Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	bring_v	salvation_n	ungodliness_n	2,454	5	11.7039	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27168	Claustrum animae, the reformed monastery, or, The love of Jesus a sure and short, pleasant and easie way to Heaven in meditations, directions, and resolutions to love and obey Jesus unto death : in two parts.	Beaulieu, Luke, 1644 or 5-1723.	1677 (1677)	Wing B1571; ESTC R23675	94,944	251

4.1 that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God 2. so ye would abound more and more for ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord JESUS for this is the will of God even your sanctification Again Eph. 4.20 but ye have not so learned Christ as to follow the greediness and lusts of the Gentiles If so be that ye have heard of him and have been taught by him 21 c. as the truth is in JESUS that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness And in another place this change being so absolutely necessary is absolutely suppos'd to be wrought in us If ye are risen with Christ seek those things which are above for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Coloss 3.1 fornication uncleanness 2 c. inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry in the which ye walked sometime when ye lived in them but now you also put off these anger wrath malice blasphemy evil communication out of your mouth lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Here is nothing to countenance those frightful fanatical pangs of the New-birth which proceed from Enthusiasm or melancholy nothing to countenance the fansieful applications of a borrowed or rather snatcht-away righteousness but a real change in our affections and our manners is suppos'd and recommended And indeed Tit. 2.11 that grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth none of these odd and new-devised doctrines but that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts 12. we should live in this present world soberly righteously and godly which is the sum of our duty that we should be temperate in our bodies and minds just and charitable in our intercourse with other men and pious in our minds devout in acts of Religion and worship to God The learning and practising this lesson is that and that alone whereby the offered salvation is obtained and laid hold on §. 40. A protestation of being faithful unto death So now I must remember that I am not mine own I am his that made and redeemed me I am his to whom I have given my self when I undertook manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the Devil to me is addrest that exhortation Thou O man of God flee these things strifes disputes and covetousness before mentioned and follow after righteousness godliness faith 1 Tim. 6.11 love patience meekness fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life 12. I am become a Souldier of JESUS to me S. Paul speaks as well as to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.3 Thou therefore indure hardness as a good Souldier of JESUS Christ no man that warreth intangles himself with the affairs of this life 4. that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier If I were in the Militia of any other Prince I might indure hardness enough before I could obtain his favour or indeed be taken notice of heat and cold hunger thirst and weariness sleepless nights and perpetual dangers all this and much more I might indure many years and not be look'd upon here my General prevented me with his kindness he first fought against mine enemies he first loved me and indured hardship for me and he notes every thing I suffer for him sets it down and assigns a reward to it Under another commander I might do brave actions behave my self valiantly and yet not be seen here my General hath always his eyes upon me he incourageth me and rejoyceth to see my fortitude he is always ready to help me and is most delighted when he sees me zealous and diligent I might fight long enough for an earthly King I could only get a poor subsistence or an empty fame but never so much as one province of his dominions here fighting for my heavenly King I shall get unvaluable treasures immortal glory and a kingdom which shall have no end Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne I will therefore never again fight against the captain of my salvation and I will never forsake him I will often renew my vows often swear allegiance to him upon that sacred blood which he shed for me and which he gives me to comfort and strengthen my heart I will daily think on those things that may increase my zeal and diligence and help me to resist temptations and I will suffer any thing use all means possible to perform these resolutions and approve my self unto death a lover of JESUS 1 Cor. 16.22 if any man loves not the Lord JESUS let him be Anathema Maranatha FINIS Claustrum Animae THE Reformed Monastery OR THE LOVE OF JESUS The Second Part. LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in S. Paul's Church-yard the West-End MDCLXXVI THE PREFACF I Have now gone through half of my task the negative part of our Baptismal vow and of our duty and would to God Reader I had inkindled of the Divine fire of love in thy heart and mine but enough to secure us from works of darkness enough to quench and to consume our lusts I would not doubt but it would soon burn light inflame our hearts with a pious zeal and make us so fruitful in good works that men seeing them would glorifie our father which is in heaven I may with a just cause complain of my self concerning this Tractate of mine Eras Epist ad Volus as one did of Erasmus about his Enchiridion that there is more piety in the book than in the Author and withal I may complain of the book also that it is many ways defective that is it supposeth many things previous to the use of it Christian instruction a pious mind pious books pious meditations all helps and instruments of Religion and Holy Living and even in what it handles it falls far short of what the subject would bear The caution therefore I would give is this that no person would think that no other appetites are to be restrain'd no other sins forsaken than those I mention or that no other means to master our lusts and secure our duty are to be us'd than those I specified or that no other acts and expressions of love are to be given than those I have prescrib'd No my design is not to run over particulars and indeed 't is next to impossible for love hath a general intendance over all actions That little I have said concerning Self-Reformations abstaining from that which is

the horrors and torments of Hell hath laid on thee at least as great obligations to love him as if he had brought thee out of it after thou hadst been long detain'd therein Therefore I desire thou wouldst bring thy thoughts back again to that unpleasant abode and consider thy self as if thou wert shut up in that dismal dungeon and then express what thou wouldst give to be releast what thou wouldst do for him that should bring thee out of that horrible and bottomless pit I know that they that are afflicted with sharp pains and grievous sicknesses would purchase health with all the wealth they have and I believe no reward would hire a man to hold his hand in the fire but for one hours time therefore I doubt not but that if it were in a mans power he would give this and a thousand more worlds to be brought out of an ever-burning furnace and I am perswaded that if thou wilt suffer thy fansy to be active in framing the black and dreadful scene of hellish horrors about thee thou wilt then heartily say were I owner of the whole universe I would joyfully give it to come out of these ever-burning flames which torment my body and to be freed from this never dying worm the remorses of my guilty conscience which torture my soul but because I have nothing freely would I give my self to him that should bring me out of this woful place O I would follow him any where do any thing that he should command me imbrace his feet kiss the ground they tread on and give him all the demonstrations of a sincere and passionate Love Well thy petition is granted before 't was presented the Love and Mercy of JESUS hath prevented thy request and distress New make good thy vows and resolutions Love and Serve JESUS thy Redeemer and give thy self up wholly to him I know that many may be good Christians without being snatch't out of the fire without these terrors and affrightments but I am shewing what our condition had been without a Saviour what is that gulf of perdition whence JESUS hath sav'd us if we will be saved by him and I mention these terrors of the Lord as S. Paul calls them to perswade men to be motives of an active and vehement Love For 't is too observable that few men seriously consider what Redemption means what it was we were redeemed from else they could no● be so indevout so disobedient so unthankful to their Saviour S. Paul supposing as I do here that without Christ we were already dead and perish't makes it the reason of that Constraining Love which enabled him and other Primitive Christians to suffer so patiently and act so zealously for JESUS the love of Christ saith he constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead as if he should say we were certainly dead irrecoverably lost had not Christ died to purchase life and salvation for us therefore we cannot chuse but love him and it is no wonder if that love be strong and if we are govern'd and acted by it That thou maist therefore love affectionately and live devoutly consider seriously that death the misery of that condition wherein thou wert and ever must have been hadst thou not a JESUS I might add that we were delivered from the power and slavery as well as from the condemnation of sin but this is included in the other it being impossible to be saved from the wrath to come without bringing forth fruits meet for repentance and as it is mercy and grace on God's part so on ours it is matter of duty and earnest indeavour and must be the result and effect of our love first that we offend not and then that we serve diligently and faithfully him that redeemed us from our vain conversation and gave himself for us that we being dead unto sin might live unto righteousness §. 7. How we were Redeemed A further ingagement to love and obey will be to consider the manner how our redemption was effected and the price that was paid for it thus The Blessed Son of God the Second Person of the Ever-glorious Trinity undertook that work himself which none else could perform for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary In praesepe jacet sed mundum continet ubera sugit sed angeles paseit Aug. Ser. de purific 2. and was made man In this act of his miracles and mercies seem to vie one with another that the God of Eternity should be born in time that the Creator of all things should be the Son of a Creature that the most highest should abase himself to the low condition of a servant that God should become an infant is a miracle of Love which we can admire and adore but never fully comprehend The greatness of God is unsearchable his excellencies and perfections are incomprehensible he is infinitely good powerful wise and holy Man contrariwise is in himself wicked and weak ignorant impure and miserable there is so great a disproportion betwixt God and man Haec est mensura amoris non solum quantum fecit nos quanta fecit pro nobis sed quantillus factus est pro nobis so wide so immense a distance that nothing less than an infinite love could have fill'd up the gulf betwixt those two so different natures and united them into one person 'T was never seen that a shepherd would creep upon all four and cover himself with a sheep-skin to call his flock out of danger and to expose himself for it but the good shepherd did much more When he came to lay down his life for his lost and wandering sheep and gather them into his fold he took on him not only the likeness but the very nature of them he became the lamb of God that he might be the shepherd of mankind Though he was infinitely more above man then men are above beasts yet he became the son of man that he might become the Saviour of men 'T was never seen that a Sovereign Prince would seek to reduce to loyalty the most abject of his rebellious subjects by mixing blood with them uniting their families together but behold the Supreme Monarch of heaven and earth contracts a near affinity with his ungrateful rebels who are as vile and miserable as they are criminal that he may free them from their guilt and win them to their duty and their happiness Proud and wretched sinner thou wouldst be so far from entring into the kindred of meaner persons those that are much thine inferiors that thou canst hardly indure to be in their company and behold the most Glorious and Holy God thine offended Sovereign is become thy near relation is become thy Brother that he may win thine affections and become thy Saviour His life all along was a continuation of his great mercy and humility he

we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ that whatsoever things are true 4.8 honest just pure lovely of good report any vertue any thing praise-worthy may be our constant study and practice We must labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of our Lord 2 Cor. 5.9 because we shall all appear before him and receive according as we obey him now in his absence §. 9. Incouragements to obey Jesus All this and much more to the same purpose which I have read and observed in the Sacred Books of the New Testament hath convinc'd me that it is the design of Christian Religion to make me meek and humble sober and contented just and charitable devout and religious vertuous and holy this I own to be my duty and I will indeavour my self heartily to perform the same And that I may do it with cheerfulness ●nd affection I will stir and quicken ●he holy fire of love in my heart by p●ous considerations When any duty to God or man calls upon me for ac●ion and performance and I find in my soul too much of dulness or reluctancy I will again by meditation suppose my dying Saviour present telling me how much he hath done and suffered for me and desiring me as I love him to do that duty which lies before me Christian if thou dost understand the greatness of my love which brought me here to die for thee if thou art sensible of it and wouldst make any return for it do this obey this command this may be the last thing thou shalt ever do for me this may be the last tryal of thy love sure it would grieve thee to have denied this small request to him that gives his life that gives himself for thee Or else I will suppose my self in the presence of my Divine Master sitting on his heavenly throne with his glorified servants about him shewing me the crown he hath assign'd to me and saying N. N. wilt thou deny to do this at my earnest request wilt thou be so unkind to me Sure I have deserved better at thy hands than so sure I who am much above thee have done much more for thee than that comes to but besides I would highly recompence thee These my friends I have rewarded with the bliss and glory they enjoy for having done such things for me and I would reward thee as bountifully here is eternal life eternal rest eternal glory for thy recompence as thou lovest me as thou lovest thy self obey that thou maist be happy To this what answer could I make but such as this Lord not only this but any thing else thou hast commanded I am willing to fulfil and obey I bewail my dulness and depraved nature that makes me so unready so unactive in thy service but Lord thou knowest that I love thee I would undertake any labour any trouble to make it appear I would die to justifie it Yet sweetest JESU I beg of thee to increase my love to increase it to such a degree that like thy heavenly attendants I may burn with that Divine fire and be all love to thee Sund. 25. after Trinity that so I may be always prepar'd and desirous to do thy will Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the wills of thy faithful people that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded through JESUS Christ our Lord. Amen Love is the fulfilling of the Law Christian Reader I hope that what I have writ thou wilt also read and repeat heartily in the first Person for to that end I have thus contriv'd it to ingage thine affections to make thee speak as of thy self these soliloquies acts of love and acts of resolution which run throughout the whole discourse and I would have thee use that method which may much affect thee to make dialogues betwixt thy Saviour and thy soul and betwixt thy soul and thy self for certain it is that for thee N. N. by name JESUS was crucified and died and certain it is that thou thy self shalt die and be judged and rise again to an intolerable eternity if by carelessness and inconsideration thou hast been unmindful of thy Lord and thy soul or else rise again to eternal joys if thou hast sincerely lov'd and serv'd JESUS Job 15 10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love §. 10. Of free-will-offerings Thus much of necessity must be done my duty as well as my love constrains me to it Not to break negative precepts and to obey positive ones that is to cease from sin and to work righteousness is required of me if I do it by love I have made my task pleasant but yet a task it is which must be fulfill'd Not but that there is mercy for sins against the New-covenant for the transgression of Gospel precepts there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner what ever his sins have been and it ought greatly to indear God to us that he is so willing to forgive so desirous to have us repent that we may be capable of his pardon but whether soon or late whether after crying guilts or ordinary sins still I say there must be a true contrition a sorrow and repentance for our sins proceeding from the love of God and a sincere indeavour to please and obey him for the future and so thus far we are drawn by a moral necessity by the desire of our own happiness which is not to be obtain'd any other way But shall we stay just here and not go one step further than is required 't is well indeed when we are safe and that must be secur'd first of all and with the greatest care but shall our love proceed no further Sure that Christian who is best assur'd of his salvation will love God most of all and make to him the greatest and most hearty returns When a man is qualified for heaven and enjoys the greatest happiness this world is capable of that is a sense of Gods favour and a well-grounded assurance of a future bliss his soul cannot but melt into the most affectionate love for that gracious God whose mercy and loving kindness hath brought him into that happy condition and fitted him by his grace for a much happier and they I say that are in such a case for to them only I now speak may well do something more than what needs they must may well enlarge their affections to God beyond the bounds of prescribed duties it is a good sign a sign of a sincere and a pious heart when a man is forward to undertake for God when he doth not weigh grains and scruples lest he should part with any of his right and liberty but affords God a full measure and running over and think he never gives enough and still desires that he might do infinitely more for him 'T is true