Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_v	world_n	worst_a	23	3	7.8385	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87104	Thankfulness in grain: or a good life the best return. Delivered in another sermon on the same occasion in St. Dionis, Back-Church, Aug. 14. 1653. By Nath. Hardy, Master of Arts, and preacher to that parish.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1653 (1653)	Wing H749; Thomason E723_6; ESTC R12852; ESTC R207247	54,568	58

David's abode in this World during which time wheresoever he should be he would walk before God for that seems to be the emphasis of the plural number Lands according to the Original The World consists of many Countreys several Lands and it is possible for Men either by force or willingly to remove from one Countrey to another But a good Man when he changeth his Countrey yet altereth not his Religion yea wherever he is he resolveth to serve his God The better to illustrate this interpretation give me leave to proceed by these three steps 1. This present World is justly called the Land of the Living or as it is in the Hebrew a Land of lives In this Land it is that every Man enjoyeth a natural life and every Saint leadeth a spiritual life In this Land it is that as we enjoy a temporal so we lay hold on eternal life Indeed that life which the Saints lead in Heaven must be begun on Earth there it shall be manifested but here it 's conferred then is the consummation but now must be the inchoation of that life which shall never end And surely since this is the Land wherein not onely the life of nature but the life of grace is vouchsafed yea that life of glory is obtained assured and after a sort begun it may very well deserve this appellation of the Land of the Living 2. In this World it is that we are most properly said to walk in Heaven we shall be Comprehensores Possessors as in our Countrey on Earth we are Viatores Travellers as in the way there we shall be on Thrones as Conquerors here it is we march as Souldiers finally there we shall sit down resting from all our labours here it is we must work and walk The Temple a type of Heaven was fixed and so a place of rest where the People did settle and enjoy God's presence but the Tabernacle a type of this World was ambulatory removed from place to place after death we shall lye in Abraham's bosome but in this life it is we walk in Abraham's steps 3. Lastly and chiefly this present World is the place and this life the onely time wherein this duty of walking before the Lord is to be performed The term to which a Saint walketh is that other Land of the Living the Heavenly Mansion but the ground whereon he must walk is this Earthly Desart That which is here called the Land is in that parallel Scripture stiled the Light of the Living Indeed as our blessed Saviour saith When the night to wit of death cometh no Man can work the light the day namely of life is the time allotted us for working Not much unlike is that of Salomon There is no work nor device nor knowledge● nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest Onely this time whilst we are going to the grave is the season as of conversing with Men so walking before God Oh therefore let the Prophet's counsel be acceptable Seek the Lord whilst he may be found and call upon him whilst he is near that is according to the Caldee version whilst we live since as S. Bernard both wittily and piously After death there will be no time of calling upon God when God shall be so present to the godly that there will be no need and so remote from the wicked that there will be no possibility of calling on him Remember the advice which our blessed Saviour gave the Jewes Walk whilst you have the light which though there it be meant principally of the Gospel yet it may be secondarily referred to this life and whilst we have this light of life let it be our care to walk with God To this end be pleased to consider seriously these two things 1. This present is the onely time Whether we read the words I will please or I will walk both are to be performed here or not at all after death there is no place either for prayers or tears in the grave there is neither ability nor opportunity of walking It is said of Enoch that before his translation he had this testimony and so must we if at all that he pleased God to wit by walking before him It will be too late to begin this spiritual when we are at the end of our natural journey In vain is that salvation hoped for in the midst of Hell which was wrought in the midst of the Earth Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation the prize of glory must be won and the race of piety run now or never 2. The present time is but short very short Though the Inhabitants of this Land be onely living Men yet they are not long lived it is called by the Apostle and most ap●ly a time of sojourning and therefore our stay cannot be long this whole World is but as a common Inne wherein some stay but a few hours the most but a few daies none can dwell alwaies O then as we must go on constantly so let us begin presently the way is long the day is short the work great the time little we need not grudge to hold out till evening we had need to set forth in the morning and whilst we have opportunity let us seriously resolve and speedily practice this duty of walking before the Lord And thus I have considered the words distinctly and absolutely in themselves representing to you both David's resolving upon a duty and the duty upon which he resolveth in the matter manner and season of performance it now remaineth that I proceed more briefly to a conjunctive and relative discussion of them as depending on the precedent verse that you may see what was the impulsive cause obliging reason inducing motive to put him upon this duty towards God namely God's mercy towards him Because thou hast delivered c. I will walk c. The sense of which connexion if you please take in this larger paraphrase as if David had said Oh my God thou hast wiped away tears from my eyes to thee therefore I will lift them up in thankfulness thou hast kept my feet from falling how can I imploy them better than in walking before thee thou hast delivered my soul from death to whom but thee should I dedicate my life it is thy free gift to me it is my due debt to thee I can give thee little if not thy own I have received as it were a new life from thee surely I will return it to thee by walking before thee in the Land of the Living 1. It lets us see in general that Beneficium postulat officium Mercy calls for duty and beneficence obligeth to obedience not onely the rod of God's correction but the staff of his protection hath a voyce and that double the one is that of Christ to the Criple Sin no more the other that of God to Abraham Walk before me and be upright For this reason no

of our life so St. Ambrose readeth the second verse of this Psalm in omnibus diebus meis indeed no day no hour no moment which carrieth not with it a new obligation and besides even particular favours oblige to continued service it is not to be devout and zealous for a time whilst the deliverance is fresh and new but to set upon a constant course of obedience which true gratitude calls for that thankfulness is of the right dye and colour which is lasting nor must our obedience expire but with our life 2. You have seen the extent of the duty now take a short view of the mercy which doth thus oblige and that in this three-fold consideration 1. Thou hast delivered Of all mercies deliverances are the most engaging every deliverance supposeth a danger and the danger sweetneth the mercy the truth is we never so highly prize a blessing as when we either are deprived of or in danger to lose it How welcome was the spacious Land to Jonah when he had been Prisoner in the Whales belly VVhat kind greeting think you was there between Lazarus and his Sisters when he was returned from the dead It is not to be imagined with what readiness those hands of Abraham embraced his Isaac which were even now unwillingly stretched forth to kill him Health preserved and continued is a mercy but when restored and renewed it is far more acceptable No wonder if David being delivered resolveth to walk before the Lord 2. My Soul from death Every deliverance is a Bond but when from death the worst of outward evils it maketh our Debt the greater Every mercy hath a voyce but the greater the mercy the louder the call to obedience To this purpose both St. Bernard and Parisiensis It is no doubt but that every benefit obligeth the Receiver to the Giver and by how much the larger the gift by so much the stronger the tye and therefore in the service of God we ought to be so much the more solicitous by how much his love towards and care over us hath been the more gracious Thus St. Paul having obtained mercy more eminently laboured more abundantly than the rest Mary Magdalen loved much because much was forgiven her Jehosaphat being lifted up with riches and honour in abundance his heart was lifted up in the waies of the Lord and David having received a deliverance from so great danger as death promiseth to walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living 3. Lastly Mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Lo here a deliverance not from one but many dangers to wit death tears and falling Single deliverances are as Threds but when multiplyed they become as a Cord twisted of many Threds more potent to draw us to God Any one mercy is as a Link but many favours are as a Chain consisting of several Links to bind us the closer to our duty Vis unita fortior Frequent droppings of the Rain cannot but make an impression even on the Stone and renewed mercies may well prevail with the stony heart Parisiensis relateth a story of a Man whom notwithstanding his luxurious and vicious courses God was pleased to accumulate favours upon so that at last he cryed out Vicisti benignissime Deus indefatigabili tua bonitate Most gracious God thy unwearied goodness hath overcome my obstinate wickedness and from that time devoted himself to God's service No wonder then if David upon deliverance from such numerous and grievous afflictions maketh this his resolve to walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living To apply this VVhich of us my Brethren here before God this day have not experienced variety of mercies positive and privitive in our persons and relations yea which of us at some time in some kind or other hath not been blessed with deliverances and that from various yea desperate dangers And now Compensare credo Domino Deo nostro cultu honore reverentia beneficia quae ab eo accepimus adnitimur as Salvian of those in his time One would think having received so much love and kindness from God we should repay him in love and service worship and reverence being graciously delivered we should go to his House with praises renounce the sins of our former life vow to God new obedience and offer up our selves a sacrifice to him Thus indeed we ought to do but what do we are we not like the high-way side which returneth no crop though you cast never so much seed upon it yea like the Vineyard which though fenced and planted instead of Grapes brought forth wild Grapes Nay yet worse like the Earth that drinketh in the Rain and instead of Herbs meet for the Dresser bringeth forth Thorns and Briars whilst we either sit still living in idleness or else instead of walking before wander far from God by prophaneness nay walk contrary to God by rebellious wickedness It may be in the day of our distress we go to God but in the day of our deliverance we run from him As Antigonus his Souldier when sickly was valiant but when recovered turned Coward and as Aesop's Snake which lay still in the Frost but stung him who warmed it in his bosome So it is with the most of us in adversity we seem dovout but in prosperity we prove licencious and rebellious In the Tomb of Terrentia were certain Lamps which burned under ground for many ages but so soon as they were brought into the Air they went out never to be kindled again A fit embleme of our practice whiles we are kept in a Cave of darkness confined to a Vault of misery we are burning and shining Lamps but when God hath lifted us up from the Gates of death and carrieth us as it were abroad into the open Air that we enjoy this worlds allurements the light of our piety goeth out and we practice the works of darkness So that what Lactantius complained of concerning many in his daies who under pressing exigencies would call upon the true God but when the danger was over would return to their former idolatries the like may be charged upon many of us who in affliction remember but after restauration forget yea dishonour the God of our mercies That acknowledgement of the Psalmist we have all reason to make concerning God He crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies or he compasseth to wit round about with variety of compassions as a General doth begirt a rebellious City with a numerous Army of Souldiers But tell me do we yet yield to this gracious Siege these gentle Batteries nay rather do we not stand out the more rebelliously against him yea our unthankfulness striveth with Gods goodness for the victory as Absolom did with David whether the Father should be more kind or the Son more unkind Sad though just were those accusations of God against Israel by Moses Jesurun waxed fat and kicked by Isaiah I have