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	flesh_n	soul_n	9,302	5	5.4130	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87802	Abraham's image in one of his sonnes: or, The picture of a good old man, represented in a sermon upon the third of November, anno Dom. 1657. in West-Newton, at the funeral of John Dethick Esquire, father to the late lord mayor that was of London in the year 1655. By William Knapp Master of Arts, of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge, now rector of VVest-Newton in Norfolk.	Knapp, William, d. 1688.	1658 (1658)	Wing K667; Thomason E937_2; ESTC R207740	24,523	44

strive with flesh Gen. 6.3 Have therefore my Brethren a care I say again that you approve your selves faithfull as in the sight of God in all your severall places and stations that your latter dayes may be your best dayes and when you come to dye you may dye if the good hand of providence shall lengthen out your lives so long in a good old age especially too considering that when you dye you must give up that same depositum which the Lord hath put into your hand to use for his glory even your immortal souls and this all men must doe whether good or bad but with this difference some do it actively others passively these do it as being made to do it but the Saints of God sweetly resign up their souls as here faithful Abraham and this brings me to the second general observable in the words Secondly something at his death he gave up the Ghost He did freely expire his soul was not taken from him as the rich fooles in the Gospel Luke 12. to whom God said thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Indeed the death of all flesh in the old world as Gen. 7.21 and the death of Ishmael Verse 17. of this Chapter is express'd by the same word all gave up the Ghost yet because all give not up the Ghost in the same manner we may therefore interpret the word seeing it will clearly admit of such an interpretation to such a sense as may befit the quality of such a person and say that Abraham gave up the Ghost by the way of freedom and willingness so from hence observe that good men when they dye they dye willingly Observ and this interpretation we may justifie upon a fourfold account 1. Good men freely resign their souls inregard of that gratious temper frame of their spirits whereby they do cheerfully submit to all the determinations of God dispensations of his providence God does whatsoever he pleases both in heaven earth whatsoever pleases him pleases them I remember once what a good man said that he could have what weather pleas'd him either wet or dry whilest I was museing at the presumption of his words he told me he meant that certainly we should have what weather pleas'd God and what pleas'd God pleased him and so 't is the best way to yeild to the government of Divine will which is the creatures chiefest rule according to * Voluntas Divina summa regula Dav. against Hoard Aquinas 'T is B. Davenants Opinion and it savors of grace that as t is a certain appointment of God for all men once to dye as Heb. 9.27 so if any man were as sure to dye eternally or could see his name blotted out of the book of life 't would be an act of an irrational and irregular wit to be discontented for t is the perfection of the creature to lye patiently under the infinite absolute soveraigntie of God but all men are not of such a temper 't is some mens work to call his glorious attributes of wisdom and mercy and justice into question and they are alwayes charging him foolishly Chap. 51.20 if God lay any cross upon them they are like wild bulls in a net as the Prophet Esay found some furious and full of wrath against God so that as all sicknesses and diseases and other previous dispositious to death so especialy death it self they undergo with a great deal of discontent against God but the Saints of God and all the true sonnes of Abraham do captivate all their fleshly reasonings in the unsearchable wisdom of the most high and undergo all events not with a Stoicall apathy in regard of an inevitable fate in them but with a passion of love in the heart to God whose blessed hand they know deals out nothing to them unadvisedly or without mercy nay even when he comes unto them with his black rod of death And therefore hereupon they have that Lesson alwayes ready to say with the Prophet David in 2 Sam. 15.26 behold here we are let him do unto us what seemeth him good Secondly They give up their souls freely in regard of that rest which they shall assuredly find from all their labours as Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours the wafaring man having numbred many wearisome steps in the heat of the day comes with haste in his mind in expectation of a quiet repose at night so the Saints of God being scorched with the heat of adversities desire to hasten into the shadow of death as Iob speaks Chapter 7.2 and upon this same account Iob himself wished for the grave for there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Chapter 3.17.18 Obj. But may good men desire to dye How then comes life to be a blessng a blessing to be desir'd Answer I answer VVhen once we have obtained of God a sight of the salvation of Jesus Christ we may say with old Simeon Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for our eyes have seen thy salvation yet alwayes with a holy subjection to the blessed will of God for we may not be our own carvers in any thing neither may we wish for death but conditionally and with respect to the Lords good pleasure and thus we may both wish and long for a repose in the grave 't was the earnest prayer of the holy Prophet that God would grant him space to recover his strength in before he went away from hence and should be no more Psalmes 39.13 and when he had recoverd that strength of divine grace which fortified his soul against all the dark and uncomfortable suggestions of Satan and had been refreshed with the clearer irradiations of Gods countenance then even then did he wish with a holy resignation of his will to Gods that he had wings like a dove that he might flee away from hence and be at rest Psalm 55.6 his soul then was in a condition apt enough to have taken her fligh to heaven and would fain have been delivered from the burden of the flesh David was too sensible of the vanity and vexation of all things here below to desire any long stay our souls whilst they are in the flesh are in a condition not unlike to the dove before she had set footing in the arke never at rest for whilest we are in the flesh we are under a body of sin and how wretched we are then heare how the Apostle sighs it forth Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 Whilst we are in the flesh we are under the miserable fruits of sin even those numerous outward troubles and inward tears which keep our poor souls in bondage Heb. 2.15 but he that is dead is

free from sin which is the Saints greatest freedom free from the motions infections seductions of sin and all those scourging scorpions of miseries which issue forth of the womb of sin as so much is intimated by the term which St. Mark gave the diseases which our Saviour cured in Mark 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as had scourges And now because of this freedom which the Saints know they shall then finde by giving up their souls they do give them up therefore willingly and freely but thus the wicked do not because they leap but out of the frying pan into the fire as we say they go from some glimps of comfort or rather but shadows of joy to an utter darkness of miserie they go from the Jayle to the Dungeon from a better to a worse prison and they having a * Heb. 10. fearfull expectation of this fiery wrath and indignation from God are very loth to die and therefore never die but a violent death even when they die quietest upon their beds Thirdly all the true sons of Abraham resign their souls freely in regard of that faithfull account that they know they can make before the tribunal of the heavenly Judge of all things done in the flesh Obj. Ah but what sayes the Apostle Rom. 3.20 there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Oh then what shall become of us who stand guilty before the Lord of infinite swarms of unclean thoughts vain and idle words wicked and rebellious actions such as hath often greived the good spirit of grace and re-crucified the Lord of life and put him to an open shame Oh blessed God can we for shame lift up our face to God 'T is true Vae laudabili hominum vitae si remotâ misericordiâ discutias eam sayes St. Aug. Answer VVoe were to man in their most laudable course of life if God should enter into judgement with them and lay aside his mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ certainly had not the precious blood of that immaculate Lamb of God quenched the consuming fire of his anger we had dwelt with everlasting burnings certainly had not that universal faithful High Priest offer'd up himself on our behalfe to his fathers justice and had he not been touched with our infirmities to become an earnest advocate with God we had been undone for ever but having such a powerful God-man to stand our friend and plead our cause we may * Job 22.26 lift up our face we may be as bold as a Lyon for through faith in his name our sins which are as crimson are made as white as wool Esa 1.18 God who spun out the curious web of mans salvation out of the tender bowels of his compassion clears us from all sin for Christs sake and through him we are presented faultless before the presence of divine glory so that though at the last day all our sins shall be examined and lay'd before us and we shall see them again and know how often we have by them peirc'd the precious sides of Christ yet we shall see them as once the Isrealites did their Aegyptian pursuers after their entry into the red sea Exo. 14.13.30 all slain with the blood of the Lamb Rev. 5.9 Obj. But did Christ bear the sins of the whole world upon the cross so as all sins shall be forgiven and consequenty all be able to make a good account to the Judge of all men Answer I answer There 's balme enough in Gilead I mean in the blood of Christ and if application be made thereof 't will most certainly cure all the most greivous wounds of the soul for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleiveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 so that 't is faith it seems that gives a saving interest in Christ Jesus 't is faith whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God who is good to all becomes the Saints own and proper good as God promised to be to Abraham Gen. 17.7 And now this faith which is the life of the new creature must be as the spirits in the head and heart able to actuate the whole man unto royall and peculiar servics and then when a man of such a faith shall walk in Christ according as he hath received him Colos. 2.6 shall be sorrowful for his sins when ever he doth sin not onely as cursed things deserving the wrath of God but as unclean things against the spirit of holiness and shall also after such tripings mind his peace in the way of Gods law and walk more worthy of God then I say such a man shall be able to make a good account to God and appear with joy before the judgement seat of Christ for thus he may plead Oblessed Jesus I know if thou beest strict to mark what by me hath been done amiss there is matter enough to condemn me to utter darkness for my very righteousness is as filthy rags I acknowledge thine infinite free grace to bring me into thy knowledge and to make me to walk with some observation of thy law but yet I beseech thee look not upon what I have done for no clean thing can come out of an unclean rather pardon me that I have entertained thy holy spirit in so foul a room as my heart and look upon me as thou hast satisfied thy Fathers justice for all my sins and hast abundantly merited for me a seat with thy self in heavenly places And thus the Saints of God may plead before the Judge of the quick and the dead and they being comfortably perswaded and assured of this by the glorious obsignation of the spirit of adoption they are ready with the holy Prophet David in Psal 42.2 to say My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God And hereunto when they dye they give up their souls with chearfulnesse and thus have I done with the third reason why all the true sonns of Abraham do as Abrabam did who gave up the Ghost freely I come to the Fourth Fourthly because they know they shall not onely be delivered out of the Prison of a corrupt body but into the glorious liberty of heaven they are assured that when they come to give up their souls they shall not only be able to look their Judge in the face with a fair account of what they have done in the flesh but shall be made to sit with him together in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 When a poor prisoner having sat a long while in darknesse and in the shadow of death being * Psalmes 107.10 bound in affliction and iron shall be made to understand that his pardon is sued out and not only so but that he is made worthy to sit upon the Bench with the Judge Oh how joyfull does he come forth of prison And thus do the sons of Abraham they know when they dye their souls shall lodge

in the downie bosom of Abraham as heaven is expressed to be Luk 16.23 When children in their parents absence and at distance from their own dear home are evilly intreated at the cruel and merciless hands of strangers how do they double their haste in their retreat homeward in expectation of ease and quiet in their tender Parents bosom where they heare nothing but comfort and remember nothing less then former miseries even so do the Saints of God they know that whilest they are at home in the flesh they are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 and in that interim do sit in Captivity as sometimes the Israelites by the waters of Babylon Psal 137.1 and are scornfully made to sing the song of the Lord in a strange land Vers 4. but when they come to dye they know they shall be gathered to the glorious society of Angels holy spirits in heaven where they shall sing uninterrupted Haleluiahs to God and the Lamb for ever and this brings me to the Third and last general observable in the words Thirdly something after Abrahams death He was gahered to his people St. Augustin understands by people the blessed quire of Angels Quaest 226. in Gen. who together with the Saints make up one body reconciled by the blood of Christ Col. 1.20 others understand by the phrase the state of the dead as being aequivalent to sleeping with his fathers being buryed in the dust where all they were and this opinion is not much amiss yet if we would more gently draw milk from the brests of the Scripture we may understand by the words the state of Abrahams soul after death for 't is not said his body was gathered to his people but he was bearing denomination from the better part He that is according to his soul he was gathered to such spirits of just men as were gone before him to heaven from whence we may observe that The souls of men dye not Obs. but after dissolution go to their severall proper places There are certain proper receptacles for the souls of men after death the souls of good men go to their people in heaven the souls of wicked men go to their like accursed crue in hell the souls of good men go to the glorious Pallace of the Son of righteousness as was Christs prayer to his father Iohn 17.24 but the souls of wicked men go into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and heaven is proper for those and hell for these as Judas is said to have fallen from his Apostleship * Act. 1.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go to his proper place so that the case is very plain that the souls of men dye not with their bodyes and so much is demonstrable not only by that marvelous light which shines from the Sun of righteousness in the meridian of the Scriptures but by that light in the Lamp of the soul which remains unextinguished by the fall of Adam take notice of in the first place the 12. of Ecel 7. then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it note also the 12. of St. Mark 26. where our Saviour told the Sadduces who denyed the resurrection that God was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who certainly were alive as to their souls because our Saviour told them that God was the God of the living and not of the dead Vers 27. Note also 2 Cor. 12.2 where we read that St. Paul was caught up to the third heaven but whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell It seems St. Paul thought his soul might have a being either in or out of the body note yet a clearer place than all in 2. Cor. 5.8 where we find that the Apostle desir'd to be absent from the body that he might be present with the Lord. And now if there be any so far drowned in their naturall corruption as to deny the scriptures then let them heare those of their own Tribe averring this truth Pythagoras thought when the soul had left one body it did presently inform another and so ad infinitum most of the Poets beleived an Elysian Field where the souls of good men had a pleasurable repast after death and * in Lact. ● Cicero affirm'd castos animos puros levi quodam facili lapsu ad Deos id est ad naturam sui similem pervolare that chast and pure souls did make their flight to the Gods of whose Divine nature they did participate and thus the very heathen thought nay the immortality of the souls of men is so cleare a truth that the very Devil himself cannot deny it as appears by one of his Prophetesses Sibylla Erythraea in Lactare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They which fear the true God inherit everlasting life and eternally inhabit the most and fruitful garden of Paradise And now my brethren since this is a truth so manifest out of the blessed word of God and by confession of all sides it may be matter of First comfort to some Secondly reprehension to others Thirdly instruction to all First this may be comfort First to such whose dearest friends relations are dead in the Lord as this our friend doubtless is such as they are not amissi onely praemissi not lost or utterly perish'd but sent before us thither whether the Lord grant we may follow for they have exchanged a Hadadrimmon or valley of tears for a glorious seat of pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore Psal 16. they have only left of serving the Lord at a distance and are gone to waite on him at his own court Secondly comfort to such who for conscience sake are under the hands of implacable persecutors who can but kill the * Mat. 10.28 body and are not able to kill the soul and if their bodies only suffer which suffer for an advantage they may be killed but not hurt as a Philosopher once said of a Tyrant occidere potest laedere vero non Seneca he may kill me but he cannot hurt me Julian that bloody Apostate in slaughtering the Christians pretended that if they looked upon their condition as so good after death he did them no wrong to send them the sooner away and truly no more hedid not for he did but send them away from such incarnate Devills as he was unto a glorious company in heaven they were but ground with the teeth of such furious beasts the better to make bread for Angels as saint Jgnatius Thirdly comfort to such who with the holy Prophet in Psal 31.10 have spent their life with grief and their years with sighing for their sins and who have walked soberly righteously and godly in this present world and have been painfull and faithful labourers in the Lords Vineyard having born the heat of many laborious