Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A59748
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A sermon preached at the funeral of Mr. William Ladson, Junior, at Tichmarsh in the county of Northampton by William Sheppard ...
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Sheppard, William, d. 1675?
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1694
(1694)
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Wing S3220; ESTC R9656
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20,694
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29
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will have a Christ take him now before the evil days come Old Age is called evil days when you will not be so fit to seek him Now you are more fit to read the Scriptures than when your eyes are dim and you cannot see Now you are more fit to pray than when your knees are stiff and will not bend Prov. 6. 6 7 8 9. God sends thee to the Ant to get Wisdom The Ant Provides her meat in the Summer against Winter thy youth is thy Summer if thou wilt have a Christ get him now in thy youth Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O Young Man in thy Youth and let thine heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the sight of thine eyes and in the way of thine heart but know thou that for these things God will bring thee into Judgment God by this Ironical expression would turn young ones hearts from their sins to himself As if God had said Young Men if you think it your best way to go on in your sins and to walk in the ways of your own hearts go on but be it at your own peril for know ye that I will bring you to Judgment for all your ways and doings Consider how you shall be able to stand before me in judgment for these ways you now walk in and how you shall come off in that day There will be no standing for you without a Christ in that day Art thou a young one that readest these lines then remember that now is thy time to get a Christ but it may be Satan and thy Companions tell thee thou art young and needest not trouble thy self about these things yet but mayest follow thy pleasures and have time enough to get a Christ seven years hence mark what God says to this Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth If you will have a Christ take him to day make sure of him to day go and cry to God for him to night thou knowest not but thou mayest be in Hell before to morrow Remember the Man in the Gospel Luke 12. 19 20. who talked of many years but God said to him Thou Fool this Night shall thy Soul be required of thee Oh it is folly and madness to put off the getting of Christ 'till to morrow There is great danger in delaying 1. It is a certain danger You that are the youngest are every moment liable to the stroke of Death You may talk of living many years but what is your life but a Vapour that appeareth but for a little time and then vanisheth away James 4. 13 14. 2. Here may be sudden danger Job 21. 13. They spend their days in Wealth in Mirth and in a moment go down to the Grave Young ones consider this seriously what a dangerous thing it is to be Christless you may live in mirth and pleasure and have nothing trouble you but this doth not secure you from the grave Death comes of a sudden and knocks you down and you fall down in a moment not only into the Grave but if you be Christless into Hell-fire 1 Thes 5. 3. when they shall say Peace and safety sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a Woman with Child and they shall not escape Mark this young one thou mayst flatter thy self saying thou shalt have peace and mercy but thou art never the better for flattering thy self for this will not help thee to escape nay thou art the worse for thou art in the greater danger For when is the time that destruction cometh The Text answers it and tells you the destruction cometh when they flatter themselves with false peace The Man in the Gospel promised himself many years but God brands him for a Fool for it This Night shall thy Soul be required of thee Who shall require his Soul the Devils they come and claim him because he is theirs not having an interest in Jesus Christ Take him Devils Devils take this Christless Soul away to Hell with it 3. It will be irrecoverable danger If thou art taken by Death out of Christ thy danger is irrecoverable thou enterest upon a state that is unchangeable that is if thou hast not got a Christ then there will be no getting him for ever there will be no change of your state for ever if then Christless you shall be for ever Christless therefore it is a dangerous thing to be found out of Christ Young one consider and lay it to heart Job 14. 14. if a Man dye shall he live again that is If things are amiss with him when he dyes shall he come into this World again to mend them If a Man dyes out of Christ shall he come again to get him No no therefore saith Job all my days I will wait prepare provide for my change by Death As the Tree falls so it lies as a Man's state is when Death comes so it finds and leaves him and as Death leaves him so Judgment finds him and so Sentence passeth upon him for ever Then the Sinner if it be not seared and past feeling will cry Lord give me a Christ mercy Lord I will have a Christ now let my sins go now Lord now I will be godly No now it is too late now the Lord proceeds to the Sentence if the Soul be in Christ happy is it then the Sentence is Come ye blessed enter into the Kingdom if the Soul be out of Christ then miserable for ever then the Sentence is Depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire with the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me O this is dreadful though the Sinner doth not value God's presence now it will be for his presence then O Lord thy presence is the only happiness I had better never have been born than shut out of thy presence Lord if I must depart from thee bless me before I go No depart Cursed cursed Lord if I must depart let me go into some good place No depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire Lord then let me have some good Company No depart with the Devil and his Angels Devils and Damned Wretches shall be your Companions You were not for the Company of the Godly in the World but were for the Company of the Wicked therefore Devils and Damned ones shall be your Company in Hell then you will cry But Lord if I must go to such a miserable place and Company let it be but for a little time No depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire You were never weary of sinning therefore there shall never be end of your misery Oh this word will break the heart never never never You shall burn and be tormented burn and roar burn and howl ever ever ever There the Worm dyeth not there the Fire is not quenched Mark 9. 43 44. O therefore young ones look about you and labour to get a Christ while you may is not this good news that there is yet a
be worthy in Christ beautiful exceeding Beautiful in him yea perfect through his comeliness Ezek. 16. 6 8 to 14. Object O but I am not only unworthy but unfit for Christ if I could find any change in my heart more power over my corruptions or were more holy then I could dare to go to Christ Answ First The first gift that God gives to Sinners is Christ and himself in Christ he doth not first give grace to change the heart and then give Christ but gives Christ and grace with him Secondly God doth not expect you should bring to him but come and receive from him you do not carry Physick to the Doctor nor water to the Fountain but you go to them for them you go with your empty Pitcher to the Well for Water you must go as a poor naked Sinner to Christ for Righteousness and as a poor empty Soul to Christ for grace You must go to Christ as you are and he will take you and fit you for himself So Christ invites you to come to him Isa 55. 1. He that is athirst sees his need of him hath a mind to him let him come though he hath no money no merit no righteousness nor goodness let him come and take all of me without money and without price Soul thou needest not fear being rejected because thou hast no righteousness of thy own for here is no price set Christ offers all this without money and without price Away then doubting Soul to Jesus Christ and he is certainly thine 1. The Appointment of Christ is for thee Isa 61. 1 2 3. Mat. 9. 12 13. He will not refuse thee because thou art a Sinner for he came on purpose for Sinners If thou hadst a Righteousness he were not for thee but if thou seest thy self to be a Sinner and that thou hast no Righteousness of thy own then thou art the Soul that Christ is for he seeks for such as thou art 2. The Promise of Christ The Offer and Promise of Christ are for thee Mat. 11. 28. Art thou a burthened Soul Is Sin the burthen of thy Soul and life Will nothing satisfie thy Soul but a Christ Then be of good comfort rise go he calleth thee Mark 10. 49. And he promiseth to receive thee Joh. 6. 37. he will in no wise in no hand cast thee out Doth not this revive thee 3. Art thou distressed for Christ Is thy heart towards him Be of good comfort the heart of Christ is towards thee Hos 2. 14. Go to him he will speak to thy heart he will speak a comfortable word to thee that will do thee good at heart And he tells thee further ver 19. he will betroth thee he will marry thee he will he will The Reason is in that word loving kindness which signifies bowels His bowels are towards thee he cannot reject thee Nay further his Soul is in travel for thee troubled Soul that art in travel for him Isa 53. 11. here is enough for thee go believe on him venture thy Soul on him and he is thine Object O but I cannot believe I can no more believe than create a World I see I must believe or I am damned and I see I cannot believe though I be damned Answ It is well if thou art come to this God brings no Soul to this but he gives them Faith and Christ Thou must go to God for Faith as well as for Christ Faith is his gift Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. God gives to believe therefore go and fall down at the foot of God cry to him for Christ cry to him for Faith God never did nor never will deny faith to any Soul that seriously asks him for it Object I have prayed and sought Christ but know not yet whether he will receive me or not Answ Pray and seek him still believe that he will receive you 1. First He hath promised it and will make his word good He cannot nor will not fail he will not fail of his promise Psal 89. 33 34 35. he saith his Covenant his Promise he will not break he will not lye If God breaks his Promise he lyes Nay he cannot fail he cannot lye 2 Tim. 2. 15. Though we are full of unbelievings and misgivings of heart yet he abideth faithful and cannot deny himself Doubting Soul therefore thou art sure of Christ if thou continuest praying and lying at the foot of God for him for he hath promised him to seeking Souls and cannot deny himself 2. Secondly He hath performed it to others God hath given Christ to seeking Souls therefore lay all these together and come to Christ 1. Believe Will you question and have the truth of God for it His Promise and his Oath two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lye One immutable thing is enough had you only God's word for it it were enough being unchangeable but you have two immutable things his Promise and Oath too and all this that you may be strong in Believing He that Believes not makes God a Lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10. Will you dare to make God a Lyar Indeed God will be true whether we believe him or not but as much as in us lies we make him a Lyar Well you have God's Promise and Oath too to receive you if you come in to Christ O therefore believe yea away to Christ be strong in believing 2. Wait Waiting Souls have found Christ Mary weeps and waits at the Sepulchre and Christ shews himself to her Joh. 20. 11 15 16. There are some Souls that have been under the hidings of Christ several years yet continuing seeking and waiting have found him at last Therefore seek believe and wait though Christ doth not come presently 1 First His heart is towards thee Jer. 31. 18 19 20. 2. Secondly It is for Christ's interest to receive thee he looseth his blood else Isa 53. 11. and Christ will not lose his blood now it is shed 3. Thirdly Christ is faithful Heb. 2. 17 18. Christ is faithful in his Office now it is his Office to save Souls and he would not be faithful if he should not save the Souls that come to him Away to Christ then and you are sure to be saved Vse 3. The last Use is to Believers 1. First For Consolation Here is comfort for Believers indeed you have sought and found Christ your danger is past as to Death Judgment Hell and all misery you are secured for Eternity O what would the Damned in Hell give to be in your Condition You have the Pearl of great price You have him that is more worth than ten thousand Worlds Happy are the Souls that are in such a case Psal 144. 15. 2. For Direction to Believers Do not you say What shall we do to answer these mercies 1. First Admire the Infinite Grace and love of Christ to your Souls You cannot sufficiently admire but you are to be admiring O admire and still admire and be swallowed up in the admiration of this grace Cry out with the Apostle Paul Ephes 3. 18 19. O the heighth and length and depth and breadth of this grace Rom. 11. 33. For 1. First he sought you first Isa 65. 1. You would have never sought him if he had not sought you first 1 John 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us O this first love is to be admired He chose you before the World was He loved you from everlasting O admire it 2. Secondly He inclined your hearts to seek him You would have been seekers after sin and vanity not Christ if he had not inclin'd your hearts 3. Thirdly God gave you Faith to lay hold on Christ or else you would have been Unbelievers as well as others all you have is of grace 1 Cor. 15. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 7. your justification adoption glorification all grace And that you should be partakers of this grace when so many of your friends neighbours are left out O cry grace grace John 14. 22. 2. Secondly Not only admire but exceedingly love Jesus Christ O how dearly should you love him who hath so loved you as to shed his blood and dye for you John 15. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 3. Live Christ Not only love Christ but live Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. Let this love of Christ constrain you to live to him who dyed for you What manner of Persons ought you to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2. Pet. 3. 11 14. O take heed of doing any thing that shall displease this precious Christ or dishonour this precious Christ O labour to please this precious Christ labour to exalt and glorifie him Let hearts and lives glorifie him Let us and ours glorifie him who is worthy of all Honour and Glory Majesty and Dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the Lower end of Cheapside THE Church's Triumph over Death a Funeral Sermon Preached upon the Decease of Blessed Mr. Robert Fleming Late Pastor of a Church in Rotterdam By Daniel Burgess The Grand Question Resolved what we must do to be Saved Instructions for a Holy Life A Call to Seriousness in Religion Good Counsel to the Converted and Unconverted To make Death safe Sickness Profitable Death Comfortable to themselves and that Sickness Instructive to others Also some Directions to the Friends of the Sick that are about them And a Form of Exhortation to the Ungodly in their Sickness Or those that we fear are such Together with a Form of Exhortation to the Godly in their Sickness