Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A70325
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Mercy in her beauty, or, The height of a deliverance from the depth of danger set forth in the first sermon preached upon that occasion / by Nath. Hardy.
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Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing H736; ESTC R9862
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38,712
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41
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or it proveth but a sickly repentance Oh then my Brethren be wise in time doe not lay the greatest load on the feeblest horse put not the weakest servant to the hardest labour put not off the maine businesse of thy soules health to the dolefull time of thy bodies sicknesse You have heard what sicknesse doth or rather undoeth it would not be amisse to enquire whence it came and how it was brought into the world Indeed as Christ saith in another case it was not so from the beginning Man in innocency was created with a body of so equall and lasting a temperature that had he not sinned it had neither been taken downe by death nor put out of frame by sicknesse Sinne it is which is fons Mali morbi mortis hath brought in evill instead of good death of life and sicknesse of health The Physitian being asked the cause of Diseases answereth and most truly mali humores evill humors in the body But the Divine resolveth it more fully mali mores ill manners in the life Phylosophy teacheth and Experience confirmeth it that passiones animae sequuntur temperamentum corporis the mindes passions much follow the bodyes temper Divinity preacheth no lesse truly that the disorder of the body followeth upon the distemper of the minde Mans soule was first sick of sinne and so the body becommeth infected with sicknesse for sinne It was the first sinne of Adam which brought forth and it is our owne actuall sinnes that nourish this degenerate Brat wherewith mankinde is so miserably infested A Meditation which if well pondered would learne us to beare sicknesse whensoever it commeth upon us without murmuring and yet with mourning 1. Why shouldst thou repine at God when any disease seizeth one thee True he is the efficient but thou art the meritorious cause he inflicteth but it is sinne that deserveth he punisheth but it is not till thou hast provoked him blame not his justice but thank thy owne wickednesse the Moth that frets the garment is bred of it the Tree giveth life to that Worme which killeth it Thy sicknesse oh man is of thy selfe and thy owne wayes and doings are they which procure these things to thee 2. When sicknesse smiteth thy body let repentance smite thy thigh when the disease rageth in thy members let thy soule be angry at thy sinne and as thou complainest of the effect so labor to be sensible of the cause {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith the Divine excellently sicknes is an wholsome Discipline it is so when it teacheth us to know our folly Happy disease which openeth our eyes at once to see and weep for our sinnes Oh my soule it is sinne hath caused thy body to feele sicknesse let sicknesse cause thee to feele the weight of sinne it is wickednesse hath brought this weaknesse let this weaknesse bring thee to a sight and sense of thy wickednesse why shouldst thou hold that sword in thy hand which hath so sorely wounded it or hug that serpent in thy bosome which hath so painfully stung thee rather since the fruit is so bitter pluck up the root and let not sin reigne any longer in thy mortal body seeing it hath made thy body so mortall And so much for the quality of the danger I pass on to the Extremity of the measure nigh unto death It is that which in some sense is true of every man alive this world is a region of Ghosts dying men yea young men in the prime of their dayes strong men in the full vigour of their age are nigh to death because death may then be neer to them The Philosopher being ask'd what he thought of life turn'd him round and vanished out of sight thereby intimating how easily and speedily life may be taken away and some of them have no lesse truly than aptly represented the distance between life and death by oculus apertus and clausus an eye open and shut which is done in a moment But though this in some respect be verified of all men yet it is more especially true of two sorts of persons to wit old men and sick men since old age is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a naturall disease and a disease is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an accidentall old age both must needs tend and hasten to death As for old men they are so nigh to death that the Proverbe saith they have one foot in the grave young men may dye soon but they cannot live long the dimnesse of light in their eyes and vapours that sometimes are drawne up into their braines argue the Sun of their life to be setting the hoary frost or rather white snow upon their heads proclaimes that the winter of their deaths is approaching The more strange it is to see them doting on who are going out of the world and as if they could set up under ground their mindes are most earthly whilest their bodies are ready to drop into the earth the more sad it is to think how both unwilling and unfit they are to die who yet are so unlikely to live and as if with the Eagle they could renew their youth they flatter themselves in hope of life when yet they are as it were within sight of death how short are such men of that heathen Seneca who said of himselfe ante senectutem curavi bene vivere in senect ute bene mori my care in youth was to live but in old age to die well then no doubt perceiving his death to be at hand As old men be they never so well so sick men by they never so young are nigh to death what Anacharsis said of Sea-men that he knew not whether to reckon them among the living or the dead is no lesse true of sick men who indeed are not dead because they breath and yet not living because not lusty every man carrieth death in his bosome but the sick man at his backe or rather in his armes before his face In summe there is a three-fold propinquity of death possible probable certaine it is possible the healthiest strongest and youngest may dye quickly it is certaine old men though they out-live far younger cannot live long and it is probable that the sick mans death is at hand But yet this in the proper sense is not true of all sicknesses that distinction of sinne cannot hold in Divinity according to the Popish acception that some are veniall others mortall since S. Paul saith indefinitely and meaneth it universally that death is the wages of sin but Analogically it is true in Physick of diseases some are onely painfull others mortall the Gout in the Toe a pain in the Teeth a prick in the Finger these though they cause pain yet are not in their owne nature deadly nor is the patient accounted the neereâ— death for them Besides of mortall diseases there is a difference some are a long time untwisting others in a short
now is the time come for Christ by his powerfull voice to raise him from the sleep of death and bed of the grave Loe here more than a Jury of textuall witnesses to which many more might be added besides this in the Text all asserting this truth and thereby assuring our faith of Gods deliverance in the worst extremity To all which give me leave to adde one more even my owne late experience of Gods marvailous kindenesse vouchsafed to me It is not many weekes agoe since it pleased the wise God to visit me with a sore and violent Feaver that Feaver so exhausted my spirits and enervated my body that I might well take up Davids expression There was but a step betweene me and death Much about that time when the dayes of the yeare are at the longest the dayes of my life seemed to be at the shortest Thus was the first part of this Text verified I was sick nigh to death indeed so nigh that I was as a dead man in the opinion of the learned yea actually dead and buried in the report of the vulgar and truly I had ere this beene not onely foure dayes with Lazarus but more than four weeks putrifying in the grave had not divine goodnesse prevented But God had mercy on me and so the other part of my Text is likewise fulfilled when the sicknesse had almost weighed me downe into the pit God was pleased to put a graine of mercy and turne the scale so that I am here beloved this day before God Angels and men as a bird escaped out of a strong snare as a prey plucked out of the jawes of a devouring Lion as a brand snatched out of the fire of a burning feaver What therefore remaineth but that as in the beginning so now in the close of this discourse I take up a gratulation Bless the Lord oh my soul and let all that is within me praise his holy name when I forget to mention this deliverance let my right hand forget its cunning when I cease as opportunity offereth it selfe to publish this mercy let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth nor yet would I be â—â—one in this work of praise do you all you here present joyne with me I doubt not but many the most nay all of you in some kinde at some time or other have had experience of eminent deliverances oh call them now to mind let your gratefull remembrance come up as a memoriall before the Lord I doubt not but many of you yea very many did put up prayers fervent prayers at the throne of grace for this mercy which I now celebrate my recovery Indeed brethren I look upon my health as S. Paul on his preservation as a gift bestowed on me by the meanes to wit for the sakes and prayers of many and surely as prayers have been made so fit it is thanksgiving should be returned by many on my behalfe it were a shame to be zealous in begging and cold in blessing to cry aloud give us our dayly bread and onely whisper hallowed be thy name Blessed therefore be the Lord God of his unworthy servant who alone doth wondrous things yea blessed be his glorious name for ever and let all that have beene petitioners for me say with me at least in their hearts Amen Amen And now my Dearly beloved Parishioners and freinds in the Lord what is my desire but that you may have cause in allusion to the following words of this verse to say God had mercy noâ— on him onely but us also that my preservation may be for your edification as well for my consolation that you who have already found benefit by my weak Ministery may be more strengthned and those who have heretofore been unprofitable may now be bettered Which that it may be so it shall be my endeavour let it be your prayer for me that I may doe this worke of Christ more diligently and faithfully than ever it shall be my prayer for you let it be your endeavour to heare the Word of Christ more attentively and obediently for the time to come So shall you have cause to blesse God for me and I to blesse God for you Yea at that last and great day you shall have joy in me if my preaching become a means of your conversion and salvation and I shall have joy in you whose conversion and salvation shall prove an increase of my reward and an addition to my glorie Which God grant c. FINIS Psal. 31.15 Rom. 15.5 2 Tim. 4 1. Heb. 6.7 Jam. 1.22 1 Joh. 3.18 Act. 20.32 Rom. 15.30 Rom. 18.16 17. Gen. 1. Vagiluque locum lugubâ—i complâ—t ut aequum'â—â— cui tantum in vitâ— râ—fiat traâ—sire malorum Lucr. Aug in Ps. 111 Gen. 30.11 Mark 5.9 Horat. od. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Pythag. Apo. in Iambl {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Greg. Naz. Orat. 16. 2 Sâ—m 19.35 Tria haec in â—mni mâ—rbo gâ—avia sunt mâ—tus mortis dolor corporis intermissio voluptatis Sen. Ep. 77. Psal. 6.2 3. Mat. 9 17. Psal. 38.8 Quando haec tam graâ—â—ia faâ—iet vicino jam exitu etiam à mediâ—câ—ium actione exclusus faâ—iscâ—â—te jam corpore ubi exâ—rcebit districtionis officium censor animus Salv. ad Ecâ—l Cathol. â— 1. Iam. 5. Langhorn's â—un Seâ—m. of M. s Mary Swaine Quia deus non irridetur ipse se decepit qui mortem multis temporibus vixit ad quaerendam vitam semivivus assurgit tuâ—c officioâ—us appâ—rct quando dominica saervituti omnia corporis anima subtâ—â—huntur officia Faust Epist. prma Mat. 19.8 Gum omnes homineâ— velint poevitentiam in sine vitae suae accipere vâ—x paueoâ— videmus â—am secundum quod desiderant adipisci Elig de caex dom hom sext Nihil est quod de calamitatibus nostris Deo imputare possumus nos calamitatum nostrarum auctores sumus Salvide Gub. l. 8 à Deo punimur sed ipsi facimus ut puniamur id ibid. Jerem. 4.18 Gr. Naz Epist 70. Mortâ—m omni aetati communâ—m â—ssâ— sentio Cic. de Senâ—ct tunâ—â—repidaâ—â—â— cum prâ—pè a vobis credimus â—sse morteâ— Ã quo propè non 〈◊〉 parata omnibus loâ—is 〈◊〉 Sen Epâ—st 30. Tres sunt nunâ—ii â—â—rtis câ—suâ— infirmitâ—s se â—â—ctus casus nuntiat mortem lateâ—tem infirmitâ—s apâ—â—â—â—tem senoctus pâ—aescutâ—m Hugo de S. vict. de claust An. Nihil habet quâ—d spereâ— quem senectus ducit ad mortem Sen. Ep. 30 Quemadniodum sâ—nectus adolescentiam sâ—quitur ita mors senectutem iâ— ibid pedâ—teâ—â—â—m morior dixit Alexis â—enâ—x lente incedens Châ—ron me momordit dixit Daemonax senâ—x pro cane innuens sâ—nectutem morti vicinam Erasm. Apoth. l 6. 8. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Crat. Antiph Juvenibus incerâ—us hujus vitae terminus instaâ— senibus vero cunctis maturior ex hac luce â—xitus breviter concordat Cypr.