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	soul_n	state_n	7,301	5	6.5610	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80841	The good man's epitaph briefly explained & applyed in a sermon at the funeral of Mr. John Drury. By Thomas Cartwright, M. of A. of Queens College Oxon, and now vicar of Waltham-stow in Essex.	Cartwright, Thomas, 1634-1689.	1659 (1659)	Wing C699; Thomason E1001_16; ESTC R207856	12,722	24

forsake us but our Good works prove our close and faithful friends they follow us still in regard whereof David extolls this as one of the Priviledges of godly men That they shall eat the labor of their hands happy shall they be and it shall be well Psal 128. 2. with them insomuch that when their palates shall disgust all other things yet shall their souls be much affected in tasting the Fruits of their Labors But when do these Works of theirs follow them and what haste do they make will you say I answer Those Works which they did in the Soul only follow them through the Chambers of death and overtake them immediately The soul instantly after her departure from the Bodie receiving upon the state of separation her reward for them but as for those which they performed partly by the soul and partly by the body those will not make any more haste then to overtake them by the Day of Judgment their recompence being reserved for the Sentence of Remuneration to be pronounced at that day Mat. 25. 34 35. If Our Works shall certainly follow us what manner of men ought we to be in all sober conversation And what a bitter Pill is this for those wicked men to chew upon whose consciences will convince them That all their works have been works of Darkness when they shall certainly know that they will follow them into the Place of Eternal Darkness which to prevent follow your works now that they may follow you hereafter To do well here is the only way to fare well hereafter and therefore they are the wisest men who are the best livers The fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is Understanding If honour liberty length of dayes riches or contentment might have the favour to pass with us for things desireable that which God commands us for our duty might easily suffer us for our reward too If we had so much of the Saducee in us as not to believe the Resurrection or of the Atheist as not to dream of the life to come yet methinks there is allurement enough in goodness to chalenge our choice our sweat our industry But if our obligation to it and comfort which we may reap from it will not move us think upon the benefit and reward which will follow it for if Faith can but discover to you what the eyes of reason is too dim to see the eternal weight of glory which is laid up for those in the life to come who shall serve God in this I cannot think how you can need any encouragement to press you to lead your lives in a constant obedience to Gods commands as I question not but our deceased brother did that so when sickness shall nail you to your Pillowes you may have a full assurance that you shall dye in the Lord and partake of that blessedness which I am fully perswaded he now inherits To give the dead their due praises is both for the Glory of God and the benefit of the living And therefore I shall not need to crave your pardon but patience whilst I unlock our dear brothers Coffin and set his chief virtues out as so many precious Jewels before you which are the rather worth your present view because they follow him But because Adulation has been a familiar vice too frequently following Hearses in this latter age to their Graves and that it may appear to you all how sollicitous I am to avoid it I shall not play the Wire-drawer with his commendations but rather omit the mentioning of those things which could not possibly incur the suspition of either flattery or falsehood His carriage to those of his acquaintance was so modest his words so civil his dealings so just his conversation so obliging and his friendship so real that I may confidently say he left a monument in every brest that knew him And I begin the rather with this because he himself sufficiently understood what is fit to be preacht to you how Morality is a fair step toward Christianity and the Observation of the second Table the best touchstone to try our sincere obedience to the first But to his endless commendations as well as comfort he did not rest here but went on in the course of his life to prove himself a religious as well as an honest man of his stedfastness in the true Faith notwithstanding the many temptations which our giddy times might profer to shake it as likewise his frequent attending on the ordinances and improvement by them he hath left me amongst others a faithful witness and of his more than ordinary diligence in those stricter duties which require more retirement his nearest relations give abundant testimony all his actions were sufficient evidences that he judged his Wife his second self for he behaved himself so lovingly so meekly so courteously tow●●ds her that there was no difference or distast between them from the first hour of their acquaintance to that of his departure nor did he seem to entertain any displeasure but that he could not be better than he was so that his worth was like her loss and therefore not to be exprest but with silence and admiration In fine he was neither ashamed to live nor afraid to dye out of a full perswasion that Christ would be an advantage to him in both Now before we lay him in the Grave that bed in which he will rest from his labours let me bespeak his nearest surviving relations that they would set bounds to restrain their exorbitant passions Rachel though otherwise very good yet was in this too much a woman that she would not be comforted I neither hope nor attempt to preach you up to a stoical Apathy our headstrong passions like unruly Horses are not to be broken at the first attempt and therefore there will be time as well as wisdome required to moderate them 'T is true the blow by which he fell did reach to you who were so neerly concerned in him but yet remember from whose hand it came even from God and then you 'l find your selves obliged to sit down in silence and give glory to him by shewing the strength of your graces in this present opportunity which he gives you of exercising them This will work you up to acquiesce in old Eli's resolution It is the Lord let him do what seems him good It behoves you rather to be thankful to God for sparing him so long than to murmur and repine at his taking him away now at last I know you love him too well to wish the deferring of his happiness which yet he could never have had but by death and therefore do not betray so great a design of injuring him as to be sorry that his goodness hindred him no longer from glory Put this Dilemma to your own Souls and try what answer they can give you to it Either you loved him for himself and then you must needs be pleased with that change which makes so much for his advantage or else you loved your selves in him and then you may very well be ashamed to let us know it If you sorrow for him as those without hope you distrust this voyce from heaven and if an Angel should come from thence you would not believe him Though the loss be yours yet the gain is his nay the loss cannot be yours because the gain is his whatsoever you complain of he is freed from whatsoever you desire if it be good he enjoyes it and therefore weep not for him but your selves and though his Soul be beyond the reach of your commendations yet consider how you are obliged to follow after him by invitation that so you living as he did in the fear may dye in the favour of the Lord and in his good time rest from your labours and of his special grace have your best works that is the comfort and exceeding great reward of them following you into his presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Amen FINIS