Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57739	The blessedness of departed saints in their immediate enjoyment of God in glorie Propounded and improved in a funeral-sermon, upon Revel. 14.13. March 3. 1651. By Joseph Rowe, minister of the Gospel, and pastor of Buckland-monachorum in Devon.	Rowe, Joseph, b. 1617 or 18.	1654 (1654)	Wing R2067A; ESTC R218416	20,652	33

it signifieth that as shepherds when they leave their tents do go home to their houses so we that are the Lords people when by death the tabernacles of our bodys are taken down do in our souls depart hence to dwel in houses not made with hands but eternal in the heavens The soul then doth not die ● Cor. 5.1 but live in and after death Touching the sleeping of the soul which some affirm and hold forth to the world chiefly upon this pretext because death is in Scripture resembled to sleep and vnder that notion commended to publick view give me leave to drop a word or two Death indeed is a kind of sleep and is often in Scripture expressed by that sweet and lovely name But we are to know that death is so called not in reference to the soul as if it slept in the bodie as some dream or were cast into a dead sleep being separated from the bodie as others imagine but wholy in regard of the bodie which by death is eased of all its pain and travail under the sun In Rev. 6.9 10 11. The life actions and glorie of sanctified souls in the state of separation are visionally represented to S. John The words are these I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God for the testimonie which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth And white robes were given unto every one of them This Scripture holds forth to our purpose 1. That the souls of Saints in the state of separation are not dead but alive not asleep but waking and watchfull They crie unto God against the wicked not for any particular vengeance but of zeal to Gods justice and of desire of the full coming of his kingdome in the total ruin of the wicked and in the last and finaljudgement 2. This Scripture imports that the separate souls of Saints are not in Purgatorie but in heaven They are under the altar that is they are in the presence and under the protection of Christ who is our altar Lastly it sheweth that these souls partave of Christs glorie They have white robes given to themt and this is an emblem of that glorie wherewith they are dignified Thus of the first use In the next place this truth is profitable for exhortation Use 2. and that to several Gospel-duties I can through the want of time onely touch upon them 1. The first duty is A willingness to die when God calls to it Death makes way for life and glory To die once well is to live eternally Immediately after our dissolutions we go to Christ which is best of all This me thinks should sweeten the bitterness of death and make the thoughts of it pleasing and delightfull The gain of death hath made many of Gods people not onely willing to die but also earnestly desirous of its instant approach The Apostle Paul had an earnest desire to be dissolved He did not onely desire to die but desired it with A vehement affection as Some give out the sence of the Greek tearms Phil. 1.23 And that which heightned and imflamed his desire was the glory he knew would attend him immediately upon his dissolution He desired to be dissolved that so he might be with Christ which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much mmch better or farr much better Meditate I beseech you upon the gain of death and by this work up your spirits to a willingness for death when God summons to it 'T is one part of dying well to die willingly Secondly learn hence So to dispose of your selves in life as that ye may die in the faith and fear of the Lord. This is the way to be happy after death A sun-shine day may be closed up with a stormy evening but a gracious life shall never end in an evil and unhappy death Such as the premises in life are such will the conclusion in death alway be * Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace On the contrary although death be gain to the Saints yet it is a plague of plagues to the wicked They that die in sin shall die eternally The wicked that is such as live and die thus shall be turned into hell Psal 9.17 You must make it your business to live and die to the Lord if you desire to be blessed after death Bldssed are they all they and onely they that die in the Lord. 3. For a conclusion of all Do believers enter into glory immediately upon death Let us not mourn immoderately for our departed Friends who are deadin the Lord. They are now with the Lord they now rest from their labours and have received in part the reward of their works Oh farr be it from us to mourn excessively sith these friends of ours whom we bemone have gained so exceedingly by their departure from us We should not so much mourn over the bodies of the Saints because their souls have left them as over the souls of sinners because God hath forsaken them Excessive mourning for the dead is a practise most unbeseeming those that profess the name of Christ It may be tolerable in Heathens that have no hope but 't is damnable in believing Christians I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope 1 Thess 4.13 It is a very great sin in those that believe the rest and resurrection of departed Saints immoderately to lament for those that are gone to their rest It is A heathenish practise and calls for detestatien not imitetion Abraham Gen. 23.4 Treates with the sens of Heth for a burying place that so he might bury his wife Sarith out of his sight He chose rather to forget her then forget himself by a lavish and over-abounding sorrow And it is observeable that our Saviour Christ when he came to the Rulers house Matth. 9.23 Reprehends smartly the musitians because according to the * 2 ●●rm 33 25. 〈◊〉 ● 17 custom of these times they played their sad tunes to increase sorrow whereas they should rather have mitigated and allayed it Nature is of it self too prone to exceed the bounds of sobriety I beseech you all that hear me now but all you more especially that sympathize in the sorrow of this day through the death of our departed Sister that ye mitigate and moderate your sorrow and grief Do you bound and limit it least it hurt your selves dishonour God bring the profession of the gospel into contempt You have all lost I know by this deat-stroke Oh know know 1 That God is able to repay your losses and will do so if you wait upon him None of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psal 34.22 Secondly It was the will of the Lord to have it thus and you should willingly submit to it It is the Lord said old Eli let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 1 Thes 4.18 Thirdly comfort your selves with this her gain is infinitely beyond your loss She we hope is gone from earth to heaven from a vale of misery to a hill of joy from the company of us weak and sinfull men to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the jugde of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediatour of the new covenant Heb. 12.22 In a word she is gone from the Church militant to the Church triumphant from sojourning here in Gods tabernacle To dwel upon his holy hill from labouring here in the kingdom of grace to rest and blessedness in the Kingdom of glory For this rest and blessedness O blessed Father fit and prepare us To this rest and blessedness O blessed Jesu lead and direct us Of this rest and blessedness O blessed Spirit certifie and assure us and with this rest and blessedness O most blessed God who art three in person and but one in essence in thy due time crown and comfort us even for thy mercy sake Amen Amen FINIS