Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
life_n everlasting_a reap_v sow_v 4,291 5 10.3472 5 false
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
A41197 A brief exposition of the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians by James Fergusson. Fergusson, James, 1621-1667. 1659 (1659) Wing F772; ESTC R27358 577,875 820

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

works of that kind So it is lawfull for Christians to have an eye to this reward as a motive whereby to work up their backward hearts unto a willing complyance with expensive duties of that sort providing first it be not looked at as a thing to be merited by their good works Rom. 6. 23. Nor secondly as the only or chief motive 2 Cor. 5. 14. for the Apostle by this similitude doth minde them of the promised reward as an argument exciting them unto beneficence Whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap Vers. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting VVHat the Apostle spoke generally concerning that proportion which shall be betwixt a man's future reward and his present work he doth now following the same metaphor of sowing and reaping make it more clear by distinguishing several sorts of sowers seeds grounds and several sorts of harvests answerable to each of those The plain meaning whereof is 1. That carnal and unregenerate men who take no other care but to spend their wit strength time and particularly their means upon the service of their own fleshly lusts such as are reckoned forth chap. 5. 19 20. they shall at last reap no fruit thereby but corruption that is eternal perdition for corruption is here opposed unto eternal life and this they shall reap from the flesh that is their own inbred corruption which with the sinfull effects thereof is the true seed of death and perdition And secondly that renewed and spirituall men who imploy their whole life study and labour and particularly their worldly substance for advancing the works of the Spirit whether in themselves or others such as are reckoned forth chap. 5. 22. and particularly for upholding the Gospel and a painful Ministry they shall receive the reward of eternal life and this from the Spirit that is the grace of God in them which is the true seed of eternity not by way of merit as destruction and corruption follow upon the flesh but from God's mercy and free gift as the Apostle doth in plain and proper terms put the difference Rom. 6. 23. according to which this metaphorick allegory must be expounded and may not be set in opposition to it Doct. 1. The whole world are comprized in one of two ranks they are either sowing to the flesh living in their unregenerate state and in slavery to their lusts whose end shall be perdition or they are sowing to the Spirit truly regenerate and imploying themselves for the advancing of things spiritual whose end shall be eternal life There is no neutral or midstate for Paul distinguisheth all in these two He that soweth to his flesh and he that soweth to the Spirit 2. It may be frequently observed that they who have not an heart to part with any thing of their temporall goods for God and pious uses but plead present poverty necessity and fear of future want when God doth call them to any thing of that kind are notwithstanding most profuse and lavish in spending their means to make provision for the flesh and to uphold the beastly lusts thereof for he that soweth not to the Spirit soweth to his flesh 3. Though carnal men do think their own way the only wisest while they spend their wit and substance for attaining present profit pleasure and preferment and do judge the way of the Godly but meer folly while they imploy their strength and means for things spiritual and such as God's honour is mainly concerned in and are not attended with an income of worldly advantage but rather of losse and detriment yet the end shall prove that those who thought themselves only wise men and gainers have been but meer fools and greatest losers and that those others whom they looked upon as mad-men and bad managers of their worldly affairs have been the greatest gainers and wisest adventurers for he that soweth to his flesh shall reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting 4. The state of the wicked after death is a state of corruption wherein though the substance of their soul and body shall not be annihilated but shall be upheld unto all eternity by the mighty power of God in the midst of unutterable torments Mark 9. 44. yet all their glory pleasure and gain wherein they placed their happinesse and for attaining whereof only they spent their time and strength Psal. 49. 11. shall then be consumed 2 Pet. 3. 10. and they themselves made to languish and pine away under the wrath of an highly provoked and then unreconciliable God 2 Thess. 1. 9. for saith he The wicked shall reap corruption meaning their state after death 5. The state of the Godly after death shall be a state of life the life of Grace being then swallowed up and perfected in the life of Glory which consisteth in perfect freedom from sin and misery Eph. 5. 27. in unconceivable joys Psal. 16. 11. and the full enjoying of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. which happy state of theirs shall be eternal they shall never weary nor yet be deprived of it for saith he the Godly shall reap life everlasting 6. Whatever sin a man committeth it is most properly his own work as flowing from the root of his own corrupt flesh but the good which he doth is not so properly his own as Gods in so far as it floweth from the Spirit of God and habits of Grace which were wrought in him by the self-same Spirit Philip. 2. 13. Col. 3. 10. for speaking of the flesh he setteth it forth by the appropriating Pronoun his He that soweth to his flesh but not so while he speaketh of the Spirit He that soweth to The Spirit not to his spirit Vers. 9. And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not THe Apostle from what he hath presently spoken of the reward of eternal life attending those who sow in the Spirit inferreth the former exhortation propounded ver 6. and enlargeth it by recommending unto them according to the sense given of the former similitude the study of good works and especially of beneficency in the general under the name of well-doing whereby he meaneth not only the outward work but also the doing of it in a right manner Mat. 6. 1. c. and that they would persevere to the end in that study notwithstanding of all contrary discouragements without base and cowardly ceding unto them and inforceth the exhortation by putting it above all question that they shall gather the fruit which God had promised though not presently yet in the due time that is the time which God doth judge most convenient but withall he addeth a condition of reaping in due time required on their part to wit if they continued constant in well-doing even the same unto which he had exhorted them in the former part