Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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B05935
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A sermon preached in S. George's Church Southwark, at the funeral of that pious and worthy gentlewoman, Mrs. Frances Fenn. / By R. Sparke ...
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Sparke, Robert.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing S4819; ESTC R184509
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20,356
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36
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may as well restrain the Sun from rising the Sea from flowing and ebbing and the Wind from blowing as keep Man from dying and going to the place appointed for all living for this condition as the wise man saith is the condition of all times and continueth still thou shalt die the Death for this is an universal truth of all men to be received and believed and duly and truly pondered It is appointed unto men that they shall once die Now having cleared and proved the Doctrinal part That Death is the general condition of all men let us consider how nearly it doth concern us to bethink our selves of this and to fit our selves for Death to take care for another Life a more glorious and eternal Life and seeing we must die therefore let me perswade you to take three or four considerations with you which may serve as incentives to encourage and stir you up to the execution and performance of this Duty 1. Be moved to consider That when you come to die all earthly and worldly things will fail you and forsake you for ever All your terrestrial and natural Endowments external and outward Enjoyments your excellent Parts great Parentage noble Birth and Breeding your ingenious Wit wonderful Wealth stately Crowns vast Kingdoms invaluable Pearls costly Diamonds magnificent Houses fruitful Lands dear Wives loving Parents sweet Children and precious Friends when Death comes all these are gone Prov. 27.24 Riches are not for ever neither doth a Crown endure to all Generations The glittering Sun of all earthly glory and pomp will certainly set which your own experience and Scripture evidence doth sufficiently evince Prov. 23.5 Riches have wings and they flie away 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we shall carry nothing out What was there that the World was able to afford to delight the heart of man which Solomon wanted Surely nothing He had stately and glorious Buildings fruitful and pleasant Vineyards Orchards Gardens and what not all manner of excellent Trees rare Fruits variety of Servants a vast Exchequer ravishing Musick Men and Women Singers and whatsoever his Eyes desired yet when he had taken a serious view of all things his conclusion is All is vanity Eccl. 2.11 It is strange to see how men here toil themselves beat their Brains tire their Spirits break their Sleep perplex their Thoughts rack their Consciences ingulf and drown themselves in Cares and Troubles hazard their Souls thinking to eternize their Names and Mansions and when they have done all like the poor silly Silk-worm die in their Work Therefore let not Riches and Honours lift up your hearts and prompt you to Pride which is too too common and if Riches increase set not your hearts upon them for they are mutable and uncertain and cannot satisfie the capacious soul of man nor profit him in the day of trial but will perish and that for ever O then think of your precious souls and dying bodies and provide in time for death for die you must and what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul 2. Seeing if to die is the general condition of all men consider with your selves whether you are going to Heaven or to Hell O beloved I do heartily wish that all that hear me at this time would truly ponder this and effectually apply it to their own souls That there is one place for the Just another for the Unjust one place for Believers another for Unbelievers one place for Saints another for impenitent Sinners one place for the Sheep another for the Goats A dreadful Night or a glorious Day endless Torments or endless Pleasures a perpetual Happiness or a perpetual Infelicity an eternal Life or an eternal Death a glorious Heaven or a dreadful Hell Now my dear friends stop here and consider unto which you do belong Have you any certainty of a blessed and glorious Estate that Heaven and not Hell will be your place and inheritance A man that knows he must resign his habitation in a short time is very unwise and unprovident if he takes no care or order for another So will it be with us that inhabit these Houses of Clay Job 4. We are sure we shall leave them how soon we know not perhaps to morrow peradventure to day it may be presently we are therefore silly and imprudent if we take no care for the future What said Saint Bernard de Eccles to his Soul Adhuc domum quidem habes O anima sed certum est quoniam in brevi casura est domus tua nisi tu provideris aliam eris pluviae vento frigori exponenda O my Soul thou hast yet a House to dwell in but be assured thy House will shortly fall and moulder away to dust and unless thou provide thee before-hand of some other place of abode captive forlorn and naked shalt thou be exposed unto the wind the rain and the cold Alas Who can stand in this stormy tempest Happy therefore thrice happy and for ever happy shalt thou be my soul if then thy conscience tell thee thou canst say unto thy self in faith and full assurance Egredere anima mea Egredere Go forth my soul go forth I know that if my earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God 2 Cor. 5.1 That is an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens Let us therefore look about us and make it our business to search and try our selves prove our own hearts examine our selves whether we are in the Faith for whatsoever we sow we shall undoubtedly reap and in the place where the tree falleth there it shall lie Eccles 11.13 If it falleth to the West it lieth to the West if it falleth to the East It lieth to the East if you live and die towards Heaven Heaven will be your place and habitation but if you live and die towards Hell Hell will be your place and home for according to your works and actions in this world will be your sentence and portion in the world to come 2 Cor. 5.10 And is it not sad and dreadful to believe that you have precious and immortal souls and do not know nor consider whether they shall be saved or damned stand or fall live or die everlastingly yet this is the case of millions of men and women in this terrestrial Globe that are making post-haste to Hell and think and hope they are in the way to Heaven Let us therefore believe and repent and amend our lives that Heaven that glorious place and not Hell the place of terrors may be our Countrey and Inheritance 3. Consider when Death comes to strike the fatal blow your conditions are stated your places of abode are determined without mutation to all eternity then your immaterial souls are for everlasting joy or endless sorrow for an everliving life or
dying will be cautious and circumspect in his doing And not like those careless souls who spend their daies their months their years nay their whole time in sin and wickedness not considering what will befall them in the end Now let me fasten two Reasons upon you why you should consider that you must die and to confirm you in the truth delivered First if men seriously did consider that they are mortal and must die and shortly appear before the Tribunal of the just and great Judge it would prove an absolute and soveraign antidote to expel the greatest evil sin and the dreadful consequences of it and a means to avoid the greatest loss the loss of our immaterial Spirits those excellent beings and the way to procure the greatest good Heaven and eternal blessedness What is the reason and cause of that inundation of prophaness and wickedness and those prodigious sins as Treasons Murders Uncleaness Rebellion that are now in the world and in this Kingdom and in all places in most families and persons of all qualities and degrees but this their not duly and effectually considering that they are mortal and must die and come to Judgment This is the reason if not one main ground of sin and of the neglect and omission of all sacred duties For did they believe and remember they must die and come to Judgment and that their naked Souls and their naked crimes and sins must shortly be manifested and stand before the dreadful Bar of the most tremendous Judge of all mankind who will render unto every man according as his work shall be no doubt it would impede and hinder their constant and desperate course of sinning But alas it is the foolishness and unhappiness of most that they defer and put of the consideration of death till they feel and find they can no longer live Secondly Did ye believe that ye must die and answer for all ye have done in the body whether good or evil this if any thing would make you serious diligent zealous and constant in the worship of God and to work while it is day before the night cometh wherein no man can work For this world is for duty the other for glory this for repentance the other for recompence Hic locus luctae ille coronae This is the place of combating that of crowning this of working that of rewarding this for thy mourning that for thy consolating The Apostle exhorts us to consider one another to provoke to love and good works Heb. 10.24 25. And so much the more as we see the day approaching Our work is great and weighty Diversions are various and many Adversaries potent and subtle thy strength is weak and small thy time is short and uncertain thy account is large and great death and judgment are at the door therefore be sluggish and loiter no longer but be active and vigilant now or never Surely did you in the depth of your serious thoughts cogitate of your apparent and inevitable danger that would incite and stir you up to duty To seek the Lord while he may be found Esa 55.6 to call upon him while he is near While God gives you life opportunity peace strength and liberty to seek him before the gate of life be shut God with-drawn and mercy quite gone for ever Were prophane sinners truly sensible of their peril they would pray more ardently more deeply more affectionately more effectually than ever they have done This Consideration of Mortaliry put holy Job upon Prayer Job 7.21 Why do'st thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust Chap. 14.13 O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave until thy wrath and indignation be past that thou would'st appoint me a set time and remember me David when the sorrows of Death compassed him and the pains of Hell gat hold upon him Then said he Psal 116. I called upon the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul I might also give you the example of Hezekiah Jonah Paul and Silas with many others but I hasten to the Uses and Application yet let me tell you a through affecting Meditation of your Dissolution and Change would make you speedy in prosecuting your known necessary and religious duties which God requires at your hands Therefore let me beg of you before the Decree bring forth Eccles 9.10 before the day pass as the chaffe before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you prepare for Death for how shall ye escape if ye neglect so great salvation Now let me improve and apply it in a threefold Use the first is for Exhortation the second for Reprehension the third for Consolation Is it so that Life is short and Death certain both which have been sufficiently cleared and proved This then calls and cries aloud unto all those that have made no provision for Death and Judgment to admire at the unwearied patience the matchless and amazing mercies of the infinitely good and gracious God Be exhorted therefore to stand upon your guard and watch and be in a prepared readiness Luke 12.40 For the Son of Man will come at an hour when ye think not All Estates are exhorted to prepare and be furnished Old and Young Male and Female Rich and Poor Noble and Ignoble for the danger is great if men be found unprovided As Death leaveth them so Judgment will find them If it leave them in a state of Damnation it will find them in a state of Damnation So if it leaves them in a state of Salvation it finds them in a state of Salvation As Ishbosheth being found asleep 2 Sam. 4.7 was killed by Rechab and Baanah so if we be sound asleep in Sin and unprepared for the Lord we shall be killed by Sathan that roaring Lion that goeth about seeking whom he may devour Because the Man that was not prepared came to the Wedding Matth. 22.13 he was cast into outer darkness As he is left behind that is unprovided when the wind serveth and the Ship under sail even so he is left in Damnation that is not prepa ed for Christ when Death cometh Many Men make all the provision they can for this Life which is uncertain and forget Death which is certain The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night A Thief as well for stealing on us as stealing from us he comes in the dark when no body seeth watcheth an hour which no body knoweth It may be he will come when thou art revelling or banqueting as on the Old World Luke 17.27 or when thou art drunk as on Belshazzar Dan. 5.25 or when thou art lying as on Ananias or when thou art committing