Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bless_a	lord_n	zion_n	30	3	8.5849	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

indeed that tree which if we cast into the waters of Mar●h they will presently become sweet for is it not below the child of hope to be much anxious about these things that he meets with here when he sincerely knoweth that commandment shal come forth Lift up your heads for the day of your eternal redemption draweth near even the day when all the rivers of his sorrows shal sweetly run into the Ocean of everlasting delight 3. A Christian that is much in assurance he is much in communion and fellowship with God as is clear from the Song 1.13.14 and Song 2.3 where when once she cometh to that to be perswaded that Christ was her beloved then she sate down under his shadow and his fruit was pleasant unto here taste for the assured Christian doth taste of these crums that fall from that higher Table and no doubt those that have tasted of that old wine will not straightway desire the new because the old is better And then fourthly it is the way to keep you from apostasie and making defection from God Faith is that grace that will make you continue with Christ in all his temptations as is clear from 2. Pet. 1 10. where this is set down as a fruit of making our calling and election sure that if we do these things we shall never fail Faith maketh a Christian to live a dependent life For would you know the Motto of a Christian It is this self diffidence and Christ-dependence as is clear from that word in the Song 8.5 that while we are walking through this wilderness we are leaning upon our well-beloved 5. This assurance will help a Christian to overcome many temptations There are four sorts of temptations that assault the Christian There are temptations of desire temptations of love temptations of hope and temptations of anxiety all which a Christian through this noble grace of assurance may sweetly overcome He that hath once made Christ his own what can he desire but him As Psal 17.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord. What can he love more then Christ or love besides Christ all his love being drowned as it were in that Ocean of his excellencies and a sweet complacency found in the enjoyment of him And as to hope will not assurance make a Christian cry forth Now Lord what wait I for 〈◊〉 mine hope is in thee And when the heart is anxious doth not assurance make the Christian to hear the indignation of the Lord and partiently submit unto the cross since there is a sweet connexion between his cross and his Crown Rom. 8.35.36 If he suffer with him he shal also reign with him And lastly there is this argument to press you to assurance that it sweetneth the thoughts of death It maketh death unto a Christian not the King of terrors but the King of desires And it is upon these grounds that assurance maketh death refreshful unto a Christian 1. He knoweth that it is the funeral of all his miseries and the birth-day of all his blessed and eternal enjoyments 2. That it is the coronation day of a Christian and the day when he shall have that marriage betwixt Christ and him sweetly solemnized and that when he is to step that last step he knoweth that death will make him change his place but not his company And O that we could once win unto this to seal that conclusion without presumption My Beloved is mine and I am his We might without presumption sing one of the Songs of Sion even while we are in this strange land And taking Christ in our arms might sweetly cry forth Now lettest ●hou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Comfort your selves in this ' that all your clouds shall once pass away and that that truth shal once come to pass which was confirmed by the oath of an Angel with his hand lifted up towards heaven that time shal be no more Time shal once sweetly die out in eternitie and ye may be looking after new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness O! long to be with him for Christ longeth to have you with him SERMON III. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. THere are three most precious and cardinal graces which a Christian ought mainly to pursue there is that exalting grace of Faith that comforting grace of Hope and that aspiring grace of Love And if once a Christian did take up that heavenly difference that is betwixt these sister-graces he might be provoked to move after them most swiftly as the chariots of Aminadab And there is this difference between these graces Faith is a sober and silent grace Hope is a patient and submissive grace Love is an ambitious and impatient grace Faith cryeth out O my soul be silent unto God Hope cryeth out I will wait patiently for the Lord until the vision shal speak But Love it cryeth out How long art thou a coming And it is waiting to hear the sound of his feet coming over the mountains of separation That is the Motto of Hope Quod defertur non aufertur that which is delayed saith Hope is not altogether taken away and made void And that may be the divine embleme of the grace of Love It is Sight infolding Desire in 〈◊〉 arms and it is desire cloathed with wings treading upon Delay and Impediments There is this second difference between these graces the grace of Faith it embraceth the truth of the promises the grace of Hope it embraceth the goodness of the thing that is promised but that exalting grace of Love it imbraceth the Promiser Faith cryeth out Hath he spoken it he will also do it Hope cryeth out Good is the word of the Lord be it unto thy servant according to thy promise And Love it cryeth out in an higher note As is the apple tree amongst the trees of the wood so is my well-Beloved amongst the sons Thirdly there is that difference between these graces Faith it overcometh temptations Hope it overcometh difficulties but Love stayeth at home and divideth the spoil There is a sweet correspondence between those graces in this Faith it fighteth and conquereth and Hope it fighteth and conquereth but Love it doth enjoy the trophies of the victory And fourthly there is this difference the noble grace of Faith it shal once evanish into sight That noble grace of Hope it shall once vanish into possession and enjoyment but that constant grace of Love it shal be the eter 〈◊〉 companion of a Christian and shall walk in with him unto the streets of the New Jerusalem And I would ask you that question What a day shal it be when Faith shal cede to Sight What a day shal it be when Hope shal yeeld its place to Love and Love and Sight shal eternally fit down and solace themselves in these blessed mysteries these everlasting consolations of heaven

there are these seven advantages which attend those who live within the continual sight of this truth that they must dye First the faith of approaching death will make a soul exceeding diligent in duty This was our blessed Lords Divinity John 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day the night ●meth when no man can work That i● death is approaching therefore I must work It is clear also 2 Pet. 1.12 compared with verse 14. In the 12. verse Peter is exceeding diligent in his duty and the ground of his diligence is in the 14. verse Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. Yea it is even the Epicures argument Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shal dye And should not the Christian much more cry out Let me watch and pray for to morrow I may dye I say if the Epicures did make use of that notion to make them vigorous in the pursuit of their pleasures O how much more should a Christian improve it for making him vigorous in the pursuit of his duty Therefore I say unto you all O! be diligent for your night is drawing near O Christians and expectants of heaven are you not afraid lest you be nighted before you have walked the half of your journey For if you be nighted on your journey to Heaven before you come to the end of your race there is no retiring place whereunto you may turn aside to lodge therefore O work work work while it is day for behold death is approaching and then shal we all be called to an account 2. The faith of approaching death will make a Christian exceeding active in his duty he will not only be diligent but also exceeding serious and zealous in the exercise of his duty This is clear from that notable exhortation Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might and the reason is for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Wherefore O be active while you are alive for you shal never work any more after you are dead and if ye leave but one work undone there is no doing of it after death There is no work saith Solomon in the grave therefore O be active 3. The faith of this truth that we must all dye will help a Christian to be exceeding mortified to the things of a present World Oh covetous men and women would you shake hands with cold Death but once every morning I should defie you to pursue the World so much as you do Paul was much in the meditation of his change which made him 2 Cor. 4.18 to overlook those things that are temporary VVhile we look not saith he to the things that are seen which are temporal but to the things which are not seen which are eternal Therefore chap. 5.1 Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens therefore in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven What aileth you Paul might one have laid may you not take a look of the World No saith he for I know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved I have a house with God not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens That is I know that ere long the pins of my Tabernacle will be loosed and it will fall down about my ears therefore I must look for another dwelling house And 1 Cor. 7.24 The fashion of this world passeth away therefore saith he verse 32. I would have you without carefulness caring to please the Lord. And Phil. 4.2 Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand As if he had said death is approaching and at hand therefore I intreat you be sober But I think many of us will be found like Saul hid amongst the stuff that is we will be lying amongst the midst of the pleasures of this passing World But I say to thee who art such an one that death will break the strings of thy harp and thy musick will quickly cease O! but death will make thee have a low esteem of the World O! blessed is the person who hath those thoughts of the World all along his way which he shal have of it at his death Have not the most cursed wretches been forced to cry out Oh! I would give ten thousand worlds for Christ Have not some persons who have had the Moon upon their head and that have made their belly their God being forced to cry forth at death O cursed person that I am that ever I made the world my God! Alace that I contented my self with the World Therefore I say unto thee who art such an one O! stay thy pursuit after the World for death is approaching that will cause all thy worldly comforts to evanish 4. When a Christian believeth this truth that he must dye it will be an exceeding great restraint to keep him from sinning as is clear Job 31.13 compared with verse 14. where Job reckoning over many good deeds done by himself saith What then shal I do when God riseth up And when he visiteth what shal I answer him As if he had said Sirs mistake me not I am not boasting much of my self for I could not have done otherwise else what should I do when God riseth up How could I answer to God if I had done otherwise I think it were a notable practise for each of you when temptations begin to assault you to say O temptation what shal I answer to God when he riseth up to reprove me if I should yeeld unto thee Likewise Eccles 11.9 where Solomon disswading young men to pursue after vanity bringeth this as a reason Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Therefore I say unto thee who art often tempted to sin let death and reckoning with God be still in thy sight and I defie thee then to embrace half so many temptations as now thou dost I intreat you to answer all your temptations with that one word What shal I do when he riseth up And what shal I answer when he visiteth me 5. When a Christian liveth within the sight of this truth that he shal once see death it shal make him exceeding patient under every cross wherewith he meets Such a Christian will hardly meet with a cross but he will quiet himself with this Death will put me beyond this cross This is but a cloud that will quickly pass away And for this cause did David so composedly put up that desire Psalm 39.4 Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days He was sure that the knowledge of his end would put him in a sober and patient frame The sixth advantage is this The faith of approaching death will teach the person that hath

him but death will propose this question to such a person Lovest thou him more then these Lovest thou him more then thy wife More then thy house More then thy friends But your unwillingness to dye giveth us much ground to fear that many have little love to Christ but much to the World and so dare not answer the question Lord thou knowest that I love thee 3. Death will try thy enjoyments some of you may be ready to think that you meet with many enjoyments so that you might reckon as you think to fourty enjoyments and sweet out-lettings but beware that death bring them not down to twenty I have known some who thought they had met fourty times with God but when death came it made them take down the count to the half therefore seeing death will try the reality of thine enjoyments O prepare for it 4. Death will try thy patience thou mayest seem to have much patience now but when death cometh thou art put to dye it will put thy patience to a great tryal therefore prepare for it 5. Death will try the reality of thy duties yea even those duties wherein thou hadst most satisfaction as thy communicating aright in such a place thou hopest that is sure thy reading the Scripture at such a time aright thou hopest that is sure thou prayedst at such a time aright and hopest that is sure thou meditatest in such a place aright and thou hopest that is sure But believe me death may make thee change thy thoughts for there are some persons who have communicated and prayed c. as right as any in this generation who for all that will not find six duties wherein they can find satisfaction at death 6. Death will exceedingly try thy sincerity when it cometh An hypocrite may go all along his whole way undiscovered yet death may bring him to light and make it appear what a man he is 7. Death will discover unto thee hid and secret sins of which thou never had a thought before yea albeit thou thoughtest these had been forgotten death will let thee see them standing between thee and the light of his countenance 8. Death will accurately try thy mortification Some think they have come a great length in mortification but believe me death will try it and put it to the touch-stone 9. Death will try thy hope whether it be real or not I shal only say this that all the other graces must low their sails to faith and so it is faith must carry us thorow being that last triumphing grace which must fit the field for us when all the other graces will faint and ly by It is faith that must enter us fairly within the borders of eternity It is faith must gainstand all the temptations of death yea all the other graces as it were stand by and see faith strike the last stroke in this war The second consideration to press you to mind death is this That ye are to dye but once O! labor to do that well which you are to do but once and the wrong doing of which can never be helped If ye pray not aright ye may get that mended and if ye communicate not aright ye may get that also mended but alace if ye dye not aright there is no mending of that Therefore O prepare for death that ye may dye well seeing ye are to dye but once The third consideration to press you to mind death is this That ye are pronounced blessed who dye in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord. O let that provoke you to prepare for death that so ye may dye in the Lord that is the only way to make you eternally happy I confess it is a question difficult to determine whether it be more difficult to dye well or to live well I shal not answer it but rather desire you to study both The fourth consideration to press you to prepare for death is this viz. That though thou put all thy work by thy hand before death ye shalt thou find that death shal have work enough for it self yea as much as thou shalt get done It will then be much for thee to win to patience it will be much for thee to win to the sight of thy justification and it will then be much for thee to win to assurance O then is it not needful for thee to put all thy work by thy hand before thy latter end come Wherefore I may say to you as Moses said in his Song Deuter. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end O that ye had this piece of divine wisdom I pray you consider that sad word Lam 1.19 She remembered not her last end and what of it Therefore she came down wonderfully So will the down-coming of many in this generation be wonderful who consider not their last end The fifth consideration for pressing you to prepare for death is this viz. That their labor shal end but their works shal not be forgotten as is clear from that fore-cited place Rev. 14.13 They rest from their labors and their works follow them and is not that a glorious advantage The sixth consideration to press you to prepare for death is this viz. That death may come upon you ere ye be aware ye know not but death may surprise you this night before ye go home to your houses and therefore let that press you to study a constant preparation for death The seventh consideration to press you to prepare for death is this viz. That as death leaveth you so will Judgement find you If death shal leave you strangers to Christ ye shal appear before his Judgement-seat strangers unto him therefore I intreat you all to prepare for it I think that noble practise of Paul exceeding worthy of imitation 1 Cor. 15.31 I dye daily which I think doth comprehend these three things 1. That Paul had death always in his sight 2. It comprehendeth this that he labored to keep such a frame as that every moment he should be ready to dye so that whensoever death should put the summonds in his hand he should be content to answer 3. It comprehendeth this that he labored to lay aside and remove all things out of the way that might detain him from laying down his tabernacle O saith Paul I labor so to clear my self of all hinderances as that when ever I shal be summoned to remove out of time I may willingly lay down my life Therefore I would ask you this question viz. When did you make your last testament I think it were suitable for us to be renewing our latter-will every day for in so doing Paul made an excellent testament the better of which none that died since have made 2 Tim. 4.7.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith these are very sweet articles and then he addeth Henceforth there is

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS