Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	die_v	think_v	4,534	5	4.2966	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86101	A sermon preached at Hievvorth at the funerall of Edmund Warneford Esq. By Thomas Hauskins minister of Gods word. On the 24. of August. 1649.	Hauskins, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing H1152; Thomason E1286_3; ESTC R15019	15,521	43

are to make of the foresaid doctrine the Apostle doth in the following words both expresly and amply and singularly direct us saying Let them that have wives be as if they had none and they that weep c. Yet afore I urge or prosecute any of these particulars give me leave to premise and inferre one generall use and the rather because that generall exhortation will have a speciall influence into and will prove as a speciall preparative disposing us the better for the following particuiar instructions Be you then from the consideration of the foresaid doctrine in generall wise exhorted To lay to heart the shortnesse of your time This is a very speciall and a very profitable duty Ecc. 7.2 There we see that it is the duty of the living to lay to heart their end this laying to heart our end is elsewhere called the consideration of our latter end Deut. 32.29 and in that regard I shall both exhort you pray for you saying in the Apostles words 2 Tim. 2.8 consider what the Apostle hath said in the text concerning the shortnesse of our time and the Lord give you understanding both in this and in all things We have need of prayer as well as of exhortation for the Lord knowes that we do see and heare and read frequently of many things which we doe very little if at all consider and lay to heart and least of all the particular in hand insomuch as I may truly say that of any thing in the world that is so well known so frequently and apparently scene there is nothing that is so little considered and laid to heart Paul saies in the text This say brethren the time is short I may well adde we our selves do see and see and see and see often in such fad instances and spectacles of mortality as is now before us That our time is short but who laies to heart and considers it who can say in this case as the Church did in another Lam. 3.51 Mine eye affecth my heart Let us a little take view of all sorts and conditions of people I will passe over childhood because at that age we are lesse capable of consideration and come to youth Doe young men and women consider and lay to heart the shortnesse of their time Alas they are so farre from laying to heart any alteration by death that they lay not to heart any the least alteration by age or sicknesse for young people make not any accompt that their fine face their youthfull strength beauty activity shall ever decay or be impaired Having passed through youth I come to middle age and doe aske the Question Whether doe people in the midst of their daies in the height of their strenght lay to heart the shortnes of their time As Sampson sayd Give me a champion that I may fight with him so I say shew me an instance and example in any one man or woman who considers this thing that I may commend them Yea to come to old age doe people when they are wll stricken in yeares or when they begin to be sickly and doe find infirmities to be growing upon them doe they lay to hears the shortnesse of their time Alas the very Heathen did observe this corruption and deceit in the heart of man to wit that there is scarce any one so old but he thinks to live one yeare longer and still one yeare longer and yet one years longger for people when they begin to be sick and as we our selves may observe how it is given to people to thinke and say of their sicknesses as Christ did concerning that of Lazarus This sicknesse is not unto death yea it were to be wished that carnall friends in their foolish pity coming to visit their sicke friends would not like the false Prophets of old crying peace peace sow the pillowes of security under their freinds arme-holes and rocke them in the cradle of forgetfullnesse both of God and of themselves assuring their friends that their present sicknesse shall not shorten and much lesse end their time of such friends we may well say as Iob did of his Miserable Counsellers and miserable Comfortors are yee all And because it is not sufficient to accuse unlesse the charge be made evident I will now make it appeare by sundry evidences that very few doe lay to heart the shortnesse of their time First I shall bring in the common wickednesse and profanesse of the world to testify it and I shall say with allusion to those words of Samuel to Saul 1 Sam. 15.14 If the most of people doe indeed consider and lay to hart the shortnesse of their time what meanes that common cry of all forts of sinnes of drunkennesse swearing cursing uncleanesse which we doe daily see with our eyes and heare with our eares especially if we goe abroad to a market fayre or the like But for more particular evidence I say first as the Prophet speakes in another case Hos 7.10 so I say here The pride of people doth testifie to their faces that they doe not lay to heart how short their time is for did people consider seriously and sadly the shortnesse of their time would they be so haughty so hofty so scornefull and disdainfull of their inferiours as if we all were not one flesh and of the same blood as they be Would the women kind be of such a proud demeanour as is described and reproved in the haughty Daughters of Sion walking with stretched out necks wanton eyes mincing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feete Esa 3.16 Surely beloved the minding of the shortnesse of our time would bring downe the stout hearts and lofty lookes of people and would cause us all to walke more humbly both with our Creator and with our fellow-creatures Secondly Mens covetousnesse doth testify to their faces that they lay not to heart the shortnesse of their time we see that with very many there is no end of wordly care toile and travell they being never satisfied in their minds with what they have but are still restlesse in adding house to house field to field farme to farme bargaine to bargaine Did people seriously consider that they have not long to live there would be more contentment and lesse convetuosnesse then is every where among all sorts to be seene Thirdly That few doe consider the shortnesse of their time doth appeare by this to wit That though people doe sometimes think upon death yet they think onely of one way of dying or upon one kind of death to wit they think only of dying a naturall death they think of dying by age or in their beds where as we may as well dy an untimely or a violent death as a naturall death we may be cut off in the midst of our daies and strengthy by a thousand disasters we may die in a prison we may have our throats cut or our braines dasht out we may die in a ditch as well as in

judgment the following Scriptures for the confirmation thereof may be alledged phil 4.5.1 Pet. 4. 7. lam 5.8 Rev. 22 20. There we read that The Lords coming draweth nigh is at hand that the end of all things is at hand that Christ will come quickly c. If it be objected that the Saints are ready to thinke and complaine that it is long ere Christ will in this sort come Rev. 6.10 that they do frequently say in respect of Christs coming to them in glory as David sates in respect of Gods coming to him in grace Psal 101.2 Lord when wilt thou come unto me I answer that the time betwixt and Christs coming to judgment however in some respects long yet may it be sayd to be short in the following respects First in respect of Gods accompt to whom a thousand yeares are but as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 As God sees not as man sees so he reckons not as man reckoneth Esa 55.8 Secondly in respect of the time already past in speciall in respect of the time since that his coming was prophecied of for his second coming was prophecied of by Enoch the seventh from Adam many thousand yeras agoe Jud. 5.14 in regard hereof our time now is said to be the the last time we are said to be the people upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Job 2.18 1 Cor. 10.11 Thirdly in respect of time to come if I may so speake and call that time after which time shall be no more but I meane that in respect of eternity succeeding Christs second coming the time betwixt and that is but short for suppose it were an 100 or a 1000 yeares afore Christ shall come to judgment yet what is that to eternity it is no more to eternity then a drop of a bucket to the whole Ocean or then the dust of a ballance to the vast mountaines it is no more then a finite thing to what is infinite Other considerations might be named with regard whereunto Christs coming to judgment may be sayd to be neere at hand but I shall passe them over and come to prove the second particular to wit Secondly That the time is short in respect of the neare approach of every ones death This is another thing which the Apostle aimes at in saying that the time is short he would give us thereby to understand that we have but a short while to live for proofe thereof view the following Scriptures Iob 14. 1. and 16.22 Psal 89.47 and 39.12 Heb. 13.14 wherein it is said That wee are of few daies that we have here no continuing city that wee are Pilgrimes and Strangers c. Before I make application I shall make answer to the following question to wit how short is our time Should wee heare such a question undertaken to be answered out of the pulpit we might perhaps at the first hearing of it imagine that the party so undertaking did intend to cast a figure and to tell fortune as we call it but if you will carefully attend to the three following answers which I shall make thereunto I doubt not but that you will judge it to be a Question not unfit for the most serious and sober Divine to resolve To the question then I answer First that to speake within some latitude and compasse of time or in generall wise it may well be knowne how short our time is in this sort I say the shortneste of our time may be knowne by those various Metaphors similitudes or comparisons wherewith in the following Scriptures man his life daies are set forth in the word of God Iob. 7.6 7. 9.25 26. Psal 38.39 103.15 16. 144 4. lam 4.14 Psal 102.3 There we read that man his life and daies are resembled to a wind smoake vapour grasse aflower c. Especially I shall mention Psal 39.5 because that scripture comes very neare to the Metaphor which Paul useth in the text there wee see That God hath rolled up our time so close and neare together that there is but the scantling of an hand-bredth lest unto us Secondly to speake punctually to a point or moment of time there is no man able to say how short the time is whether in respect of Christs second coming or in respect of his owne death First None knoweth the punctuall time day or houre when Christ shall come to judgement and for proofe thereof see Mat. 24.36 c 25.13 Mar. 13.35 2ly That none knows punctually the time of his owne death see the following Scriptures Pro. 27.1 lam 4.14 Eccl. 9.12 There we read that mand knowes not his time not so much as what shall be on the next morrow c. Thirdly I answer that the time is much shorter then the most people for the most part are aware of and this I affirme both in respect of death and judgment First That the time betwixt this Christs second coming is shorter then the most people for the most part are aware of may be proved by Luk. 21.35 where it is said that the day of judgement shall come as a snare upō the Inhabitants of the earth as also by Lub 17.26 27 c. where we read that most people shall be as sensuall as secure and as little looking for Christs coming to judgment when he comes as Sodome or as the old world did expect the desrtruction of fire or the deluge of water Secondly that the time betwixt this and our dying day is shorter then the most doe imagine may be proved by Eccle. 9.12 where it is affirmed that death comes and seizeth upon the most of men even as unexpectedly as the net or snare doth the Fish or Foule The truth of this is seen in sad and frequent experience for let it be observed and we shall find very commonly that God doth then cut short the thread of mens lives at what instant they think to live long as for example when people have undertaken more worldly imployment then ever they did afore when they have most yrons in the fire and are most eager in the pursuit of their worldly designes or when people have compassed all their worldly projsects and have go the things which in their hearts and soules they did most thirst after and do then think to live long with hearts ease upon the sweet of that which they have laboured sorely for beath their brains about I say at such a time God doth shorten and put and end to their time And for further proose hereof let the following Scriptures be considered Luk. 12.19 20. Mat. 24.48 Use I now come to the quod reliquum to what remaineth of the doctrine I meane to the use and application of it and surely this that remaineth is like the good wine in the Gospel though it comes last yet indeed it is best of all the life and soule of a Sermon being in the use and application of it Now for the use which we