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love_n	know_v	love_v	sin_n	5,923	5	4.9313	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09981	A liveles life: or, Mans spirituall death in sinne Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure doctrines the spirituall death in sinne. The doctrine of humiliation. Mercy to be found in Christ. Continuance in sinne, dangerous. Being the substance of severall sermons upon Ephes. 2. 1,2,3. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins, &c. Whereunto is annexed a profitable sermon at Lincolnes Inne, on Gen. XXII. XIV. Delivered by that late faithful preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1633 (1633)	STC 20235; ESTC S122552	73,904	134

But such repentance as will save thy soule is a sorrow for they sinne that is past and a purpose for the time to come to endevour to leave all sinne arising out of a love to God for all repentance ariseth either out of a love of God or else from self-selfe-love if it be out of a love of God thou wilt presently give thy selfe unto his service and forsake thy sinne if it be not out of love to God but out of self-selfe-love that thou purposest to forsake thy sinne then it is not true repentance b●● false and riseth from by-respects Repentance is hard to be had it is not in thine owne power except God breathe a new life into thee thou canst not repent thou art as the red clod of earth before God of which he made Adam it had no life untill he breathed into it so while the spirit breatheth in us we are dead A Beast may desire his owne life so may a man his owne salvation but hee can doe nothing without the spirit blowes When then the spirit blowes why wilt thou be so foolish as to deferre thy repentance unto another time If a man upon paine of death were within twenty dayes to be beyond the Seas if the wind should blow well for his purpose the first second or third day would hee bee so foolish as to neglect it and deferre his journey and say it may bee it will blow againe tenne dayes hence and then I will goe No he will not be so foolish for hee knowes the winde bloweth where and when it listeth and therefore he will take it when it blowes least it blow there no more In these earthly things men are not so foolish why therefore are they so ignorant in this point of spirituall wisdome Let every one of us then hereby be perswaded to learne wisedome when the spirit bloweth neglect it not certaine it is that except it doth blow in thy heart thou art damned therefore when it doth blow suppose it be at 17. or 18. yeeres of age neglect it not omit it not neither deferre it it may be it will never blow againe and thou canst not make it blow when thou wouldest for it is free There are none which live vnder the Gospell but at some time or other have had some blasts of the Spirit but in some it vanisheth as bubbles in the water but let us take heed of that and unlesse we could have them againe when we would let us not let them passe when thou hast but the least sparke let it not goe out leave it not till it is become a slame to purifie thy heart Francis Spira neglecting these comfortable blasts at the last wished that hee might have had but one drop of that comfort which once he despised and so till his last breath cryed out I am damned God not therefore still on in thy sinnes falsly perswading thy selfe saying thou shalt bee saved Remember what God threatneth unto such men Deut. 29. 19. He that hearing the words of this curse shall blesse himselfe saying I shall have peace though I follow my sinnes the Lord will not bee mercifull to that man Sit downe therefore but one halfe houre and consider with thy selfe that thou art but a dead man and that thou canst not quicken thy selfe but it is God onely that is able to quicken thee and the quickeneth whom hee will and those whom he quickeneth are but very few as the gleaning after the harvest or the grapes after the vintage and thou knowest not whether thou art in that small number Consider I say but this with thy selfe and surely this will make thee never to give thy selfe rest untill thou findest life in thee and never be quiet untill thou art sure thou art quickened Another Use which wee will make of this point is If naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sinnes this should teach us how to esteeme of civill men and such like wee should esteeme of such men as of dead men and therefore 1 We should not overvalue them 2 We should not make them our companions First We should not overvalue them For their beauty they have none that is true beauty what beauty have dead men in them they are dead let us not regard their seeming beauty Esteeme the poore Saints for they though never so meane are better then those though never so brave Grant your civill men bee as Lions then which no irrationall creature is better and that your Saints are but as dogges then which no creature is worser yet a living dogge is better than a dead Lion It 's a signe of a new life to esteeme no carnall excellencie so saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 16 17. Wherefore henceforth know wee no man after the flesh yea though wee have knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know wee him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new hee that is a new creature will not regard these things but they will bee dead in his account They account us but dead men therefore let us account them so also Secondly Make them not your companions Wee may and ought to love them with the love of pitty but not with the love of delight and complacency if thou love them and delight in them it is a signe thou art dead also yet in this we are to blame that wee doe not more pitty them and seeke their salvation but wee must not delight in them and make them our familiar acquaintance for wee can never thrive in grace till we leave them for although they bee dead yet they have a leaven which wil infect thee although thou perceivest it not Wee use to say wee will make use to our selves of the good in them but let the hurt goe but wee cannot doe so for wee are insensibly hurt when we thinke we are furthest from it Even as a man is tanned when he is working in the Sunne and hee never perceives it so doth their company infect us insensibly when wee thinke least of it It 's therefore but a folly to purpose to serve God and not to breake off their company yea it is a plaine contradiction Every man is compared to a coale he is either living or dead if he be a living coale hee will kindle him that is next him but if hee bee a dead coale hee then will blacke and fully thee Even so it is with company if it be good and zealous it will kindle our affections but if bad it will bee sure to infect us therefore from such company thou must either gaine good or harme but for good certaine it is that thou canst receive none and therefore thou must receive harme If thou walke with the wise thou shalt be more wise if with the foole thou shalt learne folly Pro. 13. 20. The third Use wee will make of this point is this

like iron which while it is hot in the fire you may fashion it which way you will but when it is once out it is presently stiffe againe So Pharaoh as long as Gods hand was on him hee would let the people goe but as soone as the fire of affliction was removed his heart was hardned so was Ahab and Saul But in true humiliation God takes away the iron heart gives an heart of flesh so that although it may be brawnie a little yet still it is flesh Hypocrites so long onely as they are under the judgement are soft but the heart of the godly is alwaies soft Thirdly by the signes of brokennesse of heart Now brokennesse of heart 1. Heales our sinnes First the beloved the master sinne and then all the rest other humiliation skinne over but cures not it stops the streame for a while but it breakes out againe it may cause you to make many purposes to leave the sinne yea and to leave it awhile but you will returne to them againe whereas if one bee truly humbled he is stronger against that beloved sin than against any other not but that hee hath strong inclinations to that sinne but hee is more shye of it and shunnes the occasions of that sinne because hee hath fully felt the smart of it and hath by his humiliation seene that sinne more than any other Now after the beloved sinne is once healed then the other sinnes will soone be healed as in a cloth by washing out a deeper staine the same labour doth wash out lesser staines 2. It causeth love of Christ So Mary Magdalen because she was humbled much and saw that Christ had forgiven her much therefore she loved much So Paul who was much humbled ever expressed a servent love to Christ as we may see Acts 21. 13. where hee saith having beene perswaded by his friends not to goe to Jerusalem I am ready not to bee bound but also to dye for the name of the Lord Iesus as who should say I feare nothing because I care for nothing but Christ So also 2 Cor. 5. 14. he saith The love of Christ constraineth mee and therefore when by humiliation we see what Christ hath done for us we thinke we can never doe enough for him Now you may know if you love Christ or not by these signes The first signe to know the love of Christ is obedience Hee that loveth Christ keepeth his Commandements and they are not grievous unto him The second signe is this If you love him you shall finde in your heart that you love him your heart will be carried towards him as I can tell if I love a man for then my heart is carried towards him The third signe to know the love of Christ is this It causeth me to esteeme of spirituall things to prize them at an high rate and other things little worth for when a man is soundly humbled aske him then what he desires most he will answer Christ and Grace and that his corruptions may cease in him as for outward things hee passeth not for them as a man that sees he must dye hee cares for no outward wealth take you that give him onely the pardon of his sinnes The fourth signe of the love of Christ is this It maketh him content with the meanest condition The prodigall Sonne when he was humbled so he might be in his fathers house he was content he liked the meanest condition even to be a servant I am unworthy to be thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired servants Luk. 15. 21. So Paul after hee was humbled thought himselfe unworthy for the Saints company and that not for a fit onely but even ever after he still cryes out I am unworthy to be an Apostle Thus Naomi returning home to her Countrey said she went out full and yet had nothing but her selfe sonnes and husband she accounted any thing too much for her If a man once come to be verily perswaded that he is worthy to be destroyed hee can with patience beare any losses and crosses for these are nothing to death which he knowes he hath deserved therefore what impatience soever thou hast so much art thou short of true humiliation The fifth signe to know we love Christ is this It makes us fearefull of offending God tendernesse of conscience is ever according to the measure of true humiliation for by how much the more we are humbled by so much doe wee feare to offend God and labour to walke obediently unto him Esay 66. 2. the Lord saith To him will I looke that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word If thou art of a contrite heart thou wilt tremble at his words that is at his Commandements such an one feares to breake any Commandement he is sensible of the least sinne Hence it is that Prov. 28. 14. feare is opposed to hardnesse of heart Happy is the man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Now the opposite to hardnesse is brokennesse of heart but feare is opposed to it because it is a signe of brokennesse of heart Now this fearfulnesse stands in two things 1. In a facility to be convicted of any sinne for he that is not thus broken in heart stands out with God and will not yeeld unto him 2. In a feare to offend God for when hee is once convinced he labours to doe according to his knowledge and then is afraid to displease God either 1 In committing the least sinne as Moses would not leave the least hoofe behinde him and as Iob feared lest his sonnes should have sinned in heart Iob 1. 4. He was so truly humbled that hee would not sacrifice for owne sinnes onely but even for his sonnes also and that the least the thoughts of their hearts 2 In omitting the least good duty or doing it formally which thing the hypocrite cannot doe because he hath not this tendernesse of conscience The sixth signe of the love of Christ is this It makes Gods Word sweet unto us as it was to David Sweeter than the honie and the home-combe Crummes are sweet to an hungry man so if a man hunger after the Gospell it will be sweet unto him Indeed if the Word be sweetened with humane Eloquence it may bee sweet to one that is carnall for so it is pleasing to nature but if the purer it is and the more it is seperated from those gaudy flowers if the more piercing it is the sweeter it is to us then it is a signe of a broken heart for it is a reproach to those that have not a broken heart and so it cannot be sweet as wee may see Ier 6 10. where the Lord saith Behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight mit And againe the Prophet saith Ier. 15. 16.

the same purpose also saith Iames Iam. 1. 18. The word of Truth begat you now Truth hath a reference to the understanding And thus briefly have I given you a taste what this death is and the place wherein it is seated 2. Now it followes that we speake of the kinds of this death which for the better handling and benefit of your memories I will range into these three sorts 1 The death of guilt by which we are bound o-over to eternal damnation and so in the same manner usually wee say a man condemned is a dead man 2 The death which is opposed to the life of grace which is the seperation of grace from our soule 3. The death which is opposed to the lif of joy and comfort which is a thousand times more terrible than all deaths if it were truly and as it is indeed apprehended Which latter death that you may the better conceive of I will open it a little to you God joynes with every mans soule and gives to the most wicked man some seeming life of grace and some colourable life of comfort for else they would indure an hell here upon earth For the first although the wicked have no true grace yet they have a shadow of it as is manifest in their morall vertues So for the second for comfort they have some although no true comfort for God is the author of comfort as the Sunne is of light which all both good and bad doe more or lesse participate of or else they could not subsist As may appeare by the contrary for when he doth but once with-draw his comfort from us it is the terriblest thing in the world An example of this we may see in Christ when this comfort was with-drawne from him but in sense and feeling onely it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. 46. Where Gods presence is taken away there is nothing but horror and trembling and I have knowne such that in his absence when his presence hath beene taken away have had their soules so pressed with horror that they have said That if at a thousan● yeeres end they might enjoy the comfortable presence of God they would thinke themselves th● happiest men in the world The absence of this made Luther to say That if all the creatures in heaven and hell should set to torment him they could not doe it so much as the with-drawing of Gods comfort did Alas poore creatures now in this world God is not seperated from you you feele not the torment of this death but now you enjoy the crepusculum and day-light of this comfort and therefore although it bee now slightly esteemed and little regarded yet when that day shall come that the Lord shall totally seperate them from his presence they shall by lamentable experience learne how terrible a thing it is Thus much for the second point the kinds of this death 3. For the signes of this death The signes of it may be taken from them of the bodily death the signes of that are these foure 1. The understanding faileth 2. There is want of sense 3. Want of motion 4. There is a deadnesse in the face These foure things you shall finde in a spirituall death First As those that are corporally dead want reason and understanding so doe those that are spiritually dead they cannot understand the things of God no more then men can judge of colours in the darke I but some man will object and say The carnall man knowes many things he hath a generall notion of the God-head and can talke of the creation of man and his redemption by Christ he can discourse of faith repentance c. There is a great difference betweene knowing Spirituall things and knowing them after a right manner a carnall man knoweth them but not in a right manner not in a spirituall manner And hence is that of the Apostle Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate The word which there is translated reprobate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying unable to judge Indeed in the generall they may understand and like the things that are of God but come to particular circumstances that crosseth them they as a Divine sayes of them love veritatem lucentem non redarguentem they wholly dislike particulars because they bring them to hic et nunc to particulars In the abstract they loue holinesse but not as it is applied to particulars as it convinces them of their particular sinnes Hence it is that godly men are most hated of them that come neerest to them in shew because they bring light home to them and discover their acerrima proximorumodiv their inward and bosome hatred of their neighbours It is as much as if one should bring a Torch to one that is a doing some unlawfull thing some deed of darknesse he would wish him further off their lives shine as lights and therefore giving good examples by a shining and godly conversation which is contrary to the life of the ungodly and hypocriticall ones they cannot chuse but hate them and as all wicked men hate them so especially those that are nighest unto them in shew because that their life doth not onely shine unto them and lay open their vildnesse but scorch them also and therefore they being occupied about the workes of darkenesse wish them as farre off as they can So that hence we see with an approving judgement not any save those which are quickned can understand spirituall things 2. The second thing wherein a naturall death consisteth was in a privation of sense so also is it in the Spirituall death for their hearts are strong and cannot bee moved although I deny not but sometime they may have a little griping of conscience and sense of Gods judgement which naturally ariseth from conscience but they never have any reall and true feeling of it 3. In a naturall death they are without motion so likewise it is in a Spirituall death for the wicked can no more move themselves unto any good worke than a dead man can move himselfe out of his grave 4. In a naturall death there is a want of vigorousnesse and beauty as well in the face as in all other parts of the body so also there is in the Spiritual death the losse of that vigorous beauty which followes the life of grace they may bee seene to have death in the face if a living man beholds them he knowes how to discerne it although I deny not but that they may have hypocriticall painted vertues which may to weake eyes for a great while seeme true ones as men may have painted faces that have been taken for living ones but they are not true graces such as proceed from the life of grace indeed I but some may here object and say have not

concerning the estate and condition of the Church at this time and needfull it is wee should so doe for doe you not see the dangers that they and we are in and the confusion that is almost throughout all Europe yet God hath not forgotten us neither will he leave us if wee can but rest upon him what though there should be a sudden change so that all things were with us as it was in Hesters time yet could the Lord bring forth some good thing out of it that should tend much to his glory and our good Put the case all were turned upside downe as it was in the confused Chaos wherein heaven and earth was mingled together and the waters overcomming all the rest yet as then when the spirit of the Lord did but move upon the waters many beautifull creatures were brought forth and the Sea divided from the rest that those waters that seemed then to spoyle all serves now to water all and without it we cannot bee Even so were the Church in never so confused a condition yet the Lord shall so order the things that seeme to undoe us that they shall bring forth something of speciall use that is something to water and make fruitfull the house and people of God and therefore be not out of hope whatsoever befalls thee onely bee humbled for there is great cause so to be and the Lord calls thee to it by his Ministers and wee are his messengers to declare his will unto you and as we must bee humbled and take to heart the cause of the Church so wee must consider the time that wee may bee throughly affected thereby for it was Ephraims fault not to doe it and thou must see this distresse so as it may bring thee into the Mount for it is not an extremity simply that will cause the Lord to helpe thee but when thy soule is plowed up therewith and then the Lord will cast in the seed and water it so as thy soule shall spring againe and therefore let us still maintaine our hope in all conditions whatsoever And for this end did I fall upon this Text at this time That in the Mount will the Lord be seene FINIS The scope of the Chapter Three false guides among the Ephesians Doct. The Doctrine proved first by Reason Secondly by Scriptures 1 What this death is Two things a naturall and a spiritual death Dead workes why so called The seat of this death Ephes. 5. 1● 2. The kinds of this death How terrible the taking away of Gods presence is 3. The signes of this death Foure signs of bodily death 1. Privation of reason Obiect Answ. A difference betweene knowing spirituall things and knowing them in a right manner 2. Privation of sense 3. Want of motion 4. Want of beauty and vigour Obiect Answ. How wicked men may have moral vertues 4. The degrees of this death The death of guilt The death opposite to the life of grace Three degrees of this death The first The second The third The death opposite to the life of ioy Obiect Ans. 1 Ans. 2. Ans. 3. A difference betweene the spirituall and corporall death 5. The Vses of this point Vses 1. Not to defer repentance How the devil deceives men in perswading them to put off their repentance Saving repentance what it is Simile An example of Spira Vse 2. How to esteem civill men Simile Simile Vse 3. To stirre up to thankfulnesse for being quickned Vse 4. How to esteeme of the meanes of grace Vse 5. To examine ourselves whether we have life in us or no. Simile How the divell deceives civill men Two signes of our quickning 1. An application to examine our selves before we receive the Sacrament The nature of dead men Two kinds of spiritually dead men First starke deadnesse Three positive signes of dead men A careless neglect of goodnesse A lying still in any lust A living lust what it is An antipathy to God and godlinesse Five Privitive signes of dead men Privation of speech Privation of heat Obiect Answ. Stiffenesse Simile Privation of sense Obiect Answ. Matth 13. 13. opened No sympathizing in the miseries of others Two things to move us to consider the Churches misery Quest. Answ. What we must doe for the Church Pray for it Our Prayers must be fervent Spirituall Of Faith With Constancy Of righteousnesse With humility Be more ●ealous Stir up others Performe duties in due time With Continuance The Divels cunning to deferre men from doing good Duties Signes of civil men that seem to have life but have none indeed They doe not Grow They are moved by an outward Principle They doe it but in some places and company They speake from the teeth not frō the heart Iunius converted by a country-mans harty speaking Two meanes to get life Doct. No translation to life without apprehension of Gods wrath due to sinne Things considerable Three things keepe a man from Christ 1. Vnbeleefe 2. Neglect of him 3. Vnwillingnesse to part with other things for him Three things to be set against these to bring us to Christ. The necessity of a deepe humiliation Without sound humiliation we will not come to Christ. We will not stay with him Humiliation compared to the sout sorts of ground Matth. 13. We will not suffer or doe any thing for him Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. The Doctrine of Humiliation must goe before Sanctification Vse Simile Three questions Quest. 1. Answ. True humiliation consists In seeing our lives abound in sinne In considering that there is nothing good in thee In smiting th● heart with a● apprehension of Gods curs● Quest. 2. Answ. What sorrow is required to true humiliation Quest. 3. Answ. How to know true sorrow How true Humiliation differs from other sorrow In the rise In the continuance Bousion Cons. 299. Simile By the signes and effects Contrition of heart 1. Heales our Sinnes Simile 2. It causeth love to Christ Signs to know whether we love Christ or no. 1. Obedience 2. Affection towards him 3. The light prizing of spirituall things 4. Contentednesse with the meanest condition 5. Feare of offending God 6. The finding of sweetnesse in the word of God 7. Meekenesse of spirit Obiect Answ. Humiliation changeth our nature Quest. 4. Answ. The differen● of humiliation in one well educated and a grosse sinner Quest. 5. Answ. The least degree of humiliation will make us count sin the greatest cuill Christ the greatest good A mans conversion consists in three things Quest. 6. Answ. The Law the onely meanes of humiliation Obiect Answ. The spirit of bondage what and why required to humiliation Obiect Answ. How afflictions and the Law concurre to humiliation Five meanes to humiliatiō 1. Meanes to consider our estates 1. Meanes to suffer sorrow to abide on us 3. Meanes see sinne in 〈◊〉 effects 4. Meanes to make these evilspresent by faith Two things ought to be present before vs. 5. Meanes To take heed of shifts Eight shifts whereby