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	son_n	write_v	7,330	5	6.5418	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64835	Things worth thinking on, or, Helps to piety being remains of some meditations, experiences, and sentences &c. never published till now : and now are as an addition to them which were formerly made publick: together with a sermon entituled The beauty of holines / by Ralph Venning ...	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1664 (1664)	Wing V227; ESTC R38004	77,776	241

the Son of God and though 't were for life yet they would not come to him Now 't is not eternal life to know the only true God unless we know the Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 And the excellency of knowing Christ is to know him so as to be found in him to have communion with him and be made conformable to him If we will believe St. Paul Phil. 3. He that thus hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.36 He was a child of wrath by Nature and if he believe not in the Son of God he is still a child of wrath and liable to condemnation But to make haste with the rest of their Characters They were much and long in prayer but though they called often on his Name they departed not from iniquity but went from their prayers to their sins yea made their prayers but for their sins sake and for a pretence that they might the more glibly swallow down and devour the hard to be digested Widows-houses Matth. 23. Their prayers were but a shew they sinned in the Name of the Lord and at the cost and charges of Divinity wretches that they were They did not only pray but fast too they had learnt the Art of making sad and sowre faces and of hanging down the head like a bulrush yea they pretended to be so expert at and aboundant in it as if this more than any thing else were their Master-piece and super-errogating I might say super-arrogant excellency they do not only plead it with God as an argument Luke 18.12 but as a merit Isa 58.3 as if they deserved a Feast in Heaven for their fasting on Earth To their Fasting and Prayer they added Almes also and that it might not be an unknown charity though God and the poor be the best witnesses and enough they sounded a trumpet and were not content that their left hand knew what their right hand did unless it were also seen of men which they minded much more than doing good Matth. 6.1 2. for they were extreamly covetous which no pious man is charged with or sound guilty of in all the Scripture yet as covetous as they were they were more ambitious and parted with money that they might have a reward of praise and glory from men Zealous they were too beyond all reason and religion for the Sabbath but concern'd themselves more for an Oxe or an Asse than for the health of mens bodies or the saving-health of mens souls which is an undeniable evidence of their hypocrisie Luke 13.15 16 c. yet to do them right and to give these Devils their due they took great pains to make Proselites for they compass Sea and Land Satans-walk as the late learned Bishop Hall calls it on this very place and occasion not to convert men to God but to make a party of them to themselves and a prey to the Devil and did nothing but undo themselves and to make their Proselites two-fold more the children of Hell than themselves Matth. 23.15 Thus I have endeavoured to clear up the Beauty of Holiness and do avow it against all gain-sayers to be incomparable You cannot but from all this learn to believe that all pleasures without holiness are but griefs and the pleasures of sin will be found so either in repenting of or being damned for them That all profit without holiness is but loss for what will it profit a man to gain the World and He that pays but a sin for it buys it too dear for he wrongs and is in danger to lose his soul Honour without holiness will end and that in disgrace Civility Gentility Morality Pharisaical Righteousess the greatest and all the beauty that is in the World will never admit any person to a sight of God without holiness and they that miss that sight miss Happiness There are some captious and trifling objections which this blind and therefore peevish and quarrelsome World make against holiness but I shall not trouble you with them they being clear and invincible arguments that though they may have seen her in transitu in her humane dresse here below among men which is disadvantageous to her being nothing so glorious as that she is cloth'd with and wears above with God and Angels yet that they never view'd her with intellectual or believing eyes nor ever had the happiness of her ennobling heavenly and happyfying conversation for then they would undoubtedly be transported and rapt with her admirable and transcending Beauty which would not only oblige and warrant but inspire and enable them to cry out with the Queen of Sheba concerning the wisdom and glory of Solomon 1 Kings 10.6 c. It was a true report that I heard of thine Acts and of thy Wisdome howbeit I believ'd not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen and behold the half was not told me thy Wisdom and Prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard Happy are thy men happy be thy servants Blessed be the Lord thy God who hath set thee on the Throne c. I see it is now high time to take into our thoughts the third thing which I promised to treat of and entertain you a little with which is that this lovely thing The beauty of holiness becometh the House of God and that for ever Here I have two things to do 1. To inform you what is meant by the House of God 2. That Holiness becomes the House of God 1. For the House of God This Psalme having no title in the Hebrew though the Septuagint and thence the vulgar Latine give it one we can speak nothing but conjecturally as to the occasion date or Author of it and 't is better to say nothing than what is doubtful Some would raise this House of God as high as Heaven which is indeed called the House of God John 14.2 and the beauty of this House is holiness Isa 57.15 I dwell in the High and Holy Place and yet this high and holy God is graciously pleas'd to prefer the little low cottage this country house of an humble and broken heart before that Throne of his indeed in this Text 't is but with him also but Isa 66.1 't is prefer'd before it Others as to the Letter refer it to the Tabernacle the little Ambulatory and moving Temple in the Wilderness and after or to the Temple the great and fixed Tabernacle at Jerusalem which was famed for beauty yea the beauty of holiness by which Name 't is often called But as I remember the Jews of Old and Latter Time do grant that this is one of the Psalms which relates and belongs to the Messiah-Time which our Divines do generally call the Gospel-Time or Dispensation And by this House of God is by most

so upright as not only not to commit the great transgression but that the thoughts of his heart the words of his mouth and the works of his hands may be all acceptable to his God Psal 19.12 14. 14 Oh what a sad life do they live who live in pleasures Life do I say No no they are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 If we will say they live we must say that 't is but like Bedlams who and their pleasures also are run stark mad For to this purpose is that of Solomon Eccles 2.2 or else they are degenerated and metamorphosed into Beasts Jer. 5.8 15 Fondness is the sickness of love by which children are taught to rebel 1 Kings 1.5 6. If it proceed not so far yet they are very ill bred for such persons as som-body says teach their children to be Gentlewomen before they teach them to be women to bridie their chins more than their tongues or pride and passions how to behave themselves in a Dance better than in Company how to wear fine cloaths than how to do vertuously thus they are put off being puft up with shew without substance But let us learn to teach children to whom much reverence is due by word and deed by doctrine and example if ever we expect they should prove dutiful to God and to us and of any use to others while they are in the World 1 Sam. 3.13 Tit. 2.4 5. Prov. 22.6 and 23.13 14. 13.24 19.18 22.15 16 He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.4 And how safely and quictly may they sleep for whom God is pleas'd to wake and watch Psal 4.8 3.5 Prov. 3.24 17 Will-worship and Will-suffering are both bad as is clear from Col. 2.23 1 Cor. 13.3 18 'T is no cure of Passion to delay it For that which Athenodorus prescrib'd to Augustus to repeat the Alphabet between passion and revenge is but boyish and slight as diverting the mind to a trifle which is only to couzen and not to conquer the distemper 'T is like the cure of Empericks which may allay not free a disease 't is best to pluck it up by the Roots and how that 's done see Gal. 4.24 19 They dispute best and are mos● like to prevail who use hard arguments and soft words Prov. 15.1 and 25.15 John 7.46 20 An hypocrite is one who seems to be what he is not and would not seem nor be seen to be what he is Matth. 23.25 28. 21 All men offend in many things James 3.2 and many men offend in all they do Gen. 6.5 22 If sinners be damned 't is just with God to damn them if they be saved 't is mercy from God Rom. 6.23 23 When the Law of God is written in our hearts to teach us our hearts will be in the Law of God to do it Psal 40.8 Heb. 8.10 11. 24 If it be thy custome to sin know that 't is Gods custome to punish sinners as Rom. 8.28 2 Thess 2.11 12. 25 He that hath God for him need not fear what any Man or Devil can do against him Rom. 8.31 26 We can call nothing properly our own but our sins for all things else we owe and should pay an acknowledgment to God yea even for our very miseries they being not only less than our iniquity deserves Ezra 9.13 but though of sins procuring are design'd by God not only to correct us for our evil but to instruct us for our good Heb. 12.10 and It greatly becomes us to bear and concerns us to hear the Rod Mic. 7.9 Mic. 6.9 for Prov. 3.11 12. Psal 94.12 27 Conscience Credit and Friendship are three of the most valuable things in the World but Conscience above any 2 Cor. 1.12 28 All Divine Writings viz. the Holy Scriptures contain more matter than words they have an infinite unsearchable depth of sense and meaning but many humane Writings have more words than matter 1 Tim. 1.4 Tit. 3.9 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 29 Persons intelligent and pious will not be apt to value any Discourse for witty that cannot please the Fancy without offending the Conscience nor ever think it a demonstration of a mans wit that he will adventure to be damned to be thought one as they do that abuse the Scripture and turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness and are wanton if not profane though but in Jest Jude 4. Eph. 5.3 6. 30 Self-love will make us admire and magnifie any one that will admire and magnifie us Gal. 4.17 31 The best use we can make of others dissolutions is to prepare for our own and the death of others doth naturally mind us of our mortality which calls upon us to live well seeing we dye daily and may dye to day before to morrow and if this night our soul should be taken from us without Repentance we shall not only dye but perish Luke 13.3 32 As for such as aspire to posthume Glory 't is to be admired to see their ambition projecting beyond the Grave but themselves it may be stepping short of Heaven Oh what Fools are they how much soever applauded for Witts who attempt things they shall never see and provide torments they shall ever feel Luke 12.20 21. Psal 49.11 12 13. 'T will be cold satisfaction to have a name recorded and celebrated in any Book for Beauty Wit Valour Riches c. if it be blotted out of the Book of Life Exod. 32.33 Rev. 13.8 or were never written in it Rev. 20.15 33 They who will not do themselvs the right to practise Religion should not do Religion the wrong to profess it Psal 50.16 34 Affected hardness is usually followed and frequently punished with inflicted hardness The harder mens hearts are the more they sin and the more they sin the harder their hearts are Heb. 3.13 35 Religion is no Book-craft nor Paper-skill Man indeed may teach the Tongues but God only the things Man may teach the Grammar and Rhetorick but God teacheth the Divinity of revealed Truths Man may teach the ear but God only teacheth the heart 1 Cor. 3.7 Heb. 8.10 11. 35 We are to do all we do to glorifie God and to do it so that God may be glorified 1 Cor. 10.31 which is not by communicating any glory to him for that we cannot but by receiving his grace into us that it may animate and act us and thereby we be like him and please him For 'T is all one in Scripture Phrase to glorifie and to please God Father glorifie thy self John 12.28 and Father thy Will be done Matth. 26.39 36 Light foolish and idle talk hath nothing of weight in it unless it be that 't is a burthen to the hearers and such men do best at last viz. when they make an end of talking Eph. 4.29 Prov. 30.22 29.11 Eccles 10.12 15. Prov. 26.7 9. Eccl. 7.5 37 Time and leisure is not given to any man that he might do nothing or which is worse that they

severely punish't mens transgressing positive Laws of Divine Institution called by the School-men Voluntary Precepts for in commanding them Gods absolute Authority and in obeying them mans obedience most clearly appears 94 'T is observed by the Lord Veralam that there was never a miracle wrought to convert an Atheist because the light of nature might have led him to confess a Deity but many have been wrought to convert Idolaters and superstitious persons because no light of Nature declares the true Worship and Will of God 95 All those things which we make so much of are but Mortality upheld by sense and fancy for a few minutes they are rather seen than felt courted than enjoyed and many times prove like baggage to an army impediment a Victoriae the hindrances of Victory Matth. 19.23 96 Some desire to know only to know that 's Curiosity some that they may be known that 's Vanity some to make profit of their knowledge that 's Covetousness some to edifie and profit themselves that 's Wisdom some to better others that 's Charity but some which is best of all being Godly Wisdom and Love that they may please God 97 Only God is not taught by experience all men both wise and foolish have it for their School-Mistriss God is so Wise and All-Knowing as to be above it and not to need it but no man so wise who may not be wiser than he is and none but fools think otherwise The best growing in experience is to grow in Grace and the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. 3.18 98 He who doth evil for a good end doth religiously serve the Devil and he who doth that which is good in it self for an evil end doth what in him lies make God to serve the Devil They both sin in the Name of the Lord and at the cost and charges of Divinity Rem 3.8 John 16.2 99 He that sinneth and looks without repentance to escape Hell scparates the end from the means and he that without faith and obedience looks for heaven doth separate the means from the end both pervert Gods Word and Providence Luke 13.3 Heb. 11.6 Heb. 5.9 100 In Heaven is only rest without labour Heb. 4.9 Revel 14.13 In Hell is only testless pain and torment Luke 16.23 and sin makes the Earth which is a middle state between both more like to Hell than Heaven it being a place of sore travel Eccl. 1.13 and 4.8 and 5.16 17. THE Fifth Century 1 MArtha's many things and Mary's one thing seldom consist together Luke 10.41 42. 2 God hath most usually brought judgement on the World when they have been indulging their genius and gratifying their sensual and carnal appetites in eating drinking c. As in Noah's and Let 's time on the Old World Sodom and Gomorrah on Job's Children Belshazzar c. See Isa 5.11 12 13. Jerem. 51.39 57. Amos 6.3 7. Zach. 1.15 and so he will come again just so Matth. 24.38 49 50. Take heed therefore to your selves least at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luke 21.34 1 Thess 5.3 3 In all matters of pleasure and joy the more the union is the more is the delight The presence of afriend yields more content than the absence and the embraces more than the presence so in outward delights those of Incorporation are more than those of Adhaesion as 't is more natural to delight in our meat than in our garments the one being inward union to increase our strength the other outward and only to protect it This is evident in spiritual joys and pleasures which arise from union with Christ and the Truths of the Gospel which are more united to our Souls by Faith than by Sense and have an answerable joy 1 Pet. 1.8 Our Vnion with Him and his Truth here is that our joy may be full 1 John 1.4 but our union being not so close our joy is not so full as 't will be hereafter Psal 16.11 Matth. 25.21 here our Masters Joy enters into us who can contain but little of it quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis but then we shall enter into it where our souls will have scope enough and an insinite Ocean of joy to swim in to all Eternity Then Sight will be a nearer Union than Faith is now and more above it than Faith is above Sense and when we see him as he is we shall be like him 1 John 3.2 4 God delighted more in his Vidit than in his Fiat that his Works were good than that they were and therefore the Day of his Rest or Sabbath was more holy than the Days of Working Gen. 2.2 3. and we our selves find that a Review and Contemplation of a goed Act affords more joy than the meer Action Let us therefore when we have done a good Work ask our hearts if and see that it be well done 5 Our mutability and affecting of Variety doth argue our imperfection That God who is all should not content us is not more strange than true We are compounded and all things but God are so which speaks both their and our defect We are in love and pursuit of many things and esteem not God more than Heaven and Earth we may say we do but the lowing of Oxen and bleating of Sheep to allude to that of Samuel to Saul our hankerings and honeings after other things doth but too plainly declare that in practice fruition and satisfaction it is not so 'T will never be well with us nor can we be at ease till our hearts and souls can and do say in truth as Psal 73.25 6 Philosophy tells us that the whole course of our life should be a Meditation of Death but Divinity tells us more that it should be a continual Living to God the best preparation for death that when we die we may live with God which is best of all Phil. 1.23 7 Though Believers are not all of them delivered from the Earth of the Grave yet they are from the Hell of the Grave 1 Cor. 15.54 55. 8 A man that is tender of his conscience will never be prodigal of his credit for as a good conscience is a continual feast to give a man a cheerful heart so a good Name is a precious ointment to give him a cheerful countenance 2 Cor. 1.12 Prov. 15.30 Eccl. 7.1 9 Words receive weight from manners and a mans speech is often better believed for his life than for his learning A man may preach his heart out before he can preach any thing into the hearts of the people if they do not like and love him As in Physick to have a good opinion of the Doctor doth incline us to look after the prescriptions and also advantages the operation of the Medicine so in Preaching and Writing of good Books which are a kind of Physick for the Mind a good opinion of the Man doth