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
B07590	A winding sheet. Wrapped vp in a letter from an onely liuing brother, sent to his few suruiuing sisters. Denouncing vnto them the sad sentence of death and directing them how to bee prepard for the happie entertainment of it..	I. E.; D. W.	1626 (1626)	STC 7434.4; ESTC S126067	24,155	109

all one as if we were vnarmed Neither can wee bee sound and sincere of heart nor follow righteousnesse to the full nor haue the whole comfort of our knowledge hope and faith nor well manage the sword of the spirit that is GODS word to quell our spirituall foes if wee doe not ioyne to these much and often prayer For Prayer is as a whetstone to sharpen the edge of this sword to make it cut vnto the quicke and goe home and the furnace wherein the other pieces of this armour must bee wrought to their right temper that they may bee of proofe and impenetrable And if then wee bee thus armed Death can at no time set on vs to our hurt And what need hee feare the approch of death that being conscious to himselfe that his heart is voide of guile and vpright toward GOD and being daily imployed in doing Gods will and exercising himselfe to all righteousnesse doth vnderstand by the Gospell as a message sent from heauen that God is at peace with him is by faith perswaded of his interest in IESVS CHRIST and all his merits for the pardon of his sinnes and to set him free from Gods vengeance and hell fire hath an assured hope after death to enioy that incorruptible Crowne of glory which is reserued for him in the heauens and while hee waiteth for it doth walke vnder the safegard and in the light of Gods word trembling at the iudgements taking direction from the precepts reioycing in the diuine mysteries and receiuing comfort from the promises thereof and can pray with sighes and grones vnutterable vnto GOD euen in the agony of death for his mercy and ayde which at no time shall faile to succour him and much lesse in that last conflict and bickering The hills may sooner fall and the pillars of the Earth bee shaken then the estate of this man can be ouerthrowne euen by death it selfe It is so indeed that vntill wee be thus armed wee shall not bee hardy enough to encounter Death Wee cannot but tremble at the thought much more at the presence of that grimme King of feare For wee are in death to grapple with most gastly enemies much to strong for vs and breathing nothing but bloud and destruction namely sinne Sathan all the powers of Hell and the curse of GOD. It would daunt the stoutest heart to be thrown into the middest of many rauening Beares and roaring Lyons all naked without any weapon to defend himselfe or offend them And where is hee that hath the courage to encounter sinne accusing him Sathan and Hell gaping for him and GODS wrath like Lightning flashing at him if hee be not well prouided of this spirituall armour which onely can secure him in this conflict and keepe him that hee be not swallowed vp of them But as a faint heart would dare to enter the field against most furious foes that were furnished with such armour of proofe as no blow or shotte could pierce So get wee on this armour of GOD and we shall haue heart enough to looke Death in the face nor shall at that time our sinnes Sathans fury or GODS wrath appall vs being so thorowly fenced and armed that none of these can hurt vs who vnderstands that GOD is become our friend our sinnes are pardoned and that Sathan is as a Lyon chained vp stamping and roaring at vs but not able to hurt vs. With what a constant and magnanimous spirit doth holy DAVID expect the approch of Death I will not saith hee Psal 23. feare any euill though J should walke thorow the vally of the shadow of death And whence doth this his courage grow but from faith which made him see God present with him to conduct him safe thorow that darke and gloomy vally for thou art with mee saith hee Nay whom hee felt to be present with him in restoring his soule and leading him in the pathes of righteousnesse How cheerefully was blessed PAVL also affected toward death When hee saw it to draw nigh 2 Tim. 4 6. c. I am euen now ready to bee offered and the time of my departing is at hand c. And what is it that maketh him thus cheerefull and confident in this case First a good conscience that did beare him witnesse of his sincerity in seruing God in all his course and then his faith which he had kept sure and inuiolable as Verse 7. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Next an assured hope of saluation which did spring from these From hencefoorth is laid vp for me the Crowne of righteousnesse which in that day the Lord that righteous Judge shall giue mee Verse 8. And in like sort whosoeuer hee be that is thus armed hee shall be able with equall confidence to stand against Death yea to bid defiance thereto with the same PAVL saying as in 1 Cor. 15.55 c. Death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory It is beleeue me onely sinne and vnbeliefe that doth strip vs naked and maketh our soules penetrable by the venemous sting of Death Procure wee to our selues faith and a good conscience to take away the guilt of sinne and quell the power of it wee shall bee so solide and firme that Death may hisse at vs but not sting vs nibble vs but not bite vs and as it was told the Viper gnawing at a File that shee should sooner weare and break her owne teeth then fret the File So shall Death blunt her venemous sting and breake her viperous teeth but not fasten them vpon vs to doe vs any hurt The last thing that I would aduise vnto in this businesse is euer to keepe an euen and just reckoning with GOD. What was it that made the vniust Steward Luke 16. to heare of giuing vp an account with so ill a will but because it was not euen nor could hee render a good reckoning If a debtor be farre behinde hand with his Creditor and bee much on the score hee doth hang backe from comming to an account but if matters stand euen betweene them the one is not more forward to cal for a reckoning then the other is to giue one And what is it that doth more daunt and appall vs at our death then that wee see that our account with GOD doth not stand euen and that we are infinitely indebted and runne behinde hand with him thorow our extreame carelesnesse and ill husbandry It is a common prouerbe among vs that euen reckoning doth make long friends and wee dare walke openly and shew our face boldly before men when wee are cleere with them and owe them nothing It is then a singular course to make and continue friendship betweene the LORD and our selues to keepe euen with him whereby wee shall also obtaine a spirituall boldnesse to come and at any time shew our selues before him To this end wee are to imitate good husbands of this world who in their generation

and as a Bird from the hand of the Fowler If a man bee indebted to another and haue not to satisfie or bee loth to pay another mans debt his way is to humble himselfe vnto his Creditour to begge his fauour to sollicite his Friends that they would pay or at least intreat for him And this businesse hee must follow not coldly but earnestly not giuing rest vnto himselfe nor his friends till hee bee free and then for afterward hee must play the good husband looking to it that by vnthrifty courses or rash surety hee fall not againe into the like case Now it is certaine that wee shall not any day or time of the day looke ouer matters betweene GOD and vs but wee shall finde our selues further in arrerages with GOD then wee are able to satisfie It is not then safe or wisedome for vs carelesly to passe it ouer but ere wee sleepe or take our rest let vs get the booke crost and our debts cancelled For which intent wee must humble our selues to GOD confesse our sins accuse our selues vnto him acknowledge our vnsufficiency to satisfie bewayle our wofull case into which we haue brought our selues implore and bee earnest with the LORD for his mercy to pardon and forgiue our sins and to giue vs Grace that wee may be more wary and better husbands for our Soules in time to come Wee must try our friends of whom in this case we haue onely one who can doe vs good that is Iesus Christ whom we must by Prayers sollicite and beseech to vndertake the matter and intercede for vs with his Father nay whom by Faith in Prayer wee must take and present to Almighty GOD desiring him to take CHRIST surety for vs and to accept in our behalfe of that full payment and satisfaction which hee hath made in his Death and Sufferings And this beeing done wee must renew our Couenant with GOD and take new and vnfained purposes to leaue all our vnthrifty courses to bee good husbands for our Soules to keepe out of debt at least not wilfully and carelesly to runne behind hand with GOD strongly crying for his Grace without which wee can doe nothing to worke in vs a faithfull performance of these our purposes and desires If wee shall thus doe day by day it cannot bee said what peace wee shall haue in our soules with what boldnesse and confidence wee shall walke before GOD and with what comfortable resolutions expect Death As a man out of debt walketh boldly before men and is not afraid of a Bayliff though hee see him come toward him but if a man be greatly in debt hee walketh by night and whensoeuer hee goeth abroad hee goeth in great feare and if hee see a Bayliffe come toward him taketh him to his heeles mistrusting that he commeth to arrest him and haue him to Prison Nay feareth almost euery stranger I may say euery bush to bee a Bayliffe that watcheth to catch him So is it here If wee thus keepe euen with the LORD we shall haue great boldnesse and not shrinke at the approch of Death as if it should doe vs any hurt But if we neglect this course and abide securely in the LORDS debt as we shall haue little quietnesse all our life so the thought and approch of Death will bee most gastly whom we cānot otherwise apprehend of but as a Purseuant to carry vs away to Hell I will conclude all this with that of ZOPHAR Job 11.13 14.15 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him If iniquitie bee found in thine hand put it farre away and let no wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacle Then truly shalt thou lift vp thy face without spot and shalt be stable and shalt not feare Your affectionately louing brother and most carefull of your eternall welfares I. E. IN CONCLVSION OF THIS Worke. A Winding Sheet is here sent from a Friend To warne three Sisters for their latter end Shewing them how to be prepar'd for death Before hee come to stop their vitall breath A worke so great that who so findeth this Shall haue great glory with eternall blisse That tongues of Angells nor of men can tell The Ioyes so great the freedome is from Hell This Winding-sheete was onely sent to Three Neuer intending it should Printed bee But that which then was pointed but for them Must now perused be of many men Now God grant grace to them and many more That in reading this they may haue such store Of faith repentance and a sound conuersion To withstand sinne and all hellish temptation Then they may say to Death where is thy sting And to the Graue which is a cruell thing Wee conquered haue you all through Christ our head And so our Grau's become the sweetest bed There shall wee rest and lye without all paine Till the last Trumpe doth sound Then rise againe And then shall meet our Sauiour in the Ayre And so sit downe with him as in a Chaire Judging the Twelue tribes with all other men And after that ascend with Christ in heauen And there behold the glory which hee had With God the Father e're the world was made D. W. FINIS