Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A62909
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The great duty of Christians to go forth without the camp to Jesus set forth in several sermons on Heb. XIII. 13 / by S.T.M. ...
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Tomlyns, Samuel, 1632 or 3-1700.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing T1860; ESTC R2505
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47,711
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130
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Exod. 16.3 And in the 11. of Numb the 5. Verse We remember the Fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers the Melons the Leeks the Onions and the Garlick There they accounted they had their Varieties Fish and Flesh several sorts of Sallets and Fruits but now they reckoned they were at short Commons and confined to one Dish ver 6. There is nothing but this Manna before our Eyes And their Soul was dried away with it And Numb 16.13 Some of them chid with Moses and challenge him for bringing them up out of Egypt which they call a Land flowing with Milk and Honey O! how excellent pleasant a Land is Egypt in their Eye The Epithetes God gave to Canaan they transfer and apply to Egypt as if the Country they were called from did better deserve this Name than the Land that they were called to And they seemed so far to be transported with the love of Egypt and to repent of their leaving of it that they stirred up one another to make a Captain and to return thither again And Stephen asserts that they returned to Egypt again in their Hearts Acts 7.39 Thus too many pretend a separation from the World yet the World is still in their Hearts And while it is thus they will never go forth without the Camp to Jesus But Christians should strive to imitate Abraham Isaac and Jacob The Scripture saith that if they had been mindful of the Country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned Heb. 11.15 Hereby the Divine Pen-man sufficiently intimates that they were not mindful of Vr of the Chaldees the Country from whence Abraham came They did not confess themselves Pilgrims and Strangers because drawn from Vr but because they were yet on Earth and not arrived in Heaven They were quite weaned from and dead to Vr and all other Countries on Earth Thus the world should be rooted and banished out of our Minds and Hearts Christ hath chosen his people out of the World John 15.19 and therefore they should not remember or be enticed by it but leave this Camp and go forth to Jesus 4. Direct Labour to get a clear sight and deep sense of the love of Christ to perishing Sinners and particularly to your own Souls How wonderful is it that He that made all things should be made Flesh 1 John 1.2.14 that the Creator should become a Creature That the Fountain and Ocean of Being should take a Humane Nature and so become a drop of Being A Diamond or Ruby is debased when set in Iron or Lead what a wonderful condescention is it then that the Divine Nature should be joyned with a Humane Nature in the Person of the Son How did he that was in the Form of God and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God empty and humble himself by becoming man They are very Excellent and Emphatical Words that the Apostle uses Phil. 2.6 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he emptied himself of all Majesty State and Divine Glory in the Eye of Man which the Apostle admirably expresses thus He was found in Fashion like a Man That is he looked but like an ordinary and common Man as if there were nothing extraordinary or supernatural in him as if he were no more than a Man Thus he vailed his Eternity Omnipotency Immensity and infinite Wisdom by becoming an Infant of Days a Weak Child confined to a Manger or a Cradle and not able for the present to speak and express the inward Sentiments of his Soul The Ancient of Days yea he that was Ancienter than Days whose goings forth were from Everlasting came forth of Bethlem but yesterday Mic. 5.2 All Temporal Benefits are compared by Parisiensis to sparks of Fire But when Jesus Christ came into the World this he saith was a Mountain of Fire cast into the Earth How should the Hearts of the Sons of Men be inflamed by this wonderful and astonishing kindness of God in sending his Son And Christ did not stop here but he stooped yet lower when he was he found in fashion of an ordinary common Man he humbled himself to death and that not an ordinary or common one but to the death of the Cross A death that Servants Thieves and the worst of Malefactors were adjudged to A painful lingring and most shameful death it was and this he did undergo that Sinners might not Perish Everlastingly He that was the Judge and might have destroyed Offenders O! that he should stand and suffer as an Offender He that might have Executed Vengeance on us did endure it for us He to whose Justice we might have been offered up as whole burnt-Offerings in Everlasting Flames became a Sacrifice himself Needed the Father or the Son to have valued the loss and ruine of a world of Sinners What are all Nations to God but as the drop of a Bucket and as the small Dust that cleaves to the Ballance Is 40.15 And who values the loss of a drop of Water or of a mote of Dust And as unconcerned might God have been at the loss of the whole World but the Bowels of the Son of God yearned towards a perishing World and rather than the Sheep should go to the Slaughter the Shepherd offers himself to be their Ransom and Exchange And how resolved was Jesus Christ to perfect this work Is 50.6 7. He gave his Back to the Smiters his Cheeks to those that plucked off the Hair He hid not his Face from Shame and Spitting he set his Face as a Flint This expression may be illustrated and commented on by the words of Luke Luke 9.51 In Isaiah we have the Prophesie in Luke the History of Christ He stedfastly set his Face to go up to Jerusalem saith Luke He set his Face as a Flint saith Isaiah Christ was resolved to go through the Storm he knew what a dreadful Tempest did abide him at Jerusalem yet he would not recoil draw back or turn his Face from it He was as stedfast as resolved as if his Face had been a Flint and without sense or feeling of Pain and anguish of Blows and Wounds Again it is said he poured out his Soul to the death Is 53.12 How much love is implyed and imported in this Expression That Christ had as low and vile thoughts of his Life and was as freely and willingly ready to part with it as if he had but poured out so much Water on the ground O! how bounteous and large Hearted was Christ that he did not spare his very Blood Love made him yet wisely and holily prodigal of his Life he poured out his Soul to the death Christ's Adversaries upbraided him thus Matth. 27.42 He saved others but himself he cannot save These very Words of Christ's Enemies signifie and set out to us the wonderful Love and excellent Self-denial of Jesus Christ He wrought Miracles to heal the Diseases of some and he raised up others from the Dead some
he kept from presently falling into the Hands others he rescued from the Jaws and Power of Death And they thought surely he that was so kind to others would much more be prompted and induced by Self-love to save himself if he could and because he did not deliver himself they conclude he could not How do they exult and triumph as if his Power were dried up and gone his mighty Arm withered or broken as if his Relief and Help were confined to others but he could extend no Salvation to himself And why did not Christ then save himself Surely it was in wonderful pity and kindness to Sinners that he would not save himself till he had suffered and satisfied for them and so could not onely save himself but also save them too O how was Christ wholly swallowed up in Love to his Father and perishing Sinners when he prayed thus Father glorifie thy own Name John 12.27 28. As if he should say Father whatever become of me whatever I suffer and endure glorifie thy own Name glorifie thy Justice in punishing Sin and so make way to glorifie thy Mercy in pardoning Sinners Meditate of these great Truths of the Gospel use them as a Spiritual Burning-glass till thy Heart be enflamed towards Jesus Christ Direction 5. We must have an high Esteem and Value for Jesus Christ and our Hearts must burn with Love towards him 1. We must have an high Esteem of Jesus Christ Cant. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousands White as to the Purity of his Life and Ruddy in his Bloody Passion and Death Psal 45.2 Thou art fairer than the children of men Grace is poured out into thy lips Thy Name saith the Church Cant. 1.3 is as an Ointment poured out All his garments smell of Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Psalm 45.8 We must account Christ better than our People and our Fathers House That it is our Interest to please him though we disgust and displease the whole World and that it will be our advantage to cleave to him though all men should frown on us be imbittered towards us and inraged against us His Love is better than Wine and his Kindness better than Life Cant. 1.4 Ps 63.3 Let all the world be put into the Ballance to weigh against Christ it will be found to be lighter than Vanity what is all we have to be esteemed in regard of Christ We must sell all to buy the Pearl of Price but we must not sell this Pearl to buy Peace Liberty or a quiet enjoyment of our Estates in the World If we come out from Wicked Men God and Christ will receive us 2 Cor. 6. 2 last Verses We should little regard the Worlds rejecting of us if Christ will receive us Should a Man be grieved if he be turned out of the Cottage of a Beggar and received into the Palace of a King As the King of Sodom said to Abraham give me the Persons and take thou the Goods to thy self So we should say to Carnal men take you the Goods of this world to your selves but leave me the Person of Christ and I shall account my Lines are fallen to me in Pleasant Places and I have a goodly Heritage 2ly Our Hearts must Burn with love towards Jesus Christ Cant. 8.6 7. Many Waters cannot quench love neither can the Floods drown it O such a divine Flame of love should be kindled in our Hearts that if the World lets in upon and turns over us Rivers of afflictions Floods of sufferings yet all may not be able to quench it If we thus love Jesus Christ we shall follow him As Ruth said to Naomi Intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee For whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy People shall be my People and thy God shall be my God Ruth 1.16 So those that love Christ will say to the World Allure me not to leave Jesus Christ or to return from following of him where he is there will I be his God shall be my God his People shall be my People As Peter was so in love with Christ that he cast himself into the Sea that he might swim and come to Christ standing on the Shoar John 21.7 So Christians that highly prize and dearly love him will be willing not only to come to Christ by a Natural death as other Disciples came to Christ by their Boat or little Ship John 21.8 but to be cast into a Sea of sufferings and so come to Christ by a violent Death As Ignatius an ancient Father in his Epistle to the Romans expresses himself thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Fire the Cross the Wild Beasts and other Instruments of Cruelty come on me onely that I may obtain and enjoy Christ He cared not what he suffered or endured so that he might come to Christ Love is said to be stronger than Death and Jealousie is cruel as the Grave Cant. 8.6 As Death kills the strongest and the Grave swallows up all the bodies put into it and turns them into Dust so true servent love to Christ will subdue all opposition Conquer all resistance and is Cruel to what would tempt or draw it from Christ So did Paul love Christ that he desired to be dissolved to be taken to pieces so that his Soul might be with Christ Phil. 1.23 6. Direct We must eye and frequently think upon the Examples of suffering Saints who through Faith and Patience have inherited the promised Kingdom and inheritance Heb. 11.36 37 38. there is a short account of the various sufferings of several of the Lords Worthies what losses they sustained what tortures they endured that they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11.35 yet the World to come was not so much Unvailed and Revealed then as it is now well may the duty of self-denial and bearing the Cross be more explicitely required and more often pressed in the Gospel Matth. 16.23 24. when the motives and incouragements to it are more clearly and abundantly revealed We see Death foiled and abolished a new Life obtained and Heaven possessed by Christ as a fore-runner Yet Saints of old supported their Hearts with the hope of a glorious Resurrection and this carried them through the greatest losses and the most exquisite torments and their Example is improved in Hebr. 12.1 Being compassed with such a cloud of Witnesses let us run the Race that is set before us There may perhaps be an allusion to the Cloud that went before and guided the Israelites in the Wilderness and directed them in the way to the Earthly Canaan So we have a great Cloud of Spiritual Witnesses that have testified God's Truth and their own Love and Loyalty to him with their Blood and shall not their Examples both guide and animate us to the same Faith and Patience as they practised Their sufferings teach us that the way to