Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	conclude_v	holy_a	inequality_n	27	3	15.9812	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

from inequalities in holy service A third case in which a man may feare his uprightnesse may be some inequalities about holy services it goes thus sometimes a man findes his heart much inlarged in duties yet other times much contracted and straitned sometimes he is full of life and quick affections yet other times he feeles no active or lively disposition he can finde no minde or heart almost insomuch that either he can do little or nothing and what is done by him is but done all cheerfulnesse and quicknesse seems to fall off like the green leaves from the tree so that nothing but a meer naked carcase of duty is acted by him Now the case is whither a man may be reputed upright who many times finds himselfe thus in his services This is A case which ordinarily doth perplex many a good heart how cunning is Satan still to vex the soule if he can prevaile with us to omitt duty why then thou art plainely wicked if the soule be lesse free and compliant in the duty why then it is secretly hypocriticall thus he insnares us but to the resolution of the case thus Answered All inequality in holy service concludes not against uprightness First all inequalities in holy services do not conclude that a man is not upright Looke as the naturall life hath many spaces and as it were degrees of latitude a man may be able to run yet sometimes be scarse able to go these motions you wil say are unequall nevertheless the man lives both under the one and under the other so may it be with the spiritual life for it hath also its different and unequall spaces sometimes a man may do his services all in Joy other times all in teares sometimes his will is great and performances answerable other times his will is disposed but he cannot act in any proportion yet his heart lives uprightly in either Neverthelesse we must distinguish of inequalities in holy services Dinguish of inequalities there are two sorts of them Some arise from weaknesse of strength Others arise from falsenesse of heart You see a man sometimes able to move a weight of an hundred pounds at another time he is scarce able to lift a From weaknese of strength walk-ingstaffe why because his strength is failed and then no marvell that his actions vary so it may be with an upright man God is pleased sometimes to afford unto him a strong degree of heavenly assistance he clears his judgment inables his faith to apprehend and discerne quickens his affections restrains Satan puts downe the force of the inward contrarieties why at such a time the soule is mightily active in the power of received and conferred strength At another time the winde slackes and then no marvell the ship doth not post so fast the spirit bloweth when and where how he lists there is not always such a communication of actual strength and then our desires may be great but our performances will be unequall And this observe by the way that if the inequality depend only on weaknesse of strength there the heart still keeps its bent nay is most inwardly stirring in desires and propensions though it be not able to do the good that it would But there are also inequalities which arise from falseness of From falseness of heart heart As when a man hath an Ague which infects his humour or spirits or both he hath one good day and another bad day or as it is with a land-flood this hour posting in with such an high speed as if it would domineer over all the County and yet by and by it spends away it self there is no more of it to be seen so it may be with a man whose heart is false to God it may be with him thus he may have his moods his starts one while like those accompanying Christ and magnifying him with an Hosanna in the highest another while quite turned and crying out Crucisie Crucifie him So here one day or week who but God and what but duty not a Sermon missed not a prayer neglected yet on a sudden slow to hear careless to pray indifferent to any holy performance When inequalities arise from falseness of heart Now if the inequality arise from the falseness of heart and I pray you to observe this that it is ordinarily in three cases 1. When the performance was attempted meerly to compass some outward good a very Hypocrite may take much pains for his own ends of honour profit pleasure c. 2. When the performance was attempted meerly to remove some inward or outward evil as pangs of conscience within or shame and censure without 3. When the old lust is returned to new strength the bitterness of death is off or the like and now the heart returns to its former haunt and natural bent to the love and practise of such or such a sin which will easily beget and declare an inequality There are two sorts of inequalities about holy duties in duties for love and practise of sin will either make all duty to cease or any method of duty to stagger and change 2. Observe that there are two sorts of inequalities about holy services Some respect the Will and Actum elicitum as the Schoolmen speak the first springings of it its secret inclinings and motions Others respect the Exercise or Fact and Actum imperatum as they call it from these I infer two conclusions viz. 1. That inequalities of holy services in respect of the exercise or fact may consist with uprightness v. g. A man one day may The inequalities of holy services in respect of the exercise may consist with uprightness be able to find words more readily and abundantly in prayer and lively-hood in his affections then at another time and yet be truly upright Look as a Preacher may be able to study and to preach one day better then another and a Tradseman to follow his particular Calling yet both the one and the other be truly upright in their particular Calling so I say of the expressed and external acts which respect the course of our general Callings c 2. That intrinsecal inequalities those in the will and purposes Inequalities in the Will and purposes thereof argue defect of uprightness thereof argues defect of uprightness When a mans will is one while strongly purposed for duty and by and by it is totally bent and set for sin here the inequality doth depend upon the division of the heart which is Hypocrisie and falseness 3. Cheerfulness or uncheerfulness in the performance of duties Cheerfulness or uncheerfulness in duties are not infallible symptoms etiher way are not infallible symptoms either way By Cheerfulness I mean the liberty or freedom of the spirits and by uncheerfulness the sadness heaviness or dulness of them As it may be a day though the sun shine not nay as the sun doth keep on its natural course and motion under the