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	paul_n	sin_n	4,579	5	4.7908	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12170	The brides longing for her bride-groomes second comming A sermon preached at the funerall of the right worshipfull, Sir Thomas Crevv, knight, sergeant at law to his maiestie. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Hughes, George, 1603-1667, attributed name.	1638 (1638)	STC 22478B; ESTC S113744	32,385	162

of grace especially that is the naturall and immediate meaning how transcendantly then unutterable and unconceivable are those things that are reserved against that time If the first fruits are so sweet what is the full harvest If the earnest bee so comfortable what is the whole bargaine If this Ioy be unspeakeable and full of Glory and this peace passe all understanding what will the fulnesse of Ioy peace and pleasures which are at Gods right hand for evermore and which shall bee then doe If the Angels wonder at the wisedome of God in the governement of his Church here in the middest of confusion how shall they bee put into a new and greater wonderment when they shall see Christ glorious in his Saints If when Christ was born in his abasement they sang Glory to God on high peace on earth good will towards men how joyful will those blessed spirits bee when Christ and all his members shall be joyned together in one body in Heaven If Abraham rejoyced to foresee by the eye of Faith the first comming of Christ in the flesh how should we joy by Faith to see the second comming of Christ If Iohn Baptist leaped in the wombe for joy at the presence of Mary the Mother of our Lord how will our hearts dance when we shall see the Lord himselfe in the great glory and Majesty of Heaven If Peter was so ravished with a little droppe and glimpse of Heaven when hee saw the transfiguration of Christ in the mount so that hee even lost and forgac himselfe and wist not what he said how shall we be affected think you when wee shall see Christ not in his transfiguration but in his glorification for ever If old Simeon when he saw Christ in his infancy embraced him in his arms and said Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seene thy salvation How shall wee bee transported with joy and admiration to see Christ not in his swadling cloathes nor in his infancy but in heaven all glorious If the sight of Christ in his Ordinances in his Word and Sacraments doth so affect a Christians heart as to transforme him into the Image of them what will it doe to see Christ face to face without these Glasses If the promises doe so quicken us as you have it in the Psalmes Thy word hath quickned mee what will the full performance of them doe If the communion of Saints here be so sweet even an Heaven upon earth what will it bee when all the blessed soules that have bin from the beginning of the World unto the end shall be all together and they altogether freed from all corruptions and infirmities what a blessed sight will that be If so bee that things prepared by men bee so glorious as the temple of Solomon was what is that glory which was prepared before the World was and is in preparing still for the Church If rest from labour bee so sweet what is the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God A little liberty from corruption a little freedome and enlargement of Spirit here how sweet is that when we are set at liberty to serve God when we have the liberty of the Spirit to goe boldly to God and to the Throne of Grace how pleasant is that But oh the liberty of glory that is true liberty indeed Beloved these things deserve and desire admiration rather then expression therefore I leave them to your wondering and admiring rather then I wil study long to expresse them Oh yee blessed soules stand still a little and consider by the eye of Faith these glorious things and times to come You see then by this the Church hath great reason to say Come Lord Iesus Besides do but consider the estate of the Church here in this world even at the best while wee are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. But for the most part the Church is in this world as Daniel in the Lions den as sheepe in the midst of ravening wolves as a Ship in the midst of the waves and as a Lily among thornes All the birds of prey doe seize on the poore Turtle-Dove of Chrict and they beare a speciall and implacable malice against Gods Church and Children Yea oftentimes those that professe religion in the forme of it doe let out the h●art blood of it in deed and deny the power thereof Wee see it hath bin for ever since Christs comming and it will bee so to the end of the World Satan abuseth the great Ordinances of God and makes them serviceable to his owne ends so that there is nothing free from Sathans defilement no not the best Ordinances of God We see how boisterously and roughly the poore church of God is handled Are there not oftentimes in the Church within it selfe prejudices surmises jealousies one against another that the company of one another is not so sweet and delightfull And Woe to the world because of offences Are there not scandals and offences in the Church that hinders the comfort of it and many times do cause the falling out of those that are otherwise truly good So that in regard of Christians themselves there is not such a sweet complacency and delight one in another as there should be and as there shall bee then Where there is a different sight and a different light there will be different judgements and affections Now al Christians in this life have both a different light and sight one sees things cleerer than another and so their judgements differ a little and therefore their affections too those promises of the Lion and the Lambe dwelling together shall not exactly bee performed untill this his second comming but there shall be something of the Lion and of the Wolfe in the best Christians but then it shall be fully satisfied then all Woolvish and Lionish dispositions shall be subdued then there shall bee no infirmity in others to displease us nor any in us to give distaste to them but then we shall have an eternall communion together Therfore is there not in regard of our selves good reason for Christians to say Amen even so come Lord Iesus Then in regard of every one in his own particular doth not every one finde that true in himselfe that Paul saith of himselfe that we carry about with us a body of sin and a body of death our corruptions that we carry about with us are like a dead body tied unto a living body now what an odious and loathsome thing is it for a man to carry about with him a dead body Thus we doe and the more wee grow in grace the more noysome it will bee to us for the more we grow in grace the more life wee have and therefore the more Antipathy against sinne The more wee grow in grace the more light wee have

a man fight indeed Are you in any disconsolate condition If you be see what the Apostle Paul saith to the The ssalonians Wherefore comfort yee one another with these words With what words Why wee shall be ever with the Lord. Oh these words will comfort indeed Consider when you have lost your friends your estate or any thing it shall be all fully made up there Doe you as it were make it up before-hand with comforts of a higher nature They bee things that will comfort indeed And so when you finde your selves dull in doing the worke of the Lord thinke upon the second comming of Christ and that hee will not then come emptie-handed but hee will bring his reward with him Consider what Saint Paul said to Timothie I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome c. The holy Apostle had no greater a conjuration to move Timothie to be diligent and to quicken him in his Ministerie then by the comming of our Lord Jesus So let us stirre up our selves and comfort our selves hereby Beloved the Soule is never in such a tune as when the thoughts of these glorious Times have raysed the Affections to the highest pitch and pegge then the Soule is never uncomfortable and so long as it is so affected it cannot sinne for wee loose our frame wee let downe the Soule in base desires wee let loose our thoughts from closing with Christ and with the time to come when wee sinne when wee let them loose then they sinke downe to earthly things and that is the cause of all sinne and of all discomfort So long then as wee keepe our hearts in a blessed frame of Faith and in a love of the appearing of Christ they are impregnable Satan cannot come betweene us and our Faith but hee labours to loosen our Faith and Love and to distract us with the businesses of the World that wee shall have very seldome thoughts of these things Alas that wee who are borne againe to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us should have so little and so light thoughts of our Inheritance If a man were to goe a Journey by Sea a yeare hence hee would be thin king every day upon his Journey what hee should have to carry with him and what will doe him good when hee comes there Wee have all of us a long Journey to goe from Earth to Heaven and wee should be thinking of it every day in the yeare But wee have a companie of men in the World all whose happinesse is in putting off all thoughts in that kind in deferring the day of their death and putting the evill day farre away from them not thinking upon them that so they may drowne themselves in pleasure and voluptuousnesse Ah! what a pittifull case hath Satan and our owne sinfull dispositions brought us unto that wee should place our happinesse safetie and comfort in putting off the thoughts of death in going on presumptuously in sinne and never thinking upon that great Day Alas they cannot thinke of it but as Felix did who when hee heard Paul dispute and reason of Righteousnesse and Temperance and Iudgement to come trembled Why let Felix tremble and let the World tremble but let every Christian that hath made his peace with God rejoice Even as poore Birds doe sing when the Spring time is returned againe for it warmes them and puts life and spirit into them and they entertaine the light and heat of the Sunne with singing and melodie so let us in our thoughts entertaine Christs comming with joy and comfort having made our peace substantially and solidely with God Let us looke up and lift up our heads with joy for our Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. Now I come to the particular occasion IT is well knowne that the particular occasion of this Meeting is to celebrate and solemnize the Funerall of that worthy man Sir THOMAS CREW one of the Kings Serjeants in regard of whom I made choise of this Text. If I wanted matter to speake of him hee had many naturall excellent parts which did commend him I might speake of the quicknesse of his wit of the firmenesse of his memorie of the readinesse of his expressions of the clearenesse and soliditie of his judgement able to penetrate into the depth of things c. And for his abilitie in his particular calling I might say many things Hee was a man very eminent in his calling hee was one of the Oracles of the Law in his time one that had gathered very long and large experience and wonderfull great dexteritie in that Profession And surely Beloved these things are not to be neglected by us though to God-ward they are not much regarded For naturall parts the Devil excells and hath more then any man but yet to men-ward they are to be esteemed for they vindicate men from the reproach and obloquie of the World They will say Such a man was a religious man but hee had no skill in his calling a good man but unlearned Now then it takes away reproach and disgrace from Religion when it can be said This was an excellent man in his Profession and withall a very excellent good Christian It is the guise and fashion of prowd Prophanenesse to lay Religion as low as they can they will take away or diminish all parts from religious persons as neere as they can that Religion it selfe may seeme vile and contemptible For if Religion once should winne credit then their basenesse would appeare the more and that their pride will not endure Wherefore if these things be to be regarded in regard of men wee ought to thanke God for it when Grace is graced with excellent parts Therefore God sometimes vouchsafeth to men that are truly religious excellencie of parts otherwise Grace is lovely in it selfe But as a precious Stone and Pearle set in Gold is more precious and glorious so Religion set in the stemme of Nature and excellent parts hath more lustre and beautie and the larger improvement You have a companie of prophane wretches in the World even in these glorious Times of the Gospel that doe glory onely in their excellent parts that will seeke even to the Devill himselfe so they may out-bragge others and gaine to themselves a reputation of wit and some will vilely adventure upon sinne against their Conscience thinking that they should lose all reputation of wit and parts if they should become religious once But you see that God oftentimes adornes religious men with excellent parts of Nature Religion indeed cuts off the froth the exuberancie and redundancie of parts but it encreaseth the soliditie of parts and spiritualizeth them and directs them to their right end to the glorie of God and good of mankind Therefore they may stand well enough together Now in this worthy man there was

to discerne the bad and the more will our love to grace encrease now the more light and life and love the more shall wee bee annoyed carrying about with us this body of sinne and the thorne in the flesh Some corruptions are as grievous to us as a Thorne that rends the flesh And this is the disposition of the best in this life Therefore in regard of the Church and the enemies of it in regard of our selves and every particular Christian in regard of their conflicting and afflicted condition have wee not cause to say Amen come Lord Iesus Thus wee see the grounds which the Church hath to say so Let us now come to the second point to try whether wee can indeed expresse this desire that the spirit of God makes For it is onely the Spirit in the Spouse that saith Come Lord Iesus Let us see whether the Spirit sayes so in us We shall not say much it may be knowne by that which hath bin said in the beginning and it is evident also besides therefore in a word or two Let us try our selves by this what benefit have we by the first comming of Christ by his death and the shedding of his blood Doth that pardon our sinnes Are our Consciences besprinkled by that from dead workes to serve the everliving God Are our hearts set at liberty to goe to the Throne of grace Have we thus any benefit by his first comming Then wee cannot but with a long and longing expectation looke for his second But on the contrary he that hath no good by the first cannot truely desire nor comfortably expect the second comming of Christ for why the second comming is but to make good what is begun here The first is to redeeme our soules the second is to glorifie our bodies If our soules bee not redeemed never look for the redemption of our bodies The first and second comming of Christ are of so neere connexion that oftentimes they are comprised together as the regeneration of our soules the regeneration of our bodies the Adoption of our soules and the Adoption of our bodies the redemption of our soules and the Redemption of our bodies to shew that wheresoever there is the true redemption and Adoption of the Soule there the Redemption and Adoption of the body will follow and an expectation thereof also Christ will be redemption to us when he hath bin redemption to our foules first in the assurance of the pardon of our sinnes Looke then to that first If we desire the second comming of Christ wee will prepare for it If a man sayes he desires to goe to some great person and yet never thinks of any preparation for it it is but a pretended desire if hee doth not put on his best cloathes and fit himselfe for it as Ioseph did for Pharoh so if a man hope for this comming of Christ he will purifie himselfe for it even as hee is pure He will not appeare in his foule cloathes but will put off the old man and put on the new He will fit himselfe as the Bride for the comming of the Bridegroome Beloved if the thoughts of Christs second comming bee not efficatious to worke in the soule a great care to fit and prepare for it it is but a false conceit and lying fancy it is no holy desire examine it by this Whether your heats bee the Kingdome of Christ whether hee rule in your hearts here Do we think to rule with him in Heaven in his Kingdome if wee will not yeeld up our Hearts to bee his Kingdome upon earth No he will come into our hearts before wee shall come to him he will come to rule in us here before we shall ever thinke to come to rule with him in heaven Therefore all they that stand out against the Ordinances of God and will live in sinne against their knowledge and conscience doe they spend any thoughts or wishes on Christs second comming He will come indeed but it will be a day of darknesse and gloominesse unto them Such persons cannot say Come Lord Iesus come quickly but Mountaines come and Rocks come come quickly Fall upon us and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Nothing will be more terrible to such then that Day Fire is the most comfortable thing and the most terrible and so God is most comfortable to his and yet most terrible to such that doe not prepare for his comming Who amongst us saith the Prophet shall dwell winh the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Who shall appeare before Christ To them then that live in their sinnes in this glorious light of the Gospel there is a most terrible threatning even from the comming of Christ. If any man love not the LORD JESUS when he is discovered cleerely in the Gospell Let him be Anathema Maranatha which is a more terrible curse then any is in the Law As the greatest blessings are from the comming of Christ so from the same is the most terrible threatning There is not such a terrible curse in all the Scriptures againe as that is in the Corinthians So that The Lord shall come in flaming fire rendering vengeance to all them that know him not and that obey not the Gospel therefore take heed of this Try it againe by holy exercises They that desire indeed the comming of Christ they exercise themselves much in holinesse they exercise themselves in the beginning of Heaven here upon earth in reading and hearing the Word in the communion of Saints in praying and acquainting themselves with God c. In what else shall we be employed when we come to Heaven There shall bee the perfection of these graces and exercises begun here upon earth Many a prophane wretches heart swells when he coms to prayer or any divine exercise hee is proudly brought up and his heart is not subdued to holy exercises here Heaven will not brooke such and such will not brooke Heaven There is nothing but praising God continually now if you will not endure these holy exercises here what should you doe in Heaven Therefore let us not deceive our own souls I beseech you If we say this truly Come Lord Iesus undoubtedly it will have an influence into our lives it will stirre up all graces in the soule as Faith to lay hold upon it hope to expect it love to embrace it patience to endure any thing for it heavenly-mindednesse to fit and prepare for it faithfulnesse in our callings that wee may make up our accoūts before that time c. There is not a grace of the spirit but it is stirred up and quickned thereby Therfore be not deceived It is impossible that wee should have dead and dull and cold hearts and yet believe this that there is such a glorious time to come undoubtedly it wil inspire and