Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	lord_n	power_n	8,674	5	4.5803	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25829	A tryall of faith, or, The woman of Canaan on Math. 15, 21, 22, 23, 24 : together with the souls sure anchor-hold, on Heb. 6, 19 : with the wisdome of timely remembring our creator, on Eccles. 12, 1 : in severall sermons / by Timothy Armitage.	Armitage, Timothy, d. 1655.	1661 (1661)	Wing A3704; ESTC R26657	267,236	470

meet withall concerning their own Election First A poor soul may be thus tempted that it is an impossible thing for it to attaine to the knowledge of Gods love this is a secret this is that which was transacted in Heaven and therefore sure it is not possible for me to attain to the knowledge of this that the Lord hath loved me and hath written my name in the book of life Men may have some good hopes of it but surely saith the temptation it is presumption for any man to think or say he may come to assurance that the Lord hath written his name in the Book of life for there are these two things against it First Secret things belongeth to God Secondly No eye hath seen what is done in Heaven and if eye hath not seen it how shall I attaine to the knowledge of it In Answer to this temptation know and consider that many of the Saints of God hath attained to the knowledge of Gods eternall love and hath risen to this assurance that the Lord hath loved and will love with an everlasting love The Apostle Paul did attaine to it and he gloryes in it yea then when he speaketh in the person of all the Elect of God Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth Vers 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Vers 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ He stands up to challenge all the world and the powers of darknesse who dare lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And in the 38. verse see what he further saith For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principallities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Vers 39. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So then you see it is a thing not impossible to attaine to the knowledge of Gods eternall electing love Nay it is laid upon all the Saints as a duty to seek after the knowledge of it 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things ye shall never fall So then election may be made sure and it is a duty which lyeth upon all believers to strive after that they may make their calling and election sure Now if it be so that this is a thing that may be attained unto and that the Saints hath attained unto and a duty which all the children of God are put upon then certainly this is a temptation and know it is a temptation that it is an impossible thing for any to attaine to the knowledge of Gods electing love But Secondly The second temptation concerning our election may be this a poor soul may be thus tempted it is true there may be the knowledge of Gods love and many of the Saints have attained to this knowledge but as for me I have no certainty I have striven and I have waited upon God and sought for assurance but I have not attained it and therefore I am ready to conclude surely the Lord hath not loved me others sought and they have attained and have assurance I have sought and I cannot meet with assurance of the love of God and therefore certainly the Lord hath not loved me I Answer to this temptation know that thou canst not conclude that God hath not called thee effectually because thou hast not assurance and if thou canst not conclude that God hath not called thee effectually because thou hast not assurance much less canst thou conclude that God hath not chosen thee from eternity because thou hast not assurance But Secondly In answer to this temptation hath not the Lord given thee a heart to close with Christ as held forth in the Gospel to poor lost sinners hath not God made thee willing to accept of Christ hath not the Lord in some measure inabled thee to cleave to Christ and dost now resolve to cast thy self upon Christ to venture all upon Christ even thy eternity why then know here is that which gives the essence the being of faith this accepting of Christ held forth in the Gospel with thy resting upon him it is the being of faith and this faith is no other but the faith of Gods elect the fruit of Gods electing love it springs from that eternall love which chose his people unto salvation through faith and therefore though there be not the comfort of faith assurance is the comfort of faith the flower that grows upon the fruit of faith yet if there be that which gives the being of faith thou mayst not conclude that the Lord hath not loved thee because thou hast not assurance Thirdly In answer to this temptation thou sayst thou hast no assurance of Gods electing love and therefore thou concludest that God doth not love thee As thou hast no assurance that God hath chosen thee so thou hast no knowledge of the contrary and mayest not conclude the contrary that God hath not chosen thee for if thou shouldst so conclude thou mayest lye against the truth and therefore cease to draw any conclusions of that which is not knowne to thee and give up thy self to doe the revealed will of God and what is that but that thou take hold of the offer of salvation and receive Christ that you believe in the name of his Son for this is his commandement 1. Joh. 3. 18. But Thirdly this temptation may arise in the soul namely a desire that God would give it a signe an extraordinary signe it resolves it cannot believe and will not believe unless God give it● signe This is a temptation that some of Gods people hath met withall To answer this temptation know that it is not Gods ordinary way to give satisfaction to the soul concerning his love by giving an extraordinary signe it is true the Lord may sometimes in some cases condescend to his people and may give an extraordinary signe yea the Lord may and hath prevented his people sometimes with an extraordinary signe to prevent their unbeleefe when they have not asked a signe You have heard of that woman that sometime lived in Cambridge that was many yeares in a tempted condition and being sorely afflicted one day she took up a glasse in her hand and cast it against the ground with this expression I am as surely damned as this glasse is broken and it pleased God so to order it that the glass was not broke which was to the conviction of her unbeliefe I say the Lord may give a signe yea when it is not asked but it is not Gods ordinary way but now for a soul to stand it out with God that it cannot beleeve unless God

Electing love walk worthy of it improve this your mercy that great mercy the knowledge which God hath given you of his love in Christ improve it let it be an engagement upon you to duty To what duty doth this Love of God engage unto First Let this love of God to you engage you to a holy confidence to a holy trust in the Lord and a stedfast relyance upon Christ and his grace in every state and condition the Lord would have you make this improvement his love is discovered for this end that your faith may be strengthned and your hope strengthned and made more firm and lively Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth c. Rom. 8. 33. Thus doth the Apostle improve it If God be for us who shall be against us I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nay saith he in all these things we are more then Conquerours Christ would have his people improve this love for the casting out of fear perfect love casteth out fear it is casting out fear though it hath not cast out fear Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom he would strengthen them against fear by setting before them the Father 's Electing love it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome O that we might improve this for the strengthening of our confidence Secondly If the Lord hath discovered his love know that it is an engagement as to Confidence so to Holiness a holy and unblameable walking before God The adversaries of this Truth pretend that this is a Doctrine of Liberty Ah! but there is no such tendency Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy If you be the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy and so be you like to Christ I say know that this is the end of God's Electing love God hath chosen you wherefore hath he chosen you Eph. 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love This is the great end of God's love and the discovery of it that you may be holy O! Know that if God hath loved you you should be holy Thridly Know that you are engaged to walk humbly Who put the difference What was it that made the difference This Doctrine of free Electing love hath taught you that it is grace that hath made the difference not your free will and improvement but it is free grace that made the difference The Lord saw us so far from improving of that which he gave us as any other and therefore this may silence all flesh before the Lord let not flesh glory Why what hast thou to glory in If thou be better then others whence was it It was from free love and therefore it engageth thee to walk humbly with thy God Fourthly It is an engagement to Love O! love the Lord dearly if the Lord hath made out his Electing love you are engaged to love him again shew forth much love love to Christ and love to the Image of Christ love to the way of Christ love to the Truth of Christ love to the Ordinances of Christ love to the Saints of Christ As I have loved you saith Christ so ought you to love one another John 13. 34. As I have loved you as much as if Christ should say this is the greatest argument that I can propound to you to move you to love one another I have loved you If the Lord have loved you with this electing love and hath discovered that his love to you you are engaged to love him and his people and whatever hath the Image of God and of Christ upon it And so I have done this point this great mysterie this Doctrine of Election I desire not to read this Verse again there is one thing more which I shall but touch and so conclude I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel The House of Israel What is the House of Israel Why the seed of Abraham the posterity of Jacob whose name was Israel the twelve Tribes they are the House of Israel they were the peculiar people that God chose out of all the Nations he left other Nations and he chose them for his peculiar people he chose them to be his House when he took them into Covenant with himself and they took hold of his Covenant they became a Church of Christ and this Church of Christ is the House of God Israel is God's House That 's the Point that I shall but touch and so shut up all Every true Church of Christ is the House of God They are a House and they are the House of God What was spoken of that Church may be said of every true Gospel Church they are a House and God's house they are God's Houshold they are called the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. And so again in Ephes 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God And this is prophesied of by the Prophet Micah chap. 4. vers 2. And many Nations shall come and say Come Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob speaking of Gospel-times the Churches of the Lord are called the House of God Christ as a Son over his own House whose House we are c. Heb. 3. 6. Now in a house there is a Master of the Family why the Master of this Houshold is Christ every houshold hath a Head a Master the Lord of the Family Christ is the Master of this Family he is the Lord the Head of the Church If they call the Master of the house Beelzebub saith Christ how much more shall they call them of his houshold Matth. 10. 25. Christ is the Head and the Lord and he is the Master of his House of his Church the Master of the great Family Secondly The Members of this house they are fellow Brethren fellow Servants sometimes they are called Children Members of a Family they are either Children Servants or Friends that dwell in the Family The Lord calleth his people his children his servants somtimes his friends still he owns them the members of his house are fellow brethren and fellow servants Thirdly In a great Houshold you have Officers and Stewards Great Families they have their Stewards they are under their Lord to oversee the house and to look to the wayes of the house and to make provision for the house and to give them their meat in due season In this House of Christ and in every Gospel Church Christ hath appointed

to who they are that we are bound to pray for Secondly what are the special times in which we are bound to remember others and to present their conditions before the Lord. I answer first of all when they have sinned a sin against the Lord When we see any that have sinned greatly against the Lord that have provoked the Lord especially such as have the name of God and Christ upon them oh then it is time for us to step in and plead hard with God for them So did Moses when Israel had sinned a great sin in making the Molten calf then he steps in and cries hard to the Lord nay this is commended as a duty 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death If it be not a sinning wilfully a wilfull persecution of the Truth that he hath professed why then if a man see his brother sin he shall ask and give his brother life It is a gracious promise and a great encouragement to go to the Lord one for another Secondly in time of great affliction when the Lord lays his hand heavy upon others either on the outward or inward man it is our duty then to remember them and to present their conditions before the Lord in time of great calamity publick calamity upon a nation it is a duty of Gods people to present the condition of their people before the Lord. Nehemiah did present the condition of the people before the Lord when the hand of the Lord was sore upon them And so when God doth lay any great affliction upon others then it is our duty to remember them and present their condition before the Lord. David did so for his enemies when they were sick saith he I put on sack cloth and I fasted Thirdly in time of persecution that is a special time to present the conditions of others before the Lord when we see any that are persecuted for righteousness sake When the Church was persecuted in the Acts and the Disciples cast into prison then the Church prayed then Gods people did look upon it as their duty to pray to pray more earnestly then ever they had done And so when the Apostle was in bonds he sent to them that they would earnestly seek God for him that he might hold close to the truth that he might not deny the truth nor Christ Fourthly when as the Lord threatens to go away from a people when a God threatens to withdraw his presence from a people or from a soul oh then it is the duty of others to remember them before the Lord. When God threatens to depart from Israel oh then Moses he steps in and he is pleading with the Lord. And so when God threatned and was about to cast off the Jews after they had rejected Christ oh how doth the Apostle Paul step in and cry earnestly to God Rom. 10. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might he saved When God threatens to go away from a soul or people oh then it is time for the people of God to step in and to plead hard with God Fifthly and lastly another time in which we are bound to remember others is when we see God coming towards any in a way of mercy When the Lord was coming towards the Jews in a way mercy he stirred up Daniel to pray for them to cry earnestly to the Lord for them when he came to understand that the time of deliverance was not far off but mercy a coming salvation a coming then he cried and cried more earnestly then ever he had done he set himself to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer When we see God a coming towards any people in a way of mercy when God comes towards a friend and relation in a way of mercy when we see God is beginning to work and to move upon their spirits oh it is a duty for those relations that know the Lord to step in and to cry earnestly to God yea then to go forth and meet the Lord and to intreat the Lord that that work may not go back but that he would help it on I shall not have time for the Application onely this one use I shall leave with you That if it be the duty of Gods people to pray for others a duty to remember one another then it will follow from hence that it is our duty to acquaint others with our conditions If it be a duty for others to pray for us then it is our duty for us to to acquaint them with our conditions or else how can they seek God in our behalf if it be their duty to pray it is our duty to beg their prayers and there are some times in which it doth lye more especially upon us to beg prayers of others that they would step in and plead with God I shall in a few words shew you what those times are that we are bound more especially to call others into our help to seek the Lord for us First when the Lord doth lay the guilt of sin heavy upon the spirit when the guilt of sin lieth so heavy upon a mans conscience that it cannot be removed he hath tryed all private means and still his spirit is so oppressed as he knows not how to stand under it then it is a duty to call in the help of others Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another James 5. and he maketh a gracious promise that in such a case he will hear Secondly we are especially bound to ask the prayers of those whom we have offended Sometimes the Lord will not be appeased till we have begged the prayers of those whom we have wronged this was the case of Abimeleck when he had wronged Abraham in taking away his wife Sarah The Lord smote Abimeleck and God doth advise Abimeleck to go to Abraham to pray for him Gen. 20. 6 7. And Abraham did pray for Abimeleck and God did hear the prayer of Abraham for Abimeleck Gen. 20. 17. And so the children of Israel they come to Moses when as they had sinned against the Lord and murmured against Moses yet they desired that Moses would pray for them and Moses did pray for them Numbers 21. 7. and the Lord was entreated for them And so it was the case of Jobs friends God directs them to go to Job and he shall pray for you and saith God I will hear him Job 42. 8. you have sinned against me and have had hard thoughts of Job and have been sad comforters to Job but go to Job and Job shall pray for you and I will hear Job Oh! when we have wronged others in such a case it is our duty to acknowledge our offences and to entreat that they would seek the Lord for us Thirdly when as the Lord lays any heavy

the heart established in the knowledge of the love and free grace of God it is a great work and a long time before the heart be established upon Christ and the Promises and till that be done little work or service is done for God But when men begin betimes they have time to get their hearts established upon Christ and the Promises and upon the free grace and righteousness of Christ and then they have time also to act for God and the Lord makes use of them to do him much service in their generation And O what a great advantage is that So that you have seen the Point handled First What it is to Remember God Secondly What Cause the Sons of men have to Remember God Thirdly What Advantage it is for the Sons of men to Remember God in youth Now by way of Application First of all It discovers and reproves the folly and madness that is bound up in the heart of the children of men If this be the duty of all the sons of men and a point of great wisdome to remember God betimes then this discovers the folly and madness that is in mens hearts to forget God How many in this Congregation I fear may fall under this reproof that have not yet emembred God How many in their youth and how many past youth that have not yet remembred God that have all their dayes forgotten the Holy One of Israel O that the Lord would convince poor creatures of this evil not Remembring God Shall I shew you the evil of it and O that God would shew you the evil of forgetting God First of all It is the Mother and cause of all other sins whatsoever for it were not possible that many should sin against God as they do if they did not forget God all sin grows upon this root of Forgetting God The Psalmist maketh it the cause of all evil that is committed because men do forget God Psal 50. 19 20 21 22. Verse 18. When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers Verse 19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Verse 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Verse 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Verse 22. Now consider this YE THAT FORGET GOD lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you As much as if he should say here is the cause of this evil that is committed by you your Forgetting God It were not possible that men should dare to sin in the face of God if they did not forget God And it were not possible that men should sin in secret against God if they did not forget God they forget that God is an all-seeing God and that for all these things he will bring them to judgement It is not possible that children and servants should lye and steal and be unfaithful if they did not forget God if they did but remember that he would bring them to judgement and that no lyar shall come into the New Jerusalem if men did remember God they would not sin against God But this is the cause of all the sin in the world Mens forgetting God Secondly There is this Evil It makes a man spend all his time in vanity he comes up and goes down to the grave in a momen and hath lost all the time that he hath lived The truth is he hath not yet begun to live that hath not remembred God he hath not lived to the end of his life what is the end of his life but that he may remember God But man forgetting God his life is a fruitless life a vain life he comes up and sins and lives in vanity and goes down to the pit and never lives to the end of life because man remembers not God Thirdly There is this evil in it It makes men altogether unwilling and unable to dye as it makes their lives unprofitable so it makes their deaths dreadful what is the cause that men fear death Because they did not remember God in life if they had remembred God if they had known God and trusted in God and walked with God they would not have been so fearful of death but when men come to be made sensible that they have spent no thoughts upon God but upon their lusts and sin and so brought their dayes to an end they must needs fear to go to God see then how much evil there is in this great sin of not remembring God But you will say We hope that we do remember God God forbid that we should forget him What Forget God We hope we shall never do that while we live O my friends It is a harder matter to remember God then the world dream of how many thousands in the world are there that forget God that would be loth to be told that they are forgetters of God And yet I fear will be found so another day They that walk contrary in wayes of sin they are forgetters of God let them say what they will though they may have a way of worship and prayer to God and hear of God and read of God yet if they be found walking contrary to God such men will be interpreted by God to be forgetters of him Consider this all ye that forg●● God Psal 50. 22. speaking of the Hypocrites ● Why they had many prayers and did many good works are they forgetters of God Yes their hearts were never upright with God they never trusted in the Name of God they were never found serving of God so as they might pleas●● him and therefore the Lord calls them Forgetters of God O that the Lord would convince you of this great evil of forgetting God Secondly By way of Exhortation I beseech● you in the Name of the Lord to Remember God This day Remember God Remember him and Remember him in youth I shall speak a little to each of these First I beseech you Remember God to know God to trust in him to love him to obey him and to spend your thoughts upon him let the endeavours of your heart be after the Lord This is to Remember God And O that God would call upon you all and call you up to such a remembrance of him O remember how worthy God is to be remembred and remember what God hath done that so the sons of men might remember him and if after all this that God hath done after all the remembrance that God hath written of himself in his Word and upon his Works and upon his Ordinances and Providences men shall be found Forgetters of God as all sinners are how sad will their condition be another day You have a memory for the world and what No remembrance of God! God only worthy to be