Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A46360
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The upright man's peace at his end open'd in a funeral discourse, Decemb. 18. 1681. upon the death of Mr Martyn, citizen of London. By T. Jacombe, D.D.
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Jacombe, Thomas, 1622-1687.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing J120; ESTC R218744
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22,595
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39
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there 's not the least trouble of Mind in Heaven the Soul there lives in constant Repose and Quietness All jarrings commotions that are in the Soul here Heaven frees from Oh there is Peace And this Peace this glorious Peace is the Upright Mans Portion the End of that Man is this peace He hath the beginnings of it here but he shall have the completion and consummation of it there This Heavenly Peace this Peace of the glorified state belongs to this Man Whatsoever inward troubles and disturbances he may have in this Life in the Life to come all shall be peace not one sad Thought to trouble him not one Temptation to assault him not any Desertion to afflict him all peace all comfort So much for the first Observation that whoever are Perfect and Vpright with God their End is Peace I shall speak a little and but a little to the Second and that is this 2. Obs This blessed effect Event or Consequent of Vprightness this happiness and felicity of Vpright Persons is a thing to be marked taken notice of and duly consider'd by Others Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Vpright i. e. fix your thoughts upon them consider and ponder and weigh with your selves how it is with them take notice of them with respect to their End that it is Peace Two things are imply'd in this Advice 1. The Notoriety of the Thing 2. The Valuableness and Considerableness of the Thing 1. The Notoriety of the thing The Marking here directed to extends both to the Vprightness it self and also to the happy Consequent of that Uprightness and it implies that both are Visible lying open to our knowledge and Observation It 's true both of them in some respects are hidden and indiscernable by us Sincerity lieth deep and hidden in the Heart is that which God alone can immediately see and take notice of And so the Peace that results from this Sincerity that too is a secret and an hidden thing As the Heart only knoweth it's own bitterness Pro. 14.10 Rev. 2.17 so the Heart only knows it's own peace it 's the hidden Manna that Upright Persons have which none know but only they who feel it But yet this notwithstanding there are some such external manifestations and eruptions of both of these as that they may be taken notice of Otherwise we had never been called upon to Mark the Perfect Man and Behold the Upright Uprightness as it lyeth inwardly in the Heart God alone seeth but as it shewes it self in the visible Acts of Obedience and Holiness in the Life so we may see it also So inward Peace and Comfort As that is lodg'd and seated in the Soul and Conscience So he only discerns it who enjoys it but as it breaks forth and vents it self in such and such Words Expressions and Carriages of living and dying Persons so the Standers by and the Hearers of it may come to the knowledge of it It is a thing may be known there is a notoriety in it and therefore ehe Psalmist commands Mark observe improve your knowledge about this that the End of the perfect Man is Peace 2. It implies the importance and observableness of the thing Are any Persons holy and good And does it fare so well with them at Death do they reap this Blessing upon Upright walking in a dying hour Oh let all mark and seriously consider this for it 's a thing that deserves the most serious Consideration And that upon a twofold Account 1. Because the due marking of this will much tend unto and be a very probable Means to beget in Others a firm and steady belief of the Goodness of God himself and of the Goodness of the Ways of God Has a godly Man this blessed Peace when he dies And a better Peace after his Death the peace of Heaven Surely this must convince Men that God is good his ways too very good This would highly vindicate Religion to the World and take off those prejudices that are in Sinners against a holy Life If they would but mark and take notice of the happy End of those who live it Holiness may expose Men to Sufferings and Afflictions here for a time but then sooner or latter it will abundantly compensate and recompence all those sufferings and Afflictions by internal and eternal Peace Oh how could any be prejudiced against Holiness did they but believe and observe how well it goeth with Gods People in a dying hour Considerate vias eorum qui integrè vivunt ut discatis ex operibus eorum quia finis viro tali pax Rasi in Muis in Loc. and after Death Certainly this would silence all those Reasonings that are in Men against strict and afflicted Piety and bring them over to and fix them in the Life and Practice of of serious godliness Holy David brings in the Words upon this Account as I shew'd at first 2. The Marking and considering of this would be a very powerful Motive and Incentive to excite others to imitate the Examples of Vpright Persons To live with Peace the Peace of God which passeth all understanding then to die in Peace then to enter into Peace in the presence of God in Heaven What great and desirable Blessings are these But I beseech you how are they to be attained No other way but by Upright and Holy walking with God Mark therefore the perfect Man How so as to tread in his Steps so as to follow his Pattern so as to live as he liveth and then you may hope to attain to his Peace Live the Uprightness of that Man and then enjoy the Peace of that Man This in short shall suffice for the Second Observation I come to the Use Vse I. Where first we have a clear view and prospect of that great Difference that is betwixt Saints and Sinners betwixt the Godly and the Wicked The End of the One is Peace is that the End of the Other too Oh no! the End of the Wicked Man is no Peace There is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God Mark the Assertion and the Confirmation thereof No Peace to the Wicked Sinners have quite other Notions are very hardly brought to believe this ah but we have it asserted from God's own Mouth from which nothing but Truth can proceed Isa 57.21 no Peace to the Wicked saith my God Oh the End of the Saints is not so happy and comfortable but the End of Sinners is as sad and miserable I might bring this down to the three Explications of the End in the Text. 1. Such who live in Sin it 's thus with them as to their external Condition they have their best at first and their worst at last Gods People have their worst at first and their best at last Trouble at first but Peace at last but it 's quite otherwise with the ungodly They begin with Mercies Psa 73.11 prosper in the World are not afflicted as others enjoy Health and
As Abner spake to Joab concerning the Sword 2 Sam. 2.26 The Evil of Sin and the Good of Holiness will never be fully understood till we come to lie upon a Death-bed We have strange Notions about These whilst all is well with us judging there 's but little goodness in the one but little Evil in the other Ah but Sickness and Death will undeceive us and alter our apprehensions about them You that take sinful profane Courses now how will your Souls wish then that you had lived otherwise that you had never been so loose so vain so atheistical so debauch and vitious that you had not so prophaned the Sabbath so neglected God lived in such excess of Riot Uncleanness Whoredom and whatever is naught How wilt thou then cry out Oh would to God I had lived a better Life That I had not closed with Sin as I have done that I had not opposed and derided Holiness oh that I had spent my Time better and hearkened to the good Counsel that Ministers gave me and so on But what will this avail or signifie when the Soul shall be in this distress Nothing at all Pray think of this and reform your Course before it be too late This being the great Motive to Sincerity Peace at the End here are Three Questions to be answered 1. Q. Hath the Upright Godly Man no Peace before his End Hath he only Peace at his Death None in Life Is all his Peace and Comfort reserved for a dying Hour Answ Not so He hath peace in Life as well as at Death He liveth with it hath it abiding in him if he doth not lose it by sining against God Great Peace have they that love thy Law Psal 119.165 The work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace Hebr. Peace Peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 The perfect Man has perfect Man Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you Joh. 14.27 These things have I spoken that in me ye might have peace Joh. 16.33 2 Cor. 6.10 Yet always rejoycing A good Conscience is a Continual Feast But why then is it said the End of that Man is Peace 1. Because then Especially and Eminently the People of God have this Peace They need it more then than at other times and therefore they have more of it then Oh when they are grappling with the pangs of Death just launching out into boundless Eternity how do they then want this Peace Wherefore then the gracious God vouchsafes it to them in an higher degree than before 2. Because then their Peace is of the greatest use and efficacy to work on Others to draw them in to God and to make them think well of his Ways Therefore it pleases God sometimes to let his People be without this Peace in their Life time because then it would not so much be taken notice of but when they come to die when many Eyes are upon them to observe what comfort they have then then they have it And by this Spectators are brought to judge well both of the Persons and also of the Practices of these that are so full of Comfort in such a time of need 2. Q. Have all Vpright Souls this Peace at their End Is the End of every Godly Man Peace Do all such when they come to die die with this Comfort Answ I dare not say so I have reason to believe that many live without this Peace and die too without this Peace who yet are truly Gracious Some want it in Life but then possibly they have it at Death As the Martyr Now he is come he is come Some have it in Life but then want it when they come to die God at the last withdrawing their Peace and causing their Sun to set in a dark Cloud thus it sometimes fares with some whose Grace here and Salvation hereafter I dare not question Others go without it in the sensible part of it both in life and in Death that 's fad indeed True Grace is in their Hearts but yet this Peace from God is not in their Hearts It pleases God very much to shew his Soveraignty in his various dealings with his People as to sensible Comfort But then this we may say as to every Sincere and Upright Christian 1. Ordinarily and commonly he has this Peace at his End 't is but now and then that God varies his Method in this 2. The root of this Peace is in him although he may not-have the Blossoms of it Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the Vpright in heart Psal 97.11 3. He hath Faith to rely upon Christ in a dying hour though he may not have the Peace and comfortable effects of Faith then Oh though he is much in the dark yet he cleaves to Christ holds fast upon Christ and goes out of the World with this If I perish here I will perish Oh says he I have little Peace Light and Comfort but I dye resting upon Christ let God do with me what he pleases 4. Whenever God denies this Peace to dying Upright Persons it is for some special Reasons he designs some other way to glorifie himself And if he will glorifie himself any way though that Way may be painful to us we must submit to it 5. If it be not Peace in Death it shall certainly be Peace just after Death It may be Trouble in a dying hour even to the Godly but as soon as ever Death has done it's Work I am sure then they have Peace Thou mayst die without it but in Heaven thou shalt certainly have it As soon as ever the Soul is out of the Body it is fill'd with Peace 3. Q. Is this the End of that Man only Is Peace limited and peculiar to that Man Do not we daily see many Sinners and wicked Persons die in Peace They go out of the World like Lambs as we commonly express it have no troubles no commotions no disturbance at all upon their Spirits all is quiet Wherefore then is it made such a special and peculiar Priviledge in the Text to the Upright Answ I deny what is alledg'd The Persons spoken of may have a seeming an imaginary Peace but assuredly they have no real and true Peace There 's a vast difference between the real Peace of a godly Man and the Counterfeit Peace of Sinners in a dying hour The Peace of the One is but stupidity insensibleness security and presumption but the Peace of the Other is a well-grounded Peace Peace rightly bottom'd upon the due application of Gods Mercy in Christ and upon the faithful Testimony of an enlighten'd Conscience It is quite otherwise in the Peace of the presumptuous Sinner that dies quietly though he hath lived wickedly We see many a Man is fast asleep in his Bed unconcern'd undisturb'd even when his House is on Fire and he is just ready