Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	death_n	life_n	torment_n	1,579	5	9.6249	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45559	The pilgrims wish, or, The saints longing discussed in a sermon preached in St. Bennet Grace Church at the funeral of Mrs. Anne Dudson ... who departed this life the 4th day of January, 1658 ... / by Nath. Hardy ...	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1659 (1659)	Wing H738; ESTC R2193	17,690	36

granted for which they pray when they say Thy Kingdome come in which respect the fore-mentioned Father expostulateth Quid oramus petimus ut adveniat regnum caelorum si captivitas terre●● delectat Why do we daily pray that the Kingdome of Heaven may come when as we are so much pleased with a captivity on earth The truth is we are so farre from making death the Object of our desire that it is the ground of our fear yea we tremble at the very thought of it Indeed that they should fear death who being called Christians lead wicked lives is no wonder and well were it if many of them did more fear it then they doe But why oh why this Pusillamous spirit in good Christians Let him be afraid to die who is not born again of water end of the Spirit who looketh upon the continuation of life as a respite from torment to come and his first death to be a passage to a second But for Belivers who are the Children of God Members of Christ and Heires or Glory to be afraid to depart how incongruous Receive therefore a word of Exhortation Give not over till you have brought your hearts to this sweet frame He hath not enough con'd Happinesse that is loath to goe to it though it be through a dead Sea nor can he be justly thought desirous of Heaven who is unwilling to shake hands with earth It was justly said to that lame begger who refused the offer of his Prince to take him into his Coach Optime mereris qui in luto haereas Thou well deservest to stick in the mire And surely it is but fit that they should live and lie in sorrow who are unwilling that Christ should take them up to himself What is the Devils great design but to keep our souls from Christ and shall we comply with him in an unwillingnesse to depart that we may be with him Our belssed Iesus willingly came down from Heaven to earth that he might be with and die for us Shall not we willingly goe from earth to Heaven though it be by death that we may be and live with him Especially considering the great advantage which hereby accrueth to us And that leads me to 3. The Equity and justnesse of the Reason enducing St. Paul to this desire in those words which is farre better The Emphasis of the Greek phrase is very observable it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} better nay {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} farre better nay {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} much rather or as our translation farre better The Arabick seemeth to labour in expressing it by two words of the same signification which is farre more excellent and transcendent withall annexing the Pronoune for me which is not mentioned but to be supplied in the Greek To die in respect of all is not better then to live but in respect of them who dying are with Christ For St. Paul to die though it were to be with Chriss was not better for the Philippians he intimateth in the next verse that it was needfull for them that he should live in the flesh but for himself it was better farre infinitely far better that he should depart and be with Christ And now I am fallen upon a pleasant subject the transcendent happinesse of being with Christ But I cannot long insist upon it nor if I should am I able fully to unfold it We shall never know the blisse of being with him till we come to be with him Only in a few words let me give you a glimpse or taste of its surpassing excellency To this end I shall make use of that three-fold good which is the Object of mens desire in this world and maketh them so much in love with it namely Profit Honour and Pleasure in all which respects it is far better to be with Christ 1. It is farre better in point of Profit Christ is said by the Author to the Hebrews to be appointed Heir of all things Being now in Heaven he is in possession of these all things whereof he is Heir And when we shall be with him we shall be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Co-heires with Christ who though our Elder Brother admits us to have a share in the Inheritance Whatsoever we enjoy in this world is but a small pittance in comparison of that Inheritance Christ in the Person of Wisdome saith of himself With me are riches yea durable riches With him they are not for himself only but all that are with him Yea whereas the riches of this world are uncertain those are durable and therefore as to wealth it is better farre better to be with Christ 2. It is better in point of Honour To be with Christ is to sit together with him in heavenly places that is St. Pauls phrase to the Ephesians More then so it is To sit with him in his Throne that is St. Iohns phrase The Saints with Christ have a full view of his Glory So our Saviour prayeth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Nor do they only behold but participate of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we are glorified together with him yea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we shall reign with him They are both St. Pauls Phrases which latter fully answers to that of sitting with him in his Throne Whereas the Servants of Christ in this world are for the most part in a low and mean condition they shall be no lesse then Kings when they are with Christ having Crowns on their heads and Septers in their hands farre excelling all secular Dignities And therefore as to Honour it is farre better to be with Christ 3. Once more It is better in point of Pleasure To be with Christ is to Sup with him so St. Iohn and no Dainties so sweet as those which are prepared for us in that Supper of Glory To be with Christ is to be with him in Paradise and no delights comparable to those of Paradise It is to be with the Fountain of life and no waters so sweet as those which we drink at the Fountain It is to be with the Sun of Righteousnesse And if there be a great deal of refreshment in the beames which this Sunne sometimes darts upon us whilest we are here oh what content is there in being with the Sunne it self The Truth is none of these carnal pleasures which this world affords can give the soul satisfaction so that as the Dove found no rest till it returned to the Ark it finds no content till it come to Christ Our greatest joy here is the hopes of being with him hereafter to whom those words of the Psalmist may be truly applyed In thy presence is fulnesse of Joy and at thy right hand

thus styled it is applied to Conquerours coming back from the Wars and the Lords returning home from the Wedding is expressed by this phrase Whereas all men are in truth and good men in their own esteem strangers by death they go home to their Heavenly Countrey Quis non peregre constitutus properaret in patriam regredi What stranger doth not long to return to his native soyle nothing more naturall to a man then to love his home death is a departure home Sometimes it is used for mens being set free from bonds and Prison and of Oxen when after their labour in the evening the yoake is taken from off their necks The body is as it were the Prison of the soul yea the whole world is but as a larger Prison to a Saint from which death sets him free Dissolvi nonquaereret Paulus nisi se proculdubio vinctum videret In that St. Paul desired to be loosed no doubt he apprehended himself a Prisoner Was ever any man in love with his Fetters and what Prisoner doth not groan for enlargement or captive would not welcome liberty death is a departure out of Prison Once more It is sometimes used of going to bed we are wearied in the day of our life with manifold labours at the evening of death we go to our bed so the Prophet Isaiah's expression of the Righteous when they perish they enter into their beds Doth not the weary Labourer long to be in his bed of ease and refreshment Death is a departure to our bed and no wonder if under these considerations of rest and liberty and returning home it be the Object of desire To all this it may be further added That the primary object of St. Pauls desire was not the departure but being with Christ Sutable to this it is that else where he saith We that are in this Tabernicle do groan being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that which a Christian so earnestly desires is the state of bliss in the enjoyment of Christ Death is only desired in order to that and that upon necessity because there is no going to Christ without a departure hence otherwise the best men would abhorre it By this time you see the Resolution of the first Quaery which amounts to this that death was not by St. Paul is not cannot be desired by any one but only in ordine ad aliud in order to that which followeth it and especially the being with Christ The Quaere which would next be satisfied refers to the Legitimacy Whither and how far death may be desired To which end be pleased to knew that that desire of death which is lawfull yea not only lawfull but excellent 1. Is not Active but Passive So the Vulgar Latin reads it Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved In some cases the truth of our destre is testified by the endeavoure but it is not so in this that command of killing respects a mans self as well as others and forbids not only the act but the endeavour he that by neglect of good meanes shortens his life or by any evill meanes attempts the hastening of his own death being no other in Gods account then a self-murderer We must not desire death as we desire grace we ought so to desire grace as to use all wayes for the obtaining it we must not so desire death as to take any course for accelerating it 2. Not impatient but submissive not repining at Gods delaies but waiting his leisure if God please or when God pleaseth is the language of a Christian as in others so in this matter Indeed Simeon prayeth Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace but it was as appeareth by that addition according to thy Word because having seen the Messiah he knew the time of his dissolution was come We must not limit God to this or that season And whilest we desire the thing we must contentedly wait the time Sapiens è vita non fugere debet sed exire saith Seneca A wise man must not fly but go out of life He learneth accipere to receive death willingly but he hateth arripere to runne upon it desperately Nor dare he break the Prison doors though he be ready when God sets them open to go forth Animus piis omnibus retinendus est in custodiâ corporis nec injussu ejus a quo ille est nobis datus ex hominum vita migrandum saith the Orator Our Soul must not be dismist out of without his leave who infused it into the body In this respect the good man hath a desire at once both to live and to die according to Divine appointment If God will have him continue longer on earth to do him service he is willing and if he will take him to himself he is willing resolving still to bow his will to Gods 3. Lastly Not Carnal but Spiritual Many there are who wish themselves in their Graves meerly out of discontent at the condition of their life either because they have not what they would or suffer what they would not Some there are who desire to die that they may be in Paradise rid of misery and enjoy faelicity But the right desire after death is upon higher and spiritual Grounds not so much to be free from sorrow as sinne to be in Paradise as to be with Christ Indeed these words to be with Christ are both Incentive and Directive to our desire of death No stronger Argument why we should desire it no higher end for which we should desire it What can make death welcome to us if this of being with Christ will not Nor should any consideration make it more welcome to us then this of being with Christ And thus you have the second Question answered the result whereof is that provided we do not hasten our own death but are content to tarry Gods time and that we do not only or chiefly wish it for self-self-ends we may nay we ought to desire if God will that we may depart and be with Christ and this is that whereof our Apostle hath here given the Phillipians and all Christians a Pattern But oh my Brethren how doth St. Pauls desire upbraid our backwardnesse and chide our feares It was St. Cyprians complaint of the Christians in his time and it is still true Obnitimur reluctamur pervicacium more servorum ad conspectum Domini cum tristitia maerore perducimu● excuntes istinc necessitatis vinculo non obsequio voluntatis We resist and struggle and like peevish servants must to our grief and sorrow be forced into our Lords Presence going hence not with a willing obsequiousnesse but out of a compelling necessity Omnes refugiunt terminum ad quem curunt said Seneca Truly all men would fly from the Goale of death to which they runne I am afraid the most Christians are unwilling that should be