Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	die_v	year_n	6,258	5	4.9578	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45532	A sermon preach'd before the Society for Reformation of Manners; on Easter-Tuesday, at Kingston upon Thames, 1700. By Gideon Harding, M.A. vicar of Kingston upon Thames	Hardinge, G. (Gideon), d. 1713.; Societies for the Reformation of Manners.	1700 (1700)	Wing H699B; ESTC R215876	13,066	43

he only takes a cursory view of the Four Gospels that the whole Life of our Blessed Saviour from the vile Manger to the Bloody Cross was one continued Scene of Sufferings and Afflictions The things which Men generally most esteem are nobleness of Birth Honour Riches and a fair Reputation But which of all these was the portion of our dearest Redeemer 'T is true indeed that the ever Blessed Jesus according to the flesh descended from the Royal Line of David both by Joseph His supposed Father and by Mary His true Mother as St. Mat. Chap. 1. and Luke Chap. 3. do attest in their Genealogies But besides that this is not allow'd by the latter Jewish Rabbi's wherein consisted that Pomp and Splendour that usually appears at the Birth of Princes We know 't is true that a Star appear'd to the Wisemen in the East Mat. 2.1 29. about the time of Jesus's Birth by which they were directed to go to Bethlehem to Worship Him and that a Quire of Angels Luk. 2.8 c. proclaim'd Him to the Shepherds A Saviour Christ the Lord. And one might reasonably have expected that the whole Jewish Nation should have been ready to accommodate their Messiah with every thing answerable to his Character but on the direct contrary not so much as a Lodging room can be procur'd for Him no He must be content with a Manger instead of a Bed or a Cradle and instead of a good Fire to nourish His tender Body and to defend it from cold He shall feel no other heat than what is emitted from the breath and dung of Beasts Honours and Riches and a plentiful Substistence were but the just due of so welcome a Guest to the World But instead of these Christ himself tells us that He had not so much as a resting place of His own The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head St. Matth. 8.20 And yet as poor and miserable as He was the Tax-gatherers demanded Tribute of Him at Capernaum for the use of the Temple and force Him to work a Miracle to pay it St. Matth. 17.24 c. A fair and unspotted Reputation lastly Christ might well have expected from his own Country-men among whom He went continually about doing good but instead of more deserv'd Eulogies they contemptibly call'd Him the Carpenter's Son a Galilean a Gluttonous Man and a Wine-biber and a friend of Publicans and Sinners But besides that bitter portion of hunger and cold poverty and disgrace which the innocent Son of God shared what Snares were there laid for His Life How many Stones were taken up to throw at Him for only telling the Jews necessary and seasonable Truths What Sorrows and Agonies did He feel in the Garden What unspeakable Torments lastly did He undergo on the Cross If these were not Afflictions I 'm certain there is then no such thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in humane Nature and if the Captain of our Salvation suffered so much from a froward and perplexing World must the Souldiers listed under Him expect no Scars in His Quarrel No no His Apostles and Evangelis●s met with much the same usage as He met with for besides that contempt and hatred those Stripes and Imprisonments they were constantly expos'd to One was Stoned to death another was Beheaded a third was Crucified with his Head downward some died one Death others another and all of 'em St. John only excepted as the Ecclesiastical Historians relate were barbarously murdered for adhering to their Master's Doctrine Not that St. John ended his days in an exemption from Persecutions for besides that he was banish'd into Patmos as he says of himself Rev. 1.9 for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ Tertullian vouches that before his Banishment he was accus'd to Domitian and by his Proconsul in Asia sent to Rome where at the Emperour's Command he was cast into a Caldron of boyling Oyle from which notwithstanding he escap'd as unhurt as those Servants of God who were cast into the Fiery Furnace Dan. 3d. Ch. Of this I think we may be very certain that only St. John of all the Apostles had that favour of God maugre all the Spite of Men and Devils that he died without violence in a good Old Age when he had lived about 72 Years after Christs Ascension into Heaven Nor did Persecution find a period with the Death of the Apostles but rather it might then be said to begin to bear date For about five Years after St. John's peaceable Exit as if that devilish Spirit of Malice would have an ample Satisfaction for the escape of one Apostle out of its hands that truly Apostolical man St. Ignatius Bp. of Antioch was condemn'd by the Emperor Trajan to the Lions and being sent to Rome was there torn to pieces by Brutes less Savage than the Spectatours in the Amphitheatre And that very venerable Man St. Polycarp Bp. of Smyrna was condemned to the Flames to such Flames I speak it by the Testimony of Eye-witnesses as rather sought to guard than to consume his Body insomuch that the Executioner was forc'd to dispatch him with his Sword when but half burned To these two I might add Justin-Martyr Origen and St. Cyprian Bp. of Carthage who all were put to Death for the Cause of Christ Nay I might fill A Sermon with a bare recital of the single Sufferings of the great Athanasius Bp. of Alexandria only because he would not strike Sail to the Arians and betray the Catholick-Faith but that I intend not a Martyrology What then shall I say more The time would fail me to give you but a short Abstract of the frequent Banishments the strange Tortures and the various Deaths that were inflicted not on the Fathers of the Church only but on Thousands of private Christians during Ten bloody Persecutions Thus much only I shall here add that what the Author to the Hebrews says of the Patriarchs Judges of Israel and of the Prophets Heb. 11.35 c. was literally true of the primitive Christian Martyrs They were tortur'd not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection And others had trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment They were Stoned they were Sawn asunder were Tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheepshins and Goat skins being destitute afflicted tormented they wandred in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth All this they contentedly endur'd for the sake of their most excellent Religion and for that warrantable Zeal which they shew'd in asserting and holding fast the Heavenly Doctrine of God their Saviour By this time I suppose I have produc'd Examples enough to shew that Afflictions are to be expected in a zealous Profession and earnest Practice of Christianity I proceed now Thirdly to clear this Point yet further by shewing the Reason and Nature of