Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	power_n	sin_n	sting_n	7,486	5	11.7460	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93740	The great, useful and blessed duty of a contentment, willingness and desire to die set forth upon true and assured grounds, in several discourses on these following scriptures. By Richard Stafford, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Recommended as more proper and beneficial to be given at funerals than gloves or rings.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1700 (1700)	Wing S5119A; ESTC R223444	53,707	69

done the Work and Will and Business of his Creatour according as it was expected from him and consequently the Creature can then return with more Comfortable Expectation unto him And now come I to thee We cannot better and more willingly surrender back our Spirits to the God who gave them then when they have faithfully performed that very same thing for which God sent these Spirits into these Bodies for to do And now O thou invisible Creator the invisible part of us which was by thee Created comes to thee From what hath been afore written it appears that there are three things especially which upon good and true grounds can make any one contented willing and desirous to Dye First When one hath seen the Salvation of God Secondly When the Lord God of truth hath Redeemed us Thirdly When one hath Glorified God on Earth and finisbed the Work which he gave us to do It was Revealed unto Simeon by the Holy Ghost that he should not see Death until he had seen the Lord's Christ And he came by the Spirit into the Temple and when his Parents brought in the Child Jesus to do for him after the Custom of the Law then took he him in his Arms and Blessed God and said mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation So that Simeon his seeing the Salvation of God was seeing Jesus Christ in the Flesh But since the fullness of time is over and past we cannot now see him in the Flesh here on Earth yet we may see him in his Grace and Revelation But chiefly to see Christ the Salvation of God the Power of God and the Wisdom of God is with the Eyes of our Understanding being enlightened and turned inwards to see Christ within us Little Children of whom I travail in Birth till Christ be formed in ye And so to have Christ formed in us this is to see the Salvation of God Now this is a work of time and succession as it is of forming the Infant in the Womb. To have or see Christ formed within us is the Business and Work of our whole Life here on Earth which the Preaching and Ministry of the word doth help unto And when once Christ is throughly formed within us and we see the Salvation of God then we may be well contented willing and Desirous to dye for this Reason For as when the Chick sees the Kite or Hawk which would devour it if she can run under the Hens wings then she is safe For as the Hen was at first Instrumental to give it Life and Being so it will still preserve it Even so by seeing the Lord 's Christ who is the Prince of Life and the Salvation of God the faithful Soul who is in Covenant with him runs and makes unto Christ who promises and performs it also He shall cover thee with his Feathers and under his Wings shalt thou trust Psal 91. 3. and gathereth his Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings Here let Death and the Devil come and destroy that Soul if they can Christ is greater in power and might Forsamuch then as the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself took part of the same that he through Death might Destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil And destroy them who through fear of Death were all their life time Subject to Bondage If we are first saved from Sin and Guilt then w● are also saved from the wrath to come And then w● may be contented and willing to dye for therefore People are afraid to dye Because they are afraid to fall under the wrath of God Now if they are sure and safe from that then Death is without any sting at all which is Sin And then also we shall be safe saved and preserved from all the Evils Plagues and Punishment● of the World to come So that after all the Miseries and Irksomness of this present Life for as there is a satiety of all things so at length there is a satiety even of Life it self after all the toyl and wearisomness and labour thereof God our Creator will comfort us for this same toil and the times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Blessed be his Name for it He doth here in this valley of Tears and place of Weeping afford us some good and Comfortable things yet seeing that he hath appointed our time on Earth as the days of an Hireling we may willingly and contentedly give up our Breath and commit our Spirits into his hand saying with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Because we shall have yet better and more Satisfactory things when we depart hence To be patient to Live and willing to Dye is the temper and disposition of Soul which I desire and would endeavour at And this my willingness to dye should not proceed out of a Melancholy temper Like Jonah in an Angry Mood who would have the Lord to take his Life from him For it was better for him to Dye than to Live only forsooth because he was displeased at the time that the Lord did not destroy Nineveh according to the word which he had Preached But this was only a pettish humour of his And so others at this day upon a sudden Affliction and Vexation are forthwith weary of the world and call to Death to come and ease them of the present Burthen Trouble Grief or Uneasiness But give me the mind that is willing to dye upon the same Reason as the Apostle was Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 23. Then the best condition here on Earth when also it can truly be said To me to dye is gain For by Death I shall gain or get more Good more Satisfaction more Comfort more Happiness and Blessedness then ever I had on this Earth Then only Death is gain when to live is Christ when we lay out our selves and live only for Christ that is in his service and to get Christ formed within us then truly Death is gain But if on the other hand People live to themselves or for themselves as in the service of Mam mon and for Pleasure and they are wanton on the Earth the consequence thereof is they have nourished their heart as in the day of Slaughter or against the day of Slaughte● to such to dye is not Gain but Loss for thereby they los● their Pleasure they lose their Mammon and they receive n●… good instead thereof but only Punishment and wrath Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord. But 't is only those who live unto the Lord that is in his service and Obedience that Dye in the Lord. If we mean to gain by ou● Death that is to get and obtain more good thereby tha● we had here we must do somewhat for it whilst we are in Life

God the Lord belong the Issues from Death In saving us from Sin God doth save us from Death also inasmuch as Death is by reason of Sin And therefore Jesus Christ in whom was no sin he being the Holy one of God Therefore he should not see corruption and it was not possible that he should not be holden of Death as Peter doth truly averr it So that as God and Christ do save us from sin unto God do belong the Issues from Death for there is a flowing and rising and deliverance from that again As health is an holding together of Temporal Life so Holiness or freedom from sin is the Principle and beginning of Eternal Life It is an act of Salvation or saving to subdue And as to this also we have God speaking on this wise He will turn again he will have compression upon us he wi●… subdue our iniquities Micah 7. 19. which indeed is the greatest instance of compassion that can be shewed unto us Men for unless God did subdue our Iniquities we must die perish and be miserable for ever Now to Subdue our Iniquities is to conquer and subdue the reigning Nature and Power of them so that they shall not involve us into the Death of Sin here nor yet into the Damnation of Hell hereafter Having thus Explained what Salvation is in order that we may the better understand those true and assured grounds of a willingness to dye when we have seen the Salvation of God wrought and accomplished upon and within our Souls Proceed we to speak 〈◊〉 the Nature of Redemption which is also another tr●… and assured Ground of committing our Spirit into th● hand of God because thou hast Redeemed us O Lor● God of Truth The signification of which Redemption may be Understood from what is written Forasmu●… as ye know that ye were not Redeemed with Corruptib●… things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation receiv●… by tradition from your Fathers And as the same Apost●… doth elsewhere phrase it By these you might be part●kers of the Divine Nature which none can be un●… be is first Redeemed from the corrupt Nature a● from the Body of Sin which we carry about us having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through lust So that to be Redeemed from Corruption and from Lust both which are very much in the World this ●s Redemption Upon my Discoursing these things Examine your selves whoso shall hear or Read these Lines can ye thus find and witness Redemption in your own Souls That is do ye feel and Experience inwardly a Redemption in ye from that vain Conversation which is so much used and practised by other People and also a Redemption from Corruption and from Lust If it is so Indeed and in Truth then ye have purchased a good degree in the Faith and ye have made a considerable Advancement and Proficiency in the Christian-Life So that ye are in a readiness and willingness to Commit your Spirits into the hand of God because he hath Redeemed them And then in Psal 31. 5. He is called the Lord God of Truth Intimating thereby that he doth Redeem and Sanctifie them by his Truth There is another Scripture which doth clearly open the Nature of Redemption These were they which were ●…ot defiled with Women these were Redeemed observe that ●…rom among Men being the first Fruits unto God and to ●he Lamb. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they were without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 4. 5. ●t is here to be taken notice of how the Scripture in ●his and many other places doth in a wonderful manner Instruct People in these things of Holiness per●ection and Innocency It is the Point or End which ●…ll Scripture doth drive at and lead unto But in this ●lace to be Redeemed doth import to be Redeemed ●…om among Men and not to be defiled with Women That is not to be Tainted or Touched with the Temptation of either to be freed from Lust Concupicence and from the motions of Sins in our Members and to have in our Mouth no Guile found and to be without fault before the Throne of God Such are his Redeemed and Sanctified ones And the Ransomed of the Lord elsewhere called the Redeemed of the Lord Isa 51. 11. shall return and com● to Zion with Songs and Everlasting joy upon their Head● They shall obtain joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sigh●ing shall flee away Isa 35. 10. In truth none hav● such Reason to be joyful as these Redeemed of the Lord for nothing can possibly hurt them Not Me● nor Devils nor yet Death it self which is the mo●… Melancholy thing and of doubtful Expectation as t● other People for by Death they are received into God hand the place of Everlasting joy There is yet another Scripture which Explains th● Nature of Redemption Who gave himself for us that 〈◊〉 might Redeem us from all Iniquity and Purifie unto him self a peculiar People zealous of good Works Titus 2. 1 The Scripture is all along consonant and agreeable to 〈◊〉 self for this Redeeming from all Iniquity and Purifyi●… answers exactly to that place aforementioned of bein● without Guile and to have no fault A state of Innocen●… is a state of Redemption for it is a state of Rede●ption from Sin Guilt and whatever may hurt or ma●… the Soul miserable It is a Redeeming from Captivit● Bondage and Thraldom from the Vassalage of S●…tan and the Imprisonment of Hell which as we 〈◊〉 come Obnoxious unto only by reason of Sin Iniqui●… and Transgression So as we are Redeemed from the●… we are consequently Redeemed and saved from t●… other also Besides these two Grounds of having seen the Salv●tion of God and his having Redeemed us there is anoth●… for our willingness and contentment to dye from wh●… is written I have Glorified thee on the Earth I ha●… finished the Work which thou gavest me to do And n●… come I to thee John 17. 4. 13. Now seeing that who●… God did foreknow He did also Predestinate to be conf●…med unto the Image of his Son that he might be t●… first Born amongst many Brethren So that we m●… assuredly Reason that every Servant of God may up●… true grounds be willing to dye and to come unto G●… when he hath before Glorified him on the Earth a●… finished the Work which God gave him to do A●… now come I to thee Words full of consolation and rejoycing Like as when a Servant is sent out to such a place about his Masters Business when he hath done it he returns to his Master with rejoycing and complacency of mind Even so God our Creator sent us Reasonable Creatures to do his Work and Business Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers Business Luke 2. 49. Said Jesus Christ his beloved Son who herein left us an Example that we should follow his steps Now certainly it must be a Satisfaction to the Creature when he hath

and the Devil Captive which before did lead and hold People in captivity who from their inslaving Nature are here expressed not to be only Captivating Men but they are Captivity it self in the Abstract Intimating thereby that these who are under the power of Satan For so the Scripture expresses it to turn from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God they are in the utmost Captivity yea worse than that is of those that are bound with Chains and Fetters although these are seen but the others are to be understood and felt by such who are in the Bond of Iniquity Acts 9. 23. For Sin iniquity and lust are as a Chain or Bond which doth hold and hamper People therein that they know not yea they cannot without Christ that strengtheneth them get out and extricate themselves from it Now as Jesus doth save his People from their sins he doth in this sense Preach deliverance to the Captives and set at liberty them that are bound and Redeem them who for their Iniquities had sold themselves Isa 50. 1. Even unto the Devil and Hell the place of Damnation and eternal Punishment And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them The Principalities and Powers here meant are the Principalities of the other World the Powers of Darkness and the Devil who is the Prince of the Power of the Air Here Jesus Christ is said to have spoiled the Principality and Power of the Devil which he hath done to such as are Christs for over such the Devil hath no Principality or Power and triumphed over them in himself so that since he hath Redeemed ransomed and preserved us from all the evil and terrible things of the future and invisible world which we immediatly enter into by Death And then we may be willing contended and desirous to dye when we are assured before hand that God hath by his Son Jesus Christ Redeemed us from all the Power of the Enemy and from all the evil things of the other World So that nothing there shall in the least hurt us much less torment and make us miserable And thus these two Expressions Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Into thine hand I commit my Spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth do fall in and meet together near to same sense and meaning even according to the requiring and earnest desire of the reasonable Creature who would fain not be miserable hereafter The one signifies to be saved and the other to be Redeemed from the wrath to come which are one and the same thing The consequence again is certain if we are saved from the wrath to come then we shall enjoy the Blessedness come ye Blessed of my Father to come as the Scripture saith Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire So it may be reasoned on the other side whosoever shall not be cast into the Lake of fire shall enter into Life so that if we are saved and Redeemed from the Lake of fire we shall enter into life and everlasting happiness Now seeing that the decree of God standeth on this wise we may upon very good reasons not only say so contentedly but also really assent unto the same in our minds being contented willing and desirous from the ground of our heart that it should be so Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation into thine hand I ●ommit my Spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth The third true and assured ground of a contentment willingness and desire to dye is when we have glorified God on the Earth and finished the work which he gave us 〈◊〉 do Even every one that is called by my name For I have created him for my Glory I have formed him yea I have made him this People have I formed for my self they shall ●hew forth my praise Isa 43. 7 21. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Rev. 4. 11. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit John 15. 8. From all these Scriptures considered together it appears that the end and intent of God's creating People is for his own Glory and Praise and that he might have fruit from them or that they should bring forth fruit unto God For the Son of Man is as a Man ●aking a far journey who left his House and gave Authori●… to his Servants and to every Man his Work and commanded the Porter to watch Mark 13. 34. And so it may be conceived after the same similitude of things that Almighty God the great Creator who is now in Heaven the habitation of his Holiness which is afar off and many Millions of miles distance But the Earth his house or one ●art of the House of his Creation He hath left and ●ave to the Children of Men and gave Authority to his ●ervants as Rulers and Ministers have For none are so 〈◊〉 to have Authority as those who are indeed the Ser●nts of God And to every Man his work and commanded the Porter to watch so that every Man hath received his work from God for him to do and finish on this Earth And accordingly as he doth and finisheth this work here on Earth he can both surrender back his ●pirit and also give up his account with joy and not with grief which would be unprofitable for him Now what is it to glorifie God here on Earth I an●wer in General It is to observe to do the statutes and ●udgements of the Lord God of our Fathers in the Land ●hich he giveth us to possess it all the days we live upon Earth Deut. 12. 1. To fear God and keep his Commandments is to be our constant business and work all our life long but there being div●rsuies of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but it is the same God that worketh all in all But the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 4. 5. 6 7 This spake he signifying by what Death he should Glorifie God John 21. 19. And so according as there are diversities of gifts and differences of operations in People and as one glorifies God by his Death one way and another another So there are divers ways and different manners of Glorifying God according to the several cases circumstances conditions or rather according to the several gifts and endowments in People By what Death he should Glorifie God Now in Death there is bitterness and hardship it being the hardest and most terrible thing in the world to dye from hence we gather that when we poor Creatures submit or subject our selves to hardship or difficulty either in obedience to