Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	able_a	good_a	zion_n	37	3	8.7188	4	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

against the fear of death when all the wealth and greatness in the world will stand you in no stead For as the wise man saith Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death Prov. 11. 4. It will deliver you from the evil of death temporal and from the power of death eternal That which is a terror to others shall be a rejoycing to you and when death approacheth you shall be able to lift your heads with comfort as knowing that your redemption draweth nigh You shall be able to say with good Hezekiah Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38. 3. You shall be able to worship God and say with holy Jacob Lord I have waited for thy salvation You shall breath out your souls with Saint Stephens Prayer Lord Jesus receive my spirit You shall have life and light and joy and peace and blessedness and what not that is good to have As God hath given you grace to make you righteous so he will give you glory to make you blessed As you have sown the righteousness here so you shall be sure to reap the reward of righteousness hereafter For to him that soweth c. Amen And so I leave the Text. And now let me crave your patience a little longer to speak a few words of the occasion of our present meeting though it is not my custome to make large Panegyricks or commendatory Orations at the Funerals of the dead because I know the comfort of a sincere Christian is That his praise is not of men but of God Yet for example and encouragement to others I cannot but speak something of this worthy and Heroick Citizen Sir Abraham Raynardson Knight late Alderman and sometime Lord Mayor of this honorable City of London upon whom my Text is a fit Commentary and I am perswaded may be truly applied to his practice For as far as I was able to judge by the course of his conversation for those many years acquaintance which I had with him and the experience I had of him I think I may truly say of him he was one that sowed righteousness For as to his life and conversation he always appeared to me and I think to all others that knew him to be very innocent and inoffensive a man of a very strict life walking as it was said of Zachary and Elizabeth in all the Ordinances and Commandments of God though not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without sin for who walk so yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without blame No man as ever I heard could justly charge any thing upon him 1. As for his piety to God he was a man Orthodox and sound in the Faith not tainted with any Heretical opinion or drawn away from the truth established amongst us as too many have been in this time of Apostacy He was a diligent and constant attender upon the publick Ordinances upon the Lords dayes a carefull observer of holy Duties in his Family and as I have been informed his closet was conscious to his secret devotions He was a man of few word and affected not as many do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a fair shew in the flesh and to say wirh Jehu come see my zeal for the Lord of hosts but I am perswaded by all probabilities he was constant in putting up his suits and supplications at the Throne of grace in secret remembring our Saviours counsel Matth. 6. 6. Thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly this I have reason to think was his practice 2. For his relations he was a loving Husband and a careful Father one that not onely made good provision for their outward estate by his industry in his Calling and Gods blessing upon it but was also carefull of the welfare of their souls witness the good admonitions and counsels to his Children upon his Death-bed which I hope will make such an impression upon their Spirits as shall not easily be forgotten viz. to be constant in calling upon the Name of God and to serve him faithfully to be dutifull and obedient to their Mother and to live in love and unity one with another The Lord grant them grace to remember and practice these things and follow their deceased Fathers advise as the Rechabites did the counsel of their father Jonadab that the blessing of God may rest upon them 3. For his dealing with men he was very carefull to sowe this seed of righteousness he was very exact and just in all his dealings oppressing no man defrauding no man as I hope all that he dealt with can bear witness I never heard the least blemish cast upon him in this re +spect and this is no mean commendation We finde nothing more pressed in Scripture then righteous dealing with men and nothing more condemned then the contrary God saith He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Mi●h 6. 8. The wise man telleth us That a false ballance is abomination to the Lord but a just weight is his delight Prov. 11. 1. This is the voice of God throughout the Scriptures he had rather no sacrifices should be offered upon his altar then that they should be the fruits of wrong and violence he professeth plainly I the Lord love judgement I hate robbery for burnt-offering Isa 61. 8. Indeed it is no true piety that is separated from justice and honesty nor real honesty if it be divided from true piety he that seemeth to be zealous in the duties of Religion and yet makes no conscience of his dealings with men is but a glorious hypocrite and he that dealeth justly with men and hath no due care of the duties of piety to God is but an honest Infidel both joyned together make a sincere Christian and such a one I am perswaded was this worthy Knight 4. For his mercy and liberality to the poor he did not blow a Trumpet before his alms-deeds neither shall I onely thus much I can say his hands were opened to the necessities of the poor and those of the place where he lived are sensible that they have lost a good Benefactor The stream of his bounty did run chiefly in one Channel viz. in taking poor children and placing them in such Callings wherein they might get their own bread and provide things honest in the sight of men This was a very good work an odour of a sweet smell yet this was not all the beams of his charity did shine upon other objects while he lived and as the Sun after his setting casts some light above the Horizon so now his Sun is set some beames

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