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	sin_n	wage_n	2,199	5	11.3275	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11460	Tvvo sermons the former, concerning the right use of Christian liberty, preached at S. Pauls Crosse London. May 6. The later, concerning the perswasion of conscience, preached at a metropoliticall visitation at Grantham Lincoln: Aug. 22. 1634. By Robert Saunderson chaplaine to his Maiestie.; Two sermons: the former, concerning the right use of Christian liberty. The later, concerning the perswasion of conscience	Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.	1635 (1635)	STC 21710; ESTC S116631	77,313	112

any service behold here they all concurre the service of God and of Christ is excellently all these It is of all other the most iust the most necessary the most easie the most honourable the most profitable service And what would you have more First it is the most just service whether we looke at the title of Right on his part or reasons of Equity on ours As for him he is our Lord and master pleno jure he hath right to our best services by a threefold title like a treble cord which Satan and all the powers of darknesse cannot breake or untwine A right of Creation Remember O Iacob thou art my servant I have formed thee thou art my servant O Israel Esay 44. Princes and the great ones of the world expect from those that are their Creatures rather that are called so because they raised them but in truth are not so for they never made them yet they expect much service from them that they should be forward instruments to execute their pleasures and to advance their intentions how much more may the Lord justly expect from us who are every way his creatures for he raised us out of the dust nay he made us of nothing that we should be his servants to doe his will and instruments to promote his glory Besides this Ius creationis hee hath yet two other titles to our services Ius redemptionis and Ius liberationis Hee hath bought us out of the hands of our enemies and so we are his by purchase and hee hath wonne us out of the hands of our enemies and so we● are his by Conquest We reade often in the Law of servants bought with money 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is but reason he that hath paid a valuable consideration for a mans service should have it Now God hath bought us and redeemed us not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with his owne most pretious blood And being bought with such a price we are not our owne to serve the lusts of our owne flesh nor any mans else that we should be the servants of men but his onely that hath bought us and paid for us to glorifie him both in our bodies and soules for they are his jure redemptionis by the right of Purchase and Redemption Againe when we were mancipi● p●ccati diaboli the devils Captives and slaves to every ungotlly lust in which condition if we had lived and dyed after a hard and toylsome service in the meane time our wages in the end should have beene eternall death God by sending his Son to live and dye for us hath conquered sinne and Satan and freed us from that wretched thraldome to this end That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies wee might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Sonne of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds in sunder Psal. 116. That is jus liberationis the right of Conquest and deliverance Having so many and so strong titles thereunto with what Justice can we hold back our fervices from him It is the first and most proper act of Justice jus suum cuique to render to all their dues and to let every one have that which of right appertaineth unto him And if we may not deny unto Caesar the things that are Caesars it is but right wee should also give unto God the things that are Gods by so many and just titles Especially since there are reasons of equity on our part in this behalfe as well as there is title of right on his part You know the rule of equity what it is even to doe to others as we would be done to See then first how wee deale with those that are under our command We are rigid and importunate exactors of service from them we take on unreasonably and lay on unmercifully and be wray much impatience distemper if they at any time slack their services towards us How should this our strictnesse in exacting services from those that are under us adde to our care and conscience in performing our bounde● services to our Lord and Master that is over us But as it is with some unconscionable dealers in the world that neither have any pitty to forbeare their debters nor any care to satisfie their creditors and as wee use to say of our great ones and that but too truely of too many of them that they will neither doe right nor take wrong such is our disposition Wee are neither content to forgoe any part of that service which wee take to be due to us nor willing to performe any part of that service which we know to be due to God See secondly how wee have dealt even with God himselfe It is the masters part to command not to serve yet have wee against all reason and good order done our endeavour to make him who is our Master become our slave Himselfe complaineth of it by his Prophet I have not caused thee to serve with an offering and wearied thee with incense but thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes and wearied mee with thine iniquities Esay 43. Now what can be imagined more preposterous and unequall then for a servant to make his master doe him service and himselfe the while resolve to doe his master none See thirdly what Christ hath done for us though hee were the eternall Son of the eternall God no way inferiour to the Father no way bound to us yet out of his free love to us and for our good hee tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was among us as one that ministreth That love of his should in all equity and thankfulnesse yet further bind us to answer his so great love by making our selves servants unto him who thus made himselfe a servant for us Thus both in point of right and equity the service of God is a just service It is secondly the most necessary service Necessary first because wee are servinati of a servile condition borne to serve We have not the liberty to chuse whether we will serve or no all the liberty wee have is to chuse our master as Ioshua said to the people Chuse you whom you will serve Since then there lyeth upon us a necessity of serving it should be our wisedome to make a vertue of that necessity by making choice of a good master with his resolution there I and my house will serve the Lord. It is necessary secondly for our safety and security lest if wee withdraw our service from him we perish justly in our rebellion according to that in the Prophet The nation and kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish It is necessary thirdly by our owne voluntary act when we bound ourselves by solemne vow and promise in the face of the open

congregation at our Baptisme to continue Christs faithfull soldiers and servants unto our lives end Now the word is gone out of our lips we may not alter it nor after we have made a vow enquire what we have to doe Thus the service of God is a necessary service It is thirdly which at the first hearing may seeme a parádoxe yet will appeare upon further consideration to be a most certaine truth of all other the most easie service in regard both of the certainty of the employment and of the helpe wee have towards the performance of it He that serveth many masters or even but one if he be a fickle man he never knoweth the end of his worke what he doth now anon he must undoe and so Sisyphus-like hee is ever doing and yet hath never done No man can serve two masters not serve them so as to please both scarce so as to please either And that is every mans case that is a slave to sinne Tot Domini quot vitia Every lust calleth for his attendance yea and many times contrary lusts at once as when Ambition biddeth let flye and covetousnesse cryeth as fast Hold whereby the poore man is infinitely distracted betweene a loathnesse to deny eyther and the impossibility of gratifying both Saint Paul therefore speaking of the state of the Saints before conversion expresseth it thus T●t 3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures and that diversity breedeth distraction But the servant of God is at a good certainty and knoweth before hand both what his worke must be and what his wages must be As is the mast●r himselfe so are his Commandements Yesterday and today the same and for ever without variablenesse or so much as shadow of turning Brethren I write no new commandement unto you but the old commandement which ye had from the beginning 1. Ioh. 2 It is some ease to know certainely what wee must doe but much more for to have sufficient helpe for the doing of it If we were left to our selves for the doing of his will so as the yoake lay all upon our necks and the whole burden upon our shoulders our necks though their sinewes were of iron would breake under the yoake and our shoulders though their plates had the strength of brasse would crack under the burden But our comfort is that as Saint Austen sometimes prayed Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis so he that setteth us on worke strengtheneth us to doe the work I can doe all things through him that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. Nay rather himselfe doth the worke ●● us Yet not I but the grace of God in me 1 Cor. 15. The Sonne of God nutteth his ●eck in the yoake with us whereby it becommeth his yoake as well as ours and that maketh it so easie to us and he putteth his shoulder under the burden with us whereby it becommeth his burden as well as ours and that maketh it so light to us Take my yoake upon you for my yoake is easy and my burden light Iuvat idem qui jubet What he commandeth us to doe he helpeth us to doe and thence it is that his Commandem●nts are not grievous Thus the service of God is an easie service It is fourthly the most honourable service Cateris p●ribus he goeth for the better man that serveth the better master And if men of good ranke and birth thinke it an honour for them and a thing worthy their ambition to be the Kings seruants because hee is the best and greatest Master upon earth how much more then is it an honourable thing and to be desired with our utmost ambitions to be the servants of God who is Optimus ma●cimus and that without either slattery or limitation the best and greatest master and in comparison of whom the best and greatest Kings are but as wormes and grashoppers It is a great glory to follow the Lord saith the son of Sirac Sirac 23. And the more truly any man serveth him the more still will it be for his owne honour For them that honour me I will honour saith God 1 Sam. 2. and Christ Iohn 12. If any man serve me him will my Father honour Thus the service of God is an honourable service It is lastly and fiftly the most profitable service We are indeed unprofitable servants to him but sure wee have a very profitable service under him They that speake against the Lord with stout words saying It is vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances Mal. 3. or as it is in Iob 21. What is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him speake without all truth and reason For verily never man truly served God who gained not incredibly by it These things among other the servant of God may certainely reckon upon as the certaine vailes and benefits of his service wherein his master will not faile him if he faile not in his service Protection Maintenance Reward Men that are in danger cast to put themselves into the servic● of such great personages as are able to give them protection Now God both can and will protect his servants from all their enemies and from all harmes Of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soule for I am thy servant Psal. 143. Againe God hath all good things in store both for necessity and comfort and he is no niggard of either but that his servants may be assured of a sufficiency of both when others shall be left destitute in want and distresse Behold my servants shall eate but yee shall be hungry behold my servants shall drinke but ye shall be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and howle for v●xation of spirit Esay 65. And whereas the servant of ●●●ne besides that he● hath no fruit nor comfort of his service in the meane time when he commeth to receive his wages at the end of his terme findeth nothing but shame or death shame if he leave the service and if he leave it not death What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death The servant of God on the contrary besides that hee reapeth much comfort and content in the very service hee doth in the meane time he receiveth a blessed reward also at the last even eternall life He hath his fruit in holinesse there is his comfort onward and the end everlasting life there is his full and finall reward A reward far beyond the merit of his service And so the service of God is a