Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	lord_n	mercy_n	7,042	5	6.1853	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49604	A funeral oration or sermon upon the most high, most potent Lord, Francis Henry De Montmorancy ... prounc'd at Paris, in the church of the Profess'd House of the Company of Jesus, the 21 st. of April, 1695, by Father De la Rue, of the same society ; from the french original.; Oraison funèbre de très-haut et très-puissant Seigneur François Henry de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg et de Piney. English	La Rue, Charles de, 1643-1725.	1695 (1695)	Wing L455; ESTC R6889	22,402	33

Merit we might be afraid that so many profane Exploits and Triumphs might be only the Reward of those feeble Efforts of Vertue which sometimes may escape a Sinner but for which Heaven has no Crowns in store I should look upon him my self with an Eye of Pity as one of those Conquerors whom God made use of to magnifie Himself in Isaiah to subdue Nations put Kings to flight and break down the Walls of Cities and which he abandon'd afterwards to the Merits of their Works and the Punishments attending their Sins after he had rewarded their ambiguous Services with the vain Lustre of Worldly Prosperity God forbid that our Charity should be cool'd this day by such Sentiments as these Too many Reasons raise our Hopes without pretending to dispute the Rights of God's Justice so much Care as he has taken for the Salvation of this Sinner seems to persuade and convince us that God has made him an Object of his Eternal Mercy And here my Lords let us leave him as a Courtier a Warriour and a Conqueror All this was for the Eyes of Men in the sight of God he is a Sinner distinguish'd indeed by all those Titles of Honour which he bore upon Earth but at the same time expos'd to all those Frailties and all those Miseries that seem to be fasten'd to these dangerous Titles Yet in the midst of those Abuses which he might have made of 'em and what at length might have led him as they have done so many others to a Forgetfulness of his God let us admire those singular Tendernesses or rather Wonders of his Mercy bestow'd upon him He bestow'd upon him two of the most precious Graces he could have bestow'd upon Sinners the Grace of Adversity during his Life and the Grace of Repentance at his Death Let him then eternally sing those words of David Blessed be the Lord because he has magnify'd his wonderful mercy upon me You believe it not Grandees of the Earth and yet you find it by Experience at least you make others sensible of it that nothing more corrupts the Heart then a long and constant Prosperity that nothing over-casts the Mind with a thicker Darkness that generally there is nothing but Adversity that can call back a wandring Mortal to his Reason to his Conscience to his Salvation and his God You believe it not and this Errour is your Ruin The Subject of Discourse lay under the same Errour and was subject to those Deviations which are the usual Consequences of it He trod the Paths of Ambition for fifty Years together What a Progress did he make in it But the farther we advance in that Road the more Good God we go out of our Way Nevertheless thou didst follow him step by step Thou didst wait in expectation of a happy Moment to pour down thy Mercy upon him 〈◊〉 up●●●eing 〈◊〉 for a 〈◊〉 and a ●●ncer The happy Moment came and thy Mercy was pour'd down What a signal Kindness my Lords was this for all France A Man of that Name that Rank cloath'd with so many Honours distinguish'd by so many Services to be oblig'd to Justifie himself Upon what account For that which cannot fall but into the Meanest of Souls not only without Religion but without Reason without Fortune without Honour At that very moment he perceives all the Supports of Grandeur failing Feeble Bulrushes nodding with ev'ry Tempest and bowing under the weight of the Tempest He was not astonish'd to see such a Change of Looks and Hearts Solomon says That Slander troubles the Heart of a wise man and destroys the strength of his heart But never did more Prudence appear in his Heart then at that time and never did he raise himself so much above his own Strength and undaunted Courage The Sight of the Danger and the Easiness to avoid it by so many open ways and offer'd to his Choice On the other side the Dread of all things necessary for his Justification never gave him the least Disturbance Considering his Innocency he look'd upon his Liberty as nothing he sacrific'd it himself he ran to the Prison with the same speed that the Guilty flie it There he only minded the saving of his Innocence and his Honour and there he met the Mercy of God that waited for him Yes surely my Lords 't is so and if what I have said has not proceeded from the Mouth of Fame yet has it issu'd from the Lips of Truth In view of this very Church where we are now met together which was in his way he made a stop and at that very moment notwithstanding the Confusion of Thoughts which turmoil'd his Mind he acknowledg'd the Hand of God lifted up against him Far from being consternated like the Heathen Prince at the sight of the Celestial Hand-writing which wrote his Destiny but rather full of Considence and Humility at the same time he enter'd the Church and pouring forth his Soul at the Feet of this same Altar he confess'd that his Sins had been the Source of his Misfortune he ador'd the Goodness of God who had made choice of that means to draw him from the Precipice and set him in the right way of Salvation And less Touch'd with the Danger his Estate and Reputation were in then the Peril of his Soul he renounces Hearken Christians he renounces his Justification before Men if his Justification were opposite to his Salvation This was then the Sense and Spirit of his Prayer He has often explain'd his Meaning upon it at a Time when the Confession he made of it ought to be a Reproach to his Conduct Thou Lord who heardest him and hast promis'd every thing to Prayer more-especially to that which is put up for Salvation Thou who hast afforded him this signal Justification in the Eyes of the World which he implor'd but faintly of Thee wouldst Thou have resus'd him that Salvation which he su'd for then so earnestly in the Bitterness of a Soul sincerely humbl'd This was not ineffectual and if I may be permitted to apply to him what the Scripture speaks of a Just Man persecuted Wisdom descends with him into the Prison and forsakes him not in Bonds He there detested his Vanities he search'd into the Errors and Disorders of his Life he solemnly aton'd for 'em by the Use of the Sacraments nor was he deliver'd from his Captivity till enliven'd with more Pious Resolutions To corroborate him in it God permitted that being Justify'd as he was Free and Triumphant over Envy a Retirement of several Months should serve as a Tryal of his Fidelity Faithful to God all that time he spent his Leisure in the same Exercises and continu'd the Purifying of his Heart by frequent Confessions 'T was then another Heart form'd by Adversity and consecrated by Repentance the Work of the Grace of God How long think ye should any of you have held out Answer you that hear me and search for the Answer in your own Hearts After so

to say of those who had had him for their General the Companion of their Dangers and their Guide to Victory Honour'd by their Tears he is as little troubl'd as mollify'd by 'em nothing mov'd he shews himself a Spectacle to the Grief of some and the Pity of others He calls to their remembrance the vanity of Grandeurs that have no other Foundation then the Frailty of this Life He brings into their Minds the Importance of the Journey which he is going to take before 'em and which they must all prepare for after him Penetrated with Sorrow to see himself defective in requisite Purity to offer up his Soul a sweet Savour to God he offers it as a Victim to his Supreme Will and believes that God will vouchsafe him Salvation seeing that after so many Sins committed he leaves him still a lively and humble Hope He accompanies the Sacred Ceremonies with a faithful and reverent Attention and he is desirous to breathe his last Gasps embracing the Cross in Adoration of his Master Enfeebl'd at length and feeling the Approaches of Death he employs the last Efforts of his Speech to desire the Succour of the Holy Ministers and his faithful Friends that with their Voices and their Thoughts they would uphold to the last the Union of his Heart with God In these Sentiments of Submission of a Creature to his Master of the Fear and Humility of an Offender before his Judge of Religion and Piety of a Christian before his Saviour of the Confidence and Love of a Prodigal and Penitent Son toward his Father he expires he goes to appear before the Sovereign Tribunal follow'd by his Works 't is true but laden Lord with thy great Mercies They would never have accompany'd him so many Years they would never have been redoubl'd at last with so much splendour to fail him at the last Moment that very Moment to which all the Moments and Favours of this Life tend This is that which has hitherto upheld his Hope and which at this day ought also to uphold ours in favour of him Not for our Righteousness but for thy great Mercies Let those that know thee not O God blame our Confidence But let those that know thee by a real Faith by long Experiences of thy Goodness those who are enter'd into the Treasuries of thy Mercy who know That thou hast Pity upon all Men because thou art Almighty that thou pardon'st all because we are all thy Creatures that for the gaining of their Pardon thou only demandest we should turn to thee with all our hearts That thou art the good Shepherd that leavest the whole Flock to look after the stray'd Sheep and takest her upon thy shoulders with so much the more Charity as being more feeble and more in a languishing and dying Condition Let those who know thee for such a God Hope in thee O my God And let 'em cry aloud with David Because thou never forsakest those that seek thee Lord. The Person for whom we implore all this Clemency was full of these Sentiments He has never ceas'd to Know Thee If he went astray thou soughtest after him by Adversity by Repentance Invited by the Enquiries of thy Grace he has sought after thee by the Fervency of his Sighs Lord thou never forsakest those who know thee and who seek after thee We know thee too well not to depend upon thee Let 'em Hope in thee that know thy Name because thou hast not forsaken those that seek thee O Lord. The let us not fall into the Snares of the Enemies of Repentance as also of Vertue it self The World is full of Men without Faith who not being in a Condition to pretend to the Hopes of Future Life make it their De light to think ill of those that go out of This and strive as says St. Jerome to Comfort themselves with their own Despair by despairing of the Salvation of all others They believe it an Ease of their Pain that no body should be Righteous But let us not afford 'em this false Joy but let all the truly Faithful reunite themselves to uphold the merciful Strength of the Grace of God against the false Inflexibilities and aflected Zeal of Libertinism Let the Children of this Heroe all so capable to uphold here below the Honour which he has left 'em never imagin that they have not more for him Let 'em be mindful of that Glory of happy Eternity where Repentance has a share as well as Innocency and striving themselves to attain to the most safe of these two ways let 'em be convinc'd that God opens the Other when to whom and after what manner he pleases Let Him among his Illustrious Children whom Providence has made Choice of for the Service of his Church and who was Consecrated to it in his most tender Years with such happy Dispositions to the most Noble Vertues and most High Dignities of that excellent Condition Let this Son I say so justly sensible of the Loss of such a Father apply himself speedily to procure him by his Piety the Peace and Glory of the Elect with as much Fervency as his other Children by their Valour shall doe Honour to his Memory Let that Afflicted Widow as remote from the Pomp and Corruption of the World by Choice and Inclination as she approaches near to what the World accounts most Great by the Blood of Luxembourg and Clermont the Splendour of which she has united to the Blood of Montmorancy now redouble with more Confidence the Exercises of her Charity which she made her sweetest Employment while he liv'd for the etetnal Repose of her Husband Let that Lady in the last place strong above her Sex and her Age who gave Life to this Heroe then the Child of her Sorrow now the Crown of her Old Age who saw him cover'd with Honour after she had seen him born in the midst of the Shadow of Death at this day surviving so many Revolutions as a publick Witness of the Wonders of Providence after Threescore and eight Years of Vertuous Widowhood equal or superiour to the Widow'd Prophetess considering the Number of her Years and her Love for her Country and like to her in Wisdom and Piety consecrate the remainder of her Life to bless the Mercies which God has exercis'd upon her Son and to draw 'em down upon the Flourishing Family of which God was pleas'd that He should be the Chief Let Us. My Lords excited to Pray for Him by so many Motives of Hope work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling convinc'd of this Truth so brightly shining in St. Paul That it is God who works in us hoth the Will and the Deed according to his Good Will If God has wrought in Him this wonderful Operation Has he wrought it for all Sinners If this Penitent shew'd himself Faithful upon this last Effort of the Goodness of God for Him Are all others therefore Faithful If He have had a Time Shall you have the same If the Felicity of this End seems to harden ye to Sin let the Seldomness of the Happiness carry you to Repentance to this Favourable Death of a Penitent opposite to so many Violent Unexpected Untimely and many otherwise Fatal Deaths In the mean time but for this End so full of Consolation what would become of all the Wonders of his Life What Kindness would the Luster of so many Victories doe him before the Tribunal of his God Nay What stead would they stand him in before the Tribunal of the World and Publick Opinion Therefore it is by this End that we ought to measure all the Grandeur of this Man And God My Lords and the World will Judge of You by your Ends. May it have been for Him and may it be for every one of Us the Beginning of Blessed Eternity THE END