Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	deny_v	teach_v	ungodliness_n	4,302	5	11.7286	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44691	Self-dedication discoursed in the anniversary thanksgiving of a person of honour for a great deliverance. By J.H.	Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1682 (1682)	Wing H3038AA; ESTC R215393	32,263	171

me And while I pleas'd my self with such an imagined liberty and self-dominion no Idol was too despicable to command my homage I have done worse than prostrated my body to a stock my soul hath humbled it self and bow'd down to a clod of clay My thoughts and desires and hopes and joys have all stoopt to so mean trifles as wealth or ease or pleasure or fame all but so many fragments of earth or the less-consistent vapours sprung from it And whereas this world is nothing else but a bundle of lusts none of them was too base to rule me And while I thought my self at liberty I have been a servant to corruption But now Lord I have through thy mercy learnt to abandon and abhor my self Thy grace appearing hath taught me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Thou hast overcome enjoy thine own conquest I am griev'd for it and repent from my soul that ever I did put thee to contend for and conquer thine own And so doth this Self-dedication carry in it repentance from dead works and towards God 5. With a plenary full bent of heart and will As that I have sworn and will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgments Psal. 119.106 Or that I have inclin'd my heart to keep thy statutes always unto the end vers 112. And herein doth this Self-dedication more principally consist viz. in a resolved willingness to yeild my self as God's own property to be for him and not for another Which resolvedness of will though it may in several respects admit of several names or be clothed with distinct notions is but one and the same substantial act It may be called in respect of the competition which there was in the case choice Or in respect of the proposal made to me of such a thing to be done consent But these are abstracting from these references the same act which in it self considered is onely a resolute volition I will be the Lords Which resolution if one do whether mentally or vocally direct to God or Christ then it puts on the nature of a vow and so it fitly called devoting oneself It carries in it as a thing supposed the implanted divine life and nature whereby we are truly said to present our selves living Sacrifices as in the Text or as it is exprest in that other place chap. 6.13 to yeild our selves to God as those that are alive from the dead as vers 11. alive to God thorough Christ Jesus our Lord. Which life is not to be understood simply but in a certain respect For before we were not dead simply we were not dead disinclin'd or disaffected to every thing but peculiarly towards God and his Christ. That way we were without any inclination motion tendency or disposition And so were dead quoad hoc as to this thing or in this respect Were alienated from the life of God Now we come to live this life and are made by his grace to incline and move towards him of our own accord Dead things or destitute of life may be moved by another are capable of being mov'd violently without or against inclination hither or thither But a living creature can spontaneously move it self as of its own accord it inclines And whereas there are two more-noble principles that belong to this divine life and nature Faith and Love A great and noted pair as may be seen in divers places of the New Testament These have both an ingrediency into this Self-dedication The nature of each of them runs into it and may be perceived in it And it is hereupon a mixt act partaking an influence and tincture as it were from the one and the other of them Faith respects the promises of God and what we are thereupon to expect from him And so our dedicating our selves to God is a self-committing We give up our selves to him as a trust as the Apostles emphatical expression intimates I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he will keep that which I have committed unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my pawn or pledge my fidei commissum against that day The Soul flies to God as in a distress not knowing to be safe another way As once a people not able to obtain tutelage on other terms surrender'd themselves to them whose help they sought with some such expression Si non nostros saltem vestros If not as ours yet at least as your own save protect and defend us Nor in our surrendring our selves to God is this any way unsuitable either to us or to him Not to us for we are really distressed ready to perish 't is agreeable to the state of our case Not to him for it is glorious to him A thing worthy of God to be a refuge and sanctuary to perishing Souls and is thereupon a pleasant thing a Godlike pleasure suitable to a self-sufficient and all-sufficient being who hath enough for himself and for all others whom he shall have taught not to despise the riches of his goodness He taketh pleasure in them that fear him and them that hope in his mercy Psal. 147.11 He waits that he may be gracious and is exalted in shewing mercy Isa. 30.18 He lifts up himself when he does it and waits that he may expects the opportunity seeks out meet and suitable objects as with thirst and appetite an enterprising valiant man is wont to doe encounters for none were ever so intent to destroy as he is to save yea makes them prepares them for his purpose Which he doth not and needs not doe in point of misery so they can enough prepare themselves But in point of humility sense of their necessity and unworthiness great need and no desert nor disposition to supplicate These are needfull preparations make it decorous and comely to him to shew mercy A God is to be sought with humble prostrate veneration And such an opportunity he waits for· 'T is not fit for him not great not majestick to throw away his mercies upon insolent and insensible wretches For as there it follows he is the God of iudgment a most accurate judicious wisedom and prudence conducts and guides all the emanations of his flowing goodness The part of which wisedom and judgment is to nick the opportunity to take the fit season when mercy will be most fitly plac't best attain its end relish best be most acceptable to them that shall receive it and honourable to him that shews it And therefore as is added blessed are they that wait for him that labour to be in a posture to meet him on his own terms and in his own way Let such as have a mind to surrender and yield themselves to him consider this Apprehend you have undone your selves and are lost Fall before him Lie at the footstool of the mercy-seat Willingly put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope And there is hope He seeks after you and will not reject what he seeks he onely waited