Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	sin_n	spirit_n	19,754	5	5.4357	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93407	A true account of the behaviour of Thomas Randal, who was executed at Stone-bridge, for killing the Quaker, on Wednesday the 29th of this instant January 1695[/]6	Smith, Samuel, 1620-1698.	1696 (1696)	Wing S4206C; ESTC R229687	4,748	2

A True ACCOUNT of the BEHAVIOUR OF Thomas Randal Who was Executed at STONE-BRIDGE For Killing the QVAKER On Wednesday the 29th of this Instant January 1695 6. On the Lord's Day after the Condemnation of the Criminals the Ordinary Preacht on this Text viz. PSAL. XC Vers 11. Who knows the power of thy Anger The Doctrinal Observation THO God's Anger be infinite in it self and be the Declarations of his just displeasure against Sin and Sinners yet it is no otherwise feared than as it works upon Mens Hearts to amend the miscarriages of their Lives and as it forms them to Reverential sincere Obedience to his sacred Laws In treating of this Observation I shall shew these Particulars 1. What is Anger properly in God 2. In what respects God's Anger is declared in the Severity of it 3. How Mens Presumption declares it self in provoking God's Anger against themselves 4. What is the difference 'twixt shavish Consternations at the penal effects of God's Anger which vanish without any Impression of Reformation and the genuine Fear of holy Persons 5. From the whole Discourse I shall set down some Rules and Motives to the Condemned how they may not fall under the stroke of God's Severity First What is Anger in God It is not an Impotent Passion as in Men but an holy well regulated Declaration of his Hatred against Sins in the just punishment of Sinners This is without any disturbance of his Essential Blessedness in the serene Injoyment of himself and without any Injuriousness towards Men. 2ly Tho God be infinitely arm'd with Power to destroy Sinners yet he stirs not up his whole displeasure till Sinners despise the Riches of his Mercy and Goodness design'd to lead them to Repentance and Amendment Men by hardning their Hearts in an obstinate Course of Sinning fit themselves for eternal Destruction Thus final wilful Inpenitency lifts up its Head above all other Impieties triumphing as it were over the Mercy and Goodness of God Such know not the Power of his Anger who by an insensible Security plung their Souls in sensual Pleasures till God's Justice suspend all Tenderness and Triumph in their Destruction Second Head God's Anger in the Severity of it is declared in three Respects 1. In wounding the Consciences of the most insolent audacious Sinners when they most bless themselves in their Impieties as presuming that they shall defeat the stroke of Vindictive Justice 2. In punishing Sin with Sin with Blindness of Mind Hardness of Heart desperate Obstupifaction in the Conscience This is not only an assuring Pledge of Eternal Torments but the saddest Anticipation of them as Sealing up inpenitent Sinners to the day of Wrath. 3. By punishing Sinners beyond the Grave in subjecting them under an infinite and eternal weight of Wrath ever coming and abiding as the Curse on all incorrigible Sinners The Hell of Hell being the perfect Consummation of their Wickedness Yet these dreadful effects of Divine Anger tho infinite in it self and eternal in those Punishments which it inflicts makes little or no Impression on Mens Minds Hearts and Conversations to awaken them to Repentance and Reformation Third Head How Mens Presumption declares it self in provoking Gods Anger against themselves O confider the Power of God's Anger in time lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you The stoutest Sinners have neither power nor fortitude of Mind to bear up under much less to grapple with ahe wrathful Indignation of the Almighty What is this It is not only God's Anger breaking forth into a flame of Wrath but the utter loathing and Abhoring of the perverse Sinner in the utter Rejection of him so as to leave him justly to himself in filling up the measure of his Iniquities till he be ripe for Destruction Is it any wonder if the utmost severity of the Lord take hold on such who strengthen themselves in their Wickedness yet are Impudent and Shameless in sporting with those very Thunderbolts which strike others dead as Monuments of God's fiery Indignation who is able to abide the day of the Lord's Wrath Yet Presumptuous Sinners treasure it up as If they were covetous to intaile Damnation on themselves Let such consider that Holy Persons dread the excellency of God's purity when he comes to Search and Try the most innocent passages of their Lives to refine them in their Conversations Here argue thus What Fearfulness will surprize all Hypocrites to whom the just Lord arm'd with Fury will not be a refining but a consuming Fire in the utmost Efforts of his vindictive Wrath to all eternity Fourth Head I shall to undeceive Hypocrites state the difference 'twixt slavish Consternations at the penal effects of God's Anger which vanish without any Impression of Reformation and the genuine fear of holy Persons 1. A true Penitent is troubled at the very remembrance of God's Holiness as being vile in his own account when he is most exact in his Obedience 2ly He grieves for the least Offence of God even when he hath sealed his Pardon and is pacified towards him 3ly The true fear of God is a settled Reverential Observance of him which over rules a Saint to a perfect hatred of the least Sin it maintains an holy strict Discipline in mortifying the inordinate Lustings of the Heart 4ly A real Penitent cannot enjoy himself with any Peace of Mind unless he devote himself to serve the Lord in a Reverential Love of him for his Divine Excellency and Perfections Thus the true fear of the Lord flows from Love and is guarded by an holy humble Wariness not to displease God by the least Remisness in any Circumstance of his Duty The Conclusion was thus directed to the Condemned You have heard how God Arms his Justice with Severity against Sin and Sinners Yet wilful Sinners had the God of Mercy depart from them they desire not the knowledge of his ways These are alway grievous to them they mock at his fear and harden their Hearts against him But are they strong enough to conflict with Omnipotency to escape God's Vengeance is impossible and to bear it is intolerable The Anger of a Man may be appeased but when God's long-suffering is abused by turning the o●●er of Grace into prodigious excesses in sinning what 〈◊〉 can in●tigate God's Wrath or rescue the Sinner from that Destruction which he hath wilfully brought upon himself Would you be fortified against the King of Terror beg of God that he would unite your Hearts to fear his Holiness rather than the penal effects of Sin such a fear of God would quite disarm Death of its sting It would turn it against it self making Death to be swallowed up in a victorious Triumph Repent that you have not feared to sin against God's Mercy and Goodness which should have prevailed on you to the Reformation of your Hearts and Lives Thus you will not be over fond to have your Lives spared but will encounter Death with an holy Courage Having apart

in the first Resurrection as dead to the love of sin and being quickned by the Spirit of Sanctification to heavenly Qualifications you shall under the sharpest Agonies of dying triumph over them yea you shall trample under your Feet all the Powers of Hell as exalted to Thrones of Glory in Celestial Blessedness through all the Ages of Eternity I proceed to give an Account of Three Condemned Criminals at the Sessions in the Old Baily on Saturday the 18th of this Instant January I Preacht twice on the Lord's Day yet Randal was very insensible of his barbarous Crime and did not attend to the Sermons nor Prayers with any Relenting On the Munday I visited him and another Criminal Condemn'd with him both were far from any serious Behaviour in my Praying with them On Tuesday I visited them another Minister assisting me he endeavour'd to make Randal sensible of Murthering Mr. Levens yet he utterly deny'd it and affirm'd that he knew nothing of it On Wednesday in the Afternoon I took him aside and for a considerable time endeavour'd to perswade him no longer Athiestically to deny the Crime but he stood out in the denial of it whereupon I read to him what was sworn against him at his Tryal and that the Jury was fully convinced in their Consciences that he was guilty which they declared when they gave their Verdict He reply'd That he did not matter that being clear in his own Conscience Then I told him that he obstructed any Rational Hopes of his Salvation and that all Persons who read the Book of Tryals whom I met with believ'd him to be guilty I pray'd that God would work him to a free and full acknowledgment of his Crime and grant him Repentance for it Yet he deny'd it and said That he was resolved to do so at the time of his Death I told him of a Person who Murther'd his Wife and deny'd it several times at the place of Execution wishing Damnation on himself if he knew any thing of it After I had pray'd thrice that God would perswade him to declare the Truth I told him If I went out of the Cart any more he would be presently Executed and then he could not be Saved dying in his Atheistical Impenitency At last he call'd me back and said I Murthered my Wife with a Pistol and shot her in the Head but let not the People know it I said your self shall declare that you Murthered her Then he said All you that behold me pray for me that God would Pardon my great Provocation of him in denying my Crime against my Conscience for had I di●d with a Lye in my Mouth I had been damned This Account some what startled Randal and altred his Countenance then I pray'd again that God would not leave him to dye in so barbarous a Crime but to confess it and to Repent of his former Obstinacy After this he said not any word by way of reply Then I told him that he ought to consider of whatsoever I had said and I hoped that he would confess the Crime before he dy'd He said that he had lived in much Sinning but would not acknowledge any particular II. Richard T●●●an● alias Skinney Dick Aged 20 Years or thereab●ut for Picking the Pocket of Mr. John Knight and taking from him a Watch value Nine Pounds he deny'd it but Mr. Knight was very positive in his Evidence and the Jury found him guilty He had been an old Offender and deny'd not that formerly he was guilty of such an Offence Tarrant liv'd with his Father in the Country and kept him to Comb Wool But he was not Obedient to his Father as he ought so he left him some years since And he led an idle Life which he said laid him open to sinful Courses such as Sabbath-breaking omitting of Prayer that he was guilty of Swearing and wisht sometimes in his Passion Damnation to others He relented that he had not served God but now he prays that God would make him sensible of all his Sins for said he Christ affirms that for every idle Word we must give an account in the day of Judgment and the least Sin will damn a Man without Repentance III. Anne Walters Condemned for Picking the Pocket of one Richard Clark taking from him two Guineas and 20 Shillings in Mony numbred Two Guineas and six Shillings were found in her Mouth which Mr. Clark said was his Mony whereupon the Jury brought her in guilty She did not utterly deny the Fact She confest that her Life had been bad as to Sabbath-breaking and not regarding to pray that God would keep her from Sinning She was known to have been an ill Liver and could not call any body to her Reputation at her Tryal She was little sensible of the state of her Soul as to the future Judgment of God On Wednesday the 29th of January Thomas Randal who killed Roger Levens the Quaker was put into a Cart and conveyed by the Deceased's Door at White-Chappel and from thence to the Place of his Execution at Stone-bridge by Kingsland where he is to hang in Irons on a Gibbet till his Body be consumed He did confess that he was at the Marshalsea with Lock and Green but denied that he never spoke any such Words that he did kill the Quaker He acknowledged that he did say to the Serjeant when he was Taken that he was a Dead Man and that he had been a very wicked Sinner and had been Guilty of all manner of Sins in general except that of Murder He owned a Burglary that he committed at Linton near Saffron Walden in Essex but would not confess any of his Accomplices He said that Hunt and he had been in many Robberies The Worthy Sheriffs did exhort him with Spiritual Council that he should make an Ingenious Confession and not to persist in his Obstinacy and Dye with a Lye in his Mouth but to have regard to his precious Soul it wrought nothing upon him his Heart being so hardened he would not discover any thing of the Murder nor any of the Persons that was with him at that time but hoped that he had done his Work with God-Almighty Then Mr Ordinary pressed him and told him that Confession was the first step to Repentance and without that he could hardly make his Peace with God but it did avail nothing with him he still persisting in the same till the Cart Drew away He was turned off This is all the Account I can give of this Sessions Dated January 29. Sam. Smith Ordinary LONDON Printed for E. Mallet near Fleet-Bridge 1695 6.