Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	7,400	5	10.9794	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23681	The desire of all men a sermon preach'd at Daventry in Northamptonshire, March 5, 1694/5, (being the day of the interment of our late Most Gracious Queen), before the bayliff and burgesses of the said corporation of Daventry and other gentlemen of the country, and published at their request / by Charles Allestree ...	Allestree, Charles, 1653 or 4-1707.	1665 (1665)	Wing A1080; ESTC R8239	11,013	30

Subject of our Contemplation at that time that there is not the least room left for a Cursory Reflexion upon them And the reason why the Mind of Man in all the Operations it can exert is solely limited and apply'd to this Object is because it is wholly employ'd with recollecting and preparing things for the Trial of the Great Day for the coming of the LORD And these indifferent Actions of Life neither serving one way nor the other neither to justifie nor condemn us in the other World it is unconceivable and almost impossible that any thing which does not tend to one of these Ends either to acquit or condemn us at God's Tribunal should find any entertainment in our Thoughts I know sometimes the necessary management of our Domestick Affairs does interpose and hinder this intention of Mind and a Man's Thoughts are frequently call'd back from their application to the things of another World to a due regard to the settlement of the Affairs of this But it ought to be remember'd that Matters of this nature God commanded Hezekiah to do 2 Kings 20.1 To set his House in order And it is a Duty which he requires of all Mankind so that if this care is any interruption to us and hinders us from calling our Moral and Virtuous Actions to remembrance it is only a little exchange of our Office for the better it only diverts us from meditating upon that which was Good to fasten and engage us to that Work which we actually know to be our Duty and commanded to be done Now though it is a great Comfort even in the midst of Health before there are any Disturbances in Nature to feed upon the Repast of a Good Conscience and to enjoy that serenity of Mind which naturally flows from the Remembrance of a well-spent Life yet it is a more unspeakable pleasure to enjoy this Conscience and Reflexion of things at the last Hour and Article of Death because that time being the Conclusion of our Lives the Horizon betwixt Us and Eternity we are remov'd from the danger of relapsing and from the Fears of forfeiting the Reward of our Innocence by any actual Sin or open Transgression of the Laws of God Whereas he that in the midst of his Days looks back and is able to comfort himself with the Virtuousness of his Former Life has it is true the satisfaction of a Good Reflexion but not so lasting an impression of Joy upon his Spirits because ‖ 1 C●p. 〈…〉 him then stand having he fall ● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phal Epist 〈◊〉 he may justly be afraid lest through the deceitfulness of his Heart and the insinuation of Sin he should hereafter upon surprise give way to Temptations and by one gross Sin cancel the memory of all his former Virtue But this is the security of a Dying Man that has spent his Life in a constant course of Piety before that his Reflection shall be as lasting as Eternity and himself out of danger of committing any thing that may embitter his Remembrance It was Tully's Observation that amongst other things which recommended the practise of Virtue to us this was none of the least That it was acconstant Comforter to us in all the Distresses and Ex●gencies of Humane Life that nothing could solace a Man's Mind or buoy it up in Affliction but the Reflexion of a Virtuous Life and the good Actions we have done here All other things may give some diversion or pleasure in the time of doing them but when they are past they cannot be remember'd with any Complacency but what is worse they commonly leave a sting behind them Nay he carries the supposition higher and though says he we are long in the contrivance of a Delight have the pleasure of seeing it at a distance and anticipating it before-hand in our Imagination nay when the Delight is at hand and we are long in the enjoyment of it yet since there must be an end this one Consideration is enough to embitter it to us Quid enim est illud ipsum Diu quod cum venerit omnis voluptas praeterita pro nihilo est And surely if Cicero from the Light of Nature and mere natural Reason was able to decide the Case and determine so Divine a Truth we may give our Assent to it whom the Light of the Gospel and the Day-spring from on High hath visited All the little insignificant Pleasures with which we busie and entertain our senses here will be forgotten upon the Death-Bed and nothing but the Remembrance of our Charity and Well-doing will be able to comfort or support us in that Condition and Extremity Our Historians relate this sad and disconsolate saying of Cardinal Woolsey when he was fallen in Disgrace with his Prince whom he had sincerely serv'd in most of the Great Offices of State Had I serv'd my God with half that Zeal and Affection as I have paid my King He would not have left me in such Distress And we may observe that in pursuance of taking of our reliance upon Earthly Creatures the Scripture puts the Case and supposes the utmost that Men's Pride or Ambition can possibly arrive at and declares that the whole World is not a valuable Consideration nor a full Compensation for the loss of a Soul And yet Men frequently hazard this immortal Part for the gain of a small parcel of it to extend their Lands or their Estates a little further Now let us compare this passage of Holy Writ and this Instance together This Great States-Man whom I mention'd was griev'd in Mind for paying more Observance and truer Service to his Temporal Prince than to God for robbing God of his Honour and transplanting it but a degree lower even to his Vicegerent here Though he enjoy'd all that the World calls Great and was advanc'd as high almost as a Subject could be promoted yet his Favour with his Earthly King could not recompence the dread of his Heavenly Monarch nor his Temporal Felicities make amends for his Fears of being depriv'd of Eternal Happiness And yet there is a vast disproportion and difference betwixt his Case and Ours for so egregious is our Folly that it is not for the highest Preferments and Dignities of State that we sacrifice our Eternal Concerns to but for small broken and interrupted Pleasures And we may justly be afraid lest it should be the Complaint of many of us in the last Hour that had we pursued the Works of Righteousness with half that eagerness and intention of Mind that we follow'd after Vanity they would not have been so unkind as to have fled the Memory but would have staid to comfort us at the last Gasp and Article of Death They would have made us bore our Sickness with Pleasure and Resignation have given us patience under our Afflictions and even sanctified the Disease it self which is the second Consideration that makes the Death of the Righteous desirable II. Namely His peaceable Carriage