Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A63269
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Of the causes and cure of sad disconsolate thoughts in Christians. By one of their sympathizing fellow-members, W. Traughton
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Troughton, William, 1614?-1677?; J. D., engraver.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing T2317; ESTC R219353
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23,660
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96
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intollerable burthen Rom. 7.24 O then remember that sweet Invitation of thy Saviour Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 Apply to thy soul the Soveraign Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 which pacifieth the Conscience and purgeth it from dead works Heb. 9.14 which speaks better things than the Blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 Cast the burthen of thy sins thy guilt thy punishment on Christ on whom God made to meet the Iniquities of us all and by whose Stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 6. His soul was sad and sorrowful to the death that thy soul might rejoyce the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him and he was sent by God to bind up the broaken-hearted to give them that mourn in Sion Beauty for Ashes the oyle of Joy for Mourning and the garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.1 2 3. Thirdly Doth the Lord hide his Face from thee so that thou beholdest not the light of His Countenance as formerly Think with thyself notwithstanding that God's Love is Unchangable and Everlasting He changeth not as Man doth Mal. 3.6 Though he seem to hide his Face and forsake thee for a small moment yet with Everlasting kindness will I embrace thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 54.7 8. He retaineth not his Anger for ever He will turn again He will have Compassion upon us Micah 7.18 19. If thou prayest to God in Faith He will be favourable to thee and thou shalt see his Face with joy Job 33.26 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50.10 Though the tender Mother go sometimes where the Child doth not see her yet still her Bowels are towards the Child God when he seems to with-draw from his people yet still his Love and Compassion are towards them Christ upon the Cross cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me that we might not be forsaken of God Fourthly Doest thou yet apprehend some tokens of God's wrath and displeasure which fills thy heart with fear and amazement Remember that Christ our Sponsor and Surety hath born the whole VVrath of God the whole Curse of the Law for all those that come to him and believe on him He hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 He it was that trode the Wine-press of the fierceness of the Wrath of God and there was none to help him Isa 63.5 6. Rev. 19.15 By this Jesus we are delivered from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 The Lord is merciful and gracious He will not always Chide neither will he keep his Anger for ever As a Father pittyeth his Children so the Lord pittyeth them that fear Him for he knoweth our frame He remembreth that we are but dust Psal 103.8 9 13 14. He will not contend for ever neither will He be always Wrath lest the Spirit should fail before him He will restore Comforts to him that Mourns and will Create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace Isaiah 57.16 19. Fifthly Doth Satanical Injections and violent Temptations to the most horrid Evils and Blasphemies haunt and hurry thee day and night Consider poor soul that they are thy Tryals not thy Sins if thou dost not yield thereunto but abhor and resist them thou art like the modest Virgin that 's forcibly Ravished by a wicked Man without her consent 'T is his Sin not hers though a great Affliction to her Oh flye to the Throne of Grace and Mercy for help and succor in this time of Need rest thy self on God's free promise and word of Grace He is Faithful and will not suffer you to be Tempted above that you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 The Lord is Faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from Evil 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord shall preserve thee from all Evil He shall preserve thy soul Psal 121.7 Thou shalt be kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Let thy soul take Sanctuary in the free Promise of Grace Sixthly Doth the fear of Death and Eternity cause sad thoughts of heart in thee O learn to look at Death in the comfortable Glass of the Gospel of Christ and not in the dreadful glass of the Law Death to a Believer is swallowed up in Victory the Sting of this Serpent is taken away by Christ O Death saith he I will be thy Death O Grave I will be thy Victory Christ hath conquer'd Death perfum'd the Grave and opened a way for poor Sinners to Everlasting Glory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.56 57. Forasmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood Christ Himself took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to Bondage Heb. 2.14 15. Here five or six special Helps and Directions when ye are troubled and perplexed with sad Thoughts and much Darkness upon your Spirits DIRECTION I. Call to Remembrance what hath formerly pass'd betwixt God and your Soul what Love-tokens ye have received from him though you be now under a Cloud As when the Title of your Land is questioned you search old Records and Evidences so ye should do in this Case Thus David when his Soul had before refused to be Comforted and his Spirit was in a manner overwhelmed yet now he would consider the Dayes of Old the Years of Antient Times and call to Remembrance his Songs in the Night c. Psal 77.2 3 5 6. And Job when the Wrath of God seemed to be kindled against him and God counted him as one of his Enemies and his Reines were consumed within him yet still saith he Job 19.11 27 28. The Root of the Matter is found in me He acknowledged that he had the Root of true Faith in him and knew that his Redeemer liveth Though the Exercise of his Faith was at present suspended as to the comfortable Effects of it yet he had an evidence of his good Estate from his former Experience As in the Winter-Season though the Plant seems to wither yet the root of it still remaines in the Earth and when the Spring comes and the Sun shines upon it with a powerful Influence it will appear DIRECTION II. Plead and expostulate Humbly with thy God when he seems to hide his Face from thee make use of Arguments in thy Prayers taken from the Infinitness of God's Mercy and the Greatness of thy Misery Thy Saviour in His great Soul-Agony and
I shewed it and he attended further than I read I not knowing what followed But it followed Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye Rom. 14.1 which he applyed to himself and opened unto me But by this Admonition he was Confirmed and without all turbulent delay was conjoyned in a good Pleasure and purpose most congruous to his Manners wherein he long ago excelled me Thereupon we go in to my Mother tell her She rejoyceth We declare how it was done She exults and Tryumphs and blesseth Thee who art able to do above All that we are to ask or think Because she saw that thou hadst granted her far more concerning me than she was wont with her miserable and lamentable Groans to ask of Thee Thus far Augustine Who would not now delight to read and understand the Divine Scriptures whereby Augustine and Alipius were thus Converted and Comforted Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments tells us That Mr. Bilney the blessed Martyr having been long under great Doubts and Fears in his Soul whil'st he adhered to the Popish Doctrines at length opening the New-Testament he light on that Text 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief which God so blessed to him that thereby his doubts and Fears were dispell'd and he received much spiritual Peace and Comfort in the Assurance of the love of God from this free promise of Grace Bishop Latimer that Godly Martyr standing at the Stake ready to shed his blood for the Truth lifting up his Eyes to Heaven with an amiable and chearful Countenance comforted himself with that Scripture Faithful is God who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 Alice Benden Martyr being kept in Prison nine weeks with Bread and Water and Sequestered from her Companions was in great heaviness and Soul distress till on a Night as she was in her sorrowful Supplications rehearsing those words Why art thou cast down O my Soul c. And again The Right Hand of the most High can change all this she received much comfort Mr. Midgeley Minister at Ratchdale in Yorkshire oppressed with melancholly thoughts and temptations to Self-murther and going down to the Water-side to Drown himself having the New-Testament in his Pocket it came into his thoughts before he flung himself in to read a little in his Testament and opening the same he happily cast his Eye upon that precious word of Grace Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you Rest Matth. 11.28 29. Whereupon this poor tempted Soul was much revived and broke forth into these words Say'st thou so then I will not down my self 'T is well observed by a Godly Writer that we had better want Meat Drink the light of the Sun Aire Earth and all the Elements yea Life it self than that one sweet Sentence of our Saviour Come unto me c. Mrs. Katherine Brettergh who was wont to task her self to the reading at least eight Chapters of Scripture every day in her Sickness before her Death * Vid. Mr. Will. Leigh's Souls-Solace against sorrow she fell into great distress and anguish of Spirit sometimes she would cast her Bible from her and say it was indeed the Book of Life but she had read the same unprofitably and therefore feared it was become to her the Book of Death Sometimes she would say her sins had made her a prey to Satan a spectacle to the World a disgrace to Religion and a shame to her Husband Kindred and all true Christians And here she would weep most bitterly she wished she had never been Born or that she had been any other Creature rather than a Woman She would often cry out Woe Woe Woe c. a weak a woful a wretched a forsaken Woman and utter such like pittiful Complaints against her self with Tears continually trickling down her Cheeks But at last before her death she was raised up to unspeakable joys and comforts by applying Scripture-promises Oh said she my soul hath been compassed about with terrors of Death fear within and fear without the sorrows of Hell were upon me and a roaring Wilderness of Woe was within me which she repeated again and again But Blessed Blessed Blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me Comfortless One time she took her Bible in her hand and looking up towards Heaven she said O Lord it is good for me that I have been Afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes the Word of the Lord is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver She desired her Husband to read some part of Scripture to her he read that excellent Chapter John 17. and as he read v. 9. she interrupted him saying O Lord Jesus dost thou indeed pray for me O Blessed and Sweet Saviour how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful are thy Mercies When he came to v. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me c. Stay said she and let me meditate on the goodness of the Lord for now I perceive and feel the Countenance of Christ my Redeemer is turned towards me and the bright shining Beams of his Mercy are spread over me Oh happy am I that ever I was Born to see this Blessed day Praise praise Oh praise the Lord for his Mercies for He hath brought me out of darkness and the shadow of death O my sweet Saviour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father and wilt thou Glorifie me with that Glory which thou had'st with the Father before the World was And dost thou so love me that am but Dust and Ashes as to make me partaker of Glory with Christ What am I poor Wretch that thou art so mindful of me Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is thy Love To a Christian Friend that came to see her wondering at her joys she said O the joys the joys the joys that I feel in my soul they be wonderful they be wonderful they be wonderful Thus she was ravished in Spirit and tryumphed in the praises of God At last with a sweet Countenance and still Voyce she said My Warfare is accomplished and mine Iniquities are pardoned Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee And I have none on Earth but thee My Flesh faileth and my Heart also but God is the strength of mine Heart and my Portion for ever He that preserveth Jacob and defendeth his Israel he is my God and will guide me unto Death Guide me O Lord my God and suffer me not to faint but keep my soul in safety and with that she presently fell asleep in the Lord. Mr. John Holland an eminent Saint and Preacher of the Gospel did wonderfully raise and comfort himself with the holy Scriptures even in the Valley of the Shaddow of Death his Heart was replenished with Heavenly Thoughts and Delights