Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	youth_n	youthful_a	101	3	11.1514	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40889	Fifty sermons preached at the parish-church of St. Mary Magdalene Milk-street, London, and elsewhere whereof twenty on the Lords Prayer / by ... Anthony Farindon ... ; the third and last volume, not till now printed ; to which is adjoyned two sermons preached by a friend of the authors, upon his being silenced.; Sermons. Selections	Farindon, Anthony, 1598-1658.	1674 (1674)	Wing F432; ESTC R306	820,003	604

apparitions that shall go before his second coming to the end that when they come we may not be dismayed and affrighted at the sight but may entertain them as Angels which bring us good tidings of good things that we may look upon them as Objects of joy rather then of amazement that they may not dead our spirits or change our countenances or trouble our joynts or make us hold down our heads like a bullrush but rowse up our hearts and fill us with joy and make us to say This is the day which the Lord hath made a day of exaltation and redemption a day of jubilee and triumph and so look up and lift up our heads And here methinks I see in my Text a strange conjunction of Night and Day of Brightness and Darkness of Terror and Joy or a chain made up as it were of these three links Terror Exultation and Redemption Yet they will well hang together if Redemption be the middle link For in this they meet and are friends Redemption being that which turns the Night into Day maketh affliction joyful and puts a bright and lovely colour upon Horror it self When these things come to pass Why these things are terrible It is true yet lift up your heads But how can we lift up our heads in this day of terror in this day of vengeance in this day of gloominess and darkness Can we behold this sight and live Yes we may The next words are quick and operative of power to lift up our heads and to exalt our horn and strength as the horn of an Unicorne and make us stand strong against all these terrors Look up lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Not to detein you longer by way of Preface Four things there are which in these words that I have read are most remarkable 1. The Persons unto whom these words are uttered in the particle Your Lift up your heads 2. What things they are of which our Saviour here speaks in the first words of the Text Now when these things begin to come to pass 3. The Behaviour which our Saviour commends unto us in these words Look up lift up your heads 4. Last of all the Reason or Encouragement words of life and power to raise us from all faintness of heart and dullness of spirit For your redemption draweth nigh I have formerly upon another Text spoken of the two first points the Persons to whom and the Things whereof our Saviour here speaketh Before I come to the third point the Behaviour prescribed to be observed by them who see the signs foretold in this Chapter come to pass it will not be amiss a little to consider whence it comes to pass that in the late declining age of the world so great disorder distemper and confusion have their place And it shall yield us some lessons for our instruction And first of all it may seem to be Natural and that it cannot be otherwise For our common experience tells us that all things are apt to breed somewhat by which themselves are ruin'd How many Plants do we see which breed that worm which eats out their very heart We see the body of Man let it be never so carefully so precisely ordered yet at length it grows foul and every day gathers matter of weakness and disease which at first occasioning a general disproportion in the parts must at the last of necessity draw after it the ruin and dissolution of the whole It may then seem to fall out in this great body of the World as it doth in this lesser body of ours By its own distemper it is the cause of its own ruin For the things here mentioned by our Saviour are nothing else but the diseases of the old decaying World The failing of light in the Sun and Moon what is it but the blindness of the World an imperfection very incident to Age. Tumults in the Sea and Waters what are they but the distemper of superfluous humors which abound in Age Wars and rumors of wars are but the falling out of the prime qualities in the union and harmony of which the very being of the creature did consist It is observed by the Wise Libidinosa intemperans adolescentia effoetum corpus tradit senectuti Youth riotously and luxuriously and lewdly spent delivers up to old age an exhaust and juyceless and diseased body Do we not every day see many strong and able young men fade away upon the sudden even in the flower of their age and soon become subject to impotency and diseases and untimely death These commonly are the issues of riot luxury and intemperance Nor can it be otherwise Therefore we cannot but expect that the World should be exceedingly diseased in its old decaying age whose youthful dayes and not only those but all other parts of its age have been spent in so much intemperance and disorder Scarcely had the World come to any growth and ripeness but that it grew to that height of distemper that there was no way to purge it but by a general Floud purgati baptisma mundi as St. Hierome calls it in which as it were in the Baptism its former sins were done away And after that scarcely had three hundred years past but a general disease of Idolatry over-spread and seized on all well-near Abraham and his Family excepted Yet after this once more it pleased God to take the cure into his hands by sending his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ the great Physician and Bishop of our souls But what of all this After all this was done tantorum impensis operum by so much cost and so much care his Physick did not work as it should and little in comparison was gained upon the World For the Many of us we are still the sons of our fathers Therefore we have just cause of fear that God will not make many more tryals upon us or bestow his pains so oft in vain Christ is the last Priest and the last Physician that did stand upon the earth and if we will not hear him what remains there or what can remain but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the world Ephraim is turned unto Idols let him alone I will spend no more labor in Hos 4. vain upon him Thus as Physicians when they find the disease incurable let the diseased go on unto his end so God having now as it were tryed his skill in vain having invited all and seeing so few come having spoken to all and so few hear having poured out his Sons bloud to purge the World and seeing so few cleansed for ought we know and it is very probable hath now resolv'd the World shall go unto its end which in so great a body cannot be without the disorder and confusion our blessed Saviour here speaketh of But you may peradventure take this for a speculation and no more and I have urged it no further then as a

But besides their open and professed adversaries they found enemies amongst those who were of their own houshold What was there which could make men miserable or move their impatience which did not break in upon them every day Could Contempt They were counted the off-scouring of the world Could Violence It was counted Religion to kill them Could Hatred Accusabantur vocabula the very name of CHRISTIAN was an accusation If there were any seeds of evil in them so much fire as is in the Flint there was outward violence enough to strike it out So that a Christian may seem to be as he spake of Palladius coagulum omnium aerumnarum the very compound of all calamities and the Centre wherein all miseries meet Now it is almost natural to Misery to breath it self out in complaints as Lovers use to do to complain to the Day and the Night to the Sun and the Moon Flesh and bloud draws it self in at the very sight and approach of any thing that distasts it and when it is touched it swells and evaporateth A hard thing it is for men in disgrace not to be impatient and a common thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for men who have struggled long with afflictions with injustice and injuries to grow fierce and revengeful and because they are contemned of all to hate all and to treasure up that wrath which if ever opportunity breath upon it will break forth and burn like fire Whence the Historian observes of Otho that he was longo exsilio efferatus grown fierce and cruel upon long exile Agrippam ignominiâ accensum that the disgrace which Agrippa received had much altered his disposition Therefore our Saviour here to prevent the like in his Disciples who but for the hope of that which is to come were of all men most miserable teacheth them a new method of Revenging injuries by forgiving them of Subduing misery by enduring it of Conquering an enemy by falling down at his feet to take up no other buckler then Meekness against the worst of those evils which he saw would befall them And thus he provided that though the Religion which he did set up might displease yet those whom he sent forth to publish it should offend no man and save themselves as it were by the fire of Persecution This is the Policy which Christ hath established in his Church and by which he establisheth the pillars of it For Meekness in the Sepulchre the Land of Oblivion in which all injuries are buried never to rise again nor see the light when I forgive I do by Injuries as God doth by my Sins forget them cast them behind my back and blot them out that no tittle of them appear to raise an angry thought But Anger and Revenge are an irrational and treacherous remedy They take not away the evil but double it invenom and inrage it make that a Scorpion which was but a whip and that a monster which to Meekness is nothing they perpetuate and transmit it from youth to age from age to the very hour of death nay from one generation to another The sting of an Injury is Impatience and the strength of Impatience is Revenge but to forgive an injury is to swallow it up in victory I call it therefore the Wisdom and Policy of Christ though the world call it by another name and count them but fools that practise it For lay open all the Books in the world which have been written of Republicks and Government yet we find not any directions which can propagate a Government and make it everlasting But now perhaps we see a State flourish but anon it will decline and at last have its fatal period and fall to pieces But this Christian Wisdom makes the Church and every Member of it as immovable as a Rock more glorious in adversity then in peace more happy in a tempest then in a calm victorious when ready to fall and most safe when forsaken Besides the Wisdom of this world how oft doth it meet with a check how often is it defeated and in a while changeth its name and is turn'd into folly How many digg a pit and fall into it How many hath their Wit brought almost home to their intendments and then left them looking after them with anger and grief How many hath it brought to the end of their desires and ruined them there How many have built up their hopes with one hand and demolished them with the other The Devil saith Basil is the great Politician of the world but yet he is deceived with his own Sophistry and taken in his own craft and in setting hard at the Church he falls himself to the ground or if he destroy a soul he doth but add torment to himself and with his own malice enrage the fire of Hell The Jews to keep out the Romans did banish themselves and taking counsel together against Christ they put him to death at whose death the Veil of the Temple rent in twain All the imaginations of men have been either faint and feeble at first or else making haste to that which they proposed they have lost that which they so eagerly pursued and overtook nothing but what they look't upon with horror All the wisdom in the world if you put it into the balance will be found but light but this necessary wisdom this wisdom which is from above never fails but though it be sowen in dishonour it riseth again in honour and through scorn and contempt through poverty and death it self it makes its way to that effect which it is as powerful to produce as it is weak in shew Oh that we were wise so wise as to rely on the wisdom of God which through uncouth and desolate paths through the wilderness through a sea of bloud will safely waft us over to the heaven where we would be and not trust to our own sensual vain and uncertain providence which though the way be smooth and pleasant yet reaps nothing but bitterness in the end which carries us on in a giddy staggering pleasing displeasing course but evermore into the pit which makes our feet like Hinds feet lifts us up on the wings of Hope and at last knocks out our brains against the mark we aimed at which brings us to the honey we long for and smothers us in the Hive Number up all the fatal miscarriages of the Sons of men and you shall find they were all from this and this alone That they took upon them to be wiser then God If we were content our wayes should be as Gods wayes and would walk in those wayes which he hath appointed and steer our course by his Compass we should then look upon Revenge as a fury and cleave to Meekness as our Angel-keeper we should soon see the weakness and folly of the one and the victories and trophies of the other we should find the one the most noxious thing in the world and the other most necessary For in

out prayers as in an humble embassage to crave Gods aid and auxiliary forces For as God hath his army to fight against his enemies his Locust his Caterpillar and his Palmer-worme so hath he his army to defend those Joel 2. who are under his protection his Angels and Archangels who are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Hebr. 1. 14. Nor can we think but that this army is stronger than all the troops of the Prince of darkness and that God by these is able to curb and restrain the violence and fury of Satan Nor could we hope to resist our spiritual Enemy sine naturae potioris auxilio but by the aid and assistance of those creatures which are of a more excellent being Therefore Justin Martyr tells us that God hath given the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a care and providence over us Tertullian that they do universam paraturam hominis modulari elegantly and aptly and harmoniously order and govern the whole course of our life And no question though we perceive it not they do many good offices for mankind they rowse up the Melancholick comfort the Poor chide the Wanton moderate the Chollerick They are very ready to defend us there where we are the weakest and to dull the force of every dart which is thrown at us We will not now question Whether every man hath his Angel-keeper Which Basil so often and other of the Fathers affirm or Whether children in age have their tutelary Angels which our Saviour seems to intimate or children in understanding men of weaker capacities in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this doubtful and uncertain combat where there is so little light and so much danger have their Angels to defend them from the sleights and enterprises of Satan or How the blessed Angels minister for us We are sure they pitch their tents about us and do many offices for us though we perceive it not We have an author who writes of the Meteors it is Garcaeus I mean who was of opinion that whereas many times before great tempests there is wont to be heard in the air above us a great noise and rushing the cause of this was the bandying of good and evil angels the one striving to annoy us with tempests the other to preserve us from danger The truth of this I know not But as about Moses 's body so about every faithful person these do contend the one to hazard the other to deliver Therefore we may well pray that as the Devil inspires us with evil thoughts so the good Angels may inspire us with good and that if Hell open her mouth to devour us Heaven would open its gate that from thence there may descend the influence of Grace to save us And nemo officiosior Deo there is none more officious than God Who is not afar off from our tears but listens when we call is with us in all our wayes waits on us ponders our steps and our goings and when we are ready to fall nay inter pontem fontem in our fall is ready to help and save us And officiocissima res est gratia his Grace is the most diligent and officious thing in the world quasi in nostram jurata salutem as if it were our sworn friend and were bound by solemn oath to attend and guard us When doth the Devil roar and we hear not a kind of watch-word within us NO LITE TIMERE Fear it not all this is but noise And when doth he flatter and we hear not a voice behind us NO LITE PRAESUMERE Be not too bold it is the Devil it is thy utter Enemy And in all time of tribulation in all time of our wealth this Grace is sufficient for us But further yet in the last place we beg Gods immediate Assistance his Efficacious and Saving Grace that he will not only send his Angels but make us Angels to our selves For no man can be delivered from evil nisi in quantum angelus esse coepit but so far forth as he is become an Angel yea nisi in quantum Deus esse coepit but so far forth as he is become a God partaker saith St. Peter of the divine nature and endued with wisdom from above Therefore we must pray with Solomon for an understanding heart for the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of counsel for the assistance of Gods holy Spirit which is Christs Vicar here on earth for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual wisdome which may make us wise unto salvation that we may have eye-sight and fore-sight and over-sight that we may see and fore-see and over-see that evil which is near at hand and about us in all our paths that we be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Peter speaks purblind stricken with gross darkness like the Sodomites to stumble at the threshold nay in montes impingere as St. Augustine speaks run upon evils never so palpable visible mountainous evils and see them not enter the gates of our enemies as friends and think our selves at Dothan when we are in the midst of Samaria We read that the men of the first age knew not what Death meant or what it was to dye but fell to the ground as men ly-down upon their beds when they are weary or rather fell to the ground like Beasts not thinking of Death or what might follow And indeed the reason why we fall so often into Evil is because we see it not know not what it is not what it means as if to sin were nothing else but to lye down and rest nothing else but to satisfie the Sense and to please the Appetite as if Sin were as natural as to eat Therefore we pray Lord open our eyes that we may see it and so fly away and escape And as we pray for Sight so we do for Foresight For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Alexandrinus The Understanding is the Eye and the Far the Eye to see afar off and the Ear to listen and give notice of danger yet at some distance to know the signs of Sin as we do of the heavens to say This Bread may ●e gravel this Beauty deceitful and this Wine a mocker This rage of Satan may praise the Lord and this his fawning may make me dishonor him This his war may work my peace and his truce may be but a borrowed space of time to undermine me Magna tentatio est tentatione carere It may be a great tentation to be without one and a great evil not sometimes to taste of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Understanding and a good mind and much forecast lead us to a paradise of bliss Scelera consilia non habent It is easie to rush upon evil but we cannot avoid it without forecast and counsel And therefore in the third place we desire not only an Eye which may see and foresee but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basil speaks