Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	burn_v	earth_n	water_n	2,870	5	6.1160	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12184	An exposition of the third chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians also two sermons of Christian watchfulnesse. The first upon Luke 12 37. The second upon Revel. 16.15. An exposition of part of the second chapter of the Epistle to the Philipp. A sermon upon Mal. 4. 2.3. By the late reverend divine Richard Sibbes, D.D. master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Grayes-Inne.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22493; ESTC S117268	126,511	278

here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a si●ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place

Christians and yet complaine with Paul of corruptions Nay the most strong Christians see most deeply and cleerely into their corruptions and finde most opposition There is in all men by nature a spring of Poperie they would faine deserve heaven by a perfect and holy life without blot and God to humble them suffers corruption to checke them and to keepe them under who else would bee lifted up through good conceipt and esteeme of themselves Thirdly it may serve as a caution to many who being reproved justly for their faults what say they we are not Angels you have your owne imperfections as well as I. And stirre them up to any good dutie they are presently so good as those that are better than they are too precise and too nice St. Paul contrarily rests in no degree of goodnesse but strives on to perfection and it s the devils sophistrie to turne that to a plea for negligence which should stirre us up to be more diligent watchfull and carefull VERS 12. But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I also an apprehended of Christ Iesus THe word that is translated I follow after signifies properly to labour with earnest intention of the heart and affections and the lesson that we may hence learne is That the life of a Christian is a laborious and painfull life for in what proportion the things we labour for are more excellent than these worldly things so much greater our desire and labour should bee in the obtaining of them than in the obtaining this worlds goods and to this end the Scripture ever inforceth this dutie with words sutable to our worke Labour for the meat that perisheth not strive to enter in at the straight gate give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Those that will take no paines it s a sure signe they finde no sweetnesse in the thing and therefore in such there can bee no true goodnesse and hence we may observe a difference between the desires of men some are effectuall some uneffectuall those that are uneffectuall commonly desire and delight in the thing they desire but will none of the meanes let me die the death of the righteous sayes the wicked man glory and happinesse is excellent but the gate is narrow the way is tedious and full of trouble he will none of that we will laugh at one that shall wish his work and jorney were done when as he will sit downe and never goe about it why should wee not much more laugh at such sluggards that wish dayly O that they might bee saved when as they doe not onely not further but hinder their salvation But where true desire of grace is there will will be joyned thereto an indeavour with jealousie over our corruptions with griefe and shame for them and for our backwardnesse and want of goodnesse for else hell itself is full of good wishes and desires if we meane to be better we must use all meanes undertake all paines and travaile with vehemencie even as those that pursue gains with delight they follow through thicke and thin especially if the gaine bee in the eye and those that goe for companie they are soone tired and thus did Paul hee went through fire and water through all manner of dangers good and ill report his gaine is still in his eye hee lookes not after the way if by any meanes hee may attaine his desired marke But how shall we come to this grace I answer get first Faith for by it the weake are made strong Heb. 11. Get assurance that Heaven is thine and God hath promised thee grace sufficient and this is Pauls argument be yee constant and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing you labour shall not be in vain where hope of reward is in the use of the meanes it will stir us up to a constant use of the meanes 1 Cor. 15. last Secondly get a fervent love for it is a strong affection if lust so prevaile with us as we will omit no meanes to accomplish it then a love in it selfe is much more powerfull nothing being too hard for it it hath an enlarging knitting and cōmunicating power it makes a man bestow all and rejoyce more in doing good by much then in receiving It s a grace cōprehends a number under it and therfore Christ comprehended all the law under love of God and our neighbour Thirdly cut off all superfluities men thinke they are happy when they have much to doe when indeed they were happie if they had lesse to doe then they have Sathan he does as Cyrus did with the waters of Babylon hee diverts and separates our affections that hee might passe over As Nurses they hurt themselves and the children too when they keep over many so doe men hurt themselves with overmuch businesse The Lord hath not made us all for the world but hath reserved one day in Seven for his service For shame le ts shew we have some respect of Religion and goodnesse seeing God requires but one in seven let us not bee so unjust as to denie him his service on that day Well let those that professe themselves of another world by all meanes pursue it In Nature every thing tends to his center and place heavie things goe downward light things ascend upward in handicrafts and arts every one lookes after excellencie shall it bee thus with them shall mediocritie in other arts merit dispraise and is it onely praise-worthy in Religion The wicked they labour for hell venturing losse of credit strength and estate and is there not better gain in goodnesse have we such rich promises and doe we esteeme of them no more are not the afflictions wee shall meet with many and great and doe wee thinke to undergoe them with ordinarie grace gotten without labour and watchfulnesse But le ts goe on to the next words That I may apprehend Whence we may observe that the maine scope of a Christian is to apprehend Christ here by revellation that we may apprehend him hereafter by vision many there are that may follow good things and use good meanes yet wanting these apprehending graces of faith and love which makes us have communion with Christ they perish notwithstanding humane knowledge is commendable yet is it no other than as a scaffold in this building it helpes but the building once done it s for little use apprehend we therefore him by knowledge of his truth relye on him by faith and imbrace him by love and then if we be chased by him we may as Ioab lay hold on the hornes of the Altar Christ Iesus and there live and die and as we have dayly breaches even so get more and more hold on him and this will make us desire with Simeon Lord let me now depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Let us therefore dayly learne to see our owne foulnesse and goe to him the rock of our refuge O