Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	death_n	die_v	wage_n	7,785	5	11.0784	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56309	The weavers shuttle displayed and the swiftness thereof unfolded, or, The words of a dying man to a dying people, in the midst of a dying nation wherein is held forth I. That the time is short, the way is narrow, the prize is great, the runners are many, the obtainers few, II. That repentance and turning to God is not in one call or command, wherefore wait upon the means appointed by God to work it, and that diligently and constantly this work deferred will be still greater, the time to do it wil[l] be shorter, the strength to do it by wil[l] be less, III. If we endeavour to the uttermost to improve the present opportunity and ability that the Almighty gives us, we shall, for ought I know, live with more comfort here and die in full assurance hereafter, for the greatest evil threatned or feared, may through wisdom be timely prevented / by Robert Purnel.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1652 (1652)	Wing P4244; ESTC R32258	54,417	168

40. 7. Psa 102. 3. Job 7. 7. 2 Sam. 14. 14. Hos 10. 7. Jam. 4. 14. 1 Chron. 29. 15. Ps 39. 5. 3. If we make not Religion our business we shall lose much of our comfort here in point of our well being for if we were not wanting to our selvs we might live in heaven while our bodies were here upon earth Phil. 3. 20. For our conversation is in heaven and this caused the Saints exceedingly to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Psa 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect unto all thy Commandments What is the matter that one is crying another is sighing and a third perplexed and a fourth in despair why sin is the cause if a man made Religion his business so that his ways did please the Lord even his enemies should be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Nay further He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall be no evil touch thee in famine he will preserve thee from death and in war from the power of the sword thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee thy tabernacle shall be at peace and thou shalt not sin Job 5. 19 20 21 22 23 24 c. In a word what brings all the miseries upon our bodies and plagues upon our souls but sin and how shall we refrain from sin unless we make Religion our business which if we did do we should 1. Not fear the faces of men Mat. 10. 28. 2. When we did suffer either in our bodies or estates we should be so far from murmuring or complaining that our hearts would be taken up altogether with singing praising and rejoycing Acts 6. 25. Luk. 6. 22. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 14 17. 1 Pet. 12 13 14 15 16. 3. We should have a fellowship with Christ in all our sufferings as in Phil. 3. 10. 4. We should be great gainers by all our sufferings Rom. 5. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 19. 20. 5. We should accompt the worst of them both light and short 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory Rom. 8. 8. If we made Religion our business with Paul we should should say in our sufferings as he did 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. We be troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed c. In a word I know nothing that keeps all good things from us and brings all miseries upon us but sin Jam. 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Oh then let Religion be thy business and not sin 1. Because sin is contrary to the nature of God it doth dishonour him 2. It 's most injurious to thy self as hath been proved for it brings all the miseries upon thee that have do or shall ever befall thee As soon as ever thou sinnest the punishment lieth at the door Oh then if the love of Christ will not constrain yet let the fear of punishment compel thee and me to refrain from sin Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil both of the Iew and the Gentiles Oh let us not do that abominable thing which the Lord doth hate Sin maketh a man abominable both in the sight of God and good men Better it were to suffer a thousand wrongs then to commit one sin Thou mayest have comfort in thy sufferings wrongfully thou oughtest to rejoyce in it but when thou doest sin thou shalt suffer as an evil doer thou art buffeted for thy faults in this thou canst not glory but blush with shame Wherefore if thou art not able to say with Joseph How shall I do this great evil sin against God yet say with Thamar How shall I do this evil and cause my name to slink among the sons and daughters of men Do but a little mark diligently and thou shalt find if thy Conscience be not feared as soon as ever sin is committed thy conscience checks thee thy heart smites thee thy foes laugh at thee thy friends grieve and pitty thee nay more then this thou dost crucifie afresh Christ Jesus and puttest him to an open shame as Heb. 6. 6. What is the reason thou hast so many enemies and so few friends Sin is the cause as Prov. 16. 7. Iob 5. 20 21 c. Thou art deprived of many comforts that others do enjoy Why sin is the cause of it Ier. 5. 25. Doth the Almighty hide his face from thee Why what is the cause Your sins and iniquities have made him to hide his face Wherefore doth the living man so complain but for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore is there so much weeping in this Nation One weeps for his father another for his mother one for his brother another for his sister some for one Relation some for another Why dost thou weep for them Oh they be be dead or dying Why what brought this unavoidable Death into the world Ans It was sin it was sin The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. In a word Sin hath slain our father deceived our mother cheated almost undone all our brethren and defiled our sisters wounded our children and plundered all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Iob. One sin caused Adam to fall and so infected the whole world One sin caused the Angels to be cast out of Heaven One sin caused Saul to be utterly cast off from being King although he was anointed King by the Lord his special appointment Ananias and Sapphira for one lye were stricken with present death Besides sin defiles a man totally it beginneth at the understanding and so to the will and affection it will take in every faculty of the soul and endeavour to act in every member of the body it doth defile a man eternally it robs us of the Image of God it robs us of his presence it will promise us peace and bring us into trouble it will promise us honour and bring us into disgrace it will promise us liberty and bring us into bondage it will promise us life and bring us to death it will hide Pride under the name of decencie it will bring in Covetousnes under the name of good husbandry it will clothe Drunkenness Gluttony under the name of good-fellowship it will hide Frowardness under the name of zeal In a word as the acts of sin be numerous so the

effects of sin are viperous Sin was the first founder of hell and laid the first stone thereof and is the sole cause of all the torments therein and yet all this is but the effect of sin the essence of it which is the cause of all these evils must needs be much more abominable hence sin is called poyson and sinners are called serpents sin is called mire sinners swine sin sinners are called darknes blindnes shame nakedness folly madness In a word whatsoever is filthy defective infective painful and hurtful proceeds from this nasty filthy and stinking fountain and one sin vertually more or less containeth in it the nature of all sin No sooner did one sin sit upon our father Adam his heart but he had all sin in him which infected him and all his posterity and so defiled him and all his posterity eternally so that as I said before nothing can wash away the stain thereof but the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shall we then live in that for which Christ died shall that be our life which was his death shall we indeed enjoy the pleasure of sin and Christ undergo the torment of sin No no let us improve the present motions of the Spirit in us against sin least the Spirit of God cease striving with thee and me and so we shall fall to commit sin with greediness without any reluctancy O all ye sons and daughters of men put on all the armour of God stand on your guards make ready for your soul-murthering enemy whose name is Legion never be at peace with him maintain a continual war against him acquaint all the men and women in the world of his base deceitful cheating tricks that their ill savour in the nostrils of all men and women under the Sun may make them loath it and stand upon their guards to oppose it and if the love of Christ doth not constrain you yet let the fear of punishment compel you to refrain from that abominable thing called sin If thou canst not say with Joseph Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great evil and sin against my God Yet thou canst say with Thamar 2 Sam. 13. 12. 13. verses If I should commit this sin whither should I cause my shame to go So much shall serve at present to be written of the third particular to wit that if we made it our business to follow the Lord and were not wanting to our selves we might have our conversations in heaven even whiles we live upon the earth and be more then Conquerors over those sins that do often conquer us 4. That Religion may be our main work let us consider that the Lord that made us hath undertaken the care of us He commands us to wait on him and he will feed us and cloath us We have but a body and a soul and both we received from the Almighty God who hath undertaken to provid● for not only the being but also the wel-being of both only he requires of us to seek unto him and to wait upon him in the use of those means instituted by himself without too much carefulness 1 Cor. 7. 32. But I would have you without carefulness that is so to use this world as if we used it not ot not so using it as most do by too much doting upon it and cleaving unto it as Martha did but rather with Mary choose the better part and so much the rather because of those many promises of so many legacies left us by the Lord in his word as to instance in a few Psal 37. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to pass Commit or roll thy way upon him Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burther upon the Lord. Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all thy care upon him for he careth for thee and hath said that He will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Some Expositors upon this Text do affirm that the Greek word hath five times together I will never never never never never fail thee nor forsake thee to assure us of the truth of this O my friends doth God take care for Oxen and feed Ravens and clothe Lillies and take care of Sparrows and will he not much more take care for Man whom he hath made Lord of all these creatures Read and well consider from the 19. to the 34. verse of Matth. 6. There we find in that one Chapter ten arguments that Christ hath laid down to assure us that he taketh care of us Psal 27 3. Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed and so shalt thou dwell in the land See 1 Tim. 6 7 c. We brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and noisom lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction For the love of money is the root of all evil c. But thou O man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love patience meekness c. 5. Consider that this God that hath undertaken the care of us is a faithful God and will make good every tittle promised He hath not only said but sworn and sealed that oath with his blood to assure us that he will make good whatsoever he hath promised Besides that he is a faithful God keeping promise in every tittle to a hairs breadth both Old and New Testament doth abundantly declare and testifie so that we have not only witnesses but clouds of witnesses besides our own experiences and inward evidences that we have not only read but experimentally found him to be a God keeping covenant a God keeping promise yea a God giving more then we were able to ask or think so that we can truly say we never found him worse then his word but often better for he never said unto us Seek ye me in vain He hath often knocked at the door of our hearts and waited upon us to shew mercy to us there is no one thing that he hath promised either for soul or body for our being or well being but shall be made good to us in its time And that he hath promised to give us food and raiment and all things necessary for us you may see it doth cleerly appear in the foregoing head to wit the 4. particular And that he is faithful and true and will make it good doth clearly appear by these and the like Scriptures 1 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 10. 23. Mat. 24. 35. Luk. 16. 17. Tit. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Deut. 7. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 24. 2 Thes 3. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Heb. 11. 11. 1 Joh. 1. 9. 6. If we consider these five things seriously it

so to them 2. Secondly Consider whatsoever ye do for them the Lord takes it as done to himself Matth. 25. 40. Forasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it to me 3. Thirdly Consider that whatsoever we give it shall be paid us again with interest Luk. 6. 38. Give and it shall be given to you again good measure pressed down and shaken together 2 Cor. 9. 6. He which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully 4. Fourthly Consider that which you have in your Possession is not your own thou and I are but Stewards and we must give an accompt of our Stewardship Prov. 3. 27 28. Withhold not good from him to whom it is due when it is in the Power of thy hand to do it c. 5. Fifthly Consider that in Scripture phrase he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver that man in the time of trouble Ps 41. 1. Also consider that Scripture 2 Cor. 8. 2 3. How that in a great tryal of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality For to their power I bear record they were willing of themselvs Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the ministring to the Saints Therefore as you abound in every thing in Faith and Utterance and Knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that ye abound in this also and set speedily about the work make no delay for the time is short our days are very swift yea swifter then the Weavers Shuttle It will be said shortly that Time shall be no more so Revel 6. 7. And the Angel lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things that are therein that there shall be time no longer But in the dayes of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the mysterie of God shall be finished as he hath declareth to his servants the Prophets Methinks I see the words of Christ come to pass Mat. 24. 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes shall the Sun be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourn for they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory Then he shall send his Angels with the great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 30 31. O let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lord cometh lo it is nigh at hand A day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness there hath not been ever the like neither shall there be the like again A fire devoureth before him and behind him a flame burneth before his face the people shall be much pined all faces shall gather blackness the Earth shall quake before him the Heavens shall tremble the Sun and Moon shall be dark and the Stars shall withdraw their shining Oh this day of the Lord is great and very terrible who can abide it yea where will you find a man that can abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and Fullers sope Oh what a terrible day will this be to most of the sons and daughters of men 2 Pet. 3. 12. The heavens shall be on fire and dissolve the earth shall melt with fervent heat If the rocks and mountains would fall on thee thou wouldst think it a favour to hide thee from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come Rev. 6. 16 17. All both small and great shall be gathered together before the Judgment-seat of Christ Mat. 25. 32 33 34 c. yea the Sea shall give up her dead and the grave shall give up their dead death and hell shall give up their dead Rev. 12. 13 14 c. So we shall all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ and all that ever we have done good or evil shall be laid open before all the world yea all our sins shall be brought to light and each man shall give an accompt of himself to God and be judged according to his works Mat. 25. 32 33 34. Rev. 20. 12 13. If ever thou wilt improve time do it presently Luk. 21. 34 35 36. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares For thy dayes are swifter then the Weavers shuttle and as a snare shal it come upon all them that dwell upon the earth Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things and to stand before the Son of man This day will come as a thief in the night Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hastening to the coming of that day wherein the heavens shall be on fire and the lements shall melt with fervent heat Seeing then that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found in him in peace without spot and blameless But if any say I will be diligent hereafter Let me tell thee If ever thou intendest to do any thing for the glory of God the good of thy self and the benefit of others do it presently for the time is short Oh then get oyl in your lamps grace in your hearts that you may not be like the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 7 8 9 10. The wise Virgins considered that their time was short and their dayes swift and so made it their present work to get oyl in their lamps which was grace in their hearts But the foolish Virgins put it off from day to day never minding that their dayes were swifter then the Weavers shuttle Our time is short wherefore bid adieu to the world For what is the World but vanity All the Honours are but as so many dishonours all the Riches but poverty and all the Joyes but sorrows and all the Pleasure is but pain And if in this life only thou and I have hope we are of all men most miserable Our dayes are but as a bubble we no sooner have our being but we are going to our end All our strength is but as grass and all our beauty is as the flower of the field the grass fadeth the flower with ereth and our strength and beauty is gone Death will bring

but few men saying with the Prophet Psal 90. 12. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom 7. But most men and women when they are cutting off their life like a Weaver fall a praying with Balaam Numb 23. 10. Lord let me die the death of the Righteous and let my latter end be like his Never considering that none can die the death of the righteous but only those that live the life of the righteous It is true we read of one as the Thief upon the Cross that no man might despair and we read but of one that no man may presume Surely Death sends many messengers to you and me to tell us that he is coming One while in comes the Ague after that the Feaver and before we can shake them off many times in comes the Head-ach and it may be the Tooth-ach raging and shaking the best beam in thy natural building Well after a while thou and I have it may be shaken them off and now it is pretty well with us again we begin to smile and to feather our nests and while with Martha we are troubled about many things Death sends another Pursuivant and he terrifies us with Crosses and Losses troubles within and without Well we have scarce got over these torments but in comes Sir Thomas Gout or Sir William Cramp or both and these unwelcome guests will sit at the table with us and lie in the bed with us and night and day lie trouble us when we think to sleep then they will be talking saying Our days are swifter then the Weavers shuttle Well if all these be shut out of doors through long patience great charges and thou begin to cheer up in comes another Pursuivant and turns thy nearest and dearest Friend into thy greatest Enemy and so this cross in thy nearest Relation from whom thou didst expect thy greatest assistance and help now proves thy greatest enemy So that put all thy Crosses Losses Sicknesses Persecutions c. that ever befell thee in one ballance and this Cross in thy nearest Relation in the other ballance and this latter will weigh down the former ten times over In a word I do know a man that lost his tender Father and after that he lost his Estate that his Father gave him then he was in a banished condition at least 26 moneths then he lost some of his Children not long after he lost his tender Mother and a little before he lost one of his dearest Brethren since that he lost his onely Son not long after he lost his dearest Sister and between each of these Losses for the most part he was visited with Sickness and often brought even to the gates of death Then a little after this some of his most intimate Friends with whom he had sweet converse about S●ul-work these turned Ranters besides these at least an hundred Crosses more came in the one upon the neck of the other And yet this man doth profess that all these put them together are but a Flea-biting to that one Cross in his nearest Relation and that but in her little member to wit the Tongue See Jam. 3. 5 6. Eccles 7. 26. Death doth often summon us to be in a continual readiness to lay down these crazie brittle dusty Bodies in their own Center the Earth And for my own part I must confess that the Weavers Shuttle hath been preaching to me almost these 25 years still telling me that my days flie away faster then my shuttle And now at last it having prevailed with me a little for my attention at least I had no sooner silenced my own thoughts but I heard a voice from Heaven saying All flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field And when I lift up mine eyes to the Heavens as in Isa 51. 6. and look upon the Earth beneath the Heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the Earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye but my Salvation shall be for ever and my Righteousness shall never be abolished Men and women are like a bubble upon the water they would fain get above their element and swim a loft but they shall be cut off as the foam upon the water Mans life is like a Candle in a Paper-lanthorn full of crannies there comes on a sudden but a little puffe of wind and blows the Candle out Oh then let this little inch of Time be improved to the best advantage seeing Time is one of the most precious herbs in the garden of the World And yet by most men there is not one thing more slighted in the World surely if we did see time so pretious as it is we should take the counsell of the Holy Ghost and redeem the time because the days are ev●l Eph. 5. 16. And if in truth thou and I did redeem the time there would be no room or time for so many idle words there would be no room or time for so many idle thoughts and unprofitable musings our thoughts are the eldest and most noble off spring of our souls and so are too worthy to be cast away upon base objects did we indeed see time precious short and swifter then the Weavers Shuttle we should redeem a little from our ordinary sleep and a little from our worldly business and to make all our dealings in worldly business subservient to Religion and not to grasp so much of the world as to distract our head with cares or engage our heart in sin we should redeem a little time from our usual lawfull recreations and so from all things else that drink up our time and improve this redeemed time to the best advantage for the glory of God and thy own good and benefit of others Let me tell thee what I know upon found ground we shall finde all little enough I once read of a man that did trifle away his time as most of us do not seeing the worth of it untill he was about thirty years of age and then hearing a Sermon of the shortness of mans life being a little troubled makes his request to a Godly man whom he looked upon as a Prophet to tell him how long he should live that so before death came he might repent of his sins and make his Peace with God The Minister asked him how long he desired to live and he said he would fain live sixty years at least well the Minister told him that there were more did die before they came to fifty then there was that did live to fifty yet saith he thou shalt have thy request thou shalt live till sixty Well with that the man was very thankfull conceiving he had time enough to take the pleasures of the World and to repent hereafter The Minister asked him how old he was he answered thirty then says he take out thirty of sixty and there remains but thirty years that thou hast

yet to live then consider that half of this thirty years will be slept out and then there remains but fifteen years and the half of this fifteen years will be spent in pains and care to provide for thy self and Family and then there remains but seven years and a half and in the half of this thou wilt have some unexpected sickness and weakness which man that is born of a woman is subject unto and then there remains but three years three quarters and the half of this will be spent in mourning for some losses or crosses in thy Wife Children Kindred and Friends and so there doth not remain so much as two years of peace and quiet for thee to minde thy soul this struck the man into such a damp that he went away sorrowfull as the young man in the Gospel did from Christ Matth. 19. 22. Oh let us redeem that precious jewel of time which we have formerly lost Travellers that have staid a little too long at their Inn when they do find the night approaching they mend their pace and go as many miles in one hour as they did before in two so let us do we have staid too long in doating upon the things of this life and in setting our eyes and hearts upon that which is not the World it was Created of nothing saith the Lord and it hangs upon nothing saith Job Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not saith Solomon Pro. 23. 5. I remember a passage that many years since I read in a little Book called Good News from Heaven between Wealth and his worldly Master at the point of death 1. First Wealth seeing his Master dying saith Well Master thus long have I served you or rather you have served me for you have loved me too much and doted upon me and therefore now you be like to speed the worse you was my Master in shew but I was yours indeed for you did what I would have you do thus far have I gone with you but further I will not I have nothing to do in another world now therefore Master shift for your self if you go to Hell I cannot help it I will go seek me a new Master adieu Ans Master Nay saith his Master I hope thou wilt not serve me so now I have most need of thee many a nights rest have I broken for thee many an hour have I bestowed on thee many a good Feast yea many a Sermon and good opportunity for my soul have I lost for thee Wealth Wealth The more fool thou Master who bid you do so not God I am sure but the Devil and therefore to him you are like to go that set you on work or whither you go I know not nor care not but further to go with you I will not Master Nay Wealth I pray thee say not so that goeth to my very heart go answer for me or at least speak a good word for me Wealth Not I nay I am sure you shall answer for me and your self too and to tell you the truth I doubt the place is too hot for me where you are going but go try Master first how you shall speed and if you do not like the place if you can get leave to come back again I may chance to serve you again believe it who list look look here comes death quivering in your lips quaking in your joynts staring in your eyes I cannot endure the sight of him oh draw the Curtains shift for thy self Master I will shift for one Master What dost thou mock me to increase my misery and dolor What wilt thou leave me thus in the straits Oh that I were to live in the World again I would care as little for thee as thou doest now for me Oh base Vagrant have I thus entertained thee like a Prince for this Oh all ye People of the World be admonished by me a dying man take heed how you give entertainment as I have to this Vagabond cheating Wealth that wanders up and down the World but lay up treasure in Heaven not on the earth and that speedily For man that is born of a woman is of few days saith David and they pass away faster then the Weavers Shuttle saith Iob thou shalt cut off thy life like a Weaver saith the Prophet Isaiah and then if thou hast improved thy talent redeemed thy time and given all diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure for ought I know thou mayest die in full assurance of true blessedness which consisteth not in honour for then Pharaoh had been blessed not in wit for then Achitophel had been blessed not in wealth for then Ahab had been blessed but herein will thy blessedness be that thou indeavourest to be found cloathed with the Robe of Christs righteousness in comparison of which thy own is as dung Phil. 3. 8 9. Looking upon thy self as thou art in thy self as a Tree the body where of is iniquity the Leaves of it is Atheism the Rine pretends perfection the Sap thereof is Humane Reason the Buds swelling words the Fruit of it uncleanness but as thou art taken off from the old stock the first Adam and grafted into the new stock the second Adam thy blessedness lies here in this Root from whence thou receivest sap and becomest a new Tree which may be known by its Root which is Christ by its soil in which it grows which is Free-Grace planted in the House of the Lord and by its body which is Faith by its Bark which is Hope by its Boughs which is Charity by its Leaves which is Spiritual Vertues by its Branches which is good words by its Fruit which is good works This Tree shall stand up with boldness when the other Tree shall fear and shake if he look up there is his Judge offended with him beneath him Hell open and the Furnace boiling ready to receive him on thy right hand thy sins accusing on thy left hand the Devils ready to execute Gods Sentence upon thee within thee thy conscience gnawing without thee all damned souls bewailing on every side the World burning and this dreadfull day will come suddenly as a thief in the night 2 Pet. 3. Therefore while thou hast thy legs let them carry thee to the Assemblies of Zion run to and fro that thy knowledge may be increased thy legs may be taken from thee While thou hast thy hearing listen diligently thou mayst speedily be deaf as many be already While thou hast thy hands let them minister to the necessity of the Saints while thou hast any estate give somthing of it lest thou dost repent too late All these things be mutable and fleeting thy dayes be swifter then the Weavers shuttle and thou mayest lose these before thou dost lose thy life All men had one entrance into life and shall have the like going out In a word thou and I have forfeited our lives many times The wages of sin is death Every sin

died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him The Holy Ghost in this place forbiddeth not Christian sorrow for the dead but Heathenish sorrow not moderate but excessive and immoderate either in respect of time or measure of our grief we may water our plants for our deceased Friends but not drown them 7. Let us consider the priviledges of Believers after death for death is unto them but a Porter opening a door into a dark entry or a servant of thy Fathers sent to put thy dear friend to bed for a little while till corruption shall have put on incorruption and mortality shall have put on immortality Death is but a sleep and the grave a bed and all things that be on the other side death are taken away by Iesus Christ Death openeth the great gate that leadeth to thy Fathers house that so thou mayest go home for we are but Sojourners Pilgrims and Strangers here in this World it is true unbelievers are at home whiles they live here they be called the inhabitants of the earth and dwellers upon the earth when they die they do not go home as thou doest it is true they go to their own place and to their own Father so that death to them is the King of Terrours but to thee and thy believing deceased Friend death should be looked upon as the Messenger of glad tidings which is come only to crack the clay walls which is our Prison that you may flie home and be at rest and when thou comest home to enjoy the presence of thy Father and Saviour Christ and to be filled with the Spirit and to be with all the holy Saints of Heaven thou wilt then rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 8. Let us consider that although I and thee be like to loose our own lives or else have lost some of our nearest and dearest friends yet let this comfort us this also shall work together for our good Rom. 8. 28. Wherefore let us not so fear death but hearken what death doth whisper in thy ears saying fear not me I came from the Father and have no Commission to hurt you although my countenance be grim my message is sweet and pleasing Christ your beloved husband hath taken my sting from me before he would let me come to you I am come without a sting to tell you that God and Christ loves you and hath sent me on purpose to invite you into their presence where is fulness of joy and pleasures at his right hand for evermore only you must put off your filthy garments that the earth may return to its earth the fire to its fire the water to its water the aire to its aire for these were the Elements thy body was made of and so thou must endure a little pain in putting off these cloaths they be somewhat little and strait but thou must with Paul put off this earthly Tabernacle for that must be dissolved before thou canst be with Christ in whose presence there is fulness of joy where all relations will be made up in God there is no complaining in the Streets of this new Ierusalem no want of Relations God will be a Father Christ will be a Husband Saints gloryfied our Brethren Sisters and associates so we shall want no Relation neither shall any Relation want Perfection There is but a breath between thee and this condition 9. Let us consider that the Scripture doth pronounce them blessed that die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13 For from henceforth they rest from their labours See Eccles 4. 2. Job 3. 17. The greatest evil death can bring unto us is but a more speedy way to happiness Lastly let us consider that our dear beloved brother David although he mourned fasted and prayed whilst his Child was sick yet as soon as it was dead he arose and began to comfort himself saying I shall go to it ere long for my dayes are swifter then the Weavers shuttle saith Job Then shall the dust return to its earth saith Solomon Eccles 12. 7. The dust that is the body to shew the original of it Gen. 2. 7. and the weakness of it Dust is the weakest part of the earth Psal 103. 14. the basest and vilest of it Job 4. 19. Phil. 3. 21. Job 30. 19. Our original from the dust our return unto the dust This should humble us in our own eyes and should warn us to improve all our ability and every opportunity to make our calling and election sure that there might be nothing wanting in us to secure a better life before this be ended and not to put off the endeavours towards it as most do unto old age which haply we may never attain unto and if we do it will bring it self work enough for us to do Death comes swift and uncertain Sin the longer lived in doth the more harden Repentance is not in our call or command when we please it is a work of the whole man and of the whole life this work deferred will be greater the time to do it in will be shorter the strength to do it by will be less bodily infirmities will disinable spiritual actions God will have less honour and service from us and we our selves shall have more sorrow and less comfort For my own part I can speak something by woful experience of the sad effect of not imbracing the present opportunity and ability that God hath given me I am assured that I have lost much of my comfort here for hearkening to the motions of my own spirit and slighting the motions and strivings of the Lords Spirit by which means I have deprived my self of manifestations and apprehensions of heavenly and spiritual things that the Lord begun to pour out upon me And now if I would give all the world I cannot recall one day that is past nor one of those blessed opportunities that I have lost Only I desire if the Lord will to redeem this little inch of time yet remaining like an idle servant that hath loitered all the forenoon begins to work twice as hard in the afternoon I have two Requests within me to make unto thee whosoever thou art that readest these lines If there be in thee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercy then my first Request is I do beseech thee beg thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ if thou mindest his glory or thy own good that thou wouldst seek the Kingdom of Heaven in obedience to his command in the first place for in so doing the Lord will be glorified thy light shining before men that they seeing thy obedience to him may glorifie thy Father which is in heaven that so while the whole World with Martha are troubled about many things thou mayst with Mary choose the better part That so while some are giving all diligence to get

will beget in us this unspeakable benefit namely To behold a hand of Providence in and read love under every dispensation You and I should say with Iob when we loose all blessed be the name of the Lord and with Paul Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented and so we shall serve him without fear and not be afraid of Armies of men and Legions of Devils Psal 3. 6. He will not fear death and hell Why because he will see both overcome by Jesus Christ Death that was the King of terrours hath now lost his sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. and the Devil hath lost his power as to one that is in Christ for he is overcome by Christ Heb. 2. 14. Sin also the cause of death which did shut the door of Gods mercy and grace upon us is overcome for us by Christ upon whom it was laid Isa 53. 6. And so he made an end of transgression and sin The world also that did so often deceive us and perplex us is overcome for us by Jesus Christ Joh. 16. 33. The Law also which brought in many Bills of Indictment against us is fulfilled by Christ for us Rom. 10. 4. The Justice of the Almighty that did lie in the way of our peace and quiet untill it was satisfied is now taken away quite and appeased towards all true Believers by the Lord Iesus Christ Psal 85. 10 So that now come what will come all shall work together for the good of those that love God If prosperity come let us behold God smiling upon us and trying of us If imprisonment come let us with Paul and Silas sing Psalms if tribulation come let us rejoyce knowing that tribulation shall work patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed In a word if our wills were resigned up into his will we should be saying such words Good is the word of the Lord let him do what seemeth him good for nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8. 38 39. Neither can any thing do me harm Rom. 8. 28. 7. This is the way to have our conversation in Heaven whilest we live on the earth Now what makes Heaven but Union and Communion with God in Iesus Christ now this being attainable in this life what hinders but a Christian may live in Heaven whilest he lives upon earth 1 Ioh. 1. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven again I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. All these were men on earth subject to infirmities as we are and yet they lived in Heaven and these things are left written in the Scriptures for our learning to wind up our hearts to the like frame Let Religion be our business then and more time spent on that and less time on the world For as hath been said before the time is short the remainder of our season is now folding up as a Sail or Curtain into a narrow room time is short and life shorter and the end of all things is at hand Thus have I endeavoured as briefly as I could to lay before thee whosoever thou art that readest these lines viz. the shortness of mans life or fewness of his days and the many miseries that do befall him and how a Christian might if not escape them yet have them lessened and sweetned unto him so that he might walk through these Seas of troubles and winds and floods of afflictions and fiery trials by open secret buffettings from thy many enemies and sometimes from pretended friends and neer relations with comfort c. Was not Abel murthered by his brother Noah mocked by his sons Job and David scoffed by their wives was not Iacob threatened by his brother banished from his Father abused by his uncle in the day he was consumed with heat Gen. 31. 40. in the night with frost then there arose a division betweeen his two wives two sisters brawling for one husband after this they both run from their father now see a fresh pursuit behinde him Laban following him with an hue and cry before him Esau coming with four hundred men to go forward intolerable to go backward unavailable then a little after his wife Rachel dies his daughter Dinah is ravished his son Reuben lies with his Concubines then his son his Ioseph they report is lost and now see a man of sorrows indeed I will go down saith he to the grave unto my sons mourning after this a Famine begins and another of his sons in prison and nothing can redeem him but his only Benjamin here was loss of son after son Ioseph is not Simeon is not saith he and now ye take away Benjamin all these things are against me Thus every Christian more or less though he be a few days yet they are full of trouble and both flie away faster then the Weavers shuttle which if well considered will rouze up those many sleepy professors living in these crazy times and slippery days wherein both lives and liberties health friends wealth pleasures honours and priviledges are in such extremity of extraordinary uncertainties I say the serious consideration hereof might serve to rouze up all sorts of men to improve the present time to the best advantage that so they might have an unshaken foundation of true spiritual peace and consolation For we must al die and that speedily our days flie away swifter then the weavers Shuttle It is said that when the Egyptians found their first born dead in their Families there was a great cry throughout Egypt a great cry in every Family Now were we as sensible of our souls as we are of our bodies oh what a great cry would there be in most of our Families one crying out and saying O Lord I have a dead childe another O Lord I have a dead servant another O Lord I have a dead wife in my Family whose soul is dead another I have a dead husband a dead friend and if the Lord doth not raise them speedily I fear they will die the second death from whence there is no redemption for they shall be cast into everlasting fire which is an intolerable eternity our life is like a candle in a paper Lanthorn there 's but a breath between us heaven or hel Wherefore O earth earth earth hear the voice of the Lord even while it is called to day which is swifter then the weavers shuttle FINIS