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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	create_v	good_a	workmanship_n	4,350	5	11.8942	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33292	A Lent-sermon preached at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, March 3, 1699/1700 before the Right Honourable the Ld. Mayor and Aldermen of the city of London / by Sam. Clerke ...	Clark, Samuel, 1626-1701.	1700 (1700)	Wing C4493; ESTC R35642	10,761	30

From the Approach of the Kingdom of God verse 2. 2. From the Wrath of God at the Day of Judgment 3. From the present Judgement hanging over their Heads ver 10. Time will not permit me to discuss these particulars therefore briefly somewhat by way of Improvement and I have done First Is it so that we must Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Then this teacheth us that only that which is Spiritual and Holy can be possess 't of Heaven There 's no Happiness without Holiness Blessed are the Pure in Heart for they shall see God Matt. 5.8 As God is of pure Eyes and cannot behold Iniquity with the least of Approbation so Sin is of dim and dark eyes and cannot behold God with eyes of Joy Sinners can look upon God no otherwise than as the Bat the Owl or weak eyes do on the Sun at which they are much grieved Sin is contrary to the Nature of God He therefore cannot harbour Sinners in his Bosome Know ye not that no unrighteous Man shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Tho' we abstain from foul Sins if we wilfully commit any we shall never get to Heaven without this genuine Repentance By this the Children of God become victorious and triumph over Sin As a King who may have Rebels and may be wounded too yet keeps his Power still So the Saints and Children of God may have many Infirmities many Failings many Slips nay some sound Falls yet in the end they Rise again and get the Victory Nor marvel at it for Eph. 2.9 They are God's Workmanship created to good Works The expression is worth our Note Created to them that is not only purposed and intended to abound in good Works but also enabled and fitted for them In the Creation every thing was enabled to live after their kind 'T is true the best of Men may sin indeed as Men they cannot avoid it but the Godly Man's heart like a troubled Fountain tho' muddy it having a Spring within worketh it self pure again and purgeth out all the Mud. He is not to learn that God hath coupled together Grace and Glory Holiness and Happiness a spiritual Birth and a spiritual Inheritance Many would be happy hereafter but will not be Holy here Many would be glorified Saints in Heaven but will not be mortified not to say crucified Saints on earth but this is far from right The reason is because we cannot be justified if not sanctified nor glorious if not gracious Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. Alcibiades was too timorous who being called from Banishment refused to return and being asked if he durst not trust a Country answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In every thing else he would but in the Question of his Life he would not trust his Mother least ignorantly she should mistake the black Bean for the white and intending a Favour should do him a Mischief Such a slavish Fearfulness as this towards God our Heavenly Father would greatly mis-become Christians for there can be no better Security in the World than they have for the Hope and Confidence of a future well being As God is our Creator He is faithful as our Redeemer He hath purchased our Souls at a dear rate and as our Lord they and we are his own But yet this expectation of divine Mercy as to the Issue of our Souls and final Interest must be in the Ways of Piety 1 Pet. 4.19 Commit your Souls to God in well doing as unto a faithful Creator We must live to Him if we will live with Him Oh let us at length live holily and blamelessly Let us consider that it is Purity of Life that God requireth of us Let our Bodies be a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Rom. 6.3 4. And as the same blessed Apostle adviseth in another place Make no Provision for the Flesh whereby to fulfil the Lusts thereof but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ that is adorn his Doctine by a Conformity to his Life Put on his Modesty and his Temperance in a perfect Opposition to Rioting and Drunkenness put on his Chastity and Purity in opposition to Chambering and Wantonness put on his Bowels and his Mercy in opposition to Scrife and Envy A King's Court is no common Receptacle for ragged Rogues Joseph in the forlorn Fashion of a Prisoner was not fit for Pharaohs Presence Tho' the Serpent might come into the earthly Paradice yet no unclean thing shall enter Heaven There is no Room for the Serpent there It is an Inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 Sin hath a defiling Nature so that if Sin might enter Heaven it would soon pollute it Hereupon the Angels in the very first Act of Sin were thrown out with a Vengeance Now can we think to come thither with our Iniquities The Irish Air will sooner brook a Toad or a Snake to live therein than Heaven a Sinner the Air of the Place cannot indure it Oh what horrible Presumption is it What Sauciness unspeakable When gross Sinners shall think themselves fit Companions for the most Holy Trinity For us dear Christians To have God in the end say Come and reign with me We must now say to him Come and reign in us Oh let it be the continual Breathing of our Souls our serious Option and most ardent as also daily Prayer this Lord rule thou over us For we may assure our selves if we in this our day bid God depart He will in his send us packing to the Devil and his Angels But if we live as becometh the Gospel of Christ Bliss shall follow Piety In the Composition of the World the higher Place any thing hath the Purer it is As Water is purer than the gross Earth Air than the Water Fire than Air. Now the third Heaven being above all shews the Purity that must be in those that dwell there Fair as the Moon pure as the Sun Cant. 6.9 Is not this more than insinuated by the Apostle Col. 1.9 in these Words Who hath made us meet to be Partakers with the Saints in Glory Oh let us not fondly think that a pure Place will receive impure Sinners Was Satan once banished Heaven to re-enter again in his wicked Members Did Heaven spue out the disobedient Angels and shall it lick up its Vomit again The gross and heavy Earth which to Heaven is but as Sodom to Jerusalem shall it be impatient of bearing such Burthens as filthy Sinners Shall it cast them out And shall Heaven all pure and clear receive the Refuse of the Earth No onely that that is Pure and Holy can enter the Coelestial Paradice Those that have Admittance there must bring forth fruit meet for Repentance This the 1st Use 2. Must we bring forth fruit meet for Repentance Then let us dung the Ground that it may be fruitful Let us be diligent in the means appointed by God for this end Give all Diligence to make your calling and Election sure so St. Peter 2 Pet. 1.10 It is our present Business to make sure of ●uture Happiness which cannot be done as hath been all along instill'd but in the Ways of Piety This the 2d 3. Must we bring forth fruit meet for Repentance Then let us labour more for inward Purity than outward Prosperity Labour not for the Meat that perisheth but for that which indureth to everlasting Life John 6.27 Let us labour to be truly Pious to be truly Godly While we live we shall find Godliness gainful and nothing so sure as that when we die we shall find it needful Let us therefore set our Affections on things that are above and not on things that are below Col. 3.1 And as the Apostle proceeds ver 2. Let our Conversations be in Heaven Inward Piety is the best Friend to outward Prosperity but it is not convertible Very rare it is if ever that outward Prosperity is other than an enemy to inward Piety The things of this Life have not the Promise of Godliness but Godliness hath the Promise of the things of this Life 1 Tim. 4.8 And as to the Concerns of another a better World we have heard before that Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance and Patience without Godliness are all vain What an excellent Jewel then must Godliness needs be And who would not part with all for it Who would not with St. Paul count all things but dross and dung in Comparison of it Oh what is Darkness to Light What is Sin to Holiness What is Gold to Grace What is Earth to Heaven That we silly Creatures should forfeit the one by too much prizing and dotage on the other Is it not beneath a rational Being to neglect great and weighty things and busie themselves in Toys and Trifles When we have a Crown to look after an Heaven to enjoy a Kingdom to be made Heirs of Shall we employ our selves about catching ●lies and picking Cockles To conclude I beseech you all dear Christians as you tender the Welfare and eternal Happiness of your truly precious and immortal Souls Labour more for inward Holiness than outward Grandure Labour more for Piety than Plenty Labour more for the Seeds of Grace than the Mass of Gold And Labour more for an heavenly Conversation than an earthly Possession The Earth is for a Saints Passage but Heaven is for his Inheritance Which to enjoy We must bring forth fruit meet for Repentance Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost in Persons Three in Essence One be ascribed and given as is most justly due All Honour Glory Praise Dominion Obedience and Thanksgiving now and for evermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS