Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	good_a	life_n	7,085	5	4.4715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77394	A Brief anatomie of women: being an invective against, and apologie for the bad and good of that sexe.		1653 (1653)	Wing B4524; Thomason E722_2; ESTC R207228	5,478	8

much to be controverted that they are a help unto man is indisputable but in what sence to exhaust his estate divulge his secrets and be a continual trouble and vexation to his spirit all the daies of his life It we look upon their outward beauty we shall find it like those Indian Apples which are seemingly fair without but poison within if upon their carriage and behaviour we shall find that as far distant from their inward nature and conditions as the East is from the West And if we but observe their actions and undertakings it will manifestly appear that they are fickle changeable and various as the weather-cock constant in nothing but inconstancy and humane creatures meerly metamorphosed seeming to be that which truly and really they are not and in a word it is most apparent that they onely are the greatest and most powerfull temptations to evill of all other the very gulf where mans reason governance and discretion is often swallowed up and the Adamantine Rocks whereon many have been shipwracked Neither is there any thing except Sathan it self that captivates mans sences or predominates more over his understanding and will then they by their subtile falacies and bewitching illusions which hath been sufficiently manifested not onely in former ages but also in this present and that of late years by men of no mean degree and quality that have deeply suffered by those causes But I shall not insist on these particulars neither proceed to a further relation and discovery of those many evils and inconveniences that men are drawn into by the attractive power of women but rather with care and diligence seek to eschew and prevent them advising others as they find cause to indeavour to do the like for as man is incident unto many and divers temptations in this life even so also is there several means given him and waies of resistance which we ought vigilently to observe and put in practice But alas when I consider how the flesh overcometh the spirit I cannot but admire at mans frailtie and weaknesse and again when I consider that the tree is known by his fruit and that man is the fruit of that corruptible tree my admiration is soon taken off I therefore conclude that man in this his depraved condition is not able of himself to speak a good word think a good thought and much lesse perform any good action without the immediate and effectual working of the divine Creator in his heart which gives us an assurance that although our natures are weak and indisposed yet there is a spirit of power and strength to assist and direct us It now remains that we humbly and earnestly desire of the Almightie that he would be pleased to confer upon us some portion of this his spirit that thereby we may be inabled to withstand the temptations of this world amongst which that of women appears to be none of the least An Apologie for good Women HAving briefly laid open the evills and discommodities that proceed from and attend bad women it now remains that I say something in commendation of the good and although the number of the one so far exceed the other yet in all ages there hath been some whose Godly zeal and virtuous piety together with their names ought to be had in memorial to all posterity For if we consider how mans fall from that estate of grace and innocency wherein he was first placed was acted and brought to passe by woman we also find that the heavenly Creator out of his infinite and unsearchable wisdom so ordained that mans salvation proceeded from woman also so that by them came death by them likewise we were restored to life what creature can be more excellent than that whom God hath made an instrument to act so great a work If we search the Scriptures we may plainly see how great how good and excellent performances have been put in practice by some women tending to the worship of God the good of his Church and benefit of his people As namely Qu. Esther who after the decree was past for the destruction of the Jews besought the Lord three days by fasting prayer for their preservation which afterward was accomplished she finding favour in the sight of K. Ahasuerus who not onely repealed that decree but also caused the proud and wicked contriver thereof to be executed and Mordecay from a mean and low condition to be promoted to great honot and dignity by means whereof the whole nation of the Jews the then reputed people of God obtained more liberty and freedom than ever And also Iudith when the City of Bethulia was besieged by Holosernes and his Host and the inhabitants thereof by reason of their fins driven into great miseries and extremities she I say by a worthy and notable stratagem raised the siege and freed that City from utter ruine and destruction And of late years Queen Elizabeth of famous memory who so long ruled this realm of England in quiet peace and tranquility with divers others before and since whose worthy deeds and renowned virtues are never to be forgotten but remain as due trophies of honour to that sex to the worlds end But my pen is not of virtue or words of force to expresse their just praise and commendation neither is there any earthly blessing so great either in prosperitie or adversitie sickness or health as for a man to injoy a good and vertuous woman In regard therefore they are so helpfull comfortable and generally usefull unto man as that without them the world would be at a period how then can we sufficiently love respect and reverence the virtuous But some perhaps may object and say that in this age there are very few of those and they hard to be found out to which I answer that as indeed they are not many that may be an argument their virtue and goodnesse may be the more for we find by sure and infallible arguments that the number of the righteous are but few and the wicked very numerous And we must also acknowledge that women in their natural inclinations are all in extreams for they that are good are really good indeed and they that are bad are usually extreamly evill Neither is mans weaknesse more apparent then in his choice betwixt good and evill for oftentimes he takes the one for the other which is the cause that we all fall into so many evills and inconveniences for prevention whereof we ought carefully and advisedly to look upon the reall substance and not upon the seeming shew or shadow upon the inward grace and perfection and not upon the outward beauty and deceitfull appearance But above all upon true faith and Godlinesse without which we cannot attain to any good or perfect gift tending to our comfort and consolation whilest we remain in this life or that which is to come And thus gentle Reader I have in some brief measure anatomized the feminine sex in generall and also in some particulars which I refer to thy favourable censure and good construction that so whatsoever is therein am sle may be by thee corrected and that which is worth observation more inlarged and amended it being a matter of general concernment and a subject in it self commendable profitable unto all and hurtfull unto none but the compleating thereof would require some labour as well as time and also imploy many sheets of paper in regard therefore I may not exceed one being confined within those narrow limits by some considerations at this time I am forced to desist from that enterprise and must now conclude by way of exhortation unto all sorts of men which is That those who injoy a Godly virtuous and loving wife esteem of her accordingly prising her as a most rate precious and inestimable jewel rendring most humble and hearty thanks unto the God of Heaven for so great a blessing upon earth And those who are made partakers of so great an evill and discommoditie as to possesse a lewd and wicked woman let them indeavour to arm themselves with all possible patience earnestly craving aid and assistance from above that so they may be the better enabled to undergo that heavy punishment here below which their own inconsiderate rashnesse hath drawn them too But those who lead single lives and have not yet made choice of either let not such I say in their actions and performances be also guided by single judgements but rather take advice from others which being seasoned by their own experience may give them a further knowledg what it is to make a choice of that nature it being the greatest and most material action of our whole lives and that wherein we yeeld our bodies in bondage to good or evill untill death makes a final separation FINIS