Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	fruit_n	sin_n	5,300	5	5.2076	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05470	Two sermons viz. 1. A preseruatiue lilie to cure soules. And 2. How to seeke to finde Christ. Preached by that famous and iudicious diuine, Peter Lilie, Doctor of Diuinitie, and sometime fellow of Iesus Colledge in Cambridge.	Lily, Peter, d. 1615.; Lily, Dorothy, d. 1627.	1619 (1619)	STC 15600; ESTC S108559	27,509	75

nothing but earth Earth in respect of body earth in respect of our thoughts which are onely occupied about earth and earthly matters how wee may make here and there a purchase ioyning house to house and land to land as the Prophet speaketh euen till there be no roome left Some will obiect Doe you condemne purchasing No then were I very simple I know that buying and selling are lawfull contracts as necessary as eating and drinking are But giue mee leaue I pray you to put you in remembrance of our Sauiours words Luke 21.34 Let not your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life And of the Apostles words 1. Cor. 31. That they that vse this world be as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away VVhere the Apostle compares vs to Actors and the world to a Stage which must shortly be remoued Therefore we may vse these things so farre forth as they are helpes vnto vs in our seeking of Christ but to set our affections on them and for loue of these to neglect the dueties of Christianity is heere to seeke Christ on earth who now raigneth in heauen I will adde but one thing and so end this point The Prophet saith Esay 42.5 That God stretcheth out the earth and the Buddes thereof hee giueth breath vnto the people vpon it and his Spirit Calcantibus eam to those that treade vpon it which Text is diuersly expounded But Saint Augustine among others hath a notable Meditation or rather Interpretation on it For whereas the Prophet saith Hee stretcheth forth the earth and giueth breath vnto the people and his Spirit to them that tread on it his meaning is that he communicates the graces of his Spirit to such as contemne the earth and earthly things The heauen of heauens appertains to God but the earth hee hath giuen to the children of men who treade it vnder their feet If then we would finde Christ we must treade on it with the feete of our affections I meane contemne and trample it vnder foote as we doe those things we care not for because he giueth his Spirit as the Prophet saith Calcantibus eam To those that treade on it that is that doe not reckon or esteeme it but euen treade it vnder their feete and contemne it Qui amore Coelestium terrena contemnunt For the loue of heauen do despise earthly things and all the wealth and glory thereof to them saith he and to them onely doth God giue his Spirit In this manner let vs liue on earth not as men bewitched besotted with the earth but as contemners and tramplers on the earth hauing our feete walking on the earth but our Faith and Affections dwelling in the heauens being like vnto the Cedar which Radicem terris comam nubibus inserit Hath his roote deepe in the ground but toucheth the Cloudes with his toppe Or to the Sunne-beames which do shine on the earth yet are they fastened to the body of the Sun in heauen so demeaning our selues on earth we may inioy Christ which is in heauen 2. I haue spoken of the Text as it is Reprehensory I will now speake of it as it is Consolatory to the women seeking Christ and also to all such who liuing on earth doe notwithstanding seeke Christ sitting in heauen Quid quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos saith the Angell Why seeke yee the liuing amongst the dead which words containe not only a reprehension but also a consolation of singular moment For the women comming to seeke Christ and finding the Stone rolled away and the Body gone which is plaine by the speech of Mary Magdalen Tulerunt Dominum They haue taken away my Lord were sore discomforted The appearance of the Angells in maiesty as it is likely made some impression of feare in their tender hearts which the Angels perceiuing doe speake comfortably to them Feare you not mixing as I haue said Consolation with Reprehension For without all question it sounded ioyfully in the eares of the women who being perswaded that Christ was dead and hearing the Angell tell them that hee was aliue that hee was risen could not but be greatly comforted when they heard Quid quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos Why seeke yee the liuing among the dead You are perswaded that he is dead that he is stolne away out of the Graue No it is not so Christ liueth as before he told you Goe tell his brethren that he goes before them into Galile VVas not this thinke you a comfortable speach to women oppressed with feare and griefe The words then of the Angell were not onely Reprehensory but Consolatory not to them onely but to vs also for whom these wordes were spoken VVhat can be more comfortable then to consider and know that Christ liueth that hee is ascended that he sitteth at the right hand of God in maiesty and honour VVhen Iacob saw the Chariots which Ioseph had sent to carry him Genes 45.27 28. he said I haue enough Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue But how much greater cause haue we to say It is enough for vs that Christ our head liueth that he is risen againe from the dead Iohn 12.24 Except the wheate corne fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite In which words our Sauiour doth expresse the fruite of his Death and Resurrection which is the resurrection of all those that sleep in the dust of the earth for though Christus resurrexit solus Christ did rise alone who is the first fruits of them that rise yet not totus all Christ did not arise for hee is the head and we are his members who are now raised in hope and shall be raised verily indeede in the time which he hath appointed and liue with him by the vertue power of that life which now is in him It is enough for vs that Christ our head our brother liueth hee is Bone of our bone and Flesh of our flesh If the First-fruites be holy then is the whole lumpe holy Neither is there any action of Christs but yeeldes much comfort For heere he died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification but first hee was buried descended into the Graue which is domus mortuorum the house of the dead where hee remayned but yet as liber inter mortuos as free among the dead The women did seeke him in the Graue to which Christ descended partly to proue vnto vs the verity of his death and resurrection partly to secure vs and to defend vs from the feare of the Graue into the which for our sakes the Lord descended Jt is appoynted for all men once to die Iob 17 14. and then commeth the Iudgement And wee must say with Iob vnto the wormes Hebr. 9.27 Thou art my mother and sister and to corruption Thou art my father But be of good cheare Christ who was

to be his Souldiers and by that mysterie doe binde our selues as fast as any vowe or oathe can tie vs and being thus bound if we be desertores militiae forsakers of our Christian profession and become flat Apostataes wee then are more guilty then if we had neuer contracted with God to serue him which to doe wee are euen bound by Baptisme and heerein many of vs doe diuers wayes infringe the vowe wee made in Baptisme fleeing from the Campe of Christ into the tents of Sathan There are scene amongst vs God be thanked that renounce their profession vniuersally yet many do daily slide to Poperie which as I sayd though it bee not a totall defection yet it is an aberration from Christ and that a grosse one But where Christians doe border vpon the Turkes it is no newes to see Christians turne Turkes these are Apostataes and runnagate souldiers out of Christs Campe But though there be none such amongst vs yet are there disobedient souldiers whose standing is in Gods Campe but they fight the Diuells battailes Such are all notorious and scandalous sinners who may carry Gods marke in their fore-heads but are the Diuells seruants in their actions whom I wish if any such be heere to repent and consider what a shamefull thing it is after that they haue receiued Gods Presse-mony haue bin brought vp in his Campe to bee at couenant with Sathan Death and Hell Of all others Hypocrites as they are of the greatest number so are they in the most daunger because vnder pretence of fighting Gods battells they betray the whole army to the enemies And yet I know not whether I should say that such as these are of the Campe nay rather as some say they are but in the camp not of the Campe not of the Church but in the Church and as S. John speakes 1. Iohn 2.19 Some such are gone out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they would haue continued with vs or if they be members of the church they are but members of the visible Church in which there are Tares and VVheat Sheep and Goates vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour but how they should be actually members of the Catholike Church which is the societie of the faithfull and the mysticall body of Christ I cannot see Our Aduersaries who will not graunt the difference betweene the visible and inuisible Church say that the outward profession of faith doth make one a member of Christs body and that no internall vertue is required thereunto but when wee obiect vnto them such scandalous and grosse sinners and close and hidden hypocrites as lurke in the body of the Church then are they driuen to their poore shifts for they affirme that such are members though dead members of Christs body these say they are dead members Others call them not members but parts or excrements in the body as all our nayles and haires are but corrupt humours in the body like biles or inflammations But how any such should bee the members of Christ or appertaine to his mysticall body is beyond my reach For of the Body Christ is the Head who giueth life and sustenance to euery member of it men that continue obstinately in any grosse sinne are the members of Sathan and how they should be actually the members of Christ I see not True it is that such may appertaine to Gods election and they may be called as Saint Augustine speakes Electi secundum propositum suum Elected according to his purpose for so I see the Scripture speakes but actually they are not the members of Christ till they be called sanctified and bring forth fruit neither can a man haue any comfort in Christ either in regard of an historicall faith or of Baptisme till hee repent and become a true souldier to Christ to which his Baptisme doth binde him And therefore if you wish to bee saued adde to Faith and Baptisme Good-workes which though in this place they are not mentioned yet are they comprehended Neither can I giue better counsell to you then Iohn Baptist did to the people when they came to be baptised of him For when they asked him what they should doe to be saued He answered Let him that hath two coates Luke 3.11.12.13.14 giue one to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him doe likewise by which is not meant that it is vn-lawfull for a man to haue two coates but that which is redundant and superfluous in our estate wee must giue to the poore or to speake plainly relieue the poore if God hath giuen vs abilitie it is in a word a lesson of Mercie and that to be performed as time and circumstances require this was a generall lesson which hee gaue to all the people But when the Publicans came who were infamous for their polling and oppression and asked what they should doe he bade them require no more then that which was appoynted vnto them and when the Souldiers came who vnlesse Grace restraine them are proude barbarous and bloudy and asked what they should doe he answeres Doe violence to no man neither accuse any man falsely and be content with your wages Vnum omnibus conueniens singulis responsum dabat Hee gaue a generall answere to them all and a particular answere to men of seuerall degrees and callings and therein Saint Ambrose commendeth his discretion For there is a generall dutie pertaining to all Christians and that is the duetie of Charitie of Mercie from which neither high nor lowe Priest nor People neither rich nor poore are exempted euery man according to his rancke and abilitie must be mercifull But there are also seuerall dueties appertaining to seuerall men for wee all are one body but in that body are diuers members some appoynted to one office some to another and if wee will haue comfort by our Baptisme then it becommeth 〈◊〉 to practise all generall dueties with all Christians and particular also with faithfulnes and desire to discharge that duty that our particular vocation doth binde vs to then are we trusty true Souldiers then keepe we our vow made in Baptisme then wee may take comfort in our Christian vocation For he that beleeueth and is baptised and withall bringeth foorth fruit liuing answerable to his profession shall be saued I will not deny but in many things we offend all neither doth any person liue so exactly and walke so innocently as his Christian vocation requireth but God passeth by many of our infirmities and accepteth our seruice though vnperfect when wee striue to doe our indeuour and haue a care of our conuersation Euen as a man that beares with many infirmities in his sonne so long as he doth not vtterly cast off the yoake of obedience and become against all nature treacherous incorrigible for that dissolues the bonds of nature giues iust cause of disherison so God suffereth and passeth by many ordinary infirmities

Baptisme with the modesty of that Sexe I know not I know that Figge-tree leaues are found out to shadow this fault but in my opinion it is but to lay colour vpon colour to finde out Figge-tree leaues to couer nakednesse withall How much better were it for Ladies according to the Apostles counsaile to array themselues with good-workes to diminish something of their brauery that they might be better able to exercise the deedes of Charity as Dorcas did This as I haue said is a generall duety to which all of vs are bound without distinction of sexe or degree and that by our very vow in Baptisme in which we are made Christs souldiers For though women be priuiledged from bearing of Armes and from the performance of Military seruice yet Christs souldiers they are as well as others and bound to fight against the VVorld the Flesh and the Diuell bound to serue God in the generall duety of all Christians and in the particular duty which their sexe and calling requires And hereof I suppose you are not ignorant The Apostle Colos 3.18 if any be ignorant will at large informe them in their dueties Art thou a Maide 1. Cor. 7.32 Be as one that careth for the things of the Lord how thou mayst please God Art thou a VVife Coloss 3.18 Submit thy selfe to thy husband as is comely in the Lord. Art thou a VVidowe 1. Tim. 5.6 Remember that the Widow that liueth in pleasure is dead Here a question is moued which of these estates is the best but in my opinion a curious one and not meete to bee handled especially at this time For they are all good and commendable each of them hath seuerall dueties appertaining in performing whereof they shall haue more honour in the eyes of men more reward with God then for al other the nicenesses and trimnesse of the bodie whatsoeuer But to shut vp all in a word as our Sauiour doth promise saluation to him that is baptized so heere on the contrary he saith But hee that is not baptized shall be damned Out of which some haue inferred that Baptisme is not simply necessary to saluation VVhich doctrine although I take to be very true yet is it not absolute nor rightly collected out of this place For our Sauiour doth not in this ouerthrow that which he spake in the former and we must holde a coniunction of both these I meane Faith and Baptisme both being in their kinde necessary yet as I said not so but that in some cases one may be saued without either Faith or Baptisme Some haue no faith and yet are saued For what actuall faith haue Infants Some think there is actuall faith in them from which I suppose S. Augustine doth not much swarue Others haue had Faith but not Baptisme as Valentinian and yet were saued Some haue neither had Faith nor Baptisme and yet were saued as children deceased before they could come to receiue Baptisme It is the ordinarie meanes of Regeneration and therefore not to be contemned not to be deferred for howsoeuer GOD is powerfull enough without meanes to regenerate and bring to saluation yet those holy meanes which himselfe hath appointed sanctified to that purpose must by no meanes be contemned nor neglected For He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued VVhich fauour God grant vs all for his Christs sake Amen FINIS Seeke to finde LVKE 24.5 Why seeke yee Him that liueth among the dead THe blessed and deuout Maries seeking our Sauiour at his Sepulchre earely in the morning are encountered with this Angelicall checke Why seeke ye Him that liueth among the dead A question that might easily trouble persons of so weake a sexe at that season and out of the mouth of an Angell too But though they were amased at the sodainnesse of the voice yet was not their zeale cooled from seeking him whom their soules loued In this question of the Angells are two things to be considered First a reprehension of their errour Secondly a consolation for their labour First the reprehension and checke which the Angells gaue to these holy women for seeking Christ among the dead was not without iust cause for it was an erronious seeking All of vs are seekers and in some sort seekers of Christ too but few of vs doe finde him Because wee seeke him amisse The errours then where-into men vsually fall in seeking Christ must be narrowly obserued that they may the better be auoyded The first errour men doe commit in seeking of Christ is committed in the Time The time assigned vs for to seeke Christ is the terme of this life which opportunity if we neglect it is impossible wee should euer obtaine our desires in finding Christ For after death Hebr. 10.26 72 There remayneth no sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull expectation of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the Aduersaries Therefore the Apostle willeth Galat. 61.0 that Whilest we haue time we doe good to all men especially to the houshold of faith There are twelue houres in the day Iob. 11.9 as our Sauiour teacheth vs If a man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world Iob. 12.35 Walke therefore while ye haue light lest the darkenesse come vpon you It becommeth vs then not to loose the season of seeking and herein to apprehend the fittest opportunity For though I will not deny but Christ may be found at any time whilest wee liue yet there is a difference of times God is debter to no man and if hee should subtract his grace vniuersally from vs yet no man could iustly complaine of him why he had done so but God in mercie doth dispence his graces and knockes at the doores of our hearts desiring to be let in yet not at all times but at certaine seasons according to the dispensation which seemeth fittest to himselfe At which time and season if wee harden our hearts how know wee whether the like mercy will be offered againe and therefore we must with all carefulnesse embrace such times and opportunities when hee doth knocke at the doores of our hearts The custome of most of vs is to deferre the seeking of God to our olde age and to confecrate our youth to sinne to tender our decrepite yeares to God and the crop and creame of our youth to sinne and sathan not remembring the counsel of Salomon Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Nay do we not deferre the seeking of Christ to the last moment to the last act of our life And what can be more vaine For as Augustine speakes most truely Qui remittit poenitenti peccatum non promittit peccanti vitam God which promiseth the penitent sinner forgiuenesse doth not promise him length of life or any certaine number of yeares How many are cut off when they least thought of it Doth not the incertainty and frailety of our estate tell vs so