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	world_n	young_a	114	3	5.6210	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30122	The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.	Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.; Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.	1688 (1688)	Wing B5485; ESTC R29145	71,178	194

refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven From this brief pass through this Parable you have these two general Observations First That even then when the Justice of God cries out I cannot endure to wait on this barren Professor any longer Then Jesus Christ intercedes for a little more Patience and a little more striving with this Professor if possible he may make him a fruitful Professor Lord let it alone this Year also until I shall dig about it and dung it and if it bear Fruit well c. Secondly There are some Professors whose Day of Grace will end with cut it down with Judgment when Christ by his means hath been used for their Salvation The First of these Observations I shall pass and not meddle at all therewith But shall briefly speak to the Second to wit That there are some Professors whose Day of Grace will end with cut it down with Judgmeut when Christ by his means hath been used for their Salvation This the Apostle sheweth in that third Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews where he tells us that the People of the Jews after a forty Years patience and endeavour to do them good by the means appointed for that purpose their end was to be cut down or excluded the Land of Promise for their final incredulity So we see they could not enter in because of Vnbelief Wherefore saith he I was grieved with that generation and said they do always err in their Hearts and they have not known my ways So I sware in my Wrath they shall not enter into my Rest. As who should say I would they should have entred in and for that purpose I brought them out of Egypt led them through the Sea and taught them in the Wilderness but they did not answer my Work nor Designs in that Matter wherefore they shall not I sware they shall not I swore in my Wrath they should not enter into my Rest Here is cutting down with Judgment So again Chap. 4. he saith As I have sworn in my Wrath if they shall enter into my Rest although the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World Heb. 4. 2 3 4. This word if is the same with they shall not in the Chapter before And where he saith Although the Works were finished from the Foundation of the World He giveth us to understand that what preparations soever are made for the Salvation of Sinners and of how long continuance soever they are yet the God-tempting God-provoking and fruitless Professor is like to go without a share therein although the Works were finish'd from the Foundation of the World Jude 5 6. I will therefore put you in remembrance though ye once knew this how that the Lord having saved the People out of the Land of Egypt ● afterwards destroyed them that believed not And the Angels that kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Here is an Instance to purpose an Instance of Men and Angels Men saved out of the Land of Egypt and in their Journey towards Canaan the Type of Heaven cut down Angels created and placed in the Heavens in great Estate and Principality yet both these because unfruitful to God in their places were cut down the Men destroyed by God for so saith the Text and the Angels reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day Now in my handling of this Point I shall discourse of the cutting down or the Judgment here denounced as it respecteth the doing of it by God's Hand immediately and that too with respect to his casting them out of the World and not as it respecteth an Act of the Church c. And as to this cutting down or Judgment it must be concluded that it cannot be before the Day of Grace be past with the Fig-tree But according to the Observation There be some Professors whose Day of Grace will end with cut it down and according to the words of the Text Then after that thou shalt cut it down After that that is after all my Attempts and Endeavours to make it fruitful after I have left it given it over done with it and have resolved to bestow no more Days of Grace Opportunities of Grace and Means of Grace upon it then after that thou shalt cut it down Besides the giving up of the Fig-tree is before the Execution Execution is not always presently upon the Sentence given for after that a convenient Time is thought on and then is cutting down And so it is here in the Text. The Decree that he shall perish is gathered from its continuing fruitless quite through the last Year from its continuing fruitless at the end of all Endeavours But cutting down is not yet for that comes with an after-after-word Then after that thou shalt cut it down So then that I may orderly proceed with the Observation I must lay down these two Propositions Prop. 1. That the Day of Grace ends with some Men before God takes them out of this World And Prop. 2. The Death or cutting down of such Men will be dreadful For this cut it down when it is understood in the largest sense as here indeed it ought it sheweth not only the Wrath of God against a Man's Life in this World but his Wrath against him Body and Soul And is as much as to say cut him off from all the Priviledges and Benefits that come by Grace both in this World and that which is to come But to proceed The Day of Grace ends with some Men before God taketh them out of this World I shall give you some Instances of this and so go on to the last Proposition First I shall instance Cain Cain was a Professor Gen. 4. 3. a Sacrificer a Worshipper of God yea the first Worshipper that we read of after the Fall but his Grapes were wild Ones Gen. 4. 5 8. his Works were Evil he did not do what he did from true Gospel-motives therefore God disallowed his Work at this his Countenance falls Wherefore he envies his Brother disputes him takes his opportunity and kills him Now in that day that he did this Act were the Heavens closed up against him and that himself did smartingly and fearfully feel when God made inquisition for the Blood of Abel And now cursed said God shalt thou be from the Earth which hath opened her Mouth to receive thy Brothers Blood from thy Hand c. Gen. 4. 8 11 12 13 14. And Cain said My Punishment is greater than I can bear Mine Iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Behold thou hast driven me out this Day from the Face of the Earth and from thy Face shall I be hid Now thou art cursed saith God Thou hast driven me out this Day saith Cain and from thy Face

is like to be past when a Professor hath withstood abused and worn out God's Patience then he is in danger this is a provocation then God cries Cut it down There are some Men that steal into a Profession no body knows how even as the Fig-tree was brought into the Vineyard by other hands than God's and th●● they abide liveless graceless careles● and without any good Conscience to God 〈◊〉 all Perhaps they came in for the Loave● for a Trade for Credit for a Blind 〈◊〉 it may be to stifle and choak the Check and grinding Pangs of an awakened and disquieted Conscience Now having obtain'd their purpose like the Sinners 〈◊〉 Sion they are at ease and secure Sa●ing like Agag 1 Sam. 15. 32. Surely 〈◊〉 bitterness of Death is past I am we●● shall be saved and go to Heaven Th●● in these vain conceits it spends a Year two or three not remembring that at every Season of Grace and at every opportunity of the Gospel the Lord come● seeking Fruit. Well Sinner well barre● Fig-tree this is but a course beginning God comes for Fruit. What have I here saith God what a Fig-tree is this that hath stood this Year in my Vineyard and brought me forth no Fruit I will cry unto him Professor Barre● Fig-tree be fruitful I look for Fruit I expect Fruit I must have Fruit therefore bethink thy self At these the Professor pauses but these are words not blows therefore off goes this Consideration from the Heart When God comes the next Year he finds him still as he was a barren fruitless cumber-ground And now again he complains here are two Years gone and no Fruit appears Well I will defer mine anger for my Namesake Isa. 48. 9. I will defer mine Anger for my Praise I will refrain from thee that I cut thee not off as yet I will wait I will yet wait to be Gracious But this helps not this hath not the least influence upon the barren Fig-tree Tush saith he here is no Threatning God is merciful he will defer his anger Isa. 30. 18. He waits to be gracious I am not yet afraid O how ungodly Men that are at unawares crept into the Vineyard how do they turn the Grace of our God into lasciviousness Well he comes the third Year for Fruit as he did before but still he finds but a barren Fig-tree No Fruit now he cries out again O thou Dresser of my Vineyard come hither here 's a Fig-tree hath stood these three Years in my Vineyard and hath at every season disappointed my expectation for I have looked for Fruit in vain Cut it down my patience is worn out I sha● wait on this Fig-tree no longer 2. And now he begins to shake the Fig-tree with his threatnings fetch out th● Ax. Now the Ax is Death Death ther●fore is called for Death come smi●● me this Fig-tree And withal the Lor● shakes this Sinner and whirls him upon Sick-bed saying Take him Death 〈◊〉 hath abused my Patience and Forb●●rance not remembring that it shou●● have led him to Repentance and to th● Fruits thereof Death fetch away th● Fig-tree to the fire fetch this barren Professor to Hell At this Death com● with Grim looks into the Chamber ye● and Hell follows with him to the Bed-sid● and both stare this Professor in the fac● yea begin to lay Hands upon him o● smiting him with pains in his Body with Head-ach Heart-ach Back-ach Shortness of Breath Fainting Qualms Trembling of Joints Stopping at the Chef● and almost all the Symptomes of a Man pa● all recovery Now while Death is th● tormenting the Body Hell is doing with the Mind and Conscience striking the●● with its Pains casting sparks of Fire i● thither wounding with sorrows an● Fears of everlasting damnation the Spirit of this poor creature And now he begins to bethink himself and to cry to God for Mercy Lord spare me Lord spare me Nay saith God you have been a Provocation to me these three Years How many times have you disappointed me How many seasons have you spent in vain How many Sermons and other Mercies did I of my Patience afford you but to no purpose at all Take him Death O good Lord saith the Sinner Spare me but this once Raise me but this once Indeed I have been a barren Professor and have stood to no purpose at all in thy Vineyard But spare O spare this one time I beseech thee and I will be better Away away you will not I have tried you these three Tears already you are nought If I should recover you again you would be us bad as you was before and all this talk is while Death stands by The Sinner cries again Good Lord try me this once let me get up again this once and see if I do not mend But will you promise me to mend Yes indeed Lord and vow it too I will never be so bad again I will be better Well saith God Death let this Professor alone for this time I will try him a while longer he hath promised he hath vowed that he will amend his ways It may be he will mind to keep his Promises Vows are solemn things it may be he may fear to break his Vows Arise from off thy Bed and now God laies down his Ax. At this the poor Creature is very thankful praises God and fawns upon him shews as if he did it heartily and calls to others to thank him too He therefore riseth as one would think to be a new-creature indeed But by that he hath put on his clothes is come down from his bed and ventured into the Yard or Shop and there sees how all things are gone to Sixes and Sevens he begins to have second thoughts and says to his folks What have you all been doing How are all things out of order I am I cannot tell what behind-hand one may see if a Man be but a little a to-side that you have neither Wisdom nor Prudence to order things And now instead of seeking to spend the rest of his time to God he doubleth his Diligence after this World Alas all must not be lost we must have provident Care and thus quite forgetting the Sorrows of Death the pains of Hell the Promises and Vows which he made to God to be better Because Judgment was not now speedily executed therefore the Heart of this poor Creature is fully set in him to do Evil. These things proving ineffectual God takes hold of his Ax again sends Death to a Wife to a Child to his Cattel your young Men have I slain and taken away your horses Amos 4. 9 10. I will blast him cross him disappoint him and cast him down and will set my self against him in all that he putteth his Hand unto At this the poor Barren Professor cries out again Lord I have sinned spare me once more I beseech thee O take not away the desire of mine Eyes spare my Children bless me in my labours and I