Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	john_n	love_v	true_a	4,911	5	5.7716	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60670	Life in death, or The living hope of a dying saint, handled in a sermon preached at the funeral of that eminently vertuous, and religious gentle-woman, Mris. Mary Morley, late wife to Colonel Harbert Morley, Esq; and daughter to Sr. John Trevor Knight. By Zachary Smith, minister of the Gospel, and pastor of the church at Glynde in Sussex, Sept. 18. 1656.	Smith, Zachary, b. 1604 or 5.	1656 (1656)	Wing S4351; ESTC R214782	29,879	40

LIFE IN DEATH OR The living Hope of a dying Saint HANDLED IN A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of that Eminently Vertuous and Religious Gentle-woman Mris MARY MORLEY Late wife to Colonel Harbert Morley Esq and Daughter to Sr. JOHN TREVOR Knight By Zachary Smith Minister of the Gospel and Pastor of the Church at Glynde in Sussex Sept. 18. 1656. Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Prov. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladnesse but the expectation of the wicked shall perish 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Polani Syntagma pag. 342. Mors electis credentibus non est pro peccatis satisfactio sed peccati abolitio transitus in vitam aeternam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianzen Orat. 21. London Printed by W. Bentley for Andrew Crook at the sign of the green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1656. To the Honourable Sr. JOHN TREVOR Knight And to his vertuous Consort the Lady ANNE TREVOR As also to the Honourable Colonel HARBERT MORLEY Esq HONOURABLE I Make bold to prefix your names to this plain ensuing Sermon not that I conceive it worthy of your Patronage but because none had sadder hearts than your selves at the occasion of it nor any Persons on earth greater Interest in or nearer Relation to that precious Gentle-woman at whose Funeral it was preached If my heart deceive me not it 's not desire of vain-glory that makes me willing to publish this Sermon but rather these motives First a desire that God may have the glory of the Soveraignty of his grace ascribed unto him who can so deeply implant his fear in the hearts of his people that they shall never depart from him and can keep alive those sparks of heavenly fire which he casts into the bosoms of his Children in the midst of the Sea of worldly encumbrances or enjoyments Many waters cannot quench love a proof whereof was evident in her she lost not her first love to Christ and his Truth in these times of Libertinisme and Errour neither did the Cares or Profits or Pleasures or Honours of the world whereof she might have her hands full choke the good seed of Gods word in her but still she kept the best room of her heart free for Christ and heavenly things Many of my reverend brethren have of late years born publick testimony to the Truth of Christ I take this occasion to give in my testimony to the Truth of his grace maintained and manifested to the last in this blessed Saint Though Paul tells us that not many wise not many mighty not many rich not many Noble are chosen and called yet one such at least was in this little Parish whiles she continued among us who gloried more in the Lord than in riches or honour or all worldly enjoyments and I hope some yet remain among us looking towards Christ and heaven much provoked thereunto and bettered by her example Another motive that induced me hereunto was an earnest inclination in my spirit to testifie that honourable respect that I did bear towards her I am not afraid to tell the world that she was a Gentle-woman whom I did as much honour and as highly esteem as any one living of her sex and quality in regard of the vertues and graces which I observed shining forth in her carriage whereby she did very much beautifie and adorn her profession of Religion I find Matth. 26.13 that our Saviour takes care that a Memorial of Maries Piety Beneficence towards him in anointing his head and feet with precious Oyntment Joh. 12.3 might be published and perpetuated in after-ages and I am much emboldned by that instance of Christ to take some care that this Maries Memorial also who delighted to sit at Christs feet and hear his word and who often anointed his head with the sweet Oyntment of Piety and Devotion glorifying him as God and his feet with the Oyntment of Charity and Compassion relieving his poor Members and so ministring to Christ of her substance may be published and transmitted to posterity In hope also that the Readers hereof may through the blessing of God be edified and provoked to walk in the way to eternal life and follow after righteousnesse so as they also may have hope in their death I have adventured to commit this Sermon to publick view to give people warning not to go on in their sins lest they be driven away in their wickednesse nor to content themselves with the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees lest they come short of the Kingdom of Heaven nor to rest in a bare groundlesse lazie conjectural Hope lest their hope make them ashamed and exhorting them to use all diligence to make their calling and election sure by making sure their interest in Christ by faith considering that such as are without Christ are without hope Ephes 2.12 whereas such as have Christ framed in them have learned a rich and glorious mystery Christ in us being the hope of glory Col. 1.27 For if with Paul we resolve endeavour that Christ shall be magnified by us whether by life or death he will be unto us both in life and death advantage Phil. 1.20 21. And when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 I shall not trouble you further with any Apology for my boldnesse in mentioning your names and addressing my self to you in the Dedication hereof assuring you it is not with any desire or intent to revive or encrease your sorrow or aggravate your grief who had the greatest share in that great losse which we have of late sustained but rather to asswage and allay it by minding you of that great gain and advantage which she hath gotten by death Our Saviour tells his Disciples when comfortlesse at the thought of his departure from them If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go unto the Father John 14.28 I know you loved her dearly as a dutifull Childe to you her Parents and as a tender affectionate faithfull spouse and true Christian yoke-fellow to you her Husband let your love to her be now expressed rather in rejoycing that she is gone to her heavenly Father that she is at rest in the bosom of her Spiritual Bridegroom than in mourning for her departure from 〈…〉 of this Vale of misceries considering that to be with Christ is far better and in the presence of her heavenly relations she may enjoy fulnesse of blisse and pleasures for ever more If the Poet spake truth when he said Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris That it 's a comfort to the afflicted to have companions of their grief you may take some comfort in considering you had many who did sympathize and condole with you at her death yea very many of the Children of Sion did mourn and make bitter lamentation so that

in every condition to undergo what he inflicts and to wait his leisure for deliverance out of all straits Heb. 10.36 ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may inherit the promises they that would rejoyce in hope must be patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 Rom. 8.25 7. Lastly be much in prayer unto the Lord who is the God of hope that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 and that your hearts may be filled with all joy and peace in believing and that you may be made partakers of the righteousnesse of God both imputed unto justification and infused by his spirit unto sanctification that as becometh Trees of righteousnesse of the Lords planting ye may be filled with fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God so shall ye have hope in your death and lay hold on eternal life for they which abound in such fruits of righteousnesse shall abound also in the sure and certain hope of eternal life I should now conclude forbear to speak any thing of the dead knowing that to say much in commendation of the dead is sometimes more offensive than profitable to the living but that some Scripture examples encourage me hereunto Act. 9.36.39 Luke being guided by the spirit of God makes mention of a certain Disciple at Joppa named Tabitha and publisheth it after her death that she was a woman full of good works and Almes deeds which she did and tells us of many mourning Widows shewing the Coats and Garments which Dorcas made while she was with them See what ample commendations are given of that good King Josiah 2 King 23 25. like unto him was there no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his Soul and with all his might neither after him arose there any like him and Heb 11. that whole Chapter is an Encomium setting forth the commendations of men and women famous in their generations for manifesting the life of their faith by their works And in Matth. 26.7 13. the Lord Christ takes care that the memorial of that woman that shewed so much respect and good affection to him as to bestow a box of costly Oyntment upon him should not be buried with her Corpse But wherever the Gospel shall be preached in the whole World there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her However some of his Disciples might censure her rashly as being too lavish and wastfull Christ the most absolute pattern of temperance defendeth this expence in respect of the circumstances and tells them that she was so far from being blame-worthy that the memory of this act of her piety and good affection to him should live to all ages The best actions of good men and women may be sometimes misconstrued by Christs own Disciples as we see there Yet Christ who knowes the intentions of his people sets a price on their good works and defends them though men misinterpret and condemne them The memory of ought done for Christ or any of his God will not suffer to perish This womans Name was Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha as you may see Joh. 12.3 she delighed to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word Luk. 10.39 to whom Christ gives Testimony that she had chosen that good part which shall never be taken from her vers 42. she bestowed much costly ointment upon the feet of Jesus as well as upon the head and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment such another Mary was this so affectionately desirous to sit at Jesus feet and to heare his word and so ready to any act of love and beneficence to Christ the Head or any of his members that she made and bestowed much costly oyntment and other precious cordialls even upon the feet of Christ the poorest and meanest Christians when in their sicknes lamenesse or other infirmityes she was made acquainted with their conditions The odour of her sweet Oyntments did not only fill that house where she made them but the benefit and vertue of them hath been felt to the refreshing of very many in other families of this Countrey where her memory is and will be honoured For me to speake much in Commendation of that precious Gentlewoman the 〈◊〉 of whose Corpse hath occasioned this Concourse of people and solemnity would be but as if I should hold forth a Candle to shew you the sunne she was such a bright shining light and the Graces of Gods spirit did so eminently and illustriously sparkle forth in her speeches and behaviour to the observation of such as had any acquaintance or occasion to converse with her that the Lord hath caused a great Ecclypse and Darknesse to obscure the glory of that family and this whole Neighbourhood in taking her from us Yea and much sadnes and heavines to seize upon all our spirits at our being deprived of so choice a blessing as we enioyed in her I am confident the praise and properties of a vertuous woman mentioned by Solomon Pro. 31.10 c. might as warrantably without flattery be attributed and applyed to her as to any Gentlewoman in this whole County without disparagement to any other She was a woman that truely feared the Lord therefore she shall be praised vers 30. she was very diligent and solicitous about making her Calling and Election sure and with tears trickling down her cheeks hath she often in private Conference propounded doubts and desired Resolutions and directions from me tending thereunto such as lived in that family or rosorted thither knew her to be very conscionable in observing and sanctifying the Lords day and provoking others thereunto calling her servants as well as her children to account what they could remember of the sermons they heard she began betimes like Timothies Mother Eunice and Solomons Mother Bathsheba to justruct her children in the knowledge of the scriptures and to drop instill into her little ones the Principles of Christianity and to train them up in the way that they should goe she was not only carefull that duties of Religion might be attended on daily by those of her family but was also conscionable and frequent in closet-dutyes She was adorned with a meek and a quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price And in her behaviour to her Hushand her chast conversation was coupled with Reverence Love and Obedience a true Christian Yoke-fellow helpfull to him in bearing the yoke of Christ and tenderly regarding the good of his Soul as well as discreetly managing the affaires of the family She was of a sweet winning courteous affable disposition to all very ready to succour and releive any that were poore or sicke whose wants were made known to her whether strangers or neighbours she was so farre from placing any confidence in the flesh or resting upon any thing in her self or her own performances that though she was in high esteem among us for her adorning the Gospell with an holy and unblameable Conversation yet she was very vile in her own eyes and groned much under the sense of her own corruptions her Soul panted so earnestly after Jesus Christ that she counted all but losse and dung that she might win Christ and be found in him In my last conference with her after the discovery of some conflicts betwixt faith and doubting it pleased the Lord so sweetly to come in to the releife of her drooping spirit Nehem. 1.11 and the quieting and satisfying of her Conscience after some musings on Mal. 4.2 that he enabled her to glorify his free Grace and to set her seale to his Testimony concerning Christ in so much that with much vigour and alacrity of spirit she expressed her Resolution in these words I am resolved through Gods Grace to cast my self into the armes of Jesus Christ and rely wholly upon him who I trust will not suffer me to perish Indeed that family and this Parish was adorned with a very precious Jewell whiles that we enioyed her but the Lord judging us all unworthy of her hath taken her hence to weare in his own bosom in heaven whereby we are all deprived of a singular spurre to Piety and help to Devotion I shall adde no more concerning her but make one request to you all that you will not only learn by this sad warning of our Mortality to be prepared for death by following after Righteousnesse that you may have hope in your death and follow her into Glory but that you will expresse your love and respect to her sorrowfull and disconsolate 〈◊〉 fellow and motherlesse Children in praying that 〈…〉 improovement may be made by him of this sad 〈…〉 him and his family and that the children may 〈…〉 Gra●e as 〈◊〉 years They being now deprived of any furth●● 〈…〉 of their mother let me desire you to be in 〈…〉 much in prayer with the Lord that Christ may be framed in them and that they may hereafter be blessings to that family and their Countrey and that this Ancient family of the Morleyes may continue to be eminent for yielding good Patriots and men of publike spirits ready to honour God and serve their Countrey in succeeding Generations FINIS