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	soul_n	true_a	7,339	5	5.0618	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51172	A short essay of afflictions, or, Balme to comfort if not cure those that sinke or languish under present misfortunes, and are not prepared in these unsetled times to meet all events with constant and equall tempers written from one of His Majesties garrisons as a private advise to his onely sonne, and by him printed to satisfie the importuniry of some particular friends.	Monson, John, Sir, 1600-1683.	1647 (1647)	Wing M2464; ESTC R32108	35,191	138

the only Olympus above the meteors and stormes of this world which for its inconstancy is in the Revelation Emblemd by a Sea and that of glasse for its frailty and brittlenesse in its forme circular and moving to shew the inconstancy of all things in it its matter fading vanishing and dying to teach us the perishablenesse and certaine mortality of all its beauties for as the Father is such are the Children all but empty glories nay man himselfe the Master peece of nature and comprehension of all other beings and perfections close bound up in a little volume if we looke into his materials the weaknesse and short continuance of the building we can account but as a vapour a shadow a bubble that soone vanisheth a walking peece of earth a well glazed pitcher soone broken a heap of ruine rather then a faire structure and in his greatest perfections a cipher or nothing In that honour is but a blaze or meteor many times made up of the basest matter a treasure without lock or key more in the power of another then the owner riches but Gold Gold but a well coloured peece of dirt which against nature rather then stay to make us happy will though a dull and heavy element take wings and flye away fame a hollow Eccho beauty a well glazed pitcher or fading flower friendship a dying happinesse joy but folly mirth a short madnesse all things in their longest continuance but a sound or flash of lightning that dyes as soone as borne a dim glasse darke resemblance or apparition of future happinesse for in the making of this goodly frame this out-building or suburbs of heaven as in a little note-booke God onely writ in short and illegible Characters drew in modell or little those everlasting inutterable ravishing glories that shall be revealed when the scene is to be opened the curtaine drawne the vaile of our soules our bodies done away even such as our cripled fancy our imped and pinnioned imaginations cannot soare to and therefore with a silent admiration a blindnesse occasioned by seeing the lustre of many suns at once let us expect to enter that immence infinite blessednesse by faith that cannot now enter into us into our finite capacities and begin our heaven in our holinesse the true way approach and gate to happinesse and from inward principles be constant in our outward sufferings for the name or cause of Jesus Act. 20. and so turne our enemies pitty at our pressures into wonder at our patience and our patience into an everlasting fruition of blessednesse and seale if Gods honour require it and our Countries good to that truth by our deaths we have made profession of in lives * Rev. 2.12 suffering all evill or punishment rather then commit any the least evill of sinne for such a temper of the soule when in the lowest center of misery will like fire to fewell turne all into it selfe into satisfaction if not complacency and with the wood in Exodus will convert these bitter waters into sweet and refreshing springs But if our weake faith doth not worke such miracles Exo. 15.25 let not our soules be vexed nor disquieted within us but trust in God as well for the resurrection of our joyes here as of our bodies hereafter who is the helpe of our countenance and our God * Psa 42.43 and having received presse mony past favours which are alwayes pledges of future mercies let us waite upon God fight unto death and not quit our colours for want of pay here but expect our triumphs hereafter when the enemy sinne and death are totally vanquished and in the meane time like Cloth in the fullers hand which must be thorowly whited and dressed to make up those robes of state the innocency of the Saints we must be for ever adorned with hereafter let us yeeld our selves to be trampled on and rinsed in severall waters many troubles still fearing that if the deluge of Affliction once begin to fall or abate a worse slime of sinne will cover the face of our earthly hearts and we for ever may stick fast in that mire without water to cleanse us if the fountaines opened to Iuda and Ierusalem for uncleanesse be stopt against us and then if the Baits of sinne delights of the world carry us along in those soft and boggy wayes and sinke us deeper how ever their entertainments are sweetned for the present with hony we shall ever finde the Bees sting in their taile their conclusion will be bitternesse and if our tendernesse shrinkes at the prickling of Afflictions here how shall we endure the wrack hereafter if not the sparkes of divine displeasure how the flames of hell fire for ever and ever Now to prevent this misery which is as immortal as the body the body as the soule the soule as God himselfe let us take lawfull pleasures here when God allowes them but not suffer them to take us yet sometimes please our selves in the want of pleasure it selfe * 1 Cor. 7.29.31 for what we sow in weakenesse shall rise in power * 1 Cor. 15. nay to Glory nay in Glory for as all Joyes here flow into the joyes of Heaven as rivers into the Sea so the faithfull Christian shall not loose his in death But his soule assoon as out of his body shall only goe from one Heaven to an other for the way to Heaven is Heaven so that as the Angels did not devest Heaven in coming to us good soules do invest Heaven in going to them the true joy that a Zacheus a soule in union with God and Christ apprehends here Joh 14.16 being that none can take from him For as one saith wittily crowd Heaven into a Map it s two Hemispheres are made up of joy and glory joy ushering in glory so that in the anguish of death agony of dissolution vision of horror nay sight of hell it selfe I shall see the face of God and all these will be but as Glasses that collect and reflect his ravishing rayes upon me adding joy to joy and glory to both and exchange for a great bubble blowne out with an easie breath for that childe and darling of time antiquity in blood for an empty aery title which is innobled onely by action and retaines nothing but the wax fit for any labell if wanting the stamp of true piety and worth for the hollow sound of fame a crowne that can never be lost for goodnesse and vertue will reflect a brave lustre upon the memory of a dead as well as upon the person of a living Saint a gallant eccho of praise when dead for his praising of God when living and though as one saith envy may sometimes mist the glasse of Reputation so that it shall not report a cleere light yet at the last judgement it will reverberate truly and we shall shine in a sphere all brightnesse and be known by a transparent light on every side what we were here what we are in heaven to the glory of God joy of the Saints shame and derision of of our enemies So great is the convictive Majesty of goodnesse in the beames of the setting sunne and though the highest perfection of the soule the most sublimed part of man here is full of imperfections blemishes and dying beauties which doe rather hide then shew the glory of a sanctified spirit or the true Image of God drawn in little there yet this way of taking God into us is our onely way of being taken into God and to make him our sheild and exceeding great reward Gen. 5. our defence here and Crowne hereafter when our Candles shall be put out in our earthen sockets our lofty blowne bladders empty themselves of breath and we sleepe in death a darke Gallery or shady walke onely leading betweene two lives the period and Omega of the earthly mans happinesse the Alpha and beginning of the Christians blessednesse the highest step to honour and birth day to eternity where we shall for ever injoy day without night satisfaction without satiety a tranquill happinesse in a happy tranquillity eternall blessednesse in a blessed eternity So be it Amen GEntle Reader though naturally men love the issue of their braines more then of their bodies in that they are many times longer lived more true and lasting records of the innobled soules they derive their pedigree from then the other yet the authour of this little worke chose rather to be forgotten then remembred by a peece that if examined by a cleer and open light will represent him with so many errours and ill drawn features to the world and designed it onely for himselfe and his but truly a civility to the law of friendship where desires are commands and the consideration of its usefulnesse in regard of the unhappy Harmony betweene its subject and these times made me first lend and now send it abroad and give it line beyond its authours intention though not liberty to goe but whether my hand directs for I have onely Printed a few Coppies to satisfie some private importunities and therefore if thou be one of that number its failings are now mine and thine and so intitle themselves to your forgivenesse which is the humble request of thine in all affection FINIS

as he lives not that hath onely the happinesse of this life in his thoughts so he never dyeth nor is ever sensible of temporary troubles that can cast them up rightly and be willing to change a house of clay a Breath or vapour of smoke a Body of Death and garment of corruption for Immortality and honour a Region of Death for the land of the living the life of man for that of Angels a vally of Teares for a mount of Joy Tenthly consider that God layes his Afflictions upon us in regard of his Propriety in us Making that the ground of his care over us * Isay 51. Ezek. 34 11.15 Thus he weeds his Garden dresseth and fenceeth his Vineyard with Briars and Thornes both to defend and make it fruitfull shakes his Trees that the Rotten fruit might fall off and they take the better rooting It being the highest end and chiefest fruit of Afflictions to take away sin and preserve the sinner to destroy the worme and cancer that would otherwise destroy the Tree many times to give it shade least too much sunne should dry and wither it or like that in the early spring produce many gay flowers and odoriferous smels to court the senses but withall ingender millions of flyes and vermine to spoile them for so the pleasures of this world are but a Ionas gourd sumer fruit of short continuance wheras the winter fruits that indure most of cold and nipping frosts are for durance and lasting Thus though great mists doe ever midwife in Calmes the Ayre is then most tainted and dangerous whereas thunder brings forth a most wholesome pure serene and bright skie Nay Afflictions makes us every way better in our spirituall condition and fit to be owned by the Father of spirits who like a cunning I apidary tries his Jewels before he gives them a Rich setting that if true not Counterfeit he might spare them * Malach. 3 17. as a man spareth his onely Sonne nay they are Gods bullets shot against an Armour of proofe to trie not peirce it there being more strength in the Innocency of his Saints then in all Goliahs Brasse and Irons that he might treasure it up in his Militia for the honour of his Saints and beautifying of his owne habitation Eleventhly Afflictions are Gods love tokens to us the Dialect in which he woes us and true Anagram of our sins in that we may usually read our sinnes and faylings in the specification of his judgements upon us by them to make us consider the deformity of all other objects and unite our affections in him the rather when we see all the Darling delights of this world so soone overshadowed and alwayes tempered with the bitternesse of some temporary crosse to disrellish our taste and abate our Appetite to them so as the rest of our bodies many times proves our minds exercise and our empty houres most fill us with vaine and vexings thoughts at best affording us but lesse paine no absolute freedome from troubles in our most retired retirements for when the doores of our senses are lockt up the Phantasie doth many times affright us with visions and terrifie us with dreames Job 7.14 making our waking Consciences often Alarum our sleepy soules by all this restlesnesse to bring us to an everlasting rest and shall we neglect his bounty and receive with a wrinckled brow what he gives us with a summer and gracious aspect for to you it is given not onely to beleeve but to suffer for Christ * Ph. 1.29 And shall we refuse to weare his favours livery and Cognisance though a crosse that are thus effects of his affection to us and so not only in their spring but streame In that his providence so steers the action and orders the event in all things as a sparrow fals not without his leave nor can the devill enter into a swine so little is the largest empire here without his permission Rom. 8.28 and makes all the variety of Accidents how contrary soever the lines are drawne to center in our good so communicative of himselfe is his goodnesse to us And therefore let not the clay dispute with the Potter walking brickle earth with the God of heaven For his actions are alwayes just and good nay full of mercy to us though harsh his Physick wholsome though unpleasant in that sometimes his greatest mercy is not to shew mercy * Hos 4.13 14. * Isai 1.5 Lam. 1. Wisd 12.1 not with-hold the lance when it is to open an impostumation And therefore correct me O Lord to amend me wound me to heale me kill me to make me live take away all to give me thy selfe And doe not hate me so much * Ps 81.11 ●2 * Rev. 22.11 Os 15. Ez. 24.13 as not to seem to hate me at all when it is the greatest punishment not to be punished and the greatest improvement of our wealth to lose it and our live too for Christ * Mar. 10.29.30 where the interest he payes is so great the Returne so infinite we receive here with persecutions † Matth. 10. Act. 14.22 and so immense and unexhaustible in the world to come * Job 5. * 1 Cor. 11 31. for so the Apostle Eye hath not seene yet the eye is a nimble sayler and hath travelled farre and seene much eare hath not heard yet the eare hath heard more then the eye hath seene being as it were the Portall or gate of the soule by which knowledge enters and so apprehends more of the beauties and Beatitudes of that place then can by all the other sences be discerned here in the dim and opake glasse of the creatures though God is here very legible in many of his Attributes nor hath it entered into the thought of man the joyes that shall be revealed yet thought hath a kinde of infinity in it and graspes more at once then either eye or eare can commensurate with the largest extended faculties and most unbounded dimensions of their severall wayes of comprehension and discerning having the winges and motion of a spirit the capacity of an intelligence yet still short of imagining the vast incomprehensiblenesse of that which passeth Imagination For such is Heaven a circle within a circle many infolded mysterious joyes which will be best conceived by thinking what we cannot conceive and because it cannot enter into us here let us expect with patience till we enter into it hereafter and heare with comfort that blessed voice of come ye blessed of my Father go into the Ioy that is prepared for you from the begining of the world And not onely so but enter into thy Masters joy nor onely that that is prepared of God for them that love him but that which is God the beatificall vision it selfe Yet here the Saints of God see the dawning of that day a light springing out of darknesse * Psal 112.4 and beames of comfort in the blackest

fetters which made Pyrrhus say his victories were enough to undoe the Conquerour in that what is got by power is commonly kept with care and hazard especially if like flies that most commonly suck their nutriment from wounds and sores we live upon the blood and teares of other men And if a heathen could be master of such a pious moderation let us make it the center of our desires as most diffusive of equall Justice to all and most uniting and reconciling all extreames from a middle symbolizing with both and if like a still we thus keep our selves in a moderate temper we shall willingly want with submission what we cannot get by lawfull meanes knowing that all things in this world even life it selfe are but the dresse and shadowes of good when vertue onely and a happy death brings the refined part But admit there were true happinesse in injoying the best coloured dirt or any outward splendid greatnes yet he that desires no more then he hath hath in that more then any other can injoy in having their desires in all things else For there as in a dropsie drinking doth but increase thirst and desire being infinite in respect of the bounded joyes of this world hath absent not present felicity for its object and is so farre here from being satisfyed that the worldly mans happinesse doth but increase his Trouble like Alexanders whose heart inlarged with his possessions so as one world could not fill it but lost his felicity in that he had wonne by wishing for another that he might conquer whereas contented poverty is a happy Fortune because it fixeth our restlesse desires yet then we may invert it with Seneca and say It is not poverty if it be content how much more therefore should wee Christians learne with Saint Paul in what condition soever we are * Phil. 4. to center in a submissive satisfaction taking no dividing distracting thoughts and care for any thing no not for food and rayment * Matt. 6. though of all things else they intitle themselves to our Assiduity and diligence in their obteyning But let us cast our burden and care upon God for he beareth the one and is ever mindfull of the other * Ps 37.55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Nay he hath promised that if we first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof all these things shall be added a Mat. 6.33 as an over waight to us added not given because of no great worth nor value with a pious man if we cast our selves upon him in a holy recumbency and fiduciall confidence for the rest b Ps 34. Jsa 26. A most holy thirst or way to want nothing necessary for us yet here we must onely leave the event to God not omit any lawfull and moderate indevour on our parts as subservient to his providence which ordinarily doth not carry us from one extreame to another but by middle wayes for though he provides our daily bread he gives it onely to them that aske and labour for it * 1 Tim. 5.8 but when our actions as well as our tongues put forth their voyce they cry aloud in the eares of God * Mal. 3. and never misse of a blessing for as he that gives us life cannot want meanes to continue it in that he can make the rich mans barne the poore mans magazine so by giving one he becomes our debter for the rest Deus donando debet if wee cancell not our title by distrust Gods present benefits being ingagements to future mercies like Jacob and Esau one having a hand upon the others heel they come into the world as twins Nay it were the greatest Atheisme and infidelity in the world to thinke if we be not wanting to our selves that God either can or will let us want any thing that is good * Rom. ● when to convince us he doth not onely send us to his promises but to his unexampled goodnesse even towards his irrationall creatures to the lilie of the field which saith he neither spins nor takes paines to the fowles of the ayre which neither sow nor reape and shall not we aske as Saint Paul in another place sayes of Oxen doth God take this care of flowers birds beasts and shall he not much more provide for man for whose use service and delight those creatures were made Nay should we want bread yet we shall not want life for man of all creatures lives not by bread onely but by the blessing of God upon him For thus God can give forty dayes sustenance in one small refreshment as to Elias and put leannesse into the soules of those that are daily fed with quailes and manna for his children usually fare best upon a hard diet like many birds that grow fattest in sharpest and most biting weather and with poor Lazarus get more health and strength from Dives his crums the dogs ordinary then the other from all his full dishes and with the Nightingale sings most sweetly when the thorne is against her breast most pricked and stung by any misery like Paul Silas in their chaines nay such is Gods goodnesse to us that if naturall bowels faile he will still take care of us as of those birds that expose their young ones as soone as hatched to a miracle for preservation * Luk. 12.24 and will fill our mouthes with a sweet dew or something nutritive from heaven if we open them that way to call upon him in Prayer * Job 38.41 Ps 147.9 so the naturalists whereas the affluence of worldly blessings many times like the grovling sow to her young ones kils us with abundance And this as one observes made the Raven that was unnaturall to her owne Elias his caterer in his distesse as a return of gratitude to God for nourishing up her young one without her owne breast but I rather draw this conclusion from it that God who made the most unnaturall creature in the world so serviceable and compassionate towards man in his distresse neither can nor ever will want wayes and meanes to releive us if our eyes be upon him with good Iehosophat when surrounded with destruction and with Iob by making our confidence in his mercies out live death it selfe For certainly God can never cast them out of his protection that thus rely upon his providence but will allow for necessity though not for outward bravery and insteed of the artificiall glittering beauties of the world will cloth them with the Lilies whitenes Innocency here as an under garment till they be clothed upon with glory hereafter And therefore since our heavenly Father knowes better what is needfull for us then we for our selves and accordingly dispenses it to us most seasonably let us submit to every condition and rather expect a blessing upon our poverty then desire his outward blesings with a curse * Psa 78. for God loves measure in all things and gives to every living creature