Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A65308
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A plea for the Godly wherein is shown the excellency of a righteous person / by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing W1138; ESTC R10636
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40,142
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126
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trap-door to let them into hell But when a righteous man dies his sins die with him the pale face of death looks ruddy being sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb. When a Believer hath death in his Body he hath Christ in his Soul the day of his death is his Ascension-day to heaven The death of a Saint is precious 1. To God The righteous are said to be gathered Isa. 57. 1. * a â—…ner is carryed away in a sâ—…orm Job 27. 20. the righteous is gathered as we gather precious fruit and candy it So greatly doth God value the death of a Saint that he makes inquisition for every drop of his blood Psalm 9. 12. 2. His death is precious to the Saints surviving they follow his hearse weeping as David did Abner's 2 Sam. 3. 31. Though they know that when a godly man dies he is fixed in an higher and more transparent Orb yet they cannot but mourn at the fall of such a Star 'T is a lamentation when God cuts down the Pillars of a Land the great Cables and Anchors of a Ship being gone there is danger of a Shipwrack it presageth a storm coming when God hides his Jewels After Austins death followed the sacking of Hippo by the Goths and Vandals After the decease of Paraeus fell out the destruction of Heidelberg Hence it is that the Saints who are left behind when they see such as are the Glory of a Kingdom taken away by a stroke of death cannot but cry as Elisha did when Elijah was parted from him 2 King 2. 12. My Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the Horsmen thereof The Saints living are affected with the loss of the godly and carry them to their grave with a shower of tears 12. The Dust of a righteous man is more excellent When the Bodies of the wicked are laid in the grave there lies an heap of dust to be tumbled into hell but the dust of a righteous man is part of Christs mystical body the dust of a Saint is united to Christ while it is in the grave And as the dust of Believers is now excellent so it will appear shortly in the sight of Men and Angels Trajan's ashes were honoured at Rome so the ashes of the Saints at the Resurrection shall be honoured when they shall be made like Christs glorious body in beauty strength agility immortality 2. A righteous man is more excellent than a wicked in respect of what he Hath 1. He hath a more excellent Name God himself embalmed Moses name and set a garland of Honour upon his hearse Josh. 1. 2. Moses my Servant is dead The Names of the righteous are registred in the Sacred Records of Scripture Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed The wicked leave their name for a curse Isa. 65. 15. How cursed is the name of Judas what Christian would baptize his Child of that name How odious are the names of Nero Domitian Bonner When their bodies rot under ground their names rot above ground But by faith the Elders obtained a good report Heb. 11. 2. How renowned was Moses for his Meekness Cornelius for his Alms their Names send forth a fragrant perfume in the Church of God to this day Psal. 112. 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance It may be said of a gracious person as once of King David 1 Sam. 18. 30. His name was much set by A wicked man may leave a great Estate behind A righteous man leaves a good name 2. A righteous man hath more excellent company 1. He hath the Communion of Saints Psal. 119. 63. I am companion to all them that fear thee A good man delights in a companion of his own Species the Lamb cares not to be with the Wolf If unawares a godly man lights into the company of the wicked he fears either pollution or scandal therefore makes haste as out of an infected house A righteous man twists and incorporates among the Saints he is joined to Christs body mystical Act. 4. 23. And being let go they went to their own company 2. A righteous man hath communion with God 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus A gracious soul hath sweet intercourse with Heaven he goes to God by prayer and God comes to him by his spirit How happy is that person who hath the Angels to guard him and God to keep him company 3. A righteous man hath more excellent promises belong to him what a sinner hath is rather by providence than by vertue of a promise the Saints are called Heirs of the promise Heb. 6. 17. the Promises are precious 2 Pet. 14. they are the beams of the Sun of Righteousness the pleasant streams that run in the paradise of Scripture Behold a blessed promise Rom 8. 28. All things shall work for good but to whom to them that love God All mercies shall work for their good they shall be footstools to lift up their hearts higher to Heaven and all afflictions shall work for their good the rod shall be a divine pensil to draw Christs image more lively upon their souls and there is another promise Heb. 13 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee This promise belongs to the heirs of Salvation God will not leave his people either to their strong corruptions or their weak graces he will counsel them in their doubts supply them in their wants defend them in their dangers when they are most assaulted they shall be most assisted How can God leave them they are his spouse will a man leave his spouse Thus the Saints have the Royal Charter of the Promises setled upon them and these Promises as they are sweet so they are sure Men reckon their Wealth not always by what ready money they have in their Houses but by their Bonds and Leases a Christians Estate lies most in bonds and bills of Gods hand sealed with his Oath What better security can there be 4. A righteous man hath more excellent freedom Psal. 119. 45. And I will walk at liberty Another is capable of civil freedom he may be a Roman born but he is still enslaved to his lusts but a righteous person is Gods freeman 1 Cor. 7. 21. his neck is out of the Devils yoke he is freed from the law of sin Rom. 8. 2. he hath Gods free spirit Psal. 51. 12. which makes him free and chearful in his obedience the will is not compelled but changed a regenerate person is drawn indeed by the Spirit but sweetly as one is drawn into a garden of spices by the fragrancy of their smell he is drawn to Christ as one is drawn with anothers beauty so that while he is drawn he is free a righteous soul chooseth the ways of God Psal. 11â—… 30. and what greater act of freedom than an act of choice And a Saint cannot have his spiritual
more Spiritual Rule than others A sinner either lives by no rule or by a false he walks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the course of the world Ephes. 2. 2. But a righteous man goes by the Canon of Scripture as a well made Dial goes exactly by the Sun Gods Word is the Oracle he consults with 't is his pillar of Fire or Pole-star to direct him Psal. 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lanthorn to my feet The Word is a divine Pandect 't is a Model and Platform of Gods mind to which a pious man conforms his actions both Moral and Sacred he will not resolve his faith into Councils or Fathers nor will he follow the Examples of the best men further than they follow the Word 2. A righteous man lives more Spiritually as he lives a life above others whereas they live no higher than Reason The just lives by Faith Heb. 10. 38. A righteous man moves in an higher Sphere he penetrates the Clouds Moses saw him who is invisible Heb. 11. 27. Sense and Reason are too low of stature to see Christ Faith climbs up not into the Tree as Zacheus but within the Vail and there sees Jesus An holy person sends out Faith as a Spy to view the land of Promise Faith unties difficulties Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope believed in Hope Against the hope of sense Abraham believed in hope of the Promise faith anticipates future things and makes them present When God told Abraham what a glorious Country he would give him Abraham looked upon it as if it had been actually done and he had taken livery and seisin Faith can live upon God in the deficiency of visible comforts Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree doth not blossom yet I will rejoyce in the Lord A righâ—…eous man believes that if God will save him from hell he will save him from want if he will give him a kingdom he will not deny him daily bread 3. A righteous man lives more spiritually as he shows forth more of the power of Holiness in his life than others he is a pattern of Piety Psal. 106. 16. Aaron the Saint of the Lord his sanctiâ—…y adorned him more than his Mâ—…tre oâ—… Linnen Garments a Moraâ—… may live as a man but he who is regenerate lives the life of Christ Joh. 2. 6. The Macedonians on the birth-day of Alexander did wear Alexander's picture about their necks set with Gold and Pearl So the righteous carry the lively picture of Christ in their holy Example they live so devoutly as if they had seen the Lord with bodily eyes 2. The life of a righteous man is more excellent for Usefulness He is a blessing in the midst of the Land Isa. 19. 24. He spends and is spent for Christ he had rather wear out than rust Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causam The â—…ives of the wicked are unprofitable therefore compared to chaff Mat. 3 11. and hurtful therefore compared to thorns Mica 7. 4. But a righteous man is like the Bee or Silkworm working for the good of others It comforts me said worthy Jewel that I have exhausted my self in the labours of my Holy Calling A good man hangs between these two as a Needle between two Loadstones longing to be with Christ and love of doing service 1. A righteous man is helpful to the bodies of others He is a Temporal Saviour he hath one eye shut to wink at the failings of others and another eye open to spy their wants He is like the Heaven diffusing his influence and sending down his silver drops of charity he is a staffe to the lame bread to the hungry he puts under a golden crutch to support others when they are falling It is reported of the young Lord Harrington that he gave the tenth part of his yearly Revenue to charitable uses As Mary brought her sweet Ointments to anoint Christs dead body so a gracious soul brings his oyntments of Charity to anoint the Saints which are Christs living body A good man judiciously considers how he himself lives upon Contribution the earth enricheth him with veins of Silver crops of Corn One Creature brings him Wool another Oyl another Silk and as every Creature conspires for his good so he studies to lay out himself for the good of others Jam. 2. 17. Faith if it hath not works is dead Faith sanctifies works and works testifie faith A Believer with one hand receives Christs Merits with the other relieves his Members and he not only gives to the necessities of the poor but gives freely Deut. 15. 10. Charity drops froâ—… him as myrrh from the Tree He doth not put his Alms among his desperate Debts he is thankful that God hath made him in the number of givers and not receivers 2. A righteous man is helpful to the Souls of others He who pities his Neighbour's Ox when it is fallen into a pit doth much more pity his Neighbours Soul that is falling into hell he doth counsel the ignorant confirm the weak reduce the wandring Convert the sinner from the error of his way Jam. 5. 20. 3. A righteous man is helpful to a Kingdom He stands as a Screen between it and the fire of Gods wrath Psal. 106. 23 Therefore he said he would destroy them had not Moses his servant stood before him in the breach to turn away wrath from them When a breach is made in the wall of a Castâ—… Soldiers stand in that breach till the enemy be beaten back so when the wrath of God was coming against Israel Moses stood in the breach and by his prayers kept it off The Saints are the Atlasses that bear up a Nation from sinking the Poets fained of Hector as long as he lived Troy could not be demolished Psal. 75. 3. I bear up the Pillars St. Ambrose was called the wall of Italy Lot while in Sodom kept off the fire Gen. 19. 22. Hast thee escape to Zoar for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither A wicked Nation is oft reprieved for the righteous sake The Tares are spared for the Wheat sake 11. The Death of a righteous man is more excellent Death comes with an Habeas corpus Psal. 89. 48. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Grace it self gives no charter of exemption from it An earthen pot though full of Gold may break The righteous who are earthen vessels though they are filled with the golden Graces are not freed from breaking by death but their death is precious Psalm 116. 15. Wicked men like Hawks are set high upon a pearch vervel'd with Jingling bells but then comes their passing-bell and calls them away and when they die there is no miss of them their life was scarce worth a prayer nor their death worth a tear the wicked die in their sins Joh 8. 21. Death to them is but Inferni porta a