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	follow_v	soul_n	5,999	5	5.3241	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58184	Three physico-theological discourses ... wherein are largely discussed the production and use of mountains, the original of fountains, of formed stones, and sea-fishes bones and shells found in the earth, the effects of particular floods and inundations of the sea, the eruptions of vulcano's, the nature and causes of earthquakes : with an historical account of those two late remarkable ones in Jamaica and England ... / by John Ray ...	Ray, John, 1627-1705.	1693 (1693)	Wing R409; ESTC R14140	184,285	437

his Sermons That there is but a Thought 's distance between a wicked Man and Hell For do but fix and bind his Thoughts to the Consideration of his Life and Actions and he will anticipate Hell himself he shall need no infernal Furies to lash him he will be his own Tormentor Such a Man's Pressures will be heavy enough should the Divine Nemesis superadd no more The Reason of this I have given in a former Discourse and therefore shall now omit what else might have been added on this particular Secondly It much concerns us upon account of the future Judgment which shall be at the Dissolution of the World to have our Conversation in all Holiness as we desire to avoid that Shame and Misery which will then otherwise certainly befal us 1. As we desire to avoid that Shame which will cover our Faces at that day If here Shame and Disgrace be more grievous and insupportable than Death itself what will it be then when the Soul shall be rendred more quick and apprehensive and sensible of such Impressions There is nothing shameful but sin nothing else hath any natural Turpitude in it Shame follows Sin as the Shadow doth the Body He that will commit the one cannot avoid the other Therefore such wicked Persons as have not quite renounced Modesty and lost all Sence of Shame especially if guilty of secret Crimes the Consideration of a future Judgment would be a powerful Curb to restrain them from Sin for the future because then God will produce and bring to light the hidden things of darkness and disclose and make manifest the counsels of all hearts 1 Cor. 4. 5. Then he will judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. Then will he bring every work into judgment with every secret thing Eccles. 12. 14. For would they but consider and ponder what Confusion will overwhelm them when this shall be done in the face of the whole World and before all that knew them and they not able to make any denial or excuse This I say if any thing would be a powerful Curb to withhold them from those Enormities to which this shame is appendant It may be thou madest a great Figure in the World for Piety and Religion wouldst seem to be Some-body in the Eyes of Men when thou wert false and unsound didst harbour and nourish some Viper in thy Bosom Introrsum turpis speciosa pelle decorus When thy secret Faults shall be exposed before thy Neighbours and Friends and Children And the shame of thy nakedness shall be made to appear Revel 3. 18. How wilt thou then be confounded and astonished and unable to list up thy Head What horrour will then seize thee When thy confusion shall be continually before thee and the shame of thy face shall cover thee Psalm 44. 15. It concerns thee therefore to look about thee in time and search thy Conscience to the Bottom to remove whatever grates to cast out whatever offends though never so customary never so pleasing to Flesh and Blood to apply thy self to the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ Iesus for the Expiation of what is past and for the future to resolve and endeavour the amendment of whatsoever hath heretofore been amiss in thee and to beg the assistance of the Divine Grace to strengthen in thee every good purpose and resolution of heart and to enable thee to bring it to issue and effect And for thy security I think it good Advice to resolve so to behave thy self in thy Retirements so to live in the secret of thy Chamber and Closet as though the Doors were thrown open upon thee and all the Eyes of the World beheld thee as though thou were 't in the Arena of a Publick Theatre exposed to the view of Men and Angels I remember the ingenious Writer of Politick Discourses Boccalini doth often divert himself and his Reader with facetious Reflections upon the contrivance of a Window into the Breast which if I mistake not be fathers upon Lipsius However he may deride it I think it would be prudent Counsel to give and take for every Christian. So to live and carry it in the secret of his Heart as if there were a Window into his Breast that every one that passed by might look in thereat and see all the thoughts and imaginations that passed there that found any entertainment or acceptance with him For though indeed God searches the hearts and reins and understandeth our thoughts afar off Psal. 139. 2. Yet such is the hypocrisie of Mankind that they do for the most part more reverence the Eyes of Men than of God and will venture to do that in his presence which they would be ashamed the Eyes of Man should see them doing You will say Is it not better to be modest than to be impudent Is it not better to conceal than to publish ones shame Is it not better to reverence Man than neither God nor Man Doth not the Scripture condemn a Whore's Fore-head Is it not a true Proverb Past Shame Past Grace Was it not good Advice of a Cardinal as I remember Si nou castè tamen cautè He that hath devoured shame what Bridle is there left to restrain him from the worst of evils I answer That it seems indeed to me that publick sins of the same nature are more heinous than s●cret and that impudence in sinning is an aggravation of sin For open sins dare God and bid defiance to Heaven and leave the Sinner unreclaimable and are of more pernicious influence I do not now speak of the hypocrisie of seigning holiness to serve our own ends which is rightly esteemed duplex iniquitas but that of concealing and hiding vicious actions to avoid the shame of Men. And yet there is a great obliquity in this too Because even this is a slighting and undervaluing of God a preferring of Man before him setting a greater price and esteem upon the praise and commendation of Men than the praise and approbation of God Iohn 12. 43. God sees the secretest Actions yea the most retired thoughts They that believe this and yet make bold to do in his presence what the fear of Man's Eye would restrain them from it is clear that they reverence Man more than God a poor frail impotent Creature like themselves more than the most pure and ever blessed Creator Nay let the Temptation to any sin be never so strong and the natural inclination never so vehement if the knowledge and conscience of Men be a motive and consideration powerful enough to enable us to resist and repel them had we but as firm a belief of the presence and inspection of God and as great a reverence and dread of him Why should not these have the same influence and effect upon us Let us then avoid the hypo●risie of desiring to be thought better than we are by endeavouring to our utmost to be as good as we would be thought to be and if

be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the whole earth Parallel whereto are Matth. 24. 42. and Mark 13. 33 35. That it shall come is certain when it shall come is uncertain and it every day draws nearer and nearer therefore it is not wisdom to remove the evil day far from us and as in reference to the day of Death it is an usual and prudent advice so to live every day as if it were our last day or at least as we would not be afraid to do should it be so because we are sure that one day will be our last and for ought we know the present may be it so likewise it is rational Counsel in respect of the End of the World so to prepare our selves for it by a holy Conversation that we may get above the terror and dread which will otherwise attend the apprehension of the approach of it and that we may be provided against the worst that may follow and be secure come what can come Secondly It concerns us should it be a thousand Years to come Because then is the general Resurrection both of the just and unjust Acts 24. 15. and the general Judgment When we must all appear before the dreadful tribunal of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2. Cor. 5. 10. which Rom. 2. 5. is called the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Who will render to every man according to his deeds c. Upon this account I say it concerns us much how we have our Conversation here First As we hope to be acquitted at that day and to enter into those new Heavens in which dwells righteousness Holiness is a necessary condition and antecedent to happiness Necessary I say 1. By God's appointment Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Rom. 6. 22. Have your fruit unto holiness and the end eternal life Psal. 50. ult To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Eternal Life is the Gift of God He is not obliged to bestow it upon any Man He may make what Condition he pleases for the obtaining of it No Man hath any Right to it No Man can lay any claim to it but from this Donation and from the performance of these Conditions Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city For without are dogs and whoremongers and sorcerers c. All the Right they have depends upon God's Promise which is conditionate and accrues to them by the performance of the Condition which is the doing of his Commandments 2 Necessary not only by God's appointment but in the very nature of the thing Holiness is the very quality and complexion of Heaven No Man without it is qualified to be a subject of that Kingdom For thereinto nothing that is impure or unclean can enter Revel 21. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it the New Jerusalem any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination In this new Heaven dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 15. Therefore 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure Heaven would naturally spue out and eject a wicked Person as one heterogeneous to it Heaven and Hell are not more distant in Place than they are in Nature There is not more antipathy between fire and water between light and darkness between streight and crooked neither are they more incompatible or do more naturally resist and expel one another than holiness which is the quality of Heaven and wickedness which is the disposition and temper of Hell Some do think Heaven to be rather a state than a place and that he that is partaker of the Divine Nature hath Heaven within him This is true but this is not all The whole Notion of Heaven comprehends both a state and a place A Man must be in a heavenly state before the local Heaven can receive him or he brook it Heaven without him would be no Heaven to the Man who hath not Heaven within him A wicked Person could find no business or employment in Heaven nothing to satisfie his corrupt and depraved affections inclinations and appetites He would there meet with no suitable company no persons whose conversation he could take any delight and complacency in but rather hate and abhor For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6. 14. Like naturally loves like and unites with it and doth refuse resist and hate that which is unlike it For every thing is made to love itself and consequently whatsoever resembles and comes near it and is as it were a replication of it and to hate the contrary As therefore we would be glad to be Partakers of the blessedness of the local Heaven so let us endeavour to get into our Minds and Spirits the qualities and conditions of Heaven that so we may be fit Subjects for that Kingdom sit Companions for that Society This is the time allotted us to purifie our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God There is no invention in the Grave whither we are going Eccles. 9. 10. Vpon this moment depends eternity As the tree falls so it it lies Eccles. And as Death leaves so will Judgment find us Quando isthinc excessum fuerit nullus jam locus poenitentiae est Hîc vita aut amittitur aut tenetur Hîc saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu fidei providetur Cyprian Serm. de Immortal After we shall depart hence there remains no more place for repentance Eternal life is here either lost or won Here provision is made for everlasting salvation by the worship of God and fruit of faith We must work while it is day the night of death cometh wherein no man can work John 9. 4. And therefore the time our Bodies shall rest in the Grave should it be a thousand Years will little avail us for if the Soul be mean while awake the certain and dreadful expectation of the Sentence of Condemnation to an eternal Hell at the Day of Judgment will be little less afflictive than the Torments thereof themselves I might add by way of Digression that Sin and Wickedness is naturally productive of Hell in the Soul A wicked Man carries Hell in his Breast Sin necessarily infers Misery It is contrary to the nature of the Soul and whatsoever is so must needs be grievous Diversion and Non-Attention to his Condition is the wicked Man's only Security I have heard it often from a great Divine in