Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bondage_n	deliver_v	fear_n	4,056	5	6.5580	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87177	The everlasting joys of heaven: or, The blessed life of a Christian, in grace here; and in glory here-after. Set forth for the comfort and encouragement of all those that desire to fear the Lord; / by John Hart, a servant of Jesus Christ. Recommended to the reader, by Obadiah Sedgewick, and Iohn Downam, ministers of the Gospel.	Hart, John, D.D.; Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1656 (1656)	Wing H948; Thomason E1680_2; ESTC R209155	49,553	177

of all the tempest of his afflictions supporting himself with the hope of the life and glory to come and his interest therein For I am sure that my Redeomer liveth c. And what is more frequent in all the Scriptures than still upon all occasions to raise up our thoughts from hence unto Heaven I will onely instance a few more places that 2 Thes. 1.7 He comforts that distressed estate they were in with that everlasting rest they should enjoy when the Lord Jesus should shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire against wicked men c. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints and made marvellous in all them that beleeve and 2 Pet. 3.13 after he hath spoken of the heavens and the earth to be burnt up and renewed which now are he adds But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousness And Christ in all his exhortations to the seven Churches in the Revelation still points them unto those glorious things to come where he promiseth the overcomers To eat of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God not to be overcome of the second death to have a Crown of life to eat of that Manna which is hid to have a white stone and new names written upon them to write upon them the new name of God the City of God the new Ierusalem and to sit with him in his Throne as he overcame and sitteth with the Father in his Throne All which I have onely named to shew a glimpse of that support the Scriptures afford in general for comfort against afflictions here and wherewith the former darling Saint in the ancient times in the days of their flesh have stayed and supported themselves and to shew that in all our destractions present We must soundly anchor in heaven ere we can find true comfort upon earth or be throughly armed against the fear of death To which effect it is written Heb. 2.14 That forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood Christ himself also likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Divel and that he might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage In which case we must not look upon death alone without Christ who by his death hath perfumed the grave for us otherwise without him it is a passage onely unto the King of terrours and everlasting death but as it is subdued by Christ as it is 〈◊〉 Cor. 15. swallowed up in victory O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victorie and as it is a smooth passage unto heaven and blessednesse to go home unto our fathers house as it is a sleep after the weary toils of this life a gathering unto our people and fathers again from whence for a while we have been estranged and as it is a passage from mortality to put on immortallity to be swallowed up of life Thus must we look upon death as upon a stinglesse Serpent which now onely affrights but hath no sting to hurt and as upon our best friend who rids us in a moment for ever of all those Amalekites and vexing Perrizites those fins and cares as thorns in our sides that as Sampson we may be contented to lose our lives with these Philstims of all which and the like vexations whatsoever we may then confidently and rejoycingly say as Moses did of those Egyptian Persecutors of the Church of God Exod. 13.14 Fear ye not stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will shew you this day for the Egyptians whom you have seen this day ye shall never see them again a wonderfull comfort to be freed from all at once And it seems that the Saints in Scripture upon their removall hence make thus much good in their unmoved departures How quetly did Iacob and Ioseph die having finished all their earthly business with what peace did Moses and Aaron die in their appointed Mounts And what shall we say of holy David I Chron. 29.10 Who departed hence so chearfully blessing God after that he had given order for them Temple building and old Barzillai when he would no more remain at Court craves leave to go home and die all whom with Steven amongst a shower of stones saw unto the other side of Death so making a peaceable resignation of this life to exchange it for a better And so I make no question others may if their whole life hath been so spent in meditation and engrossing the Scripture comforts against that day But yet the surest and most lasting comfort against that encounter is to be often every day washed in the fountain of Christs blood with the seasonable right application of his everlasting Righteousnesse unto the soul which will Comfort that we being in him and he in us by the habitation of his spirit That there is no Condemnation to such Rom. 8.1 And that they already sit with him their head in heavenly places Ephes. 2.6 When being transformed into his blessed image from Glory to Glory in this life and having put on the Lord Jesus in all his holy vertues being thereby pertakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 they need not to fear but being transplanted from nature to Grace and planted with him in regeneration unto the similitude of his death but they shall be also made like unto the similitude of his Resurrection Rom. 6.5 So that Christ the head being in heaven he must of necessity quicken and draw all his members after him who is said to be the Resurrection and the life Iohn 11.25 and therefore must raise and quicken all again But this is not our intended work at this time to treat of death though I have bordered upon it and could not shun it it standing so just in our way as we are now in our journey towards life but to outface it look through and beyond it at the Certainty and excellencie of heaven and the glory to come thereby to arm us against it that we may see what a royall exchange we shal make with parting from our earthly house for That building not made with hands but eternall in the heavens in the Certainty of which building as I take it there is a Double certainty 1. The Certainty of the thing that there is such a building 2. Our Certainty of attaining unto it For the first The Certainty that there is such a Place as Heaven I Will be short therein for besides what the Scriptures speak thereof which should abundantly satisfie us and which is wonderfull large The whole frame of Nature it self proclaims with a loud voice That there is such a place and mansion of Eternitie called Heaven the Eternal dwelling of God Angels and blessed souls departed which Building even the outside thereof David Psal. 8. admires O

more then all the rest we not onely burthened pressed down and wearied with the many actings of sin and surrounded about also and invironed with the dwellings thereof in us in this body of death which though sometimes it lie still ready as an Armie round about us in readinesse to ambush and come upon us we know not how where nor when like a lurking serpent still waiting to sting and suddenly surprize us which body of death made St. Paul though otherwise a man of an invincible courage to master vanquish and overcome all afflictions and make a tush and light matter of them as sorrowing saith he yet alwaies rejoycing as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 being a strong man to master these and all other crosses yet cry out on this as too hard for him Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But in heaven there shall be no more sorrows crying tears or cause of complaints Our death will be the death of this body of death no sorrow or shame or complaints in heaven no ambushes of sin can lie there nor Serpent shall creep in into that Paradice to seduce us anymore we shall for ever be freed from this body of death and have a body like unto Christs glorious body In all which respects and many more these meditations and impressions of eternity of glory in the life to come maketh such reflexions upon us to make us to sigh and groan earnestly to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven unlesse in Some Cases when Beleevers otherwise very good men cannot thus sigh and groan to be cloathed with this their house which is from heaven Which may appear both in regard of others and our selves First for others Many beleevers are contented to spare this Sighing and Groaning at least suspend the same Because they would live to do more good unto others to see some fruit of their labours and seed sown how it growes to see the prosperity of the Church as David did Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour of thy people visite mee with thy Salvation that I may see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce with thy people and glory with thine inheritance And some also as St. Paul are very able to comfort and help others and therefore are sparing to Sigh and Groan for this heavenly house because they may be profitable unto others as Paul though in regard of himselfe he could have been contented to have flowne into heaven yet in regard of Others he armed himself with that wonderfull self denial to be contented to live for their sakes And so also may many other good Christians linger and draw back from earnest groaning after this heavenly house in regard of Others Parents sometimes would live to see their children bred and brought up in the fear of God and see the prosperity of other friends and are not so earnest in Sighing and Groaning after their Dissolution Secondly For our selves Wee may draw back from Death and Sighing and Groaning after this heavenly house to be cloathed therewith in divers cases First When we want the comfortable Assurance of our Salvation and when our Evidences of heaven are so slurred and blotted that we cannot read the same or have forgotten them Then we cannot sigh and groan after this heavenly house until we are able more clearly to read our evidences And Secondly We are sometimes ignorant of the Glory Excllency and Eternity thereof and so we cannot sigh and groane earnestly for the same which we are ignorant of and know not and yet for all this may be good Christians and Beleever though they fail and come short in these meditations And Thirdly When for our humbling the Lord is pleased sometimes to set our sins before us and therewith the wrath due unto them then not daring to looke God in the face they dare not look on death to encounter that and so are far from sighing and groaning after this heavenly house as wee see in David a holy reconciled man after Gods own heart yet Ps. 38.4 when God suffered his sins to stare him in the face he then complains Mine Inquities are gone over my head as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me and so prays Ps. 39.19 Stay thine hand from me that I may recover my strength before I go hence be not Now a sense of sin and wrath now and then being given unto the Saints they cannot then groane earnestly to be cloathed with this heavenly house Fourthly And again We are sometimes to bustle with the delights and pleasures of this world which steals away our hearts from sighing and groaning after this heavenly house which makes that with so much adoe we are drawn away from wallowing in them as we see in Lot a good holy man yet what adoe was there to draw him away from Sodome that whilest he prolonged the time he was in a manner pulled out of it and when he was pulled away from it yet he makes intercession for Zoar which was one of those Cities that his soul might live Gen. 19.20 And sometimes again Fifthly The soul is as it were in prison and off hooks as a door off the hinges with strong and many amazing distractions so as the soule is not it self nor able to look after heavenly things having much adoe to wrastle after these encumbrances when it is unfit to sigh and groane earnestly after heavenly things yea not to mannage earthly comforts as it fell out with the children of Israel Exod. 6.9 that though Moses told them excellent things of the Egyptian bondage and captivity yet it is said there That they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage So that vexations of earthly encumbrances and wants are great impediments unto this sighing and groaning earnestly after heavenly things in this our house which is from heaven And sometimes also in regard that our Accounts are not ready we shrink and draw back again being loath to encounter death Lastly in this case we make no hast but shun death and sighing and groaning after this heavenly house because we look on death under wrong notions and apprehensions and therefore run from it as Moses fled from his staff when it was turned into a Serpent untill God quiet our spirits and bid us to take it up again shewing us that there is no danger in it and making us in love with it For indeed Death is a part of the Saints portion 1 Cor. 3 22 all things are yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or life or death whether they be things present or things to come all are yours c. what great matter is this for death to be ours O yes a great matter as it is ordered as the Grave is sanctified and perfumed by Christ and as it were an inlet unto Glory being the

with the glory of heaven far beyond all earthly cloathings and furnitures And such a cloathing as shall make an everlasting distinction betwixt us and wicked men for ever whatsoever imputations now lie upon us conversing amongst them Malach. 3.18 such a house like Christ himself the glory of that house from w●om and every thing in the house we may at all times fetch whatsoever we want to supply all So that Heaven is all things unto us as God is the universall good so hath he the fulnesse of all to supply us with which he can convey when and by what means it pleaseth him All things are ours because Christ is ours who is all things unto us and hath all things his whence at all times we may fetch every thing we want out of this heavenly glorious house for which the soul therefore in its most excellently composed temper sighs and groans as hath been said that our garment of salvation and robe of Righteousnesse we are now cloathed with in this our naturall condition may be heightned up to the full perfection of heavenly beauty with a superadded tincture of Glory in that highest place of eminencie and excellencie far above all Not that it would be uncloathed this is not the cause of the sighing and groaning but cloathed upon The soul in this case hath no peremptory desire to die not any pleasure of complacencie that way Oh Life is precious and long life is a blessing from God To live long in the Land and to have opportunity to do much good and to recover a great deal of the blessed Image of God It knowes Death to be of it self an enemy and the last enemy which shall be destroyed and no man will willingly cast himself in the jaws of his enemy which without a garment of Grace will but lead us unto the King of Terrours into that Eternity of that tormenting Tophet for ever No it is not willing to uncloath it self of this garment of Grace Christs Righteousnesse but to gird and keep it faster faster about us for in that great day Christ must see us thus cloathed or else wee can have no cloathing upon the same with a garment of Glory And therefore in this life it is willing to submit it self unto the Will of God here in all Active and Passive Obedience and though it be forced to live here a sinfull life where it cannot chuse but sin yea and sometimes an unprofitable life laid by as it were good for nothing yet it knowes the sins shall be forgiven and the good actions be all recorded in mind and it to be an high act of our holinesse even to submit to God and live in such an estate as doth sin wherein we must suffer For we can be in no such Estate here in this life but we may bring Glory to God and glorifie him whilest our patience is attaining unto its perfect work in us that we may be entire wanting nothing O but this is the matter and cause of this sighing and groaning That mortality may be swallowed up of Life That is that all this whole body of death with all the effects causes forerunners attendants and followers thereof that all possibility of dying all necessity of dying all fear of dying or sinning any more the whole body of sin and death with all the relations and apurtenances thereof may be swallowed up of life quite abolished and taken away for ever Even as it was in the case of Korah Dathan and Abiram with all the families and goods of all which nothing was to be seen when the earth had swallowed up all and closed up again or as Revel. 12.16 It is said that the earth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood which the Serpent cast out against the woman So it is here the soul in sighing and groaning after a heavenly estate sighs and groans to be freed of all the acts of sin and whatsoever it looketh on as fruits of sin which are pressing down burthens unto it in this body of mortality And then again as this mortality is a remembrance and witnesse of sins contagion and filthinesse it sighs and groans to be freed from it and would have all memorials and witnesses of sin done away And further mortality it self as is a remembrance and witness of sin c. It is sin and is attended with the fruits of sin This with all the relations thereunto it sighs to have done away that all manner of impurity may be so abolished as nothing thereof may remain either in thought or action And then again seeing all the parts of our mortality as hath been said are clogs and burthens and hinderances unto us in Gods service as weights to keep us down as fetters to chain us and keep us under for when our spirits are mounted up and would flie unto heaven and converse there this mortality pulleth us down again and hindereth us from spiritual actions and meditations not to perform them with any life or comfort In this case also the soul sighs and groans to be gone And as the soul desireth further union and communion with God without these interruptions clouds damps and eclipses of the sunshine of its comfortable feelings it now hath It groans and sighs earnestly that its mortality may be swallowed up of life And yet more It sighs to be at home in Heaven because there shal be an explanation and full discovery of the extent of all the word of God and of the utmost fulfilling of all the promises with a sight and apprehension of Gods goodnesse what God Christ have done for us and that we thereafter might never have any thought motion or desire contrary unto the will of God All which in all these cases are warrantable and spiritual grounds for the soul betrothed unto Christ here to desire sigh groan and long for the consumation of the marriage with him in heaven For the more holy spirituall any one is and gratious the more they desire this union and communion with Christ in Heaven As Rev. 22.20 Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Untill the day break and the shadows flie away return my wel-beloved and be like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bethel Cant. 2.17 And thus the souls of the faithfull here though they would not be uncloathed yet sigh groan earnestly to be cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up of life Which ardent desires in them are both wrought continued nourimed in them and perefcted by the spirit 2. Cor 5.5 Which maketh request for them according to the will of God Rom. 8.27 And thus by Gods mercy and assistance of his blessed spirit we have been led along to have a glimpse of this heavenly building not made with hands but eternal in the heavens and of the glory excellency and eternity thereof with both the causes and lets of sighing and groaning after it And now that we are come unto a