Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	life_n	lord_n	11,091	5	3.8914	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09965	Foure godly and learned treatises Intituled, I. A remedy against covetousnesse. II. An elegant and lively description of spirituall death and life. III. The doctrine of selfe-deniall. IV. Vpon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. Delivered in sundry sermons, by that late famous preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinarie to his Majestie; master of Emanuel Colledge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Three sermons upon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. aut	1633 (1633)	STC 20222; ESTC S115040	185,075	475

FOVRE GODLY AND LEARNED TREATISES Intituled I. A Remedy against Covetousnesse II. An elegant and lively Description of Spirituall Death and Life III. The Doctrine of Selfe-deniall IV. Vpon the Sacrament of the Lords Supper DELIVERED In sundry Sermons by that late famous Preacher and worthy instrument of Gods glory IOHN PRESTON Doctor of Divinitie Chaplaine in Ordinarie to his Majestie Master of Emanuel Colledge and sometime Preacher of Lincolnes Inne The third Edition Printed at London by T. C. for Michael Sparke and are to be sold at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1633. A Summe of the chiefest points contained in the Remedy against Covetousnesse COvetousnesse defined and plainely shewed what it is page 1 and 30 Idolatry consisteth in three things p. 1 In what sence covetousnesse is called idolatry p. 2· To seeke helpe and comfort from riches or any creature and not from God alone is vaine and sinfull ibid Covetousnesse which is idolatry is to be mortified p. 3 and 46 The uncertainety of riches p. 4 5 Reasons why riches are uncertaine and vaine p. 6 7 Men spend so much time in seeking after riches and tryfles that they have no time to serve God p. 8 The rich man may not glory in his riches and wealth p. 9 God can give us comfort without riches p. 10 Having the creature onely without the love and favour of the Creator wee have the huske with●out the graine the shell without the kernell ibid All our sinnes proceede from overvaluing of the Creature p. 11 They that seeke their happinesse in riches and in worldly things seeke it the wrong way p. 13 Happinesse sought and placed in God with whom is no change must needs be perpetuall p. 15 Whatsoever men can leave their children without Gods blessing is nothing worth p. 16 Blessings considered without thankfull reference to God they cease to be blessings p. 17 Those that have but a small Cottage are many times more happy than many rich men p. 19 Wee must judge of outward things not by sence and feeling but by faith and rectified reason p. 20.21 The creature cannot yeeld us comfort without God p. 22 Riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches p. 24 Though all causes concurre and meete together yet without God the effect followes not p. 25 Future spirituall and eternall things are not uncertaine p. 26 Every one is guilty of this sinne of Covetousnesse more or lesse p. 27 To love or joy in riches i● adulterous love and joy p. 28 Signes to know whether our love to the creature be right or no. 28.29 Our affection or desire to riches is inordinate in foure respects 31 If we be soundly humbled we confesse our selves not onely unworthy the least of Gods mercies but worthy to be destroyed 32 Riches and wealth may not be sought for by unlawfull meanes 33 Our end and scope in seeking to get riches must be not to serve our selves or our owne lusts but to glorifie God withall 33 Seeking for riches in a wrong manner is inordinate in five particulars 34 In what respects riches are a blessing 35 Men may lawfully desire riches referring and submitting their wils to God 36 There is a threefold necessity wherein men may desire that which is necessary 37 Reasons against desire of superfluity and excesse 38.39.40 The end of mens callings is not to scrape and rake for riches and wealth 41 Men may lawfully take care to increase their estate observing the right rules in doing it 44 When a man is to be accounted and holden for a covetous man 45 Exhortation to mortifie this earthly member Covetousnesse 47 Effectuall meanes to roote Covetousnesse out of our hearts ibid A Summe of the principall matters contained in the second Treatise CHrist proves himselfe to be the Sonne of God in that he can quicken the dead pag. 51 What our estate is being out of Christ. p. 53 What spirituall death is p. 54 and 57 The cause of life p. 56 Three kinds of spirituall death p. 57 The signes of death foure p. 58 The degrees of spirituall death p. 60 Great difference betweene spirituall and naturall dead p. 62 Spirituall death voluntary p. 63 A twofold image of God in man ibid Why the Law is given to men that are spiritually death p. 66 Difference betweene externall bodily binding and the bands of sinne p. 67 The great Quaere or question that every man is to make concerning himselfe p. 68 Two hindrances of this search p. 69 The new spirituall life worketh a change in men p. 70 How Christ should be the end and scope of all our actions p. 72 ●he charracters and markes of men spiritually dead p. 73 and 79 Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man and therefore not to be delayed p. 83 Naturall men are but dead men what excellencies soever they have p. 84 How to value the Ordinances of God p. 85 That all who are in Christ are in a state of life p. 88 From whom and with what this life is hidden from naturall men p. 89 The Saints misreported and evill spoken of p. 90 Men are hardly perswaded that there is such a new spirituall life of grace p. 91 and 94 Proofes of it besides or without the Scriptures ibid The effects and experience of a new spirituall life p. 92 Differences betweene superstition and the morrall life and this new spirituall life of grace p. 93 c. Common and true Grace wherein they differ p. 95 Signes to know the spirituall life of grace by and the comparing it with the naturall life p. 96 and 59 What is expected and required of them to whom this talent of the new life of grace is committed p. 98 They that spend their time in idle sports and vanities are yet dead 10● The happy estate of being in Christ and to be par●takers of this spirituall life is to be knowne and prized accordingly 101 How and in what sort we must minde worldly things 102 All other things vaine and deceivable in comparison of this spirituall new life 103 This is a prevailing life 104 This new life is farre more excellent than the common life 105 The union betweene Christ and us 106 The life of grace brings liberty to them that have it 107 Which should make those that have it not to seeke it and those that have it carefull to retaine and keepe it 108 Though the best may sometimes be foyled yet they recover themselves and maintaine a warre still against their corruptions 111 How to know whether we walke in the Spirit or no. 112 How to know whether our workes be living workes or dead workes 114. c. Motives to make us desire this blessed spirituall life 120. c. All men seeke happinesse yet never finde it without seeking God 128 Repentance puts a new life into men 129 Meanes to get this spirituall life 130 Knowledge the first meanes ib. 131 c. The second meanes to get this life is to

themselves to oppose God and the Saints but give themselves to pleasures and like those Widowes 1 Tim. 5.6 are dead in pleasures while they are alive The last step in this death is the death of Civility Civill men come nearer the Saints of God than others they come within a step or two of heaven and yet are shut out they are not farre from them the kingdome of Heaven as Christ said to the young man yet they misse of it as well as others Thirdly for the death that is opposite to the life of joy the degrees of it are more sensible Some have legall terrors the beginnings of eternall death others have peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the beginning of eternall life And thus much for the degrees of these deaths Now hearing that all are dead in trespasses and sinnes yee may object If wee bee dead why doe you preach unto us If we be dead we understand not wee move not we are not capable of what you say To this I answer First there is a great difference betweene this spirituall death and naturall death For first those who are naturally dead understand nothing at all but in those who are spiritually dead there is a life of understanding by which they themselves may know that they are dead men who are naturally dead cannot know they are dead Secondly those who are spiritually dead may understand the wayes of life though they relish them not yet they may heare and receive them which those who are naturally dead cannot doe Thirdly those who are spiritually dead may come to the meanes to the poole in which the Spirit breathes the breath of life whereas naturally dead men cannot come to the meanes of life Secondly I answer that though yee are dead yet hearing may breed life the word can doe it There was an end why Christ spake to Lazarus that was dead Lazarus come forth because his word wrought life therefore though yee are dead yet because the word can worke life in you our preaching is not in vaine Lastly this death is a voluntary death Men who are naturally dead cannot put life into themselves no more can those who are spiritually dead when they have made themselves dead Men die this death in a free manner I cannot better expresse it than by this similitude A man that is about to commit the act of murther or treason his friends perswade him not to doe it for if hee doth hee is but a dead man yet notwithstanding he will do it we say of such a one that hee is a dead man willingly So wee tell men if they doe thus and thus that they goe downe to the Chambers of death yet they will doe it Hence is that Ezek. 18.31 Why will ye die O ye house of Israel implying that this spirituall death in sinne is a voluntary death But ye will object men are not quite dead there are some reliques of Gods Image still left in them how are they then dead To this I answer that there is a double Image of God first a naturall standing in the naturall frame of the soule as to be immortall immateriall So there is understanding will and reason and some sparkes of life left in us as the remainder of a stately building that is ruinated but yet there are no sparkes of the living Image of God left in us the spirituall Image of God consisting in holinesse and true righteousnesse remaines not the Papists indeed deny it but how will they answer the rule of the Fathers that Supernaturalia dona sunt penitus ablata naturalia quassata that supernaturall gifts are utterly taken away no sparkes of them remaine But it will be objected that though men by nature have nothing left yet there is now an universall ability and grace an universall sufficiency given unto them To this I answer that that which they call universall grace is the same thing that nature is but they put another tearme upon it it is found in nature and common to all wherever it is therefore it cannot be grace For in grace there is alwayes something that is peculiar Secondly if there should bee an universall grace the Saints would be no more beholding to God than other men if God give all alike to all it should not bee God but themselves that put the difference Thirdly if there were that generall sufficiency it would take away all election there might then be prescience but no election no predestination to death or life Fourthly if there were a generall grace what is the reason that Paul made it such matter of difficulty to answer that question of election Rom. 9. If Aristotle and other Heathen if every one have such a generall sufficiency Paul would not have made such a scrupulous answer and have cried out of the depth Fithly there is no such universall ability because that which is borne of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit we are all borne of the flesh and cannot therefore have this spirituall sufficiency But yet there are some spirituall gifts in men I answer that we cannot have these spirituall gifts if we are not borne of the Spirit that which is borne of the flesh is flesh Not Bellarmine himselfe nor any man else will say that all are borne of the Spirit It is our Saviours owne speech Iohn 15.2 Every branch in me not bearing fruite he taketh away and it is cast out and withered that is as the branch not being in the root bringeth forth no fruit so men as long as they are not ingrafted into Christ bring forth no buds no fruite at all they may heare the word but they cannot make use of it they cannot doe it without the Spirit and that is free it breatheth where it listeth cōpare Iohn 3.8 the Spirit breatheth where it listeth with Iohn 6.44 No man can come unto mee unlesse the Father draw him that is not as a sheepe is lead with a bough for Christ doth not say no man will come but no man can come except the Father draw him compell him as it were by force not perswade him by intreatie that is unlesse he changeth and taketh away his wolvish will But it will be objected that God drawes every man I answer that the context concludes against this For Christ doth bring this in to shew the reason why many did not receive his Doctrine and hee concludes with this that men therefore doe not receive it because God doth not draw them None can come unto me except the Father draw him I will answer one objection more and so conclude If we are dead to what end is the Law given why are wee commanded to doe thus and thus if we be dead To this I answer that the Law is given to this end to shew us our weaknesse and to leade us unto

Christ it is not giuen us to keepe exactly for that is impossible it was impossible to keepe it through the weaknesse of the flesh Rom. 8.3 the Law was therefore given that wee might know our weaknesse not that we should keepe it but that Christs righteousnesse might bee fulfilled in us by faith Gal. 3.24 the Law is our schoolemasted to bring us to Christ that we might be iustified through faith that is the end of ●he Law But it will be objected that in as much as we are commanded to doe things impossible mans nature is destroyed for man is a free creature Secondly the command implies an absurdity an impossibility to bid a man doe that which hee cannot doe to bid a man that is in a deepe Well bound hand and foote to come out himselfe is foolish yee may blame him for falling in it is absurd to bid him come out To this I answer that there is a difference betweene the externall binding and the bonds wherewith a man is fettered by sinne There is an externall impediment which a man cannot remove as when he is fettered in the well but there is no externall impediment when as men are bound in the chaines of sin When wee command you to doe thus and thus all the businesse is with the wil we rather say men will not than they cannot come There is liberty when as a man hath eligibile or non eligibile when hee hath a thing in his owne choise when there is no impediment when hee may argue both wayes If a man out of the perversnesse of his nature doth it not it is not compulsory but free a beasts action is not free because hee cannot reason on both sides but man when hee considers arguments on both sides when hee can say doe not doe such a thing but doe such a thing when he can conceive arguments on both sides he is free there is no such externall impediment in him as to bid one in darkensse to doe a thing of the light or one bound hand and foote in a pit to come out since the chiefe impediment here is in the depraved wils of men which God doth rectifie and change by his grace and Spirit through the use of meanes If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death let every man examine himselfe and consider whether he be a dead man or no this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertaintie of things Let us make the life to come sure our life is uncertaine here but have we this spirituall life are we living men then wee are happy but are we dead then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection shall not be partaker of the second It is too late to begin to live when we are dying certainely the time of our naturall death is a time of spending not of getting or inquiring after life If yee deferre this search while yee are in health when ye lie on your deaths bed when ye shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you this question will hold you solicitous and then you shall see that this spirituall life is the life indeed The time of this naturall life is not long the candle burnes not long if it burne out yet it is oftner blowne out than burnt out men oftner fall downe than come down from the tree of life this Tabernacle is often throwne downe before it fals downe therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternall life Now there are two things which hinder this search and inquirie after spirituall life The first is a false opinion men thinke themselves in the wayes of life being in the wayes of death they thinke there is a greater latitude in the Gospell than there is The second is men are not at leasure there are millions of businesses in their heads so that they cannot hearken to the whisperings of conscience they have no spare time to be wise unto salvation It will be our wisdome therefore to consider our end Deut. 32.29 To helpe you therefore in this Quere whether you are dead or alive Consider first if ever you have beene dead Secondly if ye have beene dead whether yee are made alive First I say consider whether yee have beene dead or no I meane whether sin hath beene made alive in you that you might die Rom. 7.9.10 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sinne revived and I died that is the Commandement awakens my sinnes and they being aalive I died sinne when it affrights not a mans conscience then hee is dead when it wounds the conscience then hee is alive The Law being brought to the soule by the Spirit yee see the rectitude of the Commandement and your owne obliquity and crookednesse then sinne is alive and ye die Peter preaching to the Iewes Acts 2. recites to them their sinne in crucifying the Lord of glory which sinne was made alive and pricked them at their hearts Sinne was dead in David till Nathan and the Law came unto him afterward hee lived and was humbled Luke 5. Peter seeing Christs Divinitie by the draught of Fishes cries out Depart from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man hee had sinnes in him before but they were dead then they were made alive Paul hee had sinnes that were dead in him but when the outward light which was but a tipe of his light within did shine about him then he dies and his sinnes were made alive So Iosephs brethren had sinnes but they were not made alive till they were put in prison then their sinne in selling their brother Ioseph lived and they died Hath sinne ever beene alive in you by the commandement to slay you that is hath it bred such an apprehension in you as of death not a sigh or two for a day that is no slaying of you but ye must apprehend sinne as death as one that is to bee executed forthwith apprehends death so must you apprehend sinne then it is a signe that there is life within you Secondly are yee made alive againe Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures as if yee lived an other life Where this life is it works an alteration and a change gives us another being makes us to bee no more the same men Who ever is in Christ is a new creature it works a generall change from death to life it makes all our actions to bee vigorous like the actions of living men Old things passe away all things become new it makes men lead a new life If old acquaintance and lusts would draw us away we answer that we are dead that we live no moe to these that now we have not our owne wills Christ lives in us and workes in us Gal. 2.20 It is not I that live but Christ lives in me The same mind will bee in us that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 Now if ye desire