Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A58096
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The rational sceptist by a Person of honour.
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Person of honour.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing R306; ESTC R13293
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5,977
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22
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yet as one Bred Humbly who wou'd show His Monarch's Pallace to a Stranger goes But to the Gates as if to let him know Where so much Greatness dwells not what it do's XXXIV Whilst strait the Stranger enters Undeny'd As one whose Breeding has much Bolder been So Reason thô she were at first Faiths Guide To Heav'n yet waits Without when Faith goes In. XL. But thô at Court Bold Strangers Enter where The Way is to their Bashful Guide forbid Yet he when they come back is apt to Hear And Ask them what the King then said and did XLI And so thô Reason which is first Faith s Guide To GOD where Faith has always Entrance free As Nature's Stranger thô 't is then deny'd To Reason as of Nature's Family XLII Yet strait when from her Vision and her Trance Faith do's Return then Reason quits that Awe Impos'd by Priests upon our Ignorance And asks How much She of the Godhead saw XLIII But as a Prudent Monarch seems alone Retir'd as if Conceal'd ev'n to his Court To Subjects more in Power then Person known At Distance sought and found but by Report XLIV Yet as Court-Strangers getting some Access Are apt to tell at Home more then they saw Thô then their Pencil draws Court-Greatness Less Then that which Truth at nearer View do's draw XLV So GOD hath Veil'd his Power with Mysteries Ev'n to his Court in Heav'n Faith comes there Not Prying with a Strangers Curious Eyes But like a Plain Implicite Worshipper XLVI So Faith which is ev'n taught an Ignorance For She by Knowledge quits her Dignity Do's lessen Godhead which She wou'd Advance By telling more of GOD then She can see XLVII Our Souls but like Unhappy Strangers come From Heav'n their Country to this World 's bad Coast They Land and strait are backward bound for home And many are in Storms of Passion lost XLVIII They long with Danger Sail thrô Life 's Vext Seas In Bodies as in Vessels full of Leaks Walking in Veines their Narrow Galleries Shorter then Walks of Seamen on the Decks XLIX Art's Card is by her Pilot Faith Resus'd Her Course by Guess She ever forward bears Reason her Rudder is but never Us'd Because tow'rd Heav'n She ne'er with Reason Steers L. For as a Pilot sure of fair Trade Winds The Helm in all the Voyage never Hands But Ties it up So Reason's Helm she binds And Boldly close for Heav'ns Safe Harbour stands LI. In Reason's place Tradition do's her lead And that Presumptuous Antiquary makes Strong Laws of Weak Opinions of the Dead And what was Common Coin for Medals takes LII Tradition Time's suspected Register Too of 't Religion at her Tryal fails Instead of Knowledge Teaches us to Err And wears out Truth 's best Stories into Tales LIII O why has such a Guide Faith's Progress laid Or can our Faith ill Guided Guide us well Or had She not Tradition's Mapps Survey'd How cou'd She aim to shew us Heav'n and Hell LIV. If Faith with Reason never do's Advise Nor yet Tradition leads her She is then From Heav'n Inspir'd and Secretly grows Wise Above the Schools we know not How nor When. LV. For cou'd we know how Faith 's bold Trust is wrought What are those Visions we in Sleep discern And when by Heav'ns short Whispers we are Taught More then the Watchful Schools cou'd ever Learn LVI Then soon Faith's Ignorance which now do's seem A Serious Wonder to Philosophy Wou'd fall from Value to a Low Esteem And not a Wonder nor a Virtue be LVII But thô we cannot guess the Manner how Grace first is Secretly in small Seeds Sown Yet Fruit thô Seed lies hid in View do's Grow And Faith the Fruit of Grace must needs be known XVIII Faith Lights us thrô the Dark to Deity Whilst without Sight we Witness that She shows More GOD then in his Works our Eyes can see Thô none but by those Works the Godhead knows LIX If You have Faith then You we must Adore Since Faith do's rather seem Inspir'd then Taught And Men Inspir'd have of the Godhead more Then Nature ever Found or Reason Sought LX. To You whom Inspiration Sanctifies I come with Doubts the Mind's Defect of Light As to Apostles some with Darkned Eyes Came to receive by Miracle their Sight LXI And when I thus Presume you are with more Then Nature's Publick Wealth by Faith Indu'd Or think you shou'd Reveal your Secret Store You cannot judge my Bold Opinion Rude LXII Ev'n Faith not proving what it wou'd Assure But Bold Opinion seems to Reasons View And since the Blind brought Faith to help their Cure I bring Opinion Reason's Faith to you LXIII We for their Knowledge Men Inspir'd Adore Not for those Truths they hide but those they show And Vulgar Reason finds that none knows more Then that which he can make another know LXIV Then tell me first If Nature must forbear To Ask Why still She must remain in Doubt A Darkness which do's much like Hell appear Where all may Enter In and none get Out LXV Thus we at once are Bidden and Forbid Charg'd to make GOD the Object of the Mind Then hindred from it since He is so Hid As we but Seek that which we cannot Find LXVI Our Glimering Knowledge like the Wandring Light In Feuns do's to Uncertainties Direct The Weary Progress of our Useless Sight And only makes us Able to Suspect LXVII Or if Inquiring Minds are not kept in But by some few whom Schools to Power Advance Who since Themselves see Short wou'd make it Sin When others look beyond their Ignorance LXVIII If as God's Students we have leave to Learn His Truths why do's his Text oft need Debate Why as thrô Mists must we his Law discern Since Laws seems Snares when they are Intricate LXIX They who believe Man's Reason is too scant And that it do's the War of Writers cause Infer that GOD's Great Works Proportion want Who Taught our Reason did Write those Laws LXX His Text the Soul's Record appears to some Thô thence our Souls hold their Inheritance Obscure by growing Old and seems to come Not by Consignment to Us but by Chance LXXI LAW which is Reason made Authority Allows Consignment to be Good and Clear Not when like this it does in Copies lie But in the known Original appear LXXII Cou'd this Record be too Authentick made Or why when GOD was Fashion'd to our Eyes And very Forms of Humane Laws Obey'd Did He not Sign it but by Deputies LXXIII Or why when he was Man did he not Deign Wholly to Write this Text with his own Hand Or why as if all Written Rolls were Vain Did he ne'er Write but Once and but in Sand LXXIV Tell me why Heav'n at first did suffer Sin Letting Seed Grow which it had never Sown Why when the Soul 's first Feaver did begin Was it not Cur'd which now a Plague is grown LXXV Why did not Heav'n's Prevention Sin Restrain Or is not Power 's Permission a Consent Which is in Kings as much as to Ordain And Ills Ordain'd are free from Punishment LXXVI And since no Crime cou'd be ere Laws were Found Laws Dearly Taught Us how to know Offence Had Laws not been we never had been Blam'd For not to know we Sin is Innocence LXXVII Since Child-hood was not Starv'd but rather more Then finely Fed so sweet were Pleasures made That Nourish'd it For Sweet is Lust of Power And Sweeter Beauty which hath Power betray'd LXXVIII Sin which at fullest Growth is Childish still Wou'd but for Pleasure's Company decay As Sickly Children Thrive that have their Will But quickly Languish being kept from Play LXXIX Since only Pleasure breeds Sin 's Appetite Which still by Pleasant Objects is Infus'd Since 't is Provok'd to what it do's Commit And Ills Provok'd may Plead to be Excus'd LXXX Why shou'd our Sins which not a Moment last For to Eternity compar'd Extent Of Life is ere we Name it stopt and past Receive a Doom of Endless Punishment LXXXI If Souls to Hell's Vast Prison never come Committed for their Crimes but Destin'd be Like Bond-men Born whose Prison is their Home And long ere they were bound cou'd not be Free LXXXII Then hard is Destiny's Dark Law whose Text We are forbid to Read yet must Obey And Reason with her Useless Eyes is Vext Which strive to Guide her where they see no Way LXXXIII Do's it our Reason's Mutinies Appease To say The Potter may his own Clay Mould To every Use or in what Shape he Please At first not Counsel'd nor at last Controul'd LXXXIV Power 's Hand can neither Easie be nor Strict To Lifeless Clay which Ease nor Torment knows And where it cannot Favour nor Afflict It neither Justice nor Injustice shows LXXXV But Souls have Life and Life Eternal too Therefore if Doom'd before they can Offend It seems to shew what Heav'nly Power Can Do But do's not in that Deed that Power Commend LXXXVI That we are Destin'd after Death to more Then Reason thinks Due Punishment for Sins Seems Possible because in Life before We know to Sin our Punishment begins LXXXVII Why else do Infants with Incessant Cries Complain of Secret Harm as soon as Born Or why are they in Citie 's Destinies So oft by War from Ravish'd Mothers Torn LXXXVIII Do's not Belief of being Destin'd draw Our Reason to Presumption or Despair If Destiny be not like Humane Law To be Repeal'd what is the Use of Prayer LXXXIX Why ev'n to All was Pray'r Enjoyn'd since those Whom GOD whose Will ne'er Alters did Elect Are sure of Heav'n And when we Pray it shows That we his Certainty of Will Suspect XC Those who to Lasting Darkness Destin'd were Thô soon as Born they Pray yet Pray too late Avoidless Ills we to no purpose Fear And None when Fear is Past will Supplicate FINIS