Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	dead_a	sin_n	trespass_n	4,880	5	10.3889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52803	A chrystal mirrour, or, Christian looking-glass wherein the hearts treason against God and treachery against man, is truely represented, and thoroughly discoursed on and discovered : whereby the soul of man may be dressed up into a comeliness for God ... / published for publick good by Christopher Nesse ...	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.	1679 (1679)	Wing N445; ESTC R31077	117,479	262

to do Gods will they have so much authoritie and advantage to do their own wills Their Sea-room is their Danger their Honours and Riches are like Fishes full of bones which while Children feed upon they are in danger of choaking Now that it may be better with you both and that your Goodness may further sanctifie your Greatness and that you may be always delivered from a Deceitful Heart and at last inherit the sure mercies of David so prayeth Your Honours most Devoted Servant Christopher Nesse TO THE READER Candid and Christian Reader BEhold here a marvelous and mystical Mirrour or little Looking-glass a portable Pocket-book I present to you a Divine Glass better than the best Chrystal-glass in the world which can onely discover the disorders defects and deformities of the Outward man and how to regulate all these in order to Acceptance with men but this through Grace will discover all those of the Inward man and how to rectifie them in order to your Acceptance with God This is not a Glass that makes a resemblance of the bare superficies and outward face of things onely but it discovers the spots freckles and smutches of the Hidden man the Heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. So that it is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speculum a Looking-glass but 't is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perspecillum a Perspective-glass which gives you a distinct prospect into every cranny and corner of your treacherous Heart 'T is not a Glass that represents the bare Images of things which can never be handled by the hands of any man but the things themselves even such things as your hands may handle of the Word of Life 1 John 1. 1. 'T is not a dark and aenigmatical Glass like that of the Law of Moses which was covered with a Vail 1 Cor. 13.12 2 Cor. 3. 13. But this Looking-glass of the Messias the Law of Liberty Jam. 1. 23. is as clear as Chrystal Rev. 21. 11.18 22. 1. unto the man whose eyes are opened Numb 24. 3. with Christs spittle and clay Joh. 9. 6. and with his Eye-salve Revel 3. 18. And 't will plainly represent pi al pi Hebr. mouth to mouth and face to face Prov. 27.19 even to the transforming of your Soul into the Image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. 'T is not a Glass that gives false and flattering representations making foul things seem fair or fair things foul but according to their Nature so is their Colour and complexion in a real Portraicture 'T is a Glass that proposes to view the Anatomy or Dissection of the Heart wherein the many Fibrae or small threads of its Treachery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying open with their faces upwards Hebr. 4. 13. are detected Mark 4. 22. 'T is a Glass that in the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. will tell you all that ever you have said or done Joh. 4. 29. 'T is a Glass that may serve you as an Oracle to tell you what you ought to say and do at all times in all places and upon all occasions Isa 8. 20. 16. 'T is a Glass that affords an entire Representation of whole Man from top to toe from side to side yea and his Inside as well as Outside 'T is a Glass whose reflexive rays do not only scatter light whereby you may discern what is the pollution of your first birth and what ought to be the purity of your second birth but it also sparkles heat to warm your Heart Luke 24. 32. and fiery flames to burn up corruption in it Isa 4.4 They say Wizzards or wise men so called can shew in their enchanted Glass by their Charms and Sorceries the very Idea's or Images of those Thieves that stole away the Goods of them who so devoutly not to say devilishly do consult with them to know it that they may recover their lost Goods again This is done by Collusion one Devil discovers another for more Devilish ends to wit that their Devotionist may become a Disciple to the Devil and fall down with Saul to worship him for helping him to finde his lost Goods But behold this is a sacred Glass that will make a divine Discovery of those grand Thieves to wit Satan Sin and Death amongst which Man did fall as he was travelling the wrong way from Jerusalem to Jericho from the Tree of Life to the Tree of forbidden Fruit and was stripped by them of his Garment of Innocency sadly wounded and left not onely half dead but even stark dead in trespasses and sins Luk. 10.30 Eph. 2. 1. Yea this Glass discovers to you not onely the Malady in the cases aforesaid but also the Remedy how you may be quickened from your dead estate how you may be healed of your spiritual wounds and also how you may recover your lost Goods as 1. The Image of God 2. Favour from God 3. Fellow-ship with God provided you give not a careless cast of your eye upon this Glass but take a serious awful and consciencious Contemplation of the natural face of your Inner man in it and so long until you be metamorphosed into Christs Image That you may do so and be so is the hearty Prayer of From my Study in Fleet-street July 12. 79. Your Brother in the best Bonds Christopher Nesse THE CONTENTS CHAP. 1. OF the Heart in general how corrupted by the Fall and how those Corruptions of a deep Dye are to be seen in God's Looking glass Sundry Motives to improve this Spiritual Glass Page 1. Chap. 2. Of the Hearts Treason against God Some Heart-rowzing Considerations as 1. Every one hath an Issue of Sin 2. It begins betimes 3. It runs long unstaunched 4. No Physician but Christ can heal it 5. Man is naturally afar off from this right Healer 6. Christ hath many Followers and but few Touchers Encouragements to improve this true All-Heal Jesus Christ 16 Chap. 3. Of the Hearts Treachery against Man's self How the Heart was treacherous in Jeremy's time is so in our time and will be so to the end of the world Of the matter manner and measure of it 35 Chap. 4. Of the measure of its Treachery How 't is more treacherous than all the deceitful persons both men and women which weread of in the Sacred Scriptures though never so deceitful 56 Chap. 5. 'T is more deceitful than all the deceitful things which the Holy Scripture mentioneth though never so deceitful as the Serpent Sorceries c. 80 Chap. 6. 'T is more deceitful than All as it puts a Cheat 1. upon the highest Object to wit God 2. upon the noblest subject to wit the Soul 3. And for the longest time to wit Eternity Several Objections against this Assertion are answered 104 Chap. 7. Of the Hearts Treachery 1. As to State 2. As to Actions The State is twofold 1. Temporal 2. Spiritual The Temporal State is twofold 1. Prosperity whereby the Malady of the Hearts deceitfulness is handled and the Remedy against it

must be the first witness of Christs Resurrection you may not then despair of healing Mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. Omnipotenti Medicio nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus to an Almighty healer no disease can be found incurable Jehovah Rephekah I am the mighty God that healeth you Exod. 15. 26. If he will he can make you whole Matth. 8. 2. 14. The sixth Encouragement is That he certainly will do it he will assuredly heal all those that come to him humbly and touch him believingly as the woman with the issue did for first Christ never sent any such away unhealed while he was on Earth and secondly he hath now more power and love rather than less that he is in Heaven a glorified Christ in his state of exaltation must needs be a fully accomplished Saviour for poor sinners if he were so sweetly qualified to heal all that ever came to him for healing while he was in the form of a servant and in his state of Humiliation This poor Woman comes trembling to Christ but goes away triumphing from him Faith in Christ finds a sweeter welcome than it can expect Christ turns himself towards touchers as he did towards her that came behind him Matth. 9. 22. May you but find a praying heart he will undoubtedly find a pittying heart put in for a share of Mercy as she did with Jairus while Christ is dealing Mercy 15. Finally seeing your heart is naturally an evil Treasure and Fountain and hath the issues of death not of life Prov. 4. 23. in it as there is saltness in every drop of the Sea and bitterness in every branch of the Worm-wood so there is sin in every action of the unrenewed Heart Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est saith Augustine The whole life of an Unbeliever is sin whatsoever an unclean person touched though it were holy flesh Hag. 2. 12. it was unclean so every action of such his very plowing and praying is defiled with sin all his works are dead works be they for the matter of them never so praise-worthy as not flowing from a principle of life within As the fountain casteth out its bitter waters so the heart doth wickedness Jer. 6. 7. 't is the stews of unclean the shambles of bloody the shop of couzening and a very forge or mint of all sinful thoughts 't is the source of sin a very Seminary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seed-plot of all iniquity as in the first Chaos Gen. 1. 2. c. there were the Seeds of all created things so there is in the heart the seeds of all folly vanity and villany in that Sea is not that great Leviathan the Devil onely who hath both a strong hold of it and his strong holds in it 2 Cor. 10. 4. but also creeping things crawling lusts innumerable as Psal 104. 26. making that which should be the Temple of God to be a den of Thieves a Palace of Pride a very raging Sea of sin Isa 57. 20. yea a little Hell of black and blasphemous imaginations Homo in se infernum habet saith Luther Every Man naturally hath an Hell in his heart if there may be a beam in the eye Matth. 7. 3 4 5. surely there is a whole Wood in the Heart Si trabs in oculo tunc sylva in corde saith the Father and if the Tongue be not a City or a Countrey of evil onely but a whole World of evil Jam. 3. 6. a new-found World of iniquity how many such Worlds then is the heart the tongues treasure 16. Oh then Christ must be the true Hercules to cleanse this Augaean stable of your filthy heart by drawing that blessed River of Repentance through it to wash it clean 't is a touch of Christ that must stop your issue of death And that you may press to be a toucher as well as a follower of Christ take these following Motives 1. Adam touched the Tree of Knowledge and catch'd death and will not you touch the Tree of Life that you may live and not dye Gen. 3. 2. Secondly Satan will touch you with his deadly touches 1 Joh. 5. 18. and have you not then need to touch Christ Thirdly Christ comes near to you in the Gospel that he may be touched Rom. 10. 8. Fourthly he stretches out the Golden Scepter of the Covenant of Grace that you may take hold of it as well as touch the top of it Esth 5. 2. Isa 56.4 6. Fifthly then neither evil nor Devil shall touch you 1 Joh. 5.19 God charges both as David did his Souldiers Beware that none touch my Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 5. 12. If you be in Christ and keep with him and within touch of him you are out of the Devils reach he may indeed touch yea bruise your heel Gen. 3. 15. but he can neither break your Head nor your heart Sixthly what pressing from all places in the Countrey of those that have the Evil is to the Court for a Royal touch upon touching days How much should there be to Christ the King of Kings and true Allhealer Seventhly the touch of the Loadstone is admirable whereof no reason could ever be rendred but the touch of Christ that makes the Heart point Heaven-ward is more admirable Eighthly Daniel was touched by Gabriel over and over again Dan. 9. 21. 10. 10 16 18. Oh get Christs touch Matth. 8.3 both upon your eyes Matth. 9. 29. and upon your ears yea and upon your tongue Mark 7.33 but especially upon your Heart 1 Sam. 10.26 This is not all but you must get Christs All-healing Touch upon your Children as Parents do the Kings touch for their diseased Sons or Daughters Mark 10. 13. All these have the Kings-Evil so called The evil of the Devil that King of the bottomless pit Revel 9. 11 is upon them all our lips are polluted Isa 6. 7. Luk. 22. 57. our tongues are set on fire of Hell Jam. 3. 6. and so are all the rest till Christ who is touched with our infirmities Hebr. 4. 15. touch and heal them CHAP. III. Of the Hearts Falshood and Treachery 1. THe second thing is the second Malady The heart is as full of Treachery as of Treason and of falshood as of filthiness and therefore stands in need of the second Remedy to wit of keeping with all diligence as a false and deceitful Thief that hath given his keeper the slip many times is watched and warded first of the Malady The Heart of Man is a false and treacherous Heart it was no less than so in Jeremy's day Jer. 17. 9. so superlatively fallacious and surely 't is much more so in our day that are cast upon the dregs of time and on the fag-end of the World 1 Cor. 10. 11. the dregs of things are always the worst of things and so are the dregs of time the old World was worst a little before its destruction by water Gen. 6. 5 11 12. all flesh had corrupted their way and all the thoughts

but the ambush of the subtle serpent in it she discerned not oh the crafty and deceitful Devil that lays an ambush of real death under the coverts and colours of seeming life hence he is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11. 3. using 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his crafty subilety to cheat us of all graces but especially of our simplicity and therefore doth he muster up all his forces and lyeth in ambush all his frauds do deceive and destroy us 2. This old Serpent when he was but young out-witted our first Parents even in their state of innocency now that he is old and we but young all are but children Eph. 4. 14. how easily may he beguile us especially having something of himself in us which he had not in Christ Joh. 14. 30. to betray us into his hands this subtle serpent hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set Ambushes and composed Stratagems 2 Cor. 2. 11. whereby to ravish and corrupt our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judgments you cannot be ignorant if you be a Christian in truth if you have but more than the title of a Christian of the cunningly-moulded-methods even in your personal experience of the darts and depths of Satan wherewith he deceives you and he plays not at small games but deceives whole Nations as well as single persons Revel 20. 3 8. even Gog the covert enemy and Magog the overt or open one the Pope and the Turk yea he deceives the whole world that lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5. 19. This Interpolator Creaturae or broker and brusher up of the vain things of the World as Tertullian calls him sets an alluring Gloss upon the Creature and fits every one a penny-worth as he finds inclinations he hath an Apple for Eve a Grape for Noah and a Vineyard for Ahab he hath a wedge of Gold for Achan and talents of Silver for Gehazi c. 3. 'T is more than manifest that this grand Pyrate at land as well as at sea hangs out false Colours till his prey come within compass of his chain and that this sublime sophister and old Impostor can both in himself and instruments cog a Die wherewith to cheat you Eph. 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Artifex fallacia or fallax artificium a cunning sleight of Gamesters and Cheaters such a conquering couzenage that thereby were it possible he would deceive the very elect even fundamentally and finally Matth. 24. 24. as others are An eminent instance of this cheating Devil you have concerning Saul afore-mentioned to whom Satan that old Serpent did counterfeit Samuel in speech and Habit and with great gravity Samuel-like upbraided him with sparing Agag c. Before the fact was done he tempts Saul to it under the colour of an act of mercy and why should he be so cruel to his fellow-creatures not a word of any stumbling-block Satan lays in Sauls way to hinder this seeming work of Mercy before his doing of it but now when 't is done though it was done through his tempting him thereunto he presseth it with all aggravations upon his Conscience in his day of distress as an heinous and horrible sin that he might drive them into despair and he plaid the Sophister with Saul in the prophetical part of that passage of Pageantry as well as in the Historical to morrow thou and thy Sons shall be wtih me 1 Sam. 28. 19. wherein he could not mean Heaven with true Samuel for that is too good a place for bad Saul nor Hell with himself the true Satan for that is too bad a place for good Jonathan but the state of the dead the old deceiver insinuating to Saul thereby that the Souls of all men of the good as well as of the bad do go to the same place and seeking to blot out of him therewith all knowledge and apprehension of eternal life oh miserable comfort in distress and no better can those expect that run to Witches c. for ease the Parasite and tempter before sin will be a Tyrant and Tormentor after it when he hath accomplished his end his flattery goes no further but turns into fury 4. Although Satan be all this and much more against faln Mankind which makes him their greatest adversary yet hath a man a worse enemy than he to wit his own superlatively-deceitful and desperately wicked heart every one carries a tempter in his bosome whereby he is drawn away and enticed Jam. 1. 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entised as a fish by a bait yea drawn away by his own byass of lust the Devil hath onely an insinuating sleight not any forcing or constraining might mans own concupiscence carries the greatest sway and stroke therein thence it is said that Deceit as well as all other Soul-defiling-evils come out of the heart Mark 7. 22 23. Satan might besiege us days without number and without success too if a treacherous party were not within to let down the Drawbridge and to set ope the Gates of the City for his entrance and entertainment There is deceit in the heart Prov. 12. 20. and therefore Christ tells you it comes out of the heart what is in the Well will be in the bucket surely they are redeemed from deceit indeed Psal 72.14 that have a cover for their heart that well which is so full of crawling lusts to wit the cover of Gods Spirit Isa 31. 1. Every vessel that wanteth a cover was unclean Num. 19. 15. so is the heart that is open to Satans squibs for ingress and sinful thoughts for egress 5. The second thing next to the old Serpent is Antichrist the man of sin call'd primo-genitus Diaboli the first-born of the Serpents seed that grand Impostor whose coming is after the working of Satan with lying wonders and all deceivableness 2 Thes 2. 9 10. that beast which doth great wonders in the sight of men and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth Revel 13. 13 14. This Son of perdition cheats the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with wonders of a lye which is an usual Hebraism to denote the notorious fallacy and falshood of his wonders they are either lying prodigies or prodigious lyes such as some of themselves say are for the most part false yet were devised for good intentions This Ludovicus Vives one of their own further confirmeth affirming that the Author of the Golden or rather lying Legend had a brazen face corrupting the lives of their Canoniz'd Saints with abundance of lyes and that the devisers of those Fables did not set down what their Saints did but what themselves would have had them done And the Doctrines of Popery are like their Miracles lying Doctrines it being no other than a Farrago of falsities and old Heresies for as the Centurists say the old Hereticks fled at the light of truth and hid themselves in the Popish Clergy And whence doth all this arise but from their own treacherous and deceitful hearts whereby they are