Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	eternal_a	good_a	reward_n	7,006	5	8.9757	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36020	A sermon at the funeral of the Lady Elizabeth Alston, wife of Sir Thomas Alston, Knight and Baronet preached in the parish-church of Woodhill in Bedford-shire, Septemb. 10, 1677 / by William Dillingham ...	Dillingham, William, 1617?-1689.	1678 (1678)	Wing D1487; ESTC R10439	20,890	43

A SERMON AT THE FUNERAL OF THE Lady ELIZABETH ALSTON WIFE of Sir THOMAS ALSTON Knight and Baronet Preached in the Parish-Church of Woodhill in Bedford-shire Septemb. 10. 1677. By WILLIAM DILLINGHAM D. D. and Rectour there Now Published at the Instance of her nearest Relations LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golde Lion in St. Pauls Church yard 1678. Imprimatur Novemb. 1. 1677. C. Alston R.P.D. Hen. Episc Lond. à Sacris Domest 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day IT is not at all to be doubted but that the blessed Apostle St. Paul who as he reports of himself did die daily and was in Deaths often did live under a constant Sense of his own Mortality But yet at the time of his writing this Epistle which was as the Postscript tells us when he was brought the second time before Nero he seems to have had more than ordinary apprehensions of his approaching End Death was now already in his view and coming towards him So much he lets us know in the Verse before the Text For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my Departure is at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much imminent as already come Now seeing that Death is an Enemy vvhich vve must all encounter it is all our Concernments to prepare for it And that vve may so do it vvill be of singular use and advantage to us to have observ'd how St. Paul a good old and try'd Souldier of Jesus Christ doth prepare himself to receive the Shock and to cope with this King of Terrours and to know what Cordials he makes use of to support his Heart against the Fear of Death approaching The Text presents us with a twofold Meditation of St. Paul 1. A Meditation of vvhat vvas past a Reflexion upon his former Life vvell-spent I have fought a good Hight c. Ver. 7 2. A Meditation on what was future being a Prospect into the Life to come and the Glory of it Henceforth c. Ver. 8. The Apostle's Work and his Reward his Fidelity and his Crown The first whereof hath an Order and Subordination to the other The way to Happiness is by Holiness without which no man shall ever see the Lord. And the way to have assurance of Eternal Life is to get the Testimony of a good Conscience that we have led our Lives well here on Earth And this double Assurance joyn●d together did enable St. Paul to look upon Death but as a Departure a mild and harmless thing a Departure and that not from home but from an Inn to go unto his Father's House The time of my Departure is at hand Medit. 1. I shall begin vvith St. Paul's first Medication or his Reflexion upon his vvell-led Life Wherein vve have two things to be consider'd by us 1. A Character of the Nature of a Christian Life 2. The comfortable Testimonial which Paul's Conscience gave him viz. that he had led his Life well I have fought a good Fight c. 1. We have here a Character expressing and setting forth unto us the Nature of a Christian Life and that under a threefold Metaphor and Allusion 1. Of a Fight 2. Of a Course or Race 3. Of the Custody or Keeping of something committed to our Trust 1. The Christian Life is here compared to a Fight and figuratively so called Sometimes the Life of Man is compar'd to a Warfare in respect of those many Labours and Difficulties vvhich he is vvont to encounter vvithal Thus Job 7.1 Is there not an appointed time to Man upon the Earth Where for an appointed Time the Marginal reading is a Warfare by vvhich is meant a Time of Warring According hereunto vve find that the Roman Legionary Souldiers had a certain Period or Term of Years sometimes ten sometimes twenty or more Years during vvhich they were to continue listed in the Muster-Roll and to fight under their Emperour's Banner but vvhen that Time vvas once expired then they were said to be Emeriti Exauctorati discharged of their Oath and dismissed from serving any longer and honourably rewarded vvith Gifts and Possessions To such a Term of Time Allusion is made Isa 40.2 Where it is said of Jerusalem that her Warfare is accomplish'd And so Rev. 3.12 He that overcometh shall go no more out that is to Warfare he hath his quietus est But if the natural Life of Man be a kind of Warfare a Christian Life is much more deservedly to be so accounted a Spiritual Warfare And thus Paul expresseth it 1 Tim. 1.18 That thou mightest war a good Warfare And 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure Hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ There is a double sort of Fighting vvhich Paul hath Allusion to when he speaks of the Christian Life Sometimes he speaks of Fighting in a Military sense as one Enemy fights with another in the Field which is properly called Warring And of this he speaks in the place but now mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mightest war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Warfare Otherwhile the Apostle speaks of Fighting in an Agonistical sense as Men were wont to fight of old in the Greek Olympicks or in the Roman Cirque and Amphitheater when they contended for Masteries where the Victor's Guerdon was Life and Glory And unto this Paul seems to allude in the Text as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used by him doth import But I shall not be curious to observe the Difference but speak of them promiscuously The Life of a Christian is fitly compared unto a Fight or Warfare as will appear by the following Considerations 1. As in War there is always some Cause or other contended for whether it be to revenge Injuries or to defend Life and Liberty or to obtain Dominion or to win Glory and Renown So is it here Christians have a Cause which they fight in the Cause of God the Cause of Christ and of their own Souls they contend for the Glory and Honour of God for the Name and Faith of Christ for the eternal Salvation of their own Souls All these are concern'd in our Christian Warfare all these doth Satan seek to hinder and destroy 2. As in Wars and Fights so here are two adverse Parties Enemies and Antagonists to one another fighting and contending with one another And those we find to be listed under opposite Generals On the one side Jesus Christ the Prince of Life and Salvation and under him do fight all true Believers On the other side is Satan the Prince of the Power of the Air and of the Kingdom of Darkness who ruleth and commandeth in the Children of Disobedience and under him are listed Legions of Apostate Spirits and wicked Men. The Devil and the World fight against us by Temptations on