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	natural_a	soul_n	9,727	5	5.7294	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11818	The Christians daily walke in holy securitie and peace Being an answer to these questions, 1. How a man may doe each present dayes worke, with Christian chearefulnesse? 2. How to beare each present dayes crosse with Christian patience? Containing familiar directions; shewing 1. How to walke with God in the whole course of a mans life. 2. How to be upright in the said walking. 3. How to liue without taking care or thought any thing. 4. How to get and keepe true peace with God; wherein are manifold helpes to prevent and remove damnable presumption: also to quiet and to ease distressed consciences. First intended for private use; now (through importunity) published for the common good. By Henry Scudder, preacher of the word.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1631 (1631)	STC 22117; ESTC S106698	278,031	844

had faith they should not doubt of their iustification nor of Gods love to them in Christ But many doubt that they have no faith or if they have any it is so little that it cannot be sufficient to carry them through all oppositions to the end unto salvation First if you have any faith though no more then as a graine of Mustard-seed you should not feare your finall estate nor yet doubt of Gods love for it is not the great quantitie and measure of faith that saveth but the excellent property and use of faith if it be true though never so small For a man is not saved by the worth of his faith by which he beleeveth but by the worth of Christ the person on whom hee beleeveth Now the least true faith doth apprehend whole Christ as a little hand may hold a Iewel of infinite worth as well though not so strongly as a bigger The least infant is as truly a man as soone as ever it is endued with a reasonable soule as afterward when it is able to shew forth the operations of it though not so strong a man even so it is in the state of Regeneration Now you should consider that God hath Babes in Christ as well as ●ld men feeble minded as well as strong sicke children as well as whole in his familie And those that have least strength and are weakest of whom the holy Ghost saith they have a little strength in comparison yet they have so much as through God will enable them in the time of greatest trials to keepe Gods Word and that they shall not deny Christs Name Also know God like a tender father doth not cast off such as are little feeble and weake but hath given speciall charge concerning the cherishing supporting and comforting of these rather than others And Christ Iesus hee will blow up and not quench the least sparke of faith This which I have said in commendation of little faith is onely to keepe him that hath no more from despaire Let none herby please or content himselfe with his little faith not striving to grow and be strong in faith If he do it is to be feared that he hath none at all or if he have yet he must know that hee will have much to doe to live when he hath no more than can keepe life and soule together and his life will be very unprofitable and uncomfortable in comparison of him that hath a strong faith But you will say you are 1 so full of feares and doubtings 2 you are so fearefull to dye and to heare of our comming to iudgement and 3 you cannot feele that you have faith you cannot feele joy and comfort in beleeving wherefore you feare you have no faith First if you having so sure a word and promise doe yet doubt and feare so much as you say it is your great sinne and I must blame you now in our Saviours name as he did his Disciples then saying Why are you fearefull why are yee doubtfull O yee of little faith But to your reformation and comfort observe it he doth not argue them to be of no faith but onely of little faith saying O yee of little faith Thus you see that some feares and doubtings doe not argue no faith Secondly Touching feare of death and judgement some feare doth not exclude all faith Many out of their naturall constitution are more fearefull of death than others Yea pure nature will startle and shrink to think of the separation of two so neare and so ancient and such deare friends as the soule and body have been Good men such as David and Hezekiah have shewed their unwillingnesse to die And many upon a mistaking conceiving the pangs and paines of death in the parting of the soule out of the body to be most torterous and unsufferable are afraid to dye Whereas unto many the neerer they are to their end the lesse is their extremitie of paine and very many goe away in a quiet swoone without paine And as for being moved with some feare at the thought of the day of Iudgement who can thinke of that great appearance before so glorious a Maiesty such as Christ shall appeare in to answer for all the things he hath done in his body without trembling The Apostle calleth the thoughts thereof the terror of the Lord. Indeede to bee perplexed with the thoughts of the one or other argueth imperfection of faith and hope but not an utter absence of either You have other and better things to doe in this case than to make such dangerous conclusions viz. that you have no faith c. upon such weake grounds You should rather when you feele this over-fearefulnesse to die and come to Iudgement labour to finde out the ground of your error and study and indevour to reforme it Vnwillingnesse to dye may come from these causes First From too high an estimation and from too great a love to earthly things of some kinde or other which maketh you afraid and too loath to part with them Secondly You may bee unwilling to die because of ignorance of the super abundant and inconceivable excellencies of the happinesse of Saints departed which if you knew you would bee willing Thirdly Feare of death and comming to Iudgement doth for the most part rise from a conscience guilty of the sentence of condemnation being without assurance that when you dye you shall goe to heaven Wherefore if you would be free from troublesome feare of death and Iudgement Learne 1 to thinke meanely and basely of the world in comparison of those better things provided for them that love God and use all things of the world accordingly without setting your heart upon them as if you used them not 2 While you live here on earth take your selves aside oft times in your thoughts and enter into heaven and contemplate deeply the ioyes thereof 3 Give all diligence to make your calling and election and right unto heaven sure unto your selves But let me give you this needfull Item that you be willing and ready to judge it to be sure when it is sure and when you have cause so to judge Let your care bee onely to live well joyning unto faith vertue c. and you cannot but dye well Death at first appearance like a Serpent seemeth terrible but by faith you may see this Serpents sting taken out which when you consider you may for your refreshing receive it into your bosome The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law but the Law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed you from the law of sinne and of death I confesse that when you see this pale horse death approaching it may cause nature to shrinke but when you consider that his errant is to carry you with speede unto your desired home unto a state of glory how can you

hony enough from any one neither would Salomon have tryed so many conclusions if the enioyment of anie creature could have made him happy Would you know the cause why so many like Ixion make love to shadowes and leave the substance or that I may speake in a better phrase forsake the fountaine of living water and dig to themselves broken Cisternes that will hold no water Briefly it is because man who in his pride would have seene as much as God is now become so blinde that hee seeth not himselfe For if men knew either the disposition of their soules by Creation or the distemper of their soules by corruption they would easily escape this delusion 1. The soule is a spirituall substance whose originall is from God and therefore its rest must be in God as the Rivers runne into the Sea and as every body rests in its center The noblest faculties are abased not improved abused not imployed vexed not satisfied when they are yoaked and subiected to these in eriour obiects as when Nebuchadnezzar fedde amongst beasts Or when as they that were brought up in Scarlet embraced the dung Or as when Servants rode on horse-backe and Masters walked like Servants on the ground Or as when 70. Kings like dogges did eate bread under Adoni-bezeks table Or as when Sampson made the Philistims merry with his eyes put out 2. Consider the soule as it is now in this state of corruption nothing can now content it but that which can cure it The soule is full of sinne which is the most painefull sicknesse hence the Prophet compares wicked men to the raging waves of the Sea that is never at rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt what will you doe to comfort him that is heart-sicke Bring him the choisest delicates Hee cannot relish them Compasse him about with merry company and musicke It 's tedious and troublesome to him bring him to a better Chamber lay him in an easier bed all will not satisfie him Bring the Physician to him then he conceives hope let the Physician cure him of his distemper and then hee will eat courser meat with a better stomacke and sleepe on a harder bed in a worse chamber with a more quiet and contented heart Iust so it is with a guilty Conscience though hee is not alwayes sensible of it What comfort can his friends give him when God is his enemie What delight can hee take in his stately buildings or frequent visits who may expect even this night to have his soule fetcht away from him and to be cast into hell amongst Devils What is a golden chaine about a Leprous person or the richest apparell upon a dead carkasse Or what comfort will a costly banquet yeeld to a condemned malefactor who is now going to execution Surely no more than Adam found when hee had sinned in the Garden or then Hamon had when Assuerus frowned on him in the banquet On the other side Let a man bee in peace with God and in a sweet communion enioy the influence of heavenly graces and comforts in his soule he can rejoyce in tribulation sing in prison solace himselfe in death and comfort his soule against principalities and powers tribulation and anguish height and depth things present and things to come This true happinesse which all men desire but most misse it by mistaking the readie way conducing to it is the subiect matter of this Booke Here you shall learne the right way of peace How a man may doe every dayes duty conscionably and beare every dayes crosse comfortably receive it thankefully and read it carefully But this course is too strict In bodily distempers we account that Physician the wisest and best who regards more the health than the will of his patient The ●●rpenter squares his worke by the Rule not the Rule by his worke Oh miserable man what an Antipathy against truth is in this cursed corrupted nature which had rather perish by false principles then be saved by receiving and obeying the truth But secondly as it 's strict so it 's necessary and in that case strictnesse doth not blunt but sharpen the edge of industry to dutie Therefore saith our Saviour strive to enter in at the straight gate that is therefore strive to enter because the gate is straight Bradford well compared the way of Religion to a narrow Bridge over a large and deepe River from which the least turning awry is dangerous Wee see into what a Gulfe of miserie Adam plunged himselfe and his posterity by stepping aside from Gods way Therefore forget not these Rules of the Apostle Walke circumspectly and make straight steppes to your feet lest that which is halting be turned out of the way But many of Gods children attaine not to this strictnesse yet are saved It 's true though all Gods children travell to one Countrey yet not with equall agility and speed they all shoote at one marke yet not with the same dexterity strength Some difference there is in the outward action none in their inward intention some inequality there is in the event none in the affection in degrees there is some disparity none in truth and uprightnesse All that are regenerate are alike strict in these five things at least First they have but one path one way wherein they all walke Secondly they have but one rule to guide them in that way which they all follow Thirdly All their eyes are upon this rule so as they are not willingly ignorant of any truth Nor doe they suppresse or detaine any knowne truth in unrighteousnesse but they stand in the waies and aske for the old way which is the good way Fourthly They all desire and endevour to obey every truth not onely to walke in all the Commandements of God without reproofe before men but also in all things to live honestly and uprightly before God Fi●tly If they fall by occasion as a member may by accident bee disioynted yet they are in paine t●● they be set right againe if they stumble through infirmity as sheepe may slip into a puddle yet they will not lye downe and wallow in the mire which is the property of Swine if they are sometimes drawne aside by violent temptations or step aside by mistake yet they will not walke on in the Counsaile of the wicked nor shall any way of wickednesse that is a constant or daily course in any one sinne bee found in them They are so far from perverting the straight wayes of God that is Speaking evill of that is good that they will iustifie God in condemning themselves and subscribe to the righteousnesse of his Word praying that their wayes might be directed to keepe his statutes To conclude Laying aside all cavils beg of God a teacheable d●sposition and make thy best profit of the labours of this faithfull servant

but chiefly considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you and withall seeing God and Christ himself by the hand of his Minister truely giving Christs ●…ery body and bloud sacramentally to signifie and seale it unto you it should raise your heart ●o an holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ and it ●hould stirre you up in the very ●ct of taking the bread and wine 〈…〉 a reverend and thankefull re●●iving of this his body and bloud 〈…〉 faith discerning the Lords bo●…e gathering assurance hereby ●…at now all enmitie betweene ●…od and you is done away and ●…at you by this as by spirituall ●…od and life shall grow up in ●…m with the rest of his mysti●…ll body unto everlasting life After that you have received untill you bee to joyue in pub●…ke prayse and prayers affect ●…ur heart with ioy and thankefulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sinnes and of salvation by Christ yea more than if you being a bankrupt should receive an acquittance sealed of the Release of all your debts and with it a Wil and Testament wherein you should have a Legacie of no l●sse than a Kingdome s●aled with such a seale as doth give cleare proofe of the fidelitie ability and death of the Testator or then it having been a traitour you should receive a free and sul● pardon from the King sea●ed with his own seale together with an Assurance that ●●●a●h adopted you to bee his c●ild to be married to his sonne the h●ire of the Crowne This is your case when by faith you receive the bread wine the body and bloud of the Lord. Think● thus therefore with joy and rejoycing in God oh how happi●… am I in Christ my Saviour G●… who hath given him to death fo●… me and also given him to me how shal he not with him give me all things also even whatsoever may pertaine to life godlinesse and glory Who shall lay any thing to my charge c Who or what can separate me from the love of CHRIST c Resolve withall upon a constant and an unfained endevour to performe all duties becomming one thus acquitted thus redeemed pardoned and advanced and this in token of thankfulnesse even to keepe covenants required to be performed on your part undoubtedly expecting whatsoever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part Ioyne in publike prayse and prayer heartily and in a liberall contribution to the poore if there be a Collection After the Sacrament If you feele your faith strengthned and your soule comforted nourish it with all thankfulnesse If not yet if your Conscience can witnesse that you endevo●ed to prepare as you ought and to receive as you ought be not discouraged but wait for strength and comfort in due time Wee doe not alwaies feele the benefit of bodily food presently but stirring of humors and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned yet in the end being well digested it strengthnet●● so ●● is oft with spiritua●l food corruption may stirre and temptations may arise more upon the receiving then before especially sith Satan if it be but to vexe a tender-hearted Christian will ●ereupon take occasiō to tempt with more violence But if you resist these and stand resolved to obey and to rely upon Gods mercy in Christ this is rather a signe of receiving worthily so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthned and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your Watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spirituall food by further meditation improving that strength you have praying for more strength remembring the Commandement which biddeth you to be strong and you shall be strengthned Lastly If you finde your selfe worse indeed or doe feele Gods heavy hand in speciall sort upon you following upon your receiving and your Conscience can witnesse truly that you came not prepared or that you did wittingly and carelesly faile in such or such a particular in receiving it is evident you did receive unworthily In which case you must heartily bewaile your sin confesse it to God aske and beleeve that he will pardon it and take heed that you offend not in that kinde another time Vpon the Lords day you must likewise bee readie to visit and relieve the distressed Take some time also this day to looke into your by past life and chiefly to your walking with God the last weeke asbeing in freshest memory and bee sure to set all straight betweene God and you Last of all on every opportunitie take good time to consider Gods workes what they are in themselves what they are against the wicked what they are to the Church and to your selfe and to yours And in parricular take occasion from the Day it selfe to thinke fruitfully of the Creation of your Redemption Sanctification and of your eternall Rest and glory to come For God in his holy wisedome hath s●t such a divine print upon this our Lords day that at once it doth minde us of the greatest workes of God which either make for his glory or his Churches good As of the Creation of the World in six dayes hee resting the seventh which specially isattributed to the Father And of mans redemption by Christ of whose resurrection this Day is a remembrance which is specially attributed to the Sonne Also of our sanctification by the Spirit for that the observation of the Sabbath is a signe and meanes of holinesse which worke is specially attributed to the holy Ghost Lastly of your and the Churches glorification which shall be the joynt work of the blessed Trinity when we shal ceasefrom al our works and shall rest and bee glorious with the same glory which our Head Christ hath with the Father to whom be glorie for ever and ever Amen Doe all these with delight raising up your selfe hereby to a greater measure of holinesse and heavenly m●nae●nesse Doe all this the rather because there is not a clearer signe to distinguish you from one that is prophane than this of conscionable keeping holy the Lords Day Neither is there any ordinarie means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this of due observing the Sabbath For this is Gods great Mart or Faire day for the soule on which you may buy of Christ wine milke bread marrow and fatnesse gold white raiment eye-soelve even all things which are necessary and which will satisfie and cause the soule to live It is the speciall day of Gods hearing of suites and receiving petitions It is his speciall day of proclaiming and sealing of Pardons to penitent sinners It is Gods speciall day of publishing and sealing your Patent of eternall life It is a blessed day sanctified for all these blessed purposes Now lest this urging of the moralitie of the Sabbath and so strict an observation of the Lords day in spending the whole day in holy