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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66029	A discourse concerning the gift of prayer shewing what it is, wherein it consists, and how far it is attainable by industry, with divers useful and proper directions to that purpose, both in respect of matter, method, and expression / by John Wilkins, D.D. ; whereunto may be added Ecclesiastes, or, A discourse concerning the gift of preaching by the same authour.	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.	1653 (1653)	Wing W2180; ESTC R7133	129,988	242

liberality Almes Hospitality Restitution By this we are taught to pray that we may not wrong or defraud our brethren by any outward act of oppression injustice or deceit That our hearts may not be troubled with any sollicitous or carking cares that our conversation may be without covetousnesse being content with such things as we have trusting in his promise that he will never leave us nor forsake us that they who seek the Lord shall lack nothing that is good Remembring how he hath commanded us to cast all our care upon him and how he provides for the fowles of the aire and the beasts of the field and that in our greatest discontents we are in much better condition for the world then many of his blessed Saints and Martyrs who were forced to wander up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins and that we enjoy more then our blessed Saviour himself did who though he were Lord of the world yet had not whereon to rest his head That he would teach us how to abound and to want and in all estates to be content That he would moderate our desires to these earthly things that we may not too much love the world nor the things of the world that we may covet earnestly the best things seeking first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof expecting other matters as additions thereunto To esteem godlinesse for the greatest gain and as for these outward things not to desire any abundance of them but if we have food and rayment to be therewith contented That we may be just and upright in the wayes of getting wealth that we may not go beyond or defraud any one as knowing that the Lord is the revenger of all such being diligent in our callings working with our own hands the thing which is good that we may be able to give to them that need Being consciencious in repaying that we owe in making restitution of that wherein we have wronged any one That he would give us hearts to use and enjoy the estates which we possesse Power to eat thereof and to take our portion and to rejoyce in our labour That we may be wise and faithful in laying out the talents committed to our trust Not lavishing of them by any idle and vaine expences as knowing that we are but stewards of our estates being to give an account of them to our Lord and Master Not niggardly and sparing towards any work of charity Not trusting in uncertaine riches but in the living God that we may do good be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life Making our selves friends of unrighteous Mammon which may hereafter receive us into everlasting habitations Laying up for our selves treasures in heaven Considering that he who soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he who soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully The ninth Commandment does referre to duties which concerne our Neighbours or our own reputations From this we may learne to pray that we may be tender and charitable in upholding the credit of others willing to speak and hear and judge the best of them Covering their infirmities in love Not back-biting with our tongues nor taking up a reproach against our Neighbours Not speaking evil of any one but being gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men That we may not be willing to listen unto and hearken after any rumour which tends to the defamation of our Neighbour but may rather rejoyce in their good report Disliking all flatterers Tale-bearers and such other persons as do usually raise and spread ill rumours That we may not be pragmatical or censorious in the affaires of others where we are not concerned But may study to be quiet and to do our own businesse being careful to pull the beam out of our own eyes before we find fault with the mote in others Doing nothing through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of minde each one esteeming of others better then of himself That we may be lowly in our own eyes Not thinking of our selves more highly then we ought to think that we may be careful by all good means to advance our own reputations Valuing a good name above great riches labouring to be such as we would seem to be walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise approving our selves unto him who trieth the hearts Avoiding all appearances of evill and following matters of good report The tenth Commandment does require a sincere and upright heart to our selves and our Neighbours By this we are directed to pray that God would cleanse our souls from that evill concupiscence so natural unto them endowing us with a sincere inclination to all the duties of charity That he would make us more watchfull over our own senses and hearts in keeping out and extinguishing all those evill fancies and imaginations which may arise within us And to this purpose that he would bestow upon us the whole Armour of God whereby we may cast down all fleshly reasonings and imaginations and bring into subjection every thought unto the obedience of himself That we may make a Covenant with our thoughts not to please our selves in the speculation of any sins not to think of them without soathing and detestation That we may never make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof that our hearts may be dis-ingaged from the world That he would give unto us the Spirit of wisdome to discern in what things we are most obnoxious to temptation and to be most vigilant over our hearts in respect of those particulars That we may keep our hearts with all diligence That we may never envy our neighbours well-being nor rejoyce at his sufferings CHAP. XXII Of the graces that are more particularly required in the Gospel NExt to the Precepts of the Law we are to consider the duties which the Gospel does require of us namely that we should repent and believe That we should be careful to perform to continue and increase in all those particular duties and graces which are comprehended under these two general heads So that from hence we are directed to pray 1. For Repentance That since God hath in love to our souls vouchsafed unto us in his Gospel this Priviledge of repentance which the Covenant of Works did not admit of that he would also give us hearts for it granting us repentance unto life That he would convince us of the danger and folly and pollution of our sins enabling us to mourn over them bestowing upon us broken and contrite spirits Dissolving our stony hearts into that godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of That we may search and try our wayes and turn unto the Lord Bringing forth fruits

and way That our meeting together may prove for the better and not for the worse That we may after the hearing of it digest and settle it in our mindes by prayer meditation conference practice Expressing the power of it in our lives in all well-pleasing conversation and godlinesse Having our fruit unto holinesse that our ends may be everlasting life That he would prosper unto us the precious seed sown amongst us that neither the fowls of the aire devoure it nor the thornes choak it but that it may sinke down into our hearts and spring up in our conversations bringing forth in us the fruit of repentance and amendment of life that it may be effectual for the subduing of our sins the strengthning of our graces Transforming us daily into his Image from glory to glory That we may lead our lives in some measure answerably to the knowledge and means we have had as considering that to whom much is given of them much will be required That we may not receive his grace in vain Not being forgetful hearers but doers of the word That we may be able to say by experience It is good for us to be here and to wait upon God in his Ordinances That we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That he would lead us forward to perfection guiding us by his grace and after bringing us to his glory that in this life beholding his face in righteousnesse when we awake up in the resurrection we may be fully satisfied with his Image 3. Under this Commandment likewise are comprehended the duties that concern our reverent esteem and use of the Sacraments 1. For that of Baptisme That we may be truly sensible of the free mercy of God in making a gracious Covenant to us and our posterity and condescending so far unto our humane frailties as to afford us outward visible signes and seals of this Covenant to present that to our senses which ought to be apprehended by our faith That we may more frequently consider and esteem of this singular prerogative of our being actually admitted into his family and having his name put upon us That therefore we may resign up our selves wholly unto his good pleasure chusing him to be our Governour and our portion for ever that we may be more careful in observing that solemne Covenant which our Baptisme did engage us unto To forsake the Devill and all his works the vanities and lusts of the world and to continue faithfull in our service to him That this Ordinance may not be unto us onely an outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but the laver of regeneration working in us a good conscience towards God and may effctually seal unto us our adoption remission of sins and eternall life with all those promises that are contained in the Covenant of Grace that as we are received into the bosome of the visible Church and distinguished from those that are without so we may labour to walk as becomes this relation that the body of sin may be destroyed in us and his Image may be renued in us daily That we may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives 2. For the Lords Supper That he would continue unto us our liberty unto that precious Ordinance raising our hearts to an higher esteem and love of it Quickening us to a more frequent attendance upon him in it with fervency and delight That he would prepare us for it assist us in it and make it effectual to us afterwards That he would furnish us with all those graces which may make us worthy Communicants at his holy Table Affecting our hearts with an holy awe and reverence upon our neer approaching unto him in this solemn Ordinance left we should be found amongst the guests at his Table without having the wedding garment That we may after a more special manner stirre up in our selves the graces of his holy Spirit impartially examining the condition of our own hearts how we stand to him in regard of knowledge repentance faith to men in respect of our love and chariity that we may renew our Covenant with him by fresh resolutions of strict and circumspect walking and that he would make good his Covenant with us in taking from us the guilt and power of our sins and in giving unto us a new nature with all those other priviledges that were purchased for us by the death of Christ which is herein represented At the receiving of this Sacrament that he would inable us to behave our selves with reverence and true devotion to use it as a sacrifice of praise unto him a memorial of Christs death for us and a means to confirme our faith in him That as we do by our senses receive the common element of bread and wine to our corporal nourishment so we may by our faith receive the body and blood of Christ to our spititual nourishment that he may live in us and we in him that this may renew in our thoughts the remembrance of Christs Death and Passion for us and our own duty of love and obedience to him that it may be a means to weaken our corruptions to strengthen our graces to renew us in the spirit of our mindes according to the Image of him that created us That we may afterwards labour to feel the benefit of it in our lives and conscionably to perform all those good resolutions which in the time of our preparation we have purposed and promised That we may be careful to examine our improvement by it in respect of growth in grace power against corruption comfort and inlargement of heart labouring to walk worthy of the grace of God herein profered and represented as becomes those who have received so great pledges of salvation CHAP. XX. Of the duties required in the third and fourth Commandment THe third Commandment does enjoyn the sanctifying of Gods Name By this we are directed to pray that he would enable us to bear a reverent and high esteem unto all his glorious Titles and Attributes his holy Word the Religion we professe his mighty works That we may fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord our God that we may sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts being more careful to observe and meditate upon his holy Attributes and Titles more solemn and reverent in mentioning his names and word upon every good occasion That we may be more conscionable in observing all those good promises and resolutions which we have made That we may walk worthy of that vocation wherwith we are called labouring by an holy life to adorn our profession and bring glory to his name That we may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation amongst whom we may shine as lights in the world That he

faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse Hear my prayer O Lord give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares O spare me a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Let I pray thee thy merciful kindnesse be my comfort let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live Thus does Job petition for himself Are not my days few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death And thus the Prophet Jeremiah Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in this desire there are such considerations as these He hath commanded us to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to deliver us 't is in his power alone to kill to make alive to bring down to the grave and to raise up again He hath stiled himself the God of Salvation to whom belong the issues of death He can give pow●r to the faint and to them that have no might increase of strength He has profest that the death of his Saints is dear and precious in his sight He hath promised to strengthen them upon the bed of languishing and to make their bed in their sicknesse He hath said that the prayer of faith shall save the sick He hath permitted us concerning his sons his daughters to command him thereby implying that in our intercessions for one another we may be as sure of successe as we are of those things which are in our own power to command To which may be added our former experience of his truth mercy in the like cases from all which we may be encouraged to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in the time of need But if he hath otherwise determined and the days of their warfare be accomplished that then he would fit them for death and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of his Saints in light that they may be willing to depart and to be with Christ which is far better then still to be exposed to the evil to come to sinful temptations paines and diseases of the body troubles and vexations of the vain world especially considering that now death hath lost its sting and is swallowed up in victory And that it was the end of our Saviours passion to deliver them who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject to bondage That neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shal be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That by this means we must be brought to enjoy the beatifical vision of God the blessed company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect That he would be pleased to shine graciously upon them with his favour and reconciled countenance to fill their hearts with such divine joyes as belong unto those that are heires of a celestial kingdome and are ready to lay hold on everlasting life That this light affliction which is but for a moment may work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory That when this their earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved they may have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens That his blessed Angels may convey their soules into Abrahams bosome Now as in such cases we should thus intercede for others so likewise may we hence take fit occasion to pray for our selves That in the diseases and paines of others we may consider the frailties of our own conditions the desert of our own sins and may magnifie his special mercy in sparing of us so much and so long That we may be more seriously mindful of our later ends as knowing that he will bring us also to death and to the house appointed for all the living and that when a few dayes are come we shall go the way whence we shall not returne That we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world dwelling in houses of clay being here to day and not to morrow in the morning and not at night that our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding our years passe away as a tale that is told Our life is but as a vapour that appears for a while and then vanisheth away coming forth as a flower that is suddenly cut down flying as a shadow that continueth not Our times are in the hands of God all our dayes are determined the number of our moneths is with him He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome That he would give unto us the Spirit of judgement whereby we may discerne the true difference betwixt this spanne of life and the vast spaces of immortality Betwixt the pleasures of sin for a season and that everlasting fulnesse of joy in his presence Betwixt the vain applause of men and the testimony of a good conscience That in the present days of health and peace and prosperity we may treasure up for our selves such spiritual strength comforts as may hereafter stand us in stead when we come to lie upon our death-beds when all other contentments shall vanish away and prove unable to help us when the conscience of well-doing in any one action shall administer more real comfort to the soul then all our outward advantage or enjoyments whatsoever That our conversations may be in heaven from whence we may continually expect the coming of our Lord and Saviour That all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait till our change shall come That since we all know and cannot but be amazed to consider of that dreadful day of judgement when every one must appear before the Tribunal of God to receive an eternal doome according to his works that therefore he would make us such manner of persons as we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat that we may labour diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse CHAP. XXVII Concerning Thanksgiving by enumeration of Temporal favours THe third and last part of Prayer is Thanksgiving This according

for the benefit that we enjoy by their examples counsels experience For all those who have been instruments of our good by their Prayers Writings Preaching c. 6. For Hopes of Glory for giving unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature Having according to his abundant mercy begotten us again unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us For lifting up the light of his countenance upon us which is better then life it self for any comfortable evidences of our own salvation CHAP. XXIX Of Occasional thanksgiving either for inward or outward mercies BEsides these several heads of thanksgiving by which we should be directed in our ordinary and usual course there are others likewise not to be neglected which are extraordinary and occasional according as our particular wants exigences may be In the Generall we are to be thankful for the successe of our prayers whenever God doth vouchsafe to hear and grant our requests either in the behalf of our selves or others that instead of rejecting of our services and casting them back as dung into our faces which we might justly expect He does vouchsafe to accept of them and to return them with a blessing more particularly upon any special Preservation either of the Soul Body Recovery either of the Soul Body Deliverance either of the Soul Body 1. In case of inward fears desertions temptations For that in the multitude of our sorrows his comforts have refreshed our soul● For that he hath restored unto us the joy of his salvation established us with his free spirit Delivering us from those deep waters that were ready to overwhelm our souls for bringing us out of an horrible pit out of the miery clay and setting our feet upon a rock freeing us from darknes and the shadow of death and breaking our bonds in sunder for keeping us in the houre of temptation 2. In the case of outward exigences and troubles for delivering us in journeyes that he hath been with us and kept us in our places whither we did go and brought us again in safety whereas many others have been overtaken with desperate mischiefs For defending us in common dangers oppressions for hedging us about with his favour and protection that he hath not called us away in the midst of our days but hath holden our soul in life not suffered our feet to slip for being our refuge in distresse and putting his everlasting armes under us for binding up our souls in the bundle of life for hiding us in the time of trouble in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle under the shadow of his wings for being a strength to the poor to the needy in their distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is a storm against the wall for breaking the bands of the yoke and the rod of the oppressors and delivering us out of the hands of them that served themselves of us for the comfort that we have had in all our tribulations For delivering us from sore paines and desperate sicknesses of body when we had reason to think and say that we should go down to the gates of the grave and be deprived of the residue of our years not see the Lord in the land of the living nor see man any more with the inhabitants of the world but our age is removed from us as a shepherds tent and we shall be cut off with pining sicknes from day even to night will he make an end of us yet then did he in love to our souls deliver us from the pit of corruption therfore will we sing songs unto him all the dayes of our life I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up thou hast brought up my soul from the grave and hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth girded me with gladnes To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live He hath delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of salvation and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving I will pay my vowes unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the court of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem I called upon the Lord in distresse the Lord answered me set me in a large place He hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over to death I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and mercy CHAP. XXX Of the Amplification of mercies The Conclusion BEsides the Enumeration of mercies we may likewise finde abundance of matter for the Amplification or heightning of them which may be either in General Particular 1. In the general by their Multitude Greatnesse Continuance 1. From their multitude Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand 2. From the greatnesse of those mercies we receive which may appear by consideration of the Giver Receiver 1. The Giver the great God who is of infinite incomprehensible power The heavens are full of the Majesty of his glory of absolute perfection and alsufficiency in himself and cannot expect any addition from mans love or gratitude My goodnes extendeth not unto thee Now the greatnesse of the person doth adde a value to the favour 't is counted an honour but to kisse a Kings hand 2. The Receiver So vile and despicable in comparison of him as creatures So loathsom and abominable before him as sinners When we were nothing he took care of us since we have been worse then nothing Enemies he hath been pleased to pay a price for our reconciliation to him He is kinde to the unthankful and to the evil to those that do