Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	cause_n	sin_n	world_n	5,042	5	5.2006	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51834	The blessed estate of them that die in the Lord opened in a sermon at the funerals of Mistres Jane Blackwel, wife of Master Elidad Blackwel, pastor of Andrew Undershaft, London / by Tho. Manton.	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1656 (1656)	Wing M518; ESTC R30511	23,515	42

are presently blessed upon the departure of the soul out of the body but more blessed at the general Resurrection of the just 1 Presently the soul is where Christ is carryed by Angels to Christ and by Christ presented to God as the fruit of his purchase That the soul is where Christ is appears by that of Phil. 1.2 3. I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ to be with him in glory otherwise it were a loss not a happiness for St. Paul to be dissolved it is a sorry blessedness to lye rotting in the Grave and onely to be eased of present labours for Gods people are wont to reckon much of their present service and enjoyment of God though it be accompanyed with troubles and afflictions Paul was in a straight and he saith it was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} much more better to be with Christ A stupid sleep without the injoyment of God is not much more better then our present condition but far worse what happiness were that to be in such a condition wherein we do nothing for God injoy nothing from God Surely Paul would never be in such a straight if this drousie Doctrine were true that the soul lyes in such an unactive state of sleep and rest till the Resurrection This is to be no more blessed then stones and inanimate creatures that feel nothing Again Luke 23 43. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise saith Christ to the good thief Some to evade that place refer {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as if it were I say to them this day but the pointing in the Greek Copies contradicts it as also the sense of the place {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} this day answers to the Thieves when thou shalt come into thy kingdom Christ promiseth more then he asks as God doth usually abundantly for us above what we can ask or think He hath reference to Christs words to the High-Priest the Son of man shall come in his glory now saith Christ I will not defer thy desire so long for presently shall heavenly joys attend thy soul Others seek to evade it by the word Paradise it is a Persicke word but used by the Hebrews for Gardens and Orchards and by allusion for heavenly joys and possibly the allusion might be taken not from the delights of an ordinary Garden but from Eden or that Garden in which Adam was placed in innocency That by Paradise is meant heaven and not those secreta animarum receptacula beatae sedes some secret places for the repose of souls departed which some of the Fathers fancyed appeared by Pauls expression in the 2 Cor. 12.4 speaking of his rapture I was saith he caught up into the third heaven which he presently calls Paradise Well then out of the whole we may conclude that the souls immediately upon their departure out of their bodies are with Christ Again it is said Luke 16.22 The beggar dyed and was carryed into Abrahams bosom presently in the twinckling of an eye or turning of a thought Thus it is with the Saints which is a great comfort when we come to dye in a moment Angels will bring you to Christ Agonies of death are terrible but there are joys just ready and as soon as you are loosed from the prison of your body you enter into your eternal rest the soul flyeth hence to Christ Once more as the wicked are in their final estate as soon as they dye and therefore they are called the Spirits now in prison 1 Pet 3.19 so do the godly injoy their glorifyed estate as soon as they dye the spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12.24 How can their spirits be said to be perfect if they lye onely in a dull sleep without any light life joy delight or act of love to God 2 They are compleatly blest at the Resurrection what their blessedness shall be then we cannot now know to the full we shall understand it best when the great voice calls us to come up and see Onely because our ear hath received a little thereof let me endevor to lay it before you In blessedness there must be 1 A removal of all evils 2 A coacervation and compleat presence of all goods 1 A removal of evil as long as the least evil continues a man is not blessed onely less miserable Haman had all things that a carnal heart could wish for he guided the affairs of 127 Provinces onely he wanted Mordecals knee therefore he saith all this avails me nothing Ahab had the kingdom of Israel and yet falls sick for want of Naboth's Vineyard In engines of war if one peg be missing or out of order all stops In the body of man if one humour be out of order or joynt broken it is enough to make us ill at ease though all the rest be sound and whole so if if there be the least evil a man cannot be a compleat happy man Well then from this blessed estate of the dead in the Lord All evil is removed Now evil is twofold either of Sin or Punishment In heaven there is neither 1 To begin with Sin that is the worst evil affliction is evil but it is not evil in it self but onely in our sense and feeling but sin is evil whether we feel it or no it is worst when we feel it not 2 That is evil which separates from the chiefest good Affliction doth not separate from God it is a means and occasion to make us draw neer to him many had never been acquainted with God but for their afflictions but sin separates from God Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated c. Let a man be never so loathsom yet if he be in a state of grace he is dear to God the Lord takes pleasure in him though he should be roughcast with Ulcers and sores in a prison yet God will kiss him with the kisses of his mouth there is nothing loathsome and odious to God but sin This grieves the Saints most Rom. 7.23 Oh wretched man that I am c. if any man had cause to complain of afflictions Paul had in perils often in perils by Land in perils by Sea in perils by enemies in perils by false brethren whipped imprisoned stoned but he doth not cry out when shall I be delivered from these afflictions but this body of death Lust troubled him more then scourges and his captivity to the Law of sin more then chains and prisons This is the disposition of the Saints they are weary of the world because they are sinning here whilst others are glorifying God not onely that they are suffering here whilst others are injoying God A beast will forsake the place where he hath neither meat nor rest Carnal men when they are beaten out of the word have a fancy to heaven as a place of retreat but that which troubles godly men is their sin well

out when you lanch into the other world a wicked man comes to himself when he comes to dye At his latter end he shall be a fool Jer. 17.11 he was ever a fool but then he shall be one in the conviction and acknowledgement of his own Conscience his own heart will make him cry out Oh fool mad-man that I was to be contented with such slight evidences for Eternity You see then it is good to be upon sure terms and to get our union with Christ so cleer and sensible that when we walk in the valley of the shadow of death we may not be afraid Psal. 23. As to the frame of your hearts it is a harder matter to dye well then you are aware of if you would dye well live well otherwise you do but provide matter of dispair and sorrow for your latter end It is every ones wish Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb. 23. but it is not every ones happiness If you would dye in the Lord you had need to have Promises ready and your faith well exercised that you may have good proof of it before it comes to stead you in death In bello non licet his peccare As in war so in death there is no erring twice then you are to throw your last cast for everlasting woe or weale to do that which you never did before you had need of armour of proof to deal with the last enemy How foolishly do they deal that defer all to this hour are then to get faith when they should reduce it into practice Faith is a Grace wrought by degrees to strength and perfection now to put it to the hardest tryal at first is absurd and irrational You should have your Evidences cleer your promises ready your experiences at hand that you may be able to comfort your selves and too plead for God and to speak to the standers-by of the long proof you have had of his being a good Master and a gracious father to you How is it then Are all things set at rights between God and your souls Have you laid up comforts for this great day of expence Is your dying speech ready Are you provided of experiences whereby to commend the Mercifulness and faithfulness of your Redeemer Can you say that you have tryed him often and he never failed you all your days If it be so indeed your great work is done 3. Use To encourage the children of God to be more willing to dye Are you afraid to enter upon your own blessedness and glory Will you shun Christs company when he desires yours Love brought Christ out of heaven that he might be with us he thought of it before the world was Prov. 8.31 and longed for the time in effect saying When will it come We are to go from earth to heaven from conversing with men to converse with Angels and why so loath to remove What could Christ expect upon his coming into the world but hard usage but labour and griefs and shame and death he came to taste the Vinegar and the Gall we are called to the feast of love to taste of hidden Manna and the Rivers of pleasure that flow in his presence If you love Christ why should you be unwilling to be in the arms of Christ to be there where he is beholding his glory love is an affection of union it desireth to be with the party loved and can you be unwilling to be dissolved and to be with Christ Death is the Chariot that is to carry you into his presence Jacobs spirit revived when he saw the Waggons which Joseph sent to carry him into AEgypt Gen. 45.27 what is there in the world to be compared with heaven either there must be something in the world to detain us or we are frighted at the terribleness of the passage or else there is a contempt of what is to come You cannot say any thing of the world is more worthy then Christ in this sense you renounced father and mother brothers and sisters wife and children and friends when you were first acquainted with him It was the language of your souls then whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 73.25 Did you dissemble then Or have you found cause since to retreat and begrudge your affections to him Christ puts you to the tryal when sickness comes he hath sent h●s waggons to see if you will stand to your word Is it the terribleness of the passage doth nature grudge at the thought of a dissolution where is your faith death is yours 1 Cor. 3.18 Your friend your advantage Christ hath assured you of it will you trust his word you love him little when you have no confidence in what he saith Or is it contempt of things to come Then why is all this cost why came Christ to lay down his soul to purchase that which you care not for what needs all this waste Christians hear for the time to come we know not how soon we may be sent for and put to the tryal it is good to be resolved that we may say the sooner the better 4 Let this comfort us concerning our friends that dye in the Lord 1 Thess. 4.18 Comfort one another with these words This is proper Christian Scripture comfort Heathens to comfort one another can onely say that death is the common passage out of this world that all that are born must dye But Christians can comfort one another upon better terms that they that sleep in Jesus are blessed and shall we whine at their preferment that we shall all meet again in the other world that a day will come when the Captain of our Salvation will have his great rendezvouz and the head of the Church call all the Saints into one Congregation Psal. 1.5 and the whole flock shall follow the great shepherd of the sheep into their everlasting fold triumphing and saying Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victory These are comforts proper for Christians especially for Ministers that are messengers of comfort to others that have more frequent advantages of meditation upon those priviledges then others have Shall we murmur and yield to sinkings of heart when God hath made a breach upon our relations how will this disparage our Doctrine and make others suspect the comforts which we reach forth to them upon like occasions Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees but now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Job 4.4 5. To comfort others and faint our selves is to bring a discredit upon what we propound to them Remember the glory of God is concerned in your behaviour under this tryal and the honor of your Ministry Let your Christian friends know there is a reality in what you have held forth for their support in like case Let