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	union_n	6,110	5	9.7698	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45205	Dorcas revived the second time: or a sermon preached at the funerals of Mrs. Anne Mickle-thwait the one and twentieth of March 1658.	Hunter, Josiah, minister in York.	1656 (1656)	Wing H3765B; ESTC R224179	44,466	48

probable that Dorcas had been Sick before but not unto Death but now She was Sick and Dyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not break forth into any Rhetorical Declamations against the cruelty of Death yet the Scripture calls it an Enemy and the last Enemy 1 Cor. 15. and it doth the worst it can even to Gods own people But it may be said of it as Socrates said of his Enemies they may kill me but they cannot hurt me For what Basil said of Martyrdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is true of any kind of Death to Gods Children it is but a way to passe from a Temporal Life to an Eternal She Dyed The Holyest and most Religious persons are subject to Death The Apostle speaking of the Patriarches these all Dyed saith he 11 Heb. 13. Grace gives comfort in Death but not power against it It is one of the Statutes of Heaven which cannot be revoked Statutum est 9 Heb. 27. it is appointed for all Men once to die There is no man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that Warr 8 Eccl. 8. no union unseperable but that between Christ and a believer Death will seperate the union between Husband and Wife between Children and Parents between David and Jonathan yea the union between Soul and Body for a time Privilegia singularia regulam non faciunt regulam non infringunt Personalis Actio moritur cum persona nec sunt amplianda privilegia but not the union between Christ and the Soul for when the people of God are dissolved then they go to be with Christ which is best of all If it be objected that Enoch and Elias never saw Death the Answer is that singular privileges neither make a Rule nor break a Rule these were personal privileges and a personal Action ever dies with the person Neither are privileges to be amplified for then they are no privileges Though Christ hath taken away the sting of Death that it cannot hurt us the strength of Death that it cannot always hold us yet hath he not as yet altogether destroyed it But the best men must dye that as Sin brought in Death so Death may again cast out Sin Death was first inflicted as the punishment of Sin now it is the end of it 2 Cor. 5.4 Therefore do the holyest men dye that their mortality may be swallowed up of life Again sometimes God takes away his dearest Children by Death 2 Chro. 34.28 ●7 Isa 1. as he did Josiah from the evil to come Lastly that of the Apostle is considerable speaking of the Martyrs he saith of whom the World was not worthy 11 Hebr. 38. The World is apt to deride revile maligne and cast aspersions upon good men they will not profit by their Admonitions and good Examples therefore the World is worthy no longer of their Societie and God takes them away He thinks that he hath let them live but too long to have no kinder usage and therefore he takes them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Justin Martyr speaks to their heavenly kindred where they shall be more made of 5 Wisd 4. Hence we learn that as they are Fools who account the Godly mans life madness so are they that think their end to be without honour It is not the misery of good men that they die For he is not miserable that dyeth but once and for a moment that death may for ever be swallowed up of life But he is miserable that is ever dying and yet lives in torments infinitely worse then death Thus it is with the wicked in Hell who passing out of this life are immediately seised on by the second death but for the Godly the Scripture saith blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death shall have no power but they shall be Preists of God and of Christ Secondly the Godly are desirous of death 20 Revel 6. 1 Phil 23. for love is an affection of Union Now Christ is with the Saint here there is security in that but the Saint also would be with Christ for in that there is full foelicity Lastly though the holiest Persons die yet God suffers not Death to put in his Sickle before they be ripe There is no question what age soever Dorcas was of being so full of good works She could not but be fit for Heaven For this reason a Christian can never die out of season Paul saith that he was as one born out of season 1 Cor. 5.8 because he had not seen Christ on Earth but he could not die out of season because he was sure to see Christ in Heaven That Dorcas died the Text tells us but how she died it doth not tell us neither was it very necessary for we may be confident that She who lived so piously could not but die peaceably She that was so full of good works in her life we may probably think that she was not full of fears at her death The wise man tels us that the wicked is driven away in his wickednesse but the righteous hath hope in his death 14 Prov. 32 Dorcas being so righteous a woman could not but have hope in her death and it is very probable She had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The full assurance of hope 6 Heb. 11. It is likely She had that full assurance of hope that filled her with joy But to be sure She had that hope in her death 5 Rom 5. which would not make her ashamed at the day of Judgement I will only add this now Dorcas is gone her works we are sure have followed her long since and our praises can add nothing to her glory only they are an excitement to our selves To him that soweth righteousnesse there shall be a sure reward 11 Pro. 18. Which reward Dorcas now hath For God is not unrighteous that he should forget Dorcas works and labour of love which She shewed towards his name in that She ministred unto the Saints 6 Hebr. 10. That Dorcas Soul is blessed I can tell you But how blessed if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not tell you The Scripture hath left us but a Negative description of the Saints blessedness Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Paul was translated out of himself to behold it 2 Cor 12. and being returned into himself could not express it Doe not envy Dorcas her happiness but imitate her holinesse 14 Rev. 13. 2 Pet. 1.13 25 Math. 4. She hath rested from her labours and received her Crown but left us still to sweat and toil in Gods Vine-yard Nor must we think to come to Heaven upon easier terms than Gods Saints have done before us Wherefore let us gird up the loyns of our minds let us every day be adding more Oil to our Lamps that

She would often say that she was the chiefest of Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Her Eyes were ever full of her own wants none she would say enjoy'd such means and mercies and none had profited lesse by or walked more unworthy of them She was still jealous of herself and suspected that which others were ready to applaud 9 Ez. 13. 32 Gen. 10. She thought the greatest Evils were below her Sins and the least favours above her deservings The more we receive said she the more we are in debt and therefore should be more humble for will any man be proud of his debts She was observed never to speak of Pride but with Vehemency of detestation for she would often mention a saying of Mr. Strong that we are neither able to work grace nor act grace nor keep it in being without a fresh supply from God and therefore what had we to be proud of 2 Phil. 3. She remembred that of the Apostle in lowlyness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves and therefore was apt to admire that in another whilst the same or better in her self 12 Rom. 10. she thought unworthy to be mentioned She was ever ready in honour to preferre others before her self and therefore would often give that respect to some as superiours which by others were judged to be her inferiours and though some judge this meanness of Spirit yet they are blades of the best metall and making which will bend most To her inferiours she was exceeding condiscending and when she thought that she had in anger spoken ●nadvisedly she would afterwards as freely acknowledge it to them In her apparel she would observe a grave decency Her ordinary saying was that she would not be first in a fashion neither would she be singular Yet some about her observ'd that she never did wear a Silk Gown though lying beside her since these troublesome times till they were hoped to draw nigh some Settlement She was ever ambitious in studying to avoid any appearance of vain glory For this reason it was as I conjecture that when any of her Childrens Servants happened to be at her House in her Husbands absence she was not willing that they should be present when she went to prayer with her own Servants Thus when she sent out her Almes I perceive since her Funeral she would make choice for a Messenger one that was least known in the City that it might be lesse suspected from whom they came and allwayes gave the Messengers this charge that they should not reveal who sent the Almes but only to say that a Friend sent them For this reason when she had set a part a day on purpose for private Prayer and Fasting in her Chamber alone if any Friend or Stranger came to visit her She bad those that knew or guessed how she was employed not to say that she was busie but to come and tell her and she would come down and give entertainment to those that visited her and afterwards return to her Devotion And this she did as I think lest it should be suspected that she was so well imployed Her Humility appeared at her Death in that she willed for the avoiding of ostentation as much as cost to be buried in this obscure place when her Son offered that he would of his proper charges take care to have her Body removed to York and there with Funeral Solemnity interred in the Cathedral-Church by her Husband 2 Sam. 1.2 3. who were lovely and pleasant in their lives therefore their ingenuous Heir would not have had them at their deaths divided She shewed her Humility likewise in making choice of me by her Will to Preach at her Funeral one indeed not able or worthy to commend a woman of such virtues and whom she thought knew but little of her and therefore could not say much This her avoiding of vain glory shewed her to be like the Silkworm which hides it self within the curious Silk it works therefore we may upon her inscribe the same Motto that is usually given to the Silk-worm operitor dum operatur she is all covered whilst she works Let not any wonder that a person so Holy should be so Humble For seeing the Scripture saith that God gives grace to the Humble it is no marvel that gracious persons are most Humble and Humble persons the most full of grace 1 Pet. 5.8 I cannot insist on every particular I passe from her inhoerent good works wrought in her to her transient good works wrought by her I will nor presume so farr as into her Closet but her House was an House of Prayer wherein the Morning the Evening sacrifice were daily offered up to God consisting of two set services alwayes prayer and reading the word and as occasion would give leave of a third viz. singing a Psalme to these were added Catechizing It is said of Abraham that he had three hundred trained servants or as the Original will bear it catechized servants 14 Gen. 14. she had though not such a number yet those she had were catechized servants One thing I have observed that when she had any strangers lodged in her house she took care that they had a Bible laid in their chamber that so they might have provision for their soules as well as their bodies her care was commendable in making such provision if they were so carelesse as not to make use of it that was none of her fault She was a strict observer of the Lords day and saw that her son and her daughter 20 Exod. 10. her man-servant and her maid-servant observed it likewise On this day she would not lye till the ringing of the bell called her up but if want of health hindred not rose the sooner that she might set her heart and house in order so as that her self and family might attend upon God with the lesse distraction Her ordinary saying was if our dear Saviour rose so early in the morning for the work of our redemption 1 Cor. 7.35 28 Matth. 1. shall we think much to rise early for his service this I took notice of and have heard her say that she observed the Lords-day always as a day of solemn thanksgiving and her servants though plentifully fed at all times were sure to have a messe more than ordinary that day yet not till night because she would not detain any of them from a better feast of the ordinances 25 Isa 6. She was a most humble and constant attender upon the preaching of the word She never went to Church either Lords-day or other day but first begged of God a blessing upon what she should hear For the help of her memory she took notes her self and caused them under her to do the like and at evening for the advantage of her family she used repetition besides she spent three houres every Munday in revising of and ruminating upon her own notes She hath gone many times