Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	life_n	word_n	8,769	5	4.5336	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41725	A discourse deliver'd in two sermons preached in the cathedral at Ely, in September 1684, not long after the death of the Right Reverend Father in God Peter Gunning, late Lord Bishop of Ely / by Humfrey Govver ...	Gower, Humphrey, 1638-1711.	1685 (1685)	Wing G1458; ESTC R18728	39,015	72

as being such as may very easily be accommodated to our present business and may help us to meditations proper for this occasion For what is the death of Saints but their entrance into glory Every good man at his death ascends as really tho' not as visibly as Elijah and is made as certainly happy as he Their bodies indeed go down to the Grave and mingle again with the dust from whence they were taken so to remain till the happy hour of an indissoluble reunion to their souls shall consummate the bliss of which that better part had taken possession immediately after it was dislodged from the body the spirit springs upwards as soon as ever it feels it self free from the clog and weight that press'd it down the soul of every Saint mounts as swiftly towards Heaven as Elijah himself tho' carried up in a flaming Chariot with Horses of fire Therefore well and wisely has the Church chosen to celebrate the day of their death as the happiest and most memorable of their lives and such as better deserv'd to be accounted as it was stil'd their birth-day then that on which they were born into the world For then they truly begin to live when to us they die Whenas that which we commonly call our Birth is indeed but the first step we take in our advance to death There is a short passage between the womb and immortality call'd life but indeed it lies all along in the region of Death to which we are inrol'd subjects as soon as we enter on that path of mortality and are not a moment free from the malignant influences of his dominion till we are got to the end of it and have shelter'd our bodies in the Grave and our souls in the hands of him that gave them Then and not before are we freed from the imperfections and incumbrances of flesh and blood from all the hidden snares the silent and secret incroachments of Death who begins its approaches as soon as we begin to live for then he first finds us on his own ground and within his reach and instantly quarries upon his prey As soon as we were born we began to draw to our end And there is no standing still in this walk of Death for man that is born of a woman never continueth in one stay He that lives most healthfully dies daily In the midst of life we are in death and every moment ripens us for the Grave to which we are still posting as fast as the wings of time can carry us Our very health is a kind of sickness and whilst we seem to gather strength and lay up plenty of provision to prevent the ruine or decay of our frail nature we are really all that while but making further advances towards our latter end Death is at work as well as we In vain do we endeavour to intrench and fortifie against the assaults of that obstinate and unrelenting enemy An enemy it is that cannot fail of victory either by undermining or by storm by lingring consumptions or more acute and violent distempers Death will certainly demolish our strongest hold and easily reduce the tottering tabernacle which we possess and would still gladly defend to ruine and rubbish dust and ashes out of which it was first rear'd and to which according to its Makers doom it must return by an unavoidable dissolution But when we are once arriv'd at that period and have received the last blow of Death and happily pass'd the common Gate of Mortality we are no longer in its power For what is said of the Head is true of the members That being once dead they die no more Rom. 6. 9. death hath no more dominion over them That then is the blessed hour that compleatly delivers the sons of men who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage It is at that fatal moment as it is call'd which seems to reduce us to the lowest most lamentable and helpless condition that the Righteous man first feels his shackles fall off and himself set free far out of the reach of the malice of Men or Devils For by dying he has overcome his last enemy which is death Strange victory But yet certain such almighty efficacy in it self and such a quickning influence on his members has the Death of our Head the Lord Christ who having first himself overcome it teaches and enables us to triumph in Death over Death it self 'T is true the victory is not in all respects compleat till we have destroy'd and spoil'd as well as vanquish'd this King of Terrors But that last Enemy cannot be so absolutely subdued till the last day when Death shall be swallowed up in victory that is finally and for ever so slain as never to revive for after that it shall be no more Then likewise shall the little victory of the grave be blasted and the poor remains we left behind us wrested out of the jaws of Death and restored to us But how Not worsted and worn as they were by course lodging in the dust and long captivity in the dark dungeons of the Earth but all fresh and new and wonderfully changed for the better That which was swon in corruption will be rais'd in incorruption It s dishonour will be turn'd into glory and its weakness into power of a natural body as we left it it will be rais'd and presented to us all over spiritual and heavenly The same indeed we had before For tho' it be most true 1 Cor. 15. 50. that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God that is as the Apostle immediately explains himself Corruption cannot inherit incorruption yet we know that this mortal must be quickned and have learn'd to believe the resurrection of the flesh Job 19. 26 27. and are assur'd that we our selves and not another for us in our flesh shall see God Even after worms have destroy'd our bodies It will therefore be the same I say and yet not that vile thing which once it was but chang'd and fashioned like unto his glorious body who was the first fruits of them that slept and who is the resurrection and the life Prudent therefore and pious is the Churches choice in celebrating the death under the notion of the nativity of such to whom the day of their death must needs be better then the day of their birth according to the observation of the Royal Preacher Eccles 7. 1. For then it is that they are born members of the Church Triumphant not only heirs but possessours of Eternal life For they shall not come into condemnation but are actually and properly pass'd from death unto life Their Saviour hath wip'd away all tears from their eyes Revel 21. 4. and to them there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain This alone is life properly so called in comparison of which that of this world which hath usurp'd the

blow up their Treacherous trains and expose and defeat their malice This therefore is very good service to the Church both as it is a means to secure what She hath already gotten and also to enlarge Her conquests And surely then such Holy Warriours may with good reason be styl'd as we see they are The chariots of our Israel and the horsemen thereof They fear not the utmost malice of the world In the thickest of the Enemy they stand invulnerable and secure Their breastplate of Urim and Thummim soundness of Doctrine and integrity of Life is proof and an impenetrable defence against all the fiery darts of Men or Devils Thus was Elijah clad thus armed he contended earnestly and successfully for the Faith His conversation was in Heaven long before he himself ascended thither He liv'd a great pattern of holiness to his Age His very actions whilst his tongue was silent were so many rebukes to that apostatized people For even by his refusing to comply with them He upbraided and rebuked their abominations The terrour of Death from the bloody hand of Tyranny did make him fly indeed but could not shake his Integrity This his constancy in the Faith and Worship of God gave as great Testimony to the Truth as his Preaching did so that Elijah taught by his deeds as well as by his words and edifi'd the Church both by his Doctrine and his Example And did not our Holy Prelate so too Did not He shew his Faith by his Works Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably He behav'd himself among you that believe For ever blessed be our Gracious God who to the great advantage of his Spouse the Church and the publick Good did furnish this his servant with such large measures of his holy Spirit and all Heavenly graces that He became a burning and a shining light and could not be more admirable for his extraordinary parts and vast improvements then He was truly venerable for exemplary Piety and Holiness of life Had I not already very much transgressed the limits of my time I would boldly inlarge on this Head as I easily might secure and fearless of seeming to any of you to say to much or being too lavish in the commendations of the Holy man It is a Theme scarce capable of Figure or flattery His very enemies could not but acknowledge the uprightness of his conversation even when He stood before a Committee of them impeach'd and arraign'd for his Loyalty and Religion They could find no occasion tho' diligently sought for against him except in that which concern'd the Law of his God They granted He was a man of Good Life but that they said made him the more dangerous for that such men did all the mischief A good testimony from the mouth of the Enemy of what I was before saying that nothing confounds them more then the unblameable Lives of such as profess and pretend a regard to Religion and obedience to the Church When they could not censure his practice they would needs question his Sermons nay rather then fail pick quarrels with his very Texts as they did with his choice of one that it seems had too much Loyalty in it for their purpose and that was some of the first Verses of the thirteenth Chapter to the Romans to which their Venerable Prisoner appositely replied that He was come prepared to justifie his Sermon but did not expect to be call'd upon to answer for his Text But it seems in the afternoon He had chosen a more innocent piece of Scripture for the subject of his Discourse and that was the Benediction of the Peacemakers Blessed are the Peacemakers But when it was alledged by his accusers that He had observ'd that League-makers were not Peacemakers this Text could no more excuse his Sermon then the other Sermon his Text. This Pastour certainly if any was an Example to his flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. in St Peters Phrase to the believers in St Pauls and that in all the particulars there mentiond 1 Tim. 4. 12. In word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity That He was a faithfull Minister of Christ a conscientious dispenser of the Word and Steward of the Mysteries of God You have heard already under another Head and knew it well before by your own observation and experience Acts 11. 24. He never shunn'd to declare unto you all the Councel of God For he was a good man that I may apply the Character of St Barnabas to this Saint of ours and full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith and added much people unto the Lord. Very much pains He took to convince and reclaim Recusants of all sorts He invited them to frequent conferences in meekness instructing those that opposed themselves answering their arguments resolving their doubts removing their scruples and silencing all their Cavils against the established Doctrine and Discipline of the Church and this he did oft-times with most happy success For the Word of God in his mouth was quick and powerfull But O how sincere and great was his joy when He found God had made him an instrument of bringing back a wandring and a lost sheep How did his humble gratitude issue forth of his very eyes discovering to all that saw and observ'd him his religious soul triumphing in the spiritual victory and at the same time heartily ascribing it unto Heaven But when overgrown and stubborn prejudices pride obstinacy or stupidity made his charitable endeavours ineffectual 't is true the Good man seem'd troubled He sigh'd and prayed and sent many a pittying and lamenting look after the hardned and unrelenting wretch but for all that knew how to be content and tho' He might say as the Prophet in the person of our Saviour I have labour'd in vain Isa 49. 4. I have spent my strength for nought yet withall He could comfortably add that which immediately follows my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God His prayers and his pains were accepted by his great Master in Heaven who set him on work and from thence return'd in showr's of blessings and comfort on his head and into his own bosome But when this was done when to the Laws and the weighty considerations of publick safety and quiet common utility and general experience of the mischievous effects of the separation all which pleaded strongly on his side I say when to these He had added his own publick and private endeavours to remove all if there were any real conscientious scruples and difficulties in the case He was far from thinking it an Usurpation upon consciences to remit refractory persons to the Civil power to be proceeded against by legal prosecutions the likeliest means then remaining not only to prevent the increase of their numbers but to bring themselves to Church and thereby give them opportunity to hear and hearken to further instructions more attentively and effectually then otherwise they