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
A77614	Precious remedies against Satans devices or, salve for believers and unbelievers sores. Being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ; that are high, or low, learned, or illiterate, staggering, or wandering; that slight, or neglect ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; that are growing (in spiritualls) or decaying; that are tempted, or deserted, afflicted, or opposed; that have assurance, or that want assurance; that are self-seekers, or the common-wealths caterpillars; that are in love sweetly united, or that yet have their spirits too much imbittered, &c. By Thomas Brookes, a willing servant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious gospel of Christ, at Margarets fish-street hill.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4954; Thomason E1426_1	231,671	413

they are these partly to keep them humble and low in their owne eyes and partly to put them upon the use of all divine helps whereby sin may be subdued and mortified And partly that they may live upon Christ for the perfecting the work of Sanctification Lilmod lelammed we therefore learn that wee may teach is a proverb among the Rabbins After the Trojans had been wandering tossing up and down the Mediterranean Sea as soon as they espied Italy they cried out with exulting joy Italy Italy so will Saints when they come to Heaven and partly to weane them from things below and to make them heart-sick of their absence from Christ and to maintain in them bowels of compassion towards others that are subject to the same infirmities with them and that they may distinguish between a state of grace and a state of glory and that Heaven may be more sweet to them in the close Now doth the Lord upon these weighty reasons suffer his people to be exercised and molested with the operations of sinfull corruptions oh then let no beleever speak write or conclude bitter things against his owne soule and comforts because that sinne troubles and vexes his righteous soule c. but lay his hand upon his mouth and be silent because the Lord will have it so upon such weighty grounds as the soule is not able to withstand The sixth Remedy against this Device 6. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that Beleevers must repent for their being God never g●ve a Beleever a new h●art that it should always li● a bleeding and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements discouraged by their sins Their being discouraged by their sins will cost them many a prayer many a teare and many a groane And that because their discouragements under sin flowes from ignorance and unbeliefe it springs from their ignorance of the riches freenesse fulnesse and everlastingnesse of Gods love and from their ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ And from their ignorance of the worth glory fulnesse largenesse and compleatnesse of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ And from their ignorance of that reall close spiritual glorious and inseparable union that is betwixt Christ and their precious soule Ah! did precious souls know and beleeve the truth of these things as they should they would not sit down dejected and over-whelmed under the sense and operations of sin c. The second Device that Satan 2 Device hath to keep souls in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY working them to make false definitions of their graces Satan knows that as false definitions of sinne wrong the soule one way so false definitions of grace wrong the soule another way I will instance only in faith oh how doth Satan labour might and main to work men to make false definitions of faith Some he works to define faith too high as that it is a full assurance of the love of God to a mans soule in particular or a full perswasion of the pardon and remission of a mans owne sins in particular saith Satan what dost thou talk of faith faith is an assurance of the love of God and of the pardon of sin and this thou hast not thou knowest thou art far off from this therefore thou hast no faith and by drawing men to make such a false definition of faith he keeps them in a sad doubting and questioning condition and makes them spend their days in sorrow and sighing so that teares are their drink and sorrow is their meate and sighing is their work all the day long c. The Philosophers say there are eight d●grees of heat we discern three now i● a m●n should define heat only by the highest degree then all other degrees will be cast out from being heat so if men shall define fai●h only by the highest degrees by assurance of the love of God and of the pardon of his sins in particular what will become of lesser degrees of faith If a man should define a man to be a living man onely by the highest and st●ongest demonstrations of life as laughing leaping running working walking c. would not many thousands that groan under internal and externall weaknesses and that cannot laugh nor leap nor run nor work nor walk be found dead men by such a definition that yet wee know to be alive 't is so here and you know how to apply it c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1. Remedy of Satan is solemnly ●o consider that there may be true faith yea g●eat measures of faith where there is no assurance The Canaanite woman in the Gospel had strong faith yet no assurance that we read of These things have I written unto you saith John that believe on the name of the Son of God that yee may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of God In these words you see that they did believe and had eternall life in respect of the purpose and promise of God and in respect of the seeds and beginnings of it in their souls and in respect of Christ their head who sits in Heaven as a publique person representing all his chosen ones Who hath raised us up together Ephes 2. 6. and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and yet they did not know that they had eternall life 'T is one thing to have a right to heaven and another thing to know it 'T is one thing to be beloved and another thing for a man to know that he is beloved 'T is one thing for God to write a mans name in the book of life and another thing for God to tell a man that his name is written in the book of life and to say to him rejoyce because thy name is written in heaven So Paul In whom yee also trusted after Ephes 1. 13. So those in ●ha● Isa 50. 10 had faith though they had no assurance Mica 7. 8 9. yee heard the word of truth the Gospell of your salvation in whom also after that yee believed yee were sealed with that holy spirit of promise So Micha Rejoyce not against me oh my enemie when I shall fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned c. or the sad countenance of God as the Hebrew hath it This soul had no assurance for he sits in darknesse and was under the sad countenance of God and yet had strong faith As appears in those words when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his

is seriously to consider that the longer you keepe off from Christ the greater and stronger your sinnes wil grow All divine power and strength against sin flowes from the souls union Rom. 8. 10. 1 Iohn 1. 6 7. and communion with Christ while you keepe off from Christ you keep off from that strength and power which is only able to make you trample downe strength lead captivity captive and slay the Goliah's that bids defiance to Christ 'T is only faith in Christ that makes a 1 Iohn 5. 4. man triumph over sin Satan Hell and the world 'T is onely faith in Christ Mar. 5. 25-35 that binds the strong man hand and foot that stops the issue of blood that makes a man strong in resisting and happy in conquering Sin always dies most where faith lives most the most believing soule is the most mortifyed soule Ah sinner remember this there is no way on earth effectually to be rid of the guilt filth and power of sinne but by believing in a Saviour 'T is not resolving 't is not complaining 't is not mourning but believing that will make thee divinely victorious over that bodie of sinne that to this day is too strong for thee and that will certainly be thy ruine if it be not ruin'd by a hand of faith The seventh Remedie against this Device 7 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that as there is nothing in Christ to discourage the greatest sinners from believing in him so there is every thing in Christ that may encourage the greatest sinners to believe in him to rest and leane upon him for all happinesse and blessednesse If you look upon his nature his disposition his names his titles his offices as King Priest and Cant. 1. 3. Prophet you shall finde nothing to discourage the greatest sinners to receive Coloss 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. Cant. 5. 10. him to believe on him Christ is the greatest good the choisest good the chiefest good the most sutable good the most necessary good he is a pure good a reall good a totall good an eternall good and a soul-satisfying good Sinners are you poor Christ Rev. 3. 17 18. hath gold to enrich you are you naked Christ hath royall robes hee hath white rayment to cloath you are you blind Christ hath eye-salve to enlighten you are you hungry Christ will be Manna to feed you are you thirsty Iohn 6. 48. Iohn 7. 38. he will be a Well of living water to refresh you are you wounded hee hath balm under his wings to heale you are Mal. 4. 2. Mat. 4. 23. Mat. 20. 28. you sick he is a Physitian to cure you are you prisoners he hath laid downe a ran some for you Ah sinners tell me tell me is there any thing in Christ to keep you off from believing No is there not every thing in Christ that may incourage you to believe in him Yes O then believe in him and then though your sinnes be as searlet they be as Isa 1. 18. white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Nay then your iniquities shall be forgotten as well as Isa 43. 25. Isa 38. 17. Micha 1. 19. forgiven they shall be remembred no more God will cast them behinde his back he will hurle them into the bottome of the Sea The 8. and last Remedie against this 8 Remedie Device of Satan is seriously to consider the absolute necessity of beleeving in Christ Heaven is too holy and too hot to hold unbelievers their lodging is prepared in hell Revel 21. 8. But Revel 21. 8. the fear full and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death If ye believe not that I am he saith Christ Iohn 8. 24. you shall die in your sins And he that dyes in his sins must to judgment and to hell in his sins Every unbeliever is a condemned man He that beleeveth not saith John is condemned already because Iohn 3. 18. he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten sonne of God And hee that Vers 36. beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ah sinners the Law the Gospel and your owne Consciences has pass'd the sentence of condemnation upon you and there is no way to reverse the sentence but by believing in Christ and therefore my counsell is this Stir up your Isa 64. 7. selves to lay hold on the Lord Jesus and look up to him and wait on him from whom every good and perfect James 1. 17. Isa 62. 7. gift comes and give him no rest till he hath given thee that Jewell Faith that is more worth then Heaven and Earth and that will make thee happy in life joyfull in death and glorious in the day of Christ And thus much for the Remedies against this first Device of Satans whereby he keeps off thousands from believing in Christ The second Device that Satan hath to keepe poor sinners from believing from closing with a Saviour is BY suggesting to them their unworthinesse 2 Device Ah saith Satan as thou art worthy of the greatest misery so thou art unworthy of the least crum of mercy what dost thou thinke saith Satan that ever Christ will owne receive or embrace such an unworthy wretch as thou art no no if there were any worthinesse in thee then indeed Christ might be willing to be entertained by thee thou art unworthy to entertain Christ into thy house how much more unworthy art thou to entertaine Christ into thy heart c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where in the Scripture required any worthinesse in the creature before believing in Christ If you make a diligent search through all the Scripture you shall not find from Iohn 5. 29. the first line in Genesis to the last line in the Revelation one word that speaks Mat. 19. 8. out Gods requiring any worthinesse in the creature before the soules believing in Christ before the souls leaning and resting upon Christ for happinesse and blessednesse and why then should that be a bar and hinderance to thy faith which God doth no where require of thee before thou comest to Christ that thou maist have life Ah sinners remember Satan objects your unworthinesse against you only out of a Designe to keep Christ and your soules asunder for ever and therefore in the face of all your unworthiness rest upon Christ come to Christ believe in Iohn 6. 40. 47. Christ and you are happy for ever The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that none never received Christ embraced Christ obtained mercy and pardon from Christ but unworthy soules Pray what worthinesse was in Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen Manasseh Paul and Sydia before their coming to Christ before their faith

put out who would thinke it impossible that it should catch and burne againe and againe The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where ingaged himselfe by any particular promise that soules converted and united to Christ shall not fall againe and againe into the same sins after conversion I cannot find in the whole Book of God where he In some cases the Saints have found God better then his word he prom●sed the Children of Israel onely the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two other Kingdomes which he never promised And to Zachary he promised to give him his speech at the birth of the child but besides that he gave him the gift of Prophecy hath promised any such strength or power against this or that particular sin as that the soule shall be for ever in this life put out of a possibility of falling againe and againe into the same sins and where God hath not a mouth to s●eak I must not have a heart to believe God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life effectually subdue in his people I would goe far to speak with that soule that can shew a promise that when our sorrow and grief hath been so great or so much for this or that sin that then God will preserve us from ever falling into the same sin the sight of such a promise would be as life from the dead to many a precious soule who desires nothing more then to keepe close to Christ and feares nothing more then backsliding from Christ The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the most renowned and now crowned Saints have in the dayes of their being on earth relapsed into one and the A sheep may often slip into a slough as well as a swine same sin Lot was twice overcome with wine John twice worshipped the Angel Abraham did often dissemble and Iay his wife open to adultery to save his owne life which some Heathens would not have done And it came to Gen. 20. 13. ●h 12. passe when God caused me to wander from my Fathers house that I said unto her this is thy kindnesse which thou shalt shew unto me at every place whether we shall come say of me he is my brother David in his Perhaps the Prodigall sets out unto us a Christian relapst for he was a son before and with his Father then went away from him and spent all and yet he was not quite undone but returned againe wrath was resolved if ever man was that he would be the death of Nabal and all his innocent Family and after this he fell into the foule murther of Vriah Though Christ told his Disciples that his Kingdome was not of this world yet againe and againe and again three severall times they would needs be on horse-back they would faine be high great and glorious in this world their pride and ambitious humour put them that were but as so many baggars upon striving for preheminence and greatnesse in the world when their Lord and Master told them 3 severall times of his sufferings in the world and of his going out of the world Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 18. ch 1. 2. 3. 30 31. though a godly man yet joynes affinity with wicked Ahab and though he was saved by a miracle yet soon after he fals into the same sin and joynes himself with ch 20. 35. 36 37. Ahaziah King of Israel who did very wickedly Sampson i● by the Spirit of the Lord numbred among the faithful worthies Heb. 11. 32. and yet he fell often into one gross sin as is evident in the book of Judges Jud. 14. 15. 16. ch Peter you know relapst often and so did Jonah and this comes to passe that they may see their owne inability to stand to resist or overcome any temptation or corruption And that they may be taken off from all false confidences and rest wholy upon God and onely upon God and alwayes upon God and for the praise and honour of the power wisdome skill mercy and The Prodigal saw the compassion of his Father the greater in receiving him after he had run away from him goodnesse of the Physitian of our souls that can heale help and cure when the disease is most dangerous when the soule is relapst and growes worse and worse and when others say there is no help for him in his God and when his owne heart and hopes are dying The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan is to consider that ther● are relapses into enormities and there are relapses into infirmities now 't is not usuall with God to leave his people Relapses into enormities are peccata vulnerantia divistantia wounding wasting sins Therefore the Lord is graciously pleased to put under his everlasting arms and stay his chosen ones from frequent falling into them frequently to relapse into enormities for by his spirit and grace by his smiles and frownes by his word and rod he doth usually preserve his people from a frequent relapsing into enormities yet he doth leave his choicest ones frequently to relapse into infirmities and of his grace he pardons them in course as idle words passion vaine thoughts c. Though gracious soules strive against these and complaine of these and weep over these yet the Lord to keep them humble leaves them frequently to relapse into these and these frequent relapses into infirmities shall never be their bane because they be their burden The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is to consider that there are There is a great difference betwen a sheep that by weaknesse fals into the mire a swine that delights to wallow in the mire between a woman that is forced though she strives and cries out and and an alluring adultress involuntary relapses and there are voluntary relapses involuntary relapses are when the resolution and full bent of the heart is against sin when the soul strives with all its might against sin by sighes and groans by prayers and tears and yet out of weaknesse is forced to fall back into sin because there is not spirituall strength enough to overcome Now though involuntary relapses must humble us yet they must never discourage nor deject us for God will freely and readily pardon those in course Voluntary relapses are when the soule longs and loves to return to the flesh-pots of Egypt when 't is a pleasure and a pastime to a man to return to his old courses such voluntary relapses speak out the man blinded hardned and ripened for rulne c. The sixth Remedie against this Device 6 Remedy of Sathan is to consider that there is no such power or infinite vertue in the Christ upbraded his Disciples for their unbelief and hardnesse of heart who