Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	death_n	know_v	resurrection_n	1,580	5	9.6777	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85737	Svveet and soule-perswading inducements leading unto Christ. Deduced, 1. From the consideration of mans misery, emptinesse, basenesse, and dishonour without Christ. 2. From the meditation of the comforts attending the soules receiving of Christ. 3. From the apprehension of the joy and excellency of Christs living in man: the whole singularly sweetning the meditation of Christ to the soule of man. By Alexander Grosse, minister of Christ.	Grosse, Alexander, 1596?-1654.	1642 (1642)	Wing G2077; Thomason E120_1; ESTC R209830	364,575	490

and sinke of the foulest and basest misery The man in the parable fell among theeves which stripped him of his rayment and wounded him leaving him halfe dead Man is fallen among three great theeves the Devill sinne and the world and these have stripped man of all his spirituall rayment these have taken all grace and holinesse from man which once covered him like a rich and costly garment and they have also wounded and left man halfe dead in his very naturall abilities The fall of man hath totally stript him of all grace and holinesse and also given a mortall wound to his morall and naturall faculties Hee that abides not with God at Jerusalem makes himselfe a prey to sinne the Devill and the world There came a Priest and a Levite passing by and looking upon the man thus stript and wounded but neither of them had compassion upon him neither of them ministred any consolation nor lent an assisting hand unto him Neither the Priest nor the Levite neither the Morall nor Ceremoniall Law can deliver sinfull man from Satans bondage nor heale his wounded conscience neither the works of the one nor the Rites and Ceremonies of the other can restore man to his originall happinesse nor justifie him in Gods presence Mans best abilities and all-humane devises are miserable comforters to sinfull and perplexed soules in their anguish Though the Priest and the Levite had no compassion upon him yet there came a Samaritan which had compassion upon him though the Law shew no pitty nor minister no comfort to wounded soules and afflicted consciences yet the Lord Jesus communicates both great and sweet mercies to broken hearted sinners The Samaritane a man from whom this distressed man could not expect any mercy had compassion upon him and helped him Christ is become the Authour of mans comfort and salvation beyond all humane and Angelical thought conceit or imagination the wisedome worke and love of God in providing a Saviour for distressed sinners was farre above the reach and comprehension of all creatures The Samaritan bound up this poore mans wound and poured in wine and oyle the Lord Jesus binds up the broken-hearted and gives the oyle of joy for mourning to them whose soules are truly humbled the Samaritan set the man upon his owne beast Christ communicates his owne honour to the penitent and broken-hearted sinner sinne is the cause of mans dejection Christ is the Authour of mans exaltation the Samaritan brought this distressed man to an Inne and tooke care for him gave two pence to the Hoast charged him to take care of him and promised payment of whatsoever he should spend more The Lord Jesus brings perplexed soules to God as to their spirituall Hoast and to the ministery of the Gospell as to an Inne full of spirituall provision gives his Ministers the two Testaments the Law and the Gospell out of them to minister to the soules of his people and chargeth them as the ministeriall Hoast of poore and perplexed soules to make all necessary and plentifull provision and in the end by his merits his active and passive obedience his two great pence he dischargeth the debt of all penitent and beleeving sinners The whole of a sinfull and grieved soules happinesse flowes from the Lord Jesus all the supply of mans want and emptinesse is derived from Christs super-abundant fulnesse All the myrrh and odours and instruments of Hesters purification and all her rich and costly apparell were given her out of the Kings house and the royall crowne was put upon her head by the Kings hand All the purity and perfection all the righteousnesse and justification all the dignity and excellency of a holy and gracious soule is drawne from Christ the spirituall and heavenly King All mans holy and heavenly excellencies are borrowed from the Lord Jesus Man is an empty cisterne and hath all his fulnesse from Christ the true and everliving fountaine Christ is the root by whom he is sustained the spring by whom he is filled the Sun by which he is enlightened the garment wherewith he is covered the crowne with which he is honoured the head by which he is guided the eye by which he seeth the hand by which he worketh the foot by which he walketh yea the very soule by which he liveth Whatsoever goodnesse or excellency is in a Christian it is Christs and not his owne his very life is nothing but the living of Christ in him he must say with Paul Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me The words are a declaration of a Christians life Christ living in beleeving man and man living unto Christ The Apostle setting forth how he was dead to the Law that he might live to God tels us that he was crucified together with Christ Christ being crucified for us and we being by faith ingrafted into him doe dye to sinne and mortifie our earthly members which are upon earth the death of the Lord Jesus is the death of sinne in all beleeving Christians they live no more as formerly they did they have Christ now living in them and communicating himselfe unto them He that hath not experience of Christs living in him in the way and worke of sanctification presumes in vaine of being saved by his death and suffering no man knowes the benefit of Christs death but he that feeles the vertue of Christs life Man hath no further assurance of Christs dying for him then as he feeles Christ living in him He that knowes the power of Christs death in the mortification of his lusts knowes also the vertue of Christs life in the quickning of his soule and can say with Paul now I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me In the words not to trouble you with many particulars we have two generall things proposed 1. Christian abnegation I live yet not I. 2. Holy and gracious vivification but Christ liveth in me In the abnegation we have 1. the Subiect I Paul the Apostle a man chosen and called of God a man filled and furnished with the fulnesse of Christ and in and under him is understood all beleeving Christians Such alone as are truly sanctified and gracious people are the compleat and proper Subiect of that life which is heavenly and spirituall Onely the living body is the seat and subject of the soule and that man alone that is spiritually quickned hath Christ residing and dwelling in him communicating holy and heavenly life to him 2. Here is the Predicate or thing affirmed Life and that is two wayes proposed 1. affirmatively I live 2. Negatively yet not I. First affirmatively I live I lived once under the Law which made me a persecutor of the Church of God convinced me of sinne wrought in me all manner of concupisence and slew me and I then found my selfe to be dead in sinne but now I have embraced Christ and am crucified with him now I am no more the man I was but now

in the deepest outward misery rather then live without Christ in the greatest worldly prosperity peace and plenty 6. A corrupt framing and devising of false Christs and false wayes to life and peace Some frame unto themselves a carnall Christ placing all his worship and their service in a carnall and bodily attendance upon his ordinances they thinke it enough to come and stand before him in his house in this they stay and looke no further they suppose the having of the outward ordinances is the having of Christ some frame unto themselves a ceremoniall and superstitious Christ embracing the traditions of men and being very severe and frequent in the observation of humane devises they blesse themselves as the onely true worshippers of Christ some frame unto themselves a licentious Christ such a Christ as died to bring redemption to man but requires no obedience from Man this is the Libertines Christ and all these suppose they have Christ when yet they have him not and as he that is full is loath to beg and the full stomacke loatheth the honey-combe so these supposing that they have Christ are full of Christ though yet they have him not as he in Solomon made himselfe rich when yet he had nothing they are loath either to deny themselves or to seeke any further for Christ He that falsly faines himselfe to have Christ is of all others most uneasily drawne and wrought home to Christ The heathen man could say Many might have been wise if they had not already thought themselves wise and so many might have Christ if they were not perswaded they had already gotten Christ 7. Ignorance of the nature and sweetnesse of Christs yoake and of the comfort of living under the command of Christ. Men know not how good and pleasant the service of Christ is how full of joy and contentment the fruition of Christ is they imagine that Christs yoake is an yron yoake Christs way a way of thornes and the day of a Christian as a day of clouds and darknesse they know not that Christs yoake is made easie through grace that his wayes are wayes of peace and his paths paths of pleasantnesse they know not the ioy and reioycing arising from the having of our conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity they see not the Sun of love that shines upon the heads of the righteous they drinke not of that river of comforts which refresheth the city of the Lord they feed not upon the greene pastures nor taste of the still waters by which Christ leadeth and pa●●ureth his flocke they never knew the peace confidence security satisfaction safety and glory derived to the soule from the participation of Christ and therefore they will not put their neckes under Christs yoake CHAP. VI. IF you demand what the evils are which attend the want of self-denyall and full and through subjection unto Christ I answer hence arise these evils and great inconveniences to the soules of men 1. Vncapablenesse of Christ The full vessell is uncapable of other liquor the full house is uncapable of another dweller the full soule the soule which doth not deny it selfe which is not emptied of all self-sufficiency is uncapable of Christ as long saith the Apostle as the husband liveth the wife is bound to the law of her husband and she cannot marry another when her husband is dead she is free to marry whom she will As long as the creature liveth as long as opinion of self-sufficiency or any other lust doth live and beare sway in the heart of man Man is bound to the law of the creature and his owne lust he is under the power and authority of the creature and lust and he cannot marry his soule to Christ but if the creature be dead if the world be crucified unto him and he to the world if he hath crucified the flesh with the affections thereof then he is free to marry himselfe to Christ then he is capable of Christ Christ hath no gracious being where there is no true and through self-denyall that soule alone which is truly humble is Christs dwelling 2. Alienation and estrangement from all the benefits and comforts flowing from Christ. The Subject which exalts himselfe and denyes obedience to his Soveraigne deprives himselfe of all the prerogatives which the King grants unto his loyall people He that exalts himselfe with an opinion of his owne worth or sets up the creature in the roome of Christ and will not vaile and bow to Christ excludes himselfe from all the comforts of Christ He is estranged from the knowledge of Christ as a diseased eye from the light of the Sunne from the love of Christ as a harlot from the love of her husband from the faith of Christ as the house builded upon the sand was estranged from the rocke from the communion and fellowship of Christ as Joab exalting Adoniah into the Throne was excluded from communion with Solomon so man exalting the creature or any lust into the heart the Throne of Christ loseth all communion with Christ he that denyes not himselfe receives nothing of Christ he receives not Christ as a Prophet instructing he is still in darknesse and in the shadow of death he receives not Christ as a King to raigne and rule over him he feeles nothing of Christs kingdome within him he receives not Christ as a Priest he knowes not the vertue of Christs death in the death of his sinne he is still in his sinne without justification Adam preferring the perswasion of his wife above the commandement of God lost all his communion with God and was excluded from the Tree of Life Man exalting any thing above Christ excludes himselfe from God and Christ 3. Vanity emptinesse hallownesse of profession of Christ and attendance upon the ordinances The profession of Christ without self-denyall and full subjection under Christ is nothing worth a tree of leaves without fruit like that in the Gospell whose end was accursed Joah exalting Adoniah fled in vaine to the hornes of the Altar he was there slaine Man exalting himselfe or any thing else above Christ flyes in vaine to the ordinances of God to the outward profession of Christ Herods hearing the Baptist and doing many things stood him in no stead exalting Herodias in his heart the Philistines exalting Dagon had no benefit by the Arke they were the more plagued for the presence of it Mans very profession of Christ turnes to the increase of his condemnation not throughly subjecting himselfe to Christs dominion 4. Subiection abasement and thraldome under the creature and his owne sinfull flesh They that dreame of liberty by refusing to take the yoake of Christ upon them in stead of freedome meet with thraldome The Apostle saith of false Prophets while they promise others liberty themselves are the servants of corruption such false Prophets are these men to their

Shunems sonne that was dead He lay upon the childe and his mouth upon the childes mouth and his eyes upon the childes eyes and his hands upon the childes hands he stretched himselfe upon the childe and the flesh of the childe waxed warme the childe neesed and opened his eyes Christ applyeth himselfe and his benefits to the understandings of men to the soules and consciences of men and their cold hearts are warmed their blind eyes are opened their soules are enlivened and Christ lives within them raising them from the death of sinne and restoring them to the life of God from which they are alienated by sinne therefore Saint John saith He that hath not the Sonne hath not life He that hath not the Son graciously possessing him spiritually quickning him powerfully working upon him and causing a holy change in him he hath not life the life of God that holy and gracious life which God through Christ communicates to the soules of his servants but he that hath the Sonne he that beleeveth in the Sonne is united to the Sonne and hath the Sonne living in him he hath life he is spiritually quickened and enlivened And God saith the Apostle hath given us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne God hath placed this and the fulnesse of all divine and heavenly good things in his Sonne he dispenseth all these by the Sonne that no man may live before him without the Sonne living in him and the Sonne is called Life having in himselfe the fulnesse of all life having the power of life and death being the Authour and the root of life in all them that live the life of grace no man comming to the Father receiving life from the Father finding grace and favour with the Father but in and through the Sonne who is to us the Way the Truth and the Life the way by whom we walk the truth by whom we are guided and the life by whom we are quickned called by Saint Paul our life because we live not the life of grace of our selves but by Christ It is a life which ariseth not from our flesh but is derived to us from Christ Christ liveth in us begetteth preserveth and perfecteth this life in all beleevers and for this end Christ came that all the chosen of God might have life and that they might have it more abundantly Ministring not onely an inchoation but a daily increase of the life of grace untill they come to the life of glory and Christ is termed eternall life having life eternall in himselfe working life eternall and living for ever in us we enjoying the true and eternall God in and through Christ And Christ liveth in all them that are the children of God 1. By way of Originall The life of grace is originally from Christ Christ being not only the Author of this life with the Father and the Holy-Ghost but also the root of this life in us living in us as the root liveth in the branches as the parent liveth in the childe therefore Christ is called the vine and we the branches As the life of the branches is originally in the vine so is our life originally in Christ and as the branches live by the vine living in them so we live by Christ living in us And the Apostle termeth the second Adam which is Christ a quickning spirit For as the life of the body of man is originally from the soule the soule quickning and living in the body so the life of grace is originally from Christ Christ spiritually quickening and living in all beleevers and as the body without the spirit is dead so is man without Christ spiritually dead in sins 2. By way of Coniunction Christ liveth in vs by being united to us and made one with us The stocke liveth in the graft by union with the graft we being taken out of the wilde Olive separated from our naturall and corrupt estate called and gathered home to Christ and grafted in the true Olive we live in him and he lives in us If ye abide in me and I in you ye shall bring forth much fruit saith Christ If ye be united unto me and I united unto you then you shall live and be very fruitfull By being built upon Christ the living stone they become lively stones 3. By way of influence infusion and transmission The heavens by an influence into the earth doe quicken and enliven the earth and make all the seeds and roots hidden in the earth to revive and put themselves forth to sprout and flourish there is an influence going forth from the Sun of righteousnesse into the soules of men reviving and quickning them and making them of dead to become living of barren to become fruitfull To you saith the Lord shall the Sun of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow up as the calves of the stall There is an influence goeth forth from the skill seated in the mind and strength seated in the hand of the Artificer which passeth upon the worke whereby he moulds and fashions it and sets a stamp upon it according to his pleasure Thus there is a heavenly influence a holy vertue and power comming from Christ and his Spirit that new moulds and fashions that mightily quickens and enlivens the soule of man by which Christ sets his owne Image upon man and this is called the power of Christs Resurrection That I may know him saith Paul and the power of his Resurrection that I may know Christ and be made partakers of the good things which come by Christ that I may know him as a Prophet instructing me as a Priest sanctifying me as a King reigning spiritually within me and that I may know the power of his Resurrection in the vivification of my soule in the abolition of my sinne in the taking away of the guilt of my transgression in the acquisition of righteousnesse and in the restoring of me to the assured hope of future glory and immortality There is a virtue flowes from the Resurrection of Christs body from the grave to the resurrection of the soules of men from the death of sinne As Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father even so should we walke in newnesse of life saith the Apostle and this influence of Christ into the soule of man is called the exceeding greatnesse of his power an exceeding great power for the omnipotency of the Agent for the mightinesse of the Devill sinne death and the world who are overcome by it for the greatnesse of the holy and gracious change wrought thereby in the soules of men changing the whole frame of the hearts of men from death to life from darknesse to light from bondage to liberty from uncleannesse to holinesse from earthlinesse to heavenlinesse and by this powerfull and mighty influence doth Christ live in

in himselfe but all his glory is in Christ the very whole of true Christians is from Christ Jesus Christ is both the fountaine filling and the life quickening them they cannot but acknowledge with Paul It is Christ lives in them In the words we have 1. A terme of opposition But 2. An Agent or Authour Christ he is the Author of this spirituall life 3. An Act liveth Christians live not the life of grace by themselves it is received from Christ 4. A Sub●ect in me True believers are the only subject of spirituall life First of the terme of opposition but a word signifying an opposition of things in that sense in which things are opposed Labour not for the meat saith Christ which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life and again lay not up for your selves treasure on earth but lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven And so likewise it is the Apostles charge be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is And be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit And thus the Apostle here I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I live indeed but it is not of my selfe but from Christ it is not of nature but of grace Christ is the root of spirituall life in me It is plaine and manifest to the feeling and experience of Gods children that they have not the life of Grace and holinesse from themselves but from Christ Jesus they know that Christ is the authour and finisher of their salvation they know that Christ is in them Examine your selves proove your selves know yee not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates saith the Apostle We know saith S. John that we are of God quickning regenerating enlightning and sanctifying us and we know that the sonne of God is come and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his sonne Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life they know that Christ is in them as a root enlivening them as a Sun illuminating them as a Refiners fire purging them The woman of Shunem knew that the Prophet had raised her dead son to life the children of God know that Christ hath raised their soules which were dead in sinnes and trespasses the blind man knew that whereas he was blind he did now see and that Christ had opened his eyes Gods children have experience of Christs opening the eyes of their understanding Naaman knew that Jordan had washed away the leprosie which clave unto him Gods servants know that they are washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Gods children know that of themselves they are dead in sins and trespasses and that Christ is the authour of spirituall life unto them they know that of themselves they are empty of all spirituall good and that Christ is the fountaine filling them they know that in their naturall estate they are the slaves of Satan the bond-men of the world the servants of corruption and that Christ alone is the worker of their freedome the beginning and the end of their salvation The life of grace and holinesse is not of man but of Christ no child in the course of nature can beget it selfe but is begotten of another Parent no child of God in the way of grace is the authour of his owne regeneration and new birth but is begotten again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Spirit of God perswading them of the truth informing them in the virtue and applying to them the power and efficacy of Christs resurrection begetteth them againe unto a lively hope mans receiving of Christ is the receiving of spirituall life and new-birth As many saith the Evangelist as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God which were borne not of blood not by the Nobility and dignity of their Parents according to the flesh nor of the will of the flesh not by the ability and strength of nature not by any activity liberty or freedome of their owne nor of the will of man not by the art or industry education or instruction of man but of God It is not in the power of man to regenerate man God useth man as his instrument but God himselfe accomplisheth the worke as a supreme and free agent when and where he pleaseth Man is an alien to the life of God and can no more raise himselfe to a spirituall life then Lazarus could raise himselfe to a naturall life Mans conversion is a new creation which is as farre beyond the power of man as the forming of himselfe of nothing All the instruments of spirituall life are dependant no more able to quicken the soule of man then Gehazi with his Masters staffe was able to raise the woman of Shunems sonne to life without Elisha himselfe the life of the soule is hidden in Christ and he that hath not Christ is farre from all spirituall life Such therefore as have no experience of Christs communicating the life of grace and holinesse unto them are none of Gods children their life is a naturall a worldly a carnall and not a spirituall a heavenly and holy life they live by a fleshly and not by a spirituall principle by a corrupt and humane and not by a divine and heavenly rule they live unto themselves and not to Christ they are of themselves and they incline and move to themselves as to their proper Center they confine themselves within themselves they can nor looke nor move beyond themselves That which is of the flesh of a fleshly originall compounded wholy of fleshly principles having no other then fleshly ingredients in it that is flesh discerning after a fleshly and carnall manner and not perceiving the things of God which are spiritually discerned savouring and relishing only things carnall and fleshly minding only that which is vaine corrupt and earthly walking by a fleshly rule the imagination of their owne hearts and proposing a fleshly end the satisfaction of their owne corrupt and sinfull lusts they are not of God as a childe is of his Parents they beare not on them the Image of God as a child doth beare the image of his Father they depend not upon God as a child depends upon his Parents they abide not with God as a child with his Parents they receive not Gods instruction as a childe receives his fathers instruction they love not God as a child his Parent they delight not in God as a child rejoyceth in his Parents the meditation of God is not sweet the thought of Gods presence is not pleasant to them they frequent not Gods house they make it not their dwelling and place of their delight as children doe their Fathers house He that is without Christ is without God