Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36543
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The Christians zodiake, or, Twelve signes of predestination unto life everlasting written in Lattin by Ieremie Drexelius.; Zodiacus Christianus locupletatus. English
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Drexel, Jeremias, 1581-1638.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing D2168; ESTC R38850
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91,238
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264
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undertaken onely at certaine times and then intermitted foâ— so long againe but we are still to actuate our selves therein with a firme purpose of persevering And this is the Doctrine delivered to us from that Angellicall mouth St. Tho. vera serâ—a penitentia non tantum a peccatis praeteritis expiat sed etiam preservat à futuris that true and sincere repentance doth not only expiate us from our passed sins but also preserves us from future ones he doth not repent for his sins who hath not the like purpose withall of never falling into the like sinnes againe The first Paragraph CHrist having healed the Paraletick in the Gospell Iohn 5. commanded him to take up his bed and walk which he performed instantly sustulit grabatuÌ„ suum ambulabat The occasions of sinning are first to be avoyded and removed out of the way and then we are to proceed to a most vertuous course of life The Prodigall-child being almost starv'd with hunger said Surgam ibo ad patrem meum I will rise and goe to my Father Neither did he onely say he would goe but he went indeed whereas we for the most part when it comes to this through our owne negligence doe lose both usâ— of hands and feet we are onely active in words nothing in deeds mighty of our tongues and feeble of our hands we bend the bow but never shoâ—t the arrow we purpose much but never performe any thing we are sorry when we are fallen iâ—to any sin but use no dâ—ligence in providing not to fall againe And as those who wish to have their wounds cured but apply not the remedy so we would avoyd the falling into sins but divert not the stream of affections which carries us towards them Age finds us still procrastinating and seeking of delayes our liâ—e hastes away whilst we doe nothing but purpose and make faire promises and is past before we put them in execution when death arrests us in midst of our long purposes and derides us for having consumed so many yeares in resolving what to do without doing any thing Such an one was St Augustine once but not long such an one he â—id not diferre that till he was old which no man can undertake too yong Dicebam apud me intus Ecce mâ— do fiat 8 Cons c. 11. modo fiat Et cum verbo jam ibam in placitum jam pene faciebam non faciebam nec relabebar tamen in pristina sed de pâ—oximo stabam râ—spâ—rabam Retinebant me nugae nugarum vanitates vanitatum antiquae â—micae meae succuâ—iebant vestem meâ—m carneam submurm rabant dimittis ne â—os I said in my selfe saâ—th he behold I wil doe it shortly and â—â—orâ—ly it shall be done And having said this I was satisfied I was even upon the poynt of performance but performed nothing yet I returned not wholly to my old customes again but stood panting not far of I was stayed and detained by those old friends of mine the toyes of toyes and vanities of vanities and shaking me by this same vestment of flesh they muttered these words Will you forsake us then Yes truely he forsook you and wholly discarded you he shook off your intollerable yoke and detested in such manner the wayes of his former life as he never thereafter set foot in them againe The second Paragraph WE often undertake a better course of life but we persever not in it and so whilst we goe not forwards with our web it unravels againe and becomes as miâ—hapen as it was before We want not as we may well suppose many pious endevours ho y thoughts pure intentions and wise deliberations and in all which wee are but like the Athenians who enacted excellent lawes but were starke nought to urge them on to execution or provide they might not be antiquated by the times abuse We prescribe to ouâ— selves a most laudable course of life and most conducing to our salvation but at every little tediousnesse and molestation we desist from it we fortifie our selves with many holy and fiery purposes but at thâ— first parley of our rebellious flesh at the first solicitation of our alluring enemy seconded with others of that flattering crew we render up our selves and without any resistance suffer our selves to be trailed into the filthy puâ—dle of our former sinnes so unconstant is oâ—r Repentance and so little durable O deare Christian thou hast resolved to lead a life most pure to decline all occaâ—ons which may blemish it to refrain thine eyes the â—ollicitors of lust and mortifie the unrulinesse of thy flesh and thou dost well therein Thou beginnest to debâ—t thy tongue from mis-beseeming words to harbour an aversion from reading lascivious books And all this very well Thou purposest to suppress thy anger to moderate thy passions to reject all enmity and banish envy wholly from thy mind and thou dost excellent well Thou resolvest to be more reserved in speech to be silent whilst others are detracted of and patient when thâ— selfe art injured and all this excellâ—nt well But how far more excellent were it to remain still constant to our purposes whereas alas how many are there who yesterday could bridle their tongues containe their lubricities suppresse their angers and overcome themselves who to day are wholly effused on their former licentiousnesse and in receiving againe the servile yoke of unruly lust and a licentious tongue and giving the reines of their furious passions become as very slâ—ves to vices as they were before It is no true repentanc wihich is not stable and permanent but rather inconstancy and light volubility of mind We are like those cowardly fencers who at blunt can handle their weapons skilf lly and make great flourishes but being challenged to the field at sharp the glaunce of the naked weapons so dazles their eyes as they run dastardly away and expose their backs to those wounds which make them fearefully turne away their face We are like unexpert foot men who at their first setting out do keep a mighty adoe ut they are presently all in a sweat and forced to take up bâ—fore they have halfe run the race How often doe we undertake matters of great consequence which we begin laudaâ—ly and for a time hopefully proâ—â—cute untilâ— by degrees wee languish afterwards come to fall and at thâ— lenâ—th lye groveling all along That â—ice makes vaine ostentation of blossoms which onely promises fruit b t never produces any That Architect lays but a bootlesse foundation on which he never raâ—seth a building up and what doth it availe a Mariner to hoise up sayle weigh Anchor and betake him to the sterne if he never put to sea or else make for land againe as soon as he is out of the havens mouth And what do we but lay the foundation with this Architect and never goe forward with the building we have in hand Begin our Exordium with tâ—e Oratour