Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	able_a	good_a	way_n	264	4	4.1473	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46653	Death unstung a sermon preached at the funeral of Thomas Mowsley, an apothecary, who died July, 1669 : with a brief narrative of his life and death : also the manner of Gods dealings with him before and after his conversion : drawn up by his own hand and published / by James Janeway ...	Janeway, James, 1636?-1674.	1669 (1669)	Wing J459; ESTC R11356	73,896	158

entring into the world but I had no sooner imbraced the motion but that very day I felt a change in my poor soul viz. a too too much letting out my thoughts upon it which I most perceived in duty and the devil who long waited his opportunity did then I am afraid not only parley but get entrance through the treachery and deceitfulness of my wretched heart and he told me that I might lawfully settle my mind upon this it being a business of great concernment and that it would be but a little while and then I should return to my former temper in spiritual matters upon those delusions my silly heart gave way and I found too much willingness of soul to place its concerns in that matter and so I laying down my watch soon lost my former experiences and every day I found my comforts on the ebbing hand I secretly departed from God and darkened the light of his countenance that did shine sometimes upon my soul and had not infinite grace put a seasonable word into your mouth to prevent me how had I fallen and whither had I gone I could not have thought it possible that ever my heart should decline so strangely as it did I that formerly could serve my Master faithfully cheerfully and comfortably did it grutchingly and not out of love though I never fell so far through grace as to neglect any thing of his businesses yet 〈◊〉 lost the right principles of action and the art of spiritualizing of civil affairs and this lasted for about three moneths It is scarce to be thought what perplexities I brought my self into by my back-sliding from God I have not time to declare things and had I it would be very unwelcome to you true I hope I did enjoy some communion with God when I was engaged in duties especially in that to be admired Ordinance of the Sacrament and Prayer but yet my comforts and duty usually ended together I hope the experience that I have had of the treachery of my own heart will make me carry a fence of my weakness and folly so as 〈◊〉 throw my self wholly upon the wisdom of God I have thus opened my soul to you O that the Lord who first for his own name sake shewed mercy to me when I deserved none would now look upon me in my low estate and consult the same bowels of pitty and compassion which are infinite past the sins of finite creatures O that he would heal my back-slidings and love me freely God is the same and changeth not and my hopes are that he will again return and visit my soul in mercy After this the Lord was pleased to come in again and he found his former comforts in some measure returning after a great deal of pains with his own heart and wrestling with God Hear what language he begins to speak again Blessed be God for what I do enjoy it is ten thousand times more than I deserve I hope the dew of the sanctuary doth oft refresh me and the blood of Jesus is my cordial when I sit at his Table he visits me and his banner over me is love I may speak it to the glory of rich grace that my heart is in a better frame than it was and I am more free from distractions in duty but yet I am far from that frame that I was once in my distemper it lyeth in want of those strong affections to God and that which hath made me so silent to you is the fear of hypocrisie lest my tongue should at any time out-reach my heart I might be far larger and yet speak none but his words this I think may prove that he was a very curious observer of his own soul and took notice of the least departures of his heart from God or Gods absenting of himself from him I might tell you what pains he took to prepare for the Sacrament and what exactness he used afterwards in taking notice how his soul was affected when it was not raised what care did he use till he found a fresh w●r●nth heat and life animating of him I might tell you how frequent he was in that rare duty of meditation I speak not this without book many sheets of his meditations which I have by me shew that he was no stranger to those spiritual duties which few understand and fewer practise 9. He was greatly desirous to be reproved and watched over that of the Psalmist was oft in his mouth and written in his Letter Let the Righteous smite me and it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me and it shall be excellent Oyl which shall not break my head 10. He was much exercised in acts of mortification and self denyal he laboured to keep under his body to have the command of his passions and affections very temperate drinking water c. 11. He was frequently praising of God and speaking well of his wayes indeed his deportment was such that he credited Religion and commended the service of his great Master and made people to believe that Religion was an excellent thing and he justified wisdom and was able to say her wayes were pleasantness and her paths peace 12. He was a very good Husband of time one would wonder how one could roll over such a deal of business as he did not in the least neglecting his Masters affairs and yet that he should write such packets of letters and pen so many Meditations and be so very helpful to his brethren the young men How many Books did he read over and read them to the purpose so as to make them his own some of them five or six times over and if he had no company to dicourse with when he went abroad he lookt oft into his Pocket Book which was called Making Religion ones business 13. He had a strong affection for the faithful Ministers of Christ and was concerned when the Cloud began to threaten them that he ingaged all the Prayers he could for them that the Lord would blow over this storm and I am ready to think that this might hasten his end 14. He was greatly afraid of spiritual pride to this end he desired me to keep a watch over him and beseeched me to discover it to him when I did at any time discern the actings of it but though he had great parts and gifts above his age yet the fence of former sins and his curious observance of his heart and the fence of free grace kept him very low 15. He seemed to be possessed with the thoughts of death and Eternity He had a strong impression upon his spirit of the neerness of his end for about half a year before he dyed And 16. He was much above the fears of death and from a deep fence of the reallity of invisibles and his propriety in them he thought long for possession and he could say I desire to be dissolved and to be with Jesus On the Lords Day before he dyed he

command the affections of all that hear of thee that nothing but thy love may serve their turns Pardon me that this admirable one hath dravvn out my thoughts so largely If you can but love after all this and see him when you dye with comfort you will say I were too short in his praises and too superficial in his commendations and that the half was not told you 4. The blessedness of departed Saints lies in this that they shall meet with all the Children of God and have communion with the spirits of the just made perfect Thou shalt then meet thy best friends whose company was so warming whose words were so incouraging whose lives did so much command Religion their Faces did then shine their conversation was in Heaven but O what an alteration is there in them for the better their Souls are now like Christ nothing but grace love and praise no difference in judgment no pride or passion nothing that offends And how vvill they vvelcome you to their Fathers House you that took sweet counsel together that went to the House of God that talk'd of that glory how glad will you be when you meet in it Nay Death will bring you acquainted with all these famous Worthies of whom the World was not worthy the noble Champions of Christ which thought not their lives dear to them so they might but finish their course with joy this Porter opens the Door and lets the Saints Soul into that Palace where all the Favourites of that great Prince reside and thou shalt stand also with them upon Mount Zion in the presence of that Mighty King and shalt behold and live in his glory for ever And is all this inconsiderable What would I give to see Enoch that walked with God How glad should I be to be acquainted with Elias how joyful if I might have some discourse with Paul Would it not make one couragious in the cause of God if one could hear Daniel or the Three Children tell the story of their deliverance How should one be pleased to have it from the Mouth of Moses Joshuah and Caleb what God did for Israel in the Fields of Ham the Red-Sea and the Wilderness and how he brought them into the Land of Canaan hovv do you think you should be affected at such things as these vvhy as formidable as Death looks it 's he that brings us to the speech of all these How loath are we novv to part when a knot of us have got together to talk about the things of another World are not the Saints the excellent ones in whom is our delight is not the empty discourse of the unexperienced World tedious and their Company a burden Why Heaven hath in it none but Saints and Angels and the blessed God Is not that Company indeed and all their work will be to admire praise and love God and to take infinite delight and complacency in him to all Eternity O what acclamations of joy vvill there be vvhen all the Children of God shall meet together vvithout fear of being disturbed by the Antichristian and Cainish brood when they meet and never part but joyn in Hallelujahs for ever That that 's the melody vvhen a Quire of ten thousand times ten thousand of Angels shall sing an Eternal Song and the hundred and forty and four thousand and that innumerable Company out of all Nations Tongues and Kindreds shall ansvver saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto Him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.13 Luk. 13.28 29. Heb. 11.22 Eph. 2.19 5. An other thing wherein the blessedness of the Saints departed consists is that then all their Prayers shall be sully answered their desires satisfied and hopes enjoyed They now oft with sorrow hear the reproaches of the wicked who are ready to ask them vvhere is their God vvhat is become of their sasts tears and groans to vvhat purpose do they afflict themselves what profit is it for them to call upon God what benefit is there in serving the Almighty The wicked boast of their hearts desire and are ready to sleight Religion as a useless and contemptible thing But is there not a time a coming vvhen the godly may ask them vvhat profit they have novv in their pleasures vvhat comfort in their greatness what fruit of all their labours and with unspeakable satisfaction produce their Crown and say This this was the prize that we contended for this was the reward that vve had in our Eye this was the glory and honour which we so highly valued This is our God in whom we have trusted Es 25.9 The Saints shall then see that it was not in vain to seek knock and wait then they shall understand that nothing was lost which was spent for their Souls and Heaven they shall shortly know that the poorest hearty groan was heard the quickest ejaculations were not unobserved and that the vveakest sincere Prayers were able to pierce the Heavens O who would not serve such a Master who can't forget any of his nay the Lord will infinitely out-do their requests and give them more than their Tongue could ask and mindes conceive This is the portion of them that seek thee that seek thy face O Jacob. 6. At Death the Believer shall be possessed of God and know what the beatifical Vision means and if you would be better satisfied what this is my request is that you would live holily and go and see And if after a sight and sense of this incomprehensible glory you finde that I have deceived you by making you to over-value it I am contented to bear the blame of an Impostor I am here but brief because I must confess my Meditations are now at a loss and silence and astonishment must speak the rest 7. That which is no small addition to a Saints happiness is this that there is no fear of losing of it his Enemies can't rob him for they are all safe enough and his Treasure is locked up there where neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt nor Thieves break thorow and steal the Christian may then rejoyce over his Enemy and say vvho shall separate me from the love of God they that are safe in Heaven need not to entertain any fears of losing their Inheritance If God that made Heaven and brought them to it can secure them if Christ that bought it for them can make good his purchase if all challenges are laid aside they are vvell enough thy house shall not be shaken thy comforts are durable and the lease of thy Inheritance runs parallel with the life of God and must not expire till Eternity be spent Rom. 8.33 Heb. 13.5 If. 54 10. Is 35. last 8. The last thing that I shall mention wherein the happiness of the Dead that dye in the Lord consists is in the full and joyful assurance of a glorious Resurrection and acquaittance at the day of Judgment Their Bodies are the sacred Temples