Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	death_n	life_n	see_v	10,547	5	3.5363	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37048	The assurance of the faithfull, or, The glorious estate of the saints in heaven described and the certainty of their future happiness manifested by reason and Scripture / by M.D.	D'Assigny, Marius, 1643-1717.	1670 (1670)	Wing D282; ESTC R24872	26,857	44

do never come to that perfect Estate they may thank their unworthy behaviour and vicious disposition But Christ that promiseth this Crown unto the faithful removes the grand impediments of Salvation Guilt and Corruption and brings them to that estate So that besides the helps of nature they only have an Almighty Power and an Infinite goodness for their assistants We may therefore conclude from the former reasons That there is such an Estate as happiness That man was designed for it that it is possible for him to arrive unto it that whoever is faithful to Christ and labours to follow the rules prescribed by him must needs according to the natural course of things become happy which cannot be in a perfect manner but by an union and communion with his God That this happiness is not attainable in this life I need not spend my labours in vain to prove therefore it must be in another Now this Crown is called a Gift I will give thee c. It is freely bestowed notwithstanding our undeservings it is recovered for us by the blood of Christ and enriched with more precious Jewels because of his Infinite merits and the means by which we are raised to this Estate is procured unto us by our Saviours sufferings and Ascension So that what Nature had intended and was not able to perform because of our Apostacy and revolt from a dependency upon God grace doth fully accomplish in the faithful In the last place I might bring to confirm this truth the common Reasons upon which the Heathens did build the hopes of a future happiness and of another life Of the Justice of God that will render unto every one according to his deeds Of the Goodness of God that cannot be forgetfull of those that mind the advance of his Glory on Earth and of the Power of God able to reward them that lead a just and a religious life From hence Zoroastes that learned Genius and great Prince taught his Disciples That the chief care of man should be so to behave himself now that he might come to happiness hereafter Many other reasons may be brought to confirm this important truth but I cannot include them all in so narrow a compass as a Sermon Some I know stumble at the difficulties of the Resurrection of our bodies when it is proved to them by their experience that it is possible Si ergo potent est Deus facere quod non fuit nonne potest reparare quod fuit Aug. lib. de catech Serm. 1. Secret dont oncomprent que quoy que le corps meure Les formes font pourtant aux cendres leur demeure Consider I beseech you if a lesser power be not required to restore what was than to create or to make what was not Where was this world before its Creation and if that be doubed where was this age 200 years ago not so much as in appearance yet now it subsists Why shall not therefore that same intelligent Being who created the World and who onely is able to have formed us in the womb with all our members so well proportioned be able to restore us to our subsistance again seeing there is as great a disposition in the essential parts of the body reduced to ashes to return to their former shapes as there is in the original substance to dilate it self and form the several members of a man I might here alledge the natural experiments which some have tried with success That have given occasion to believe that the forms of things do remain in their ashes The herb called by the Greeks * It signifies not onely a Palm but another herb mentioned by Dioscor lib. 4. cap. 151. and by Coel. Rodigin Resurrectio non est contra naturam Aug. in Sent. suis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth rise again out of the dust when it hath been consumed to ashes This causes the Fable of the Phaenix I could also bring Nature and Providence to attest this truth both are full of sacred emblems of the Resurrection they are as incredible did they not daily appear before our eyes The faithful therefore may brave this and all other difficulties in the language of St. Paul I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day I will give thee a crown c. Cast your eyes Cristians once more upon this Crown of Life View the Blessedness the Riches the Glory and Honour of this Estate and tell me whether this deserves not our obedience and a perseverance in Duty It shall be free from all weakness pain fear and inconveniency it shall be accompanied with unspeakble joyes and pleasures with the fruition of all good with the Vision of God and with an eternal communion and union with him It shall be adorned with all perfections holiness and content O rich and glorious Crown O Immortal Reward How long shall we be at such a distance from thee Earthly Crowns are troublesome and the more glorious they are the more heavy insomuch that Dioclesian having exchanged one for a Spade and the Empire for a Garden when some were sent to perswade him to return to his former State he told them they would never have undertaken that message unto him if they had but seen the Ranks of Trees and the Musk-melons that he had planted with the pleasure that he did feel in that retired condition But this Crown is of another nature the glories and honours are sweetned with unspeakable delights and there is no such wait as should make us weary of the carriage Let therefore this consideration encourage us to encounter Death without fear seeing it is a passage into this immortal Bliss and to prepare our selves for its enjoyment by a behaviour worthy of a Crown Be faithful unto the interest of Christ and his Religion maintain his honour in the management of your several employes follow his sacred footsteps shake off all vicious inclinations and customs make it your business to reform your lives and affections labour to relish the true pleasures of the soul and wean your selves from all worldly enjoyments that they may not hinder your entrance into this estate Into which God of his mercy receive us for the sake of his dear Son and our Saviour Christ Jesus Amen FINIS

are pleasures for evermore 5. This life shall be a life of Holiness and Righteousness a life of Piety and Justice and of sobriety a life of integrity for then we shall be arrived to the supreme degree of perfection as well as of happines we shall come to that perfect stature of regeneration which is in Christ Jesus our Lord The works of the Devil shall then be utterly destroyed and that great disorder which his Apostacy hath caused shall then be reformed In Heaven no impure thing shall enter Rev. 21. Heb. 12.14 For without holiness none shall see God The glorified shall never be able to offend their God for the inward motions of the soul being rightly disposed according to his Will and our affections perfectly reformed the outward actions of the body must needs be conformable When there should be another Serpent to tempt us and another Eve to assist him they could never prevail upon us because we shall be no more in a possibility of sinning for our understandings shall be no more capable of mistakes nor our wills corrupted with importune desires nor our actions forced from us against our election And besides this blessed disposition from whence shall proceed a constant practice of the Commandments of God he will also by his continual influence to strengthen our resolutions and determine our wills that they shall abhor whatever might displease him the sight of his holiness shall convey the same disposition into our minds as St. John tells us and his infinite power shall be engaged 〈◊〉 ●●eserve them whom his love hath espoused and for whom he hath been at so vast an expence to raise them to that estate Therefore God we shall for ever adore with all the powers of the soul and body his service we shall attend with delight our brethren we shall love without dissimulation How pleasant will this life be when there shall be a continual Emulation between God and his creatures and between themselves who shall exceed in love and affection when all the glorified in Heaven shall interchange daily expressions of kindness when there shall be a perfect agreement a living correspondency a sweet fellowship a delightful conversation without envy or malice without care or tediousness This is sufficient to render us most happy when all other things should be wanting for happiness consists rather in a perfect disposition of the mind than in a plentiful enjoyment of outward advantages But besides our bodies shall be adorned with heavenly qualities the present shall see a most happy change with the visible substance Conveniens est us sicut damnati habent extremas tenebras ita beati habeant extremam lucem Basil lib. Hexa Caro sine moln pondera sine deformitate ita ut sit animae ornamentum non tormentum Aug. Serm. 139. de tempor c. 3. and other qualities shall be added with which we are not at present acquainted It is therefore needless to question whether we shall know one another seeing we shall scarce know our selves the change will be so great It is certain that we shall move without trouble we shall ascend without help our strength shall be encreased our deformities removed our infirmities deposed our appearance shall be full of majesty and glory as Daniel informs us They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever In which words you may further observe a difference in the glories of Heaven sutable to their inclinations and employments on earth for the one shall shine as the Firmament the other as the Stars a sensible distinction shall be both in the nature and the greatness of their Rewards for according to the several dispositions of men and their several capacities God will accordingly bestow upon them his riches and his glory Therefore a Father adviseth us to enlarge our perfections and the faculties of the soul by a continual exercise in humane sciences that they may be then more capable to receive and contain the mysteries of Gods Wisdom and better able to bring forth glorious actions for this eternal Sabbath is an estate where all our abilities shall be in the highest perfection where we shall act and move without the least inconveniency Occasions we may have to exercise our Vertues not such as will cause us to suffer but such as without that strength of nature we should find a default in our happiness It is therefore our wisdom now to accustom our selves to that which shall be our employment for ever and upon which shall depend our satisfaction and glory which shall be revealed in us as St. Rom. 18.18 Paul informs us In our souls by a perfect enjoyment of supernatural excellencies in our bodies that shall be free from all weakness and beautified with glorious qualities Therefore this estate is called a Crown of Life for as the Crown is of a round and a perfect figure it is most proper to express the infiniteness and perfection of those heavenly delights that shall accompany that life besides the Crown is the sacred emblem of joy and honour this expression therefore presents us with the notion of the most pleasant and the most honourable estate together for there is nothing more acceptable than life nor more glorious than a Crown and that we may better understand wherefore Christ promiseth Heaven under this notion we must take notice that chiefly four sorts of persons were dignified with a Crown amongst the Ancients Kings to express their Authority and supream Command A new married couple at the nuptial Feasts therefore by the Greeks they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Priest in the solemn Sacrifices to render the offering more acceptable and the devotion more glorious or rather to shew what qualification was anciently required in one that presented to the Divinity the Homages of the people Another sort were crowned they who had given open testimony of their valour and cunning either in private Disputes and Plays allowed by authority or in a publick War in the maintenance of the general interest To these several sorts of Crowns were given which were in value and esteem according to the nature of the vertuous action Now the faithful in Heaven shall be Kings enjoying a supream command over the infernal Spirits and damned Souls They shall be Priests Rev. 2.26 sending up unto God the perfume of their praises They shall be married unto Christ in love and affection In these several respects this Crown may become them But our Saviour in this promise hath more especially an eye to the Crowns that were the rewards of a generous Perseverance that had obtained the Victory for he mentions the difficulties that were to be overcome A death to be endured and adds this encouragement I will give thee O faithful soul a Crown of Life It was the ancient custom to crown the Temples