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
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A53715 Of the mortification of sin in believers: the 1. Necessity, 2. Nature, and 3. Means of it. With a resolution of sundry cases of conscience thereunto belonging. By John Owen, D.D. a servant of Jesus Christ in the work of the Gospel. Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1668 (1668) Wing O787; ESTC R214591 86,730 191

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

into a perfect contrary Condition to that which the Apostle affirms was his 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day In these the Inward man perisheth and the Outward man is renewed day by day Sin is as the house of David and Grace as the house of Saul Exercise and success are the two main cherishers of Grace in the heart When it is suffered to lye still it withers and decayes the things of it are ready to dye Rev. 3.2 and Sin gets ground towards the hardening of the heart Heb. 3.13 This is that which I intend by the Omission of this duty Grace withers Lust flourisheth and the Frame of the Heart growes worse and worse and the Lord knows what desperate and fearful issues it hath had with many Where Sin through the Neglect of Mortification gets a considerable Victory it breaks the bones of the Soul Psal. 31.10 Psal. 51.8 and makes a man weak sick and ready to dye Psal. 38.3 4 5. that he cannot look up Psal. 40.12 Isa. 33.24 and when poor Creatures will take blow after blow wound after wound foil after foil and never rouse up themselves to a vigorous Opposition can they expect any thing but to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin and that their Souls should bleed to death 2 Joh. 8 Indeed it is a sad thing to consider the fearfull issues of this Neglect which lye under our eyes every day See we not those whom we knew humble melting broken-hearted Christians tender and fearfull to offend zealous for God and all his wayes his Sabbaths and Ordinances grown through a neglect of watching unto this Duty earthly carnal cold wrathfull complying with the men of the world and things of the World to the Scandal of Religion and the fearfull Temptation of them that know them The truth is what between placing mortification in a rigid stubborn Frame of Spirit which is for the most part earthly legal censorious partial consistent with Wrath Envy Malice Pride on the one hand and pretences of Liberty Grace and I know not what on the other true Evangelical Mortification is almost lost amongst us of which afterwards 6. It is our Duty to be Perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 To be growing in Grace every day 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 To be renewing our inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Now this cannot be done without the daily Mortifying of sin Sin sets its strength against every Act of Holiness and against every degree we grow to Let not that man think he makes any Progress in Holiness who walks not over the bellies of his Lusts He who doth not kill Sin in his way takes no steps towards his Journeyes End He who finds not opposition from it and who sets not himself in every particular to its Mortification is at peace with it not dying to it This then is the first General Principle of our ensuing Discourse Notwith●tanding the meritorious Mortification if I may so speak of all and every Sin in the Cross of Christ notwithstanding the real Foundation of universal Mortification laid in our first Conversion by Conviction of Sin humiliation for sin and the Implantation of a new Principle opposite to it and destructive of it yet Sin doth so remain so act and work in the best of Believers whilest they live in this world that the constant daily Mortification of it is all their dayes incumbent on them Before I proceed to the Consideration of the next Principle I cannot but by the way complain of many Professors of these days who instead of bringing forth such great and evident Fruits of Mortification as are expected scarce bear any Leaves of it There is indeed a broad Light fallen upon the men of this Generation and together therewith many spiritual Gifts communicated which with some other Considerations have wonderfully enlarged the bounds of Professors and Profession both they and it are exceedingly multiplyed and increased Hence there is a noise of Religion and Religious Duties in every corner preaching in abundance and that not in an empty light trivial and vain manner as formerly but to a good proportion of a spiritual Gift so that if you will measure the number of Believers by Light G●fts and profession the Church may have cause to say Who hath born me all these But now if you will take the measure of them by this great discriminating Grace of Christians perhaps you will find their number not so multiplyed Where almost is that Professor who owes his Conversion to these dayes of Light and so talks and professes at such a rate of Spirituality as few in former dayes were in any measure acquainted with I will not judge them but perhaps boasting what the Lord hath done in them that doth not give evidence of a miserably unmortified heart if vain spending of Time idleness unprofitableness in mens places envy strife variance emulations wrath pride worldliness selfishness 1 Cor. 1. be Badges of Christians we have them on us and amongst us in abundance And if it be so with them who have much Light and which we hope is saving what shall we say of some who would be accounted religious and yet despise Gospel Light and for the Duty we have in hand know no more of it but what consists in mens Denying themselves sometimes times in outward Enjoyments which is one of the outmost Branches of it which yet they will seldom practise The good Lord send out a spirit of Mortification to cure our Distempers or we are in a sad Condition There are two Evils which certainly attend every unmortified Professor The first in himself the other in respect of others 1. In himself let him pretend what he will he hath slight thoughts of Sin at least of sins of daily infirmity The Root of an unmortified Course is the digestion of Sin without bitterness in the heart When a man hath confirmed his Imagination to such an Apprehension of Grace and Mercy as to be able without bitterness to swallow and digest daily sins that man is at the very brink of turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness and being hardened by the deceitfulness of Sin Neither is there a greater Evidence of a false and rotten heart in the world than to drive such a Trade To use the blood of Christ which is given to cleanse us 1 Joh. 1.7 Tit. 2.14 The exaltation of Christ which is to give us Repentance Act. 5.31 the Doctrine of Grace which teaches us to deny all ungodliness Tit. 2.11 12. to countenance Sin is a Rebellion that in the issue will break the bones At this door have gone out from us most of the professors that have Apostatized in the dayes wherein we live for a while they were most of them under Convictions these kept them unto Duties and brought them to Profession So they escaped the pollutions that are in the world through the knowledge of our Lord