Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A43064
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A sermon preach'd before the King at His Majesty's chappel in Windsor-Castle, Novemb. 10, 1695 by Greg. Hascard.
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Hascard, Gregory.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing H1116; ESTC R25417
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12,336
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29
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A SERMON Preach'd before the KING AT His Majesty's Chappel IN WINDSOR-CASTLE NOVEMB 10. 1695. By GREG. HASCARD D. D. Dean of Windsor and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty Published by His Majesty's special Command LONDON Printed for Daniel Brown at the Bible and Swan without Temple-Bar M DC XC VI. ACTS XVI part of the 30 31 Verses Sirs What shall I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house THE Conversion of the Jaylor here is an effect of the precedent Miracle v. 26. which was wrought by the Power of God not only to reclaim the Pagan World from Idolatry and Superstition but to vindicate the Persons also of Paul and Silas who through some covetous Masters who were angry that their Servant a Damsel who brought so much gain unto them by Sooth-saying by these Apostles was now dispossest of her divining Spirit So much did Covetousness outweigh their Charity and Religion v. 19. and by the giddy Multitude who under pretence of aged Customs and Superstition is soon fired into Cruelties Riots and Disorder v. 21 22. And through the Magistrates here who were perhaps forc'd to comply from the Clamour and Noise of the Herd which many times grows the lowder from commanding Silence these two innocent Persons are condemned to the Rods and Prison and the busy Jaylor to please his Masters and the Rabble bestows upon them the darkest Room in his Jayl v. 24. where these two Saints did not warm their Heads to contrive Revenge nor whine at and bewail the Severity of the Judge or the madness of the People nor sink into despair for fear of further Punishment Axes or Rods that might attend them but flaming with Devotion like Souls upon the Wing Spiritual and Divine truly Citizens of another World merrily and loudly send up their Prayers and tune their Praises unto God who soon heard and by a miraculous Change in Nature the shaking of the Earth the moving of the Foundation of the Prison the Bands and Shackles of the Captives flying off own'd the Faith and Creed that Paul and Silas taught evidenc'd the vigour of a fervent Prayer righted the Innocency of their Persons and baptiz'd the Jaylor into the Religion of his Prisoners For seeing these mighty Wonders his Soul that hitherto was kept in straiter Bonds and a darker Dungeon than ever St. Paul lay in look'd now like the Prison that he kept from a clear Conviction upon his Mind that he was a gross Sinner and that Paul and Silas's Religion brought Salvation with it and was very true full of fears and agonies of Mind astonishment and confusion of Spirit comes trembling and falls down to them that he had whipt before begging their charitable Advice in this great concern Sirs c. In which words these two Parts are to be considered I. The Question of great importance that is ask'd here Sirs what must I do to be saved II. A plain and sufficient Answer given to it Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house The State of the Jaylor here is the condition of all Mankind who from the natural Light that shines within and divine Discovery from above sent into the World clear up an immortal State with infinite Sorrows or eternal Joys to attend their different Actions which puts the Souls of Men upon the Search and Passion Fears and Hopes Jealousies and Desires to fly from the Flames which burn under their Feet and to attain the Crown of Glory which hangs o're their Head There is no Man of so sear'd or cauteriz'd a Confcience there is no Man of so bold and daring a Spirit but some time or other shivers and waxes Pale to think that either he must take an eternal Sleep in the Grave and never be again or else be lash'd and scourg'd for his Follies if he doth survive No Man's Blood is so warm and feverish with the pleasures and joys of this Life but hath its cool intermission when Conscience and Reason debate the Case and ask him What will be the issue of all these things What will be the result and conclusion of all my Lusts and Vices Live I cannot Dye I dare not Where shall I fly What Spirits shall I be company for As the Apparation said to Saul I e're long must be with them Such is my dismal Streight and Condition What must I do to be saved No Man's Methods and Arts are so fly and cunning to extinguish the notion of a God to pull down Heaven and put out the Fires below to smother the cries of Conscience and draw the Curtain upon the light of Reason but some time or other either when Afflictions or Troubles arrest him and stop him in the full career of his vicious Pleasures or when Sickness Disappointments or a Dying Bed seize his Passions then he cries out like the Sorcerer Oh! let me dye the death of the righteous and whatever my life was in the beginning let my latter end be like his Call a Confessor and a Guide for I am a going I know not whither and Hell and Despair begin to appear And what shall I do This is the Language of all Mankind of the Timorous and Inquisitive the Young and Aged the Melancholy and the Gay the Sensual and Vicious the Pagan and Christian the Question in every Man's Breast God hath been so kind by the Gospel to give us a plain and sufficient Answer to this important Question telling us what we were what we are and what we must be pointing out our Joys discovering our Dangers describing our Countrey and the Inhabitants above giving us wise Counsel and wholesom Directions how we must walk and arrive there In short only thus to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ And which Words may be discours'd on by this Method 1. To consider who the Persons are who can properly ask this Question 2. What is the Nature of this Belief or Faith that will save us 3. To evidence that this Answer is plain and sufficient 4. Some Conclusions from the whole 1. 'T is the Question of a Pagan to a Christian and 't is the Case of the Jaylor here who sadly complains that his Notions and Evidences for Immortality were very uncertain and obscure and that the most Learned among them and the best of their Guides did confess this Seneca therefore acknowledgeth upon what Grounds his Hopes of another Life was founded I did believe saith he the Opinions of our great Men about the blessed State for departed Souls not for the sake of their Arguments but the Perswasion was Pleasant and I could wish that it was True And Socrates coming to dye after he had made his fine Oration about the Soul and Virtue and the Blessed Mansions above said Upon this account I could dye Ten thousand Deaths but concludes whether this be so or no only the Gods above do know And the Reasonings of their great