Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	flesh_n	meat_n	9,640	5	9.2298	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93724	The wels of salvation opened or, a treatise discovering the nature, preciousnesse, usefulness of Gospel-promises, and rules for the right application of them. By William Spurstowe, D.D. pastor of Hackney near London. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Spurstowe, William, 1605?-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing S5100; Thomason E1463_3; ESTC R203641	126,003	320

on the Word and promises of God For as faith is truly the life and guide of the soul so the Word is the ground life and guide of our faith Now the Arguments that I shall set down are briefly three First The life of faith is that life which above all others God would have Believers to live And this appears by the distance that God hath put between his promises and his performances making their whole life to be rather a life of hopes then of enjoyments and the good things that he gives to relate more to the future then to the present time God was graciously pleased to open a door of hope to fallen man in that first Gospel-promise which he himself proclaimed Gen. 3. 15. that the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head But how many generations passed away before the fulnesse of time came in which he sent forth his Sonne made of a woman He hath promised to Believers that they shall tread down the wicked and that they shall be ashes under the soles of their feet Mal. 4. 3. But yet he hath made their warfare to be as long as their life He hath promised a glorious resurrection of their bodies out of the grave And yet for how many thousand years have his Saints lain dissolved in their dust as if they did seeme to be altogether forgotten by him Now to what end hath God set such long periods of time between the making and the accomplishing of his promises but only that he would have the heirs of them to live by faith yea and to die in faith by resting on the truth of his Word for the fulfilling of every mercy which he hath undertaken for in his promises And indeed this glory which Believers give to God in the exercise of their faith upon his Word is farre greater and more noble then all that glory which the whole universe of creatures do yeeld unto him They give him the glory of his goodnesse in their being and in the comforts of it derived unto them by him But who gives him the glory of his faithfulnesse in his promises but a Believer Who is it that rejoyceth in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. 2. but a Believer Who glories in tribulations but a Believer Who is it that lets not his confidence die when his life expires but a Believer My flesh and my heart faileth saith David but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73. 26. Secondly The life of faith is of all estates the most contented and of all lives the fullest of real sweetnesse and delight First It is the most contented life True contentment is the inseparable companion of true faith 1 Tim. 6. 6. A Believer is the onely person that is instructed in this sacred mystery Phil. 4. 13. The things that others want he desires not Riches which others covet with the straining of their consciences he throws away as snares Pleasures which others drink down with a thirst unsatisfied he out of choise sparingly sips of or else refuseth so much as to taste Honours that others value themselves by he looks upon as fancies and not realities As Plato told the Musicians that a Philosopher could dine and eate his meat without them So a Believer can live happily without the having of any of these things And the ground of all this is because by faith he lives above them and enjoyes more high and noble delights in the very expectation and hope of that blessednesse which God hath promised then any other can have from the fruition of an earthly Paradise or of the whole world it self if turned and changed into an Eden Secondly Of all lives the life of faith is the sweetest The delicacies that faith feeds upon doth not arise from any stagnant and impure pits or cisterns but from the fountain and well of life It sucks the breasts of consolation Isay 66. 11. It lives upon the free favour of God which is better then life it self Psal 63. 3. It hath Christ himself for nutriment whose flesh is meat indeed whose blood is drink indeed John 6. 55. All which are food the world knows not of it never understood their preciousnesse or tasted their sweetnesse There is a greater difference between the repasts of faith and the refreshments of the world then there is between the Physick of the Galenists Paracelsians the one giving it in the drug and the other as they boast in the quintessence and spirits extracted from that flegme and earthymatter that deads allaies their efficacy All the comforts of faith have in them a native purity and spiritualnesse and need not the help of Artists to refine them Such they are as that Angels themselves have neither better nor higher to live upon How injurious then are Believers to their own happinesse while they neglect the living by faith and gaze rather upon these dainties with their eyes then feed upon them with their mouths How greatly do they live below themselves while they take up with the things of this world and put not forth this divine grace of faith which can fetch every good thing out of heaven What dishonour do they cast on the precious promises while like the lustful Israelites they slight this Manna of the Gospel as dry food O therefore if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any excellency in the promises be perswaded you that are the beloved ones of God to live the life of faith and to exercise it in an improvement of the promises the use of which makes you more rich and blessed then the having of them Thirdly to move Believers to act faith upon the promises I shall adde this Argument that their labour and expectation will not be in vaine Faith in the promise is like the bowe of Jonathan and the sword of Saul which never returned empty 2 Sam. 1. 22. It alwayes findes what it seeks and enjoyes what it desires He that beleeveth shall never be confounded 1 Pet. 2. 6. that is he shall not be disappointed or broken in his purposes or hopes If the promise be not good security to rest and build upon What is What bond can be so firme as his Word who cannot lie Tit. 1. 9. What pledge can be more certain then the earnest of the Spirit by which the inheritance of Believers is sealed unto them Ephes 1. 14. If these foundations fail then we may well say with the Prophet What can the righteous do But sooner shall the rocks be broken into bits and thrown as pibbles and cockle-shels upon the shoar by the violence of the waves sooner shall the mountains that God hath set fast by his strength Psal 65. 6. be over-turned by the breath of tempestuous windes then the promises which are founded upon the immutable power of God and the never-failing goodnesse of Christ be in the least iota made void

THE WELS OF Salvation OPENED OR A TREATISE Discovering The nature preciousnesse usefulness of Gospel-Promises and Rules for the right application of them By William Spurstowe D. D. Pastor of Hackney near London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isod Pel. ep 1. 141. Imprimatur Edm. Calamy London Printed by T. R. E. M. for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1655. Dr. SPURSTOWE on the PROMISES TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Edward Earle of MANCHESTER Vicount Mandeville Baron of KIMBOLTON Right Honorablt THere are two ranks of men extremely differing in regard of their estate and condition that use for the most part to go with staves in their hands but not to the same end or purpose The Nobleman carries his as a badge and embleme of his office and high honour It being an ancient custome for Princes to give the investiture into places of dignity and eminency per traditionem baculi by the delivering of a staffe The common traveller takes up his the better to support him in the length of his journey and to ease him in the difficulty and roughnesse of the way But these staves of Honour God hath cut asunder as he did those of beauty and bands Zach. 11. 7. having had for these late years a sharp contest with the Cedars of the Land And which is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation hath dried up the roots from whence they sprang That which I presume to put into your Honours hand is the staffe of a traveller yet not of such an one as beats the common rode and path of the world but of such who professing themselves strangers and sojourners on earth both seek and minde an heavenly countrey And to be amongst the number of those I am perswaded you do not only count it your duty but also make it your work esteeming it a greater glory to be one of Zions Pilgrims then of Englands Peers Now how expedient and necessary a staffe is in this journey I would the times themselvs did not abundantly speak the difficulties of which have beene such as that to many Religion it self hath become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence Others as dejected have fainted in their profession and have cast away their confidence for want of looking up unto the promises which in such seasons are the belevers only support and assurance that though the way of the Lamb be a way of blood yet the end is a throne of glory and a crown of life That I may therefore strengthen your hands in God and be serviceable to your faith I have made bold to dedicate this small Treatise of the Promises to your Honour which I wish might prove in your hands as the rod of Myrtle in the hand of the traveller which as Historians report doth keep him from growing weary And that it might so tend to the encrease of spiritual strength as that when the youths shall faint and the young men urterly fall you may be as those that wait upon God that run and are not weary and walk and are not faint Esay 40. 31. However though I can cōmunicate no vertue unto it yet I shal not cease to follow it with my prayers beseeching God that both it and all other means which through his grace you may enjoy for the welfare of your soul may prove so successeful by his blessings as that you may reap the rich fruit of all the Promises in the everlasting fruition of life and glory And that your Noble posterity may be heirs also together with your self of the same mercies So I test Octob. 26. 1654. Your Honours in all Christian Observance WILLIAM SPURSTOWE Christian Reader THere is a Vanity with which Prefaces are tainted not much unlike that predominant folly in these dayes of wantonnesse of spotting of faces For as some do industriously place artificial spots here and there which by their contrariety may serve as a foile to their beauty and heighten it to the lust and fancie of others beyond what it is in truth So others by a severe observance and calculation of the omissions and failings of such who have treated on the same or like subject with themselves do by presenting of them to the Readers view make use of their defects as so many Beauty spots to inamour him the more with the absolute compleatnesse of their Books But farre be it from me to make the profitable paines of those who have employed their time and busied their thoughts on such a Noble subject as the Promises are to serve as a dark shadow to set off this small Treatise concerning them which I now put into thy hands I have reaped both light and profit from them and therefore cannot but thankfully acknowledge it Nor do I conceive that I have comprised the great worth of the Promises in this Manual as he of old did Homers Iliads in a Nut-shell or to have done ought that may be a barre to the labours of others whose abilities are greater and more fit to come under a publike view then mine are The Promises are a large field in which the wise Merchant may finde more pearles hidden then are yet espied A rich mine in which the diligent labourer may dig forth more fine gold then any yet have taken from them They are the Churches store-house while it is on this side heaven from whence Believers in all ages may be filled with comfort as every eye is with new light that beholds the Sun So rhat there is still a great opportunity for the Ministers of God to put their sickle into this harvest and an encouragement also to Believers to take hold of all helps and advantages that may be afforded them for the clearing of their knowledge and the quickening of their affections in the daily use and application of the Promises And if to either or both of these ends this small Tractate which is the substance of sundry Sermons preached divers years past may in the least conduce I shall seek no other recompence from thee then that I may have an interest in thy prayers both for an encrease of grace and of abilities whereby I may be made more serviceable to the glory of his Name unto whom all ought to live So I rest Hackney Octob. 26. 1654. Thine to serve thee in Christ William Spurstowe ERRATA Courteous Reader THere are more faults then this Index will punctually discover both in the pointing and words yet these that are most obvious thus correct Page 28. Line 21. for husbands read husband p. 83. l. 5. for diminuition r. diminution p. 108. l. 4. for such light r. sweet light p. 136. l. 23. for stops r. steps p. 192. l. ult for wowne r. swown p. 250. l. 4. for stiled r. stiles p. 140. l. ult adde Secondly p. 141. l. 24. put the comma at see with p. 154. l. 5. For and flesh r. his flesh Scriptures Expounded   Chap. Verse Page Exod. 34 6 7 91 1 Chron.

and of no effect For besides the infallibility of Gods Word which may abundantly confirme unto Believers the truth of the promises the goodnesse also and mercy of Christ are as another sacred anchor for their faith and confidence to rest upon if in relation to the promises it be seriously thought on in two particulars First That the promises are the real purchase of the precious blood of Christ and must therefore be certainly made good or else he must be a loser in all his sufferings If he like Jonathan 1 Sam. 18. 4. should strip himself not only of his robes but of his life that he might expresse his love to distressed and undone persons with whom God is angry and displeased and yet they receive no advantage or fruit by it would not all these condescensions of goodnesse and mercy be in vain If he should drink of that brook and torrent of curses that was in the way between salvation and sinners and yet the passage to the heavenly Canaan be no more open then it was before should not Christ be a greater loser then sinners themselves They it is true lose their soules each of which are of more value then so many worlds but Christ must lose the revenue of his glory which is farre more precious then the souls of all the men in the world How would sinne exult and triumph if it should ever be able to say there was a pardon covenanted for to be given such a person but I have hindred the execution of it How would Satan reproach the death of Christ if he could be able to say that he hath destroyed one soul for whom Christ died Yea how should Paul or any other believer be able to throw forth their gantlet and to challenge all the enemies of salvation to do their worst Rom. 8. 31. if any of them could make a separation between the love of Christ and them How quickly would tribulation persecution famine nakednesse say we will make you miserable How soone would perils and the sword reply we will conquer you How confidently would principalities and powers say we will pluck you out of Christs hand But for ever blessed be his Name there are none among the whole host of enemies that dare revile the confidence of a beleever or say as that uncircumcised Philistine to David 1 Sam. 17. 44. I will give thy flesh to the fowles of the aire or to the beasts of the field There are none that dare presume to say that they can make void the least mercy which the promise doth hold forth to be the gift of Christs love and the purchase of his blood Let therefore beleevers lift up the hands which hang down and put forth the strength of faith in renewed acts of confidence upon the promises being fully perswaded in themselves of this truth that they can no more be disappointed of their hopes then Christ can be disappointed of his purchase Secondly That the promises are the matter of the most prevailing intercession of Christ who now sits on the right hand of God in glory When he was on earth he purchased by the price of his blood all that masse of treasure and riches both of grace and glory that are inventoried in the promises and by his last Will and Testament on the crosse bequeathed them to beleevers But all this which was transacted here below was onely as Divines usually terme it medium impetrationis the meanes of procurement or obtaining it for beleevers the medium applicationis the meanes of applying all this unto them are as his resurrection and intercession his resurrection that declares his conquest over death his intercession that shews his favour and acceptance with God And they are both as necessary to make his satisfaction of force unto beleevers as the image or stamp of the Prince is to make the coin currant though it neither adde weight or value to the substance He saith the Apostle being made perfect became the Author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Now the intercession of Christ is set forth in Scripture with all the advantages that may be that thereby beleevers may be secured of their interest and title to the things which he hath purchased We have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Sonne of God let us therefore hold fast our profession Heb. 4. 14. First He is a great high Priest greater then all that were before him both in power and favour with God Secondly He is passed into the heavens a Sanctuary which no other Priest could ever enter into or sit down in all their sacrifices being imperfect and therefore to be daily renewed by them Thirdly He is Jesus the Sonne of God more near in alliance unto him then Angels or men and therefore most sure to prevaile for the obtaining of whatever he asks or requires of him When he therefore who is the only Favorite of heaven is the Believers Advocate and doth continually solicit God to fulfil his Covenant made with him and his peoples prayers made unto him What ground can therebe for jealousies and distrust in a Believers heart What rational impediment can there be imagined to hinder or weaken the confidence of faith which the intercession of Christ doth not fully remove and take away Are your prayers tainted with the corruption and infirmities of the flesh he perfumes them with the sweet odours of his intercession Rev. 8. 3. Are your sins multiplyed and renewed daily So are the intercessions of Christ It is his only work in heaven to intercede for sinners Heb. 7. 25. Are your persons vile and such which you fear God will not accept Christ who is your high Priest is holy harmlesse and separate from sinners Heb. 7. 26. He hath in his person a fulnesse of all perfections which may assure every Believer that the promises which he pleads that the requests which he makes to God in Christs Name shall not be like arrowes shot at the Sunne which never reach it or come near to it but that they shall pierce the heavens and be of such power and prevalency with God as that what they seek he will grant and the promises which they plead in faith he will performe and make good in truth Wherefore let me again commend unto Believers the great duty of exercising faith on he promises of Christ which cannot but fill the heart with strong and inseperable consolations when by the eye of faith they are looked upon as those great things which are both the purchase of his most precious blood and the matter of his most powerful intercession And now as Mariners who when they come nigh the port roll up their sails which were before spread they being not useful in the harbour that were before most necessary on the sea So must I being arrived at that point which was the utmost boundary of my thoughts and intentions draw towards a conclusion and winde up this