will hee thrives not as an unthrift put him to what trade yee will he thrives not hee is still on the losing hand so these men prosperity adversity helpe them not put any thing to a dead man to doe he doth it not so these men the Word and Sacrament helpes them not because they are dead Secondly the motions of the Spirits that take Assumed bodies is not from any inward principall not from the motion of life within so the actions of men that are not alive are not from the principles of life they are not vitall motions but as in other actions the Wheeles goe as long as the spring is up that moves them so the actions of men that are dead as long as the springs are up the influence continues they move When they are sick and apprehend death then they will doe many things but these being gone their goodnesse is ended whilst they deepely apprehend some accident they will be good that being gone and forgotten their goodnesse ends Many whiles they have good acquaintance and are in good company will be good but when they are gone their goodnesse ceaseth These men have golden outsides they seeme to have the Kings stamp upon their actions yet they are but counterfaite they pay God in counterfaite Coyne not in currant mony their actions have a forme of religion but yet the power is wanting all they doe is but a meere formality their Prayers their Sabath keeping are but in shew those actions and duties that have most power and life in them they doe least of all relish they tast them not because they have no life in them In generall all the actions that men wanting life doe they are but dead works they may bee deceived with them for a time but when death comes they shall finde them to be but dead Remigius a judge of Laurence tels this story that the Divell in those parts did use to give money to Witches which did appeare to bee good coyne seemed to be currant money at first but being laid up a while it then appeared to be nothing but dryed leaves so the Divell deceives men now hee makes them to do outward actions which have a

I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will bee as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve there is such a life We will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life of the soule that it lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life besides this common life Secondly consider the matter of the soule then yee shall see that the soule lives such a life as Angels doe The soules of good men leade such a life as good Angels doe the soules of bad men such a life as bad Angels The life of beasts depends on the compacture and Temperature of the substance as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string With the soule of man it is otherwise the soule lives first and then causeth the body to live it is otherwise in beasts their soules and bodies live together Besides it is certaine that the soule shall live when as the body is laid aside then it lives another life from the body therefore it lives another life in the body The higher faculties of the soule the Vnderstanding and Will are not placed and seated in the body as other faculties are the visive faculty must have an eye to see the hearing faculty must have an eare to heare and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ it onely useth those things that are presented to it by the phansy Our sight feeling and hearing perish when their organs perish but the superior faculties of the soule weare not away but the elder the body is the younger they are The soule lives now in the object now in the subject it lives in the things it is occupied about as the Angels are said to be where they worke because they have no bodies as we have to make them be locally there so the soule it also lives where it is occupied as if it be occupied about heavenly things then wee are said to have our conversation in heaven Take the understanding and faculties of reason they sway not men but the Ideaes truthes and opinions that dwell in this understanding sway men There are three lives in man there is the life of plants of Beasts or sence and the life of reason I may adde a fourth and that is this spirituall life which is an higher life of the soule Where there is an evill life there is death but where there is a good life there is this spirituall life See it in the effects for these are but speculations First ye see by experience that there is a generation of men that live not a common life delight not in vaine pleasures sports and honors there is no life without some delights their delights and life is not in outward things abroad they have a retired and inward life at home Secondly there are no Acts but for some end there are men who make not themselves their end if they did they might then take other courses going with the streame If then they make not themselves their end then they make God their end they live not to themselves but to the Lord 1. Thessalo 3.8 Thirdly they care not what they lose to get advantage to God they are content to be despised contemned to suffer Torments imprisonments and death they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives which they would not doe had they not a more speciall life within them 2 Cor. 4.11 Wee which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh That is for this cause God suffered his Children to be in danger that men might know that they live an other life and have other comforts this appeares by their readinesse to be exposed to death all which shewes that there are some that leade an other life But it will be objected that the superstitious and those of another religion will suffer death as well as the Saints and morrall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints and those who have but common graces live this life as well as the Saints therefore these experiences prove not the poynt sufficiently I answer that it is true that superstition doth worke much like religion morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse and Common grace doth much like true grace yet it is no good Argument to say that because a dreaming man dreames that hee sees therefore a living man that doth see doth but as he A picture is like a living man yet it followes not that a living man is dead because the picture is dead it is no Argument to say that because morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse therefore true holinesse doth them not They may bee like in many things yet not in all things the cause of all deceit is because we cannot discerne of things alike therefore I will shew you how these differ First superstition makes men suffer much as well as true religion yet they doe it out of a false opinion the other from faith the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his speare the one doth it from grace the other from delusion the outward acts are alike but the inward principles differ Secondly morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working the last is done of a suddaine A man is made a living man suddainely though there are some previous dispositions yet the soule is suddenly infused after this manner the Saints passe from death to life Others have their actions by frequent acts and education they are moulded to it by little and little Thirdly in morrall men the change is never generall there is no new birth in them but in the Saints all things are new Fourthly morallity doth never change nature but grace doth the most wilde man in a countrey the unlikeliest man of all others religion makes him a Lambe of a Lyon though it were unprobable Fiftly what did morrall men they went by divers wayes to the same center themselves were their end Epicures thought one way the best the Stoicks another but the Saints seeke a happinesse in denying themselves which helpes to perfect them Lastly common and true grace have many things alike yet they differ in this true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensnesse connaturally and readily so doth not the other Those who have onely common grace doe all from respects and by-by-ends

5.6 In Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love with Gal. 6.15 In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availes any thing neither uncircumcision but a new creature all not proceeding from a new heart and from faith which worketh by love is nothing this is the roote of all when all our actions come from faith which workes by love else though they are never so pretious they are but dead works It is no matter whether yee pray or not whether yee recive the Sacrament keepe the Sabbaths or not they helpe not a jot unlesse they come from the principle of life a new creature Secondly consider the manner of their working they will bee done with quicknesse and vivacity Men do them as living actions with all propensnesse and readinesse with much connaturalnesse with much fervency and zeale when they are done in a perfunctory manner they are dead workes Thirdly yee may know them by their end looke yee to Christ doe yee all in sincerity to him or no or to your selves if yee doe then they are gracious workes and proceed from grace they are living actions and not dead they issue from a right principle ayming at God and not at your selves Hosea 10.1 Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruite to himselfe If you bring forth ●ruits to your selves and not to God yee are but empty Vines God accepts you not Fourthly this life is discovered by your behaviour to the meanes of life when they are brought unto you when there is no sound or no voyce there is no distinction twixt a deafe and a hearing man so where there is no light there is no difference twixt a seeing man a blind but the light differs them So when as the light of the Gospel shines then men are tryed In times of ignorance God regards not men so much but now in time of the Gospel see if it be powerfull and whether you set your selves about holy duties Matth. 3.10 Now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree that is since Iohns comming there is a distinguishment twixt living and dead trees A tree is not discovered to bee dead till it wither no man will cut downe a tree in winter because he knowes not then whether it be dead or no the Spring distinguisheth the dead and living trees in the winter they are all alike The Spring is the powerfull preaching of the word if men spring not then if they come not in they are dead Those whose education hath beene good those who live under a powerfull Ministry now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree with them it is a signe they are dead if they profit not by it Fiftly yee may know whether yee have this life by the food it is fed with severall lives are fed with severall foode Now the food of this new life of grace is double first the word secondly good workes First the word 1 Pet. 2.25 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby if so bee that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious that is if yee are alive as you professe your selves to bee you shall know it by your behaviour to that which doth nourish your life First yee will long after the word as the child doth after the Teate If the child be hungry neyther apples nor rattles nor any thing else can quiet him but the Teate So nothing can quiet these but the word Others may have excuses they will have none Eyther they will live where the word is or they will bring it home to them they will bring themselves to it or it to them Secondly they desire the sincere milke of the word many things may be mingled with the word that doe please the wit yet those who live the life of grace desire the sincere word the pure word without any mixture Thirdly they desire it that they may grow thereby many desire it to know it onely if ye desire it as new borne babes it will make you better better many heare but as men having an Atrophy in their bodies they grow not no fruite comes thereby Fourthly they taste a sweetnesse in the word above others the second ground received the word with joy and Herod heard Iohn Baptist with gladnesse but where there is true grace they goe farther they delight in the word it is sweeter to them than the hony few can say so in good earnest that the pure word is sweeter to them than Hony or the Hony Combe Iob hee esteemed the word more than his appointed food Iob. 23.12 The second food of this life is good workes Ioh. 4.32.33.34 is the place out of which I collect this where Christ being asked of his Disciples to eate said that hee had other meate that they knew not of then said they hath any man brought him ought to eate Hee saith unto them My meate is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Doe you good workes with such a desire as men eate and drinke doe you hunger and thirst after them desiring for to doe them Then yee are alive Hypocrites may doe much but it is not their meate and drinke to doe it examine therefore your selves by these signes whether you are alive or dead This is the preaching of the law to shew you the narrow differences of life and death The first step to life is to know that yee are in a state of death the Law must goe before the Gospel Iohn Baptest before Christ yee must bee brought to their case in the 2 Act. 37. who were pricked at the hearts yee must bee brought unto the case of the Iaylor and of Paul to the case of the Prodigall that you may know your estate then yee come home Our end is to preach life and comfort to you not damnation Rom. 15.4 All Scripture is written for our comfort now there are many things in the Scripture that tend to discomfort and terrors yet their end is comfort as Physicke is sharpe for the time yet the end is health Wee desire not to exclude any but to bring you in whilst you have time the market is then hard to make when yee lye on your death beds labour to know it in time your death is a time of spending not of getting it was too late for the foolish Virgins to buy oyle when they were to attend the bride-groome We desire not to affright you with false feares but to admonish you that you be not deceived I finde this sentence Be not deceived prefixed before many places of Scripture where Gods judgement are denounced as 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. shall inherit the kingdome of God and Eph. 5.6 Be not deceived with vaine words for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience to shew that men are apt to deceive themselves