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	time_n	10,716	5	3.7938	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53981	A sermon preached before the king and queen at White-Hall, December 13th. 1691 by Edward Pelling ... ; published by Her Majesties special command.	Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.	1692 (1692)	Wing P1102; ESTC R33044	8,209	28

because in the end our worst Enemy will be that in our own Bosom But there are three Cases especially wherein it highly concerns Men to have a Conscience void of Offence I. First in case of Publick Dangers when the Face of the World looks uncomfortable and dismal Seldom do the things of this Life continue at a stay The state and condition of the World ever and anon alters either by means of the different Interests and Designs of Men who labour still to turn the Wheel about or by the just Judgment of God for Peoples Wantonness and Ingratitude in times of outward Prosperity Now when Circumstances are full of Threats and Terror they will soon shew what the in-side of Men is Conscience which in such a Case is apt to tell Guilty Wretches their own will possess them with fearful apprehensions that God is their Enemy and that they have no just reason to hope for Protection from Heaven And what does this naturally tend to but to put them on the Rack when their Fears and their Sins both haunt them Whereas an inoffensive Conscience gives a Man all the Peace and Security imaginable For these are the sure Principles on which he builds his Satisfaction that God presides over the World superintending and governing all Affairs here below that not so much as a little Bird falls to the Ground without his Permission that the very Hairs of a good Man's head are all number'd that tho' here we meet with Tribulations yet Christ hath overcome the World that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and that tho' Extremities should happen yet if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him together However some are so hardy as to scoff at Religion and strive to wear out of their Minds the sense of God yet nothing can carry a Man out in the Day of Tryal but such Principles as these And whoever he be that Relyeth upon these Principles and upon Examining his Actions finds good Reasons to believe that his Heart is sincere and upright he must needs be danger-proof in a very high degree You have an instance here in St. Paul tho' the Jews had bound themselves under a Curse that they would kill him tho' Ananias used his Authority and Tertullus his Eloquence against him tho' Men and Devils conspir'd to destroy him yet his Rejoycing was this that his constant exercise was to have a Conscience void of Offence toward God and toward Man 'T is true such evil Days and times of Danger every one of us is very apt to put far off from himself by reason of the uncertainty of them For as they may so perhaps they may not happen and every one out of fondness to himself is willing to hope they will not come at least in his time But then II. Secondly there is another Case which every day occurs against which a Wise Man will be well provided the Case of Sickness when we should have little else to do but to trim up our Lamps and exercise our Graces and so to repose our selves in the bosom of a faithful God and a merciful Redeemer Now he that makes a Conscience of his ways and studies to carry himself without offence toward God and Man will at that time have nothing in comparison to do but to wait God's Pleasure For as he foresees that such a day will come so he prepares for it before-hand He is wiser than to leave the Great and Heavy Work of eradicating sinful Habits and of changing the whole Frame and Inclination of his Heart to be done upon a sick Bed but takes an early care to die to the World and to himself daily Upon this account tho' a Disease may be very troublesome and painful and parting of those old acquaintances the Soul and the Body may be attended with violent Natural Struglings yet his Spirit must needs be full of Peace it being impossible that a Course of Vertue and Holiness should bring in any bitter remembrance at the last It was the Prayer of Hezekiah when he was bid to set his House in order Isai 38. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before Thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight What unconsionable Man is there in the World that dares say to God in his Languishings It cannot be unless his Conscience be utterly feared but his Heart must ake and his Bowels must be full of Gall and Wormwood and his Soul must be ruffled with many dismal apprehensions of a Judgment to come because his Conscience which will then awake and will speak loud and home to him must needs tell him that if he dies he is undone to all Eternity Tertullian has rightly observed that God has tinctured all Wickedness with a Natural Shame and Fear And certainly there is nothing like to an Evil Conscience to make a Man a Coward especially when he is in danger of appearing before the just Judge of all the Earth to whom Vengeance belongeth It is no marvel if when a Man is troubled with the Qualms of a sourc Conscience he is more sick of his Sins than his Disease If when he sees Hell open before him he turn his Face away from that frightful Spectacle and if he be brought to that miserable pass that tho' he must not stay any longer in this World yet he knows not how to venture into another These are the necessary and natural Rewards of an Ill Man tho' in time of Health and Gaity he may drink down mellancholly Thoughts or roar his Conscience into Silence or endeavour by lewd Principles to confirm and harden his Mind against Religion yet when the Hand of God comes and touches him to the Quick that busie Thing in his Breast will stir and rage and give him a very bitter Dose and uneasie Pillow III. There is another Case yet which I must mention because from the Highest to the Lowest we must every one of of us come to it in our order for it is appointed unto all Men once to Die and after Death to go to Judgment And woud we were so Provident as notwithstanding the Splendour and Charms of this World to call our Thoughts home every Day and to sequester some time for such serious Considerations as these What is it to Die Of what infinite Importance is it to die well What will become of us when we are dead and gone What Eternity that great thing Eternity means How unalterable every one's State will be And how impossible it must be for us to live over our Lives again to rectify those Miscarriages we are such Fools to be guilty of now Such Religious Meditations would prove very powerful Restraints to keep Men within the compass of their Duty according to that of the Son of Sirach Think on thy latter end and thou shalt never do amiss What admirable Effects of such Retirements will you