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	life_n	part_n	5,356	5	4.4664	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05769	A seasonable preparation for death and eternity, or, Funeral considerations, &c. Being the substance of a discourse occasionally on the D. of G------, a noble peer, who received his mortal wound at the siege of Cork in Ireland. With a prayer suitable to the occasion.		1690 (1690)	Wing S2238A; ESTC R183658	6,909	17

A seasonable PREPARATION FOR Death and Eternity OR FUNERAL Considerations c. Being the Substance of a DISCOURSE Occasionally on the Death of The D. of G a Noble Peer Who received his mortal Wound at the Siege of CORK in IRELAND With a PRAYER sutable to the Occasion Licensed according to Order Printed for P. Brooksby J. Deacon J. Blare J. Back A Seasonable Preparation for Death and Eternity OR FUNERAL Considerations layed down In the Uncertainty of Man's Life and the various Chances and Misfortunes that attend us in our Progress through this World to the Heavenly Jerusalem and what a necessity of an early Repentance is required and the danger of the least Delay in the Contemplation of Mortality and Vnsecurity c. Being the Substance of a DISCOURSE Occasionally on the Death of The D. of G a noble Peer who received his mortal Wound at the Siege of Cork in Ireland With a Prayer sutable to the Occasion Printed for P. Brooksby J. Deacon J. Blare J. Back A Seasonable Preparation for Death c. Psalm 39.5 Behold thou hast made my days as a span long and my Age is as nothing before thee c. IF we truly consider the short duration of Life and the many Casualties that attend it we cannot but conclude that Riches Honour and Prosperity are but frail things and all he Glories of Life are compared to the most sading and transitory things considering neither strength beauty wisedom or power can secure them from the various Chances that attend Mortality This occasioned Authors to compare them to things that are exceeding momentary things that may be said to vanish almost as soon as they appear Some have compared the Life of Man to a Bubble alluding therein That the World is but a storm and Men rise up in their several Generations like a Bladder of Waterfilled with Air and some of these sink into the Deluge of their first Parents and are hidden in a sheet of Water having no other Business in the World but to be born that they may be able to dye others perhaps float up and down for a while and suddenly disappear there being no certainty of a lasting Life however Man may flatter himself therefore we ought always so to live as if we were on the brink of the Grave for those that live longest continue but in a restless motion or alluding to our first Simile of the frailty of a mortal State those that continue longest dancing on the Su●face of the Water are at last crushed with a drop from a Cloud into flatness so Man coming into the World if he spring up and grow gay to the Joy of many he is notwithstanding exposed to innumerable hazards and chances and in the end turned into Dust for all earthly power and glory must set at length in the Grave and no Man adds a moment to his Life beyond the Will of that God that gave it in whose hands is all the Breath of Life and in whose power it is to do whatsoever pleaseth him for altho' for a time the young Man may flourish like the flower of the Field and shine as it is termed like a Doves neck or the Image of the Rainbow which borrows its glorious Colours from the Sun by Reflection yet one thing or other frequently interrupts his Felicity for as we find it Psalm 39. Man walketh in a vain shadow and disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them̄ so that we cannot promise to our selves no certain assurance Sickness Casualty War and many other things give us a Pasport to another World but here lies the main stress so to live that we need not at any time be afraid to dye for he that lives unto Christ for him to dye is gain I am says he the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth believeth in me he shall never dye John 11 25.26 this is the hidden Manna and Water of Life that nourishes us to Eternity and puts us beyond the fear of Death unstinging or disarming even the King of Terrors and renders us capable of out-facing him in his most affrighting shapes I know says holy Job that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my skin worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall J see God whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not anothers Job 19 25 26 27. here is the glorious Hope of a Christian whereby he triumphs in his Death and puts him beyond all possibility of fear notwithstanding the brittle Foundation of a mortal Life which Homer calls a Leaf the smallest and weakest part of a short-liv'd and unsteady Plant and Pindar terms it the Dream of a shadow another the Dream of the shadow of Smoke but St. James who spoke by a more excellent Spirit says our Life is but a Vapour and that is a thin Matter drawn from the Earth by a Coelestial Influence made of Smoke or the lighter parts of Water tossed by every Wind and moved by the motion of a superiour Body without power in it self lifted up on high or left below a mere Phaenomena like the shadow that departeth or the T●le that is told or like the Dream when one awaketh what then should move us to hope the laying up a Security upon Earth since here we are but Pilgrims and Strangers and have no tarrying City but ought to look for one not made with hands in the highest Heavens It was usual amongst the wise Men of past Ages to order their being put in mind of Mortality even in the midst of their most joyfull Entertainments as having the Skulls and Skeletons of Men presented at their Feasts and at the Coronation of the Emperours of Constantinople a Mason presented them with a Model of their Tombs to let them know in the midst of their Glory and Grandeur they were but mortal Men We brought says Job nothing into the World and it is certain we can carry nothing out The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the Name of the Lord this is our only Reliance in Life and Death God is sure and certain to those trust in him it we dye in our Beds or in the Field whether our Graves be made in our Mother Earth from whence we were originally taken or in the watry Womb of the Sea whether we are laid up in the Repositories of the Dead amongst Peasants all is one in the Morning of the Resurrection all is one if we have a sure Interest in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life of those that in Faith rely on him For now says St. Paul is Christ risen from the dead and become the first Fruits of them that slept as we find it in the 15th of the 1 Epistle to the Corinthians For as in Adam continues he all dyed

so in Christ shall all be made alive but every Man in his own Order Christ the first Fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming Since then our Lives are so uncertain how precious then ought our time to be and what a value should we set upon it seeing it is given us to barter with Heaven for Eternal Life and Glory and that the least moment when relapsed cannot be recalled but winds off the Thread of Life continually digging our Graves every Revolution which the Sun makes about the World divides between Life and Death and Death possesses both the Portions by the next Morrow and we are dead to all those Moments which we have already lived and we shall never live them over again and still God makes little periods of our Age First we change one World when we come from the Womb to feel the warmth of the Sun then we sleep and enter into the Image of Death in which State we are unconcerned and so wear away till we drop into the Grave which is sure to claim its right as well of the Mighty as the Feeble the Great and Noble alike lye down in the Dust Kings and their Progeny are here levelled and it is only their good Actions and Fame can survive them and blossom like the Rod of Aron after they are withered and crumbled into Atoms When thou says the Psalmist dost chasten Man for his Sin thou makest his Beauty to consume away like as it were a Moth fretting a Garment Thus we see and may seriously consider the frailty of Life which may serve to put us in mind that Noble and Illustrious Persons though sprung from Kings having Royal Blond streaming in their Veins are subject to the stroke of Fate though undoubtedly none fall without the Divine permission So teach us then O Lord to number our days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom When Alexander by his Courage and Success had over-run in Conquest a great part of the World no force or power of conquering Armies were able to Shield him from the stroke of Death Seeing Man cometh up and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadow and never continueth as it were in one stay in the midst of life we are in Death Of whom may we seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our Sins art justly displeased It is in the Lord above that we ought to have confidence in this case for he it is that shall raise us up at the last day and shall preserve our Souls alive the glorious Captain of our Salvation has already overcome Death and the power of the Grave and although that be the last Enemy he shall utterly destroy yet has he already taken away his Sting so that he cannot be terrible to those that are in Christ for his Office to them is friendly only to set the Soul at Liberty by unloc●ing the Door of the Body for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality and then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory the sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ therefore my beloved Brethren be ye steadfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your Labour is not vain in the Lord. However let us watch and pray least we enter into Temptation let us so run the Race that is set before us that we may win the Crown of Life and Glory and not loiter away our time pretending with the Sluggard that there is a Lion in the way nor sleep secure like the foolish Virgins without being prepared with Oil in our Lamps till the Cry of the coming of the Bridegroom be heard let us rather consider we should be diligent and watchfull and that every Meal we eat is no lest than a Rescue from Death and lays up for another and whilst we think a Thought Time passes away and the Clock strikes and reckons on our Portion and shows us that our Life is but Vanity and that we are posting and so much nearer to Eternity we form our Words with the Breath of our Nostrils and we have the less to live upon for every Word we speak Thus Nature calls us to meditate on Death by those things that are instrumental of acting it and God by the variety of his Providence makes us see Death every where in all variety of Circumstances dressed up for all the Fancies and the Expectations of every single Person Nature hath given us one Harvest every year but Death hath two old and young ripe and unripe fall by his impartial Hand it meets us every where and is procured by every Instrument and all Chances entring in at many Doors by violence or secret influence in the Bed of Honour or in an easie Bed of Down and this ought to be before Eyes For as a Father says if we seriously meditate on our Deaths and the day of Judgment we should never do amiss for then it would keep an A we and Reverence upon our Minds to live as we expected to dye and appear before the Tribunal of the tremendious God of all the Earth Cast thy Burthen upon the Lord says the Psalmist and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the Righteous to be moved there is no refuge from Death and the Grave then all the shelter we can propose is to fly to God who is Lord of Life and Death appealing from his Justice to his Mercy and humbling our selves at his Foot-stool and say Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not thy mercifull Ears unto our Prayers let us not be overcome with the fear of Death nor slight its terrors even in the day of Prosperity least we deceive our own Souls for if we put far away the evil day it may suddenly overtake us unprepared Nor is it all times in our power to repent God's Spirit will not always strive with Man and if he withdraw his Grace we are of all Creatures the most miserable and therefore whilst it is to day let us hear his Voice summoning us to our latter end and though we are strong and in Health living at ease or encompassed with Friends yet we are uncertain how long we have to live and indeed the longest Life is too short for a sincere and worthy Repentance to Eternal Life for though we be never so watchful over our selves some Temptations will prevail some Sins more than we able to resist will be chasing with us our Bones are full of the Sins of our Youth and they will as the Scripture says lye down with us in the Dust The Glory and Beauty of Man may be in this Life compared to a Rose for its duration for so we see