Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A49502
|
Death the sweetest sleep, or, a sermon preach't on the funeral of Mr. William Hiett, late citizen of London by Tho. Lye ...
|
Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.
|
1681
(1681)
|
Wing L3531; ESTC R5710
|
14,347
|
36
|
Observation of Jerom an Antient Father and the Resolution of the 3d. Christus non ploravit Lazarum mortuum sed ad hujus vitae arumnas ploravit resuscitandum Toletan Council concerning Christs weeping over Lazarus Joh. 11.35 That it was not so much becaus he was dead as becaus he was to be raised up again to feel the burthens and afflictions of this Life Gods Jonahs find this Life to be a stormy passage A tempestuous Sea-Voiage wherein they meet with many Whales many Leviathans Death sets them safe on shore puts them into safe harbour whilst here the Archers sorely griev Gods Saints shoot at them hate them draw out their Swords after them strong Bulls of Bashan beset them round the Plowers plow upon their backs they make long their furrows But there the weary is at rest Job 3.17 There the wicked cease from troubling No need now to fear A Gardners Prison Bonners Stocks or Cole-house nor a flaming Smithfield Lucius to Urbicius I thank you with all my heart that by death will free me from wicked Governours Here Gods Peter's no more dread the Cross nor Paul's the Ax nor James's the Sword nor Gods Elijah's a cursed-painted Jezabels bloody threats In A Word the whol Army of Gods Noble Martyrs are here past all fear of halters Cyprian God be blessed for this Goal delivery racks wheels stakes gibbets the most exquisite Torments that either PAPISTS or DIVELS can invent or are ready to inflict 3. From Passions and inward perturbations griefs Anxietys Here in this Life Babylas Now will God wipe away all Tears the Believers pulse beats slow and faint his heart pants his eies moisten'd and his cheeks blubber'd with tears you may read the Anguish of his Soul in his Countenance But in Death every tear dried up in the eye wiped off the cheek All sorrow and sighing flown away Rev. 21.4 The Saints Baca is turned into A Berachah sighing into singing misery into mercy 4. Pic. Mirand Death is welcom not so much as an end of Troubl as of sin From sins iniquities corruptions Whilst here the poor sin-pester'd Saint cries out of the Law in his Members warring against the Law of his mind against the body of sin and death You may hear his out-cry as of a person on a Rack Rom. 7.23 24 But now he that is dead is freed from sin Ro. 6.7 1 Pet. 4.1 Not the least spot or wrinkle left in his Soul Eph. 5.27 Not one Agag spared alive Every Egyptian not sprawling but stark-dead upon the shore The end of a Saints Living is the Non ultra of a Saints sinning With this that good Martyr held up his head when he encouraged his fellow with telling him that my Lord of London he meant that BLOODY Butcher Bonner was sending of them there where they should sin no more 5. From Temptations assaults trialls combates Satans winnowing c. Not an Adam no not in the Paradice of the Church but hath an Eve in his bosom Chast Joseph attaqu'd by a Potiphars-Wife A Messenger now and then from the lowest pit to buffet us 2 Cor. 12.7 A damp arising from Satans deepest Mine to choak us Anakims To Wound Daughters of Heth to Troubl Daughters of Midian to Allure us Snares Ginns Traps Limetwiggs 1 Pet. 5.8 Satan going about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour This world is the poor Saints Gymnasium Arena Wrestling place And Tho' It be the Saints Honour at length to Conquer yet It is and cannot but be the Saints Troubl thorn pain so long to Conflict But now Death puts the Saints into so peaceabl an Estate as that he is not only without foil but fighting Not only the Accuser but the Tempter of the Brethren is cast out Rev. 12.10 Thus we see The Paralel betwixt sleep and death with Respect to Rest Let us see next how they suite in 2. Resurrection or Awaking Natural Sleep is not perpetual We sleep and awake again Believers tho' they sleep they shall arise again as men awaken'd out of sleep This is expressed in the Words immediately following our Text. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go to awaken him out of sleep i. e. to rais him from the dead The Apostle Paul is much upon this Metaphor see 1 Cor. 15.18 20 51 52. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Job 19.26 27. Although after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God c. Death may yea shall prevail over the whol outward Man Death spends both skin and reins swallows up both flesh and bones And yet for all this this Total Consumption of the Body of Man is no impediment no barr in the way of Faith to stop us from a firm Belief of our Resurrection As Death shall triumph over Jobs Body so Jobs Faith triumphs over Death He that believes in Christ yea tho he were dead tho' totally corcupted and consumed yet shall he live again John 11.25 I have done with the proof of our Point the Improvement follows Use 1. Of INFORMATION Is Natural Death a sleep and no more hence 't is easy To inferr not only the Truth of that great Articl of our Faith the Resurrection of the Body but the facility and easiness of Accomplishing it After Natural sleep men use to awake again So after Death the Bodies of men shall be awaked i. e. rais'd up out of their Graves to life at the last day And 'T is most just that those Bodies which hav been the Souls Copartners in doing good or evil should therefore participate in the reward and punishment which cannot be done without a Resurrection But the white I aim at here is the facility of the Accomplishing it How easily is a living man awaked out of a shallow slumber or deep sleep Much more easy with God by his Almighty power and voice To revive and rais the dead at the last day 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. Use 2. Of TERROUR to and mourning over unregenerate unbelieving impenitent ones living and dying in their sins and lusts Poor wretched Creatures 'T is Tru you must dy certainly and you may dy speedily but Know that your Death is but A sleep You must wake again and when you wake you will awake dead-sick Those Bodys of yours must hereafter be awaked and rais'd out of your Graves at the last day and united again To the Soul that both Souls and Bodies may be cast together into Hell Torments for ever Joh. 5.27 28. Mat. 25.33 Oh how well were it for such if their Souls and Bodies might utterly perish and be abolished by Death as the Bodies and Souls of Brute Beasts How happy is A dead Lion abov An ever-living-or-rather-an ever-dying damned-unbelieving Caitif Use 3. OF SUPPORT AND CONSOLATION TO SOUND Believers Precious Souls 1. You complain of sad and unpleasant lives of dark and gloomy daies of black and restless nights Cheer up
Oh then my dearly Beloved whilest you are yet awake in the World ply your oar follow the plow work and work hard for your God be stedfast unmovabl alwaies abounding in the Work of the Lord for as much 1 Cor. 15. last as ye know that as your labour shall not be in vain so your sleep shall be sweet in the Lord. The Lord will giv you sleep as his beloved Psal 127.2 Pro. 3.24 Psal 3.5 and 4.8 To make this sleep sweet indeed I would offer these 2 things I. Carefully avoid Those things that disturb sleep I do but allude Reflect we back on Eccl. 5.12 The sleep of the Labouring man is sweet But the abundance of the Rich will not suffer him to sleep Take heed that the abundance of your Wealth with the many cares businesses and fears troubles which are consequent thereupon Gen. 41.19 Pro. 3.10 Luk. 12.16 17. 12. the fatness of diet gluttony and excess of delicious fare cause not such Distempers as may hinder your sleep on your Beds or disturb it in your Graves I question much whither Dives his every day sumptuous fare did not rise in his stomach after he was dead Luk. 16.19 Abraham seems to throw it in his Dish v. 25. Take heed therefore to your selves as you would hope to sleep undisturbed then that your hearts be not over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life Now. Luk. 21.34 II. Sincerely follow the Blessed David home To his Sleeping Room Tread in his steps imitate his Nobl Exampl Read the lovly Epitaph which the Holy Paul hath as it were written on his Tomb. Act. 13.36 David serv'd his Generation by the Will of God and then fell Asleep He serv'd his GENERATION before he fell A sleep Remember Remember Dear Brethren and forget not David thought it not Enough To serv his Generation when he actually fell asleep by letting fall som few ears or gleanings then No No. David served his Generation dispatcht the greatest part of his Work and then sweetly laid him down To Rest O that High that Honourable that Heavenly that God-like frame of Spirit of living in and dying for the service of our Generation This if any thing in the World makes Saints to be like David Men after Gods own Heart How precious is the memory of that Blessed DORCAS How doth she shine as the Moon among the Stars she that was so full of good works and alms-deeds which she did she that left so many Coats and Garments for the poor which she made whiles she was yet living Act. 9.36 39. Oh 'T is Wisdom as well as Charity To make your OWN Hands your Executors and your OWN Eyes your Overseers Do good All good I had Almost said Do All your good whilst you liv I own it Brethren I own it for A great and serious Truth If any man provides not for his own especially for those of his own House or Kindred he hath denied the faith and is wors than an infidel Charity Regular charity must and ought to begin at Home But it must not stop and center There That Stomach that greedily takes in food meerly to satiate and glutt its own appetite and not to transmit the digested food to the needy Parts would quickly prove not so much A MEMBER as A MONSTER 'T is Tru You Ar Husbands As such next to God your dearest Wives must hav your Hearts You ar Parents Next to Wives your Hopeful obedient Children must hav your Bowels You ar Brethren and Sisters and have neer and it may be poor Relations These do All put in for A Christian share But then know My Brethren you hav OTHER Relations which ar as near and dear To God to Christ To the Spirit as Wives Children Kindred ar or can be to you Read and read again Mat. 12.50 And look what e're you do to and for these is filed up and registred and shall be brought forth and proclaim'd at the Great day of Account Mat. 25. from 35 to 41. 'T is your GENERATION-Work I am now pressing you to dispatch before you fall Asleep You profess your Selvs not Nominal but Real Sons of the Tru-Church your Spiritual Mother if so let me Bespeak you in the words of our Lord To his Belov'd Discipl Joh. 19.27 Behold your Mother Behold I say and see whether there be any sorrow like unto her sorrow which is don unto her wherewith the Lord your displeased Father hath for your sakes and sins justly afflicted her in the day of his fierce Anger Lam. 1.12 Fix your ey upon her and let your ey affect your Heart and do as your Everlasting Father did when he was just preparing himself to his last sleep He beheld Jerusalem and wept over it Luk. 9.41 Methinks I do and surely you cannot but hear the Doleful Groans of the sinking dying Church piercing not our ears only but hearts in holy Jobs Soul-stabbing Dialect Hav pity upon me hav pity upon me O ye my Sons Daughters Friends for the hand of God the paw of Satan the fangs of Antichrist hav touched wounded stab'd me Job 19.21 As SUBJECTS your Generation Work is To Giv To Cesar the things that are Cesars and as Godly Subjects To GOD the things that are Gods As CITIZENS Luk. 20.25 O pray for the Peace of this our English Jerusalem poor LONDON They shall prosper that lov Her Endeavour to your utmost that Truth and peace and piety may be within her Walls and your Houses and Prosperity within your Palaces Psal 122.6 c. As WEALTHY CITIZENS 1 Tim. 6.18 Rich in good works ready to distribute O be wise Merchants and think not much To Exchange your Bristol-stones for Tru Diamonds Make you friends of the Unrighteous Mammon Luk. 6.19 Do you see any poor desolate Widows be you Husbands To them any perishing Orphans be you Fathers to them any lean meager honest industrious poor Houskeepers do not suffer them to starv for want of Bread or Work This this is your GENERATION-Work To the speedy and faithful dispatch whereof what mighty Encouragement Hath the Father of All your Mercies given you in that grand Text. Psal 41.1 2 3. I could wish it ingraven with the point of a Diamond on every wealthy Citizens door or glass or heart in London He that hath promised To strengthen thee on thy bed of Languishing yea To make all thy bed in thy sickness will certainly not fail after Death To Turn thy bed of Dust into A Bed of Down 3. Is A Believers death A sleep This should teach us immediately to prepare for Death To be alwaies ready Sleep creeps steals upon us in a moment Be praierful Be watchful 'T is our Saviours great advice Luk. 21.34 35 36. Your sleeping by day is very like to prevent your sweet sleeping by night Keep up in your Spirits a present PREPARED posture for natures dissolution See that you have not your Oil to buy when 't is To burn Remember