Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B08180
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Christian purposes and resolutions.
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D. T. (Daniel Tuvill), d. 1660.
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1611
(1611)
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STC 24393.3; ESTC S95608
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48,765
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294
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arriuall The Lord is exceeding tender ouer the godly he will preserue his body as the Apple of his eye he wil shield his soule from the power of the graue The wickednesse of Man in former times was grown to such a height and his minde so deepely rooted in all euill that GOD grew sorry hee had euer made him and was resolued to destroy both him and all thinges else from of the Earth but when he thought vpoÌ„ vpright Noah great was the care he took for the safety preseruation both of him and his He doth impart his secrets to the iust Esay 41 8. and taketh the righteous for his bosome friendes He would not hide from Abraham that which hee meant to doe to Sodome and Gomoâ—ah Gen. 18 17. And when the Patriarke had begun to intercede for them could but tenne persons haue been found vntainted with that foule corruption wherewith the inhabitants of those two places were so generally infected he would haue spared them all at his entreaty for their sakes alone as hee did Zoar at poore Lots request Gen. 19.21 so easily doth hee subscribe to the petitions and supplications of them that are sounde and pure in heart Let who so listeth therefore ambitiously affect the countenance of worldly Greatnesse I and my Thoughtes wil serue the Lord. One day within his Courtes is better then a thousande other where Psal 84.10 and I would sooner choose to be a door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the tabernacles of profaine Impiety Hos 14 7. They thaâ— rest vnder his shaddowe shall reuiue as the Corn and flourish as the Vine their beauty shall bee as the Oliue-Tree their smell as Lebanon But they that rely vppon the breath of man their glory shal vanish as the morning Dewe and as the smoak that goeth out oâ— the Chimney I will abandon therefore with Moses the delicates of Pharaohs Table to bee a Partner in all disastrous accidents with the Children of Israell and desire rather to lye at the gates of Mordecai and be a sharer in the afflictions of my distressed Bretheren then stand with Hamon at the Kings elbow Heere now is Grace and by by a graue but loue and honour commeth there in the riere-warde of all trouble XLVI MAns heart is like a House the closer he keepeth it the worse it is The doores windowes of it must by a true confession of his sins bee set wide open to the Lord that by the beames of his enlightning Spirit the roomes thereof may be well ayred and euery corner of it sweetned against the comming of his Sauiour and Redeemer Open to me my Sister my Loue Cant. 5 2. my Doue sayd Christ vnto his Spouse and in the Reuelation I stand at the doore knock if any Man open Reuel 3 20 I will comâ— in vnto him and will sâ—â— with him and he with me He carrieth a good opinion conceit of those that are ready at the gate to giue him entertainement or that at the least no sooner heare him but with the greatest speede they let him in hee will minister comfort and consolation vnto them that by repentance make knowne vnto him theyr cares and grieuaunces But such as will not acknowledge his voice nor make him entrance when he calleth at the first do but awaken his iealousy and giue him cause to doubt that all is not wel within They haue assuredly some Vnder-sitters that dare not abide the presence of authority either for that or some such like coÌ„sideration are slacke in his admission I will confesse therefore against my selfe Psal 32.5 my wickednesse vnto the Lord and hee shall forgiue the forfeiture of my misdeedes Pro. 28.13 I wil discouer to him mine iniquities and he shall cleanse me from all vnrighteousnes who so hideth his transgressions shall neuer prosper but hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shal bee sure of mercy The Thiefe before the Iudge approach doth conuay out of his owne custody euen euery trifling thing the possession whereof he cannot iustifie to be lawfull I will imitate him in this and before such time as death shall come to apprehend me I wil clear my hart of whatsoeuer may be any way suspected Eccl. 17 27 Whilst I liue and am in health I will disclose my faultes and imperfections to the Lord I will giue him an inuentarie of my workes and weaknesses Prou. 16 3. that by so doing my thoughtes may be established If I perceiue at any time that my conscience hath surfeited vpon the seeming sweetes and pleasures of this World Eccl. 13 21 I wil according to the Wise-mans counsell arise goe out and vomit that then I may take my rest keep my Soule from sicknesse and distemperature The guilt of Sinne is an Impostume in the minde If I feele it in my bosom I will apply that to it which may draw the corruption to the outward partes If it breake within it endaungereth the life but if the rupture of it chance without there may be hope of recouery I will vnwrap the Vlcers of my soule and expose them to the viewe of Christ that hee may heale them Vnlesse I do acquaint him with my burthen how can I hope to bee refreshed by him XLVII THE hart of the foolish is a broken Vessell Eccl. 21 14. Charity will none of it It is not a Potshard that will serue her turne Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God saith she Luke 10 27 with al thy Soule and withall thy Thought and withall thy Might Such as vnderhand haue sworn allegiance to Hypocrisie and are in minde the seruants of Imposture cannot endure to heare of this They will deuide themselues into seuerall portions Hos 10 2. what the world doth leaue they will bequeath to God makes no scruple if neede require to holde a Candle for their owne aduantage both to Michaell and the Serpent Mat. 17.15 They are like that Lunatik in the Gospell one while they fall into the Fire another while they slip into the Water And hence it is that they be neither hot nor colde by reason whereof the Lord so vtterly distasteth theÌ„ that he will spue them out of his mouth Reuel 3 16 and suffer theÌ„ to slide continually from bad to worse till in the end as men not sensible of their estate they dye impenitent and not so much as toucht with any detestation or dislike of their fore-past enormities They stand in a degree of warmth which doth embolden Sathan to assaile them he neuer feareth to bee midling with them in this medling state but were they thoroughly heated with the flames of a sincere and vndisguised zeale as they ought to bee hee would not dare once to come neere them He resembleth the Fly which neuer setleth it selfe vpon the seething pot but is alwaies exceeding busie where there is an indifferency of heate Hee that
Torch-light to direct their steps there is a pillar of celestiall fire in their bosome which like a Taper giueth light vnto their feete and maketh them treade aright the paths of Gods commaundements But alas With the wicked it is nothing so Their waies are as the darknesse nor do they know into what daungerous places they may fal Iob. 5.14 They meet with blindnesse in the Morne and grope at noone as in the night they feele for the wall Esay 59.10 as men that had no Eyes and in the day their feet doe stumble as in the twilight The greater Luminaries to them are alwaies in Eclipse the lesser so obscured as help them little or not at all I will study therefore continually for holines for purenesse and sobriety The night is past the day is come Rom. 13.12 and nowe will I cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the Armour of light I will cloath my selfe with the Lord Iesus Christ take no thoght at all to satisfie the lustfull desires of the Flesh XLIII THe true Souldiour of Christ is known by nothing better then this valour He that is faint and of a fearefull Spirit is but a false vsurper of that name Deut. 20.8 The Lord of hoasts will none of so soft an edge of such an yeilding temper vnder his pay Cant. 3 8. Those of his band are strong and â—aliant they all handle the Sword and are expert in warre euery one hath his Fauchion on his Thigh for the feare by night They see the heauenly Hierusalem for which they fight before them and had rather die one foot forwards then adde many years to their life by one foote of retraite They had rather faile in good and vertuous ends for the publike then obtaine all that can be wished desired for themselues in their own proper Fortune The mouth of Wisdom hath taught them that A good heart is a continuall Feast Pro. 15.15 and that the Conscience of good intentions in themselues let their successe be what it will is a more continuall ioy to Nature then all the politicke prouision a man can make for still security and peaceable repose Such as haue wedded their affections to theyr owne particular or any way betrothed them to the things of this world and are backwardes eyther for that or other like respectes in the hazzarding of their life and liuing he vtterly cashiereth Gideon before hee doth encounter with the Midianites Iudg. 7 3. discardes the Cowards at Mount Gilead cleareth his camp of al such crackt and broken courages as fall to pieces before the presence of their enemy So likewise Iudas Maccabeus 1. Macca 3.56 before he meete the forces of Antiochus at Emmaus proclaimes a generall discharge to euery pale and milky liuer thoroughout his Army and with all willingnes doth license their departure I will at no time therefore giue place to any timorous conceit but fortifie my heart with such a setled and vnshaken confidence that Afflictioâ— come she neuer so hideously disguised shall not appale me The Lord Iesus is my Generall and the hire of my valour a Crowne of immortall glory Base were the resolution that would not wish to dye vnder the conduct of so braue a Prince for the purchase of so great a price Hee maketh himselfe my precedent and marketh out the way that I must march with the precious bloud that gusheth out of his owne wounds He calleth me after him and I will surely follow No Death nor Hell shaâ— driue me to a stand I wâ— suffer with him in th conflict that I may shaâ— with him in the Coâ—quest XLIIII TO murmure again God argueth a wâ— of Grace and to reâ— Affliction sheweth aâ—fect of heauenly consoâ—tion Eccl. 10 26 He that hath knoâ—ledge and is well instruâ—ted will vndergoe 〈◊〉 crosse with patience aâ— neither stamp nor storm to see himselfe reformed The Lord he knoweth when hee shootes his Darts doth leauell higher then at the downefall of a wretched Sinner and that howsoeuer hee bruise him it is not with a Rod of Iron Psal 2 9. howsoeuer he break him it is not like a Potters vessell but as the Gold-Smith doth his Plate to melt and fashion it anewe The Fast is as delightful to him as the Feast and the Vigile as welcome as the Holy-day it selfe Hee doth esteeme no otherwise of this Worlde then of an outward place 1. King 6.7 in which the hard stony mindes of such as God affecteth must be hammered and polished by the hands of Aduersity and Tribulation before they can bee fit to set in the Temple of that newe Hierusalem which is erected by one of greater power and Maiesty then Salomon But alasse The heart of the foolish cannot conceiue of this 'T is like the Wheele of a Cart the vaue thereof is not moistened with the Oyle of the Spirit Eccles 33 6 and doth nothing therefore but creak vnder the burthen It is a vessell which indeede is void of all good vertues and abilities It runneth only on the lees let God but strike it with his hand and the sounde it giueth will be the signall of his emptinesse In a word it is an Earthen Pipkin which wanting liquor in it Wis 1.11 is ready to cracke in pieces when it feeles the flame I will beware therfore of murmuring which auaileth nothing The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of him that Num. 11 1. muttereth and repineth shall not bee hid The Children of Israell were consumed with the Fiâ—â— of the Lord Ibid. 14 30. for their vniust complaintes He would suffer none of thâ— to enter into the Land of Promise saue onelâ— Caleb the Son of Iephâ—nah and Ioshua the sonnâ— of Nun. Whatsoeueâ— therefore it shall pleaâ— his will to lay vpon me my will shall not refuâ— to beare it I cannot 〈◊〉 conscience but suffâ— somewhat for his saâ—â— that indured so much fâ—mine Let him deal witâ— me therefore as he thinketh good I will hold my toong with the Prophet Dauid and keepe silence because it is his doing XLV VErtue is great in grace and estimatioÌ„ with the king of heauen they that embrace it are his onely fauorites Hee dooth affect them wonderfully and vseth them at all times with great familiarity Fiue hundereth sixty fiue yeares did Henoch walke with him vppon the earth Gen. 5 24. and so delighted him with the softnesse of his carriage and the sweetnesse of his conuersation that hee took him wholly to himselfe and of a Pensioner made him one of his Chamber Hee sent a Charret of Fire from aboue to fetch Elijah to him 2. Kin. 2.11 and appointed a Guard of glorious Angels to attend it hee did so long to enioy his company that Death hee thought would bee to slow a Messenger to giue his desires a speedy satisfaction contentment and did therefore send a Whirlewinde foorth to hasten his