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	life_n	resurrection_n	10,682	5	8.7967	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11074	Meditations of instruction, of exhortation, of reprofe indeauouring the edification and reparation of the house of God.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1616 (1616)	STC 21342; ESTC S100007	103,738	488

wicked so blind so subiect to euery passion and vice was neuer let out as he now is from the hands of a most wise and powerfull essence and that to gouerne a great world whereof hee is not worthy as he is to be a partie he being so extremely vitious and corrupt and most creatures being more orderly then himselfe 7. Part. Againe another folly and blindnesse of theirs is that they see not the resurrection it is impossible that the end of mans bodie should bee this present life For then might we say with these Author that there might be some pleasure taken aboue in the torments here below For what generally doe wee see here but miseries paines oppression diuers tortures diuers deaths diuers heart-breakings care within and labour without a few onely liuing in some ease of which again but a few scape a great taste of miserie Indeed were there no life but this we might verily think that man was appointed to be borne to liue and die in a Iayle wherein hee is tied and bound vp to miserie and that this world was set forth for a spectacle of torments massacres wherein wee should infinitely wrong the infinite wisdom and goodnesse of the great cause of al things But as we haue learnd of God our own fall and present miserie so withall wee haue learned a remedie for our fall and a way out of this miserie into felicitie We know and belieue that the bodie dying returnes into that which it was and that is dust and if being dust at first it was then quickned wee know hee that quickned dust at first can quicken dust at last hee being the same for euer yea wee know that small portion of his Spirit which is in vs is abundantly able to performe it Wee doubt not but a little power included in an Acorne is able to raise out of it a mightie Oake because wee see it and we may as easily belieue that this Spirit which now shewes a farre greater power in our sanctification may also raise out of our dust a heauenly and glorious bodie To him that hath done so great workes daily seene there wanteth no power to do as great things yet vnseene For God hath not bounded his power by his works but if his wil be to worke more his power is still sufficient to proceede in working Now that it is his will his word doth plainely shew blessed bee hee who hath both willed it and shewed it and God the Author of these and all other good gifts stablish vs which belong to him in the knowledge and embracement of this his sauing truth that liuing and dying therein we may passe from this life which is worse then death vnto a true life of blisse and happinesse Part. 8. Another thing which flesh and blood hath not fully discouered and which hath been the author both of our fall and miserie and implieth a necessitie of a preseruer and redeemer is a State body politicke and kingdome of euill spirits which effectuall in craft mightie in power diligent in watchfulnesse and hauing all these their powers emploied and moued by an endles and great malice towards mākind go stil about seeking the mischiefe and ruine of weak silly man vnable of himselfe to stand against this Leuiathan and therefore necessarily wanting the helpe of a preseruer and redeemer Without a preseruer we cannot preuent the euils to come for against so mighty enemies we must bee hedged about with a prouidence mightier then the force of our enemies els can we not be safe from our enemies but shold be continually deuoured by them And we neede a redeemer for y e euils already by these enemies brought vpon vs for these euils we our selues can by no meanes take from our selues nor free our selues from the tyranny which Satan hath alreadie brought vpon vs. Therefore this strong man must bee bound by some stronger then himselfe and so we which were before his possession may be made free from that bondage Now the highest power only is master of this power of darknesse and therefore he only must performe this worke Some short and small viewes of some outward bodily and dissembled workings of these Principalities the Heathen haue obserued in their stories of witchcrafts oracles and apparitions which witnesse against themselues that there are such a people and that at times they are very mischieuous and malicious but the craft of this kingdome is so great the ignorance of man so grosse that sometimes vnder the shew of doing good as cures and the like and sometimes by foretelling future euents so hiding still their principall malice which was to the soule and eternall life of man they haue won silly men to take them for gods who are their sworne and most fierce enemies so farre are men from knowing they are a kingdome combined against mankind But Christ by his doctrine and the doctrine of his seruants the Apostles hath described them by name hath shewed their nature hath set foorth their malice and rage against man which begunne with the first man and continuing from thence increase now towardes the last of men Hee hath also set foorth a remedie against all his hurt and power and that is euen in this flesh which in the first man the Diuell conquered For God will shew to his owne glorie and the vtter confusion of this proud malicious Prince that by that verie weake creature which no way heeretofore was not able to match with him God is able to breake his head if hee doe but vnite and ioyne himselfe therewith And that of these men which thus were in the first man foyled and ouercome hee is able to set vp a kingdome mighty and durable which shall stand invincible in this world against the powerfull kingdome of Satan and the vnpreuailing gates of hell and shall at last ouercomming these mightie enemies passe victorious vnto glorie and life euerlasting Euen this performe in vs O Lord thy weake seruants weake in our selues but strong in thee Let thy power in vs ouercome that power which without thee would ouercome vs. And let vs being strengthned by thee march valiantly against our enemies being assured of conquest through that mightie one who loueth and supporteth vs. 58 The end seemes to vs to bee caused by the meanes and so at last it is but the end is indeed first and most chiefely the cause of the meanes for God proposing his end this end caleth out such meanes as shall accomplish it selfe so that it causeth that to be which causeth it selfe So in the Scripture when diuers things happened it is said that they happened that it might bee fulfilled which God had before purposed so that Gods purpose was the cause of the beeing of those actions which fulfilled his purpose Therefore if we go to the roote of the matter wee may perceiue that foolishly wee reason when we are discontented with the meanes saying If this meanes had not beene this

seeth them not that there should bee miracles by the diuell wrought or forged to stand betweene the eyes of men and this reuealed Antichrist that there should be distinctions coined subtill enough for lesse subtill soules to distinguish to the manifest Antichrist from it selfe Yet all these things are prouided by the seruants of this sonne of perdition and so powerfull that it is Gods election onely which mainely preserues those that stand and withstands this Mysterie of Satan And indeede how can that ignorance which is inioyned to the disciples of Rome be brokē through by them which are bound thereunto by a solemne vow and vnder feareful penalties They must know but what deceiueth them vntill they be so throughly deceiued that it is almost impossible to bee vndeceiued againe But this let them take with it that the same ignorance will serue to breede vp a man in any religiō be it neuer so grosse and at this day it equally serues the diuels turne to nurse two of his goodliest children the erroneous doctrines of Mahomet and the Pope Yet lest ignorance should faile and perchance a glimse of light might shine in vpon the seeled eies there are miracles daily prouided to set before the sight of men These draw them to say that Simon Magus is the great power of God but wee are taught to goe from these signes to the Law to the Testimony to the Word and this Word telleth vs that miracles in the latter times shall be fixed and vnseparable companions of the man of sin So in stead of conuerting vs they are acknowledged by vs to be the badge of Satan fastned on Antichrists sleeue and they tell vs to whom he belongs Wee neede no miracles now but to reueale Antichrist for wee beleeue the doctrine of Christ once fully confirmed by his own miracles Lastly if yet some greater light dazle the eies which neither ignorance can keepe out nor miracles employ in drawing the eies wholly to themselues then are there prouided subtill nice and sublimated distinctions and reasons whose office is to confound and intangle the vnderstanding rather then to enlighten it Falshoods are purified and refined and made as like truths as possibly they may that the vndistinguishing mind may equally accept them and so led by a little mistaking vnto a grosse error And hereof at this time is there a stedy forge in the Church of Rome which doth but expect what the Pope and his Priuie Councell say and instantly they are ready with their excellent inuentions to prooue it the voice of God and not of man Surely the wit of man is a powerfull thing in regard of man but in regard of the Spirit which made it alas weake it is and the effect cannot striue with his cause which is mightier then he Therefore this Babel of mans wit built vp against the Lord must needs be destroied by the Spirit of his mouth In the meane time vntill this victory of Christ vpon Antichrist be fully performed let vs pray vnto God that he will adde easily vnto the Church those who belong vnto him and that they may plainely see that hee who seeketh earthly things more then heauenly is of the earth earthly and farre from being the Deputie of the Lord of heauen 60 The second resurrection needes not to seeme very strange if wee consider the first already done in vs for whereas there is naturally in vs but a carnall wisedom that seeth and alloweth only present visible things for happinesse wee haue in our regeneration a wisedome placed in vs which blotting out the former wisedome and the happinesse thereof beholdeth God which is inuisible as our onely true happinesse We haue also in stead of our fleshly will which onely sauoureth fleshly obiects a will directly contrary therunto planted in stead of it which hateth the former will and the sinful pleasures wherein that wil chiefly delighted and loueth euen the persecutions of Christ which the naturall will especially hated Thus by the new birth light being created in darknesse out of no former creature a rightnesse of will being framed where was nothing but crookednesse and such a light and will that they alter the affections actions whole course of mā why may not the same new birth haue also another power with it euen to change the mortalitie of the body into immortality as it hath to change the corruption of the soule and body into puritie incorruption it being alike easie to go to giue life vnto death as light vnto darknes and good to euill 61 Because wee see not God or at lest we do not see how he seeth vs wee rather thinke that he sees vs not or are careles of his seeing So our blindnesse toward God casteth the likenesse of it selfe on God towards vs and imagineth him to bee vnto vs as we are to him Herein men are to God as some birds are to men who hiding their heads from seeing men think that men the whilest doe not see them But since the knowledge of God is the cause of men the being of men can reach no farther then the knowledge of God So whosoeuer takes the knowledge of God from him takes from himselfe his owne being for where the knowledge of God ceaseth to know him there he ceaseth to bee otherwise should man who is but the effect of Gods knowledge go farder then his cause which cannot be But surely God that made mā by his knowledge knoweth the man that he hath made he hath not placed him out of his owne reach but as at first after he made his creatures he saw euen through them that they were throughly good so for euer he veweth and pierceth them searching all things by that very wisedom which made thē Since then we are manifest and naked before our glorious God who both seeth and hateth all vncleannes but beholdeth with pleasure holinesse and purenes let vs take heede to our hearts yea our whole selues that no filthinesse appeare to him lest we bee shut out from the City into which no vncleane thing may enter But that God seeing vs to be pure in hart euen in soule body may at length be called vp to see God who is the fulnesse and perfection of all felicitie 62 The very being as well as the discoursing of our naturall reason may well prooue that man was not made onely for this world For if first it be granted that a great and excellent wisedome created this Vniuerse which the curious subtiltie of the parts and frame therof will inforce vpon vs it must also be belieued that wisedome doth all things wisely both in regard of order and end euery thing bringing forth his like now the beasts hauing a more easie and vninterrupted enioying of the world as not tilling or reaping neither building Barnes nor filling thē not foreapprehending griefes nor long retaining them what doth this reasonable soule in man I speake of the generall if his bound be this world