Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A60141
|
Of long life and old age a funeral sermon, occasion'd by the death of the much honour'd Mrs. Jane Papillon, who departed this life, July 12th, 1698. AEtat. 72 / by John Shower.
|
Shower, John, 1657-1715.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing S3677; ESTC R33839
|
29,289
|
117
|
may call thee forth to that War from which there is no Discharge without giving thee an Hours Warning You know not what shall be on the morrow Jam. 4.14 Listen not to those while you are Young who would perswade you to put off your Repentance to a further time Who will tell you you are in the heat and flower of your Youth and should now if ever indulge your selves That Religion is a melancholly thing and you 'll have time enough for it hereafter But who would defer his Repentance till hereafter that doth not know but he may dye to Night Who would put it off to Old Age when 't is so uncertain whether he shall not dye Young Ludovicus Capellus tells us of one of the Rabbins that when one of his Disciples came to him to know what was the fittest Time to repent in He answer'd One Day before his Death meaning Presently Because the youngest have no Assurance of another Day Secondly Take Care in Youth to lay a good Foundation for Old Age by being such who may apply the Promises of long Life unto whom they are like to be made good There 's nothing but serious Religion betimes can bring you to a healthful and comfortable Old Age. This would tend to promote and preserve your Health as well as Interest you in the favourable Protection and Providence of God Serious Godliness is a Friend to the Health of our Bodies and the Chearfulness and Content of our Minds and not to obey God is ordinarily to neglect our * See Dr. Lucas The true Notion of Humane Life 8vo p. 187. Shewing how the lengthning of our Lives depends on the Cheerfulness of the Mind the Health of the Body and the Providence of God for Protection besides the Good Will of our Fellow Creatures and how serious Religion doth contribute to it on all these Accounts present Interest as well as our Eternal Salvation To fear the Lord and depart from Evil is Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones To how many Lusts and Vices is an untimely Death threatned And of how many is it a Natural and Ordinary Consequence There are Promises of long Life made to such as are Just in their Dealings and Charitable to the Poor to such who are Meek and Patient who trust in God and do all the Good they can in the World But for Sensual Men they dig their own Grave by their Vices They pour in Wine and strong Drink and let out Life They strangle themselves with their Intemperance and hasten the Infirmities of Old Age by the Excesses of Youth He who would have his Health hold out must live Regularly and not too fast He that will indulge Youthful Lusts will corrupt his Blood and weaken his Constitution and give Death opportunity to enter And if he live shall possess the Sins of his Youth his Bones shall be filled with them they must lye down with him in the Dust Job 20.11 What painful Methods will Men submit to for the Preservation of Life Skin for Skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life But he that loveth Life and desireth many Days and to see Good let him fear God and keep his Commandments for after all the endeavours used to keep off Death and prolong Life there 's none like remembring our Creator in the Days of our Youth And 't is not only for Murder and Adultery and the vilest Impurities that God threatens an untimely Death but for Disobedience to Parents for Covetousness Oppression Injustice and Worldlyness Jer. 17.11 As the Patridge sitteth on Eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth Riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his Days and at his end shall be a Fool. Prov. 28.16 He that hateth Covetousness shall prolong his Days 'T were easie to inlarge on this Head Let me only add that yet such as are Religious in their Youth should not be over desirous of living very long For though it is a Blessing as hath been prov'd when join'd with Piety and if God think fit that we may live to be Instrumental to God's Glory the Good of others and our own Benefit yet if we consider our Enemies and our Temptations and our own Corruptions the odds is on the other side Blessed are the Dead who dye in the Lord tho' in their Youth Thirdly If you should live to Old Age and feel the Infirmities of it you will not be able to bear up then without living well now Nothing but the Comforts of a good Conscience will be able to support you when the Evil Days shall come wherein you shall have no Pleasure as 't is describ'd at large Eccl. 12. which I thought to have Paraphras'd and Explain'd but 't is well done by many in several Books easie to be consulted Your Sun and Light and Moon and Stars will grow dark and the Clouds return after the Rain one Infirmity following another as a sign of approaching Night as a warning that the Grave is ready for you and you should be for it You may reasonably expect that the time will come when you shall complain of darkness of Mind and dry Affections dull Senses and faulty Memories your Eyes dim your Ears heavy your Limbs feeble and Feet lame your Joints benumb'd c. You cannot ordinarily think of meeting a great Old Age without some of these Inconveniencies Though by a peculiar Providence some are in a great measure exempted from them Now consider what can support and comfort you in this Condition but the Sense of God's Favour and the Testimony of a good Conscience and Reflections on a well-spent Life To look back how you have imploy'd your Time What Good you have done in the World What Provision you have made for Eternity What Care you have taken for your Souls These Questions well answer'd will be a great Support in Old Age and keep off much of the Weight of it and make many Years sit more easily upon you 'T is true a good Conscience will not make a Man Immortal but the Quiet of our Minds and Spirits will contribute much to the Strength of our Bodies and inable us to bear the Infirmities of Old Age and slide into the Grave more gently But above all it will give you Hope of finding Favour with God in another World and that being satisfied with long Life God will shew you his Eternal Salvation And so I come to speak a few words to the * See more largely the Duty of the Aged very well explain'd and urg'd by Mr. Steel in his Discourse of Old Age 8o. 1688. Aged First Unto such who have liv'd a great many Years in the World and are yet unfit to dye who by reason of Ignorance Impenitence and a Wicked Life are altogether unprepared to leave this World having nothing but a miserable Portion to expect in the next You lose the Crown and Glory of Old Age you are the old