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	jesus_n	lord_n	8,211	5	3.8236	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19568	The young-mans warning-peece, or, A sermon preached at the buriall of William Rogers, apothecary with an history of his sinfull life and woefull death, together with A post-script of the use of examples : dedicated to the young-men of the parish, especially his companions / by Robert Abbot ...	Abbot, Robert, 1588?-1662?	1639 (1639)	STC 60.7; ESTC S113008	35,100	122

at what To stumble is to take an argument of offence at something to make them fall still into the wayes of wickednesse As when the Iewes took these arguments against Christ to conclude against faith in him He is a man gluttonous a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Wee say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Divell And when the Iewes took these arguments against Stephen We have heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses against God against this holy place and the Law And when the Corinthians raised this foundation against Saint Paul This fellow perswadeth men to worship GOD contrary to the Law and Tertullus in a slanting speech before Foelix wee have found this man a very pestilence a mover of sedition among all the Iewes in all the World These are arguments of offence to make them that doe receive them still to fall into sin new sins old sins all sins But whereat ordinarily doe wicked men stumble Ordinarily at sixe sorts of things when they would flatter themselves in their wayes of darkenesse Either Ignorance or presumption or despaire or the World or scandall or the peaceable end of sinners and the contrary of those that have lived more strictly They stumble at ignorance on both hands Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of sin and so they fall to sin and care not feare not When Iosiah knew not sin his sweet nature stumbled with the times but when he heard the Law of God read he rent his clothes and melted to the very heart When Saul lived a Pharisee the death of Stephen was nothing it could be swallowed up upon a full stomack but when the Law came and shewed him what sinne was when hee saw sinne revive to pricks wound and kill then he mourned under his captivity Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of Repentance They are like Nicodemus who cannot heare of a new life but hee dreames of entring his mothers wombe againe and like Peters hearers who when they sinned knew not what they did and when they were pricked at the heart for sin knew not what to doe Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved They stumble at presumption that God will any time accept of them upon any termes Therfore at what time soever saith one GOD desireth not the death of a sinner saith another Christ saith Come unto me saith a third God will that all men should bee saved saith a fourth Every presumptuous wretch layeth some sure foundation which might be sound and sweet to a true penitent which yet will not serve his turne when he is to try the strength of it no more than Sampsons greene Cords could binde him or a rope of sand can pull down an impregnable Castle They stumble at despaire and at that on both sides too Sometimes they despaire of their owne strength Alas all the waies of vertue grace and glory are too hard for me I must lie downe in shame confusion sinne and sorrow but not move a foot to Heaven When Christ preached that no man could come to him except it were given him of his Father many of his Disciples went backe and walked no more with him in so much as CHRIST complained to the twelve Will yee also forsake mee If Christ bee such a manner of person that accesse to him is so hard so much above our power that we must be beholding to a Father whom wee are not acquainted with then farewell Christ welcome world who are more familiar Sometimes againe they despaire of GODS strength and mercy for them Christ cannot save them GOD will not save them Let strength and mercy bee what it will on high it is too high for them What is that to me I am the worst of unworthy sinners This cast out Cain hanged Judas damned both and any other that delight in such a downefall They stumble at the world of honour pleasure profit The stony hearers stumbled at the care-cloth the thornes of cares for worldly pelfe The unworthy Guests stumbled at the new bought purchases of Farmes and Oxen and so much as at the new married Wife I cannot come The rich worldling at the new Barnes and store for many dayes His soule did so alwayes live in them that hee thought hee should alwayes live with them Thus they stumbled and fell The huge blocke of the World was too great for them to leape over into heaven and therefore downe they fall and breake their neckes into the wayes of sinne They stumble at scandall and at that they trip dangerously on both hands Sometimes they are loth to offend their wicked companions what shall I forsake them scandalize them goe without them though in a better way make them that are my friends my foes to neglect and scoffe at mee This made Nicodemus come to Christ by night This made many of the chiefe Rulers believe in him but they confessed him not lest they should bee put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Sometimes againe they take offence at the lives of those that seeme to bee more godly than themselves and are so at least by profession Indeed these should bee very carefull to adorne the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore many excellent exhortations are spent upon them in the most sure Word of GOD. Sometimes they are called upon to behave themselves wisely to them that are without Sometimes to walke honestly towards them that are without sometimes to give no offence neither to Jew C●●ia● nor Church of GOD yet are they not so carefull in the workes of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety as they ought This is soone espied by wicked men and so made an argument to stumble at You will say They are in darknesse how then can they spie such a hole in the coat of him that is better than themselves I le tell you when men see a thing that may further them in the way to Heaven they do receive it inward by the meanes of the spirit and the sweet beames of grace which shine about them For every good giving comes from the Father of lights but when they see any thing that helpes them onward to Hell they have a power of seeing from within As a Cat sees in a darke night by fyring the aire to her selfe and for her owne uses so wicked men being set on fire of Hell can in their darkest state easily kindle a light for their owne uses to find fodder for their soules in their way to Hell-ward They stumble Lastly at the peaceable end of sinners Truly they dyed like Lambes There are no hands in their death just like the good thiefe upon the Crosse which with quiet and sweet reaches after grace and glory breathed out his soule to GOD notwithstanding all the wickednesse of

It is not bad enough to have these horrors and perplexities for sinnes and punishments He was no swearer no whoremonger no thiefe no scoffer at Religion no perjured wretch no wilfull lyar no proud and s●rley resister of good counsell and reproofe like too many other young-men now a dayes yet when conscience is awaked and sits as a Iudge on him Onely for drunkennesse neglect of mens bodyes and neglect of Prayer Word and Sacrament he passeth this heavie doome upon himselfe I must bee burned in the furnace of Hell millions of millions of ages and at the last in idlenesse of thoughts and talke he ends his miserable life This is your example which he intreated me to lay before you that ye may be warned by it to keepe you from Hell The living God present it as a powerfull example to your Consciences that it may work that good which this miserable young man wished And that it may the more prevaile ye shall have a rule now as well as an example shewing the misery and horrour of a wicked life from this proverbe The way of the wicked is as darkenesse they know not at what they stumble Salomon had pressed in many words because all words were not enough all Young-men in his sonne to avoide the needlesse and vaine society of wicked men Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not into the way of evill men Art thou allured Avoide it Is the way delightfull Passe not by it Doth thy way lye that way Turne from it Art thou call'd in whithersoever thou goest Passe away This exhortation being thus pressed with words is further urged by reasons First from the persons and states of wicked men They sleepe not except they have done mischiefe themselves or made others to doe it for how can they when they eate the iron bread of wickednesse and the Sodome Wine of violence This breeds no sweete flegme to binde up the senses Secondly hee urgeth it from the course of wicked men which he sets downe comparatively with the godly The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day The descent of grace is from heaven as the light shineth the degrees of grace are not all attained unto at the first but more and more but the prosperitie of grace where it is nourished by a godly life is not to goe out to the perfect day Therefore it is excellent to be in society with the godly But for the course of wicked men 1. It is as darkenesse there is the danger of it 2. They know not at what they stumble there is the signe of it In this course of wicked men there are two propositions which I shall labour to open and apply unto you First That the way of the wicked is darkenesse That ye may conceive this I shall open unto you thorow GODS helpe foure points 1. What is the way of the wicked 2. How is it darknesse 3. How it comes to be so and 4. Why it is darknesse 1. The way of the wicked is the whole course of a wicked man to death and Hell David saith The way of the wicked shall perish that is his thoughts words deeds wherin he pleaseth himselfe till at last he sees and feeles the empty vanity of them when the comfort of them leaves him and he fall into hell 2. This way of the wicked is darknesse by an absence of that first light which GOD gave to sinlesse and obedient man Before man had sinned hee had the light of knowledge the light of grace and the light of comfort He could fully and fairely see what was fit for a creature to keepe him in perpetuall communion and fellowship with GOD. He had the beames of GODS grace in him and about him keeping out the darkenesse of sin He had sweet comfort in the injoyment of GOD and himselfe and in the best possession and use of all the Creatures But when hee fell from the Principles of Life the Lord and his Law he quickly was overwhelmed with the darkenesse of ignorance the darkenesse of sin and the darknesse of misery Our blessed Saviour came to give light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of Peace the light of knowledge That they that see not might see the light of grace that they that follow him might not walke in darkenesse but have the light of life And the light of comfort that he might give beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse All wicked men that misse this that are in hunting with Esau while this blessing is given following the luxurious courses of the world in wickednesse while CHRIST brings life and immortality to light by the Gospell doe fall into darkenesse darknesse darknesse Because they loved darknesse rather than light therefore their cogitations are darkened through ignorance their foolish hearts are full of darknesse they looke to the earth and behold darkenesse and sorrow they fall to the darkenesse of horrour for there is no peace to the wicked saith my GOD they goe downe to the place of darkenesse and the horrible pit shuts her mouth upon them O woe unto them they have rewarded evill unto their soules 3. But how doth the wicked mans way become to bee darknesse As outward darknesse doth grow upon men three wayes so doth this First naturally by some defect in naturall generation So there being a naturall defect now in mans propagation through sin he brings forth blind Whelps Though more or lesse for naturall excellency man bee not borne blinde yet for morrall rectitude to improve his understanding to the best advantage for his happines in Gods way hee is darkenesse Secondly actually by too much gazing on the excelling sensibles of the world or by too much heate or cold which checke or chill the spirits So when wicked men doe too much gaze upon the deceitfull glories and pleasures of the World when they are cold in Religion or religious duties and doe hotly pursue the pleasing vanities of this life they become clouded in the thicke smoake of darkenesse This blinded that rich foole from securing his soule and Zaccheus before his conversion from going the right way to heaven For they that will bee rich fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction Thirdly penally when it is inflicted as a punishment as when Zedechias his eyes were pulled out as a just punishment upon his wicked life so when GOD sees the courses of men to be foule and detestable contrary to the light of the word and checke of Conscience which he hath given them then GOD justly shuts their eyes stoppes their eares and takes away the