Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	death_n	life_n	sweet_a	3,320	5	6.9211	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74676	Quatuor novissma: Or, Meditations upon the four last things, delivered in four common-place discourses: by Thomas Longland ...	Longland, Thomas, 1629 or 30-1697.	1657 (1657)	Wing L3002; Thomason E1633_2	52,017	143

winding-sheet That this which is called death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Serm. de Fid. Leg Natur. Psal 49.14 shall cool the valour of all the hot-spurs in the world who in their life time could not put up an injury without a challenge That they shall roll in the dust who sometimes did wallow in pleasures like the swine in the mire when like sheep they are laid in the grave and death shall feed upon them And how few of the heirs of life do walk as if they were to pass to an inheritance but after death whilst some do either with persecuted Elijah or peevish Jonah seek after death exceedingly desirous of the penny but yet so delicate that they they are loth to work in the heat of the day Others of them though they have set their faces towards the new Jerusalem and are on their journey thither yet by the way they remember the flesh-pots of Egypt Num. 11.5 and their present enjoyments do make them the lesse active in the expectation of future felicity God is forced to cast wormwood upon the brests of the Creature that he may make them the more earnestly draw water out of the wells of Salvation Others of them conceive God may have honour by their lives and therefore they are loath they should be deprived of such an opportunity by their deaths For this cause possibly the Psalmist might say Psalm 102.24 O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes And upright Hezekiah might beg for a reprieve after God had said unto him Thou shalt dye and not live All these though their intentions might plead an excuse yet their actions are not commendable Yet we know a found constitution is consistent with some qualmes and we ought to conclude that strength of grace is consistent with some weakness in this particular Gods people cease not to be men by becoming Christians as they are the former they may be afraid as the latter they do dare to dye Aaron upon Mount Hor can be stripped of his clothes Num. 20.18 and without repining go to bed Blessed Simeon wil depart in peace Luke 2.29 30. after his eyes have seen the Lords Salvation Act. 21.13 The holy Apostle is indifferent whether to live or dye but if it be for the name of the Lord Jesus he is ready not to be bound but to dye also Thus we see the Shepherd of Israel hath sheep as well as Lambs in his fold men of riper years as well as babes in Christianity Such as dare encounter the King of terrors as well as such who are afraid at his presence Vide Bullinger in 1 Thess 4.8 Morte●n mali vitant sancti in vitant quibus non tam vitae hujus interitus quam aeternae interitus est Heidfel Sphis Theo Phil. c. 38. p. 908. But all believers have this happinesse though few live in the comfort of it that death to them is but a sleep the grave an hiding place both a resting from their labours their passage from this vale of misery is but an entrance into their Masters joy This notwithstanding is not sufficient for a Christian to know that though he die yet his life is hid with Christ in God He must so dye that God may be glorified by his death the which that every one of us may do we must prepare our selves for so great a change The which preparation consists in three things 1. Dying unto sin 2. Living unto righteousness 3. Mortification to the world A word to each of these First Dying unto sin * The sting of death is sin 2 Cor. 15.56 he then that dyeth unto sin destroyeth death And frequent reflections upon death would prove an excellent meanes hereunto But oh how hard is it though we have daily Spectacles of others mortality to live under convictions of our owne we should live more in heaven if we did believe we were to die and so to goe from hence This would season our discourse lives and check the exorbitancy of our rising lusts to consider it is appointed for all men once to die and consequently alleviate the feare of death For that which maketh death terrible to a considerative mind is not so much the pain which is felt in the separation of soul body for I doubt not but men undergo more sharp agonies as to fense in a fit of the stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost expos Psal 116. or gout or such acute diseases then at the moment of their dissolution nor is it altogether that natural abhorrency of an annihilation or destruction of being which maketh death formidable but that which represents death sitting upon a pale horse as described Rev. 6.8 is conscience of sin and thereby obligation unto hell following after death but a beleever may use with a holy confidence what sometimes presuming Agag said 1 Sam. 15 32. Surely the bitternesse of death is past and with the blessed Apostle may close his eies in peace with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rom. 8.83.39 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. Living unto righteousnesse Mala more put●nda non est qu●m bona vita praecesserit August de civit Dei lib. 1. cap. 11. A holy life will usher in a happy death This is that which doth also evidence our dying unto sin and will make us die more peaceably in our beds We find that they who lived most up amongst the heathens to the principles of morality were least afraid to die when those who lived the most rudely were most unwilling to leave the world Seneca or Cate when about to die seem exceeding ready when a wicked Nero whose conscience told him what his mouth did utter Sueton in vita Neronis Vivo deformiter ac turpiter doth depart the world with an Vsque adeone mori miserum est and encourageth himself to his own ruine with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becometh not It becometh not thee O Nero to be so daunted go to encourage thy selfe Upright Hezekiah had not such cause to weep when the Prophet brought those tydings to him Isai 38.1 2 that he should dye and not live seeing he was so well prepared for death that he could appeal to God that he had walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which was good in his sigh David his father also a man after Gods own heart did thus prepare for death and after he had served his own generation by the wil of God fell asleep Act. 13 35. Thirdly Mortification to the world this will prepare us for the stroke of death Those things which are glewed together are not without much difficulty dis-united and when our affections are set upon earthly things we shall not willingly

Domine tu scis quod illo die cum talia loqueremur mundus iste nobis inter verba ista vilesceret cum omnibus delectationibus suis Aug. lib. Con. 9. Cant. 504. do so refresh their Souls in this valley of tears what will be their joy when the Lord shall be their everlasting light If the Spouse her bowels are moved when Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door how will her Soul be inflamed when she her self shall be received into those everlasting Mansions When this Sun ariseth every shadow will disappear and he who did sometimes speak roughly to his people shal then discover himself to be their Father and their hearts shall revive within them They who did bear his image here when he shall appear shall be like him They who in the world cried Hosanna to the Highest shall then chant forth Hallelujah to him that sitteth upon the Throne Secondly The Society of Saints and Angels This is another part of their Happiness Our Saviour describeth part of Heavens Happiness to consist therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Theod laps Paraen Luk 13.28 29. Mat. 8.11 They shall come from the East and the West the North and the South and sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God Cicero de Senect pag. mibi 212. If Cato the Heathen Philosopher could comfort himself in his old age with an O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caetumque proficiscar cum ex hac turba colluvione discedam Vid. Melch. Adam vit Bullinger Vid. Ger. Med. 48. de suavissima Angelorum in caelo associatione And Socrates against death because after it he hoped to see Homer Hesiod and other worthy men How much more may a Saint lay down his head in * Lu. 2.29 Heb. 12.23 peace and rejoyce seeing he is but going to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are writien in heaven and to the spirits of just men made perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chry. hom 70. de mart Egypt The company of the Saints even in this life doth comfort the weak encourage the faint chear up the dejected whilst by their mutual intercourse and intimate society they provoke one another to love and good works inliven each others zeal incite and incourage each other by a good example to hold forth to the end that they may receive the Crown of Life and by mutual offices of love do endear themselves one to the other and chiefly to God whose image they behold ingravened in their Souls as the bond of that Union which is between them If this be so pleasant how sweet will then their communion be in that s●●te of peace where they who served the Lord with one shoulder and prayed together here Omnium Christianorum spes fratre● charissimi in futurum ●empus extenaitur u● quod hic servimus Dom no alibi nos servisse lae●emur Aug. in verb. apost 2 Cor. 5.10 shall with one consent offer up praise to their God where nothing shall interrupt their joy frustrate their hopes contradict their wills which are then perfectly on with God's O blessed Society where is no jarring envy strife O heavenly Consort where is no Discord but a perfect Harmony with God and one another Me-thinks I could say with the Psalmist his phrase somewhat varied Who will give me the wings of a Dove Psal 55.6 that I may fly hither and be at rest And this is the second thing that shall be conferr'd upon them they have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto God in holiness here they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as with so like the Angels in glory hereafter Thirdly Fruition of inconceiveable Joy In this place and that to purpose Psal 50.8 God shall make his people to hear the voice of joy and gladness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Thcod laps paraen If corn and wine and oil do make mens hearts rejoyce what will the light of Gods countenance when lift upon his people so as never more to be obscured with a frown God shall then put gladness into their hearts his joy in this life is in them then shall they enter into their Masters joy Mat. 25.23 Here it is our happiness to have God rejoyce over us there it shall be the honour of the Saints to joy in and with the Lord. Joy here is in a capacity of increase there it shall be full Jeremiah though sometimes cast into the dungeon as not worthy to behold the light shall shine as the Sun and though his feet did stick in the mire yet shall he lift up his head for joy Paul and Silas who did sing in the Prison whilst their feet were in the Stocks shall then be delivered and their glory shall awake to their Redeemers praise Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opend and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing In the wilderness shall waters break out and the streams in the desart Isa 15.5 6. This is the Saints Nuptial day Rev. 19.7 should they not sing for mirth The accomplishment of their Warfare shall they not be in peace The Harvest of their Hopes should they not now rejoyce who themselves are gathered into the garner Yes surely But how great shall be the measure thereof Which leads me to the third Consideration Quoad Mensuram The Measure of their joy Of the * Quae sententia plus habet disputationis quam certitudinis utilitatis Muscul in 1 Cor. 15.40 different Degrees of which there are more nice Discourses than satisfactory Resolutions Some whilst they would engross a greater portion of this glory may possibly detract from Gods grace which is free and bestows a penny upon him who is called at the last hour Quo utique denario vita fignificatur aeterna Aug. Exp. in Johan as well as on them who did bear the heat and burthen of the day The Affirmative is most believed because chiefly desired and is an excellent motive to be abundant in the work of the Lord because he that soweth sparingly shall reap also so but the † Vide Pet. Mart. in 1 Cor. 15.40 Musc ibid. Negative is not yet beyond dispute The various * Has dissimilitude in resurrectione mortuorum apparet verum in applicatione vulge crratur c. Calv. in 1 Cor. 15.41 excellency of the Stars is an Argument wanting light to evidence the different glory of the Saints it being wrested from the first intention of the Apostle and which is more seems to be contradicted by the Lord of Glory who speaking indefinitely of the Righteous tells us Mat. 13.43 they shall shine