Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	dissolution_n	soul_n	4,521	5	5.4874	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87104	Thankfulness in grain: or a good life the best return. Delivered in another sermon on the same occasion in St. Dionis, Back-Church, Aug. 14. 1653. By Nath. Hardy, Master of Arts, and preacher to that parish.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1653 (1653)	Wing H749; Thomason E723_6; ESTC R12852; ESTC R207247	54,568	58

words of obedient resolution According to the former the Psalmist promiseth somewhat to himself from God according to the latter he promiseth somewhat of himself to God Both these constructions are probable and profitable so that I shall omit neither but yet having already drunk deep to you in the cup of Gods salvation I shall now onely give you a tast of that and hasten to take the other Cup into my hand to wit of gratulation and as I shall desire to begin my self so I hope you will all pledge me that so this saving health may go round every one of us resolving some for health continued others for health restored in the Psalmists words I will walk c. Begin we then with that sense which represents the words as a confident expectation of future preservation I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living Amplificat beneficium ab effectu liberationis saith a judicious expositor the benefit of deliverance mentioned in the former is amplified in this verse from the effect he hoped would follow upon it that having escaped so great danger his days on earth should now be prolonged So that in the words thus interpreted there are these two things observable the matter and the ground of his hope in that he looketh forward to what is to come in this backward to what was past that which he hopeth for is to walk before the Lord in the land of the living that whence this hope did arise was a singular deliverance already vouchfed from death teares and falling and of each of these with all possible brevity and perspicuity That which the Psalmist here promiseth to himself is double to wit walking in the land of the living and that before the Lord and so his hope appeareth to be both of a longer and a comfortable life 1. I shall walk in land of the living It is generally acknowledged by interpreters that this present world is here called the land of the living and it is so phrased in opposition to the grave which is the land of dead carkasses Silence oblivion darkness death and corruption are the dolefull attendants on those subterraneous parts but this earth is the land of commerce and light and life From this land of the living the Messiah is said to be cut off and in this it is that here David saith he should walk Walking is a continued progressive motion wherein step is added to step and so fitly resembleth prolongation of life wherein dayes are added to dayes The confidence David had of this is that which here he mentioneth with joy thereby intimating what esteem and account he had of this life to wit as a blessing to be hoped for and rejoyced in This will the more appear if we observe how earnestly when in danger he deprecateth death So in this Psalme Oh Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule and in another Psalme Oh my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes and againe Return O Lord deliver my soul oh save me for thy mercies sake all which plainly insinuate how pretious life was in his sight The like temper is observable in Hezechiah to whom when the message of death came it fetched tears from his eyes sighes from his heart and prayers from his lips nor was he less joyfull at the reversing than mournful upon the denouncing of the sentence witness the writing he pend upon his recovery Nor is this onely an old Testament spirit consult the practice of Christians under the new Testament and you shall finde them looking upon life and death with the same aspect witness S. Paul who speaketh of deliverance from death as a thing which he did trust and hope for and to that end desireth the concurrence of the Corinthians prayers Saint Peter concerning whose death Christ foretelling saith another should lead him whither he would not thereby signifying how unwelcome death would be to him What speak I of Saints when our Lord himself prayeth in the Garden Let this Cup pass and before that Father save me from this houre The truth is desire of life is naturall to all men and though grace do moderate yet it doth not extinguish naturall desire in good men Besides life saith the Philosopher is in its own nature good and being good in it self must needs be so to a good man yea to him most good and therefore most desirable It is a Meditation which seemeth to check the folly of those men who fancy a kinde of perfection in wishing hoping and praying for an untimely death and a speedy dissolution That this is but a dream will the better appear if you consider that 1. In some persons this is an argument of wickednes when men either through discontent at their present condition or impatiency under affliction or dispair of Gods mercy wish themselves cut off from the land of the living such desires are so far from manifesting strength of grace that they argue corruption to be prevayling To such persons that is very sutable which Chremes said to his son Clitipho who being cross'd in his desire would needs dye disce prius vivere let them first learn to live ere they desire to dy 2. In the best of Gods Saints it is many times an argument of weakness as being an act of passion and frowardnes such was Jobs expostulation when he saith wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soule And Jonahs prayer now O Lord I beseech thee take my life from me nor are those good men to be commended but condemned for those passions 3. Those desires which are the fruits of strong grace and argue full assurance of Gods love are 1. Not so much of death as of that bliss which attendeth upon it indeed Saint Paul saith of himself he had a desire to depart but he presently addeth and to be with Christ the dissolution of his person departure of his soul from his body was not could not be gratefull to him in it self but onely in order to that intimate union of his soul with Christ and yet more plainly when he speaketh of himself and his fellow Saints he expresseth it negatively as well as affirmatively not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life hence it is that these praeceding words in this we groan earnestly are by some expounded because of this to wit the dissolving of our earthly tabernacle we groane as being contrary to nature though we desire to be clothed upon wih our house which is from heaven this being suitable to grace The truth is it is not this death but the other life which a godly man wisheth for or if he may be said to desire death it is not because his will chooseth but necessit enforceth it Thus the case stands that eternall life cannot be enjoyed till death he passed thorough nor can the