Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	word_n	work_v	worldly_a	35	3	7.7745	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66558	The vanity of mans present state proved and applyed in a sermon on Psalm 39.5. With divers sermons of the saints communion with God, and safety under his protection, in order to their future glory, on Psalm 73. 23, 24, 25, 26. By the late able and faithful minister of the Word John Wilson	Wilson, John, minister of the Word.; Golborne, J.	1676 (1676)	Wing W2905; ESTC R218560	137,734	239

shall not be able Luke 13 24. And Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses 1 Tim. 6. 12. O how good is God that to relieve us against this state of vanity hath been pleased to provide for us a state of happiness and oh how ungrateful and unworthy were we if we should not so far comply both with his kindness and our own welfare as to endeavour to to attain to it what were this but to withstand God and our own Salvation at once But you 'l say I believe there is a state of happiness and am desirous of it and would gladly injoy it but what must I do to attain to it Answ. For the directing of you herein I might treat you with many particulars but I shall offer you only these few And 1. If you would attain to a state of happiness look up to God with an eye of faith so as to cast your selves upon him through Jesus Christ both for the delivering of you from your present vanity and the raising of you up to a state of glory and blessedness He hath a better state to prefer you to and if you will but look up to him with an eye of Faith he will both intitle you to it and in his own due time give you possession of it So graciously hath he ordered things for us that the state of man by Christ is in some respects better than what it was in innocency To this purpose is that Rom. 5. 17. If by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they that receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Here the the Apostle sets the second Adam over against the first and shews that the former was not so able to work death but the latter is more able to work life The words imply as much as if he had said if the first Adam who was but a meer man were able by his sin to work death and give strength and power thereunto how much more is the second Adam who is God and able by his righteousness to work life Nay he is so far from being unable to equall the first Adam herein that he is able to raise us up to an higher and nobler life than the state of innocency afforded Indeed the life which that state afforded was a pleasant and sweet life but it was far short of that life which Christ hath purchased for us That life was of a more terrestrial sensual uncertain nature but this is such as is celestial spiritual and eternal The difference betwixt them is so great that there is no comparison betwixt the one and the other So that our fall through Christ is so far from being prejudicial to us that it hath conduced to our greater happiness The selling of Joseph into Egypt you know made way for his advancement and so our fall through Christ hath made way for our greater happiness Oh how good is God that he hath not only provided a remedy against our fall but thereby made way for the lifting of us up to a better state Well this happiness which God in Christ hath provided for us and which is so exceeding great we must seek to attain to in the use of those means he hath prescribed amongst which this is one that we should with an eye of Faith look up to him upon the doing whereof he hath promised to bestow it on us Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me saith he and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth So our tranlation renders it but in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paguine renders in the future tense Salvi eritis ye shall be saved But whether we take the words in the imperative or future tense they imply as much as if God had said whosoever throughout the whole Earth will look up unto me with an eye of Faith owning me for the true God and casting himself upon my mercy in Christ Jesus for justification and acceptance he shall be saved And this is one of those means he hath prescribed in order to the delivering of us from our state of vanity and the raising of us up to a state of happiness 2. If you would attain to a state of happiness then carry your selves holily during this your state of vanity I told you in the beginning that the present state is a state of exerecise and service and according as you behave your selves herein God will deal with you as to a state of happiness Though he be marvellously gracious and liberal in bestowing of happiness yet such is the purity of his nature that he will not grant it unto any but such as are holy Such is the indispensable necessity of holiness to the obtaining of happiness that let men be what they will if they have not holiness they cannot arrive at happiness without it the Apostle tells us no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. So much do's God stand upon holiness that according as men are furnished therewith so he deals with them as to their eternal condition On the one hand let their degree in the World be never so high yet if they want holiness they must never come to happiness and on the other hand let their degree in the World be never so mean yet if they have holiness they are sure to be happy And therefore as ever you mean to be happy hereafter see that you are holy here Now for the preventing of mistake and that you may the better secure your selves of holiness I shall in a few words acquaint you what holiness is and wherein it consists And it is such a quality as imports separation or devotedness to religious uses It consists in a withdrawing of our selves from common and profane matters and a giving up our selves to the worship and service of God We may know what sanctified or holy persons are by knowing what the things are which fall under that denomination Sanctified or holy things are things which are separated from common uses and devoted to such as are religious And so Sanctified or holy persons are such persons as withdrawing themselves from profane and common things do give ●p themselves to God and the serving of his will and glory Know saith David that God hath set apart him that is Godly or holy for himself Psal. 4. 3. Whereby we see that a godly or holy man is one that is set apart for God to attend on him and minister to him in the duties and waies he hath prescribed and appointed And there is such necessity of our being thus set apart and addicted to God that there is no expecting happiness without it If we will withdraw our selves from common uses and addict our selves to communion with God and his service we may attain unto that happiness he hath designed for his sanctified and holy

of our heads and sigh till our hearts are ready to burst in order to the preventing of it yet could we not prevail What man is he that liveth saith the Psalmist and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Psal. 89. 48. And saith Job I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living Job 3. 23. Both which places hold forth thus much that as death is the portion so the grave is the habitation appointed for all the living And what thing is there in the world that is more evident Where are those vast numbers of people that lived in the world before us Where are those thousands of young flourishing Gallants that in their prosperity despised death and derided the grave In what place do they remain or what is become of them Are they not now fast under the power of those things they once scorn'd and slighted Oh how fully are they now convinced of their own folly and how far are they from the presumptuous conceits they formerly maintained within them Oh how much is the State of man altered from what it was in innocency Then he was in a sort immortal so that as Austin teaches Poterat non mori He might live and not die But now the case is otherwise now he is absolutely mortal so that non potest nisi mori he cannot but he must needs die This is sad but yet if God will hereby make way for a better State then either of the former wherein non potest mori a State wherein he may be wholly immortal and above the power of death it will do well 3. He is vain in respect of his worldly designs and hopes He hath an active head and a working heart and according as he apprehends his interest lies so he imployes and laies out himself And inasmuch as through the blindness and error of his mind he thinks his interest lies in possessing himself of the riches honours and pleasures of the world he forms various designs and projects for the furnishing of himself therewith He contrives this and the other way for the raising of himself in the World pursues it with care and diligence and promises to himself much felicity and comfort therefrom and whiles he is entertaining himself with apprehensions and thoughts of this nature the Providence of God comes like an armed man upon him and presently spoiles him of those vain hopes he had so much pleased himself with One man layes out himself one way another another way one laies out himself in purchasing another in improving another in building and each promises to himself much success and contentment but alas before they are aware they are stop'd in their design and all falls to the ground According to that of Job 17. 11. My daies are past my purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart Whereas he purposed to do this and the other thing in order to the rendring of him prosperous and happy in the World and had possessed his heart with some pleasant apprehensions hereof the Providence of God engages against him and disappoints him With which agrees that of David Psal. 146. 4. where speaking of man with reference to his death saith His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish But how do they perish What do's he then lose his cogitative faculty Do's he from thenceforth cease to think No the meaning is that his designs and projects and the expectations and hopes which he had raised therefrom become ineffectual and fruitless And how many are the instances which the Scripture to go no farther affords us hereof amongst projecting and designing men How famous is the case of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 29 33. At the end of twelve months he walked in the Palace of the Kingdom of Babylon The King spake and said is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty While the word was in the Kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee it is spoken The Kingdom is departed from thee And they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and did eat grass as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws Oh strange and affecting passage Where observe 1. The extream arrogancy and pride of this man Though Daniel from the vision which the King himself had seen had declared unto him that by vertue of a decree of the most high He should be driven from men and his dwelling should be with the beasts of the field and that he should eat grass as oxen and the like yet the execution hereof through Gods great patience being delaied he walks in great Majesty and state upon the roof of his Palace which according to the flat building of those times he was capable of doing and from thence taking a view of the City he cries out Is not this great Babylon that I have built One would have thought his own vision interpreted as it was by Daniel and Gods patience for a whole year should have had better influence on him But what outward means are there which either can or will prevail unless God set in with them and bless them But see how his pride and vain glory transports him into mistakes He speaks as if he had built the City whereas it was Nimrod that built it after which Semiramis inlarg'd beautifi'd and strengthn'd it yet in regard he erected some edifices hanging gardens orchards walls he talks as if he were the only Author and Founder of it And from this his present greatness he promises himself not only an exemption from the vision but likewise great felicity and prosperity But 2. see his remarkable disappointment and downfall It 's said the same hour the thing was fulfill'd upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and did eat grass as oxen c. Oh what a sad disappointment was here How far did he fall short of what he aimed at How miserably did his thoughts perish First he becomes a beast in respect of his disposition or manners and then God makes him a beast in respect of his condition or outward state First he is mad with pride and vain glory and then God in just judgment strikes him with another kind of madness so that being bereaved of his understanding and thereby rendred unfit for Kingly rule and dignity he betakes himself into the wilderness and there