Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	everlasting_a	reap_v	sow_v	4,291	5	10.3472	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60385	Ergon pseudous kai misthos alētheias, or, The wicked mans sad disappointment and the righteous mans sure recompence being a sermon preached the 17th day of October, 1661, at the solemn funerals of the Right Worshipful Sir Abraham Raynardson, Knight, late alderman of London / by George Smalwood.	Smalwood, George, 1604-1679.	1661 (1661)	Wing S4006; ESTC R10143	27,597	40

the righteous is most sure for God hath willed it Christ hath purchased it God hath promised and sworn to bestow it and he hath given them the Seal of his Spirit to assure them of it therefore it cannot fail nor deceive them as there is truth in their righteousness so there is infallible truth and certainty in the reward of it To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward 3 Lastly let us a little consider the excellent nature of this reward what and how great it shall be It is no common or trivial thing no fruit and effect of Gods general love and bounty to mankinde but an especial choice token of his peculiarlove and favor which he sheweth to his Jedidiahs his beloved darlings his special Favorires whom he hath set aparr for himself to see his face and enjoy his glory It is that which is most transcendently blessed neither eye hath seen it nor ear heard it nelther hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive it I will give you some few glimmerings of it as they shine forth in the word 1 This reward is life without death for righteousness tendeth to life as it is in ver 19. of this chap. This life is not subject to the stroke of death but is immortal and cannot decay Our Savious saith This is the bread which cometh down from Heavem that a man may eat thereof and not die I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever As the course of Rivers is to return to the Sea from whence they have their original so righteousness coming from Christ the Ocean of life tendeth thither again and Christ saith to such Because I live ye shall live also John 14. 19. 2 It is light without darkness a Sun that shall never set and there are no Clouds to overshadow it a perpetual solstice of glory a day that knoweth no evening a uniform constant light Hell is the Region of darkness but Heaven is the Region of light yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a marvellous light where we shall see such wonders as we never saw or thought of before It is said of the Heavenly Jerusalem The City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it For the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it Revel 21. 23 24. 3 It is joy without the least mixture of sorrow there is no mourning no sorrow no complaining in those streets where the righteous shall dwell but joy unspeakable and full of glory David saith In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. 11. Saint John saith of the holy City the new Jerusalem and the Inhabitants thereof God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the firmer things are passed away Revel 21. 4. then that comfortable promise shall be certainly fulfilled Isa 51. 11. The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Sion and everlasting joy shall be upon their head they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away 4 It is peace and tranquillity without the least trouble or disquiet a perpetual calm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet Harbour without fear of winds storms or Pirats The Prophet saith of the righteous He shall enter in●o p●ace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness Isa 57. 2. What sweet repose shall the righteous man finde in Abrahams bosome he shall have perfect peace with the God of peace and Christ the Prince of peace and he shall dwell in a peaceable habitation where there are onely friends and no enemies 5 Lastly The reward of the righteous is in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beatitudines Cumulus omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectus Blessedness Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord. The word is Blessednesses a plurality of blessings an heap of all good things gathered together in perfection where no evil shall be present no good shall be wanting for there shall be God the chiefest good nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the good that can be named and all this shall dure to eternity For the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. This is a blessed reward indeed I might be very large in the application of these truths but then I should transgress the usual bounds of a Funeral Sermon therefore I shall speak but a few admonitions and so come from the Text to the occasion Use If the righteous shall have a sure reward and that full of so much excellency what fools are they that will not sow the seed of righteousness that they may reap such a reward as this who that is wise would make Glaucus his change viz. Gold for Brass Truly I cannot enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admire at the folly of Worldlings that choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and have no eye at this recompence of reward prona in terram animalia that look always down to the earth and raise not their thoughts nor lift up their eyes to those Mansions of glory in Heaven where the righteous shall be rewarded that labour so much for the meat that perisheth and will take no pains for that which endureth to everlasting life that prefer dross before gold and gold before grace and glory Doubtless had they an eye of faith to see the excellency of this reward they would choose to sowe the seed of righteousness although they sowed it in tears because they shall be sure to reap in joy Therefore let me beseech and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ to walk not as fools but as wise to make the best choice to choose eternal blessedness before temporal abundance Choose the righteous mans reward rather then the Worldlings portion Let it not be said of you that ye have your portion in this life that ye have your reward but choose God for your portion and inheritance and the enjoyment of God in the life to come And to that end if you desire comfort in death when all earthly comforts will fail you and the breasts of the Creatures which you delight to suck will be quite dried up be careful to sow this blessed seed of righteousness both to God and man take the Apostles counsel 2 Tim. 2. 22. Follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pursue it hunt after it as the hunter doth after his prey not resting satisfied till you have obtained it This will be a comfortable Cordial a sovereign Antidote

out But I leave the dark side of the cloud and shall change the scene and present unto you the light side viz. the Godly mans blessed success Although the wicked mans work will deceive him yet the righteous shall not be disappointed of his hope For to him that soweth c. Herein let us consider 1. The quality of the person To him that soweth righteousness 2 His blessed success wherein these things are to be observed 1. The futurity of it It shall be it is not yet 2. The certainty of it it shall be sure 3. The excellent nature of it what and how great it shall be in the word Reward First Let us reflect a little upon the quality of the person and therein three things are to be noted 1. The Metaphor by which he is resembled He is a Sower of Seed 2. The Seed which he soweth is righteousness 3. His perseverance and continuance in sowing this Seed he is sowing in the present tense that is still sowing all his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long he never breaks off this work till it be quite finished and that will not be till his life be ended Of each of these in order 1. The righteous man is a Sower of Seed this Metaphor of sowing fitly setteth forth the practice of a true Christian a righteous man is like one that soweth Seed in a field 1. In respect of his preparation for it for as before the Seed is sown the ground must be broken and plowed up and so made sit to receive it So he that soweth righteousness must first have his heart plowed and broken by contrition godly sorrow and humiliation for sin The Prophet Hoseah saith to Israel So we to your selves in righteousness reap in mercy break up your fallow ground cap. 10. 12. He that ploweth not cannot sow It is onely the broken and contrite heart that is fit to receive or retain grace our hearts must be prepared for grace as the ground for the seed by plowing So it was with St. Peters converts Acts 2. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do if the fallow ground of our hearts was never yet plowed by godly sorrow and humiliation for our sins it argueth that the seed of righteousness was never yet sown there 2. After our hearts are plowed up then the seed of grace must be cast in by the Ministry of the Gospel the glad tidings of salvation being declared and applied by the faithful Dispenser of Divine mysteries The Preacher saith In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether both shall be alike good Eccles 11. 6. This is not much unlike S. Pauls Counsel to Timothy Preach the word be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. The Ministers of Christ must be carefull to sow the seed of the word upon all occasions and leave the success to God that giveth the increase for as our Saviour saith the Ut sementem feceris ita ●…etes Kingdome of Heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field Mat. 13. 14. After plowing there must be sowing or no crop can be expected 3 After sowing the seed there must be rain to moisten it and sunshine to warm it and make it spring forth for humor calor moisture and heat are the causes of growth So the seed of grace that is sown in the heart must still be watered with the tears of true godly sorrow and with the dew of Heaven from above They that sow in tears can onely look to reap to joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Psal 126. 5 6. A dripping Spring is most likely to produce a plentiful Harvest And then the sunshine of the Spirit must continually warm and quicken the seed of grace till it spring up and come at last to maturity for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3. 6. 4 When the ground is well plowed and the seed is sowne watered and warmed there must be expectation and patient waiting till the time of Harvest So when the seed of grace is sown it must have a time to grow and ripen by degrees for no man cometh to the perfection Nemo repente sit optimus of goodness on a suddain the Sun climbs by little and little to his Meridian altitude And so the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The earth brings forth fruit first the blade then the ear after that the full Corn in the ear Mark 4. 28. So it is in all things ad summum non nisi ex principiis we must begin at the bottome and so come to the top by rounds and steps as they that climb up a Ladder Therefore when we have sown the seed of grace we must wait upon God till we reap the Harvest of Glory and be content to endure all manner of Weather rain and storms aswell as serene Halcyon dayes of peace and tranquillity if we meet with Thunder and Hail and an horrible Tempest we must not be terrified but bear it out with courage and constancy So did Job in the midst of the fiercest storms and foulest Weather that ever poor mortal endured he saith all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Militiae 〈◊〉 so Montanus word that signifieth an appointed time signifieth also a warfare now Job was content to wait upon God till he should be pleased to give him his quietus est and discharge him though his life were a continual warfare where every battel of the Warriour is with confused noise and Garments rolled in blood Isai 9. 5. So must he that soweth this seed of righteousness wait till the time of rewarding come Behold saith St. James the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain Be ye also patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh cap. 5. ver 7. 8. The righteous have more reason to wait patiently then the Husbandman for they shall come to a better Harvest then he to a more rich and plentiful crop even to the enjoyment of God himself who is the chiefest good to sit with Christ upon his Throne and be Partakers with him of his Glory Therefore they have good cause to wait with patience for they shall be well payed for their waiting every minute shall be abundantly remunerated besides they shall do that which is good and well pleasing to God Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should

both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Salvation will make them amends for all their pains and patience in waiting and expectation shall be turned into fruition Thus you see the righteous mans imployment he is a Sower of seed and how fitly the Metaphor suits with his practice and condition 2 The Seed which he soweth is righteousness not legal righteousness which is an exact conformity to the Will and Law of God fulfilling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the utmost rigour of it in thought word and deed in perfection both of nature and action no mere man since the fall ever sowed such seed of righteousness it is proper only to Jesus Christ the righteous who is both God and Man and therefore is called Jehovah our Righteousness and was made a propitiation for our sins He and none but He was able to fulfill all Righteousness 2 Therefore the Righteousness here spoken of as the seed which must be sown is Evangelical Righteousness which Christ hath purchased for all those which believe and embrace the Gospel and this also is twofold 1 Imputative or the Righteousness of justification which is the Righteousness of Christ himself inherent in his Person as in the subject but imputed to us and made ours We sow this Righteousness when we receive Christ by Faith and are united to him and so are made Partakers of his Merits and by renewed acts of Faith we have it continually communicated to us to our lives end This is called The Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4. 13. 2 There is Evangelical Righteousness inherent in us which is the Righteousness of sanctification whereby we are regenerated and receive the Image of our Heavenly Father being renewed in our minds and putting on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4. 24. and thereby we bring forth the fruits of all good works to God our neighbours and our selves Some restrain this righteousnesse in the Text only to Almes-deeds and liberality to the poor taking it in Daniels sense in his counsel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 27. O King break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor But righteousnes here is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more generally for all manner of good works t is a comprehensive word containing all moral vertues in it and so to sow righteousnes is to lead a holy and a righteouslife in all godliness and honesty to give God and man his due to be fruitful in good works to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with God Mic. 6. 8. It is as the Prophet Isaiah paraphraseth upon it to loose the bands of wickedness to undoe the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free to break every yoke it is to deal our bread to the hungry and to bring the poor that are cast out into our houses when we see the naked to cover him and not to hide our selves to our own flesh Isai 58. 6 7. To live in the constant and conscionable practice of these and all other duties which God requireth in his word and that sincerely and with an honest heart this is to sow righteousness and this righteousness inherent is always joined with righteousness imputed justus reputatus he that is accounted righteous is always justus factus made righteous by inherent sanctification and the fruits thereof and he that is justified by faith is always made zealous of good works the one is the Fountain the other the stream the one is the foundation the other the building the one is the precious ointment the other the sweet savour of that ointment thus you see what the righteouss mans seed is viz. his righteousness 3. There followeth his perseverance and continuance insowing this seed he is still sowing it all his life long for as I observed before the Participle of the Present Tense here used notes not only actum inchoatum an act begun sed continuatum perfectum continued and brought to perfection he doth not sow one or two or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost three days months or years but all his days as he goeth on his course he still scattereth the seed of righteousness it is his constant practice and he persevereth in it to the very end he seeks glory and honor and immortality by patient continuance in well doing he is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect man because he doth not his work by halves but is careful to bring it to perfection he begins not in the Spirit and ends in the Flesh but respondent ●ltima primis his end is answerable to his beginning he lets Faith and Patience and Humility and every heavenly vertue have their perfect work and giveth not over laboring about the spiritual building till he hath laid the top stone thereof with rejoycing crying Grace grace unto it he beareth forth precious seed and is always sowing it till at last he cometh to reap the Harvest of Eternal Blessedness thus you see the qualification of the person he is one that soweth his Seed is righteousness and continueth in sowing it to the end 2. Let us take a view of his blessed success to him shall be a sure reward herein three things are observable 1. The futurity of this mans reward in the perfection and completeness of it it shall be it is not yet now he is but in via in the way travelling towards his reward he shall ere long be in patriâ in his heavenly Country enjoying his reward now he hath it only in primitiis in the first fruits and foretasts of it in the graces of the Spirit which are but a few Clusters of the Grapes of Canaan hereafter he shall reap the full crop now he hath his blessedness in faith and hope hereafter he shall have it in vision and fruition It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3. 2. This is a glorious priviledge to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like God and to see God how beautiful will their faces be that shall be like him how blessed will their eyes be that shall see him surely their beauty and blessedness is beyond all expression or conception but all this is to come It is said the righteous shall shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Mat. 13. 43. they shall shine hereafter for the present they must be content to be darkened and clouded with corruptions afflictions and temptations this is their cloudy time the time of their Eclipse their shinning time is to come Now they are as it were under the Horizon in obscurity but hereafter they shall arise like the Sun after a dark night and shine in perfect brightness and glory God giveth the wicked their heaven upon earth they have their portion in this life he filleth their bellies with his