Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A63269
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Of the causes and cure of sad disconsolate thoughts in Christians. By one of their sympathizing fellow-members, W. Traughton
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Troughton, William, 1614?-1677?; J. D., engraver.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing T2317; ESTC R219353
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23,660
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96
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The Day before he dyed he called for the holy Bible with these very words Come O come Death approacheth let us gather some Flowers to comfort in this Hour And turning with his own Hands to the Eight Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans he gave me the Book saith Mr. Leigh who relates these Passages in a printed Book and bade me Read At the end of every Verse he made a Selah or Pause and gave the Sense in such sort and feeling as we perceived was much to his own Comfort but more to our Joy and Wonder Having thus continued his Meditation and Exposition for the space of two Hours or more on the suddain he said O stay your reading What Brightness is this I see Have ye light up any Candles To which it was Answered No It is the Sun-Shine For it was about five a Clock in a clear Summer's-Evening Sun-shine saith he nay my Saviour's Shine Now farewell World welcome Heaven The Day Starr from on high hath visited mine Heart O speak it when I am gone and Preach it at my Funeral That God dealeth familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the Body or out of the Body I cannot tell God He knoweth But I see Things that are unutterable And raising himself as Jacob did upon his Staff he shut up his blessed Life with these blessed words O What a happy Change shall I make from Night to Day from Darkness to Light from Death to Life from Sorrow to Solace from a factious World to a Heavenly Being O my dear Bretheren Sisters and Friends it pittieth me to leave you behind yet Remember my Death when I am gone And what I now feel I hope you shall find ere you dye That God doth and will deal familiarly with Men. And now thou fiery Chariot that came down to fetch up Eliah carry me to my happy Hold And all ye blessed Angels who attended the Soul of Lazarus to bring it up to Heaven bear me O bear me into the Bosom of my best Beloved Amen Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly And so he fell asleep O therefore Enrich thy Soul with those Hevenly Treasures and fill thy Heart with those blessed Truths and Divine Mysteries that are contained in the Scriptures as the Saints whom I have mentioned and many thousands more have done in their great Straits and Temptations Acknowledge the Goodness of God and magnifie the Riches of his Grace towards poor Sinners Many and wonderful O Lord my God are Thy Thoughts to us-ward they are more than can be numbered Psal 40.5 And again How pretious are thy Thoughts unto me O God How great is the Sum of them Psal 139.17 Now that thou may'st have a right and spiritual understanding of the Holy Scriptures whilst thou readest them for the benefit and comfort of thy sad disconsolate soul First Beg Wisdom of the only VVise God who gives liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1.5 that by God's VVisdom thou mayest know God's Mind and discern the true sence and meaning of the Scriptures by the Assistance of the Divine Spirit which Indited the same What the VVoman said of Jacob's-Well may be truly affiâ—med of the Scriptures Thou hast nothing to draw with and the VVell is deep John 4.11 Scripture mysteries are profound and our Capacities but shallow desire the Lord therefore to anoynt thine eyes with Eye-salve that thou mayest see and to open thine Understanding that thou may'st rightly and spiritually understand the Scriptures Rev. 3.18 Psal 119.18 Luk. 24.45 Luther professed that he got more Understanding by Prayer than by all his Study besides Secondly Labour for a truly gracious Spirit which being once attain'd thou wilt be able to penetrate into the inward Marrow and mystery of the Holy Scriptures He will best comprehend the true sence of Scripture in his head that hath it written and impress'd upon his heart Thou wilt never as one truly observes understand Paul's meaning unless thou art endued with Paul's spirit The Secret of God is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25.12 14. And Christ in the Gospel will manifest himself to them that Love him and such shall know the mind of the Lord Joh. 14.21 22 23. Thirdly Come to the reading and perusing of the Scriptures with an humble self-denying frame of heart and be not puffed up with a vain Conceit of thine own knowledge and attainments He that thinks he knowes any thing knowes nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Empty Vessels are most receptive and so are self-emptied Christians It 's a great help to Knowledg not to be ignorant of our Ignorance * Deo meo gratias ago quod Ignorantiam meam non ignoro The fruitful showers quickly glide away from the lofty Hills But they stay and smoke in the Low-Valleys God who resists the Proud gives Grace and Spiritual Knowledge to the humble With the Lowly is true Wisdom Prov. 11.2 And the Meek and Humble he will teach his Way Psal 25.9 Math. 11.25 Fourthly Observe and eye Christ and Salvation by him as the very Scope Marrow and Substance of the whole Scriptures What are the Scriptures but as it were the Spiritual swadling-Cloaths of the Holy Child Jesus He is the Truth and Substance of all the Types and Shaddows He is the Matter and Quintescence of the Covenant of Grace under all the Administrations thereof The Center of all the Promises In whom they are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 The Thing signifyed sealed and exhibited in all the Sacraments of the Old and New-Testament The holy Scripture What is it else but Christ's Light whereby we come to know him Christ's Voyce whereby we hear and follow Him and Christ's Cords of Love whereby we are drawn into sweet Union and Fellowship with Him But to Conclude Suppose thou should'st have Breach upon Breach and still remain a sad pensive Soul all thy Dayes here in this Life without any Spiritual Comfort or Inlargment after all thy Wrestlings and Endeavours it may be for twenty thirty or forty Years yet What is this to Eternity What if it were for a hundred Years so thou com'st to Heaven at last and escap'st those Everlasting Torments which are prepared for the Wicked Ye shall weep and lament saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 16.20 but the World shall rejoyce Yea but your Sorrow shall be turn'd into Joy and the World 's Rejoycing into Sorrow and Lamentation Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be Comforted Math. 5.4 The Lord supports his People by the secret powerful Influence of his Grace whil'st they walk in darkness and want the Light of Spiritual Consolation And here let us consider these four things 1. God doth never totally desert his Saints The Lord will not forsake his People for his great Name 's sake 1 Sam. 12.22 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 The Words are Emphatical Here
Distress prayed often and earnestly Luk. 22.44 Is any among you Afflicted saith the Apostle Jam. 5.13 let him Pray This Direction may be drawn out and improved in five Particulars 1. Suppose thy Case be as sad as Jobs was Cap. 10. v. 15 16 17. thou art full of Distraction and Confusion the Lord hunts thee as a fierce Lyon and increaseth his Indignation upon thee contending still with thee as if he were thy greatest Enemy Yet now fall down and Prostrate thy self humbly at his Feet as a poor silly helpless Lamb and if thou must needs dye and perish yet dye at His Feet mourning and bleeding out thy-Heart in Sighs and Tears Take heed of a fretting murmuring Spirit which is exceeding offensive to God Be still and quiet not a word put thy Mouth in the Dust It is good that a Man should hope and quietly wait on God Lam. 3.26 29. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him saith the Church Mic. 7.9 Kiss the Rod as a submissive Child and acknowledge that it is of the Lord's Mercy that thou art not consumed 2. When God seems to pursue thee hard and to bend his Bow and shoot his Arrows against thee desire him humbly to Remember the Thoughts of Love and Peace which he had to poor Sinners from Eternity These Thoughts he delights in they are more than can be numbered Psal 40.5 and what Are they restrained in Him Hath God forgotten to be Gratious Hath He for ever shut up his tender Mercies Surely He hath not Psal 77.9 Put him in mind of that infinite All-sufficient Righteousness and Merit which is in Christ whereof Himself hath no need no nor the Blessed Angels that never sinned But it is reserved for poor sinful Men and Women such as thou art If thou sayest Thou art unworthy yea but He loves freely Hos 14.4 If the greatness of thy Sins be objected against thee tell him That there is plenteous Redemption for thee in and with Christ Psal 130.7 Art thou ungodly and wicked in thy self the Scripture saith That he Justifies the ungodly Rom. 4.5 and that Christ received Gifts for Sinners yea for the Rebellious that the Lord God might dwell with them Psal 68.18 Art thou no better than a Dogg Yea but the Doggs they eat the Crumbs that fall from their Master's Table Christ hath reserved some Crumbs of Mercy and Comfort for thee Math. 15.27 3. If he still pursue thee in his Anger and set thee as a Mark to shoot at so that thou art a Burthen to thy self Job 7.20 Ask him humbly with Tears in thy Eyes What he aimes at Is it to have the Victory over thee that he might be justifyed in his Sayings and might over-come when he is Judged Rom. 3.4 Tell him freely Thou wilt yeild to him as a poor Captive and stand out with him in nothing and that he shall need no other Judge or Jury to condemn thee but thy self Thou art very willing to justifie him in all things and to sentence and condemn thy self only beseech him to consider what Victory what Honour it will be to so Great and Infinite a God as He is to pursue a little dry Stubble to break a poor Leaf that is bruis'd already and crumbles under his Fingers if he do but touch it Job 13.25 Say to Him Thou art Impar Congressus Thou art far from being an equal Match to Him and He is so Noble so Generous as not to set Himself against a Worm against a poor weak Leaf that yeilds and falls under His hand having said That He will not contend for ever lest the Spirit should utterly fail before him Isa 57.19 4. If it should be hinted to thee as if God would glorify Himself in thy Eternal Destruction and Condemnation tell him 'T is true he may But yet before he thrust his Sword in thee desire Him with Reverence and Submission to consider That he first sheathed it in the Blood of His Son and what profit will there be in thy Blood and Destruction If Satisfaction to Divine Justice be his end and designe He may have that in and from the Propitiatory-Sacrifice and Death of Christ and so be no loser And as for thy Salvation it will be more for his Glory than thy Condemnation If he require more Ojbedience of thee Alas this is not the way to perform it when thy poor Soul is distracted with his Terrors and thou art as a Man that hath no Strength numbred amongst the Dead as Heman speaks Psal 88.4 5 15. The more Spiritual Peace and Joy and Soul hath the more Service and Obedience it will be able to perform to God who loves a chearful Giver The Joy of the Lord is the Strength of the Soul Nehem. 8.10 If it be suggested to thee That if thou hadst more Assurance Joy and Inlargement thou wouldst abuse it and grow wanton Tell God humbly That he may also prevent that if He please by the Power of His Grace and by writing the Law of Love in thy Heart by his Spirit which will constraine thee to love Him and to live to Him 2 Cor. 5.14 And Love is as strong as Death Many Waters cannot quench it neither can the Floods drown it Cant. 8.6 7. And though thou hast a froward and stubborn Heart which thou canst not chuse but sadly complain of yet so had he whom the Prophet speaks of Isa 57.17 18. God hid his Face from him was wrath and smote him and he went on frowardly in the way of his Heart Yet for all this saith the Lord I have seen his wayes and will heal him and restore Comforts to him 5. If thy Temptation be so great and thy Condition so sad as if there were no other Remedy but God and thou must part yet labour notwithstanding to have good thoughts of God and to bless Him for those glorious Attributes and excellencies of Mercy Truth Wisdom Holiness that are in him Bless Him for his mercy and goodness to others and for enabling them to serve him with chearfulness and success Bless him for the good things which thou hast formerly received from Him and if thou hast done or suffered any thing for God in thy time wish with all thy soul it had been a thousand times more And confess thy self unworthy lesser than the least of those Mercies he hath bestowed on thee and that thou art infinitly ingaged to Him for what is past if He should cast thee off for time to come and never smile upon thee again Desire Him only that He would preserve and maintain in thee good and honourable thoughts of His Majesty that thou maist not in the least derogate from His Honour or Blaspheme his Holy Name however he is pleased to deal with thee as to Spiritual Peace and Comfort And who knows but whilst thou art thus bemoaning thy self as Ephraim did though the Lord at present seem to look Stern and to speak Angerly to thee yet