Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	sin_n	true_a	5,476	5	5.2516	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41485	The Christians engagement for the Gospell opened in foure sermons on part of the third verse of the Epistle of Jude : also, Christ's approbation of Maries choyce, or, A sermon preached at the funerall of Mris Abbott in Saint Stephens Colman-street, London / by Iohn Goodwin ...	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1641 (1641)	Wing G1159; ESTC R8016	73,347	410

the faith for the truth of the Gospel the Doctrine of salvation because this Doctrine was or hath beene once delivered to the Saints That is because God of his infinite mercie and compassion to men did once by speciall revelation convey the same to holy men beloved of God chosen for that purpose whom hee made feoffees in trust for their times to convey it safe to their posterity that so it might passe from generation to generation amongst the Saints in the Church of God to the worlds end the present generation being still bound by the same bonds that the first Immediate receivers of it from God were to preserve it pure and entire from all corruptions and so to bee transmitted as a precious inheritance to succeeding generations §. 10. 10. That particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once may admit a double signification and it carries a full emphasis with it both wayes There is not any losse of the maine scope of the holy Ghost whether way we take it First the more usuall and familiar meaning of the word is by once to understand but one time in opposition to the word often or more then once and thus the weight of the motive will bee as if he had said you must therefore contend for the Faith for this faith hath beene once given to the Saints by God and will be no more namely by any such speciall and immediate revelation therefore now you have the words of eternall life it stands you in hand with all your might to keepe them because if you suffer them to bee taken from you there are no more Christs no more sonnes of God to bring them downe againe from heaven out of the bosome of the Father to the world or Secondly the word once signifies as much as throughly perfectly to purpose sufficiently c As where it is said Christ dyed once for sinne the full and proper meaning of the place is not that Christ died one time for sinne that comes off but coldly but hee died once to sinne that is hee died to purpose his death was enough and enough for the abolishing of sinne for ever Rom. 6. 10. And so often in the Scripture elsewhere if wee rather chuse this signification of the word the meaning will fall thus you ought therefore to contend for the faith seeing it was once delivered that is fully and perfectly yea and peremptorily delivered by God unto the Saints so that hee meant not to deliver it the second time As if he had said to the Saints in the delivery of it looke to it there is the word of your peace and eternall life there it is compleat and perfect I meane to make no more worke of revealing it againe unto you if you suffer it to perish or to be taken from you and therefore faith Iude it stands you in hand to hold it fast though it cost you blowes both significations I conceive would be put together to give full weight to the place §. 11. 11. The words thus opened 2. things in generall are to be observed First an exhortation Secondly a motive seconding the exhortation The exhortation in the first words That you contend for the Faith the motive in the later which was once delivered unto the Saints In the exhortation we have these particulars First the parties exhorted you Christians beleevers Secondly the duty it selfe whereunto they are exhorted that is to contend or strive Thirdly the manner how to strive earnestly Fourthly and lastly the possession as it were or matter of consequence about which they are to strive the Faith In the later the motive pressing the exhortation 2. Particulars likewise First the Author of that precious treasure for which they were so earnestly to contend who is not here expressed because this is readily understood namely God himselfe It was God by whom this Faith was given or delivered Secondly the delivery or making over of this treasure from the Author or first possessor of it in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was given and delivered Thirdly the parties to whom this conveyance was made or that were infeoffed the Saints Fourthly and lastly the speciall provisoe or Item in the conveyance or delivery in the word once it was so fully and perfectly delivered that it never needed more nor indeed ever should be delivered againe in any such manner §. 12. 12. These particulars are sufficient to multiply points of observation but because wee have leasure now to prosecute but some one point at the most I therefore put those of the first Generall into one and the consent and harmonie of divine truth which they make up together is this The Doctrine That it is a speciall and weightie dutie lying upon all Christians whatsoever to stand for the truth of the Gospel to the uttermost of their power Remissenes and indifferencie will bee better borne at our hands in other matters of dutie rather than in this if the truth of God be invaded or set upon by the enemies of truth every man in his ranke and order must come forth to helpe the Lord against the mightie against the Prince of darknesse who labours to turne this great truth of God into a lie And will turn it if he be let alone and out of this light of the Gospel draw his owne darknesse if hee be not withstood by men of wisedome and resolution CAP. II. The method of the discourse briefly propounded with some discovery of the enemies of the truth who occasion the maine necessity of contending first §. 1. FOr the managing of this point to your best edification wee shall first shew you what the occasion of this generall muster of Christians throughout the world is or what enemies they are that seeke to oppose and destroy this truth what it is that imposeth upon Christians this great necessity of contending for it Secondly for more security and fuller evidence of the Doctrine That Christians must at any hand contend for this Faith wee may call in more witnesses from the Scriptures to speake to the point Thirdly some reasons and grounds would bee considered which will be as so many motives to perswade and presse the dutie upon us Fourthly wee may consider the manner of this contention and shew by what weapons this warrefare is to be atchieved and performed Fifthly and lastly conclude with some words of application §. 2. 2 For the first the enemies of the Faith in this sense or Doctrine of our salvation in generall are two First Sathan Secondly wicked men First Sathan he is an old adversarie to the truth of God as God is to him These two are contrary one to another like Ephraim and Mannasse Ephraim against Mannasse and Mannasse against Ephraim so Gospel is against Sathan and Sathan against Gospel Sathan hee goes about seeking whom he may devoure and the Gospel that goeth about seeking whom it may save and rescue out of his hand the Gospel seekes to destroy Sathan indeed but no

others except such as are willing to bee destroyed and as Salomon saith love death Prov. 8. and this destroying which Sathan feares from the Gospel is the true fountaine of that implacable enmitie he beares against it he knowes except hee can some wayes destroy it it will destroy him §. 3. 3. It is said Heb. 2. 14. That Christ suffered death that by such suffering he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill It is a new or further destruction to the Devill to bee throwne out of mens hearts and lose his interest in the precious soules of men this is his tumbling downe from heaven like lightning Luke 10. This was a secōd heavē to him after he was throwne downe from the third heaven and the best hee was now capable of to bee honoured and served like the most Highest in the hearts of sinfull blind and miserable man Now as it was the power of God to throw him down from the third heaven so it was the weakenesse of God the death of God being made man that fetched him downe from the second heaven out of the hearts of men And it is as much against his nature and inclination as tormenting a destruction to him to lose this second heaven as it was his first and therefore he is said to fall from this heaven like lightning That is fully against his nature and inclination with the greatest reluctancie and torture of spirit as it is the greatest naturall torment as wee may say to fire whose naturall inclination and motion is constantly upwards towards the circumference to bee compelled and forced downewards towards the center and the more pure the fire is as lightning is of the purest kinde it includs still the greater repugnancie to the nature of it to be forced downewards §. 4. 4. Now if it bee the death of Christ indeed that fetcheth Sathan downe like lightning from this heaven off his power and throne that hee hath gotten in the world yet doth it not this immediately without some other advantage as it is not a bullet or powder that batters the walles of the Citie or Castle at such a distance or cuts off the lives of so many men but by the advanrage of the enemie or Cannon so is it this same Gospel of truth that utters as it were and vents the death of Christ up and downe the world in that effectuall and saving manner according to which it worketh this is as the Hysope that sprinkles that bloud upon the consciences of men §. 5. 5. So that Sathans aimand project is to disable the Gospel from the performance of such a service to make it wholly unusefull for the dispencing of the death of Christ unto men in a saving way This hee knowes well enough will be done by corrupting the truth of it if the straight wayes and paths of it bee much perverted and made crooked the holy spirit will bee grieved and take offence at it and being a spirit of truth will refuse to goe forth with a lie or to worke by it as the Lord told the people by Ezekiel 28. 18. They had defiled their Sanctuary by the multitude of their iniquities defiled it that is made it unfit for an habitation for him so great and holy a God and therefore hee would prophane it too as hee saith in another place that is hee would dwell no more there nor delight to manifest his presence any more to them there then in any other prophane and common place in all the world so if the Gospel bee defiled with mixture of errours and tenets and opinions of men the holy Ghost will loath and abhorre it and prophane it also and doe no more towards the salvation of men by the Gospel so corrupted then by any other prophane learning and writing whatsoever Sathan I say knowes this better then men doe or indeed care to doe and therefore hee is still busie to wring and wrest Gospel truths and because Sathan is still the Author of this worke the primus motor when any thing is stirr'd or shaken of the simplicitie and truth of the Gospel though the immediate actors above ground bee men hence it was that Paul with that severity Acts 13. 10. Set a black brand upon Elymas the Sorcerer calling him the child of the Devill because he still perverted the right wayes of the Lord those in the Scripture are called the children of the Divell that resemble him in his disposition and worke as all confesse therefore it is the indeavour and worke of Sathan to oppose the truth §. 6. 6. A second sort of enemies to the Faith in this sense given that is the truth of the Gospel are all wicked men in generall without exception That of our Saviour is not onely true here and there but it is a universall truth and layes hold upon the foure corners of the world hee that doth evill hateth the light Iohn 3. one said well that verbum Dei was lucerna ad quam fur deprehenditur the word of God was a light or candle by which the thiefe was taken no thiefe that meanes to steale but hates the light that should discover him true this evill affection against the truth doth not breake out in all some mens hearts are not so full as others It doth not ruine over our of every vessell neither hath it alwayes that malignancie in it to breake out at the lips and hands of men nay it is not at all to bee doubted but many evill men may and doe support it for carnall ends CAP. 3. A further discovery of the enemies of the truth §. 1. But there are some sorts of wicked men that are more dangerous enemies to the truth in this sense then others and from whom the ruine and subversion of it is more to bee feared men that have ends of their owne and not simply so for all carnall men have these but further are much intent and zealous in the advancement of such ends men whose motions eccentricall to the course and motions of the Gospel and yet are active and vigorous in their motion These are men who threaten great danger to the truth of God §. 2. 2. The reason is cleere because the bent and inclination and levell of the Gospel is in the straightest line that can be imagined to bee laid for the advancement of God and his glory and his Christ and not at all for the carnall ends and purposes of men It was never framed to serve turns The high-way of the Gospel lyeth through the midst of mens fruitfull and pleasant fields through their Gardens and Orchards and Vineyards yea many times through the middest of their palaces and stately houses through the middest of mens honours and preferments estates pleasures reputations c. and so if it bee sufferd to goe forth in its owne spirit and take the way it selfe desireth and chuseth it will make great spoyle of mens carnall advantages It will tread and