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	hand_n	soul_n	5,920	5	4.8872	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B02221	Memento mori, or, A word in season to the healthful, sick, and dying, fit for this calamitous time. Wherein sicknesses, rage, and deaths, are frequent. In which is discoursed, 1. That the present life of man is short. 2. That death is most certain. 3. That the time and way of death is uncertain. 4. Motives to prepare for death. 5. Some things to be done in preparation for death. 6. Some antidots [sic] against the fears of death. / By a minister of the gospel.	Clark, James, 1660-1723.	1699 (1699)	Wing C4464; ESTC R171374	12,777	19

fittest season for this so great and important work then sure ye will have the less to do when sicknesses or pains seize upon you and many who have resolved and delayed to do this work till sick or to die have found that either God in his justice hath taken heart and hand from them or that their diseases and maladies have so disordered and distempered both body and mind that for their hearts they could not get their hearts serious or steddie in minding their souls eternity matters and who knows if they shall get a warning of sickness before death for in the twinkling of an eye they may be snatched out of time into eternity as you have been hearing of many tragical instances not getting so much time allowed them as to cry for Gods mercy From all which considerations we earnestly obtest you betimes to prepare for Death Judgment and Eternity SECTION V. Some things to be done in preparation for Death SAys John Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord whereby we may understand the thrice blessful estate of them who die in Union and Communion with the Lord in the Faith of the Lord in peace and reconciliation with the Lord in hope of being with the Lord for ever and who are prepared so to be Now for your help herein I will suggest a few necessary things proper to be practized by you Frequently meditate on death and your frail state of life let Memento Mori be often in your thoughts For to contemplate of Mortality and Eternity may dispose and frame your ●●arts to prepare for death and eternity Take some share of thy time seriously to consider thy ways reflect on all the passages and periods of thy past course of life as much as thou can remember steep thy thoughts in the deep consideration of thy great and many sins till thou win sensibly to know and see what an evil thing it is and bitter to have sinned against God and when thy heart is affected with a view of all thine iniquities confess them fully and particularly before the Lord and that in all their aggravating circumstances accuse thy self as worthy of death wrath and damnation repent and prostrate thy self in the most humble manner then renouncing all thy own righteousness as unclean lay hold on the righteousness merits and mediation of Christ Jesus by faith believing he is both able and willing to pardon all thine iniquities and to save thee from the wrath that is to come Covenant thy self away to the Lord avouching thy self sincerely and explicitely to be his Subject and Servant and avouching with alike plainness and integrity his being thy alone Lord and Redeemer and having thus entered into personal Covenant with him see thou keep thy Covenant inviolably also renew it frequently and endeavour to carry and walk as becomes a Christian in Covenant with Christ Study to lead a holy life no● only free of notour vices but adorned with examplar Christian virtues such as good works of Mercy Charity and Piety Have on thy Spiritual Armour always and stand on th● Watch-Towers that thou mayst be fenced and shielded again●● the fiery darts of Satan the snares and temptations of th● world and the rebellious inordinat affections of thy unmortified flesh Likewise keep up thy daily course of religious d●ties devoutly praying to God ilk morning and evening 〈◊〉 least frequently read the Scriptures and that with reverenc● attention and diligence praise God thankfully for all th● mercies in thy lot let thy conversation be in Heaven by sp●ritual-mindedness and fervent meditation on Heavenly an● spiritual things Neglect no opportunities when in health the publick Ordinances of God with the comfortable Congr●gations of his people improve them for daily increase knowledge growth and exercise of grace up-building and stablishment in the most holy Faith Keep thy mind free fro● earthly cares and distracting thoughts anent the things this vain vexatious world abandon also all inclinations malice revenge reproach or any way impairing or injur● thy Neighbours good Name Person or Estate and when ther through the sensible infirmities o● old age or threatn● symptomes of sickness or present dangerous diseases th● art under apprehensions of approaching death see thou thy house in order both as to the inward constitution of spirit and as to the outward disposal and settlement of secualr Interests and Affairs And in the last place fenc● and fortifie against the fears and terrors of death which leads to the last thing I shall offer SECTION VI. Antidotes against the fears of Death THat will be a sweet and welcome word from the mouth of our Saviour Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you O what risques of death do many run compassing Sea and Land without fear without fainting that they may gain some small moyetie or a few crumbs or this perishing earth and yet it how little pains are we for the inheritance of an everlasting Kingdom yea some are so Epicurish or Turkish that they would even quite their part and hopes of it if but freed from death and secured in a perpetuated possession of earthly pleasures and riches It is small wonder that such fear their loss of this life who have not the prospect of another after it But O Believer why dost thou fear death whereof if thou hadst a right notion there is nothing in it should be formidable to thee The valley and shadow of death is a dark irksome passage to those who go through it solitary and alone but Christ hath gone this way to sanctifie it to thee he will be with thee in every step he will not not leave thee This way is strawed with Serpents and Scorpions to the wicked which will still be stinging and tormenting them but Christ hath taken the sting of death for thee 1. Cor. 15.55 57. Art thou not in union with Christ yea such a strict and firm union that neither sin nor Satan can break nor death dissolve Matth. 22.32 In the vertue whereof all Believers the mystick members of Christ that glorious Head shall at the last day be raised unto glory and happiness I say indeed the terrors and torments of death are an earnest to the wicked of those ●●effible miseries that shall follow thereafter but death will free thee from sin and misery from all temptations to sin and perils of sorrow and make thee for ever triumph over sin Satan Hell and Death O Believer Hast thou not often been filled with many weary complaints in thy life Death will make them all to cease Hath not thy life been sometimes imbittered with exquisit● pain or heavy sickness Death will relieve thee of those burdens Hast thou not been in frequent tormentful fears of crosses losses poverty or disgrace and other infelicities Common to mankind It is death that thou so much fears will dissolve all these fears for ever Hast thou not often sighed and sorrowed over thy ill plaguie heart Hast thou not often cryed out alas my hard my vain my carnal my unclean and lustful my deceitful and perverse untractable heart Hast thou not also often cryed out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death O Believer rejoice in hope for e're thy body of clay be laid into dust death will be the death of thy body of sin the old man will be fell'd dead with deaths last stroak thy corruptions and infirmities shall never any more be matter of thy grievance or complaint And as death opens the doors of the Lake to let in the workers of iniquity so it will be to thee O Believer an in-let to glory rest and happiness thou but dies that thou mayest live thou but leaves and flits this sinful and cumbersome Tabernacle of Clay that thou mayest go to the glorious Mansion above not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens and who but should be content with such a flitting We were telling before that Christ will be ready to welcome thee to the fruition of an everlasting Kingdom and to say so thy deaths day will be thy Coronation day for by death thou shall be immediatly wasted to glory What should we say more for eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what the believer is to enjoy after death FINIS

nothing more needs be said to express the brevity of it and even they who by reason of strength reach the length of threescore years and ten or fourscore yet their strength is labour and sorrow for it is soon cut off and they flee away Psal 90.10 SECTION II. Death is most certain and inevitable DEath is a debt that all mortals owe to Nature and must be paid death will admit of no bribe no bail no main-prize their is no possible fence or guard against his darts and instruments of destruction sayes Job 30.23 I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living And Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all once to die i. e. there is a stated unalterable decree by the Council of Heaven that all must die which by no means can be repealed or avoided Pray what can thou plead or pretend as a ground of hope to escape but what will be found vain and unable to help thee Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Eccles 8.8 There is no man that hath power in the day of death and there i● no discharge in that war Riches and wealth will not avail the● in the day of death they may rather perhaps bring thee sooner to thine end thy vexatious thoughts of the ●ecessty of leaving them grating and wasting thy vital spi●its or thereby thou mayest be exposed to become a prey to some or other who by sinister ways may compass thy death to share of thy beloved gear and riches Where is Craesus and Crassus Where are all the full and opulent possessors of this worlds goo●s Hath not death spoiled them all both of their lives and livings Job 21.13 They spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Job 34.19 20. Go● regardeth not the rich more than the poor in a moment shall they die Worldly power and greatness are little things before this great King of terrours and terrour of Kings Where ar● the mighty Monarchs Princes and Potentats of this World Where are the Armed Hosts of Nations with their Generals Captains and Commanders Are not all these men of migh● consumed with worms and corr●ption They who brought many deaths upon others could not war● it off themselves Job 24 2● 24. The mighty are not sure of their life they are exalted for a while but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn Rev 19.18 The flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains the flesh of mighty men the flesh of all men both free and bound both small and great shall be made a feast ●o death and corruption The Sophists and wise men of the world who by their exquisite cunning and providence could contrive and plot the ruine of Nations not one of them could ever yet fall on a politick to save themselves from death Where the Achitophels where the Matchia●els and all th● other profound Polititians who have been admired for their wisdom sense and eloquence hath not death out-witted them all and de-witted them utterly Psal 49.10 The wise man dieth c. Isa 3.1 2 3. Where th● mighty man and the man of war the Judge and the Prophet and the prudent Where is the honourable man and the Co●nsellou● and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Orator Are they no all taken away yea they are dead and gone Bodily strength health and vigour cannot hold out against this Conq●ero● those he crusheth down as the moth and maketh to decay a● all as the grass before the Mower How many healthful and young persons hast thou known who appeared as if they would have run to the outmost step of Natures course who yet have been run down by death in the midst and bloom of their verdant years Let not the young man glory in his strength for some says Job 36.14 they die in youth I thought not amiss on this particular to insert here a few Lines out of a little Poem called An Abstract of Ecclesiastes Sect. 17. Boast not of youthful years nor boast Of health of body nor of might A short whiles sickness may thee post From time to an eternal night Mind thou must die but when or where Thou cannest not Divine or tell The Lambs-skin often at the Fair You 'l find as soon as the Sheeps to sell Neither will the charms of beauty nor the finest amiable complexions move death to pity or spare he is so fond of his own Gastly Countenance that he will have all look like himself Loveable beauty I say the common charm of Mortals will not at all take with this Master of Mortals for he 'll make their beauty to consume away like a moth Psal 39.11 Yea their beauty shall consume in the grave Psal 49.14 What what then will be a shield against the darts of death If none of these can be Armour of Proof will not piety and vertue be a fence and sanctuary No no for all flesh is grass Even grace and godliness that may make immortal after time will not save any mortal from temporal death Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and merciful men are taken away Heb. 11.13 The Apostle speaking of Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Moses and other holy men of God says of them These all died in faith Lay thine account then who ever thou art that soon or syne thou must die SECTION III. The time and way of death is uncertain MOrtals are obnoxious to innumerable mischievous misfortunes fatal accidents and untimely deaths says Eliphaz J●b 5.7 Man is born unto trouble as the sparks flee upward No man knoweth what scene or share of temptations and tribulations may betide him ere he go off the stage of time but all having sinned all may dread to partake of the bitter fruits of sin Every day we may behold some spectacles of misery every day brings news of some body or other that is visited with disasters and d●stress●s To prevent tedious enlargement on this Head take a short Synopsis of some of the common woes and miseries of the world in a few Verses of a little Shedull called The Cross and the Crown This World 's a Mass of Woes a Maze of Tears Amazing Mortal Wights with Panick fears Our life 's a Tragedie comes in with cryes Made up of griefs goes out with Elegies Each Mortal acts his part in ev'ry age Each Scene new sorrows brings upon the Stage Some cover'd with a Sable Vail we see An Embleme of a late Mortalitie Some crying clapping hands Ah! cruel Fate I 'm ravish'd of my Darling and my Mate Some change their health to sickness ease for pain Some in a moment all their glory sta●n Some who were Crown'd with Fortunes bravest Bay Have found their Garland wither soon away Some who like Craesus Treasures had in store Like Job or Irus poverty

not what hour the Lord doth come therefore be ye also ready Though there were no more but this one command and advertisement from our Lords own mouth it is enough to make us think it our great concern to prepare for death and to alarm us agreeably to ply this great work Besides the motives we have already touched at viz That death is cer●ain and the time and manner therof uncertain we will offer a few more considerations to perswade and excite you to do what ye can to be in a prepared estate for approaching death We get many fair warnings and speaking memorials that we must die Are not sickness raging and deaths frequent through the Land At this day 't is observed there are far more Burials than Births few Families have escaped wherein there has not been either sick or dead When we go to Church or Mercat do we not miss many of our Friends Neighbours and Acquaintances that a few days or weeks before were wont to attend these publick occasions as we do and now where are they They are gone and their places of converse or residence knows them no more What is the language of this but hodie mini cras tibi What 's my fate to day may be thine to morrow Again we must die but once we have need to see that we do it well We say and do many things amiss in the ordinary course of our life which we may have leisure and helps to amend and rectifie but not to die well can never be helped now or never is the time of preparing for death for as the tree falls so will it ly if thou unhappily happen to die in a graceless unconverted estate without God and without Christ thou dies also without hope for there is no hope in the grave whither we go there is no more Preaching Faith and Repentance after time no more mercy to be expected of God no more mediation by Christ no more gracious motions of the Holy Spirit as life leaves you death will find you and as death finds you so will eternity treat you therefore it is the living ●he living must lay it to heart and that while they are in the land of hope for if ye die unprepared your hopes are afterwards out off for ever Eccl. 9.5 10. The living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Isai 38.18 The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth Remember also that when the Harbingers of Death come though thou shouldest pray him with strong cryes and tears to spare thee yet a little while that thou mayest be better prepared ere thou go hence to be no more None of thy Reasons or Rhetorick will prevail to reprieve thee one moment his strict orders he must put to present peremptory execution one breathings respite I say thou needest not exp●ct For as it is Job 14.5 Thy days are determined the number of thy months are with God he hath appointed thy bou●ds that thou canst not pass it is impossible either to anticipate or transgress the set and definite time and period of Gods unalterable decree and appointment And is there not a great deal of strong reason ye should prepare for death even more than a parity with respect to other cares and con●erns this being the care of cares If ye have Debts or Accounts to give in to any that owes you will you not take time to Ex●ract them and to fit and set them in order Now have you not Counts to clear with God Are ye not deep in his Debt What innumerable debts of sins and debts of mercies and of time and other Talents are you in Arrears of to God And have you not just ground to expect that he will call you to an account Matth. 25.19 After a long time the Lord of these servants came and reckoned with them If you are to take a voyage or to go a journey are ye not concerned to provide for them And have ye not a far journey and dangerous voyage to go that are to land at times end in the astonishing Abyss of Eternity and perhaps knows not whether in Heaven or Hell If you are to come into the presence of a King of Clay will ye not as Joseph Gen. 41.14 put your selves in your best prepared dress you can and are ye to appear before the King of kings and will you not change your dirty raggs and put on your be●● ornaments If to engage in Battel will you not arm and prepare for your own safety And when to engage in the last Battel of the Soul at death will ye adventure naked and Armless Have not too many careless souls done so who when to die have been filled with sorrowful complaints and horrible out-cryes O time time Had I time again how busie and careful would I be to improve all my hours for better purposes than I have done specially in preparation for my last hour As on the contrary who ever repented their preparing for death None sure ever had reason for these who are prepared and in case to die well if God spare them are also in case to live well and prepared the better to improve every lot of life it brings not death the sooner that we much mind it and prepare for it Yea and not only may the wicked be filled with horror when to die unprepared but even many godly who have died under a cloud have lamented bitterly their not being actually so prepared as they ought to have been for they have found Satan then set most furiously upon them his time being short and they being short of some of their provisions against his assaults But though they may not be actually prepared so much as they should be yet being habitually prepared by their gracious and salvifick translation from death to life in their Effectual C●l●ing and Conversion they need not so much be in bondage for fear of death as those who are nothing prepared being in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity It is indeed a terrible thing for such to be surprized unprepared for they not being meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light when they enter the gates of death the gates of Heaven will be shut against them for ever and the gates of hell opened thereby to enter into everlasting torments prepared for them But ere I pass from this Head I would have no holy to think that when I am thus pressing preparation it is only upon the sickly or dying no no I exhort you who are in most established like health and vigor so to number your days as to apply your hearts to this piece of true wisdom for it will take our freshest health our strongest w●ts our outmost vigour as the