Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	soul_n	time_n	1,787	5	3.7088	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64962	The great change discoursed of in a funeral sermon, occasioned by the death of Mrs. Martha Thompson, late wife of Captain William Thompson in Wapping. Preached by Nathanael Vincent, M A. minister of the gospel.	Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.	1682 (1682)	Wing V408; ESTC R219229	19,844	35

that he cannot pass In the handling of this Doctrine I shall 1. Speak concerning time which is appointed to Man 2. Shew you who has appointed it 3. To what end it is appointed And then make Application In the first place I am to speak of Time which is thus appointed unto Man 1. This time is continually passing It had a Beginning it will have an End and to that end 't is always hasting Eternity was before it and Eternity will be after it Time is commonly divided into past and to come that which is past is past recalling that which is to come may quickly be past also The present time is but an instant which in the twinkling of an Eye is swallowed up in that which is past away Those similitudes of a Weavers Shuttle of the Ships of desire of an Eagle hasting to the prey are used by the Holy Ghost Job 9. 26. to signifie the swift passage of time Times Glass is always running Augustine has a pretty observation I. 2. Confes c. 23. When Joshua was fighting with the Canaanites Sol stabat tempus ibat The Sun stood still but Time did not 2 This time is called a time of sojourning 1 Pet. 1. 17. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear This World is not to be the Eternal Home of any All that are in it are hastning out of it The Wicked shall not long be permitted to Sin nor the Righteous to suffer here The Saints are so wise as to look upon themselves as Strangers and Sojourners and Pilgrims Psal 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were And the Carnal minded though they live as if they were to live here always yet their time is really very short and sometimes much shortned by Sin they will soon be at their long home 3 This time is said to be lived in the flesh 1 Pet. 4. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God While the Soul of Man is linked to the Flesh there are sensitive Appetites and Inclinations which are apt to be eager and to exceed due bounds The Senses are doors at which many things enter which prove a snare to the Soul and are made use of by the Tempter to entice and entangle the Heart and to draw it away from God Here is great reason for vigilancy lest the pleasing and minding of the body cause the neglecting of the Soul and the ruine of both for ever 4 This time is stiled the accepted time 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Now is the time wherein Man may accept of Christ and God will accept of Man Man may accept of the of●…ers made in the Gospel and God will accept of returning Prodigal ●… if being weary of the far Country they come home to their Fathers House Luk. 15. They that have been guilty of the greatest Sins and have made themselves most abominable and foul and vile yet if they look to Jesus and cry to God iniquity shall be taken away they shall be graciously received and healed but when Time is ended not one offer of Grace shall be made more 5. This Time when once ended more Time will never be granted Death puts a stop to Time and immediately we enter upon Eternity The end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4. 7. Time will end quickly There are several truths which God has confirmed with an Oath as that In blessing He will bless his people that the Vnbelieving shall never enter into his rest And among other truths this is one thus confirmed That there shall be time no longer Rev. 10. 6. If it had been possible to be obtained the Rich Man in Hell would rather have begg'd for an Inch of Time than a drop of water Presently after the Dissolution the Gulph is fixed the Gates both of Heaven and Hell are shut so fast that the happiness of the one the misery of the other must needs be unchangeable In the Second place I am to shew you by whom Mans Time is appointed 'T is by that God who is the Ancient of days who is from everlasting to everlasting who is Lord of Time and Lord of All. He determines Times as well as the bounds of our habitations Acts 17. 26. In Him all men live and move and have their being and Life can last no longer than he affords his gracious Visitation to preserve it Time is in the hand and power of none but God Three things here observable 1. 'T is the Lord that vouchsafes to man the time he has and this is an argument of his Good will to him We read not of any Time that was granted to the Apostate Angels assoon as they had sinned they were not spared but cast to hell without delay 2 Pet. 2. 4. No space was given them to Repent no Time allowed to cry for Pardon no ground at all appeared for hope of reconciliation and recovery 2. He orders and appoints the time he gives for such and such uses this Talent he requires should be employed not according to the Lusts of Men but according to his own will 1 Pet. 4. 2. Time is too precious a thing to be idly wasted and lavish'd in Sins service To throw away our Gold or Jewels about the streets is not so pernicious a folly as to be prodigal of our Time He has work enough to do with his Time that is to work out his own Salvation and this is the main business for which Time is given 3. 'T is the Lord who sets bounds and limits unto mans Time and it expires at his pleasure When he says to those who were formed out of the Dust Return unto your dust again immediately they must obey they that are the greatest Princes must here be perfectly subject Their breath when God calls for it goes forth as well as the breath of others They return to their earth and that very day their thoughts perish Psal 146. 4. The Apostle would have Christians sensible that they live at Gods will and no longer than he wills and that the present life they live is but a vapour which appears for a little while and then vanisheth away Jam. 4. 14 15. In the Third place I am to tell you to what end Time is appointed The end of Time that is its Expiration The end of Time that is the Design of giving it is not at all understood by the most of men 1. Time is appointed for seeking Now is the Time in which our Lord Jesus comes to seek and to save that which is lost He seeks after them that are straying and have lost themselves in the Wilderness of this World that he may bring them safe home Now is the Time also for man to seek what is so highly worth finding He is to act the wise Merchant and seek the Pearl of

when you least think of dying You are not to boast of to morrow which possibly you may not live to see but as the Holy Ghost says To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3. 7 8. Doct. 2. The Second Doctrine is this A Change will come and put an end to this time which is appointed to Man Mortality and Change are consequent upon Sin Assoon as we are born Death sets out towards us and it approacheth nearer and nearer every moment What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Psal 89. 48. Every one that lives as sure as he lives shall dye In the handling of this Point I shall 1. Shew in what respects Death may be called a Change 2. Prove that Death will come 3. When this Change at Death comes that time will be at an end Lastly make Application In the first place I am to shew in what respects Death may be called a Change Death is a great Change in reference to Sinners and in reference to Saints 1. Death is a Change in reference to Sinners A sad and bad Change which they may tremble to think of Sinners wish they might live here to Eternity that they might Sin to Eternity and they justly deserve Punishment to Eternity but though their wills be desperately bad yet their wishes are vain Though Death is more bold than welcome yet 't will make bold with the highest and securest of them Their Change is coming now Death is a Change in several respects 1. Death is a Change in reference to their outward comforts All these take their flight at Death or rather Sinners take their flight away from them The Rich Man in the Gospel Luk. 16. after Death tastes no more of his sumptuous fare he is turned out of his House he is stript of his purple and fine linnen all the good things that he received here he left behind him when he went into another World I grant the Godly leave their outward Comforts too but they exchange them for better but Wicked Men here receive all their Consolation and nothing but Evils and Torment abide them after their dissolution Death lays their Honour in the Dust pushes off the Crown from the graceless Monarchs Head proves the Richest meer Beggars 2. Death is a Change in reference to their outward Man Their Bodies which the ungodly take so much time and pains to adorn and pamper are strangely alter'd the sprightly Heat is turned into coldness Strength into the clean contrary Beauty into a ghastly paleness the best Constitution into rottenness and corruption I grant the Earthly Tabernacle of the Saints also falls to the ground but 't will rise again with advantage but the Bodies of the Wicked will rise to Punishment and that this may be Eternal put on a wretched Immortality 3. Death is a Change in reference to that peace and confidence that sinners before were full of The hope of the wicked is as the giving up of the Ghost and all their trust is as a Spiders web spun out themselves weak and easily swept away Immediately after Death they will perceive their mistakes and smartingly be convinced that their confidences were vain Now they cry peace and safety and let the Curse ring never so loud they bless themselves in their hearts though they walk on in their evil way but then they will perceive and curse their Carnal Security Their Building being on the sand will fall and great will be the fall of it Matt. 7. 27. 4. Death is a Change in reference to Hope and possibility of Salvation As vain hopes will be at an end so All hope will be gone The Gospel will be clasped and sealed up for ever the Night will be come and the time of working out Salvation over Hark what was said to the Rich Man in Hell There is a great gulph fixed between us and you which 't is impossible to pass This Despair will cause unutterable Anguish 't will prove the Hell of Hell How intollerable will that Fire be which there is no hope of having quenched How dreadful that Worm where there is no hope of its dying 5. Death is a Change in reference to that patience that was exercised towards them for Judgment Sentence and Eternal Punishment does follow upon the abuse of it God will then cast the Ungodly away for ever and he will be favourable no more but in Anger shut up all his Mercies All their Sins will find them out at Death accompany them to the Judgment Seat cry out for Vengeance upon them God will ease himself of such Adversaries that were a burden to him while they lived and they will sadly find that while they despised his goodness and long suffering they treasured up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 4 5. 2. Death is a Change with respect unto the Saints and this is as blessed as the t'other is dismal A gracious Change is wrought in Believers at their first Conversion and that Change is perfected at their Dissolution What an excellent Creature will a renewed Soul be when 't is out of the Body and made perfect in glory Surely there is no just ground for a Saint to fear dying but upon many accounts 't is really desirable 1. At Death the Saints change their habitation they leave the Earthly Tabernacle and go to a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. They no longer say Wo is us that we dwell in Meshech and inhabit the tents of Kedar This Earth was a place full of trouble to them they were gazed at scorn'd reproached persecuted but in Heaven they meet with other kind of company there is nothing but love and peace and sweetness among the innumerable company of Angels and the general Assemblie and Church of the First born which are Enrolled in Heaven The house of Clay is changed to a City which has Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God 2. Their State of absence is changed and they are present with the Lord. 'T is true Believers in this World are brought nigh to God by the Blood of Christ they are brought into his favour and admitted unto fellowship with him whereas wicked Men are far from God and dwell in the Suburbs of Hell and Destruction but yet this Nearness of the Saints to Christ and to his Father is but a Distance in comparison of that Nearness which will be in Glory Therefore says the Apostle Whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. And are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 8. Desertion though the common exercise of Saints on Earth will in Heaven be no more they shall be delivered from all causes of Gods withdrawing they shall be so near as to see their Lord as he is and his Face will be towards them and the light of his Countenance shine upon