Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	sin_n	soul_n	sting_n	5,285	5	11.5055	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05769	A seasonable preparation for death and eternity, or, Funeral considerations, &c. Being the substance of a discourse occasionally on the D. of G------, a noble peer, who received his mortal wound at the siege of Cork in Ireland. With a prayer suitable to the occasion.		1690 (1690)	Wing S2238A; ESTC R183658	6,909	17

so in Christ shall all be made alive but every Man in his own Order Christ the first Fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming Since then our Lives are so uncertain how precious then ought our time to be and what a value should we set upon it seeing it is given us to barter with Heaven for Eternal Life and Glory and that the least moment when relapsed cannot be recalled but winds off the Thread of Life continually digging our Graves every Revolution which the Sun makes about the World divides between Life and Death and Death possesses both the Portions by the next Morrow and we are dead to all those Moments which we have already lived and we shall never live them over again and still God makes little periods of our Age First we change one World when we come from the Womb to feel the warmth of the Sun then we sleep and enter into the Image of Death in which State we are unconcerned and so wear away till we drop into the Grave which is sure to claim its right as well of the Mighty as the Feeble the Great and Noble alike lye down in the Dust Kings and their Progeny are here levelled and it is only their good Actions and Fame can survive them and blossom like the Rod of Aron after they are withered and crumbled into Atoms When thou says the Psalmist dost chasten Man for his Sin thou makest his Beauty to consume away like as it were a Moth fretting a Garment Thus we see and may seriously consider the frailty of Life which may serve to put us in mind that Noble and Illustrious Persons though sprung from Kings having Royal Blond streaming in their Veins are subject to the stroke of Fate though undoubtedly none fall without the Divine permission So teach us then O Lord to number our days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom When Alexander by his Courage and Success had over-run in Conquest a great part of the World no force or power of conquering Armies were able to Shield him from the stroke of Death Seeing Man cometh up and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadow and never continueth as it were in one stay in the midst of life we are in Death Of whom may we seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our Sins art justly displeased It is in the Lord above that we ought to have confidence in this case for he it is that shall raise us up at the last day and shall preserve our Souls alive the glorious Captain of our Salvation has already overcome Death and the power of the Grave and although that be the last Enemy he shall utterly destroy yet has he already taken away his Sting so that he cannot be terrible to those that are in Christ for his Office to them is friendly only to set the Soul at Liberty by unloc●ing the Door of the Body for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality and then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory the sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ therefore my beloved Brethren be ye steadfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your Labour is not vain in the Lord. However let us watch and pray least we enter into Temptation let us so run the Race that is set before us that we may win the Crown of Life and Glory and not loiter away our time pretending with the Sluggard that there is a Lion in the way nor sleep secure like the foolish Virgins without being prepared with Oil in our Lamps till the Cry of the coming of the Bridegroom be heard let us rather consider we should be diligent and watchfull and that every Meal we eat is no lest than a Rescue from Death and lays up for another and whilst we think a Thought Time passes away and the Clock strikes and reckons on our Portion and shows us that our Life is but Vanity and that we are posting and so much nearer to Eternity we form our Words with the Breath of our Nostrils and we have the less to live upon for every Word we speak Thus Nature calls us to meditate on Death by those things that are instrumental of acting it and God by the variety of his Providence makes us see Death every where in all variety of Circumstances dressed up for all the Fancies and the Expectations of every single Person Nature hath given us one Harvest every year but Death hath two old and young ripe and unripe fall by his impartial Hand it meets us every where and is procured by every Instrument and all Chances entring in at many Doors by violence or secret influence in the Bed of Honour or in an easie Bed of Down and this ought to be before Eyes For as a Father says if we seriously meditate on our Deaths and the day of Judgment we should never do amiss for then it would keep an A we and Reverence upon our Minds to live as we expected to dye and appear before the Tribunal of the tremendious God of all the Earth Cast thy Burthen upon the Lord says the Psalmist and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the Righteous to be moved there is no refuge from Death and the Grave then all the shelter we can propose is to fly to God who is Lord of Life and Death appealing from his Justice to his Mercy and humbling our selves at his Foot-stool and say Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not thy mercifull Ears unto our Prayers let us not be overcome with the fear of Death nor slight its terrors even in the day of Prosperity least we deceive our own Souls for if we put far away the evil day it may suddenly overtake us unprepared Nor is it all times in our power to repent God's Spirit will not always strive with Man and if he withdraw his Grace we are of all Creatures the most miserable and therefore whilst it is to day let us hear his Voice summoning us to our latter end and though we are strong and in Health living at ease or encompassed with Friends yet we are uncertain how long we have to live and indeed the longest Life is too short for a sincere and worthy Repentance to Eternal Life for though we be never so watchful over our selves some Temptations will prevail some Sins more than we able to resist will be chasing with us our Bones are full of the Sins of our Youth and they will as the Scripture says lye down with us in the Dust The Glory and Beauty of Man may be in this Life compared to a Rose for its duration for so we see

that fragrant Flower springing from the Clefts of its Bud and at first it was fair as the Morning and filled with the Dew of Heaven as a Lambs Fleece but when a ruder Breath has forced open its Virgin Modesty and dismantled its too youthfull and unripe Retirements it becomes sullied and begins to put on Darkness and to decline to softness and the Symptoms of a sickly Age and then sheds its Leaves and fades away even so is the State of Life which is attended by innumerable Casualties as we see the brave and valiant that if it was possible would out-face the King of Terrors and trample upon his gloomy Dominion are nevertheless subject to his stroke he sends a Bullet in War with a Commission to summons the most undaunted Spirit to yield himself a Captive to the Grave and this fatally executes it Errand and will have no denial snatching as soon the Darling of a Kingdom as the meanest Slave or perhaps a thrust with a Sword or a Pike may effect as much Death has inumerable ways to seize our Breath on him a thousand Diseases wait like so many destroying Angels to prey upon our Lives and hurry us into the silent Dust and so to Eternity never to return more to our Houses Possessions or Relations in an Estate of enjoying temporal things for neither Youths Riches or Beauty will profit in the Grave Kings and the Sons of Kings must mingle in the Regions of Death as we see frequent Instances abroad and at home no power nor might nor riches or honour can prevent it for though they are termed Gods on Earth yet nothing can hinder but they must at one time or other when the great and wise disposer of all things thinks fit dye like Men and then it is the Voice that Saint John heard can bring them comfort I heard says he a Voice from Heaven saying unto me write from henceforth blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labour Rev. 14 13. This is a blessed Change to leave a troublesome World for a place of transcendent Joy and Felicity where flow the Rivers of Life and an eternal Spring of Blessedness remains where Crowns of Life and Glory are to be had incorruptible Crowns that cannot fade nor have end the thoughts of which should be enough to raise our Spirits with a longing desire after Christ and his Kingdom and with St. Paul to dye daily to Sin that we may live unto Righteousness that so without fear we may look Death steadfastly in the Face and desire to be dissolved that our Souls with holy David may pant and thirst after God as the Hart panteth after the Water-brook This is the only way to conquer Death that conquers all so that although sorrow should happen for a Night joy will assuredly come in the morning here indeed we are in a Vale of Tears but there we shall be in a Paradice of everlasting Pleasure and think Death friendly id setting us free when we shall find as the wife Man says A good name is better than precious Ointment and the day of Death than the day of ones Birth it is betters to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all Men and the Living will lay it to his Heart Eccles 7.12 so that we see O let us consider these things and work whilst it is day for the night cometh wherein no Man worketh that is the night of the Grave and Darkness from whence we can only expect a bright Morning of the Resurrection that will make us amends for all the various Misfortunes of this Life even when the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruptible and this mortality must put on immortality so when this corroptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortality shall have put on immortality then and not till then shall be brought to pass the Saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The which that we may all find and so be happy we implore for the fake of him that has overcome Death and triumphed victoriously even our Lord Jesus Christ who is become the first Fruits of those that are risen and has given us a sure Earnest of the Resurrection to Life everlasting Amen A Prayer sutable to the Occasion O Most Gloruios Lord God in whom alone is the power of Life and Death on whom our being and well-being depends teach us so to number our days that we may apply our Hearts to Wisdom we confess O Lord most mercifull Father of Spirits that by reason of our many Sins we are unworthy so much as to lift up our Eyes unto thee but thou hast commanded us to humble our selves before thee that thy Wrath and Indignation may not sit heavy upon us for when thou art angry all our days are gone we bring our years to an end as it were a Tale that is told Keep us O Lord we beseech thee in the way of Uprightness and save us from sudden Death that through fear or surprize our Faith may not fail but that we may have a steadfast reliance en thy Mercy at all times in Peace and War through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Salviour Amen FINIS