Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	able_a	affliction_n	angel_n	40	3	5.6510	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96727	The vertuous wife: or, the holy life of Mrs. Elizabth Walker, late wife of A. Walker, D.D. sometime Rector of Fyfield in Essex Giving a modest and short account of her exemplary piety and charity. Published for the glory of God, and provoking others to the like graces and vertues. With some useful papers and letters writ by her on several occasions.	Walker, Anthony, d. 1692.; Walker, Elizabeth, 1623-1690.	1694 (1694)	Wing W311A; ESTC R229717	136,489	315

most afflicted Condition with them Good Madam they teaching you you may by the Art of Divine Chimistry extract and draw from Afflictions the refreshing Cordials of the Love of God by his sweet composure of them in his Love and Faithfullness to you you may get from the most unpleasant bitter Potion a healing Medicine you may get Meat out of the Eater God will make all subservient to his People though in their own nature contrary like Elisha's Ravens which were Birds of prey to bring the Prophet bread and meat By the over-ruling goodness of God Afflictions bring God's Children meat to eat the World knows not of and those Afflictions that look most terrible and most affrighting great in Stature like unto the Philistine's Champion that did so terrifie the Israelites Good Madam You may as David did overcome with that smooth white Stone St John speaks of wherein is that new name written which none can read but they that have it In that Stone it is written Be of good chear your Sins are forgiven It was the Custom of the Romans to which St. John alludes they gave a white Stone to those their Law acquitted and a black Stone to those their Law condemned this white Stone St. John speaks of is that Stone cut out of the mountain without hands Christ Jesus Good Madam On this Rock you may build safe and sure that if the boisterous Winds of Affliction beat vehemently upon you you may be able to stand in the day of your Visitation If God should suffer Afflictions like unto St. Paul's which he call'd Deaths oft they may be to you as they were to him they were lifts unto his greater degrees of Glory which made him to call them Light Afflictions that lasted but for a moment and that they shall work for God's People an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Good Madam As the Afflictions of this Life shall not last long so the Prosperity of this World is but short also they are but Pageantry Delights that pass away and leave Dissatisfaction behind them but God would not have his Peoples Spirits always flag they have their intervals in the day of Prosperity to rejoyce but in the day of Adversity to consider God having set the one over against the other and both on the Wing of Time which many drive away not considering a dependant Life which of it self flies away so fast the things of this World and Life also they do make haste to give up their Accompts to God for a short work will the Lord make on the Earth and finish his Work in Righteousness He will say to the North Give up and to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth and all shall as faithfull Depositors restore to God yea every one shall give an account of himself to God and if God suddenly call for them they hasten their speed and swiftly fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven Good Madam You have experienced it dear Lady Essex she hath taken her flight from all mutations of this Life and is gone to God whose she was that lent her you but for a time She is not lost but restored again where she is in an unalterable and happy Estate Good Madam What cause of complaint Do not account her gain your loss the most and best she could have enjoy'd of the Blessings of this Life Relations Friends Pleasures Riches all promised well in her Marriage but all uncertain but is now in a fixt uninterruptable more blessed Condition to which nothing in this World hath any proportion and the most splendid things of this Life comparatively are but shining Glow-worms which must have the advantage of the disappearing Sun for their glimmering Beauty Who would chuse Candle-light rather than the clear light of the bright Sun Dear Lady Essex she hath the sweet smiles of God's reconciled Face which shine on her by the Sun of Righteousness Christ Jesus the Bridegroom of her Soul and is with her best Relations God and Angels and is one of that blessed number of his Triumphant Saints made perfect in endless Glory never more to die She hath passed the dark Valley and is got safe to her Inheritance in the highest Heavens purchased for her by an invaluable Price bought for her by her best Beloved Jesus Christ Good Madam Why do you greive You would not have her back again into a Sin-defiling-World where the happiest Estate or condition is intermix'd with intervening troubles accompanied with sorrows which would have been as jointly yours as hers from which God hath freed you both Good Madam Believe God means you no ill he doth sometimes by one great Affliction free his People from many that might be greater than that which God onely can foresee sometimes a large Orifice effects the perfectest Cure and the bitterest Potion the best Health Good Madam chearfully take the Cup your heavenly Father hath put into your Hand of this relation you can receive no hurt Christ hath told his People That through many tribulations they shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven be not afraid of your way it is no untrodden path the best of Men have gone that way God hath one Son without sin none without suffering If Suffering abound your Consolation shall superabound that being made Conformable by suffering you may be more fitted for greater degrees of Glory Good Madam If God sees fit to lengthen out your Days it is to give you more work to exercise those Gifts he hath given you to improve for his use and your own advantage your Love Patience and Submission to him with the rest of the Graces of his Spirit he hath bestowed on you let them have their perfect Work and be not grieved that he hath given dear Lady Essex a less task than your self Good Madam Run with patience the race that is set before you finishing your work in well-doing unto which God will afford you his assisting Grace God will not deal with you as Pharaoh's Task-Masters over the Children of Israel they would give no straw and yet required the full tale of brick God will afford you his strength and extricate your difficulties his Providences shall comply with you and his Grace assist you in your hardest work he will put to his helping hand God will order the whole Series and Frame of this World for his Peoples best advantage then when all have acted a part God will take down the Stage of this World by the hand of undistinguishable Eternity Then Good Madam a past Errour cannot be retrieved when Time and Place in this World is taken away A little while the longest Life is so but he will come and will not tarry when his Peoples work is done he will bring his reward with him and acquit them from all the troubles of this Life and receive them where there is no pricking Briar nor grieving Thorn Sin Sorrow and Sighing shall flee

Husband but she that maketh ashamed is as Rottenness to his Bones Prov. 31.17 She looketh well to the ways of her Houshold and cateth not the Bread of Idleness She stretcheth forth her Hands to the Poor yea she reacheth forth her Hands to the needy She riseth also while it is yet Night and giveth Meat to her Houshold Col. 3.18 Wives Submit your selves to your own Husbands as is fit in the Lord. Eph. 5.22 Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord and the Wife see that she Reverence her Husband 1 Pet. 3.1 6. and ver 3 4 Likewise ye Wives be in Subjection to your own Husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. Let not your adorning be platting of the Hair wearing of Gold or putting on of Apparel But let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the Sight of God is of great Price Good Lord grant me this with all the other Graces of thy Holy Spirit Amen Amen Amen This last named Scripture was the Glass which she always drest herself by with exemplary modest Decency as became a grave and holy Matron and a Minister's Wife as she would often urge as one reason of the plainness of her garb which was never sordid or negligent though always in Black never appeared abroad in any other Colour so much as to a Knot or Ribbon I with great Thankfulness acknowledge she was my Crown and Glory and th● Heart of her Husband did safely trust in her The fourth Head which she Collected out o● the Scriptures for her Childrens use is Th● Threatnings in God's Word he hath denounc'● against Sinners to keep your Hearts in a● awfull Fear that you neglect not God remembring that as he has and was so he sti●● is and will be Just in the Punishment of th● Breach of his most Holy and Righteous Commands in observing of which there is gre●● Rewards If his Wrath be kindled but a little who can abide it but who knows the Power o● it How then shall we be able to dwell wit● Everlasting Burnings and devouring Fire Stand in Awe therefore and Sin not Then follow no less than forty nine Page● closely written of God's severe Threatning● against Sin and Sinners in general and the particular kinds of Sin all exactly cited as to th● Book Chapter and Verse Oh how richly di● the Word of God dwell in her How did sh● Meditate in it Day and Night That she coul● so readily turn to almost any place only by he● own Memory and Observation for she woul● sometimes though seldom come to me int● my Study and say Pray My Dear tell me wher● are such Words repeating them for I know no● how to find them by a Concordance never having used one The fifth Head The Promises for the Pardon of Sin the faithful Sayings of God worthy of all Acceptation Jesus Christ came into the World to Save Sinners yea the chief of Sinners in him all the Promises are yea and in him Amen Then she begins with Gen. 3.15 He shall ●ruise thy Head a very comfortable Word to ●er who had so many Conflicts with the Old ●erpent her Enemy as she always called him Then follows a choice Collection in ten Pages which she concludes with Rom. 10. For the ●cripture saith Whosoever believeth in him shall ●ot be ashamed The Sixth Head The Promises to Perseverance in Grace God which begins a good Work in the Hearts of his People will perfect it for he works all our Works in us and for us and to him be the Glory who is the Author and Finisher for we are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Then follow twenty nine Pages of such Promises The seventh Head The Promises in Affliction for Support and Comfort God doth not willingly grieve the Children of Men there has no Temptation overtaken you but such as is common But God in his Faithfulness will not suffer it to be above Strength but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape for he knows our Frame whereof we are made and will not contend for Ever Then follo● twenty one Pages of these Promises upo● Habak 1.12 Art not thou from Everlasting O Lord my God my Holy one we shall not dy● She adds Blessed be God for these Words an● all his blessed Promises for which a Reaso● will appear afterwards when she shews wha● support they yielded her in an hour of Temptation in the close she directs her Words 〈◊〉 her Children for whose use chiefly she ha● taken this Pains Having these great and precious Promise● cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh an● Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God For Godliness hath the Promises of this Lif● and of the Life to come therefore seek first t●● Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousnes● and all these things shall be added unto you The● concludes thus I intend not by this Collection of Promise● and Threatnings transcrib'd out of Scripture 〈◊〉 take you off from the Historical and precept●ry part of God's word to which as nothing 〈◊〉 to be added so nothing is to be diminish'd fro● it but only to get Wine and Oil near-hand these precious Cordials not far off when mos● need of them therefore I request and charg● your Conscientious Reading all the Truths o● God revealed in your Bible the Holy Scriptures The eighth Head An abbreviation of Faith and Christian Principles which saith she I have collected out of divers Authors with some things of my own conceptions as God helped my understanding This contains eleven Pages and is a very judicious and usefull and methodicall discourse but because she distinguisheth not between what was her own and what she collected from others I transcribe nothing out of it She concludes it thus These Truths I do with the best of my judgment assent to and beseech God to establish my heart in the firm belief of his Word Good Lord let my Faith be sound and saving also The ninth Head I may call a Body of Divinity which she gives no intimation whether it were collected from others or of her own Composure as she did in what went before and therefore I have reason to think it was her own It begins with a description of God as to his Essence Persons and Attributes then proceeds to his works of Creation and Providence c. and proves by apposite Scriptures all she sets down 'T is very methodical and clear in 44 Pages If I have any judgment an able Divine need not be ashamed to own it and I think it would be no reproach to wish That all could exceed it When she hath spoken of Death and the Resurrection she adds Good Lord fit me for a dying hour Bring me to it In thy infinite Mercy be with me in it and carry me through it And after three Pages in which she describes

all my neglects of my relative Duty I desire to own thy Righteousness and that thou hast punished me less than my Iniquities deserve I bless thee that thou hast spared to me my dear Husband I beseech thee mightily to furnish him with the Gifts and Graces of thy Spirit and give him a long continuance in this Life very instrumental to thy glory the benefit and great advantage of thy Church and People and at last full fruition of thy self in eternal Glory Lord I bless thee that thou still intrusts us Parents to a Child I beseech thee bless this onely one and inable us with much Wisdom and Diligence to exhort instruct and train up for thee her thou hast yet spared to us Good Lord bless her and she shall be blessed Bless her in Soul with the plentifull Effusions of thy Holy Spirit and all the Graces of it Bless her Body with an healthfull Constitution and Honour her with long Life in the ways of Righteousness Suffer not her heart to be set on the gilded Vanities of this World but grant her of the things of this Life what thou thinkest good for her and be thou her God and Portion and when thou shalt conclude her days on Earth I beseech thee receive her to thy heavenly Kingdom Amen Amen I am sensible of the length of the preceding Section and will not make it longer by a needless and useless Apology needless to those who are acquainted with the actings of that sweet Spirit that breathed so fragrantly in her on such occasions and useless to those who are not only Strangers but Enemies to such a temper of Mind and had it contained but twenty lines would have esteemed it too long by fifteen of them I shall endeavour brevity in those which follow SECT XVII Renewed Assaults of her Enemy by Temptation THis was her almost constant trouble for many Years which she used to call emphatically Her Affliction For 't was with her one of his living Members as with our Blessed Lord her and our Head of whom I noted above When the Devil had finished all his present Temptations he departed from him for a season which clearly intimates his returning to renew his Assaults She sometimes had a breathing time vouchsafed her by the gratious Restraints God laid upon her Enemy but usually not very long for using to afford her the best Assistance that I could I sometimes for some Weeks or Months have refrained to mention them that I might not awaken the sleeping Lion and she taking no notice of them I have often said I hope my Dear thou hast been now some good space free from thy Affliction Alas my Dear would she reply with a deep sigh I have kept silence because I would not weary thee with my continual complaints And other whiles would gratefully acknowledge God's goodness in yielding her some Respite some Calms and quiet Intervals Yet after the Day God so strongly comforted her by Habakkuk i. 12. though I cannot say she was wholly free I do not remember she ever complained of her Temptations being either too fierce or frequent as they had been before nor did she once mention them in her last Sickness Blessed be God's goodness to her This cruel but cowardly Enemy usually made his fiercest Onsets when she was exercised with Indisposition of Mind or Body I will give one Instance of each First Under Indisposition of Mind with great Sorrow In the beginning of May 1680. an Affliction befel me my former Troubles returned upon me A wound not healed brake forth with deep Trouble of Mind much Afflicted with blasphemous Suggestions The good Lord rebuke them and with his All-sufficient Grace cast out of my Soul whatever may offend and provoke him to so severe a Scourge which in my own strength I am not able to stand under so unsupportable is the burthen But the good Lord give me to see that by the supporting Grace of his former Compassions I am preserved from the poisonous infection of them Satan taking advantage of my melancholy Disposition growing upon me after the Death of my dearly beloved Child Mrs. Margaret Cox renewed these Assaults And as in such Cases the subtile malitious Enemy will follow his blow home as far as he is suffered and multiply every Molehill into a Mountain as we speak Proverbially so he endeavoured to increase her disquiet by another very small Circumstance For she proceeds in her Complaint I had also a great damp and check on my earnest Endeavours to teach my little Boy his Book He at little more than three Years old would read well in his Primmer on a sudden he forsook it not through any evil Disposition in him I am not able to give an acccount of it but it occasioned me much grief and trouble But I bless God for his Mercy to me Half a Year after I began a-new with him and he hath with greater readiness to it and love of it learned much better than before So indulgently condescending was the divine Goodness to relieve her suitably and prevent the occasions her Enemy catch'd at to disturb her by Secondly Under Indisposition of Body by a long Sickness It pleased God to suffer my old Enemy impetuously to assault me This Visitation was very cloudy which then I could not see through nor apprehend God's Goodness though he vouchsafed many discoveries of his Favour to me I shall not multiply Passages of the same import nor pursue all the Methods her Christian Prudence made use of for her support as frequent Conference with my self and some few choice Christian Friends whom she much esteemed for their great Piety experience in spiritual Matters and prevalence with God in Prayer She made no noise with her Troubles revealed them but to few and to those whom she judged fittest to counsel and comfort her and sympathize with her in her Temptations as having had Experience of the like or been oft consulted by them who had But her best Defence was to take to her self the whole Armour of God and her chief Refuge was to the Throne of Grace to appeal to God who comforteth them who are cast down and to wrestle with God for help in time of need whom she used to importune to teach her hands to war and her fingers to fight in her spiritual Warfare and to carry on the War at his own Charge because the Quarrel was his and managed against the grand Enemy of his Glory as much as of her Peace I shall transcribe a Paper which I find Endorsed thus In time of Temptation writ by me Elizabeth Walker O Most holy wise powerfull gratious faithfull unchangeable and eternal God I thy poor afflicted Creature tossed on Waves and Billows of Sin and Temptation fly unto thee for Refuge in this Storm begging of thee thy supporting Grace helping me against the Assaults of my spiritual Enemies by what wile soever they invade my Soul with abhorr'd impure Motions vile and detestable Suggestions which

Instrumental yet it was the Lord the Sovereign Lord of her and us who doth all things well Good Madam What you cannot see now you may know hereafter if not in this Life of all in it you shall have clear Manifestations in Heaven that all Dispensations in this World were for the best for you the most I can do is to pity your Ladiship with my poor worthless Prayers in themselves they are so But I would beg of God to uphold you in the Arms of his Mercy that you may not sink under any Tryal and that your Affliction which at present may be grievous may appear not to be the Wound of an Enemy but the Chastisement of a loving Father who deals with you as with his Children in his adopting Love to you in Faithfulness God corrects his People in his distinguishing Love from those which shall never see his Face with comfort Good Madam I know you do desire to be in subjection to the Father of Spirits The Lord will be King let the People be never so impatient God will not grieve nor correct for his own pleasure but for his Childrens profit that they may live God's own Vineyard needs pruning as well as manuring that the Branches thereof may not waste too much of the Life and Spirits and Affections in worldly Satisfactions Good Madam God hath taken away a Branch dear Lady Essex she is not withered but transplanted for his own pleasure and delight that the Fruits of your Love to God may more appear in your willing Resignation of her who was so dear to you not offering unto God that which costs you nought Good Madam You shall sustain no loss God will reimburse and this Breach his Hand hath made he will fill up and repair at his own Charge He will in exchange for a Daughter bestow on you his only Son and build you a House better than Leah and Rachel did Jacob's God will give you a Name better than of Sons and Daughters and make you one of his First-born in Heaven God took it exceeding well that Abraham did not with-hold his beloved Isaac from him and for his ready compliance in what God required of him he had God's Promise That in blessing he would bless him Good Madam God hath more Blessings than one when God proved Abraham he gave him back again his Isaac whom he loved and promised that in him all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed of which Promise Good Madam you do partake with an additional Favour God having ransomed dear Lady Essex out of a troublesome World with a better Sacrifice than that he then provided for Isaac a Ram caught in a Thicket with which Isaac was redeemed unto a transient Life Dear Lady Essex she is redeemed by Jesus Christ unto eternal Life Good Madam What cause of complaint Dear Lady Essex is freed from the many temptations she might have met with in this World Isaac's prolonged Life found it so in his unsetled Condition he met with Affliction in his Posterity with other Troubles of this Life the World is unquiet like the tumbling Ocean dear Lady Essex she hath found a resting Place got off the rough Seas of Sins and Sorrows God hath placed her in the serene Region above God knew what Sail she was able to bear in worldly Prosperity or Adversity he hath taken her from the boisterous Winds that might have disturbed the Coast of her even walking with God God hath steer'd her Course dear Lady Essex she is got safe to Harbour from the windy Storms and Tempests of this World God took Enoch in the midst of his days as they then lived in that Age he walked with God therefore God took him I do humbly hope so did she God bestowed on her a very sweet disposition which I hope God made susceptive of the best impression The best people want their grains of allowance Good Madam Do not drive your Comforters far from you God preserved dear Lady Essex from the great Soul-wasting Sins from all gross Enormities God kept her from ever falling into any scandalous Sins she is gone unspotted out of the World Good Madam better is a good Child dead than a wicked Child living Good Madam I am more than content God hath disposed of all mine I hope through Grace they are safe but I have found much affection much affliction Though Mary had chose the best part assured and confirmed to her by Christ's own Word should never be taken from her yet her Eyes were so filled with tears at the Death of her Lord that she could not see Christ. The two Angels that sate in Christ's Sepulchre could not pacifie her grief nor slue her tears till Christ dried her Eyes with that loving Rebuke Why weepest thou Then she said Raboni and made him Master of her Passion God hath placed all the affections of humane Nature for great advantage if kept in the right Chanel bounded with his Grace that of Grief though for Sin which hath the greatest use of it and needs the highest and fullest Tides God would not have it swell beyond the Bank of his Mercy If God would have his People easie to be entreated himself will not be inexorable or hard to be intreated as good People are prone to think in time of Affliction neither should they be unjust to God and themselves denying the Grace God hath bestowed on them It is best to judge our selves but not unjustly Good Madam Do not misconstrue God in his Dispensations to you Afflictions are oft more for Trial than Correction but how ready is God to receive repenting returning Sinners the Arms of his Mercy are open to embrace them and to cover their Imperfections with his best Robe sent by his Son from the great Wardrobe of Heaven Christ's Righteousness imputed to them and inherent in them adorning of them with the Graces of his Spirit rendring them acceptable to their spiritual Spouse Christ Jesus He is the good Shepherd which laid down his life for his sheep If he send Afflictions they are not to worry but to bring his People nearer to himself If God put his People into the Fornace it is to purifie them not to consume them Good Madam when you are tried that you may come forth as Gold a meet Vessel for God's own use in the fuller Measures of Heaven Though God hath taken from you the Delight of your Eye Dear Lady Essex he will not take away himself but dissipate and scatter your grief with the Light of his Countenance which is better than Life God knows our Frame and will debate in Measure He will not stir up all his Displeasure but will stay his rough Wind in the day of his East-Wind that no Temptation may be above your Strength Good Madam fain would I comfort you but I know your own Thoughts can better suggest to you than I where you may find Grace to help in a time of need God's Promises are supports for the