Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bear_v	life_n	sin_n	5,504	5	4.4990	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B02221	Memento mori, or, A word in season to the healthful, sick, and dying, fit for this calamitous time. Wherein sicknesses, rage, and deaths, are frequent. In which is discoursed, 1. That the present life of man is short. 2. That death is most certain. 3. That the time and way of death is uncertain. 4. Motives to prepare for death. 5. Some things to be done in preparation for death. 6. Some antidots [sic] against the fears of death. / By a minister of the gospel.	Clark, James, 1660-1723.	1699 (1699)	Wing C4464; ESTC R171374	12,777	19

MEMENTO MORI OR A word in season to the Healthful Sick and Dying fit for this calamitous time Wherein sicknesses rage and deaths are frequent In which is Discoursed 1. That the present Life of Man is short 2. That Death is most certain 3. That the time and way of Death is uncertain 4. Motives to prepare for Death 5. Some things to be done in preparation for Death 6. Some Antidots against the fears of Death Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment Chilo per Ausonium Vive memor mortis uti memor sis salutis Persius Vive memor Lethi fugit hora August de Doctr. Christiana He cannot die ill who liveth well and it is rare for one to die well who hath lived ill By a Minister of the Gospel EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty Anno DOM. 1699. The Argument The Cross and the Crown Pag. 18. Ben O Death is terrible Cord. 14. BAr mind thou must dye All men to Nature must this Tribute pay The Crowned King and so the Chained Slave Must equally be turn'd into the grave There 's no discharge in this Man-slaying War Memento mori ev'ry thing doth bear T is but a little while of interval Twixt those that on a Tra●ick Scaffold fall And those the rac● of natures course who run Our life is almost gone when scarce begun Like to the Flow'r that with the Sun doth rise And with the Su● at night fades from our eyes And though the King of terrours death be call'd Yet by his terrours thou shan't be enthral'd For Christ hath overcome death by his death 'T is but a softly sleeping out the breath Which when it s gone breaths in the land of joy Where fears of men or death no more annoy East-Lothian November 4. 1699. MEMENTO MORI OR Death's Alarum to City and Countrey to mind and prepare for Death JOb saith Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble he cometh fo●th like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not Job 14.12 In which Pathetick Passage he pointeth at the bre●ity of our present life the certainty of our future death and that all the days of our life till our death are lyable to be attended with many troubles and sorrows the serious consideration whereof should make us concerned to provide Cordials for An●idoting the bitterness of the miseries of our life and excite us earnestly to exercise our s●lves to prepare for death and with all diligence to secu e our hopes of eternal life Death Judgment Heaven and Hell are the four last things yet for the most part the last and least in our thoughts which speaks out much stupidity unbelief and impiety for if we did really believe as we say we do that after our natural death there is life and death of another nature viz Eternal life and the second death unto one of which we shall be doomed at the great day of Judgment we should surely be more concerned than generally we are to prepare for death and lay hold on eternal life These these are matters of greatest consequence all our other secular concerns and temporal cares and interests are but trifles and vanities in comparison hereof Yet alas See we not the greatest part of the infatuated children of men madly pursuing to grasp and possess this world and to take all their present pleasures in time as if they were to live a sensual life for ever or to be annihilated at death or that there were neither Heaven nor Hell after it Eccl. 9.3 The heart of the sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the dead But my friend whoever thou art that reads these Lines sure I am thou art a Mortal therefore Memento mori rememember thou must die For what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Psal 89.48 My design is as succinctly as I can to set before thee a few things of death and preparation for it which are discoursed in these 6. Sections following SECTION I. The present life of man is short WE need not be long or prolix in telling you that our life is short they have been but short while in the World who are not convinced from their own observation of daily deaths that mortal man is of few days therefore to prevent multiplication of words in proving a thing that readily none who have their senses about them will deny All we shall offer on this Head shall be to cite and narrate some Scripture-passages wherein the brevity of mans life is illustrated by comparing it to several things that are transitory and corruptible in their nature or of very short duration and continuance Job 9.6 My dayes are swifter than a weavers shuttle which flyeth in the twinkling of an eye from the one end of the Web-Loom to the other Job 9.25 26. My dayes are swifter than a post they pass away as the swift ships and as the eagle that hasteth to the prey all which are most swift and violent in their motions Psal 90.9 We spend our years as a tale that is told which consisteth in a few vanishing idle words Job 7.7 My life is wind that posteth by us on swiftest wings in a moment of time Jam. 4.14 For what is your life It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanisheth away Psal 144.4 Man is like to vanity his days are as a shadow that passeth away either as the shadow of a cloud carried with a violent wind passeth our view in an instant or as the shadow of the Sun on a Dial that quickly declineth till set from our Horizon 1 Pet. 1.24 All flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass c. Mans life is as the grass lyable to a thousand accidents to wither either by the scorching beams of the Sun or a blasting wind or to be soon cut down or trampled under the foot of man or beasts And as in a pleasant Meadow there are many sorts of grass or flowers of various forms figures and colours white yellow red blue c. Which by the same fate fall together before the sharp Syth so men of all qualities Complexions and statures are promiscuously alike subject to deaths destructions Job 34.18 19. God accepteth not the persons of princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor in a moment shall they die Job 21.13 In a moment they go down to the grave i. e. in a very short space of time doth their breath evaporate and evanish Psal 39.5 Behold thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity After this similitude of our vain frail life to nothing and vanity

fittest season for this so great and important work then sure ye will have the less to do when sicknesses or pains seize upon you and many who have resolved and delayed to do this work till sick or to die have found that either God in his justice hath taken heart and hand from them or that their diseases and maladies have so disordered and distempered both body and mind that for their hearts they could not get their hearts serious or steddie in minding their souls eternity matters and who knows if they shall get a warning of sickness before death for in the twinkling of an eye they may be snatched out of time into eternity as you have been hearing of many tragical instances not getting so much time allowed them as to cry for Gods mercy From all which considerations we earnestly obtest you betimes to prepare for Death Judgment and Eternity SECTION V. Some things to be done in preparation for Death SAys John Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord whereby we may understand the thrice blessful estate of them who die in Union and Communion with the Lord in the Faith of the Lord in peace and reconciliation with the Lord in hope of being with the Lord for ever and who are prepared so to be Now for your help herein I will suggest a few necessary things proper to be practized by you Frequently meditate on death and your frail state of life let Memento Mori be often in your thoughts For to contemplate of Mortality and Eternity may dispose and frame your ●●arts to prepare for death and eternity Take some share of thy time seriously to consider thy ways reflect on all the passages and periods of thy past course of life as much as thou can remember steep thy thoughts in the deep consideration of thy great and many sins till thou win sensibly to know and see what an evil thing it is and bitter to have sinned against God and when thy heart is affected with a view of all thine iniquities confess them fully and particularly before the Lord and that in all their aggravating circumstances accuse thy self as worthy of death wrath and damnation repent and prostrate thy self in the most humble manner then renouncing all thy own righteousness as unclean lay hold on the righteousness merits and mediation of Christ Jesus by faith believing he is both able and willing to pardon all thine iniquities and to save thee from the wrath that is to come Covenant thy self away to the Lord avouching thy self sincerely and explicitely to be his Subject and Servant and avouching with alike plainness and integrity his being thy alone Lord and Redeemer and having thus entered into personal Covenant with him see thou keep thy Covenant inviolably also renew it frequently and endeavour to carry and walk as becomes a Christian in Covenant with Christ Study to lead a holy life no● only free of notour vices but adorned with examplar Christian virtues such as good works of Mercy Charity and Piety Have on thy Spiritual Armour always and stand on th● Watch-Towers that thou mayst be fenced and shielded again●● the fiery darts of Satan the snares and temptations of th● world and the rebellious inordinat affections of thy unmortified flesh Likewise keep up thy daily course of religious d●ties devoutly praying to God ilk morning and evening 〈◊〉 least frequently read the Scriptures and that with reverenc● attention and diligence praise God thankfully for all th● mercies in thy lot let thy conversation be in Heaven by sp●ritual-mindedness and fervent meditation on Heavenly an● spiritual things Neglect no opportunities when in health the publick Ordinances of God with the comfortable Congr●gations of his people improve them for daily increase knowledge growth and exercise of grace up-building and stablishment in the most holy Faith Keep thy mind free fro● earthly cares and distracting thoughts anent the things this vain vexatious world abandon also all inclinations malice revenge reproach or any way impairing or injur● thy Neighbours good Name Person or Estate and when ther through the sensible infirmities o● old age or threatn● symptomes of sickness or present dangerous diseases th● art under apprehensions of approaching death see thou thy house in order both as to the inward constitution of spirit and as to the outward disposal and settlement of secualr Interests and Affairs And in the last place fenc● and fortifie against the fears and terrors of death which leads to the last thing I shall offer SECTION VI. Antidotes against the fears of Death THat will be a sweet and welcome word from the mouth of our Saviour Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you O what risques of death do many run compassing Sea and Land without fear without fainting that they may gain some small moyetie or a few crumbs or this perishing earth and yet it how little pains are we for the inheritance of an everlasting Kingdom yea some are so Epicurish or Turkish that they would even quite their part and hopes of it if but freed from death and secured in a perpetuated possession of earthly pleasures and riches It is small wonder that such fear their loss of this life who have not the prospect of another after it But O Believer why dost thou fear death whereof if thou hadst a right notion there is nothing in it should be formidable to thee The valley and shadow of death is a dark irksome passage to those who go through it solitary and alone but Christ hath gone this way to sanctifie it to thee he will be with thee in every step he will not not leave thee This way is strawed with Serpents and Scorpions to the wicked which will still be stinging and tormenting them but Christ hath taken the sting of death for thee 1. Cor. 15.55 57. Art thou not in union with Christ yea such a strict and firm union that neither sin nor Satan can break nor death dissolve Matth. 22.32 In the vertue whereof all Believers the mystick members of Christ that glorious Head shall at the last day be raised unto glory and happiness I say indeed the terrors and torments of death are an earnest to the wicked of those ●●effible miseries that shall follow thereafter but death will free thee from sin and misery from all temptations to sin and perils of sorrow and make thee for ever triumph over sin Satan Hell and Death O Believer Hast thou not often been filled with many weary complaints in thy life Death will make them all to cease Hath not thy life been sometimes imbittered with exquisit● pain or heavy sickness Death will relieve thee of those burdens Hast thou not been in frequent tormentful fears of crosses losses poverty or disgrace and other infelicities Common to mankind It is death that thou so much fears will dissolve all these fears for ever Hast thou not often sighed and sorrowed over thy ill plaguie heart Hast thou not often cryed out alas my hard my vain my carnal my unclean and lustful my deceitful and perverse untractable heart Hast thou not also often cryed out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death O Believer rejoice in hope for e're thy body of clay be laid into dust death will be the death of thy body of sin the old man will be fell'd dead with deaths last stroak thy corruptions and infirmities shall never any more be matter of thy grievance or complaint And as death opens the doors of the Lake to let in the workers of iniquity so it will be to thee O Believer an in-let to glory rest and happiness thou but dies that thou mayest live thou but leaves and flits this sinful and cumbersome Tabernacle of Clay that thou mayest go to the glorious Mansion above not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens and who but should be content with such a flitting We were telling before that Christ will be ready to welcome thee to the fruition of an everlasting Kingdom and to say so thy deaths day will be thy Coronation day for by death thou shall be immediatly wasted to glory What should we say more for eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what the believer is to enjoy after death FINIS

nothing more needs be said to express the brevity of it and even they who by reason of strength reach the length of threescore years and ten or fourscore yet their strength is labour and sorrow for it is soon cut off and they flee away Psal 90.10 SECTION II. Death is most certain and inevitable DEath is a debt that all mortals owe to Nature and must be paid death will admit of no bribe no bail no main-prize their is no possible fence or guard against his darts and instruments of destruction sayes Job 30.23 I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living And Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all once to die i. e. there is a stated unalterable decree by the Council of Heaven that all must die which by no means can be repealed or avoided Pray what can thou plead or pretend as a ground of hope to escape but what will be found vain and unable to help thee Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Eccles 8.8 There is no man that hath power in the day of death and there i● no discharge in that war Riches and wealth will not avail the● in the day of death they may rather perhaps bring thee sooner to thine end thy vexatious thoughts of the ●ecessty of leaving them grating and wasting thy vital spi●its or thereby thou mayest be exposed to become a prey to some or other who by sinister ways may compass thy death to share of thy beloved gear and riches Where is Craesus and Crassus Where are all the full and opulent possessors of this worlds goo●s Hath not death spoiled them all both of their lives and livings Job 21.13 They spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Job 34.19 20. Go● regardeth not the rich more than the poor in a moment shall they die Worldly power and greatness are little things before this great King of terrours and terrour of Kings Where ar● the mighty Monarchs Princes and Potentats of this World Where are the Armed Hosts of Nations with their Generals Captains and Commanders Are not all these men of migh● consumed with worms and corr●ption They who brought many deaths upon others could not war● it off themselves Job 24 2● 24. The mighty are not sure of their life they are exalted for a while but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn Rev 19.18 The flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains the flesh of mighty men the flesh of all men both free and bound both small and great shall be made a feast ●o death and corruption The Sophists and wise men of the world who by their exquisite cunning and providence could contrive and plot the ruine of Nations not one of them could ever yet fall on a politick to save themselves from death Where the Achitophels where the Matchia●els and all th● other profound Polititians who have been admired for their wisdom sense and eloquence hath not death out-witted them all and de-witted them utterly Psal 49.10 The wise man dieth c. Isa 3.1 2 3. Where th● mighty man and the man of war the Judge and the Prophet and the prudent Where is the honourable man and the Co●nsellou● and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Orator Are they no all taken away yea they are dead and gone Bodily strength health and vigour cannot hold out against this Conq●ero● those he crusheth down as the moth and maketh to decay a● all as the grass before the Mower How many healthful and young persons hast thou known who appeared as if they would have run to the outmost step of Natures course who yet have been run down by death in the midst and bloom of their verdant years Let not the young man glory in his strength for some says Job 36.14 they die in youth I thought not amiss on this particular to insert here a few Lines out of a little Poem called An Abstract of Ecclesiastes Sect. 17. Boast not of youthful years nor boast Of health of body nor of might A short whiles sickness may thee post From time to an eternal night Mind thou must die but when or where Thou cannest not Divine or tell The Lambs-skin often at the Fair You 'l find as soon as the Sheeps to sell Neither will the charms of beauty nor the finest amiable complexions move death to pity or spare he is so fond of his own Gastly Countenance that he will have all look like himself Loveable beauty I say the common charm of Mortals will not at all take with this Master of Mortals for he 'll make their beauty to consume away like a moth Psal 39.11 Yea their beauty shall consume in the grave Psal 49.14 What what then will be a shield against the darts of death If none of these can be Armour of Proof will not piety and vertue be a fence and sanctuary No no for all flesh is grass Even grace and godliness that may make immortal after time will not save any mortal from temporal death Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and merciful men are taken away Heb. 11.13 The Apostle speaking of Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Moses and other holy men of God says of them These all died in faith Lay thine account then who ever thou art that soon or syne thou must die SECTION III. The time and way of death is uncertain MOrtals are obnoxious to innumerable mischievous misfortunes fatal accidents and untimely deaths says Eliphaz J●b 5.7 Man is born unto trouble as the sparks flee upward No man knoweth what scene or share of temptations and tribulations may betide him ere he go off the stage of time but all having sinned all may dread to partake of the bitter fruits of sin Every day we may behold some spectacles of misery every day brings news of some body or other that is visited with disasters and d●stress●s To prevent tedious enlargement on this Head take a short Synopsis of some of the common woes and miseries of the world in a few Verses of a little Shedull called The Cross and the Crown This World 's a Mass of Woes a Maze of Tears Amazing Mortal Wights with Panick fears Our life 's a Tragedie comes in with cryes Made up of griefs goes out with Elegies Each Mortal acts his part in ev'ry age Each Scene new sorrows brings upon the Stage Some cover'd with a Sable Vail we see An Embleme of a late Mortalitie Some crying clapping hands Ah! cruel Fate I 'm ravish'd of my Darling and my Mate Some change their health to sickness ease for pain Some in a moment all their glory sta●n Some who were Crown'd with Fortunes bravest Bay Have found their Garland wither soon away Some who like Craesus Treasures had in store Like Job or Irus poverty