Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bear_v	sin_n	world_n	4,338	5	4.9247	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00776	A spirituall consolation, written by Iohn Fyssher Bishoppe of Rochester, to hys sister Elizabeth, at suche tyme as hee was prisoner in the Tower of London. Uery necessary, and commodious for all those that mynde to leade a vertuous lyfe: also to admonishe them, to be at all tymes prepared to dye, and seemeth to bee spoken in the person of one that was sodainly preue[n]ted by death	Fisher, John, Saint, 1469-1535.	1578 (1578)	STC 10899; ESTC S109711	49,974	144

and clensed from the spottes and mallice of deadly sinne they bée the brighter glasses and more cléerly receyue this loue such also be néere vnto our Sauior for nothing putteth vs farre from him but onely sinne And therefore they that haue more diligently scoured their soules from the rust of sinne be néerer vnto him then the other that so haue not done Such soules also as of their parte enforce them selues to a great loue and to a more ample feruor they doe inlarge the capacitie of their soules to receyue a more large abundaunce of loue agayne those that lesse enforce them haue a lesse capacitie in receyuing and therfore so much the lesse they receyue of this loue Euen as a man that openeth his bosome wyde and enlargeth it is more able to receiue a greater thing into it then hée that doeth not But yet as I haue sayde before of the glasses euery one of the soules receyue as full and as whole a loue of Iesu Christ as though there were no moe soules in all the world but that one alone for the loue of Christ Iesus infinite And therfore whē innumerable of soules haue euerie one of them receyued as much the loue of Christ Iesu as to euerie one of them is possible yet hath he still in him self loue suffitiēt for infinite moe this his loue therby is not in any point diminished nor lessened though it be deuided vnto many be the number of them neuer so great None of them that be beloued receiue the lesse bicause of the multitude of his fellowes nor if he had no moe but him selfe he shoulde not thereby haue any more abundance of loue to his parte but according to the clēsing and capacitie of his soule nighnesse vnto Christ his parte in loue shall be the lesse or more Wherefore good sister I pray you bée you dylygent to scoure your soule cleane and to enforce your soule on your parte feruently to loue your spouse Christ Iesu and drawe nygh vnto hym with entiere deuotion then vndoubtedly you shall be partener to the more plentuous aboundaunce of his loue notwithstanding any other multitude which beside is beloued of him for he neuerthelesse is as studious of you and as mindfull as feruēly careth for your weale as though ther wer no mo beloued of him but you alone in all thys world The ninth Consideration THe ninth cōsideratiō is this wher peraduenture you would obiect to me again say Brother if it bée thus as you say that my Lord Iesu loueth me so much and is so mindfull of me and so feruently entēdeth my weale what néede me to care whatsoeuer I doe he will not cast me away he wil not forsake me nor suffer mée to perish Good sister without doubt as I haue said our sauior Christ Iesu is in loue towards you he is myndfull more louing towards you then I can expresse And sure you may be that hée will neuer cast you away ne forsake you if you before cast not your selfe away ne forsake your selfe But if you giue any place to sinne in your soule and suffer it to enter vpon you verely then you forsake your self and cast your selfe awaye and willinglie destroye your selfe that is your déede not hys for he neuer forsaketh any creature vnlesse they before haue forsakē them selues And if they will forsake them selues were they neuer in so great fauour with hym before they then incontinently lose his fauour the which thing well appeareth in his first spirituall creatures the noble Angelles Lucifer and hys comp●nie which were created in excelent brightnesse and were muche in the fauour of almightie God they presumptuously offēded him in pride for the which not onely they lost hys fauour but also their merueylous brightnesse became incōtinently horrible foule and were expelled out of the glorious kingdom of heauen that they were in and throwen into perpetuall darkenesse into the pryson of hell The first man Adam also who was created in singular honour and was put into Paradise a place full of gladnesse there to liue in comfort of all pleasure the which was done to him for a singular loue that almightie God had towardes him yet anon as h● fell to sinne he was in lyke maner expelled out from that pleasure and sent into this miserable world to endure miserie and payne If those noble creatures which were lift vp into so great fauour with almightie God so lightly by their misdemeanor in sin lost his gracious fauour let none other creature thinke but if they admit any sinne to their soule they shal be likewyse excluded out of his fauor For sinne is so odible vnto almightie God that not the dearest friends that euer he had in all the worlde but if there were founde in their soules any deadly sin after death they should neuer be receiued into the ioy of heauen Not the blessed Mary Magdalen for all hir loue towardes him nor yet his owne blessed mother that bare him into this world if one deadly sin were foūd in their soules they shuld incontinent be throwen into the darke dungeon of hell Wherfore good sister say not if his loue be so muche vppon you and he so desirouslie entendeth your profite that you may doe what you list you néed not to care what you doe But contrariwise the more that he loueth you the more you shoulde take héede vnto your self and beware that you offend him not for so did the blessed Mary Magdalen of whome I spake before Shée notwithstandyng the great loue that both our sauiour had to hir and shée vnto him agayne for the which also hyr sinnes were forgiuen hyr yet after his death shée fled from the companie of men lyued in the wildernesse farre from any worldly comforte in great wayling fasting and prayer such other painefulnesse of hir body was nothing the lesse diligent to kéepe hir selfe warely from sinne for the great loue that our lord sauiour had to hir but for that the more studiously she did auoid eschu euery thing wherby she might run into any displeasure against him The tenth consideration THe tenth consideration is this it were wel done and much it shuld farther this cause if you truly esteme of how little value your loue is how vaine how light howe triflelous a thing it is how few ther be that would much regarde it or set muche pryce thereby for fewe there be or none to whom it may doe any profit or auail Contrariwise you should consider the loue of your spouse the swéet Iesu how excelēt it is how sure how fast howe constantly abiding how many haue much specially regarded it Martirs innumerable both men and women for his loue haue shead theyr bloud and haue endured euery kind of martirdom were it neuer so cruell were it neuer so terrible No paine no tormentrie might compell them to forsake his loue so desirous were they of his loue that rather

¶ A spirituall consolation written by Iohn Fyssher Bishoppe of Rochester to hys sister Elizabeth at suche tyme as hée was prisoner in the Tower of London Uery necessary and commodious for all those that mynde to leade a vertuous lyfe Also to admonishe them to be at all tymes prepared to dye and séemeth to bée spoken in the person of one that was sodainly preuēted by death 2. Corinthians vj. Beholde now is the acceptable tyme ▪ now is the day of saluation Mathew xxiiij VVatch therefore for ye knowe not what houre your Lorde doeth come ¶ A spirituall consolacyon vvritten by Iohn Fyssher Bishop of Rochester to his sister Elizabeth SIster Elizabeth nothing doth more help effectuallye to get a good and a vertuous lyfe Then if a soule when it is dull and vnlustie without deuotion neyther disposed to prayer nor to any other good worke may be sturred or quickened agayne by fruiteful meditacion I haue therfore deuised vnto you this meditation that followeth Praying you for my sake and for the weale of your owne soule to reade it at suche tymes as you shall feele your selfe most heauie and slouthfull to doe any good worke It is a maner of lamentacion and sorowfull complaynyng made in the person of one that was hastily preuented by death as I assure you euery creature may be none other suretie we haue liuing in this worlde héere But if you will haue any profite by reading of it thrée things you must do in any wise First when you shall reade this meditation deuise in your mynde as nigh as you can all the conditions of a man or woman sodaynlye taken and rauyshed by death and thynke● wyth your selfe that yée were in the same condition so hastily taken and that incontinent you must néedes dye and your soule depart hence leaue your mortall bodie neuer to returne again for to make any amendes or to doe any release to your soule after this houre Seconly that yée neuer reade thys meditation but alone by your selfe in secrete maner where you maye be most attentyue therevnto And when ye haue the best leasure without any let of other thoughtes or buzinesse For if you otherwyse behaue your selfe in the reading of it it shall anon lose the vertue and quicknesse in stirring and mouing of your soule when you woulde ratherest haue it sturred Thirdly that when you intende to read it you must afore lifte vp your minde to almightie God and beséech him that by the helpe and succour of his grace the readyng thereof may fruitfully worke in your soule a good and vertuous life according to hys pleasure and say Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine adiuvandum me festina Gloria patri c. Laus tibi domine rex eternae glorie Amen Alas alas I am vnworthily takē all sodaynly death hath assayled me the paynes of his stroake be so sore and gréeuous that I may not longe endure thē my last home I perceiue well is come I must now leaue thys mortall bodie I must nowe departe hence out of this world neuer to returne againe into it But whether I shall goe or where I shall become or what lodgyng I shall haue thys night or in what company I shal fal or in what countrey I shall be receiued or in what maner I shall be entreated God knoweth for I knowe not What if I shall be dampned in the perpetuall prysō of hell where be paynes endelesse and without number Gréeuous it shall be to them that be dampned for euer for they shall be as men in moste extreame paynes of death euer wishing and desiryng death and yet neuer shall they dye It should be nowe vnto mée muche wearie one yeare continually to lye vpon a bed were it neuer so soft how weary then shall it be to lye in the most painefull fyre so many thousād of yeares without number And to be in that most horrible company of diuils most terrible to beholde full of malice and crueltie O wretched and miserable creature that I am I might so haue liued and so ordered my lyfe by the helpe and grace of my Lorde Christ Iesu that this houre might haue bene vnto mée much ioyous greatly desired Many blessed holy Sayncts were full ioyous and desirous of this houre for they knewe well that by death their soules shuld be trāslated into a new life To the life of all ioye and endlesse pleasure frō the streightes and bōdage of this corruptible body into a very libertie and true fréedom mong the company of heauen frō the miseries gréeuāces of this wretched world to be aboue with God in comfort inestimable that can not be spoken ne thought They were assured of the promises of almightie god which had so promised to all them that bée hys faithfull seruauntes And sure I am that if I had truly faithfully serued him vnto thys houre my soule had bene partner of these promises But vnhappie vngracious creature that I am I haue bene negligent in hys seruice and therefore now my harte doeth waste in sorowes séeing the nighnesse of death and considering my great slouth negligence I thought full little thus sodainly to haue bene trapped But alas now death hath preuented me and hath vnwarily attached mée sodainly oppressed mée with his mightie power so that I know not whither I may turne mee for succour nor where I may séeke now for helpe ne what thing I may doe to get any remedy If I myght haue leasure and space to repent mée and amende my lyfe not compelled with this sodayne stroake but of my owne frée will and libertie and partly for the loue of God putting asyde all slouth negligence I might then safely dye without any dread I might then be glad to departe hence and leaue my manifold miseries encombraūces of this world But how may I think that my repentance or mine amendement commeth now of myne own frée will sith I was before thys stroake so colde and dull in the seruice of my Lord god Or howe may I thinke that I doe this more rather for his loue then for feare of his punyshement when if I had truelye loued hym I should more quickely and more diligently haue serued him héeretofore Mée séemeth now that I caste away my slouth and neglygence compelled by force Euen as a Merchaunt that is compelled by a greate tempest in the sea to cast his merchandice out of the Shippe it is not to bée supposed that hée would cast away his ryches of hys owne frée will not compelled by the storme And euen so lykewyse doe I if thys tempeste of death were not now raysed vppon mée it is full like that I would not haue cast from me my slouth and negligence O woulde to God that I might nowe haue some farther respet and some longer tyme to amend my self of my frée will and libertie O if I might entreat death to spare me for a season but that will not bée death

for me alone I had béene bounde then to haue gyuen him my loue whollye agayne Why man arte thou so enuyous that thou wouldest haue no parteners of this moste precious deathe with thée but thine owne selfe This were a very malicious desire to exclude all other specially when thy profite and merite shall not be mynished Albeit there bée neuer so manye besides that take commoditie there by I say vnto thée O man and I assure thée that as fruitefully hée dyed for thée if thou wilt dispose thy selfe to be partener of this death as if there had beene no more but thy selfe in all thys world Truth it is there bée many moe besides thée that bée parteners of this death But all they yea if there were a thousand thousande tymes innumerable moe then there be All that multitude shall nothyng mynish any one crum of merit of this most blessed death belongyng vnto thée And agayne if thou take much more fruite thereof then any one of them yet shall they take no impayrement or receyue the lesse bicause thou hast so much Wilte thou sée by some example that thys is trueth that I nowe say When thou séest a torch lyght in an house where many persons bée doeth not that torche gyue as muche light to them all as if there were but one person there Euery person after the quicknesse of theyr sight taketh more or lesse profitte of that lyght then doeth an other but yet he that taketh more hyndereth hys fellowes nothyng in so takyng nor he that taketh lesse giueth thereby anye occasion for his fellowes to take any more And if it be thus of the light of a torche muche rather it is so of the merite of this most gracyous death and of this most precious blud which by the reason of the godhead abundauntly suffyseth for the redemption of innumerable soules were theyr sinnes neuer so many neuer so horrible neuer so abhominable Surely as Sainct Iohn sayth ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris non pro nostris tantum sed et totius mundi Hée was and is a sacrifice abundantly sufficyent for the sinnes of all this world When then for thy sake for thy loue he suffered thys most horryble death which was so painfull that the onely remembraunce of it made him to sweate bloudy sweate and that in so great aboundance that it trickled downe by hys syde vnto the ground If the onely thinking of thys death was so painfull howe paynefull was the suffring of the same in déede Howe might he more euidētly expresse vnto thée the loue of his harte then by thys means Or what might he more haue done for thy loue as he saith himself quid vltra facere debui et non faci what myght I further haue done whiche I did not for thy loue Thou mayest then fynde héere in this booke great matter of loue Héere is also great matter of hope specially to sinners will vtterly forsake their sinne and amend theyr liues for Christ Iesu sake Doubtles for such he suffered this moste bitter death Pro impijs Christus mortuus est for wicked sinners Iesus Christ dyed And in an other place the same s. Paul sayth Christus Iesus venit in hunc mundū saluos facere peccatores Christe Iesus came into this world for to saue sinners that will amend theyr lyues O christian soule take thou vpon thée the crosse of pennaunce and bée crucyfied with him then without doubt thou shalt be partener of the the merit of his crucifying and of his most fruitfull passion What shall exclude thée from hys merite Almightie God the father Nay qui proprio filio suo non peporcit sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum quomodo non cum illo nobis omnia donauit He that dyd not spare his own sonne but gaue him vnto the death for vs all what shall hée denye vs what greater euidence canst thou aske that almightie God the father wil forgiue thy sin then thys that he would not forsake to giue vnto the death hys own sonne I say his own most dearly beloued sonne of whom hée sayde Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi cōplacui This is my welbeloued sonne in whom is all my pleasure What greater euydence and proofe mayest thou desire that he will forgyue thy sinne then that he would put this most inestimable Iuell into such a daunger for thy sake and sende it vnto thys most painfull and shamefull and sorrowfull death of the Crosse. But peraduenture thou thynkest that our sauiour bycause thou haste bin so vnkynde vnto him will not receyue thée vnto his mercy I say therfore forsake thy sinne and accuse thy vnkyndnesse and be sory for it And doubt not but he will forgiue forget thyne vnkyndnesse and receyue thée agayne vnto hys great mercy And therfore he sayth by his Prophet Hieremie when a woman saith he is gone from hyr husbande and hath accompanyed hyr bodye with an other man will hyr husband receiue hir againe As who say that it is not verie lyke but yet heare what comforte he giueth to a sinner tu autem fornicata es cum amatoribus multis tamen reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te Neuerthelesse he sayeth to the soule of a sinner Albeit thou hast forsaken me and playde the brothell with manye other yet returne thou agayne vnto mée and I shall receyue thée But here thou sinfull soule deceyue not thy selfe Thou mayest dissemble a returning and be not in déede returned And if thou set not thy backe toward all sinne and turne thy harte fully vnto thy sauiour thou arte not returned But bée thou truly returned and doubt not Beholde earnestly the maner how thy sauiour Iesu hanged on the Crosse and thou shalt sée great cause of hope of his mercy if thou thus returne Sainct Barnerd sayth Quis non rapiatur ad ●pem impetrandique fiduciam quā do considerat corporis cius dispositionem caput inclinatum ad osculum brachia extenta ad amplexandum manus proforatas ad largiendum latus opertum ad diligendū pedum confixionem ad manendum nobiscum corporis extensionem ad se nobis totaliter impendendum Who may not bée rauished to hope and confidence if he consider the order of his body his head bowing downe to offer a kisse hys armes spreade to embrace vs hys handes bored thorow to make lyberall giftes his side opened to shewe vnto vs the loue of his harte his féete fastened with nayles that hée shall not starte away but abyde with vs And all his bodie stretched forcesing him selfe to giue it wholly vnto vs Surely O man he that would thus and after this maner exhibite his bodie vnto thée on the Crosse if thou wilt indeuer thée vpon thy parte hée will not refuse thée but take thée vnto his mercy This most precious bloud that he shed on the Crosse cryeth alwayes mercye for

in no wise will be entreated delay he will none take respet he will none giue if I would giue him all the ryches of this worlde no if all my louers and friends would fall vppon their knées and pray him for mée No if I they would wéepe if it wer so possible as many teares as there be in the seas droppes of water no pietie may restraine him Alas when oportunitie of tyme was I would not vse it well which if I had done it would nowe bée vnto mée more precyous then all the treasures of a Realme For then my soule as nowe should haue béene cloathed wyth good workes innumerable the which shuld make mée not to be ashamed when I should come to the presence of my Lorde God where now I shall appeare loaden with sinne myserably to my confusion shame But alas to negligently haue I letted passe frō me my tyme not regardyng howe precious it was ne yet howe muche spirituall riches I might haue gottē therein if I would haue put my diligence and studie thervnto For assuredly no déede that is be it neuer so little but it shall be rewarded of almightie god One draught of water giuen for the loue of God shal not be vnrewarded And what is more easie to be giuen thē water But not onely déedes but also the least wordes and thoughtes shall be in likewise O how many good thoughtes déeds and workes might one thinke speak and doe in one day But how many more in one whole yere O alas my great negligence O alas my foule blindnesse O alas my sinfull madnesse that knew this well and would not put it in effectuall executiō O if now all the people of this world were present héere to sée know the perillous condition that I am in howe I am preuented by the stroake of death I would exhort to take me as an example to them all while they haue leasure and time to order their liues and caste from them slouth and idlenesse to repent them of their misbehauior towardes God and to bewayle their offences to multiplye good workes and to let no tyme passe by them vnfruitfully For if it shall please my Lorde God that I might any longer liue I would otherwyse exercise my self then I haue done before Now I wishe that I may haue time and space but rightuously I am denyed For when I might haue had it I would not well vse it And therfore now when I would well vse it I shall not haue it O ye therefore that haue and may vse this precyous tyme in your libertie imploy it wel and be not to wastfull thereof least peraduenture when you would haue it it shall be denyed you likewise as now it is to mée But now I repent me full sore of my great negligence and right much I sorow that so little I regarded the wealth profit of my soule but rather tooke héede to the vayne comfortes and pleasures of my wretched bodie O corruptible bodie O stinking carion O rotten earth to whom I haue serued whose appetites I haue followed whose desire I haue procured now doest thou appeare what thou arte in thy own likenesse That brightnesse of thy eyes that quicknesse in hearing that lyuelinesse in thy other sences by naturall warmenesse thy swiftnesse and nimblenesse thy fayrenesse and bewtie All these thou hast not of thy self they were but lent vnto thée for a season euen as a wall of earth that is fayre painted without for a season with freshe and goodly colours and also gylted with golde it appeareth goodly for the tyme to suche as consider no déeper then the outward crafte thereof But when at the last the colour faileth and the gilting falleth away then appeareth it in hys owne lykenesse For then the earth playnely sheweth it selfe In lykewise my wretched bodie for the time of youth it appeareth fresh and lustie and I was deceyued with the outwarde bewtie thereof little considering what naughtinesse was couered vnderneath but now it sheweth it selfe Now my wretched bodye thy bewtie is faded thy fayrenesse is gonne thy lust thy strength thy lyuelinesse all is gonne all is fayled Nowe arte thou then returned to thyne owne earthly coolour Now arte thou blacke colde heauie lyke a lumpe of earth Thy sight is darkened thy hearyng is dulled thy tongue flaltereth in thy mouth and corruption issueth out of euery parte of thée Corruption was thy beginnyng in the wombe of thy mother and corruption is thy continuaunce All thyng that euer thou receyuest were it neuer so precyous thou turnest into corruption and naught came from thée at any tyme but corruption and now to corruptiō thy selfe returnest altogyther ryght vile lothly art thou becom wher in apparāce before thou wast goodly but the good lines was nothīg els but as a paintīg or a gilting vppō an earthē wal vnder it was couered with stinking filthy matter But I looked not so déepe I contented my self with the outward painting in that I tooke great plesure For all my studie care was aboute thée either to apparel thée with some cloathes of diuers colours eyther to satisfie thy desire in pleasaūt sightes in delectable hearinges in goodlye smelles in sundrie maner of tastings touchings either els to get thée ease and rest aswel in sléepe as otherwise And prouided therfore pleasaunt and delectable lodgings and to eschue tediousnesse in all these not onely lodgings but also in apparell meates and drinkes procured many and dyuers chaunges that when thou wast weary of one then mightest thou cōtēt thy self with some other O alas this was my vaine and naughtie studie whervnto my wit was ready applied in those things I spent the most part of my dayes And yet was I neuer content long but murmuring or grudging euery hour for one thing or other And what am I now the better for all this what reward may I loke for of all my long seruice Or what great benifites shall I receiue for all my great studie care and diligence Nothing better am I but muche the worse much corruption and filth my soule thereby hath gathered so that now it is made full horrible lothely to beholde Rewarde get I none other then punishment either in Hell euerlasting or at the least in Purgatorie if I may so easily escape The benifites of my labour are the great cares and sorowes which I now am wrapped in May not I thinke my wit to haue ben well occupied in this lewde and vnfruitful buzinesse haue not I wel bestowed my labour about this seruice of my wretched bodye hath not my tyme bene well imploy●● 〈…〉 miserable studies wherof now no comfort remayneth but onely sorow repentance Alas I heard full often that such as shuld be dampned should gréeuouslye repent them selues and take more displeasure of their misbehauior then euer they had pleasure before And yet that repentance then should stande them in no stéede where a full little