Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	grave_n	sin_n	sting_n	4,163	5	11.3993	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78006	Christ the Sts advantage both in life and death. A sermon preached at the funerall of Ms Elisabeth Coke, wife to Colonell Tho. Coke of Pebmersh, Esquire. By Thomas Burrough, preacher of the Gospel at Pebmersh in Essex.	Burroughes, Thomas, b. 1611 or 12.	1646 (1646)	Wing B6130; Thomason E1200_3; ESTC R208763	15,668	69

fainting fits Thousands I am confident of imprisoned and plundered Saints can experimentally speake to the truth of this It is but the fulfilling of that promise of him who is Truth it selfe who hath engaged himselfe to be present with his in their greatest streights When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the rivers that they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isai 43.2 Whither will the childe feare to goe whilest it is in the fathers armes Though I walke thorow the valley of the shadow of death saith David yet will I feare none evill for thou art with me Psal 23.4 CHRIST's presence maketh amends for all Hee is so eminently and transcendently good that what-ever is wanting in the creature is supplyed out of his blessed selfe If food be wanting to his to feed them if clothes to cover and keep them warme yet hee is equivalently good yea better to them then all these or whatsoever else they can stand in need of O stand still then and seriously take notice of the happy estate of a soule reconciled to GOD in CHRIST all outward troubles cannot hinder his joy nor stoppe the entercourse of love betwixt CHRIST and his soule Hee liveth above all troubles His life is hid with CHRIST in GOD Coloss 3. vers 3. Hee liveth where hee loveth his conversation is in heaven Philip. 3. vers 20. All the enemies in the world cannot take away his joy Hee may lose house goods lands friends but still hee hath his portion GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion for even Psal 73. ver 26. All the powers of hell and all the enemies in the world are not able to take away his comfort They may strip him naked of all the comforts of this life yea they may if the LORD permit take away life it selfe but yet they cannot take away CHRIST who is the life of his life and the joy of his soule Here is a true beleevers conquest His jewell his treasure his best and greatest comfort both in life and death cannot be taken away Enemies may separate betwixt the body and the soule but never betwixt the soule and CHRIST USE 3. Thirdly This may discover unto us the desperate folly of those who are sollicitously carefull after the things of this world and in the meane time altogether carelesse concerning that which they ought principally to labour after never truely seeking after communion with GOD in CHRIST Of such wee may justly take up that complaint Yee will not come unto mee that yee might have life John 5. vers 40. They will not come to CHRIST they will not beleeve in him they will not roll themselves upon him for life and salvation They will not kisse the Sonne they will not have CHRIST to reigne over them To such I may say in the words of the holy Spirit Why is there a price put into the hands of fools seeing they have not an heart to it Why doe such lay out their money for that which is not bread Isa 55. ver 2. for that which will not comfort in time of need Why is the blessed free and gratious tender of CHRIST so slenderly esteemed and ungratefully refused This this will prove The condemnation That men love darknesse rather then light John 3. ver 19. How shall this muzzle the mouthes of all impenitent sinners that have lived in these Gospel times who have neglected so great salvation as hath been held forth unto them How unutterably miserable shall the condition of such be When the LORD JESVS shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not GOD and obey not the Gospel of our LORD JESVS CHRIST 2 Thess 1.7 8. USE 4. Fourthly The Use of this in the last place shall be for exhortation to exhort every one of us that as wee desire to finde any true solid soule-satisfying comfort either in life or death so to labour now to get a title and interest in CHRIST Strive to be found in CHRIST not having any righteousnesse of your owne but that which is through the faith of CHRIST the righteousnesse which is of GOD by faith Philipp 3. ver 9. Endeavour to get strong evidence to your soules that you are Christ's and hee yours Get the love of CHRIST shed abroad in your hearts that your soules may be heated with the reflection of this love Pray that your soules may be arrested with the love of CHRIST with such a love as the Spouse mentioneth Cant. 8. vers 6. A love as strong as death that conquers the greatest giant and mightiest Monarch A zeale for CHRIST as inexorable as the grave that the coales thereof may be fiery coales scorching coals This love will facilitate the greatest difficulties and make the Saints not to love their lives unto death This hath made the holy Martyrs kisse the stake and joyfully embrace the flames This made that blessed Ignatius when hee heard the lions roare that were purposely kept hungry to the end they might more eagerly devour him cry out O that I were with those beasts that are prepared for mee whom I desire should soon make an end of mee but if they should refuse to touch my body as through fear sometimes they have abstained from some of the Saints I would provoke them to fall upon me Others have said Racks strappadoes torments are but a play to us Flames of fire have seemed to them no lesse pleasant then beds of downe Thus have these blessed soules beene warmed yea inflamed with love to CHRIST The heat and strength of this love hath also moved the Saints lying upon their death-beds even as it is reported of the Swanne to sing before their death and to allure their soules as it were to hasten out of their bodies with old Simeon to cry out LORD now let thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. vers 29. And with good Hilarian These seventy yeeres and upwards thou hast served the LORD therefore now goe forth O my soule with joy They know right well that though they die yet the sting is pulled out and death to them is but a passage to a better life Hence it is that they welcome death as that blessed harbinger of their soules eternall happinesse This hath made them look upon the day of death as the day of harvest to the husband-man as the day of deliverance to the prisoner as a day of marriage to the Bride Upon this day have the Saints looked as a day of exultation and triumph over sinne death and hell O death Where is thy sting O grave Where is thy victory 1 Corinth 15. ver 55. It hath made them to long to be dissolved and to bee with CHRIST which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 farre farre the better Philip. 1.23 As a Reverend Divine that I have read of who the day before hee died called earnestly for the Bible saying Come oh come death approacheth let us gather some flowers to comfort this houre Another Oh what an happy change shall I make from night to day from death to life from a troublesome world to an heavenly rest Thus have many blessed Saints even longed for death and rejoyced at the very approaching of it which they could never have done had they not assuredly knowne that they should be exceeding gainers by their change had they not confidently beleeved that when these earthly tabernacles should be dissolved they should have a building of GOD not made with hands c. Oh how doth it concern us especially in these cloudy dayes to strive for interest in CHRIST Therefore as ever you desire to finde any comfort in these sad times especially at the hour of death when all other comforts shall take their leave so labour to get a tirle and interest in CHRIST that with Paul you may be able to say CHRIST is to mee both in life and death advantage NOw concerning this Gentle-woman whose death we have all cause to lament being one who was in an especiall manner instrumentall to the glory of GOD. Although I have ever hated flattery yet where I finde much of GOD I desire to speak something to his glory Many things worthy of imitation have I being much conversant with her observed in her A briefe account of some of them I shall in a word or two hint unto you First Shee was very conscientious in observing the Lords day Secondly Shee was principally carefull over the soules of her children and servants in her husbands absence A lively character of a truely vertuous wife When should the Moon shine bright but in the absence of the Sun Thirdly The cause of GOD and the welfare of his people were most deer unto her In a word Such was her demeanor in her whole conversation that I could easily be eloquent in speaking of her but I must set bounds to my selfe God hath taken her from us I must speake no more to her neither shall I for the present speak any more of her But oh that what I have or deservedly might have spoken of her might provoke others to emulation that you would strive to walk in her pathes that you might hereafter partake of her Crown I shall conclude in the words of the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein I began Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things FINIS

words are a triumphant manifestation of that benefit and comfort which Paul did assuredly expect to finde from Christ both in life and death Which words as I conceive not needing any further explication hold forth this Proposition DOCT. That the Lord Jesus Christ is a beleevers greatest advantage and best comfort both in life and death To mee to live is Christ and to die is gain Christ is my comfort both in life and death If I live the life that I leade is by faith in Christ If I die Christ shall be to mee advantage yea it is farre better for mee to be with Christ So affectionately desirous of enjoying still more communion with Christ was this blessed Apostle that hee tels the Corinthians I desire to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 No not at Corinth a City of Greece a famous and learned City yet hee desired even among them to know not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a tittle of any thing but Christ and him crucified The same Apostle telleth the Colossians that all outward priviledges and excellencies without Christ are nothing they cannot all make a man happy nor render him acceptable in the sight of God no it is Christ that is all in all Coloss 3.11 A title an interest in a Christ can onely doe this Wee are made accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1.6 Againe if you look forward into this Epistle written to the Philippians you shall finde the Apostle disrobing himselfe of all outward priviledges he was one of a good Family excellent parts one of the strictest Sect of the Pharisees yet saith hee I account all these losse in respect of Christ I account my time lost that was spent in these things I account them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offall garbage and filth that is thrown out to dogs Things they are indeed that may entice the dogs of the world but alas to mee saith the Apostle they are things of no value Such sweet comforts have the Saints found in Christ that Chrysostome saith The Name of Jesus hath a thousand treasures of joy and comfort in it And it is used by Paul as some have reckoned no lesse then five hundred times Thus Moses that holy man of God esteemed reproaches for Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But how could those many opprobrious and contumelious speeches which the Hebrewes at that time in a strange land were subject unto be said to be the reproaches of Christ or for Christ when Christ was not yet born For answer to this yee know that Christ was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Hee hath ever been afflicted from the beginning of the world The afflictions of the Church are called the rebukes of Christ when the Saints are rebuked and persecuted Christ is persecuted and these Moses accounts greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Mocks and taunts banishment imprisonment losse of goods burning at a stake for the Name of Christ these are greater riches then all the treasures in the world without Christ and ought to be so esteemed I reckon saith the Apostle Rom. 8.18 or upon just reasoning I conclude that all the sufferings of this world are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us they are too light to be weighed with that glory The glory which the Saints shall have with Christ in the world to come shall abundantly exceed all their sufferings for Christ here And as their glory which they shall receive in the world to come is incomparable so their joy and consolation which they finde in communion with Christ here is unspeakable nothing else can satisfie or content them Should a Christian send out his soule by way of enquiry to knock at the door of all worldly contentments demanding whether any true soule-satisfying comfort and gain could be found in any of them they would all give in a negative answer Even as wee read concerning Wisdome Job 28.12 14. The depth saith It is not in mee c. so here of soul-satisfying comfort and gain it will be answered It is not in us Inquiry I. If you should inquire of riches whether they cannot give such soul-satisfying content Alas the answer is already upon record Riches availe not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Pro. 11.4 from the sting and curse of the first death and altogether freeth from the second death T is righteousnesse but what righteousnesse Surely none other but the righteousnesse of God by faith in Christ That righteousnesse which in regard of working was the righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 5.18 and in regard of the imputing or appropriating of it is called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 Philip. 3.9 Paul durst not stick to a legall and duty-righteousnesse this will not stay the soule nor quiet the conscience in times of deep distresse but it must be a better an higher righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of Christ This is the righteousnesse that God will accept and that will afford quiet peace unto the soule This is that righteousnesse that will deliver from death Inquiry II. Honours and preferments cannot you stand the soule in stead in an evill day Cannot you step betwixt Gods wrath and a troubled conscience Alas these may carry worth and estimation among men but they are nothing in reference towards God Honour is but the raising of the value and esteem of a man here among others And when men have done what they can there is onely one Heraldry that maketh the difference of men and that is the grace of God Summa apud Deum Nobilitas est clarum esse virtutibus as one saith well 'T is grace that maketh men of the blood-royall partakers of the divine nature The best Nobility is the Nobility of faith and the best genealogie the genealogie of good works and they that truly endeavour to honour Christ them will hee honour But for worldly honour when it is once laid in the dust who can distinguish betwixt the greatest favourite of Princes here on earth and the poorest peasant These worldly preferments may adde much to the aggravation of mens condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus but without grace to improve them to the glory of God they shall never adde to their consolation These cannot of themselves yeeld any true soule-satisfying comfort in time of distresse Inquiry III. Wife and children those dear delights of men here upon earth can you afford no soule-satisfying comfort in a time of spirituall distresse These these indeed are sweet comforts whilest injoyed with the favour of God in Christ as that blessed Martyr acknowledged who being asked wh●her did love his Wife and children hee seeming so willing to leave them to die for the name of Christ Yea saith hee so deer are my wife and children to mee that were the whole world mine I would give it to live with them though it were but in prison But