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	understand_v	4,529	5	6.6981	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04930	A fort for the afflicted VVherin are ministred many notable & excellent remedies against the stormes of tribulation. Written chiefly for the comforte of Christes little flocke, which is the final number of the faithfull, by Iohn Knoxe.; Percel of the. vi. Psalme expounded	Knox, John, ca. 1514-1572.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1580 (1580)	STC 15074.8; ESTC S121924	38,221	112

last grounde of Dauids praiers was the glory and and praise of Gods name to be shewed and vttered in his life as in these wordes hee declareth For there is no remembrance of the● in death who landeth thee in the pitte As Dauid woulde say O Lorde howe shal I pray and declare thy goodnesse when I am dead and gone downe in to the graue I is not thy ordinary course to haue thy myracles and wonderous works preached vnto men by those that are buried and gone downe into the pit those that are dead make no mention of thee in the earth And therefore O Lorde spare thy seruant that yee for a time I may shewe and witnesse thy wonderous woorkes vnto mankinde These most godly affections in Dauid did ingender in him a vehement horror and feare of death besides that which is natural and common to al men bicause he perfectly vnderstood that by death hee shoulde be letted any further to aduance the glory of God Of this same he complaineth most vehemently in the 88. Psalm where apparauntly hee taketh from the dead sense remembrance feeling and vnderstanding aledging that God worketh no miracles by the dead that the goodnes of God cannot be preached in the graue nor his faith by perdition and that his meruellous workes are not knowne in darkenesse By which speache we may not vnderstand that Dauid taketh all sense and feeling from the dead ●either yet that they which are dead in Christ are in such estate that by God they haue not consolation and life no Christ him selfe doth witnesse the contrary but Dauid so vehemently expresseth their estate and condition because that after death they are depriued from al ordinatie ministration in the Church of God None of those that are departed are appointed to bee preachers of Gods glory vnto mankinde But after death they ceasse any more ●o aduannce Gods holy name heere amongest the liuing on earth and so shall euen they in that behalfe be vnprofitable to the congregation as touching any thing that they can do either in body or soule after death And therefore most earnestly Dauid desired to liue in Israel for the further manifestation of Gods glory Heere is to bee obserued a short but yet a most necessary note which is this what the thinges bee which wee ought principally to seeke in this transitorie life Not those for the which the blinde world contendeth and striueth but God and his louing kindnes to ward mankind his amiable promises and true religion to be aduanced and preached vnto others our brethren that be ignorant For if we doe not we may rather bee counted beastes then men dead stocks not liuing creatures yea rather thinges that bee not at al then substance hauing either being or life Seeing that the heauens declare the glory of God the earth with the whole contentes thereof what euer they bee doe geue praise to his holy name the Sea floods and fountaines with the wonders conteined in the same do not ceasse to make manifest the wisedome the power and the prouidence of their creator what then shalbe saide of man that neither seeketh neither regardeth Gods glory Yea what shal bee iudged of those that not onely hinder Gods glory but also declare them selues enimies to such as woulde promote it I must speake my conscience with a sorowful heart they are not onely dead but they are also of the nature of him by whose malice and enuie death entred into the worlde that is of the Diuel But them I omit at this present because their accusation doeth not muche apperteine to this our matter whereof nowe I must make an ende somewhat contrary to my minde For so I am compelled by some present troubles as wel of body as of Spirite The fourth part of this Psalm I omit til more opportunitie for it doth not much appertaine to the spiritual crosse but it is as it were a Prophesie spoken against all such as reioyce at the troubles of Gods elect who assuredly shalbe confounded and sodenly brought to shame when the Lord shal heare the voices of the sore afflicted Now dearely beloued in our Sauiour Christe Iesus seeing that the spiritual crosse is proper to the children of God seeing that it is geuen to vs as a most effectual medicine aswel to remome diseases as to plant in our soules most notable vertues such as is humilitie mercy contempt of our selues and continual remembrance of our owne weakenesse and imperfection And seeing that you haue had most euident signes that this same medicine hath wrought in you a part of al the promises receiue it thankfully of your fathers hand what trouble soeuer it bring with it and albeit that the fleshe grudge yet let the spirite reioyce stedfastly looking for deliuerance assuredly yee shall obteine according to the goodwil promise of him who cannot deceiue to whom bee glory for euer and euer before his congregation Amen Now seeing it is vncertaine beloued mother if euer we shal meete in this corporal life which wordes I wil not that yee take in any displeasure for if God continue you in life me in health I shal attempt to speake with you face to face within lesse time thē is passed since the one of vs last saw the other And be ye assured beloued mother that neither shal it be the feare of death nor the rage of the Diuel that shal let me therfore I beseech you take not my wordes in that part as though I were not minded to visite you againe no I assure you that onely Gods hande shal withholde mee But because our life doeth vanish as the smoke before the blast of wind my conscience moueth me to write vnto you as though I should ●●ke from you my last good night in earth The summe whereof is this to exhort and admonish you euen as that yee wil haue par● with Christ Iesus to co●tine we in the doctrine to the ende which before the world ye ha●e professed For before God before Christ Iesus his so●ne and before his holy angelles neither shame I ●o confesse neither doubt I to affirme that the doctrine which you and others haue hard not only of my mouth but also faithfully taught by the mouthes of many others of whom some are ex●l●d some cruelly cast into prison and the rest commanded to silence is the onely worde of life and that al doctrine repugning to the same is diabolical erronius which assuredly shal bring death and perpetual condemnation to al those which shal therto condiscend and agree And therefore Mother be not moued with any winde but sticke to Christe in the day of this his battel also I admonish you too auoide that abhomination which oft yee haue heard by me affirmed to be damnable idolatrie God I take to record in my conscience that neither then neither now I spake nor doe speake for pleasure or hatred of any liuing creature in erth whatsoeuer that it be but as my coscience

commeth vnto vs by Christ Iesus his sonne But they are causes by operation of the holy Ghost helping our weaknes to beleeue to trust that God who is the father of mercies wil not be angry for euer at the sore afflicted neither yet that hee wil punishe without mercy suche as cal for his helpe and comforte as also that GOD who hath alwaye declared him selfe enemie to pride wil not suffer the proude and obstinate cōtemners of his poore Saintes long to blaspheme his lenitie gentlenes but that he wil powre foorth his plagues vppon them according to his threatninges and so are our troubles and the tyrannie of our enemies in that behalfe fundaments wherupon our pray●rs may stande as here appeareth Dauid describeth his dolour and the continuance therof in these wordes I am consumed away with sicknesse al my bones are vexed my soule is in horrible feare But how long lord wilt thou thus intreat me I am weeried for sobbing I water my bed with my teares Let vs imagine that Dauid thus speaketh O Lord maiest thou who euer hast taken care for me from my mothers wombe nowe forget mee the woorke manship of thine owne hands Maiest thou that hast declared thy selfe so merciful vnto me in al my tribulatiōs nowe in the ende take thy mercies cleane from me Hast thou no pitie O Lord● Doest thou not beholde that I am pined and consumed by this greeuous torment wherein is not onely my tender flesh but also my verie bones the strōgest parte of my bodie so vexed that neither is there beautie nor strength left vnto mee If thy anguishes occupied the bodie onely yet were the paine almost intollerable but O Lord so horriblie is my soule tormented that albeit it be immortal yet it so quaketh and trēbleth as verie death should deuour it And thus doe I sustaine most grieuous tormentes both in bodie soule of so long continuance that it appeareth vnto me thou hast forgotten to be merciful O Lorde howe long wilt thou intreate me in this maner Hast thou forgotten thy louing mercies Or hast thou lost thy fatherly pitie I haue no lōger strength to cry yea and for sobbes and grones I am so weery that my breath faileth me the teares of mine eyes ● herewith nightly I haue wette my bed haue borne witnesse of my vnfained dolour but nowe my eyes are waxen dimme and my whole strength is dried vp In al these lamentable complaintes Dauid speaketh vnto God as he would speake vnto a man that were ignorant what an other man suffered whereof it may bee vnderstood howe the most prudent and the most spiritual man iudgeth of God in the time of troble assuredly he thoght that God taketh no care for him and therfore doeth hee as it were accuse God of vnmindfulnesse that he loketh not vpon him with the eyes of his accustomed mercie as clearely by these worodes may be espied And yet are Dauids troubles the first ground cause why he maketh his praiers claimeth to be heard not that troubles as before is noted are sufficient by them selues for Gods deliueraunce but in recounting his dolour Dauid hath a secret accesse to Gods mercie which chalengeth clameth of dutie to appertein to al his who in the time of trouble cal for his support help aide And it is the same ground that Iob taketh where he saith is it profitable vnto thee that thou violently oppresse me wilt thou despise the worke of thine own hands thou hast formed made me altogether and wilt thou now deuour me Remēber I beseech thee that thou hast fashioned me as a moulde and that thou shalt bring me to dust thou hast couered me with skin flesh with sinowes bones hast thou ioyned me with life gētlenes hast thou beautified me thy prudence hath kept my spirit Here may be espied vpō what groūd these two stood in this most grieuous paynes Their trouble mooued them to complain and to appeale to the great mercie of God which as they alledge euen so is it most sure he may deny to none that aske it for as the troubles of his creatures is none aduantage vnto God so to denie mercie when it is asked were to deny himself herein dearely beloued I hartily wish you to reioyce For I can be witnesse howe constantly yee haue called for grace in your anguishes and your owne conscience must testifie that oftētimes ye haue found release and comfort in suche measure that you haue bin bold to triumph against your aduersaries in Christ Iesus our sauior Be nothing afraid albeit presently ye feele not your accustomed consolation that shal hurt you no more then the trobles of Dauid Iob did hurt thē who in the time that they spake these former words found no more consolation then you do now in the most extremitie of your troble Neither yet did they hastily obtain cōfort for Dauid saith O Lord howe long wilt thou so cruelly punish me And yet we know most assuredly that they were heard that they obtained their own harts desire as no dout euery man shal that in time of troble be it spiritual or corporal appeareth only to Gods mercie The second ground and foundation wherupon the prayers of Dauid doe stande is the infinite goodnesse of God for thus hee saieth Saue me O God for thy goodnesse Dauid before had asked mercie and declared his complaintes but now searching reasoning with him selfe secretly in his conscience after this maner Why should God shewe mercie vnto him that so hainously had offended and that iustly was tormented by Gods hande for his transgression sin No other grounde that is alwayes sure permanent findeth he except Gods infinite goodnesse which he espieth to bee onely the staie which neither tempest of windes neither floodes of water are able to ouerthrow nor vndermind And oh how pearcing are the eyes of Faith that in so deepe a dungeon of desperation can yet espie in the midst of those troublesome darknesse goodnes to remaine in God yea and such goodnesse as is sufficient and able to ouercome deuour and swalow vp al the iniquities of his elect so that none of them are able to gainstande or hinder Gods infinite goodnesse to shewe his mercie to his troubled childrē Hereby are we taught beloued mother in the extremitie of our trobles to run to Gods only goodnesse there to seeke comfort by Iesus Christ and no where els I feare nothing the blasphemous voices of such nor their raging against God and against his onely eternal veritie that are not ashamed to affirme that this kinde of doctrine maketh men negligent to doe good workes against whom no otherwise wil I contend then doth the Apostle saying their damnation is iust For my purpose and minde is to edifie those whō God hath called from darknesse to light whose eyes it hath pleased his mercie so to open that euidētly they feele the fl●sh to rebel

flocke within the Realme of Englande this day First I say this is my hope that a iust vengeance shalbee taken vppon those blood-thirstie tyrantes by whome Christes Iesus in his members is nowe crucified amongst you And after that his veritie shall so appeare to the cōfort of those that now do mourne that they shall heare and know the voice of their owne Pastour And this shal our merciful God doe vnto vs to let vs knowe and in practi●e vnderstand that his promises are infallible and that hee wil not intreate vs according to the weakenesse of our corrupt nature which alwaies is readie to fal from God to distrust his promises and to forget that euer wee haue receiued benefite or comforte from Gods hand when trouble lieth vpon vs or when extreeme danger doeth appeare And therefore beloued in the Lord albeit you finde your harts sometimes assaulted with dolour with grudging or with some kinde of desperation yet dispaire not vtterlie neither be ye troubled aboue measure as that Christ Iesus shoulde neuer visite you againe Not so deere brethren not so for such imperfections rested with Christes owne Apostles of a long time and yet did they not hinder his comming againe vnto them No more shal our weakenesse and imperfections hinder or let the brightnesse of his countenance and the comfort of his worde yet once againe to shine before vs. Prouided alwaies that Iudas his obstinacie his impenitencie traiterous hearte bee absent from vs. As I doubte not but it is from al the members of Christes bodie who are permitted sometime to fal so that of the most feruent professors they become fearefull denyers of the most knowen trueth but they are not permitted of any continuance to blaspheme neither to remaine in vnbeliefe and desperation to the ende as in Christes Apostles plainely may be seene And that more cleerely wee may vnderstande our time and estate within the Realme of Englande this day to agree with the time and estate of Christes disciples immediately after his death let vs consider what chaunced to them before and after the same Before Christes passion as they were instructed by Christes owne mouth of many things appertaining to that kingdome of God which they neither perfectly vnderstoode neither worthily then regarded so were they aduertised and ofte admonished that Christ their Maister shoulde suffer a cruel death that they shoulde bee ashamed slandered and offended in him that they shoulde flye from him And finally that persecution and trouble from time to time should apprehende them With these most dolorous tydinges hee also promised that hee shoulde rise vppon the thirde day that he shoulde rise for them againe to their comfo●ce and consolation and that he shoulde mightily deliuer them from al troubles and aduersities But what auailed al these admo●●tions to Christes 〈◊〉 before his death or in that extremi●ie of their anguishes shortly after the same did they feare and verily looke for trouble before it came Or did they looke for any comforte when the forespoken trouble was come It is most euident that no such thing did enter into their heartes For before Christes death their greatest minde was vppon worldly honour for which sometimes they debated and contended amongest themselues yea euen when Christe was most earnestly preaching of his crosse And after his death they were so oppressed with anguishe with care with dolour and desperation that neither coulde the witnessing of the women affirming that they had seene Christ neither the graue left emptie voide neither the Angels who did appeare to certifie his resurrection neither yet the very voice and presence of Christ Iesus himselfe remoue al doubtes from their afflicted heartes but from time to time their mindes wa●ered and fully coulde not be established that their Lord and Maister was verily risen to their comforte according to his former promises In this case consider I the true professours of Christes holie Euangelie to be this day in the Realme of Englande For these dayes of our present dolour and tribulation haue beene before spoken and blowen in our eares long time before they came Our weakenesse and fraile infirmitie was also painted foorth before our eyes but who woulde haue beleeued that those dayes of our trouble had beene so nigh Or that so shorte a tempest shoulde haue ouerthrowen so greate a multitude I thinke no man within the whole Realme for al men appeared to liue in such carelesse securitie as that the immutable sentence of God pronouncing that whosoeuer wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution had nothing appertained to our age And such a bolde confidence or rather a vaine persuasion had a greate number of their owne strength that if they had continued without any backe slyding they might haue beene iudged rather Angels then men But beloued in the Lorde the sworde of anguishe and of dolour hath nowe pearced the tender hearte of Christes mother that is of his very church● that the cogitations of many heartes are sufficiently reuealed The fire is come which as it hath burnt awaye with a blast the stubble Haye and Wood so in trying the golde siluer and precious stones it hath founde such drosse and duste that the whole masse may appeare to bee confused For who nowe calleth to minde that the same voice which forespake our dolours forespake also our euerlasting comforte with Christ Iesus Who delighted nowe in his amiable promises Who reioiceth vnder the crosse yea who rather doeth not feare tremble grudge and lament as that there were no helpe in God or as that hee regardeth not the trouble which wee suffer These are the imperfections that continually remaine in this our corrupt nature the knowledge whereof ought to moue vs earnestly to crye O Lorde increase our fayth bee merciful vnto vs and let vs not drowne in the deepe for euer Which if we doe with vnfained hearts ●hen yet shall Christ Iesus appeare to our comforte his power shalbee knowne to the praise and glorie of his owne name in despite of al his coniured enemies And this is the chiefe and principal cause of my comforte and consolation in these most dolorous dayes that neither can our infirmities nor dayly desperation hinder or let Christ Iesus to returne to vs againe The other cause of my comforte and consolation is that I am assured that the iudgement of these Tyrantes that nowe oppresse vs shall not slippe but the vengeance shal fal vppon them without prouision For they haue sufficiently declared the malice of their mindes They haue violated the lawe and holy ordinances of the Lorde our God They haue opened their mouthes against his eternal veritie They haue exiled his trueth and established their owne lyes They dayly persecute the innocentes and stoutly maintaine open murthers their heartes are obdurate and their faces are become shamelesse like harlottes so that no hope of repentance nor amendement is to bee had of them And