Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	justify_v	law_n	reciprocal_a	16	3	16.1834	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08055	Mans actiue obedience, or The power of godlines especially in the commandement of the gospell, which requireth faith in euerie Christian: or A treatise of faith, worthily called precious faith, as being in it selfe a most rare iewell of ioy, and peerelesse pearle, that excelleth in worth the highest price. Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Christ is what properly is the obiect of it, what is the speciall operation of faith, by which it may bee discerned; and the worke about which it is principally imployed, the subiect wherein it is placed; what things are needfull to the making it up, what to the being, and what to the wel-being of it; with the differences that are betweene true beleeuers and fained in all of them, and the vses thereof. By Master William Negus, lately minister of Gods word at Lee in Essex.; Mans active obedience.	Negus, William, 1559?-1616.; Negus, Jonathan, d. 1633.	1619 (1619)	STC 18420; ESTC S113618	278,658	364

Christ Iesus himselfe being the Mediatour thereof Heb. 8. 6. 7. 8. 9. euen the Couenant of grace for the obtaining of life and saluation freely by his grace through the redemption Rom. 3 24. 25. that is in Christ Iesus and through faith in his name whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation and price of redemption for al that beleeue with this promise made to euery such a one that whosoeuer doe beleeue in him they shall neuer perish but haue life euerlasting And Iohn 3. 16. that by Christ all that doe beleeue shall be iustified for euer from all things from which by the workes of the Law Acts 13. 39. none could be iustified Now this being the second couenant for life the promises whereupon this is stablished are said to be better promises then the former because it is not said doe this and thou shalt liue but beleeue this and thou shalt liue there being a possibilitie of obtaining power at the hands of God to beleeue if we be not wanting to our selues Thirdly though this second couenant for life and saluation be a better and more fauourable couenant then was the first and the condition thereof more easie to be performed through the aide of Gods grace which is ordinarily giuen to such as shal be saued yet lest any should faile to doe that which otherwise he hath meanes to bee made able to doe and so might doe namely beleeue herein Gods exceeding goodnesse vnto man seemeth more abundantly to be set forth in that he leaueth it not as a thing indifferent to the choice of euery man whither they will beleeue or not but as that which is most needefull for all he chargeth all that they doe beleeue that is that they be not wanting to themselues in vsing all possible meanes whereby they may come truly to beleeue So that if any shall now perish vnder the Gospell wherein saluation is offered vnto vs vnder the condition of our beleeuing such shall perish not so much for their other sins as for their vnbeliefe because they beleeued not in the Iohn 3. 18. name of the onely begotten Sonne of God and they shall die twice damned as double transgressors of all the commandements both of the Law commanding them to do and of the commandements of the Gospell commanding Heb. 2. 23. 4. 1. 6. them to beleeue and as violaters of both couenants of workes and of faith not keeping the conditions of either neither doing that which the Law commandeth nor beleeuing that which the Gospell promiseth Vnutterable therefore is this goodnesse of God that commands vs to beleeue that wee might bee saued who thus thought it not enough to prepare saluation for vs and to proffer it vnto vs but presseth it vpon vs and vrgeth vs to take it charging and commanding vs to beleeue which is the onely hand by which saluation is to bee laid hold vpon Fourthly the knowledge of this that God commandeth vs to beleeue may bee our warrant for our making sure to our selues our owne saluation and for our stedfastly 2. Pet. 1. 10. beleeuing without all manner of doubting to be saued by Christ Iesus and to haue redemption in his blood euen the forgiuenesse of all our sinnes as also to free vs from that false imputation charged vpon vs by our aduersaries of being too presumptuous thus boldly and confidently to beleeue and not to remaine as they doe euer in some doubt since it is obedience and not presumption to doe that we are commanded God thus commanding vs to beleeue Lastly the practice of this knowledge that it is our dutie to beleeue ought to be seene in our carefull endeuouring by taking all possible paines and vsing with all diligence the good meanes of reading the Scriptures of hearing of Sermons of often partaking at the holy Sacraments of priuate conference of holy meditation of feruent and continuall prayers so to get the sauing knowledge of Christ as wee may bring our hearts to rest and relie vpon him and vpon him alone for our saluation apprehending him to be our Sauiour and laying hold vpon all that he hath done and suffered for vs as that whereby a full satisfaction hath been made for our sinnes and a price hath been paid of value sufficient for our perfect redemption that so we hauing Christ with his merits by faith to be ours in hauing him we may haue life by him for God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his 1. Ioh. 5. 11. Sonne We are euery where counselled and called vpon to get faith and to labour to beleeue It is the speciall worke that our Sauiour set the people about which hee said to be the worke of God to labour to beleeue We are Mark 11. 22. Iohn 6. 29. willed to haue faith in our selues whatsoeuer else wee should want beside And no marueile for of all other graces it is that which is most needfull without which euen Christ himselfe should profit vs nothing It is the mother grace of all the rest and roote from whence all vertues beside doe spring and flourish out it is a iewell of vnualuable worth and pearle of an vnspeakable price Among pretious stones the fairest tincture is giuen to Excellencie of faith the Ruby and the quickest light vnto the Diamond but there is no Ruby no Diamond nor Saphire how costly and pretious soeuer they be that may be compared with it for brightnesse and beautie or that can in like manner inrich deck and set foorth the outward man as this doth in rich the heart beautifie decke and adorne the hid man therof There is not the like pretious stone euer to be heard of hauing such vertue to be found in it as hath pretious faith which is the faith of Gods elect No not that stone if euer such there were which being cast into the sea when the storme is at the highest and the waues thereof most troublesome and horribly raging as some haue conceited and stick not to report to quiet and to calme all the boisterousnes thereof yet were not that worke so wonderfull and change so great and marueilous that thus should be seene done in the foaming wilde sea as is that which is most certainly and that vsually and daily found to be wrought and done by this pretious faith in the afflicted conscience in the perplexed soules and trembling hearts of the distressed seruants of God Who encountring with the tentations of the diuell and wrestling in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God as for life and death are sorely shaken with the terrors of God and blasted with the whirlewinde of his displeasure which is able to driue the whole frame of our nature into extreame miserie and vtter confusion especially when Satan with all taking the aduantage of such opportunitie most furiously doth breake in vpon those distressed hearts with such force and violent rage of his dreadfull tentations as is able to

the delinquents on both sides vnsanctified persons whose consciences are neuer soundly touched with true remorse for committing any sinne neither for violating wholesome and good lawes what wrong soeuer that way hath been done by them they stand not vpon making any recompence or giuing satisfaction so farre as they are able to tender their goods where they are found sufficient to make it or to yeeld their bodies where their goods cannot doe it or patiently to lay downe their liues in cases wherein nothing else can be found sufficient fully to satisfie but they seeke shifts how to auoid all if they be great in the world they stand vpon their prerogatiues their greatnesse must allow them to bee lawlesse they are like the great flies which doe breake through the cobwebs they will not bee taken there is nothing can hold them If they bee poore and it be a pecuniarie mulct that is imposed vpon them for their trespasse they shift off the matter by their pouerty by meanes whereof they promise to themselues an immunity in such cases standing vpon that maxime where there is nothing to be had there the King must loose his right and so they will be sure by their shifting to pay nothing whether then be able yea or no. If their bodies bee attached they their next course is to spie out some aduantage how to scape away and breake out of the hands of them that haue taken them If seeing of the Sergeant or bribing of the Bailiffe will not serue the turne if they be clapt vp i● prison the prison must be strong if it can long hold them they will haue many times files to get off their bolts they haue deuices to open lockes to breake barres and find shifts to make a way for their scaping where no way could haue been immagined might haue been made before If they be put by all their muses and preuented of all their courses and no remedie but to the gallowes they must come there men of this sort are found to die either most desperately as those who after all the wrongs they offered to others all their life time sticke not to wrong God and nature it selfe in the end by carelesly yea madly casting away their life as though it were a thing but vile which God hath made so precious and nature teacheth all to be so charie of to stand so much for to make so much of as daily may bee seene Or else to take their deaths most impatiently as those who would yeeld no obedience nor giue any willing satisfaction either to law or to Magistrate otherwise then it is thus extorted from them but hold their rebellion to the end and so die therein Hereof we haue a pregnant example in that arch-enemie to the Gospell and most bloody persecutor of Gods faithfull seruants and traitor to the Prince and State Doctor Storie Doctor Story who first brake prison into which he was put and then being caught againe when he himselfe was brought to suffer death who had been the meanes of putting to death hundreds of others that died Martyrs in Gods cause in time of his most deserued execution by quartering was as the story doth report so impatient that he did not onely roare and cry out but also strucke the executioner while he was doing his office and resisted as long as strength did serue him and was Fulke in his confutation of Papists quarrels pag. 14. faine to be kept downe by three or foure men vntill hee was dead But they whose hearts are throughly touched and deeply pierced with sorrow for the sinnes they haue committed and whom God doth giue grace vnto to consider rightly their owne wayes in their hearts after they hauing been left to themselues for a time through strength In true penitents of tentation and frailty of nature haue not onely been ouercome to transgresse the lawes by some lesser crimes fallen into and faulted in but also drawne to commit some hainous wickednesses and enormious vices greatly preiudiciall to the State and Common-wealth in which they doe liue so as the wrong and hurt they haue done thereby cannot be recompensed nor the law satisfied the vnpartiall executing of Iustice by the Magistrate saued harmelesse without confiscation of their goods attaching of their bodies yea and in some cases the taking away of their very liues for so much as these knew there is no hope of obtaining any pardon of sinne at the hands of God if in the wrong done to a brother and persisted in the same be asked much lesse hauing dong a wrong vnto a whole society of brethren yea a whole state of a kingdome the parties delinquent should come to the court of heauen to sue for their pardon would their petition he euer regarded or looked vpon but the answere would be made them as Christ taughr in his doctrine If thou knowest thy brother hath ought against thee leaue thy Mat. 5. 23. gift at the Altar and goe and bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer And because they can haue no comfort of their sorrow if their sorrow cause not satisfaction nor proue that their repentance is vnto life if fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life bee not borne out they willingly doe not betake themselues to any such shifts as are ordinarily to be found to bee taken by the other sort of offenders but they come in and submit themselues vnto the law and yeeld themselues to the Magistrate and that for conscience sake to make what recompence they can for the fault that they haue done and giue the best satisfaction that they are able they offer their goods where they will serue the turne they yeeld their bodies to prison where their goods cannot be taken and where their bodies yeelded to prison or to other punishment will not be taken for a sufficient satisfaction in regard of the hainousnesse of their transgression then their very liues themselues are no longer held so deare vnto them but that euen they also shall be laid downe to make the paiment full But all this is done of them with such humble submission and in so good a fashion as all that tooke themselues to haue been wronged by them before seeme now to rest contented and to be satisfied to the full Yea some that are executed as malefactors are many times found to take their deaths so patiently and so penitently with such brokennesse of heart with such sorrowing and mourning for their sins and abundant bewailing the mis-leading of their liues with shewing such testimonies of their sound repenting and being found to beare out such fruits of repentance vpon the tree they doe hang on that that tree seemeth now to be laden with good fruit and that of the best kind whilest with the good theefe on the Crosse they condemne themselues they iustifie the Law they reprooue Luk. 23. 40. 41. sinne in others they exhort to amendmeni of life they

become Ephes 2. 3. by sinne the basest and vilest of all other creatures excepting the diuels Lastly the knowledge hereof thus humbling and ouerwhelming vs with shame should stirre vp in vs such a misliking of our selues as should cause vs neuer to bee Rom. 7. 24. ●5 quiet till we might heare of some remedie and set vs a worke to seeke out by all meanes and with all diligence for our full recouerie Q. What vse may the knowledge of this bee put vnto by vs that after the losse of so great a happinesse bestowed vpon vs in the first creation and the throwing vs downe vnder so great a degree of miserie through Adams transgression as to be made by nature the very children of wrath that can looke to inherit nothing but eternall destruction we should yet so be restored by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus as power should be giuen vnto vs to become the sonnes of God yea heires and fellow-heires with him of life and glory A. All this may worth●ly hold our minds in the continual admiration of this wonderful worke of him whose name is called wonderfull euen God our Sauiour that Isa 9. 6. hath made this happie change for vs who in his infinite wisedome hath found out the way to bring vs the greatest gaine out of that most beauie losse and to improue that our falling to a better rising and more sure standing for vs then before and out of the bottome and depth of that greatest and most wofull misery into which wee were throwne to raise vs vp to a higher height and degree of glory and of aduancement in royall dignity then Ephes 2. 6. euer man had bestowed vpon him in the time of his first innocency for by meanes thereof he hath taken occasion to vnite vs more nearely to himselfe then we were before our Nature in Christ being taken into the fellowship of the God-head and personally ioyned to the diuine Nature 1. Iohn 1. 3. Mat●h 1. 23. 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the Sonne of God himselfe a degree of dignitie aboue that euer any of the Angels were lifted vp vnto or for ought that can be knowne euer shall be Besides we beholding and with reuerence wondring 1. Iohn 3. 1. at what loue of God this should bee that wee who are children of wrath by nature should now be thus called the sonnes of God this great alteration and happy change of our estate should cause vs to be affected like as were the people at their deliuerance out of their captiuitie when their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue with Psal 126. 1. 2. 3. 16. 9. Isa● 49. 13. ioy this should cause our hearts to be glad and our tongues to reioyce the very heauens to sing for this the earth to be ioyfull the mountaines also to breake forth into singing yea all people in consideration hereof may bee called to clap their hands for ioy of this so great saluation and to sing aloud vnto God with a ioyfull voyce to sing praises to God to sing praises yea to call forth to the singing Psal 47. 1. 6. 7. praises of euery one that hath vnderstanding seeing the Angels themselues who had not the like cause that wee haue welcommed the birth and comming of the Sauiour into the world with their heauenly sweete melody and Luke 2. 13. songs of great reioycing Lastly the consideration of this loue of God passing all knowledge and of this bountie and goodnesse of Christ in our redemption which is so great as the Angels themselues cannot cease wondering and marueiling at the 1. Pet. 1. 12. same ought to moue and constraine vs to dutie and cause vs to offer vp our selues our soules and bodies as liuing sacrifices Rom. 12. 1. vnto him by our daily seruing of him that our whole life may be a reciprocall louing of him And that as wee are called the sonnes of God who looke to inherit with Christ in glory wee shew the naturalnesse of that our sonne-ship to God our Father after the manner that the onely begotten Son of God himself did in whom the Father Mal. 1. 6. was alwaies well pleased by our constant louing fearing and honouring of him and for yeelding obedience vnto him that the same mind may be found to bee in vs which was in Christ Iesus who humbled himselfe and Phil. 2. 5 6 8. became obedient to his Father vnto the death euen to the death of the Crosse Q. Proceede now to sh●w what vse we are to make as well of the knowledge of our duties which we are to performe as you haue done of the knowledge of our selues in the seuerall estat●s where in we now either are or formerly haue been and for so much as you haue shewed that our duties in generall do consist in p●rforming due obedience to God his holy will in all things declare what vse is to be made by vs of the knowledge hereof A. This should set vs aworke first with all earnestnes Rom. 12 2. and diligence to inquire proue and find out what that good that acceptable and perfect will of God is in all things 1. Thes 4. 1. that so we may know how to walk and please him Secondly to the end this knowne will of God may be the better For a man to obey God the way is to command his vnruly appe●i●es and to command them is for a man to be master of him●●lfe and for ●●e to be master of himselfe is ●he most soue●●ig●e princi●alitie obeyed by vs and fulfilled in all things that wee learne and labour daily to denie our selues breaking our selues of our owne willes that Gods will may the better bee done and taking our selues from our selues giue vp and present our selues our soules and our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God no more remaining our owne much lesse abiding to become the seruants of men Q. Seeing the will of God which we are to obey vnto is either in requiring vs to doe that he hath commanded or to endure and suffer that which he hath appointed shew first 1. Cor. 6. 19. 20. what ought to be the vse we are to make of our knowing it to be our duti● to observe all that God doth command vs both in the affirmati●e and negatiue commandements which he hath giuen A. This should cause vs with all readinesse and forwardnesse Psal 119. 60. 40. 8. simply to obey and fully and wholly to do whatsoeuer we can learne God commands vs to do and to forbeare to do whatsoeuer we can learne he hath forbidden without any further demurring vpon the point or consulting with flesh and blood without asking any Gal. 1. 16. question either of our owne hearts or of any others else concerning the same And that whether we can see into the reason of that which is commanded or cannot sound

warne all before them they pray much and feruently they looke to Christ they commit themselues to his mercy and so taking their deaths patiently all that see them thus dying make no doubt at all of their saluation Besides such a kind of satis-faction giuen to a publike 2. For not performing vniust lawes and wicked state by parties offending for violating wholesome and good lawes that haue been made euen the innocent serseruants of God when they haue been taken and condemned for offenders against a State because they haue not yeelded simple and absolute whole and ready obedience to all lawes in force thoug somtimes there haue and may fall out to be that there is an antinomie betweene the lawes of men and the lawes of God they also haue not refused neither yet will refuse in cases wherin they cannot satisfie the Law or the Magistrate by obeying the precept there to make satisfaction by their suffering the penalties that are set downe and that whether it be to the loosing of their goods and the loosing of their liuings they haue both learned and practised to suffer with ioy the spoyling of their goods because they Heb. 10. 34. looke to receiue in heauen a better and more enduring substance or whether it be to bonds or to imprisonment they are ready with Paul to be bound and refuse not to goe to Act. 21. 13. Gen. 39. 20. Psal 105. 18. prison with Ioseph though the iron doe enter into their soules when they are hurt in the stockes Yea they haue not refused to lay downe their liues if nothing but that would goe for payment As did the three children in Daniel for Dan. 3. 22. not obeying the Kings command suffer themselues to be throwne into the hot fierie furnace And Daniel himselfe Dan. 6. 16. to be throwne into the den of Lions for not obeying the decree of Darius which as a law of Medes and Persians might not be broken whose examples the blessed Martyrs of God haue since worthily followed And such kind of transgressors of lawes as this second sort are that haue been now mentioned are not to bee ranked vp among rebels neither are to bee euery way counted as persons that are disobedient for there must be a distinction made of obedience there is an obedience in doing and there is an obedience in suffering now where that which the Law commandeth cannot so safely with a good conscience or readily be done if that which the Law setteth downe as punishment to be inflicted for it bee patiently borne there is then another obedience shewed and a satisfaction giuen for the want of the former and for that which else could not be done Daniel though he disobeyed the commandement of the King in the doing of that though it were a law of the Medes and Persians which Dan. 6. 22. being once made might not be broken that hee might obey God the better yet iustified himselfe in that he had done and said plainly to the King that he had done him no wrong he was no rebell hee was no vndutifull subiect which may be said for others of Gods seruants in the like case and respect There is yet another kind of satisfaction and that is 4. Priuate and particular men more particular and priuate betweene man and man when wrong is offered to any man And this is also requisite to be made by euery person that is truly penitent if he would either giue testimony to others that his repentance is sound or take comfort to himselfe that his sinnes shall euer be pardoned For Augustine hath well set that Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum August downe there is no looking for pardon for the sinne if that which was taken away be not restored againe And this did Daniel giue in counsell to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 27. who had been a great spoyler waster and vndoer of the greatest part of the world he hauing vndone many and made them poore he counselleth him to make some satisfaction vnto them againe and so breake off his sinnes by exercising now more righteousnesse and shewing mercy to the poore whom in some sort hee shall satisfie for the wrongs before hee had done them in spoyling of them if now againe hee will succour them and helpe them in their need Hypocrites and worldly-minded persons they haue Difference in hypocrites no skill of this restitution nor will to make this kind of satisfaction if they haue got any thing that is no matter how that they thinke to bee their owne that they will hold fast and they will be sure to part with nothing They are of their religion that will neither doe right to others nor take any wrong to themselues Wherin they goe not so farre as Iudas that notable hypocrite did nor doe not so much as did he the money that Iudas had gotten for selling his Master was as iustly and as lawfully his as the money of many is theirs that they come by for it was his by buying and selling and performing his bargaine now it was as lawfully his as the money that men sell good corne for and put chaffe and drosse into it and as the money that men get by oppression and vsurie who feeling the sweetnesse of gaining care not how they come by money though it were by sucking out the very life-blood of the owners thereof so they may haue it But though these know and feele the sweetnesse of the comming of it in they know not with what bitternesse it will goe out againe Iudas might haue kept his money by any law of the land he had sold and performed his bargaine and why might hee not haue kept the money that hee had therefore gotten but his conscience so pincht him and prickt him for his treason against his Master whom he had sold to get this money it being the purchase of that his iniquitie and knowing how vnlawfully he had got it his hands could hold it no longer he was neuer quiet till he had brought it againe and giuen it to them of whom he had it though that neither would quiet him for nothing was done as it should be soundly by him his repentance was a false repentance and this satisfaction a false fruit of the same What then may be hoped for of them that goe not so farre in making satisfaction and restoring againe that which they haue most vniustly taken as this damned diuell Iudas did who is now in hell But they that are truly penitent indeed for their sinne whatsoeuer wrong they either know themselues or can be shewed by others that they haue offered to any man either in his person in his name or in his goods they neuer can be quiet till they naue made the partie satisfaction and that to the full if their ability will extend so farre that so it may be performed by them If meanes bee wanting that they cannot doe as they would they shew themselues more penitent and by a greater submission they humble themselues before the parties wronged and aske them forgiuenesse of that which they cannot make any better satisfaction for And in such kind of wrongs wherein others haue been wronged in their goods either vniustly taken away or wrongfully with-held by them if the parties be dead to whom such wrong hath been offered then seeke they out who are left that did belong vnto them and were neerest of their kinne that to them they may make a full restitution and satisfaction for the wrong If none such can be found to bee liuing they will rather bring it to the Church for holy vse and see the poore to haue it distributed among them then they will keepe pennie or pennies-worth thereof which as the plague would infect all they had beside and fret as a canker till it had consumed whatsoeuer before had been iustly gotten and which with good peace they might haue still possessed well and kept lawfully as their owne This care to make restitution they haue learned from the practice of that blessed penitent and saued-conuert rich Zacheus who hauing been a great piller and powler of the people in the day that saluation by Christ was brought to his house stood forth and said Lord halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken any thing from any man by forged accusation I restore him foure-fold Thus much touching confession and satisfaction which two do neuer faile to accompany that sorrow especially which is godly that causeth repentance neuer to be repented of being repentance vnto life FINIS Errata Page 1. line 24. read heare p. 74. l. 4. r. which p 81. l. 21. r. good p. 84. l. 22. r Lydia p 86. l. 22. r. the tongue p. 92. l. 3. r. which ibid. 18. r. for it p. 94. l. 25. r. as if it p. 97. l. 2. r. as if it p. 97. l. 2. r. truth p. 100. l. 14. r. so thirdly p. 192. l. 2. r. deiected ibid. 6. r. reuiue p. 240. chap. r. permanent and enduring p. 269. chap. r. considered and first p. 134. l. 6. r. rending p. 140. l. 10. r. as p. 145. l. 36. r. hurts p. 154. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 171. l. 14. r. himselfe p. 180. l. 3. r. haue p. 182. l. 36. r. And as p. 183. l. 31. r. much p. 186. l. 16. ● l●fe p. 189. l. 17 r. are such p. 192. l. 2. r. deiected ibid. l. 6. r. reuiue p. 199. l. 26. r. haue him p. 212. l 6. r. doe see 213. l 1● r. is found ibid. 26. r. which in p. 224. l. 31. r. on p. 231. l. 25. r. cruelly p. 234. l. 20. r. beloued p. 235. l. 1. r. father in law p. 252. l. 25. r. ioy