Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	death_n	life_n	3,302	5	4.8128	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17866	A treatise upon death first publickly delivered in a funerall sermon, anno Dom. 1630. And since enlarged By N.C. Preacher of Gods word in Scotland at Kilmacolme in the baronie of Renfrew.	Campbell, Ninian, 1599-1657.	1635 (1635)	STC 4533; ESTC S118869	47,144	129

requested by my near and dear friends yea abundantly warranted by these who have the prioritie of place in church government above me and as it seemeth by your favourable silence and Christian attention invited to speak I have purposed by the speciall concurrence and assistance of the spirit of my God to deliver unto you a brief meditation upon death Pray ye all to God to engrave it by the finger of his all-pearcing spirit in the vive depth of my heart that again by way of spirituall communication I may write it upon the tables of your hearts as it were with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond that both preacher and hearer may lay it up in their memories and practise it in their lives and conversations And I intreat you all and most of all these who are of a tender conscience I entreat you I say in the tender bowels of mercie not to misconstruct my coming hither which ought rather to be a matter of singular comfort then of prejudged censure a matter of profitable instruction rather then of envious emulation a matter of pious devotion then of repining contention I think not shame with the glorious apostle to preach in season and out of season for the converting winning and ingathering of soules I do not say this That I consent to these who contemne and condemne altogether such meetings for albeit I would confesse unto them that the time place and persons were extraordinarie as indeed they may seem to these who have not travailed out of their paroch churches or seen forrein countries yet the customes of the primitive church see Nazianzen Ambrose Jerome c. and of our reformed churches in France Genevah Germanie upper and lower in great Britaine and elsewhere maketh all three ordinarie and the subject of this present meditation viz. Death proveth the same to be common THE SERMON Hebr. 9. 27. For it is appointed for men once to die c. THis is a short a memorable a grave assertion Short because few in words but full of substance Memorable because a remembrance of death Grave because the vive representation of it before our eyes should teach us our frail and transitorie condition in this world But that I may proceed with a clear method without the which there is no solid discourse marke these points 1 The logick analysis of these words 2 The grammaticall and criticall expositions 3 The doctrines conforme with their severall uses inferred upon them 4 And lastly the conclusion of this whole action by way of application to these two dead corps As for the analysis I shall not be curious in it Ye see only the subject of this sentence is Men once to die The attribute Appointed The sentence it self is generall because the appointment is generall Death generall The subject of death Man generall The number of death Once if unitie can be a number As for the exposition There are three words which need to be cleared The first whereof is appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded by worthie Suidas Laid up as a reward and so indeed death is the wages of sinne Phavorinus following that most learned Hesychius turneth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is prepared and so indeed it is prepared for all men once to die But our Greek and Latine ancient and moderne writers translate it ordeined decreed established for all men once to die I embrace their orthodox versions yet they will suffer me to explain this word by others in scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreseen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is foreknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is fore-purposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is predestinate that all men must once die I confesse all these foure words are to man diverse modo percipiendi yet to God they are all one who howbeit he be the first and the last yet in him there is neither first no● last So that the meaning is this It is the irresistible will eternall decree unchangeable purpose unsearchable counsel of the wise and everliving God That all men and women living upon the face of the earth must once die Obj. But this may be called into question by two or three instances taken out of the old and new testaments In the old Genes 5. we read That Enoch was no more seen by man but taken by God And 2 King cap. 2. that Elias was caught up in a fierie chariot unto heaven so that they were both translated not to see death In the new we read 1 Thess 4. That these who shall survive at the day of judgement they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and caught up into the clouds for to meet with the Lord in the aire and to be ever with him so that these also shal not taste of death I answer first That some few extraordinarie instances do not altogether break the band of ordinarie courses once set down by God who is without shadow of turning or changing Secondly I answer That Enoch and Elias in so far as they were men they were mortall but in so far as they were such men they were immortall that is In so far as they were types of the resurrection and of the prototype Jesus the immortall coeternall coessentiall Son of God the Father And as for those who shall remain alive upon the earth on that great day their death will not be reall but analogicall not actuall but virtuall or equivalent that is They shall not die as their predecessours a naturall death but their extraordinarie change shall supply or be in stead of an ordinarie death So that ye may manifestly perceive the appointment of God is surer then the center of the earth or the foundation of the heavens for these two are grounded upon it and it upon none except it self the center and fundament of all whose appointment is himself in whom there is no composition no accident Quicquid enim in Deo Deus est that is whatsoever is in God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very God him very self one and the same yesterday to day and for ever And thus far of the exposition of the first word appointed The second word is Death Suidas by a periphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a refuge from evils and as it were a most safe haven after some storme Phavo●inus who wrote after the rest of Greek authours giveth foure short descriptions of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A separation of the soul from the bodie A disjunction of the foure elements whereof our bodies are made The loosing of the life The chasing away of cares Scripture calleth it a loosing not a losing or dissolution not a destruction Our Theologues they commonly make three sorts of death First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturall death not that nature is the cause of it for it is sui conservatrix a defender of it self but that it is made common

to all things in nature and under the sun things also above the divine nature onely excepted have their owne changes as well as their influences Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Violent death when the course of nature is interrupted by some strange event common also to all living creatures And the Pagans themselves without any contradiction acknowledged these two sorts The third is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The death of deaths called spirituall death and it is twofold either first when a man is dead in his sins through desertion occoecation obduration impenitence or last when a man because of his continuance in the same is cast away from Gods presence and union as a reprobate and consequently is adjudged to the hells without any recoverie deliverie mercie God preserve us from this estate and happy shall we be if we die before we die for so we shall not die when we die that is if we die to sin before our bodie die for so when it dieth we shall not die spiritually and he that will live when he is dead must die while he is alive that whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we die we die to the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. For Christ to us in death and life is advantage Philip. 1. 21. For Christ therefore died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. And thus far of the exposition of the second word Death The third word is Man I know the naturalists being blindfolded intoxicate and infatuate with self-love and self-conceipt gave innumerable glorious titles to man and amongst the rest they called him the monarch of heaven and earth the midst betwixt the Creatour and the creature the Lord compend and picture of this world a little world the delight and miracle of nature the miracle of miracles yea a mortall God and as the Stoicks say in one thing lesse then God But it is to be remarked that the most solid Philosophers did call man amongst other disparagements the patterne of imbecilitie the prey of time the pastime of fortune the pourtraict of inconstancy the subject of envie and calamitie Or as Diogenes saith rottennesse in his beginning a beast in his life the food of worms in his death But to leave all exotick observations let us speak of him in the language of Canaan There are three words which in the originall signifie man The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noble strong worthie excellent man for in the estate of innocencie and integritie he was created perfectly holy in body and soul in which sense Philo Judaeus calleth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the patterne and man Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effigie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workmanship But alas O man thou hast made a great change and hast lost infinite treasures for earthly toyes of holy thou art become unholy of perfect imperfect and art metamorphosed from the image of God to the image of Satan The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enosch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 painefull sorrowfull miserable man for by his vile apostasie from his Lord and King from his Master and Father he hath brought shame and punishment upon himself and through him to his whole posterity as water is derived through the channell to the streams or as the sappe of a tree is sent up from the roote to the branches The third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam and this word is almost one with Enosch for it signifieth weak feeble impotent man and so it is distinguished from Isch As in greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differs from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalme 49. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene Isch that is the rich and the poore the noble and the ignoble potent and impotent But this third word Adam signifieth most especiallie the matter whereof wee are made clay earth dust And in this sense Moses Deut. 32. Jer. 22. 29. say O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord that is O man man man earth by constitution earth by disposition earth by dissolution set down in the Latine wel terra quam terimus terra quam gerimus terra quam quaerimus And Chrysostome saith more it is our countrey ournurse our mother our board our house our sepulchre Augustine tearmes it our strange land and Nazianzen our step-mother and this is Gods own conference with man in that terrestriall paradise Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return confessed by Abraham Gen. 18. 27. I am but dust and ashes and by Job ch 10. 9. O Lord thou hast made me as a pot of clay and wilt bring me unto dust again And this is amplified by Solomon Siracides yea the Turks and Pagans who affirme that we were once made of earth must return to it again as waters to the sea And this is Gods owne voice to Isaias ch 40. 6. repeated in 1. Peter 1. 24. All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof decayeth Where first mark the matter of man in the word flesh that is a senslesse dead lump till that the Lord and Prince of life breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and so he become a living soule Secondly the continuance of man and that very short represented first by grasse which the mower cutteth the winde withereth the frost consumeth secondly by a flower which the hand plucketh the winde shaketh the rain walloweth both of small endurance for one winter taketh away both Even so man may in the pleasant flower of his age bud flourish fructifie but when the smiting winde of Gods decree bloweth on him he withereth decayeth dieth And when hee is gone were he ever so glorious in this life there is no more memorie of him then of a beautifull flower in a mowen meadow his loyall wife his loving children his neare friends his dear companions all forget him and howbeit in the vanitie of their ambitious spirit and pride of their loftie heart they would erect sumptuous tombes speaking trophees gorgious monuments onely times prey upon him he is not sensible of such things for Esay 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not and after this life he must be in one of these two estates without a third either in hell sempiternally confined and if he bee there what comfort can hee receive of funerall preparations multitudes of convoy bearing of branches and such like superfluities which reach not beyond the span of this life or if he be triumphing in heaven no earthly pompe no humane magnificence no worldly preheminence can adde any thing to that superexcellent weight of glory no more then a drachme to the weight of the whole earth or