Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	book_n	dead_a	open_v	5,415	5	9.9361	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39673	Navigation spiritualiz'd: or, A new compass for seamen consisting of XXXII points of pleasant observations, profitable applications, and serious reflections: all concluded with so many spiritual poems. Whereunto is now added, I. A sober consideration of the sin of drunkenness. II. The harlots face in the Scripture-glass. III. The art of preserving the fruit of the lips. IV. The resurrection of buried mercies and promises. V. The sea-mans catechism. Being an essay toward their much desir'd reformation from the horrible and destable [sic] sins of drunkenness, swearing, uncleanness, forgetfulness of mercies, violation of promises, and atheistical contempt of death. Fit to be seriously recommmended to their profane relations, whether sea-men or others, by all such as unfeignedly desire their eternal welfare. By John Flavel, minister of the Gospel.	Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1698 (1698)	Wing F1173; ESTC R216243	137,316	227

be a glorious piece when brought to light CHAP. XXX Millions of Men are sunk into the Main But it shall not those Dead always retain OBSERVATION WHat multitudes of Men hath the Sea devoured Thousands have made their Graves in it What numbers of Men have been ingulfed together in Sea-fights or Storms or Inundations whereby whole Towns have been swallowed up Certainly the dead which are there are innumerable APPLICATION But though the Sea have received so many thousand Bodies of Men into its devouring Throat yet is it not the absolute Lord or Proprietor of them but rather a Steward intrusted with them till the Lord require an account of them and then it must deliver up all it hath received even to a person Revel 20. 11 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it The Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body is a Doctrine full of singular Consolations to Believers 1 Cor. 15. and most clearly asserted in Scripture Acts 26. 8. Iob 19. 25. 1 Cor. 15 c. And it is well for us this point is so plainly revealed because as it is a most comfortable Truth to the people of God so there is scarce any truth that lies under more prejudice as to Sense or Reason and is more difficult to receive than this is The Epicures and Stoicks laughed Paul to scorn when he preached it to them Acts 17. 32. The Familists and Quakers at this day reject it as a Fable The Socinians say the same Body shall not rise but an aerial Body And indeed if Men set up Reason as the onely Judge of supernatural things it is incredible to think that a Body should be restored that hath been burnt to ashes and those ashes scattered in the wind as History tells us was frequently done by the Bodies of the Saints in Dioclesian's Reign Or when drowned in the Sea and there devoured by several Fishes and those again devoured by others But yet this is not to be objected to the Almighty Power of God that gave them their first being Difficulties and Impossibilities are for Men but not for him Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead Acts 26. 8. REFLECTION And must I rise again where-ever my body fall at death Then Lord how am I concerned to get union with Christ while I live by vertue thereof only my Resurrection can be made comfortable and blessed to me Ah let my body lie where it will in Earth or Sea let my bones be scattered and flesh devoured by Worms or Fish I know thou canst and wilt reunite my scattered parts and in this body I must stand before thine awful Tribunal to receive according to what I have done therein 2 Cor. 5. 10. Thou that commandest me to stand forth amongst the noblest rank of Creatures when I had no being and sawest my Substance being yet imperfect canst as easily reduce me to that Being again What though Reason vote impossible and Sense incredible Though all these Difficulties and Encumbrances grow upon my Faith yet I know my body is not lost for ever the sound of thy last and dreadful Trumpet shall awaken me and thy mighty Power to which all things are possible shall bring me before thy Bar. O Lord I know that I shall stand in that great Assembly at the last day when multitudes multitudes even all the sons and daughters of Adam shall appear together O! if I die Christless it were good for me that there were no Resurrection for then those eyes that have been windows of Lust must behold Christ the Judge not as a Redeemer but as a Revenger That tongue that has vented so much of the filthiness of my heart will then be struck speechless before him and this flesh which I so pamper'd and provided for condemned to everlasting flames O my God let me make sure work for such a day If I now get real union with thy Son I shall awake with singing out of the dust And then as thou saidst to Iacob so to me when I go down into the Sea or Grave Gen. 46. 3 4. Fear not to go down into the deep for I will surely bring thee up again THE POEM It should not seem incredible to thee That God should raise the dead in Seas that be We see in VVinter Swallows VVorms and Flies Depriv'd of Life yet in the Spring they rise What though you Bodies several Fish devour Object not that to the Almighty power Some Chymists in their Art are so exact That from one Herb they usually extract Four different Elements what think ye then Can pose that God who gave this Skill to men The Gard'ner can distinguish thirty kinds Of seeds from one another though he finds Them mixt together in the self-same dish Much more can God distinguish Flesh from Fish They seem as lost but they again must live The Sea 's a Steward and Stewards account must give Look what you are when in the Ocean drown'd The very same at Iudgment you 'll be found I would not care where my vile body lies Were I assur'd it should with comfort rise CHAP. XXXI The Sea-man's greatest danger 's near the Coast VVhen we are nearest Heav'n the danger 's most OBTERVATION THough Sea-men meet with violent Storms yet if they have Sea-room enough they are not much dismaid but if they find themselves near the shoar they look upon their condition as very dangerous The sight of the Shore is to them as Soloman speaks of the Morning in another case like the shadow of death if not able to Weather it For one Ship swallowed up in the Ocean may perish upon the Coast. APPLICATION The greatest Streights and Difficulties that many Saints meet with in all their lives is when they come nearest to Heaven and have almost finished their Course Heaven indeed is a glorious Place the Spacious and Royal Mansion of the great King but difficilia quae pulchra It hath a streight and narrow entrance Luke 13. 24. O the difficulty of arriving there How many hard tugs in Duty What earnest contention and striving even to an Agony as that word imports Luke 13. 24. Multitudes put forth and by profession are bound for this fair Haven but of the multitudes that put out how few do arrive there A man may set out by a glorious profession with much resolution and continue long therein he may offer very fair for it and not be far from the Kingdom of God and yet not be able to enter at the last Matth. 7. 22. Yea and many of those who are sincere in their profession and do arrive at last yet come to Heaven as I may say by the gates of Hell and put in as a

inch or two between them and their Graves continually The next Gust may over-set them the next Wave may swallow them up In one place lies lurking dangerous Rocks in another perilous Sands and every-where stormy Winds ready to destroy them Well may the Sea-men cry out Ego crastinum non habui I have not had a Morrow in my hands these many Years Should not they then be extraordinary serious and heavenly continually Certainly as the Reverend Author of this New Compass well observes nothing more composeth the heart to such a frame than the lively apprehensions of Eternity do and none have greater external advantages for that than Sea-men have 2. Consider Sea-men what extraordinary help you have by the Book of the Creatures the whole Creation is God's Voice it is God's excellent Hand-writing or the Sacred Scriptures of the Most High to teach us much of God and what reasons we have to bewail our Rebellion against God and to make conscience of obeying God only naturally and continually The Heavens the Earth the Waters are the three great Leaves of this Book of God and all the Creatures are so many Lines in those Leaves All that learn not to fear and serve God by the help of this Book will be left inexcusable Rom. 1. 20. How inexcusable then will ignorant and ungodly Sea-men be Sea-men should in this respect be the best Scholars in the Lord's School seeing they do more than others see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the great Deep Psal. 107. 24. 3. Consider how often you are nearer Heaven than any People in the World They mount up to heaven Psal. 107. 26. It has been said of an ungodly Minister that contradicted his Preaching in his Life and Conversation That it was pity he should e're come out of the Pulpit because he was there as near Heaven as ever he would be Shall it be said of you upon the same account That 't is pi●y you should come down from the high-towring Waves of the Sea Should not Sea-men that in stormy Weather have their feet as it were upon the Battlements of Heaven look down upon all earthly Happiness in this World but as base waterish and worthless The great Cities of Campania seem but small Cottages to them that stand on the ●lpes Should not Sea-men that so oft mount up to Heaven make it their main business here once at last to get into Heaven What Sea-men shall you only go to Heaven against your Wills When Seamen mount up to Heaven in a storm the Psalmist tells us That their souls are melted because of trouble O that you were continually as unwilling to go to Hell as you are in a storm to go to Heaven 4. And lastly Consider what engagements lie upon you to be singularly holy from your singular deliverances and salvations They that go down to the Sea in Ships are sometimes in the Valley of the shadow of Death by reason of the springing of perilous Leaks and yet miraculously delivered either by some wonderful stopping of the Leak or by God's sending some Ship within their sight when they have been far out of sight of any Land or by his bringing their near-perishing Ship safe to shore Sometimes they have been in very great danger of being taken by Pirates yet wonderfully preserved either by God's calming of the Winds in that part of the Sea where the Pirates have sail'd or by giving the poor pursued Ship a strong gale of Wind to run away from their Pursuers or by sinking the Pirates c. Sometimes their Ships have been cast away and yet they themselves wonderfully got safe to shore upon Planks Yards Masts c. I might be endless in enumerating their Deliverances from Drowning from Burning from Slavery c. Sure Sea-men your extraordinary Salvations lay more than ordinary engagement upon you to praise love fear obey and trust in your Saviour and Deliverer I have read that the enthralled Greeks were so affected with their Liberty procured by Flaminius the Roman General that their shrill Acclamations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Saviour a Saviour made the very Birds fall down from the Heavens astonished O how should Seamen be affected with their Sea-Deliverances Many that have been deliver'd from Turkish Slavery have vowed to be Servants to their Redeemers all the days of their Lives Ah Sirs will not you be more than ordinarily God's Servants all the days of your Lives seeing you have been so oft so wonderfully r●deemed from Death it self by him Verily do what you can you will die in God's Debt As for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12. 23 24. That by the perusal of this short and sweet Treatise wherein the jucicious and ingenious Author hath well mixed utile dulci profit and pleasure you may learn the good and right way even to fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your hearts considering how great things he hath done for you This is the hearty Prayer of Your Cordial Friend earnestly desirous of a prosperous Voyage for your precious and immortal Souls T.M. The AUTHOR to the READER WHen Dewy-cheek'd Aurora doth display Her Curtains to let in the New-born Day Her heavenly Face looks Red as if it were Dy'd with a modest Blush 'twixt Shame and Fear Sol makes her blush suspecting that he will Scorch some too much and others leave to chill With such a Blush my little New-born Book Goes out of hand suspecting some may look Vpon it with Contempt while others raise So mean a Peice too high by flattering Praise It s Beauty cannot make its Father dote 'T is a poor Babe clad in a Sea-green Coat It s gone from me too young and now is run To Sea among the Tribe of Zebulun Go Little Book thou many Friends wilt find Among that Tribe who will be very kind And many of them Care of Thee will take Both for thy own and for thy Father's sake Heav'n save it from the dang'rous Storms and Gusts That will be rais'd against it by Mens Lusts. Guilt makes Men angry Anger is a Storm But Sacred Truth 's thy shelter fear no harm On Times or Persous no Reflection's found Though with Reflections few Books more abound Go Little Book I have much more to say But Sea-men call for thee thou must away Yet e're you have it grant me One Request Pray do not keep it Prisoner in your Chest. BOOKS Lately Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside MR. Flavel's Fountain of Life open'd or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory in 42 Sermons Quarto His Treatise of the Soul of Man Quarto Divine Conduct or Mystery of Providence Burgesses Golden Snuffers a Sermon Preach'd to the Society for Reformation of Manners Sylvester's Reformation Sermon How 's Reformation Sermon Singing of Psalms Vindicated from the Charge of Novelty in