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
A66101	The high esteem which God hath of the death of his saints as it was delivered in a sermon preached October 7, 1683, occasioned by the death of the worshipful John Hull, Esq. who deceased October 1, 1683 / by Samuel Willard.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.; Corlet, Elijah, d. 1687.	1683 (1683)	Wing W2280; ESTC R27592	13,583	24

of whom this is asserted 2. What is implied in their Death being precious in Gods sight 3. Whence it comes to pass that it is so 1. Who are those Saints whose death is thus precious A. I have already hinted the meaning of the Word and shall not need to make many Discourses upon the thing or enter a treatise about the quality and kind of Sanctity There is none on this side the Grave is so holy but to have in him some defilement none so clean but there may be some spots and blemishes found in him Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not But a Saint in a Gospel sence may be described to be One who being powerfully wrought upon in effectual vocation and therein converted throughly unto God hath the Grace of Sanctification wrought in him and the Spirit of Holiness given to him to dwell in him and to purge his Heart and Conscience There are Saints in Heaven and they are just Men made perfect and there are Saints on the Earth too Psal 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the Earth and these though not at present perfected are yet perfecting They are such whom the Grace of God hath taught in part and is daily further teaching those Lessons Tit. 2. 11 12. To deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present world They do not ly wallowing in the mire of Sin nor delighting themselves in such courses as are provoking to God but are in heart soul and spirit devoted unto him and his service seeking his honour studying his glory contriving how they may best serve their Generation to his praise In a word every one that by the power of Gods Spirit is taken out of the World and made a true Believer is also a Saint in an Evangelical account Conversion and Sanctification go together inseparably Effectual vocation both designs and produceth Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 2. Called to be Saints and such as these are are therefore called the Saints of God 1. Because God hath chosen and separated them for himself and his own service Psal 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself He hath taken them out of the World and consecrated them to an higher and more noble Imployment than such as the rest of Man-kind are engaged in now whatsoever is devoted to any special service of God is therein said to be Sanctified for to sanctifie is to separate from common and dedicate to special divine use and services upon this account the Tabernacle and Temple the Altar the Vessels the Priests the Levites the People of Israel were accounted Holy and the more separated they were the more holy were they reputed to be 2. Because they stand nearly related to Christ's Holiness not only Christs Righteousness as it stands to answer the Law for them in way of Justification is imputed unto them but his Holiness also is imputed unto them for Sanctification there is a relative Sanctity upon every true Believer and hence Christ is said to be made unto them Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. the precious Priests Robes of their elder Brother are put upon them In the Ceremonial Law the Water of Purification by being sprinkled upon the persons and instruments that were for the service of the Sanctuary Sanctified them thus the blood of Christ sprinkled upon a Child of God renders him pure in God's Holy Eyes 3. Because they have the inchoations of inherent Sanctity in them there is a real formal Holiness in every true Believer and though imperfect in degrees yet perfect in parts the Holy Spirit of God given to and dwelling in the People of God works them up to a Conformity to himself and renders them like unto the Holy God and hence it is that Believers are said to be partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. the Lord Jesus Christ hath wrought them up unto Holiness Hence that 1 Thess 4. 3. For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification and that verse 7. For God hath not called us unto Vncleanness but unto Holiness 4. Because they are growing up to and designed for perfection of Holiness Grace inherent is Holiness begun and founded in the Believer but they grow in it Psal 92. 12 13. The Righteous shall flourish c. and as the Lord Jesus Christ hath laid the foundation in them by effectual vocation so his intention is to fit them up for himself so as that they shall be every way like unto him and this is by making them to be without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. 27. 2. What is implied in their Death being precious in the sight of God or wherein he makes it appear so to be A. 1. Negatively we are not to suppose that God takes delight in putting of his Servants to Death or that their Death as such contents him or is a pleasure to him Death in its own nature is an evil it is the fruit of the Curse brought in by sin and for God to will Death as so to his People were not an expression of his Love but Displeasure But 2. Positively and here Observe 1. Some read the Word here Heavy and take the meaning to be that God takes the Death of his Saints especially when it is procured by the means of their Enemies very grievously or heavily it is such a thing as he cannot tell how to bear and that David speaks this of own experience for when Saul when Absalom when Achitophel had contrived his Death and sought wayes how they might effect it God was very angry and would not suffer it yea manifestly discovered his deepest displeasure against them in that by signal judgements he destroyed each of them 2. Others read it Rare and Dear and understand it that because such things as are dear to us we are not wont to leave or commit to the dispose of others therefore David intends that God doth not easily or often grant Wicked Men their desires upon his Saints or suffer them to take away their lives and that David draws this general Conclusion to comfort others withal from the great Experience which he had had of manifold and strange Deliverances But 3. The most comprehensive meaning of this Expression may be this viz. That God takes as special and weighty care about the Death of his Saints as men are wont to do about those things that are of greatest worth and value in their esteem the Septuagint Translateth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honourable intimating that God puts great honour upon his dying Saints And this esteem discovers it self 4. In his all-wise and careful timing of their Death He takes order that his People shall alwayes die in the best time for them it may be a bad time for the World to lose them in but it is a good time for them to leave it in Hence 1. Till the fit time is come He