Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A85258
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An exhortation, by way of epistle to the friends of Christ, every where.
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Field, John, 1652-1723.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing F863A; ESTC R177041
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7,654
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38
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nought Matth. 21. 19. Therefore my dear and tender Friends that are visited and called of latter time be diligent in waiting upon God and faithful to him and answer his Requirings and be doers of his Will so far as he hath made it known for as you are faithful in a few or little things God will make known more and greater for a bruised Reed shall he not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth judgment unto truth Isa 43. 3. But there must be a waiting on him in this Way and a following him therein and not a starting aside like a broken Bow for if ye do not follow Wisdom in the Way she leads which is the Way of Righteousness and in the middle Paths of Judgments ye cannot be made Partakers of the living Substance or know your Treasures filled Therefore faithfully follow the Lord and ye shall know him Isa 42. 13. to go forth as a mighty man he shall stir up jealousie like a man of war he shall cry yea roar he shall prevail against his enemies For he hath a bow and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6. 2. This is the Captain of the Lord's Host this is he whom the Armies that are in Heaven follow this is he in whom we have believed Revelat. 1. 18. that was dead and is alive and lives for ever more this is he to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth Matth. 28. 18. who will destroy our Enemies and that great Enemy that is Death that will put an end to Sin that will finish transgressions that will bring everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. into our Souls and compleat the Work of our Redemption and Salvation which the Father sent him to do if we follow him in Truth in sincerity and uprightness of Heart in the way of the daily Cross Matt. 10. 28. and in the Regeneration which is the End of our Call and Visitation and is both our Duty and Interest for thereby we shall obtain Peace to our Souls find Acceptance with God through him and be fitted for his Kingdom and as we live abide and walk in him shall we be kept while here in a patient continuance in well doing and be made sharers of Glory partakers of Immortality and Inheritors of Eternal Life Rom. 2. 7. Let nothing therefore in this low World nor any thing you may meet with in your Pilgrimage through this mortal Life or Vale of Tears prevail upon you to neglect your Duty to God or decline your Testimony for him in any Respect For he hath not only called and raised us up to be a People but hath kept and preserved us in and under all our Exercises Troubles Sufferings or Afflictions that he hath suffer'd to come upon us for the trial of our Faith and exercise of our Patience of what kind or nature soever whether from the World or among our selves he hath been a shelter in the Time of Storm and a Refuge in the Day of Trouble Oh! Let us therefore remember his Love to us and fear him and his Goodness Hos 3. 5. and be daily exercised in meditating in his LAW and in a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication unto him that we may keep the same and walk therein and in his holy and undefil'd way will he then lead us And we shall partake of his Blessing and be directed by his Wisdom and guided by his Council and in the End be received into Glory Psal 73. 24. Once more therefore my dear and tender Friends in brotherly Love I exhort you not to forsake the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but rather the more as the day approaches Heb. 10. 25. For altho' this is a Day of outward Liberty which the Lord by his Power and Providence hath brought us to enjoy and after a Storm hath brought this Calm for which we ought and my Soul in Humility doth humbly thank the Lord and return Praises to his Holy Name and am also thankful unto those under whom we do enjoy this Mercy and we ought to pray for them That we may live a peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. But my dear Friends now let 's not decline or grow slack in this Christian Duty or forbear the assembling of our selves together to wait on God in Diligence and to serve him in Faithfulness and in a right Sense of his Mercies of the multitude of which this of peaceably meeting together is not the least And if any of those that in the Discharge of this Duty did diligently meet when they could seldom enjoy a quiet Meeting and hazard the Loss of their Goods and Liberty and by being confined in Noysom Goals and Stinking Holes and Dungeons hazarded their Healths and consequently endanger'd their Lives If any of these should now grow cold and slack in this Christian Duty in this Time of Liberty they may notwithstanding what they have done and suffered fall short of that Rest God hath prepar'd for his People and miss of that Reward he gives to the Faithful Therefore let all such be diligent herein and persevere to the End in Faithfulness and Diligence i. e. in Meeting and Waiting upon God therein and rather the more as the Day approacheth For oh my Friends I must tell you there is a Day approaching wherein we shall meet again with Tryals and Exercises and shall need to know the Lord to be our Strength and Refuge our Rock and Hiding-place and Defence And the more diligent we are now in serving him and the more faithful we are in following him the more we shall renew our Acquaintance with the Lord and Strength in him and be the better enabl'd to bear our Testimony for him in such a Day and have the more Comfort and Peace therein If then we can appeal to the Lord like good Hezekiah and say Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight 2 Kings 20. 3. Oh! let this be our Care to see that we are found doing that which is good in his Sight and that we slight none of his Mercies nor neglect any Season or Opportunity that he affords us but may diligently improve the same to his Honour that it may in the end be to our Peace and Comfort And if any did in the time of Suffering neglect and omit their Christian Duty of Meeting together with God's People to wait upon him to worship and serve him and to bear a Testimony for him such that now remain ought to prize God's Love and Mercy in affording such a Season as this is And great Diligence and Care they ought to be found in to improve these present peaceable Opportunities of Meeting together that they may renew their Strength and know their Love to God and Zeal for his