Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	eternal_a	live_v	4,587	5	5.4984	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49761	An history of angells being a theologicall treatise of our communion and warre with them : handled on the 6th chapter of the Ephesians, the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 verses / by Henry Lawrence ...; Of our communion and warre with angels	Lawrence, Henry, 1600-1664.; Milton, John, 1608-1674.	1649 (1649)	Wing L660; ESTC R12895	135,420	210

about which our hope is conversant and the proportion lies thus Wee hope saith hee ver 2. when hee shall appeare to be like him for wee shall see him as hee is sayes hee there will be the same reason of your being like to him heere and hereafter and therefore if you will be like him in heaven you must be like him heere and your hope for the one must helpe you to the other now as in heaven hee is glorious so heere hee was pure ye are in all estates and conditions to follow and imitate your saviour for that is your hope to that you were predestinated Now hee was holy harmelesse undefiled therefore ye must be like in this state also Secondly your hope fixeth upon seeing him in heaven There shall no uncleane thing enter into the kingdome of heaven and therefore you must purge and cleanse your selves by the way and your hope must do it This purification respcteth both the body and the minde and is opposed to all bodily lusts which lies in the sences fancie or sensible things and to all spirituall lusts which lie in the understanding which lusteth against spirituall truths and the wayes of God sayes hee this hope must purifie you from all this But how high how farre must this hope act you to what degrees Even as hee is pure there is your patterne there is your examplar study what Christ was and be ye likewise study what Christ did or would doe and doe the same for instance wee are apt to be proud and vaine to be supercilious to overlooke men and little things to be every one for himself gripeing and graspeing Purify your selves in this even as hee is pure let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 who though hee were in the forme of God debased himself in a word consider the disposition of Christ and consider the purity of Christ and make that your coppy and as you would set no bounds to glory you would see him as he is and be like him so set no bounds to purity purify your selves after that patterne even as hee is pure and let hope and the reason of hope doe it because you have no greater pretensions to glory then you have to purity namely to be like Christ your head to whom by faith and hope you are conformed Thus yee see your Helmet in its glory securing you from all the evill of all the goods of the world and securing from all the evill of all the evill of the world and enabling and inspiring you to work and service even to all That you might be perfect and throughly furnished to every good worke improove therefore this blessed peece this hope and get it more abundantly You see it is a great matter how wee settle our hopes because in it lies the strength of our indeavours wee anchor in things by hope and fixe in them and being setled upon an immovable thing wee can moove steddily and stronglie Archimedes could moove the world if hee could fasten his engine now wee cast anchor in heaven and heavenly things in salvation for so sayes the Apostle Wee have an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth in to that which is within the vaile Heb. 6.19 Our anchor casts deepe in heaven where there is good earthing whence it will be impossible to be remooved by any stormes or windes But this wee must know that if you would make use of this or any armour which is spirituall it must be first raised to a pitch the armes must be fashioned and formed and then must be kept bright and in posture for service it must be weilded by a spirituall hand Now to raise this grace you must improove and raise your faith for as in all compositions you have something that gives the body of it so faith gives the body and substance to hope therefore faith is called the substance of things hoped for and therefore of all other things your hope will never outbid or goe beyond your faith keep therefore that full and high Yet Hope is a further grace and armour faith gives you things in their coulours with your interests in them it shewes you that they are and that they are yours but however faith gives them a kinde of presence by beleeving yet they are in themselves future as to us hope therefore takes in the pleasure of them beforehand lives in the joyfull expectation of them and so abridges the time which els would be tedious fancies to it self as I may so say the pleasures and joyes of eternall life and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth but by faith which as it is most pleasant in it self so it produceth mighty effects for joy for patience for working so as our life is comfortably entertained by it in joy and pleasure evills and calamities are mastered and subdued by it even the greatest and action and worke the end of living is promoted Therefore looke upon this peece which hath influence into so great effects as a reall not as a notionall thing as a thing that many want in the use and exercise of it but they cannot live without it they cannot live a vitall life animated with joy armed with patience and acted to worke and service Therefore let not so great an engine of the Holy Ghost so great and good an armour lye dead by us but rather let us improove it and use it try alwayes of raising it for it is raised and improoved grace that workes great and considerable effects And the sword of the spirit which is the word of God This is the last peece of armes and is fitted both for offence and defence it is an armes that is great alone and therefore men arme themselves with this which use no other and it is also an appendix to all armes for no man is armed at all points like a souldier which hath not a sword this is a peece of a very expedite and continuall use You need not goe farre to know what this sword is the Apostle describes it first by being the sword of the spirit that is a spirituall sword The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God 2. Cor. 10.4 The Divell will not give way or yeild to a sword made of any other mettall therefore it is mighty through God The Egyptians are flesh and not spirit therefore they are weake One Divell is able to deale with all the fleshly and carnall weapons in the world it is not charmes and holy water nor resolutions and purposes and reasonings alone that are weapons fit for this combate they must be things truely spirituall But then secondly it is that sword which the spirit useth in us and by us the spirit of God the Holy Ghost so as there is a mighty arme to a mighty weapon For wee know not how to pray as wee ought how to doe any thing but the spirit maketh intercession in

righteousnes none are to be excluded that are capable of God and happinesse because the roote of love aswell to others as our selves is God the measure of which is love to our selves and therefore no particular enmity should interupt therefore wee should love our enemies You see how wee have stated and whither wee have ledde this notion of righteousnes wee cannot leave it in a better place and it was fit to say some what of that of which the word sayes so much and which armes so faire and noble a part But how doth this peece arme the breast or how is it fitted thereunto The breast containes I told you the vitall parts wherein properly as in the subject is the feate of life that holines therefore that righteousnesse that image of God is wounded by unrighteousnesse by sinne the Divell that wicked one shoots at the fairest marke and by unrighteousnes wounds that is it which drawes downe Gods wrath puts a sting into every condition into death it self that weakens the heart makes timerous and fearefull the breast-plate in Greeke is Thorax and they say it is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est subsilite to leape or shake Propter cordis palpitationem for the heart ever mooves but unrighteousnes and an evell conscience makes it shake inordinately renders men timerous and fearefull now this peece of armour this breast-plate of righteousnesse secures you of this those shaking those darting wounds and ads courage and assurance so Prov. 28.1 The wicked flyes when none pursues but the righteous are bold as a Lyon now the use of armour is to render you not onely safe but bold and secure Contrary to which are those feares that make wicked men affraid of their owne shaddowe they goe without being driven saving by their owne conscience which is also excelently exprest Lev. 26.36.37 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintnesse into their hearts in the Lands of their enemyes and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword and they shall fall when none pursueth And they shall fall one upon another as it were before a sword when none pursueth and yee shall have no power to stand before your enemies Heere is a disposition quite contrary to such strength and courage as this peece the breast-plate of righteousnes gives doe you not see now need of an armour when wickednesse and unrighteousnes brings you into that miserable condition unrighteousnes is opposite to the being of a holy man the renewed state of a man which consists in righteousnes and true holinesse and to the comfort and welbeing of a saynt which stands as you have it Rom. 14.17 In righteousnes peace and joy in the Holy Ghost marke the order first righteousnes which is as I may say the materiality of peace and then joy in the Holy Ghost But may not the righteousnes of Christ imputed by faith more properly be called this peece of armour then our owne inherent righteousnesse or holinesse Answ. without all question that is the Roote and source of all our righteousnesse Rom. 8.3.4 That the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit That is wee are reputed in Christ to have fulfilled the whole law for saies hee the righteousnes of the law is fulfilled in us there were two things the law required a just suffering for what wee were in arreare a due expiation for sinne and a perfect obedience now in Christ wee are reputed to have done all this for Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 This was the first intention and scope of the law videlizet that Christ might justifie and bring men to life by his observation and keeping of it and therefore the Apostle blames them vers 3. that being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse they would establish their owne righteousnesse by which meanes they submitted not to Gods righteousnes that is to that way that hee had set and ordained But secondly having made them righteous and acquitted by imputation and standing right before God God leaves us not thus but the love of God producing in us and upon us some lovely effect makes sutable impressions and Charracters to the relation wee hold to him you have the print and Charracter of a sonne upon you aswell as the relation of a sonne which is nothing els but a certaine image and likenesse of his holinesse and therefore if you bee in Christ you are a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 Now how can any be a new creature without the infusion of new qualities new guists without an essentiall change for it is a new creation therefore the scriptures describes all the parts of this infused holinesse yee were darknesse but now yee are light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 also you have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Coll. 3.10 There is for your light for your apprehensions you have another sight of things then ever you have had other lights other notions Also you have a new heart a new disposition of spirit another bent and frame and propension then you have had so that of Ezek. 36.26 I will give you a new heart and a new spirit and you are to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holinesse Eph. 4.24 Christ therefore that doth all for us doth much in us hee is a head of influence wee have him all among us and every one hath him all in their measure and according to those influences and infusions wee have our denominations so Abell was called righteous so Noah Iob also Zacharij Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 were both righteous before God walking in all the ordinances and commandements of the Lord blamelesse In this sence a man may be called Righteous that is regenerate that is renewed although corruption remaines as you call a house white aswell as a Swan though there be many spots on it and such a one may be said not to sin 1 Joh. 3.6 because hee is not given up to sin but hath his heart armed and fenced with a holy frame and a pursuite of righteousnesse Now having thus distinguished and explained things this scripture in all the parts and peeces of the armour seemes rather to speake of the working and motion of the graces of God in us then the imputation of Christs to us which is that which indeed gives the forme enargy and operation to every peece but because according to what Christ is to us so in a proportion and according to our measure hee is in us by his influence by his infusions therefore wee are to till and improve him in us and as the divell could do nothing against us but by virtue of our corruptions so Christ makes use of his owne infusions of his owne graces of his workes in

as for the attaining of them God must come out of heaven Christ must die and suffer God must set all his wisedome on worke that wee may have a ground to pitch our hopes upon and for our part hope is mannaged and conversant about difficult things as ye shall heare But then last of all our hope is wise the things are possible about which it is conversant so possible as they are assured and therefore it s called the full assurance of Hope Heb. 6.11 Let us knowe then where wee are and what use wee have of this affection The truth is Christian Religion is altogether founded upon hope the things of this life are not our portion wee breath after what is to come let us therefore live as men untyed from this world and fasten to another by hope let the pleasures and honours and profits of this world be dead things to us because wee have no hope to animate them Hope acts and animates above any thing but wee want this engine because we have not that object For instance to appeare something to be great wise and honourable is the great contention and pursuite of this world When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall wee appeare c. Heavenly hope puts you off thither and disputes not the thing but the time ye shall have enough of appearing but it shal be in a peculiar and advantageous time when Christ shall appeare to fill up his triumph to adorne that pompe respite your desire of appearing till then God doth but time it for us so for pleasures to enjoy your selves to be satisfied to be at ease to gratify and content every part of you these are mens hopes one time or other you shall get it There is a place of pleasures the presence of God and there is a fullnesse and compleatnesse of pleasure but it is in that place and in other and there are plasures for evermore pleasures that are as long as they are great but it is at the right hand of God The pleasures Sathan would give you are of a base alloey their durance is but of that minute in which they are enjoyed Their fullnesse is worse then their emptinesse for they are not onely vaine falling short of that good they promised but vexing also and deceiving the truth is this is not a life for pleasures but for paines especially to Christians and so saies the Apostle If in this life onely wee have hope wee are of all men most miserable If our hopes as other mens were heere wee were in a worse condition then they that cannot eate their meates and enjoy their comforts tast of their daintyes partly because there is a greater disproportion betweene us and them then betweene they and them and partly because our light and our conscience is to much raised of too great a tendernesse to digest their morsells what then have wee nothing to ballance their contentments not to speake of other things what ever returnes faith and hope can make wee have They are without hope wish them joy of what they have but hope they have none and this let mee tell you improve this well and it shall pay all the charges of their gaines you have the hope of eternall life the hope of glory of what ever your hearts can wish and desire Faith gives things a footing and a subsistance hope is grafted upon it and is ready by the expectation of better things to outbidd the world and by virtue of a pleasure taken in things to come to carry you above the false pretensions of pleasure which the world makes ofter therefore content your selves with your portion and use your Helmet to ward of the assaults of semeing goods or ills as Sathan shall present them But more particularly use hope for joy for patience for workeing live in the joy of hope let one spirituall affection in prove and provoke another that there is a joy of hope appeares in this which wee usually say of worldly hopes that things are usually better in the hopes then in the enjoyment and wee see men will sell any thing rather then their hopes Now those hopes in comparison with ours have two or three notable defects First they are built upon uncertainties and contingenties they have no firme bottome and ground work and so cannot be intire cannot be without the mixture of feare feare of issue feare of successe and this let mee adde that the more they hope the more they will feare out of a loathnesse to want the good things they desire and so it is a mixt affection that prickes and pinches aswell as relieves and comforts Worldly men enjoy litle their hopes or their possessions not their possessions for they are ballanced with uncertainties and emptinesse so as they are faine to relieve themselves by their hopes by their reachings after more nor their hopes doe they enjoye purely and sincerely for they are mixt with feare which oftentimes is the weightiest ingredient and beares the greatest part of the composition but our hopes have not this impediment to joy but on the contrary carry evidence and subsistance with them being built upon the evidence and subsistance of faith so that what faith firmely beleeves hope joyfully expects and waites for What is the great happines of heaven but the fixeing stayeing of joyes by eternity Now the joy of that hope is fixed by faith which gives it a steddy and untottering foundation so that what you have you have If joy come in by that doore it will or ought to do so alwaies there is no rationall or necessary mixture of feare because there is no rationall cause of doubting Secondly there is a vanity of rejoycing in boastings as James saith and so an evill for all such rejoycing is evill The mixture of feare is a troublesome but it is a rationall thing in their hopes the foundation of which is but contingency but a further evill and more sinfull and irrationall is that they rejoyce in their boastings they thinke by the determination of their wills to do that which godly men doe by faith and when their hopes have once concluded a thing they thinke it should be established and thereupon runne away without reckoning with their hoast as wee use to say whereas the scripture saith yee ought to say if I live and if the Lord will Now for their foolish conceits to fixe that which onely God can render certaine is a folly and a sinne and the hope that riseth from it is an irrationall presumptuous hope for that they ought to say if wee live and if the Lord will things that are wholy out of their power Now our hopes and the joy of it is not a rejoycing in boasting but it is a boasting in truth wee have already the Lords will his will declared his will commaunded that wee should have the joy of hope and should rejoyce in hope Rom. 12.12 And that wee should have the rejoycing