Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	flesh_n	member_n	sin_n	6,691	5	4.9879	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20169	The monument or tombe-stone: or, A sermon preached at Laurence Pountnies Church in London, Nouemb. 21. 1619 at the funerall of Mrs. Elizabeth Iuxon, the late wife of Mr. Iohn Iuxon. By Stephen Denison minister of Gods word, at Kree-Church in the honourable citie of London.	Denison, Stephen, d. 1649 or 50.	1620 (1620)	STC 6604; ESTC S116460	41,077	140

blessed person in Psal 1. In that Law will he meditate day and night And if this be a signe in any then much more in this good Christian For indeed vntill it pleased God to conuert her soule which was about siue yeares ago she walked according to the course of the world and maruelled as she her selfe confessed what people meant to runne dragling to Sermons But the Lord changed her mind and then I thinke she ran as fast to Sermons as the rest of her brethren and sisters I meane as the rest of Gods deare Saints and children The second Marke The word worketh in me a redresse of my wayes And that this signe was in this worthy woman it was euident vnto me who was made throughly acquainted by her voluntary confession with her estate She acknowledged vnto me after her conuersion how vaine her course had bin in former times Yea she concealed not from me the greatest sinnes that euer she committed in all her life time And therefore I saw with mine eyes what an admirable redresse of wayes the word and Spirit of God had wrought in h● Now brethren when the word of God workes a through and effectuall redresse it is an euident signe of an happie estate condition For the word worketh effectually in none but in such which do beleeue as we gather out of the words of the Apostle in 1. Thess 2. 13. The third Marke I find a respect to all the commandements of God desiring to obey in the least commandement as well as in the greatest I find a willingnesse to obey against profit pleasure credite ease libertie and the liking of carnall friends And that this signe was in this worthy Christian it is also euident She hath desired to obey in the least and much more in the greatest commandements She for her part made conscience as well of litle oaths as of great of deceiuing in a shilling as well as in a pound of the lust of the eye as well as of the act of vncleanenesse of words as well as of deedes and of thoughts as well as of outward practises This was manifest vnto me by her complaints against herselfe in such things as a carnall hypocrite would haue esteemed but motes whereas she esteemed them beames And that she had a willingnesse to obey against profit it is likewise euident for she was an especiall meanes to perswade her husband not to incomber himselfe with too much worldly imployment but rather to content himselfe with lesse worldly gaine and to redeeme time for hearing Gods word and for other holy occasions Secondly she obeyed against pleasure for whereas she had wont to seeke her bodily recreation vpon the Sabbath day in walking vp and downe in sitting at her gate in talking of worldly matters and such like now she was growne so deuout and pious as that she made conscience to expell worldly thoughts vppon the Lords day as appeared by many godly questions from time to time put forth vnto me by her Thirdly she obeyed against credite for whereas in her carnall estate her carnall neighbours respected her afterwards when they obserued this godly change in her they ceassed to giue her that respect which was due vnto her yea indeed they enuyed hated and neglected her Fourthly that she obeyed against libertie and ease it was also manifest for whereas in her carnall estate she could take libertie to keepe her bed vpon the Sabbath day till eight of the clocke now in her spirituall estate she could afford to rise by fiue a clocke in the morning and that in the cold winter and when she was with child and to go to the Lecture in the citie at six a clocke and this she did constantly Fifthly that she obeyed against the liking of carnall friends it was also plaine for they stormed against her for these godly courses and did not spare to tell her That if she thus proceeded she would vtterly vndo her selfe and ouerthrow her estate and yet against all these pull-backes she held on her godly course vnto the end And know this my deare brethren that there is no surer euidence of a good estate then vniuersall obedience What was it that confirmed the estate of Zachary and Elizabeth to be a blessed and happie estate but this in that they walked in all the commandements of God without rebuke Luke 1. 6. The fourth signe or Marke I find feruencie and frequencie in prayer in secret Concerning the feruency of this good woman in prayer and that in secret I my selfe haue bene an eare witnesse for I haue heard her pray when she was not aware of me And for her frequencie the family are not ignorant how exactly she kept and obserued her religious houres in priuate There is no hungrie person doth more duely obserue his meale-times then this faithfull person obserued her times for prayer and reading And who will not easily acknowledge that the true spirit of prayer is a notable signe of a blessed estate For God doth powre the spirit of prayer vpon none but vpon such vpon whom also he powreth the spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. And what saith blessed Paul Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Rom. 10. 13. Yea what saith Christ himselfe Matth. 6. 6. Pray vnto thy Father in secret and the Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly The fift Marke I find a striuing against the most secret corruptions of nature I bewaile my transgressions against the inward worship of God as well as against the outward I bewaile the hardnesse of mine heart and mourne because I cannot mourne as I ought How exceedingly this holy Christian did bewaile her failings against the inward worship of God I was not ignorant for many a time hath she complained vnto me what distractions she hath found in prayer and in the hearing of Gods word Yea she obserued the subtiltie of Satan how he would thrust other good motions and meditations vpon her vnseasonably of purpose to hinder her in her present holy businesse and moreouer mine eares were continually filled with her complaints in respect of hardnesse of heart and with her mourning because she could not mourne as she ought And that she had a striuing against the most secret corruptions it was likewise apparent vnto me which was made acquainted with her spirituall estate for it was her godly care still to be instructed how she might cast out and resist euill motions groning and sighing vnder them as vnder a most vncomfortable heauie and intollerable burden Now what greater signe is there of a good and gracious estate then to be sensible of the combat of the spirit against the flesh What greater euidence was there that Paul was now a regenerate person then this to wit that he found this striuing in his heart and that he was sensible of the law of his minde resisting the law of sinne which was in his members Rom. 7. 23. What greater signe

Ioh. 4. 5. 7. And againe he saith in the 16. verse of the same Chapter He that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him The eleuenth Marke I desire after puritie and to be holy as God is holy This our Christian sister laboured against all impuritie both of flesh and spirit the least secret impure motion did much vexe her as appeared by her feeling complaints And as for holinesse I am perswaded she affected it farre aboue saluation for what was still her especiall request euen this that God would be pleased to giue her a more holy heart And Moreouer the more holily that any minister preached the more was she delighted to heare him The more holily that any one conferred or prayed gaue thankes the more heartily she shewed her zeale in saying Amen And indeed as for Sermons and prayers and thanksgiuing which seemed to be very eloquent if there was not some holy zeale in them they were but a burden vnto her Yea shee stood so affected vnto holinesse as that sometimes walking in her hall vpon the Sabbath day and conferring of Gods word she hath heartily desired neuer to go againe into the world but if it were the will of God that shee might spend all her dayes in that blessed fellowship with God And yet she was none of those that liued inordinately or idlely who liuing by the sweate of other mens browes vnder the colour of giuing themselues vnto holinesse do altogether neglect or cast off their particular callings especially if they be any thing painfull But she thus spoke being carefull of that holy condition If it might stand with the will of ●od By these symptomes and signes we may see how this our sister stood affected for holinesse And what greater signe is there of a true child of God then holinesse Be ye sure saith Dauid in Psalme 4. that God hath chosen to himselfe a godly man And Saints or holy persons is one of the names which is giuen of God vnto his children in the holy Scriptures as you are not ignorant The twelfth Marke I desire to be good at home as well as abroad in absence of others as well as in presence in secret as well as openly Concerning the domestical goodnesse of this our sister we had sufficient knowledge for we dayly beheld her Christian practise And how constant she was in her holy courses in our absence I haue bene sufficiently informed by others which were in the family She had attained that degree of sinceritie as that her studie was to hide her graces at least so farre as grace could be hid For you know that grace is like sweete oile it will vtter it selfe in the sweete sauour whether the Apothecary will or no. Fearfull she was lest any should thinke more to be in her then she thought to be in her selfe She hated vaine shewes she could not brooke those that would publikly make shew of more then was manifest by their priuate practise was in them Yea vpon her death bed she affirmed that she had nothing in her selfe to comfort her but poore sinceritie She knew that howsoeuer she had walked weakly before God yet she had walked sincerely Another argument of her sinceritie was this in that she desired her estate to be throughly sifted both in health and in sicknesse And to that end in health she repaired to godly Ministers for the triall of her estate and also in sicknesse she desired the iudgements of more then of one Minister that she might know the very truth of her estate Yea she desired to heare of her sinnes and to that end desired me either in my owne person or by some other good Minister to preach a Sermon of the cursed estate of man by nature and of the vttermost terrours of the Law against sinne that so her stonie heart might be more and more broken and for that paines she would haue giuen me or any other Minister of Christ which would haue made the Sermon a large reward in gold Now what greater signe is there of a good estate then is sinceritie What greater euidence was there of Dauids blessed estate then this to wit that he walked in the vprightnesse of his heart in the midst of his house Psal 101. 2. The thirteenth Marke I can pray for mine enemies and humble my soule for them in their distresse I will be at peace with them without reuenge I can forbeare them when I could bring them to shame That this seruant of God could pray for her enemies and humble her soule in their distresse we may well beleeue it if she auouch it for great was her truth in speech and throughly tried I do not denie but she might sometimes report an vntruth as receiuing it by report from others whom she beleeued But to speake a lie or to speake against her owne knowledge to wrong any or aduantage her selfe it was farre from her Againe that she would be at peace with her enemies without reuenge and without seeking their shame it was manifest For when some had exceedingly wronged her by their slanderous tongues after she had conferred with me what I thought she might do with a good conscience in such a case she was content to sit downe vnder the wrong being perswaded that God would cleare her innocencie as the light at noone day And this was the more excellent patience in this our godly sister because indeed by nature she was verie cholericke and subiect to passions And what greater euidence is there of a good estate then to forgiue our enemies For Christ him selfe hath said that If we forgiue men their trespasses our heauenly Father will for giue us our trespasses Math. 6. 14. The fourteenth Maarke I finde a willingnesse to suffer any thing for God by his assistance She was content for the present to endure the hatred of the world for her profession sake to endure the persecution of the tongue and the taunts of carnall friends And these sufferings she did not much respect Nay further she was very mindfull of the fiery triall which might come vpon vs and she for her part looked for it and prepared for it Yea she was minded rather to burne at a stake then euer to yeeld vnto Poperie or to betray the truth of the Gospell And in these godly resolutions she did not trust in any sort to her owne strength but was very iealous how she should be able to endure the fire Oh said she how shall I endure to be drawne vpon an hurdle vnder Newgate and to be bound vnto a stake to suffer the violence of the fire c. But yet she still was comforted with this namely that God was able to cause her to stand And what greater signe is there of a sound estate then when it is giuen vnto vs not onely to beleeue in the behalfe of Christ but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. The fifteenth Marke I desire to deale faithfully in the