Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	covenant_n	new_a	testament_n	4,131	5	9.2871	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31451	The certainty of salvation to them who dye in the Lord a sermon preached at the funeral of the Right Honourable, George Lord Delamer, at Boden, in the county-palatine of Chester, September the 9th, 1684 / by Zachary Cawdrey ...	Cawdrey, Zachary, 1616-1684.	1684 (1684)	Wing C1645; ESTC R36290	20,346	38

establish that New Covenant and the gracious Promises of it in and through his Blood Which Covenant was indeed as to the Acceptance of God's infinite Mercy established from the first moment that the Promise was made to Adam And so Christ was a Lamb slain from the beginning of the World not only in the Type of Sacrifices but in Divine Acceptance and in the acting of Faith by the Saints of all Ages But this primary intention of Sacrifices as representing the Atonement to be made by the promised Seed and the Acceptance of our Services through his Intercession was soon lost and the Tradition about their Significancy was soon corrupted and they became universally abused to Superstitious and Idolatrous Services Yet still God in his infinite Mercy to Men and for their encouragement in Vertue and Piety secured that part of the Tradition uncorrupt That to them who by patient continuance in well doing sought for Glory and Honour and Immortality God would give Eternal Life Rom. 2.7 But because Vertue was always envied and many times persecuted and especially it was so after that Religion came again to be exercised upon the Genuine Patriarchal Principles revived in the Evangelical Doctrine God for our encouragement was pleased to confirm that Article of our Faith about the happiness of holy Men after death by several Revelations from Heaven which were after recorded in the Writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles And of that sort is the Theme assigned me for my present Discourse I heard a Voice c. For this Text was therefore commended to my Meditation because it was the last Scripture which this Noble Berean this learned and pious Lord had set down under that Head The Certainty of Salvation It being his pious custom not only daily to search the Scriptures and meditate on them but also to refer the Scriptures to their proper Subjects that they might be of ready use to him on all Occurrences The Position or Doctrine of this Text is the more to be observed I have seen three Books in Quarto writ by his Lordships own hand wherein the Scriptures are thus disposed methodically under their proper Heads very judiciously being especially Collections of such as tended to the confirming of his Judgment in the Doctrine of the Gospel or encouragement of his heart in the practice of Repentance Faith Charity Heavenly-mindedness c. And some also as they did occur for to justifie the Vsages of the Church of England against both Popish and Phanatical Criminations First because it is the foundation of all Religious Actings and Sufferings for every one that cometh to God or is a Proselyte to his holy Fear and Love must believe that he is and is a Rewarder of those that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 And Secondly Because it is not only the Dictate of the Holy Ghost to the inspired Pen-man but commanded by a Voice from Heaven to be recorded An Angel speaking articulately in and with a Clap of Thunder to St. John to write it Instances of the like Voice we have in several places of Scripture particularly Mat. 3. at our Saviour's Baptism and Act. 9. at St. Paul's miraculous Conversion The Doctrine it self to be recorded is not barely propounded but confirmed by all the Methods that Reason or Discourse doth admit namely by Testimony Thus saith the Spirit and by Arguments artificial drawn from the most clear to pick that of the Causes They may or do rest from their Labours and their Works follow them to be rewarded a tranquillity or undisturbedness of state and an enioyment both of reflex and direct pleasure being necessary to make up compleat Blessedness Position So now then our Theme or Position to be discoursed on is this That it is evident both from the Testimony of the Spirit and the most cogent Reasons that they who dye in the Lord are from thenceforth blessed But before I pursue the Proof of it from the Arguments in the Text I must explain the meaning of the Terms denominating the Subject of all the three Propositions in the Text namely They that dye in the Lord for in every one of the Propositions that is the Subject They who dye in the Lord are blessed They who dye in the Lord rest from their Labours and They who dye in the Lord have their Works to follow them Qu. What is it therefore to dye in the Lord Answ He dyes in the Lord who at the time of his death is found under that temper of Spirit and the exercise of those Graces which do evidence his Implanting into Christ by Grace and his Acceptance with God in Christ through his Mercy in the New Covenant But to make this more clear we must explain who it is that lives in the Lord and that I may do so I must set down what Respects and Relations Christ stands in towards us according to God's Appointment in the New Covenant 1. Christ therefore is appointed by God in the New Covenant to be a Propitiation and Atonement for Sin through his Blood and Meritorious Sufferings that on the account of them God might pardon the returning Penitent without any dishonour to his Soveraign Government of Men and Angels 2. He was appointed also to be the Mediator of a New Covenant in whose hand all the Promises thereof are established All the Promises of Pardon Peace Grace and Glory are Yea and Amen in him or through his Blood or Death confirming that New Testament or Covenant 3. Christ is also appointed by God to be the Head and Fountain of new spiritual Life and Power to Mankind who by the Fall of Adam had lost all power to do good and promote their own Happiness as well as the Devils and damned Spirits had lost the same but It pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness of spiritual power dwell Col. 1.19 And He is that true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Joh. 1.9 And Of his Fulness we are to receive Grace and Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 4. Christ is appointed also to be the High Priest in and through whose Intercession our sincere though imperfect Services are accepted 5. And he is appointed also to be the First born among many Brethren in and through whose Purchase and Title we are to be adopted to the Inheritance of Eternal Glory 6. Christ is also appointed to be the First Fruits of them that sleep to consecrate our Bodies to a Resurrection by his rising again Thus is Christ to us a Propitiation a Mediator an Intercessor an Head and Root both of Grace and Adoption of Bodies and Souls to Glory But to whom is he effectually all this The Gospel tells us he is so to them who exercise Repentance towards God and Faith towards him our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 20.21 Who are constant in mortifying of their Lusts Rom. 8.13 Who have devoted themselves sincerely to God's Glory 2 Cor. 5.15 that is who have resolved to do or

suffer any thing which may promote the Knowledge Fear and Faith and Love of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ And who exercise universal Charity towards all Men even Enemies with special delight in all holy and good Men 1 Cor. 13.1 And lastly Those who make God's Favour in Christ Jesus here and Communion with him in a Vision of Peace hereafter the Inheritance and Happiness which they chuse and desire before all things both in this World and in the World to come Psal 73.25 and Gal. 6.8 These I say these penitent believing mortified devoted charitable and heavenly-minded persons are according to the Conditions of the New Covenant in Christ so as to receive from him the Benefits of Justification Peace Increase of Grace Acceptance in their Duties and Adoption and Resurrection unto Glory So then they who persevere in the Exercise of those Graces of Repentance Faith Devotedness to God's Service c. to the end of their days these dye in the Lord they dye with a Right and Title according to the terms of the New Covenant to that Crown of Glory which Christ hath purchased and as a Righteous Judge will give unto them at that day the day of death A second Term to be explain'd is this From henceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an Epocha or Date and to me seems best sixed at the death of the Saints So that the sense is They who dye in the Lord are blessed from the very Instant of their death without any suspension of their Happiness through the sleep of their Souls or on account of their passage through or stay in Purgatory or any other middle state intervening betwixt the bodily Life and the Happiness of departed holy Souls This plain sense is both agreeable to the Scriptures and seems to be the sense of the Church of England about this Text in that she appoints it to be read at the Interment of the Dead So that I shall cleave to this plain sense waving all critical Enquiries after any other though I am not ignorant that some Expositors begin this Date from the ceasing of Persecution for some time under the Emperors Trajan Antoninus or some other mild Heathen Emperors Other Expositors fix it from the renewing of Persecutions under Decius or Dioclesian or other bitter Persecutors Others again fix it from the time of ceasing Persecution under the Emperors or Rome-Heathen till the Renewal of Persecution again under Rome-Papal But though Expositors thus differ about some critical Notes of time yet they all agree that at their death the Saints are happy I shall therefore stick to that sense Thirdly I must explain what are the Labours from which they who dye in the Lord are said to rest I answer All Conditions which are burthensome to the inward or outward Man to Body or Soul are Labours Such therefore are Sickness Pain Loss Reproach Disappointment Banishments Imprisonments Tormenting Deaths Such also are those passions of Fear Anger Sorrow Envy Inordinate Desire Suspiciousness and Anxiety of Mind Such also are all Compassions and Sufferings in Soul for the Miseries of others whether our private Friends and Relations or our Country or the Church of God Add to these Christians being subject to Temptations either to sin or to doubt of God's Mercy to their Souls are Labours also I say all these both Sufferings Passions Compassions and Temptations are Labours Here therefore I shall before I come to handle the main Proposition speak a little to two other Truths here supposed and they are these First That even good Men who live in the Lord do not till they dye in the Lord rest from all their Labours Secondly That bad Men who do not live in the Lord and consequently cannot dye in the Lord such do not rest from their Labours when they dye but the bitterest of their Labours follow them even beyond the Grave First That good Men have not a Rest from their Labours on this side the Grave It is true that Faith and Patience do much correct the malignity and bitterness of their Sufferings but even the best of God's Children have their Labours here For Who can doubt but it is a labour and burthen even to a good Man to be under pining sickness and pain to be subjected to the persecutions of slanderous Tongues and Pens to be deprived of their Estates Liberty or Country Who doubts but that Anger Sorrow Fear and Anxiety of Mind are yet a greater burthen and labour if a good Man in his weakness falls under the impression of any of them So also it is no small burthen when Friends are miserable or disobliging What a great part of a good Man's heart and bowels are carried away by the loss of a dear Joseph the Imprisonment of a Simeon the Ravishment of a Dinah or Tamar the Incest of an Amnon or the Rebellion of an Absalom What a burthen of heart to good Men are their sorrows and fears for the Church of God through the divisions of Brethren and the Contentions of a Paul and Barnabas or through the Apostacies of some eminent for Profession of Godliness to either damnable Errors or rending Schisms or downright Prophaness and Debaucheries Such labours and sufferings also to a good Man are their fears and sorrows for the Land of their Nativity suffering or like to suffer through Wars Famine or Pestilence And lastly What a labour and burthen is it to a good Man to be assaulted with inward Corruptions or outward Temptations and to wrestle and combat with his spiritual Adversaries and his own Doubts Now there are few or none of these but may be put into the Inventory of most or all good Men. So that they may well say to their own Souls in the Language of the Prophet Micah 2.10 Arise ye and depart this is not your Rest for it is defiled So that no pious persons ought to reckon it a mark of God's displeasure or rejection if they suffer here and have not an Heaven upon Earth seeing all holy Men who have gone before them to Heaven were made perfect by Sufferings and so also their Sufferings may be instrumental in the hand of God's Spirit to prepare them and make them meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light The second Proposition here supposed is That bad Men even when they dye do not rest from their Labours They are no more free from Sufferings on this side the Grave than good Men are their Sicknesses and Pains be as sharp and vehement their Bones being full of the Iniquities of their Youth Job 12.11 their Children may be rebellious as Sennacherib had Adramelech and Sharezer or they may dye soon if they be hopeful like Jeroboam's Abijah Their Names and Reputations may be torn in pieces by their black-mouth'd Fellow-sinners and they usually are highly tormented with fears and anxiety of Mind and with rage and envy at other Men. But one of the chiefest torments of wicked Men on this side Hell