Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	ascend_v	father_n	heaven_n	4,449	5	5.5021	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26816	The way to the highest honour a funeral sermon, on John XII, 26, preach'd upon the decease of the Rnd Tho. Jacomb ... April 3, 1687 / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1687 (1687)	Wing B1131; ESTC R14324	38,983	138

THE WAY TO THE Highest Honour A FUNERAL SERMON On JOHN xii 26. Preach'd upon the Decease of the R nd THO. JACOMB D.D. April 3. 1687. By William Bates D.D. LONDON Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in S. Pauls Church-Yard MDCLXXXVII TO THE Right Honourable ELIZABETH Countess-Dowager OF EXCETER Madam I Present a Sermon to your view that drew forth your Tears in the Hearing and is like to be a revival of your Sorrow in Reading but I could not without Indecence decline the inscribing it to your Name 'T is design'd to the precious Memory of one whose Piety and Prudence had render'd most worthily and affectionately respected by you One who for Forty Years faithfully served you in the Affairs of your Soul and in that long space there was a continual Circulation of Favours on your Part and Observance on his As his Presence and Counsel and Example in your Family was an excellent Blessing and dearly prized by you so in proportion your afflicting Grief rises for the loss of him But you are instructed to be content with the Divine Disposal And our Gracious God by withdrawing intermediate Comforts calls you to more intimate and Heavenly Communion with Himself I might here take a just occasion to speak of your eminent Vertues and of your serious Religion that crowns the rest For then Praise-worthy Excellencies may be duely and safely represented when he that Commends is not in danger of falling into Flattery and the Person Commended is not in danger of being swell'd with Pride And such is your excellent and conspicuous Goodness that it reflects a Lustre upon your Nobility and is above Verbal Encomiums and your rare Humility is most relucent amongst your other shining Graces But 't is needless to illustrate that Worth that is so visible to all I shall only observe that as you have been so happy as to find Wisdom the true Spiritual Wisdom that directs us to our Last and Blessed End the Wisdom that excells Rubies and by an incomparable Comparison all the admired Things in the World So the promised Reward of Wisdom has been your Portion Length of Days are in her right Hand and in her left Hand Wisdom and Honour You are now come to Old Age and are apt to complain such is your zealous Piety that your Strength being spent you are useless and with Impatience desire a Dismission from hence But as a Servant that stands and waits upon his Master's Pleasure as truly serves him as he that is most industrious in his Business so by an humble patient waiting upon your Heavenly Lord till he shall call you to the Blessed State Above you as truly please and glorifie him as when your active powers were fresh and lively and you went about doing good Be encouraged Good Madam with unfainting Perseverance to expect the final Reward For your Salvation is nearer than when you first believed Let the Love of Christ always reign in your Heart and the Crown of Glory be always in your Eye that you may finish your course with joy These are the most unfeigned Desires of him who is Madam Your very humble and faithful Servant William Bates ADVERTISEMENTS A Short Description of the Blessed Place and State of the Saints Above In a Discourse on the Words of our Saviour Joh. 14.2 Preached on occasion of the Death of Mr. David Clarkson By W. Bates D. D. A Plain Representation of Transubstantiation as it is received in the Church of Rome with the Sandy Foundations it is built upon and the Arguments that clearly evert and overturn it ERRATA PAg. 29. in the Margent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 102. l. 6. for ruines r. ruin'd P. 104. l. 11. dele our selves St. JOHN xii 26. If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be If any Man serve me him will my Father honour IF it so pleased the wise and soveraign Disposer of all Things how much rather would I be an attentive Hearer of that blessed Servant of God who is now above than preach his Funeral Sermon at this Time That my sad Voice should be reserved for this mournful Service is both contrary to my Desire and Expectation O frail and faithless Life of Man Who would have thought that Dr. Jacomb whose natural vigour and firm Complexion promised a longer continuance here should have a period put to his Days and that I should survive whose Life has been preserved for many Years like the weak light of a Lamp in the open Air But he has finish'd his Work and was more fit for Heaven The last Lord's Day he entred into everlasting Rest And I with you are still upon the Earth that we may make a better Preparation for the Divine Presence in Heaven and that Holy Assembly that serves him who sits upon the Throne without Imperfection or Intermission for ever In order to this end I have chosen the present Subject of my Discourse In the Verse our Saviour gives a most important Command and indispensably obligatory to all Christians If any Man serves me let him follow me If he assumes the Title and enters into the sacred Engagement of being my Servant let his Carriage be answerable to his Condition let him follow the Divine Example I have set before him And since the way is narrow and be-set with Thorns our Coelestial Leader who by the Cross ascended to the Throne assures us of a blessed Retribution that shall infinitely out-weigh all the numerous and heavy Troubles to which we are expos'd in his Service all our grievous Sufferings shall end in Eternal Joys Where I am there shall my Servant be And he is at God's right Hand where there is fulness of Joy and Rivers of Pleasure for ever And all the Clouds of Disgrace and Contempt that darken our present State shall be dispell'd and overcome by unfading Glory If any Man serve me him will my Father honour Joy and Glory are the bright Sum of Heaven The compleat Felicity that a stedfast Faith in our Saviour's Promises opposes to the greatest Evils all the Ignominy and Reproaches all the Pains and Miseries that can afflict Life or imbitter Death The lively hope of it inspires his Servants with an invincible Courage and Patience to sustain what ever Evils for his Sake I shall confine my Discourse to the last part of the Verse If any Man serve me him will my Father honour Having upon the like occasion treated of the Joy that shall recompence all the Sorrows and Labours of the Saints The Proposition I shall insist on is this God will crown the Fidelity and Constancy of Christ's Servants with the highest Honour In the managing of the Point I will consider First What the Service of Christ implies Secondly Upon what accounts 't is due to him Thirdly The final Reward that shall certainly attend it Lastly Bring it home to our own Bosoms by Application First