Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	charles_n	great_a	king_n	4,015	5	3.8638	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56449	A sermon preached at the funeral of that faithful servant of Christ, Robert Breton, D.D. Pastor of Deptford in the county of Kent, Febr. 20. 1671/2. By Richard Parr, D.D. of Camerwel in the county of Surrey.	Parr, Richard, 1617-1691.	1672 (1672)	Wing P549; ESTC R216956	13,679	43

he was that needed not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth O how would he use the spiritual Sword of Truth piercing to the quick as need required dividing soul and spirit Heb. 4.14 joynts and marrow between Reason and Passion the rational and the animal faculties chasing Sin in its shifts and retirements and then forcing it from its strong hold again and leaving it no place to rest in How would he by the Word of Grace also bind up the broken bone apply Oyl to the Wound and gently pour it in so comforting the dejected and refreshing the wearied fainting Soul speaking a word in due season of counsel comfort and direction He had milk for babes and stronger meat for men grown up to a stature in Religion He had his Talents by gift and improved them by industry He had the Art of winning Souls and was successful in his attempts this way I have reason to hope that many of you can say he was your spiritual Father and happy instrument under God of your bringing in and building up in Christ you are his Epistle as S. Paul speaks known and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 or rather the Epistle of Christ ministred by him He was a Preacher indeed solid and frequent he preached every day by Voice or Example in season out of season in the Morning sowing good Seed and in the Evening slacked not his hand How dexterously would he evidence the mysteries of Religion and deep things of God to the understanding How sweetly would he insinuate a Duty and win upon the affection of his hearers He seemed to have very much the command of the judgements and affections of many and could turn the Scale where men were not prepossessed with prejudice or engaged in a contrary interest I have sometime thought that the People of this place could not be tempted to a Corinthian Schism I am of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas for what would men have If perspicuity plainness and powerfulness if solidity profoundness and piercingness if Eloquence in apt and well ordered words if variety with congruity to the Apostolical Faith once delivered to the Saints if frequency and constancy every Lords day If any of these or all these together might be motives why then should men be tempted to seek others in other places while all these might be had here while this Servant of Christ was in this Mount here Praying here Preaching Thus was he called thus was he qualified for a Minister and a Preacher And then also he was constant to his trust and labour as soon as he was entred on the Office he kept his station and bore the heat of the day and his Pulpit in most dangerous times and his Loyalty too under reproaches and menaces from that kind of men then and weathered it out keeping a good Conscience while others hid their heads and fled leaving their Flocks to the power of Seduction for shame or for fear But this man thought Shall such a man as I flye and stayed Well he was for these things as a Minister let me speak a big word A man of Renown highly esteemed in City and Countrey beloved of good men one of the chief among the Clergy so he was And if this be not so let malice and envy accuse me if it can Let me appeal to you to you his sorrowful Flock Was he not a good man was he not careful of you was he not courteous and kind to you was he not charitable and helpful did he not seek your good your peace your safety in very many instances You have not forgotten the dreadful Sickness how then he stayed with you in danger enough how he visited sick Families and relieved the Poor You remember what an Advocate he was pleading with God in Prayer for you how he pleaded with men abroad for Relief in your necessities and was heard and prevailed so that you had supplies abundantly You cannot but know that he was at daily expences at his own costs for your sakes how useful how helpful and industrious in reconciling differences and making peace among you And it must not be forgotten that his great abilities frequent emergencies excellent Charity and a perfect good nature were one great invitation of every bodies applications to him which gave him constant work and much business able to have crush'd a man of ordinary strength under these Affairs And now if a stranger should ask me what Preferments this Worthy man had I quickly reply he had as much as perhaps he desired he pickeer'd not Advancements but was as ready to decline as others are to pursue them Deptford was his chief this was his content here he thought he had Work enough and Love enough He would often say no me of his Deptford so contentedly that made me think that this and his full employment here was his Darling and he would not change it for a Chair of Ease Honour 1 Thesl 2.19 like that of S. Paul My crown and rejoycing are ye in the Lord. His Resolution was as he told me never to leave Deptford and you see he kept his Resolution to his dying day But alas Is this good man dead this eminent useful Servant of CHRIST dead Yes He is Dead to you and to your great loss and to all our grief he is gone to his joy and hath left us in mourning and tears I may say with the Prophet so far that The righteous and merciful man is taken away Isa 57.1 but I cannot say of his departure that no man layeth it to heart while I see and hear so many weeping and lamenting the loss of this Man I confess that there were Three mens deaths which came near my Heart my Sovereign King Charles the First my Spiritual Father James Archbishop of Armagh and this my dear Breton And now O ye people of Deptford happy once in such a Pastor now unhappy by so great a loss God sent him a blessing to this place but think whether his remove from you be not a punishment to you His Remove hath left a dear Wife sorrowing sweet Children weeping and an aged Father lamenting Ah! my Husband my Father my Son and multitudes that put in their claim to partake with their griefs Ah! our Pastor our Guide our Friend I perceive I need not invite you to tears your eyes and countenances shew your sorrows And methinks 't is with you as once with the Believers recorded Acts 20. at S. Paul's departure from them They wept bitterly Acts 20.37 38. sorrowing most of all that they should see his face no more Ah Sirs you shall see his Face no more here standing nor hear his Voice more hence speaking nor in your Families any more Visiting nor in your Companies any more Conferring nor in your Distresses any more Comforting or Relieving Yet weep no more for him he is happy but for your selves because the Church is deprived of so worthy a

Son and you of so good a Pastor so good a Friend so good a Man If you enquire of his Death because it seemed to us to be somewhat hasty 't is true he had but one great Paroxysm of an hour which ended his Life a sigh a groan and an expiration yet let no man think this a surprize that fetch'd him away to Heaven without much ado They dye suddenly that live wickedly such dye all at once but he that dyes daily though he be not sick every day yet dyes by degrees and is every day in expectation of it perhaps a tedious Sickness may make a man more willing to dye but not more fit unless his former life hath been a virtuous holy preparation both for a bed of Sickness and the gate of Death Elijah was a man of God 2 King 2.1 and he was snatcht to Heaven in a whirlwind Enoch walked with God every day and in an hour was taken away to Heaven in a moment as it were Let no man think that Death to an Holy man come it when or where or how soever can be a disadvantage let it come by day or by night abroad or at home if a mans habitual frame intentions and designs be just holy heavenly good this man dyes well enough Unhappy we if a man could not be saved unless he dyed aged or wasted by a tedious sickness a Consumption or an Ague Surely if a good mans Translation be from perfect health and strength he hath no wrong done him a pang of an hour that begins and ends his pain is rather a mark of favour than displeasure Tell me Oh men of sowre Censure Is it not a desirable posture to be found in when a servant of Christ is found doing the work of his Master This Servant of Christ was all that day he dyed as he was many dayes in the like fasting and praying and preparing for Preaching the next day and the next to that and as though he had a sight of the approaching closure of his life with the day blessed his Children solemnly and gave them such directions as they were capable of charging them to serve God and be pious to be obedient to their Mother c. saying withal It may be I may see you no more after this and said I wish I were now in Heaven Who would not desire to be in such a frame as this if he thought his appointed time was at hand Thus he dyed and I am perswaded and I think all good people are so too That the day of this mans death was better than that wherein he was born and his Change happy and of infinite advantage to him for he is in peace and bliss and thousands might be well contented to dye as he did were they so well prepared as he was And now if you would shew respects to his Memory and kindness to your selves Then Stand fast in the Faith he taught you waver not shift it not Remember his pious and heavenly Exhortations and Counsels and reduce them to Practice for that and so much of Religion which you practise will do you good and no more nor else And let every one that would dye happily let him endeavour every day to be prepared for it and not deferr because of health for Death may come at Sun rising as well as at the setting thereof To the High and most Glorious GOD the lover of Souls and the rewarder of his faithful Servants be all Praise and Glory for ever Amen FINIS