Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	death_n	sin_n	sin_v	6,726	5	9.1768	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76814	Living truths in dying times: Some meditations (upon Luk. 21.30. [sic]) occasioned by the present judgement of the plague. / By Thomas Blake.	Blake, Thomas.	1665 (1665)	Wing B3146A; ESTC R223024	90,620	229

to be owned and honored by Christ when they shall stand before him at his judgement-seat there are such in the world as the Prophet complains of Ezek. 13.22 Who strengthen the hands of the wicked many ways there are to do it but it is miserable work whoever is found in it we promote and incourage sin either when we provoke and intice unto it as Solomon warns his son Prov. 1.10 When sinners intice thee consent not to them there are such sinners that in●ice unto sin as the whorish woman Prov. 7.21 With many fair speeches she caused him to yeild that is a promoting of sin and much more do they promote it that by what means they can do constrain others to it Thus do the wicked great men of the earth that compell others unto their idolatry and to share in their abominations as Jeroboam did in 2 King 17.21 c. They also promote sin ●n others who do labour to extenuate and lessen sin and make people believe it is not what it is to the end they may less fear and dread it and go on in it with the more confidence such a kind of people as the Lord by the Prophet meets with in Mal. 2.17 Ye have wearied me c. when you tell people sin is not such a thing as some would have you believe and he will love you for all that this is an inticing unto evil I but what will become of them that will you see in Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgement c in which words you have both the sin and punisment that shall follow upon the sinner the sin is expressed that they sin and love to have others do so the punishment is implyed they that so sin are worthy of death and that they shall have they shall have their demerit not life from Christ nor shall they live with Christ but everlasting death is their demerit and that they shall have that shall be their portion and so that Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break any of these little commandments and teach men so to do c. whoever shall sin and incourage others in it what shall become of him he shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven the words are a figurative speech where less is spoken then intended least that is he shal be so little that he shall not be at all in the Kingdom of heaven That is the second sort that shall not stand before the Son of man Onely I would put in a caution That it is possible good souls even the Lords own people may sometimes prove a means of incouraging sin in others and that either by some ill example as such a case is intimated 1 Cor. 8.10 If any man c. The example of a stronger Christian may incourage a weak one to do things against his conscience things he is not satisfied in and so it may be a sin unto that weak one he may sin being led to it by the example of another or we may further sin in others when we do not restrain it according as we may and ought Thus did Eli who was a very good man but yet he did further the sin of his sons in that he did not restrain them he did onely give them a gentle and mild reproof when he should have put a restraint upon them as you may read 1 Sam. 2.22 and forward Now Eli was very old c. in a mild way he reproves them when as he was a Magistrate he should have put a restraint upon them and see how God punishes this upon him in Chap. 3.13 It is not enough to reprove a sin but where we can we ought to restrain it as Masters Parents Magistrates and the like that is their duty and they that are not faithful in the discharge of it may be thereby an incourager of sin in others only this note that though sinners may encourage sin and Saints may incourage sin too yet it is greatly different Saints may incourage sin eventually and accidentally but not inten●ionally it is not their design sinners do it designedly and Saints accidentally and that is a wide difference To proceed thirdly They may not expect to stand in the day of Christ that rush on upon ways of sin contrary to light and convictions received Rom. 1.21 Because that when they knew God c. in a due proportion to the light we have received such should our walkings and acting be and he that sins against his light sins greatly Many make dreadful havock of their light and great inrodes upon their conscience You read in Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord the conscience of a man it is the candle of the Lord and we often sin against it untill we sin it out although this cannot be done at a cheap rate and yet how often do we do it Psal 125.5 As for such as turn aside the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity in which is implyed not only that God will leave them to sin as the wicked do but to the same punishment that doth attend and betide the workers of iniquity and also to this purpose take that text again Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the just judgements of God there is a great emphasis in that they that know that he that sinneth so and so what he doth deserve they are like to fall under his just judgement Luk. 12.47 The servant that knows his Lords will c. What shall he be rewarded No But he shall be beaten with many stripes A fourth sort of persons that shall never stand before Christ are they that turn the grace of God and Christ into wantonness they that from the kindness of God in the Gospel take occasion to strengthen their hands in ways of rebellion against God and Christ I tell you such souls will have a sad account to make in the day of Christ and will stand with much paleness of face and dejection of spirit in vers 4. of Judes Epistle we are pointed to such a people who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness that is Make use of the grace of God in the Gospel as an occasion to lasciviousness Oh it is sad indeed to make the greatest mercy a prop and fartherer of the greatest iniquity Paul tells us in Rom. 7.11 That sin took occasion by the Commandment that is there is such an enmity and contrariety in the heart of man naturally against God and the minde of God that the very command to holiness is a spur and furtherance unto wickedness such is the enmity that is in the heart unto God Now it is a very great sin that the Law that is intended to keep from sin should be an occasion of sin it is a great aggravation but it is much more a great sin when the Mercy and Grace of God that should be the greatest hindrance and let in the way of sin if that should become an occasion of sin and a means to

forth in such a judgement it seeth it is the hand of the great glorious mighty ter●ible God and therefore the soul that knows who he is and what he is cannot but have an awe of his judgement resting upon him David was no Infidel yet a man of fear Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of all thy judgements David had this and it was no unbecoming fear he had a holy awe of God a dread of the judgements of God upon the soul is so far from being inconsistent with faith that it is a necessary concomitant of it Again 3. Faith cuts not the throat of the use of means but whilst thou believest for preservation thou art waiting on God in the use of that means that he directs thee to faith it puts upon the use of means but doth not call off from it You believe God for salvation What then you wait upon God in the use of Ordinances Now by these things ask your hearts whether you have faith or no. Two or three things more and I have done Is preservation such a mercy I would first say to you Labor then to be Saints in earnest for if you should be preserved and not be Saints you loose the mercy of your preservation Isa 15.4 His life shall be grievous unto him c. The case of evil men is such sometimes that the very living is a burthen to them and such may be the case of a sinner though he may not be cut off their life may be worse to them then cutting off Jer. 8.3 And death shall be chosen rather then life c. the life of a sinner is not worth the living 2. Above all things have as little to do with sin as you can that is one of the best preservatives Job 11.14 If iniquity be in thy tabernacle put it far away from thee 3. And lastly while you are in the world and distress is in the world especially remember and be sollicitous for the Sion of God Oh stand up and plead for the poor people of Sion Jer. 51.50 Let Jerusalem come into your minds Oh my friends while the distresses of this day lasts Let Jerusalem come into your mind If God preserve you I say while he p●eserves you think of Jerusalem plead with God for his poor people that that intere●t may be secured that the Lord would be to his people the shadow of a great rock in a weary land And thus I have dispatched the third Doctrine namely that it is a great honor and an especial mercy and that that Saints should put out hard for to be delivered in times of common calamity I shall now go on with the fourth Observation from the words That watchfulness and prayer are rare preservatives and excellent means for safety in the time of common calamities I dare not say they are never-failing means but they are the best means and that as seldom fail as any they are the best preservatives you can have and will do you most service of any thing if there be any safety to be had it is in the use of these means That is the note I would spend a little time upon the God of all our mercies knows how to make it of use to us I would treat a little distinctly on each of them and shew how far each of them serve to this design what part prayer hath in it and what part watchfulness I shall begin with the first viz. Prayer and in what I have to say to that I shall propound three things to be treated on 1. Consider a little what prayer is because if we mistake the thing it self we are out in the whole as if a skilful Physician prescribe one potion and it be mistaken and another taken for it instead of doing good it may do much harm therefore it is good to know what prayer is 2. Consider what prayer is wont to do When Physicians prescribe a remedy they will tell you what great cures such medicines have effected and therefore I shall shew you what prayer hath done and then how it comes to be particularly useful in this case of a common calamity For the first then what is Prayer we oft speak of going to prayer but what is praying Why prayer it may be thus described It is the breathing of a gracious soul in the help of the Spirit of Grace whereby it is inabled to go to God in a promise in the Name of Christ to begg suitable mercy as the case may require I will take this description in parts and confirm each part unto you that you may see it is a description consonant and agreeable unto the word of truth First of all I say prayer is the breathing of the soul heartless prayer is no prayer it is the work of the soul the work of the heart and that in which the heart is not is not prayer at all hence you have that expression in Jam. 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much it may be better rendred The Inwrought prayer of the righteous prayer it is an Inwrought thing it is first wrought in the heart before it is brought forth into petitions and if it be not first wrought in the heart before it is brought forth into desires and petitions it is not prayer The heart must go whatsoever is w●nting whether you pray with the voice or not you must pray with the heart such a thing you read of in the known case of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.13 Hannah she speaks in her heart onely her lips moved her voice was not heard she spake in her heart her heart was in the prayer and it was a sign it was by the good issue it had David Psal 119. 145. hath an expression that looks that way I cryed with my whole heart Oh Lord I will keep thy statutes If you cry it must be with the heart that must not be wanting for if that be wanting truely the best ingredient of prayer is wanting hence you have that expression in Psal 25.1 I lift up my soul unto thee the meaning is I pray unto thee I call unto thee but he doth express it by lifting up the soul because the soul was ingaged in the work I lift up my soul unto thee the like expression you have Psal 86.4 Now that is the first thing in the description it is the breathing of the soul 2. It is the breathing of a gracious soul it is not every heart but a gracious heart that knoweth how to pray the breathings of a gracious soul and therefore whatever name the desires of a wicked man may have yet alas it doth not amount to prayer Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked it is an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight A wicked man may bring his sacrifice may think to put up his petition but what is it It is an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of