Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	life_n	live_v	6,645	5	5.2652	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72904	A sermon preached at the funerall of the worshipfull, Gilbert Davies Esquire at Christow in Deuon. By W. Miller, minister, and preacher of Gods word at Runington. April 15. Anno Dom. 1620.	Miller, William, b. 1592 or 3.	1621 (1621)	STC 17923.5; ESTC S103509	16,465	31

kinde of life I call a death because it were better many thousand times not to liue at all in respect of themselues then to bee cast headlong into such endlesse and remedilesse miseries vnto which all the miseries and torments which we can any wayes deuise to be inflicted vpon man in this world being compared are nothing to those flames and torments which the damned dying this eternall death shall endure in hell world without end Now as of the three sorts of life the naturall is common vnto the godly and the reprobate but the spirituall and eternall life are onely proper and peculiar to the Elect of God So of the other side among those three sorts of death the two last come not to the faithfull ones but the first onely which is the naturall death is common to all both good and bad in so much that it is a true and noted lesson long since learned of euery man that It is appointed vnto all men that they shall once dye as well the iust as the vniust as well the beleeuer as the Infidell This the Apostle Paul doth plainly proue in Rom. 5.14 Rom. 5.14 Death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression In which place the Apostle diuideth mankinde into two sorts that is into those that sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression and those that sinned not after his similitude affirming that death raigned not onely ouer those but also ouer them Heere let me stand and shew you this difference which will make the poynt most cleere Some there are that hold Adams transgression to be the violating of that expresse Commandement Thou shalt not eate of it and so affirme that they doe sinne after the similitude of Adams transgression that doe transgresse onely against the expresse Law of God and not those that sinne without the written Law which opinion answereth not to the meaning of the Apostle whose purpose in these words is to teach that euen before the Law death raigned not onely ouer those which by their proper actuall sinnes did voluntarily stirre vp against themselues the wrath of God as Adam did when he transgressed the Law of God by his actuall disobedience but that it raigned also ouer those which actually could commit no sinne which as the best expositors expound is to be vnderstood of Infants that haue no actuall sinnes in them Hence is that saying Ab Adamo mors est tyrannus omnibus ex aequo imperans Euen from the time of Adam which must not be vnderstood of Adam in his integrity but in the state of corruption for Ante peccatum solus regnabat Deus Before sinne was God did only raigne death is a tyrant that raigneth ouer all but now there are two principall raignes the one of life the other of death and yet in both these both in life and death we liue and dye not to our selues but vnto God who both can and will preserue them that liue and restore to life them that are dead he can I say because hee is God omnipotent the supremest Lord and generall Iudge to whom euery knee doth bow of things in heauen and things in earth he will also because he hath chosen vs and purchased vs with a price not of pure gold but of precious blood to be his owne Inheritance Hence is that of the holy Ghost Ioh. 1. He that beleeueth in me though he dye yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye And thus much bee spoken of the first generall poynt of doctrine expressed in the first part of my Text where the Apostle saith Whether wee liue wee liue vnto the Lord and whether we die we die vnto the Lord. Now the second The second followeth which is this that all and euery one of vs both in our liues and in our deaths are euer and alwayes in the power of God 1. Sam. 2.9 It is the Lord saith the holy Ghost 1. Sam. 2.9 that keepeth the feet of his Saints the feet that is all their actions all their counsels all their studies and indeuours all which if God doe but once withdraw his fauour and his goodnesse from them they by and by faile and perish as we see it often commeth to passe by daily practice in naturall things for as long as God doth vouchsafe to communicate of his power vnto them so long they doe continue and liue but that being taken away they forthwith dye and perish True it is I must notwithstanding confesse that God sometimes suffereth euen those that are his Saints on earth to fall and slip into many sinnes teaching them thereby truly to vnderstand what their owne power is and what and how great is the corruption and deprauation of the humane nature to the intent that they should not attribute any thing vnto their owne power and strength Neither doth God alwayes preserue and defend euen those that are his from euery outward trouble and danger whereunto man is subiect but often hee is pleased to try them with many and sundry crosses and afflictions howbeit yet so that he still auerteth and turneth from those that are his all such noxious and hurtfull crosses as might abolish or destroy in them the hope of saluation and life euerlasting therefore is it that the Prophet Dauid cryeth saying Psal 66.8 9. Blessed be the Lord Psal 66.8 9. that holdeth our soules in life and suffereth not our feet to be moued Where the Prophet saith that God holdeth our soules in life the meaning is as if he had said It is God alone who by his power in all our life time keepeth vs safe as vnder the shadow of his wings that we might not faint and perish vnder the great burthen of affliction For many and great are the dangerous euils that hang ouer our heads continually whereby we may soone be brought to death and perish except the Lord defend vs from them Againe where he saith It is the Lord that suffereth not our feet to be moued it is as much as if he had said God so comforteth and confirmeth those that are his with his holy Spirit that while they liue they can with patience endure aduersities and are not so ouercome with sorrowes and impatience as once so much to murmurer against God or to forsake God and seeke for remedy in distresse by any other power or meanes than by the grace and power of God Thus I say the life of Gods Saints on earth is euer and alwayes in the power of God and not their liues onely but their deaths also for as my Text saith Whether we liue therefore or dye we are the Lords for God is and still will be Omega as well as Alpha Reuel 1.8 Reuel 1.8 And hauing once begun his good worke in those that are his Saints he will performe it saith the Apostle Philip. 1.6 Phil. 1.6 euen till the Day of Iesus Christ

of the difference of dayes and meates or if at any time they neglected or omitted them they did it with a weake consent and a doubting conscience Hereupon those that well vnderstood the Christian liberty despised those others and vsed the liberty of certaine meates whereby they were an offence vnto those weaker ones And of the other side the weaker sort condemned the rest as profane men and contemners of the Law of God S. Paul therefore a seruant of Christ by his condition and an Apostle called of God by dignity as hee witnesseth of him Rom. 1.1 Rom. 1.1 se commendando saith one non ad ostensionem sed ad reprimendam Romanorum superbiam arrogantiam Commending himselfe thus not in vaunting or vaine bragging sort to shew thereby vaine glory but to represse the arrogancie and pride of the Romanes to whom he then wrote as contemning his office and Apostleship This Apostle I say to both these fore-named euils addeth wisely a sufficient remedy first by exhorting those that were stronger to intreat those with brotherly loue that were more weake lest they should by contemning them discomfort and discourage them in or withdraw and turne them from the profession of the Gospell Secondly he giueth commaundement vnto both how they should behaue themselues one towards another neither of them contemning or condemning the other but to vse a good conscience one towards another concerning the vse of those indifferent things as the difference of meates and obseruing of dayes In the next place he addeth a new reason drawne from the end which both of them proposed vnto themselues which was to the honour of Christ which appeareth as hee proueth by this that both of them the one in regarding the other in not regarding a day did it vnto the Lord and the one in eating the other in not eating did it likewise vnto the Lord that is as if it had beene said Vtrique Christo gratias agunt both of them giue thankes to God and therefore he concludeth that argument seeing the end of both is one therefore for these indifferent things neither of them should contemne or condemne the other Lastly to come home to our Text hee confirmeth that his reason thus drawne from the end of both their actions by another argument drawne from the common and generall end of the life of Christians which is wholly appointed and consecrated for the manifestation of Gods glory and this hee amplifies againe by an euen conferring or comparing of two contraries as when he saith None of vs liueth nor dieth to himselfe but liuing we liue and dying wee dye vnto the Lord. Last of all he amplifies againe that comparison of those contraries by an addition wherein hee concludeth that all both great and small both high and low both rich and poore both weake and strong both in our life and in our death are in the power of God and therefore saith Whether we liue or die we are the Lords And thus of the Analysis Now before I proceed to the deduction of Doctrines from these particulars giue me leaue I beseech you to stay a little in the explication of two things in this my Text most necessary to be known the one what it is to liue vnto the Lord the other what it is to die vnto the Lord and wherein both of these consist To liue vnto the Lord saith learned Aurelius is Non propter nosmetipsos nostráque commoda sed Christo viuere that is Not for our selues nor for our aduantage but to Christ and to liue thus vnto the Lord consisteth in foure things the first is to recognize and acknowledge this our Lord Christ in our life namely that wee are not at our owne liberty and freedome but seruants vnto Christ and in subiection vnto the Lord in so much that the end of our vocation and Redemption is to serue the liuing God as the Apostle witnesseth 1. Thes 1.9 1. Thes 1.9 where he saith vnto them Ye haue turned to God from Idols to serue the liuing and true God and in 1. Cor. 6.19 20. 1. Cor. 6.19 20. the same Apostle saith Yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Secondly to liue vnto the Lord is to order and submit all our life and actions vnto his onely becke For because hee onely out of the bottomlesse depth of his owne bounty reacheth vnto vs whatsoeuer gifts wee haue whether of the body or the mind whether of nature or of grace for all things as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 11.36 are of God through God Rom. 11.36 and for God which place of the Apostle is worthy a little to be stood vpon because in these words is noted vnto vs the Trinity of persons and their distinctiue property of causing First he sheweth here that God is the cause of all things in a three-fold kind of causing Secondly hee sheweth how First that God is the efficient cause in respect of his power by which he created all things secondly that hee is the forming cause of all things in respect of his wisdome whereby he disposed and distinguished all things thirdly he is the finall cause of all things in respect of his goodnesse whereby hee reconciled all things vnto himselfe and doth still preserue and conserue them directing them vnto their proper ends therefore when hee saith All things are of God hee vnderstandeth the Father to whom power belongeth when he saith All things are through God he vnderstandeth the Sonne that is the wisedome of the Father when he saith All things are for God hee vnderstandeth the holy Ghost who in respect of clemency is said to be the conseruer preseruer and directer of all things to the best Thirdly to liue vnto the Lord is to referre the whole course of our life to the extolling of Gods glory as to the chiefest marke whereunto we aime hee therefore that is of God ought to walke as Christ walked 1. Ioh. 2.6 1. Ioh. 2.6 that is he must walke in the steps of Christ follow his vertues and obserue his Lawes for he that doth otherwise doth vainly take his name of Christ and is called a Christian to his greater condemnation Hence is that of Christ in the Gospell saying Why call ye me Master Master and doe not the things that I speake and in another place If I be a Father where is my honour if I be a Master where is my feare Fourthly and lastly to liue vnto the Lord is in all painfull labours and heauinesse of minde in our miseries and carefull infelicities to trust in the Lord as one that careth sufficiently for them that are his people as you may plainly see in Leuit. 26. from vers 3. to vers 13. Leu. 26.3 to 13. saying If ye trust in me and keepe my Commandements I will giue you raine in due season I will giue you peace I will chase your enemies

I will haue respect vnto you and I will walke among you and I will bee your God and you shall be my people And this it is to liue vnto the Lord. Now to die vnto the Lord saith the learned Pareus Pareus Idipsum est quod viuere it is the same as to liue vnto the Lord and consisteth in these three things Euen in death to acknowledge himselfe to bee the Lords and therefore euen in death to pray to blesse and to rehearse the gracious benefits of God towards him as Iacob did Gen. 48. Secondly to dye vnto the Lord is patiently to vndergoe the punishment of diseases yea and death it selfe from the hand of God vndergoing those crosses with comfort which the Lord shall lay vpon him which may be as Looking-glasses wherin God may behold our faith and dependance vpon his prouidence the world may see our patience and our constancy so that hereby God may bee glorified others edified and instructed and our selues humbled vnder those his crosses and so seeke with speed to couer the spots of our sinfull soules with vnfained repentance Thirdly and lastly to die vnto the Lord is euen in death it selfe not to cast aside the hope of life through sure trust in God but considering that God as the Scripture teacheth delighteth not in the death of his children rather to haue sure confidence in God that hee will restore such as are dead from death to life againe according to that of the Apostle 1. Thes 4.13 14. 1. Thes 4.13 14. Brethren I would not haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not as others which haue no hope for if we beleeue that Iesus dyed and rose againe euen so them also which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him and this it is to liue and this it is to dye vnto the Lord. O terque quaterque beati nos si sic viuamus Domino vt eidem moriamur quoniam sic Domino morientes Domino solummodo viuent O three and foure-fold happy and blessed were we if wee could so liue vnto the Lord that we might dye vnto the Lord because those that so dye vnto the Lord shall liue alone vnto the Lord. And againe ter contrà miseri c. Of the contrary side they are three times miserable that liue not thus vnto the Lord. For as many as in their liues liue not vnto God they shall all passe away like a shadow as a Post that passeth by and tarryeth not or as a Ship that rideth vpon the waues of the waters which when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found nor his path on the flouds is to be seene or as a bird that flyeth in the ayre and no man can see any token of her passage but heare onely the noyse of her wings beating the winde and parting the aire where no token of her way can afterward be found But to come now to the obseruation of the doctrines contained in my Text consider that it containeth two principall poynts of Doctrine the first is that none of the faithfull doe liue or die vnto themselues but vnto God The second that all and euery one of vs both in our liues and in our deaths are euer and alwayes in the power of God First I say that none of the faithfull doe liue or die vnto themselues that is to their owne glory and praise but vnto the glory and praise of God For better illustration of which first point giue mee leaue to shew that as there are three kindes of life so there is a three-fold death Of life I say there are three kindes the first naturall the second spirituall the third eternall The first which is naturall is of the body in the vnion of the body and the soule which must first be borne of man before he can enioy the spirituall 1. Cor. 15.46 according to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.46 That is not first which is spirituall but that which is naturall and then that which is spirituall for albeit man was made to liue through the benefit of the soule yet the soule is so bound as it were to the grosse body that it should doe nothing but by bodily instruments or at the least by some materiall meanes and this is called our naturall life which we here enioy while we here beare about vs our naturall bodies The second kinde of life is spirituall and hath respect vnto the soule in regard of the vnion of it with God and Christ whereby Christ is said to liue in vs Gal. 2.20 according to that of the Apostle Paul Gal. 2.20 I liue saith he yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Son of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me which is as much as if hee should say I liue not grosly carnally as once I did subiect to all worldly desires or rather I liue not my selfe which of my selfe am nothing but carnall but Christ liueth in me who by his holy Spirit at his heauenly will and pleasure guideth and gouerneth all my actions The third kinde of life is eternall hauing respect both to the body and the soule which is that life euerlasting whereby the Elect of God doe liue and raigne for euermore in the Kingdome of heauen through the grace of God according to that of our Apostle Titus 3.7 Titus 3.7 Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Now of these three kindes of life the first that is the naturall life is common with the Elect vnto the very reprobates themselues the other two the one spirituall the other eternall are proper and peculiar vnto the Elect. And now as there is a three-fold life so there is also a three-fold death the one naturall the second spirituall and the third eternall The first which is called naturall is properly the death of the body when it is separated from the soule and it is called a naturall death not for that it properly proceedeth from nature in as much as we know that it is an effect of sinne but it is called naturall because by the iustice of God it is according to the nature of man corrupted for by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sin The second sort of death is called spirituall which is a separation of the soule from God sinne liuing and raigning still in the hearts of such wicked men who are hereof said to be dead in sinne The third sort of death is called eternall death which is an euerlasting separation from God and Christ to liue with the diuell in eternall torments which