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	know_v	word_n	4,525	5	4.2540	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13075	Christian observations and resolutions, or, The daylie practise of the renewed man, turning all occurrents to spirituall uses, and these uses to his vnion with God I. centurie : vvith a resolution for death, &c. / newlie published by Mr William Struther ...	Struther, William, 1578-1633.	1628 (1628)	STC 23367; ESTC S1007	124,060	389

hath layde in the vncharitable heart the egges or seedes of Ignorance Malice Prejudice Suspition preposterous Zeale and such like Then hee worketh mightilie on them and hatcheth the monstrous bird of Calumnie But it is winglesse till it be vented For this end hee putteth Confidence and Credulitie to it that it may flee abroad which was brought foorth in secret This is a match of Sathans joyning A babling tongue to speake and a bibulous eare to drinke in greedilie bad reportes It is a weake Soule that hath two such assistants who so would perswad them of any thing haue lesse to doe than hee who must heare their raw and vnconsiderate reportes Hee needeth no more but vent his tales he is trusted at once by them but their hearers must either beleeue them that in their own degree of perswasion or else suffer for it It is easier to bee their informers than their hearers or reformers and that rather in lies and trifles than in trueth They are as hard to take contrare information to their former errors as they were ready at the first to drinke them in It is our best to try reportes and then giue euery thing its owne due of trust and euery trust the owne degree of asseveration It is folie to embrace humane reports with that same degree of perswasion as wee doe diuine trueth or to speake them with the same confidence A speciall worke of Gods Spirit is to direct vs in the trueth and that not onely in the matters of Saluation but also in our common conuersation where hee reigneth hee placeth holy Discretion at the roote of our eares to keepe vs from racklesse Credulitie And hee guydeth the heart with wise Charitie to stay vndiscreet Confidence inventing of our owne apprehension or other mens reports The foolish man will beleeue euery thing but the prudent will consider his steppes Prov. 14. 15. 42. The sight of a present God-head IT is a great worke to direct our life a●ight and many haue giuen good precepts for it but the Scripture is a most full and pertinent rule And God who knoweth best our duetie hath summed all vp in one word VValke before mee and bee thou vpright Gen●s 17. 1. The sight and sense of a reuealed reconcealed and present God-head is the marrow and substance of all wholesome directions Who can see him but hee must loue and seeke an union with him and keepe that union by a constant walking with him Hee cannot bee seene but by his owne light nor felt but by his owne life and the raritie of these blessinges make the Christian conuersation so rare This is a compleate Furniture for our duetie first to know it next to will it and thirdlie to haue a power to doe it All these are obtained by setting God before vs. Neither is hee a beholder of his gifts but an effectuall mouer of them setting vs and his Grace in vs to worke by a powerfull working If his pure light fill the minde his effectuall power will fill the heart and that light and power can lead vs no wher-else but to himself They put vs to a restlesnesse but when wee are pleasing him and that restlesnes is a most sweete rest The goodnes of promised blessings the weight of threatned curses and the equitie of dueties commanded are all in their vigour when we see God so that faith and obedience doe follow Other considerations haue their owne force but this is so immediate and strong that there is neither place for delay nor hypocrisie He who seeth God alway dare neither neglect his duetie nor doe it deceitfully Where this care is Sinne findeth a bridle and Grace a spurre There can no tentation ouercome vs so long as wee see God clearely before vs Sathans suggestions evanish as mist before that face And our corruption dare not shew it selfe before the clearenes of that light Our walking in Christianity is but a roving till wee come to this sight of God in some measure This maintaineth light in the minde sensiblenesse in the heart and setteth to worke our Conscience to direct and hold vs in a conuersation worthie of him whom we see alwayes looking on vs. Men are diuersly affected with this sight Some know not the nature of it other condemne it as a phanaticke imagination because they comprise all the worke of Grace within their owne personall experience But VVisedome is justified of her children They who are conscious and sensible of it enjoye the vnspeakable fruites thereof While other are as voyde of them as they are voyde of the sight it selfe 43. Patrons of Grace and Nature are condignelie payed for their pleading OPinions in Religion are discoueries of our condition he who counteth highlie of the Grace of God hath his part thereof It commeth freely of God and leadeth to him in thankfulnesse It is his gift and the proper worke of it is to bring vs to him againe It is his stryne in vs and pulleth our Soules to him The holy Spirit is not as a reporting messēger but one inbiding seale hee worketh at once both the sense of Gods loue in our heart and the meeting we giue to it No childe of Grace can satisfie himselfe in magnifying of Grace the worke of it is to powre out it selfe on God the Fountaine as it filleth the hart with joy so doth it the mouth with VVhat shall I rēder to the Lord Ps. 116. 12. The Patrons of Nature seeme yet to abyde in Nature at the least that patrocinie is a work of Nature and flesh in them If a Captiue commend his Prison is a token hee is not wearie of it and which is worse desireth not to bee deliuered of it Sauing Grace in Christ is the Arke of Gods building to saue those that goe in it But Pelagius brittle and rent shalloppe of naturall power and selfe-sufficiencie drowneth men in damnation In things naturall and for this life Nature can doe something but in matters supernaturall and for Saluation it is blind as the mould-warp dead as a carcase and vyld as a carion If we ascryue to it either deseruing or disposition for Grace we denye both the Nature and necessitie of Grace Errors in other pointes of Religion discouer indeed weakenesse in the mind but in these practick poynts concerning Gods worke in our Calling and conuersation they discouer the state of our persons They who are translated from Nature to Grace cannot but abhorre Nature and praise Grace O! how dangerous a thing is it to count Nature Grace or to magnifie it against Grace If their opinion bee well examined they will bee found to lay two strange grounds to themselues One that they are sprung of another beginning than fallen Adam The other that they court another God than the Redeemer of mankynde As for vs who are come of lost Adam and depend on Christ our Redeemer wee dare neither speake so proudly of Nature nor so basely of Grace The poore speaketh with prayers but

shall bee a fountaine in our bellie springing vp to life eternall How can it in our bellie spring vp to life eternall but because it lifteth our heartes to GOD in Heauen The Soule which so adhereth to God is more in him than in the body which it quickneth both because it goeth gladlie out of it selfe to bee all in him and next because it cannot dwell in it selfe but because of him it can better dwell among Monsters in the desert that in it selfe without him And thirdlie because when it is lost in sinne and securitie it seeketh and findeth it selfe more in him than in it selfe When we may say to him O thou whom my Soule loueth All these sorts and degrees of union with him are found The bosome of the mother is a kindlie rest to the Babe both for sleepe in health recouerie in sweruing that naturall heate wherein it was formed doth kindlie cherish that life that proceedeth of it Whē we lye alwayes in the bosome of God and are warmed by the sense of that sauing loue in Christ wee are both sensible of the vertue of our beginning and of the first fruites of our end The Needle of the Dyall standeth not but towards the Pole so doeth the godlie Soule to God If the secret vertue of a small stone can so moue yron shall not the Rocke of Syon Christ Iesus the Miracle of loue drawe our tender louing hearts vnto him How securlie shall wee contemne all other things and rest sweetlie content in him vnder the sense of this his drawing and vniting vertue expecting that happines which his sauing Loue procureth to his Beloued Returne now O my Soule to thy Rest and abyde in it for GOD hath beene and will bee for euer beneficiall vnto thee Psal. 116. 7. AMEN FINIS A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God And to assure all that liue the life of the Righteous that they shall die the death of the Righteous By the same Author M. W. S. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Philipp 1. 23. EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heires of Andro Hart. Anno Domini 1628. Philipp 1. 21. Christ is to mee both in Death and in Life aduantage Luke 2. 29. 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in Peace according to thy Word For mine eyes hath seene thy Saluation 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57. O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy Victorie The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God which giueth vs the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. A Table of the following Treatise THe proposition of the Resolution Num. 1. The first ground from present misery 2. The miserie of our Bodie 3. The miserie of the Soule 4. The miserie of our Lott 5. The second ground from our Happinesse 6. The happinesse of our Soule 7. The happinesse of our Body 8. The happinesse of our Lotte 9. The third ground from Gods worke in vs concerning our miserie and happinesse 10. Sense of miserie in the Bodie 11. Sense of miserie in the Soule 12. Sense of miserie in our Lotte 13. Sense of Glorie in Heauen 14. Resolution it selfe 15. The godlie man dyeth not 16. But ouercometh Death in Christ. 17. Hee preuenteth Death in his Life 18. Hee preueneth his Buriall in Life 19. Foure ioyfull solemnities 20. Ioy at Birth 21. Ioy at Mariage 22. Ioy at Triumph 23. Ioy at Coronation 24. They are all at the death of the Godly 25. Incouragemēts against Death from them 26. The noyse at Death 27. Fearefull cryes to the wicked 28. Comfortable cryes to the godly 29. A glorious change at Death 30. Manie unions with the Bodie 31 Necessitie of separation 32 Documents of the sentence of Death 33. 1. Mortalitie of the Body 34. 2. Immortalitie of the Soule 35. 3. Gods loue sauing vs from Hell 36. 4. That his loue standeth with affliction 37. Experience of Death 38. Eight comfor●able contraries in Death 39 The VVicked tremble at it 40. But the godlie reioyce 41. Incertaintie at Death is fearefull 42. Certaintie is comfortable 43. It is obtained by Faith 44. By Prayer 45. And conuersing daylie with God 46. Our light clearer in Death than in Life 47. Acquaintance with Death 48. Sentence of Death 49. Lawfull desires of Life 50. Hope of glorious Resurrection 51. Hope of eternall Glorie 52 Hope of the Lords Rest. 53. Our Rights to that Rest. 54 A Catalogue of GODS speciall blessings to strengthen these our hopes 55. The fearefull Death of the Wicked 56. The ioyfull Death of the Godlie 57. The remainders of feare in the best men 58. But they are soone ouercome 59. The godlie mans Testament 60. A Prayer for an happie Death 61. And for the sight of Christ at Death 62. Confidence to obtaine them both 63. And glorie thereafter 64. The last and greatest desire 65. And last an eternall delight of the godly Soule 66. Reuel 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead which die in the LORD for they rest from their labours and their workes followeth them A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease Decemb. 1627. And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God WHY should I feare Death when it approacheth It is the way that I desire to goe I passe Natures necessitie in Adam that hath subjected me to mortalitie come to the priuiledge of Grace in Christ which hath deliuered mee from the curse of it I say not I make mee for Death because I must die but because I would die Long haue I thought on it and earnestlie longed for it if I stagger and feare at his reproach my desire hath either beene foolish or my Spirit is faint The grounds of my desire are 1. Present miserie 2. Next future Glorie 3. And the worke of God in mee concerning them both My Miseries are great in the weaknes of a mortall body a lumppe of earth busying it selfe and mee about it selfe For Eating Drinking and Clothing and Resting it spendeth the Tyme and it selfe and wearieth the Spirit Fraile is this lump that hath an hourelie necessitie of so fraile things and the necessitie so great that the paine of it is intolerable the easing of it by meanes conuenient is wearisome and that ease beginning with ending and ending in the beginning Scarcelie is it refreshed when it hungreth and wearieth againe One necessitie sendeth it to another and the satisfying of one bringeth on another and that same that was now eased returneth shortlie If I satisfie Hunger and Thirst. Drowsinesse calleth for Sleepe if I refresh it by Sleepe Nakednesse must bee couered and scarce haue I couered Nakednesse when new Hunger calleth for Refreshment and Refreshment sendeth me to Sleepe againe Weake is that Life that needeth so