Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	sin_n	sting_n	5,518	5	11.9612	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10931	Certaine sermons preached and penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Weathersfield in Essex, directly tending to these three ends. First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable) to true conuersion. Secondly, to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted, in faith and repentance. Thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so setled) in the Christian life, to bring foorth the fruite of both. Whereunto are annexed diuers godlie and learned sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Samuel Wright, Bachelor of Diuinitie, late president of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge, deceased, tending also to the same ends, with diuers particular points in both, profitable and fit for these times.	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Wright, Samuel, d. ca. 1612. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 21203; ESTC S116121	188,868	230

to fall away neither ought we to be discouraged at it if wee haue true faith our selues as though we must needes fall away too for such were neuer setled in beleeuing neither euer had sauing knowledge though they haue bin zealous Thirdly such as haue long prized the pearle and yet are now dazeled againe with pleasure and profit let vs bewaile them whether they be ministers or people Many learned men haue bin such who had the Gospell in an high account sometime Oh they haue profitted fairely Note and be come about commendably are they not thinke we that they bee turned to their first sottishnes when God had done so much for them as to reueale himselfe so farre vnto them All this danger they are come to seeing they did not nourish their sparkles of good desires which gaue good hope but they quenched them and suffered them goe out Therfore it followes that the wise Merchant went by and by and solde all that he had and bought that pretious pearle And here I will passe to the third point and shew how the good hearer is herein like to the merchant man as he hath resembled him in both the former that is in seeking good pearles and finding one of great price Now because the excellēcy of this pearle doth yet more appeare heerby that this hearer doth as the marchant go and sel al that he hath buyeth this pearle I wil first speak of this last action of his and then make vse of it It is said he went his way and sold al that he had and bought that pearle This going away first sheweth that he did not stand still to muse doubt and linger out the time but as a wise marchant soe soone as he seeth a penyworth to be bought which may inrich him he leaues all other things and sets himselfe about that busines And this teacheth vs that we are not to linger nor deferre the time when God reueileth any excellent fruite or benefit that the Gospell bringeth vnto vs but presently goe our way and endeuour to make it our owne But how rarely shal we finde this to be done when for the most part euery where men practise the contrary Many see and will confesse that there is in the Gospell most precious treasure and worthy to be imbraced but they thinke the time too soone as yet to goe about it when they haue followed their other pleasures and delights in their youthfull dayes or when they haue obtained these or those purposes of theirs then they will entertaine the Gospell and sell their other delights for it euen as he who would first goe bury his father which Christ reproued and then he would follow him And thus it comes to passe vsually with these men as it doeth with careles and vnthrifty marchants that slacke defer and driue off the time of their commodity whiles it is to be had and repent them after when it is too late So these men they defer and delay the time in which God setteth out the pearle of the Gospell as it were to sale that they may buy it at a small and easie reckoning vntill the market of God be done and the day of grace be past that they cannot then haue it would they neuer soe gladly For as wisdom calleth and crieth vnto men a long time and cannot be entertained of them for their owne good Soe wisdome threatneth that she will refuse to heare them in the middest of their trouble and in the day wherein affliction and anguish shall like a whirlewind come vppon them Though they cry neuer so loude and seeke her neuer so earnestly she will not answer nor be found of them Wherefore it is good for vs to follow the counsell of the holy Ghost while it is called to day to heare the voice of God and to hearken to wisdom whiles she calleth vnto vs for we know not how long the day of grace will last with vs. It may be not a yeere or a day or an houre and if that be past then it is too late for vs to seeke after it we must haue our lamps ready burning with the fiue wise virgins if we wil enter in with the bridegrome but if we linger and deferre the buying of our oyle till hee come wee may knocke and call but shall finde no entrance nor ingresse for vs as they in the Gospell that were bidden to the supper and refused of all other they were debarred from it So wee see then the wisedome of this marchant commended vnto vs. Hee doth not foreslacke nor foreslowe any time but presently goes about the purchase of this pearle So that in earthly delights we see we soone resolue but twenty lets are in the way to hinder vs in heauenly Let vs next see what course he takes to get it He sels all that he had and buyeth that pearle By selling and buying here we are to vnderstand not such a marchandise as Papists make that say by their goods and substance they thinke to purchase heauen to themselues For there is no equality betweene all that we haue or can haue and betweene the kingdome of heauen but in things that are bought there is some equality betweene the price and the thing that is bought So that if they by their almes or good works whatsoeuer be able to purchase heauen at Gods hand it followeth that they are as profitable to God and benefit him as much by their almes and other good workes as he by heauen doth benefit them But we know the doctrine of our Sauiour when we haue done all we can do though we giue al our substance yea and our owne life for Gods glory we must say and acknowledge as the truth is we are but vnprofitable seruants vnto him For we haue done no more then duty required at our hands And therefore marke how the Apostle Paul calleth death the wages of sinne but life eternall the free gift of God For the wages saith he of sinne is death but life eternall is the free gift of God in Christ Iesus our Lord. So that death and condemnation we may deserue for it is the wages of sinne but life eternall we cannot deserue because it is the free gift of God But to proceede by selling all he meaneth the same that he doth in other places by forsaking and leauing all and by buying the pearle and getting the right possession and assurance of it to our selues he meaneth that we should be sure of it euen as those things which we haue bought and paide for are our owne As for that which he saith first he selleth al this is not ment simplie as if the possession of our goods and the enioying of the Gospell would not stand together but he speaketh comparatiuely that rather then we will not get the Gospell when we may haue it we will abandon al whatsoeuer beside and retaine it The like speech is vsed by our

part of the text in which hee setteth downe the fruit of such an heart and life and that is twofold one redounding to the parties in whom they are the other to their posteritie and children And the blessing annexed is one to both that is to say prosperitie and welfare both temporall and eternall For so hee saith That it might goe well with them and their children for euer So that the Lord would haue vs know that all in whom there is such an heart that they doe feare God and indeuour to keepe his commaundements alwaies shall prosper and be well liking in that course For by saying it shall goe well with them his meaning is they shall see Gods blessing so to accompanie them in that course of life as they shall confesse it to be to their exceeding good liking and so as in no other they could finde the like by many degrees And yet this is not to bee vnderstoode of outward prosperitie peace and welfare in riches honour and such like simplie but conditionally so farre as they be good for Gods children Whereof the godly for the most part are voide and this hungrie scrambling world will keepe them farre enough off from them and yet this is no cause of griefe to them neither God prouiding better for them that they should be lesse wedded to this world But God principallie meaneth hereby that hee will make their life pleasing and comfortable to them with inward peace and gladnesse of heart which farre surmount the other and yet as hee seeth it expedient they shall haue sufficiencie of the other also All men much desire peace euen with men they finde malice and contention with the vnquietnes that goeth with it to be tedious troublesome and vnwelcome to them and euen outward peace to be imbraced And so we are willed by the author to the Hebrewes saying follow peace with all men so as it goe with holinesse as if he should say although it flie from you yet let it not goe but pursue it till ye obtaine it For it is a singular gift of God to liue without feare by men one man being vsually as the prouerbe saith a wolfe nay a diuell to another But if men had as good insight into the worth and price of the inward peace namely to be without feare of Gods displeasure and the burden thereof and what is the libertie and holy securitie of his beloued ones they would much more desire that yea although they wanted all which a man may want hauing it Oh! to be without feare of condemnation the iudgement day and of the day of death whose sting being plucked out is not fearefull to Gods people and contrariwise to bee in that account with the Lord that nothing shall bee wanting which is good for them for so the Prophet saith The Lord is my shepheard therefore shall I want nothing we may continually wonder that God will be so bountifull to loue them here to their end and after to receiue them to glorie And yet when I haue said what I can of this matter I must leaue it raw and vnperfect but that we may know by a little what the whole meaneth in some sort But heare in few words what the scripture speaketh to this purpose Hee that walketh vprightly saith Salomon walketh boldly therefore safely Saint Paul speaking of the like saith He that walketh after this rule peace shall be vpon him S. Peter The eyes of the Lord are euer ouer the righteous his eares are open to their praiers but the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill and who is he that shall harme you if ye follow that which is good For such shall see good daies that is leade an happie and blessed life But whilest I thus speake casting downe all pompe of the world at the feete of godlinesse as it were me thinkes from hence somewhat is to be answered to such as obiect thus Obiect what is there such gaine in godlinesse Is it an estate so highly to be magnified Surely then the wise men of the world are deceiued who count it the greatest bane to their pleasures Answ I say it is so to sinfull pleasures with the which what wise man would meddle or haue to doe Note But it seasoneth our lawfull delights and brings them into their kinde that they become sweet and pleasant without any danger as roses in a pozie rather then growing vpon prickes whereas they not being ioyned with godlines they bee no better then poyson and as it maketh Gods chastisements to be easilie borne so it maketh prosperitie doubly pleasant Oh great is the gaine of godlinesse which hath the promises of this life and of the life to come Therefore much to bee lamented and bewailed is the estate of all such who are strangers to it and much more they who shunne and loath it as they who are spoken of in Iob Who say to the Lord depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit shall we haue if we should pray to him Oh this woful progenie who can sufficiently lay forth the vengeance that hangeth ouer it For if God begin iudgement amongst his owne what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospell as S. Peter speaketh And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare What is become of the generations of all those who in their daies went about to iustle godlinesse to the walles Who counted it foolishnesse and contrariwise the greatest happinesse to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season As Iezabel the mistresse of persecutors and Corah with his company the rebell against Gods faithfull Ministers and Haman the proude a deadly enemie to all that worshipped God truely Did not these with their companions finde that they met with their match And did they not leaue sufficient testimonie behinde them that their glorie was their shame and their happinesse had been to haue loued that which they loathed and pursued in the seruants of God I meane true godlinesse Euen so the liues of those whom they persecuted is blessed euen as their memorie also is and so shall all they be that follow their steps accordingly as the Lord saith here It shall goe well with them that feare me and keepe my commandements And so I conclude this poynt maruailing at them who thinke it more then needeth to bee more forward this way then others and therefore speake euill of vs because we walke not after the same excesse of riot that they doe But one thing more is to be marked that to all the prosperitie which Gods seruants shall inioy in this present life of which I haue said somewhat this he addeth that it shall also goe well with them hereafter euen for euer which saying of his maketh vp to the full whatsoeuer might