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	love_v	perish_v	4,249	5	7.8268	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86270	Repentance and conversion, the fabrick of salvation: or The saints joy in heaven, for the sinners sorrow upon Earth. Being the last sermons preached by that reverend and learned John Hewyt, D.D. Late minister of St. Gregories by St. Pauls. With other of his sermons preached there. Dedicated to all his pious auditors, especially those of the said parish. Also an advertisement concerning some sermons lately printed, and presented to be the doctors, but are disavowed by Geo. Wild. Jo. Barwick.	Hewit, John, 1614-1658.; Wilde, George, 1610-1665.; Barwick, John, 1612-1664.	1658 (1658)	Wing H1637; Thomason E1776_1; ESTC R209722	86,537	249

it well Can there be a longer journey then from earth to heaven and a shorter time than a moment Yet such is our journey such is our time Repent therefore now while it is called to day harden not your hearts for procrastination is dangerous doubt not of the power of God for he is Omnipotent and this attribute of his is manifested in every petty piece of the Hexameron Fabrick There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something that may challenge our admiration even in the borders of a gaudy Butterfly saith Aristotle which do afford an evident smack or view of the Omnipotency of God Rely upon him therefore fear sin and avoid it because it offends so gracious a God 3. The third step to true repentance is a constant and setled resolution never to sin or displease God to do his will walk in the way of his Commandments I do not say that a truly sanctified person never sins at all but he never sins with an intent and purpose to sin he takes no delight or complacency in sin 't is the sole object of his hatred and resolveth to please God as far as possibly he may by the grace of God that strengthens him When he can say with holy David Psalm the 18. and the 23. I have refrained my feet from every evil way Again 1 John 3.9 He that is born of God sinneth not i. e. not with a full purpose of heart or with a delight in it or affection to it but they constantly strive against it shun and avoid the occasions of sin suspect themselves upon every occasion and are continually arm'd to give battel to the devil and his temptations In may things we sin all saith St. James But if we can but say really and experimentally that it is against our intention that we hate abhor detest sin with an unutterable hatred and that we condemn the very sins we commit then we may be comforted receive joy and assure our selves that we are true penitents for this takes away the dominion of sin in our mortal bodies doth not quite thrust it out it doth devest it of its authority so that it hath no power to prejudice or injure us in our salvation 4. The fourth sign of or way unto true repentance is an aggravation of our sins when we render them hainous in the sight of God acknowledging we have sinned so much that we deserve eternal damnation we deserve that the Vials of Gods wrath should be poured down upon our heads You would fare the better not the worse for aggravating your transgressions For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life This is a sic without sicut Such a so as never man loved so and all this for the salvation of mankind 5. The fifth and last sign of or step unto repentance is a frank and free confession of sins not extorted and wrung out of you but flowing from you liberally chearfully and really in hope of the pardon and remission of them We must so confess our sins as to beg pardon for them and to entreat the Lord to have pity on us out of the bowels of his tender compassion Do not abscond and conceal your sins manifest them publickly both to God and man be cordially penitent for them and no doubt but the merciful God will save your souls Confession of sins is the forerunner of remission and this must not be flashy and for a time but so long as are our years upon the earth measured out for he that will serve the primus motor must not write his ne ultra till he come to the Terminus ad quem He must proceed with a courage we must confess them openly and not like the worldly wise whose wisdom Lactantius saith abscondit non abscindit peccata conceals and not cuts asunder or separates sin Now we must confesse our sins 1. To God and 2. To Man 1. To God as holy David teacheth us in his own example Psalm the 51. vers 4. Against thee against thee only have I sinned and again in the 32 Psam vers the 6. I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin 'T is true we may injure men by our sin as David did Uriah but being sin the chiefest wrong and injury falleth upon God 2. We must confess to men and that both privately and publickly according to the quality of the sin for though we condemn auricular confession as a trick of State-policy yet we allow and not only so but exhort all Christians to a true voluntary and sincere confession of their sins to the Bishop and Superintendents of the Church confession must be made to men in respect of the Church that the Congregation that hath been offended may be satisfied and that others may be deterred from falling into the same sins as it is in the 2 Epistle to St. Timothy 4 ch and the 26 vers Them that sin rebuke openly that the rest may fear And last of all in respect of the Sinner himself that he may be humbled for it for were it a pecuniary mulct onely and his purse were to do penance he would not probably value that but now it may bring him to an humiliation and a sincere repentance accompanied with a godly life hereafter Now this serves to condemn all those that are so far from acknowledging and confessing their sins as to justifie themselves in them and plead for them with all the Rhetorick they have so that if any one in a Christian way reprove them with meekness 't is verba ventis dare to prattle to the wind they will probably reply with some such kind of cross answer What need you busie your self about the state of my soul I shall be responsible not to you for it look to your self first if they carouse follow strange attire they will say they do but as others do 't is the fashion what care they and this slye trick of dissimulation we suckt from our first Parents Genesis the 3. and the 12. where when Adam was examined he posted off the matter from himself to his wife The woman that thou gavest me she gave me of the fruit and I did eat We are unwilling to confess and acknowledg our sins when as we have encouragement enough for it from our Text since there is such an excessive joy in Heaven at the conversion of one Sinner God himself rejoyceth the blessed quire of Angels rejoyce and all the Host of Heaven How then should we labour after true repentance since we have so many sacred invitations to it in holy writ Since God himself doth vouchsafe to come and invite us unto him and promiseth us acceptance from him he will bid us welcom be confident beloved whenever we approach his presence with a real and a contrite heart Overcome your selves though it be very difficult for

engaged into a business with so much vigor as when they were assured of success by the answers of Oracles We are called by the vocation of God to the possession of the heavenly Canaan He promises us for the getting it his conduct favour and assistance so that with Job we may very well say I shall see God And what then remains but that casting down every burden and the sin that so easily enlaces us we may pursue with constancy the course set before us and traversing all dangers and going under hope against hope we may have our eyes upon Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith that so we may more and more in his love revive the strength of ours and recollect in him every day new vigor until the time that from vertue to vertue we may appear before his Sacred face where receiving the Crown and heap of his blessings we may glorifie him for ever as to him appertains honour and glory from this time forth and from generation to generation Amen THE SAINTS COMFORT in the day of death In the book of Job the 19 Chapter and the 25 verse it is thus written As for me I know that my Redeemer liveth c. IT is impossible to please God without faith Heb. 11.6 SERM. VI. for 't is necessary that he that comes to God believe not only that he is but that he is a rewarder of those that seek him To God that dwells in the Heavens we go by faith not by view All the view that conducts us to eternal salvation is faith And therefore as in vain the Sun sends forth his light in vain does it enlighten so many torches in the Heavens and discovers upon Earth so rich an embroidery of leaves and flowers for those that are without eyes So as unprofitable are the marveiles which the wisdom of God hath display'd in all this universe and the divine mysteries which it hath discovered in the clearness of his holy word for those that are without faith God complaines Esai 65. that in vain he hath stretcht out his hands to a rebellious and contradicting people and St. Paul Heb. 4.2 gives a reason why the word of preaching hath not profited the people of the Jewes and it is because it was not mingled with faith in those that heard it Who hath believed our preaching and to whom hath the arm of the Eternal been revealed Isai 53.1 Light is the first and most excellent work of God in the elementary world the eye is the most admirable beauty of all the humane body it is the joy of our life the address of our actions and the cleerest window of the soul the eye and light of our soul is faith without which it remaines in darkness ignorant of the way of God confused in all her actions and plunged in mourning and despair and therefore it is also the chief gift of heavenly grace the first tract of the Image of God that is markt in our hearts the first action of our spiritual life and the foundation and origine of all other vertues By this light Job acknowledges and discovers the eternal benefits which recompense his temporal losses he finds spiritual sweetness which tempers the bitterness of his corporal dolours he sees and embraces the perdurable felicity of the second life which reinforces his soul against the apprehensions of death For this cause we have so long insisted to describe and represent to you the nature of this faith by winding it out of ignorance from the confusion and uncertainty wherein they seek to fold it up that withdraw souls from the true spring of life and divert it to the crackt cisterns of superstition to engrave the lively tracts of it as deep in your souls as Job desired to have them imprinted in the hard rock that so the deduction which we shall make you after him of the mysteries of your redemption may not be unfruitful to you but that being guided by this divine and heavenly torch you may there find that assurance firmity and consolation that Joy inenarrable and glorious which is necessary for you in the midst of so many evils and combats as the enemies of the truth of God do deliver and prepare for his Church Before we come to a more particular consideration of the Redeemer and of this life resurrection and glory which he hath purchased for us by the price of his redemption we must upon these words make some general remark which may be proper to confirm us as much in the verity of our faith as they will make us see that it is venerable for antiquity and alwaies veritable and constant in her unity We see the dolours of Job encrease against all other remedies drawn either from hope of temporal things or from any rules of the law and to acquiesce in one onely Jesus Christ seeking in the only benefit of his redemption his repose and hope where he teaches us clearly that the principal and special object of faith hath at all times been the promise of the grace and salvation which was to be purchased by this Mediator betwixt God and men which holding and embracing she finds and not till then her repose and tranquillity The whole Word of God is truly the proportioned object to th'extent of our faith and according to the intelligence and approbation of the understanding she embraces it wholly and can go no further and in every thing and every where she reputes God to be true whether he command or forbid whether he promise or threaten whether he instruct or correct she leads all her thoughts captive under obedience she receives all his commands with humility she keeps her self to his prohibitions with fear she embraces his promises with affection she fears his threatnings she hearkens to his instructions and profits by his corrections for if faith doubt and go reeling in uncertainty of any one point of whatsoever is manifested in the Word of God there will afterwards need no great violence to shake it in all other things and to throw it head-long into infidelity And therefore when we give for the principal object of faith the promise of salvation and grace we will not subtract it to other parts of the word as leaving it indifferent and every one to liberty of believing or mis-believing at his fancy but contrariwise knowing that all hath been brought to us not by the will of man but by the inspiration of the eternal spirit which hath guided the tongues and pens of those that have announced and left written this holy word we maintain that the verity of it must be wholly and in every part both heard and received with the like reverence But we say moreover that as the waters of the Sea are for divers ends spread abroad and go creeping through an infinity of chanels over and under the face of the earth yet in such sort that at last they return all into the bosom of the Ocean from

whence they had their birth so we say that in the book of Scripture divers matters histories examples judgements threatnings laws instructions and exhortations which like little rivers rejoyce the City of our God and serve to divers uses in the Church But after all Jesus Christ is the mark whereat all aim the Centre whither all return and guide our faith in him to find and obtain rest So Moses and the Prophets give their testimony Luk. 24.27 and the end of the Law is Jesus Christ Rom. 10.4 and to this intent speaks St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 that he will know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified because that is the summary and principal end of all the knowledge of the Scriptures which faith not onely beholds as a thing to be consented to but embraces it as the only subject where to find salvation and life Certainly faith believes the creation of the world the genealogy of the fathers the confusion of tongues in Babel the captivity of Israel in Egypt the exploits of the Judges and Kings given to the people of God for Liberators and from all these things there may be gathered divers instructions for this life but to find in this recital the means of our reconciliation with God of the remission of sins and the eternal glory it is not possible because it is not in any of these properly Where the Eternal offers and presents the gifts of his heavenly grace that is a Word of God which he pronounced to Adam with his own mouth after he had transgrest the commandment Thou shalt dye the death in the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread Gen. 3.19 These things were conformable to the Law and Word of God all these fearful menaces which the friends of Job with so much preparative denounced to the hypocrites and wicked but these are so far from begetting or keeping up faith which as 't is requisite should be accompanied with peace and consolation that contrariwise they put the conscience into trouble they fill the sinful soul with fear and in stead of giving us access to God go chasing and banishing us behind his face as we read of the people of Israel who not able to abide the thundring voice of the Eternal giving his Law upon the mountain stood afar off and said to Moses Exod. 20.19 Speak thou with us and we will hear thee but let not God speak with us for fear we dye This very part of the word that commands obedience and prescribes a rule for works proposing blessing and life to those that accomplish it Do this and thou shalt live Luk. 10.28 Whosoever doth these things shall live by them Levit. 18.5 is not that where our faith rests because as it promises life to the observers so it denounces malediction against all those that do not abide in all the words of the Law to fulfil them And thus our conscience guilty of many transgressions cannot find nor affirm her assurance nor seek for remission of sins where there is nothing presented but wrath and judgment And therefore the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans and in that which he writes to the Galatians retires our faith from the Law and tells us openly that the Law is not of faith Gal. 3.12 that all they that are of the works of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3.10 11. that the Law was not given to quicken but contrary that it is the minister of death and of condemnation none being able to be justified before God by the works of the Law declaring with David those to be blessed to whom God imputes justice without works Psal 32.1 2. Nevertheless it ceases not to serve faith because by it comes the knowledge of sin and that it serves as a School-master to lead us to Christ Rom. 3.23 in whom we are freely justified by the grace of him by the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath proposed a mediator by faith in his blood by whom the remission of sin is announced to the end that in whatsoever we could not be justified by the Law whosoever believes might be justified by him Act. 13.39 For to him all the Prophets give testimony that whosoever shall believe in him shall have remission of sins by his name Act. 10.43 Hither it is properly that our faith is invited Whosoever is thirsty let him come to me and drink Joh. 7.37 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loden and I will refresh you Matth. 11.28 So that this Gospel of peace this word of reconciliation ministry of spirit and of life power of God unto salvation to all that believe Rom. 1.16 Which opens to us the Abysses of compassions of love grace and the good pleasure of God which deduces to us the coming the incarnation the suffrances the justice and the death of the Redeemer of the world and which represents to us the Holy Spirit applying and sealing by the preaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments these divine and heavenly benefits in our souls and rendring us assured of our reconciliation with God of the abolition of our offences of the imputation of the justice of Christ and of the gift of heavenly life The Gospel is the word of life saith St. Paul Rom. 10.8 It looks at the whole word of God but it embraces only his good will It approves all his truth but it runs only after his gratuity and then 't is best pleased and content when both are met in Christ in whom gratuity and verity are met justice and peace have kissed each other Psal 85.11 by whom the gratuity of God is multiplied upon us and his truth endures for ever Psal 117.2 We do not then reject any part of the word nor we do not tear the faith in pieces but in this general object we observe what is most proper and most particularly belongs to it by reason of the differing parts of it Be then the Word of God a Paradise to the faithful soul but so as among so many fruits of different tast and vertue she may find one tree of life that may fully satisfie the hunger of justice that she so seeks for let the Scripture be her Orchard but yet let there be one apple-tree whose shadow she desires sitting down under it and the fruit sweet to her palate let the truth of God be her garden of aromatique drugs but let there be one Rose of Sharon whose sweet smell may recover her fainting heart and which she may put in her bosome no otherwise then a bundle of myrrhe Cant. 1.13 He knows well enough that his Redeemer is living But if the Gospel be the particular object of faith from whence shall we say that Job learned this science and from whence he could draw the foundations of an assurance so firm since this was not but many ages after his death that the Gospel was publisht to the world or that the Saviour of the world was come to

and Musick wherein God himself hath seemed to tread the measures for it 's well seen O God how thou goest how thou goest how thou my God and King goest in the Sanctuary the singers go before the minstrels follow after in the midst are the Damsels playing with their timbrels yet all this is hudled up in confusion That house of holy pleasure wherein King David had rather be a door-keeper then dwell in the glorious tents of ungodliness is sacked and spoiled and the many thousand vessels of gold and silver and the rich and hallowed vestments of the house of God are sacrilegiously carried away and prophaned with revelling When we think upon these things we pour out our souls within us for we were wont to go with the multitude into the house of joy and praise but now by these waters of Babylon we sit down c. But they were Babylonians that did this Heathens that had no knowledge of Gods Laws but when men do Gentes agere sub nomine Christi mask Gentilisme with the titles of Christianity acting works of darkness under vizards of children of light not carrying the children of Zion captive into Babylon but turning Zion it self into Babylon this is enough to make us by these waters of Babylon sit down and weep when we remember thee O Zion Ezekiel took up a lamentation for wicked Tyre Ezek. 27.2 Isaiah bewailed with the weeping of Jaazar the vine of Sibmah I will water thee with my tears O Heshbon Esai 16.9 and how shall not we take up a lamentation and a bitter mourning when we remember thee O Zion How doth the City sit almost solitary that was full of people she that was Princess among the Provinces how is she become tributary Lam. 1.1 How is the gold become dimme how is the fine gold changed the children that did feed delicately are almost desolate in the streets and they that were brought up in scarlet are ready to embrace dunghils Lam. 4.5 hinc illae lachrymae hence hence are these rivers of tears which gush out of our eyes whilest by the waters of Babylon we sit down and remember thee O Zion I have now done with the parts of my Text and you may expect I should apply them but I forbear only from what hath been spoken let us gather two things as a double Corollary one from them as they were patientes sufferers the other as they were compatientes fellow-feeling members of other sufferings 1. As they were Patientes sufferers A Church may be brought into extream calamity By the waters of Babylon we sate down 2. As Compatientes as they were fellow-feeling members of others sufferings We must be affected with the calamities of the Church we wept when we remembred thee O Zion 1. Of the first A Church may be brought into deep misery by the waters of Babylon we sate down This Church of the Jews for I desire not to lead your thoughts into a further pilgrimage though it had such a magazine of blessings as no Nation or Church under Heaven was owner of yet was it not exempt from this humane nay Christian lot of misery in its very infancy for in the Egyptian bondage it was but an embryo not yet formed but no sooner did it take but its name but it was christned with the cross in Samuels dayes God suffered himself be it spoken with holy reverence to be taken captive of the uncircumcised Philistines for the Ark in which was his immediate presence was surprised and taken from the Israelites when the Church no less then Phinehas son first got the name of Ichabod where is the glory 1 Sam. 4.19 In the dayes of Zedekiah when she was now in her perfect age and beauty Jerusalem was destroyed by fire and her children led captives into Babylon which sad story that sorrowful Prophet hath exprest in his pathetical Lamentations and our Psalmist David here prophesied of In her decrepit age after the coming of Christ Jerusalem was sackt by Vespasian and made quite desolate of which Daniel prophesied Dan. 9. vers last And our Saviour himself foretold there shall not one stone be left upon another Matth. 24.2 Nothing is left of it but a name and ruines that bear the impress of Gods vengeance and justice Where now are those lying words wherein you trusted the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.4 The Ark may be taken the Temple may be destroyed and ye may be carried captives into Babylon where by the waters of Babylon ye may sit down c. And was God so severe to the natural branches Appl. which were disobedient will he spare the wilde olive-branch that is grafted in Behold I bring evil upon the City that is called by my name and shall you go unpunished Jer. 25.9 What is become of those renowned Churches of the East mentioned in the Revelations are they not quite destroyed What is done to our neighbouring Churches in Germany are they not miserably defaced Hath not God been working this strange work of justice also even upon us these many years here in these three Nations which though divided from the rest of the world by Seas of waters yet are conjoined in the same lot of calamity What will be the end who can divine but without speedy and serious repentance and amendment of life may we not fear the like destruction in which others have perished Therefore what was the Angels advise to the Church of Ephesus it will be happy for us if we can make use of it Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come quickly and remove the candlestick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2.5 And thus considering them as Patientes sufferers you see that a Church may be brought into deep calamity by the waters of Babylon we sate down Secondly As Compatientes fellow-feeling members of others sufferings we must be affected with the miseries of the Church we wept when we remembred thee O Zion Compassion is an act of humanity to any in distress Did I not weep for him that was in trouble was not my soul grieved for the poor saith Job 3.25 but to the Church in evil times compassion is a duty of piety If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning if I remember thee not O Zion let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth It is a sin that prophaneth the affections of nature it self to hide thy face from them of thine own flesh how much that crosseth the divinity of grace to hide thy face from them of the same spirit Our Saviour wept over languishing Jerusalem Daniel set his face to seek God in the captivity by prayers and supplications and fasting and sack-cloath and ashes Nehemiah when he heard of the afflictions of the people sate down and wept and mourned and fasted and prayed before the God