Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	christian_n	lord_n	zion_n	20	3	8.8289	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06502	A commentarie or exposition vppon the twoo Epistles generall of Sainct Peter, and that of Sainct Jude. First faithfullie gathered out of the lectures and preachinges of that worthie instrumente in Goddes Churche, Doctour Martine Luther. And now out of Latine, for the singuler benefite and comfort of the godlie, familiarlie translated into Englishe by Thomas Newton; Enarrationes in epistolas Divi Petri duas et Iudae unam. English	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Newton, Thomas, 1542?-1607.	1581 (1581)	STC 16978; ESTC S108928	231,904	387

hunger is as the Prouerbe saieth the beste sauce those pinches maketh this meate meruailous sauorie For the harte and conscience when thei once beginne to haue feelyng of their miserie and wretched state can heare nothyng that is so pleasaunte as the Gospell thei whollie rely vnto it thei smell afarre of the delicacie and toothsomnesse thereof and can not bee fullie satisfied therewith So was the song of the blessed virgine Marie He hath filled the hongrie with good thinges In the meane season those stiffe mynded persones that trust to their owne holinesse and leaue to their owne woorkes and righteousnesse haue neither any feelyng of their Synnes and wickednesse neither enioye any tast of these thynges here spoken of As for example when any that is hungrie sitteth at a table eche kinde of meate sauoureth well and hath a good relishe in his mouth whereas to hym that is full stomacked nothing sauoreth well but all meates yea the beste and daintiest dishes seeme loathsome Therefore vseth the Apostle these woordes If so be that you haue tasted how bountifull the Lorde is as though he should saie If you haue not as yet tasted this my preachyng to you is but in vaine To whom comyng as vnto a liuyng stone HEre againe taketh he holde of Scriptures afore tyme written and bryngeth in the xxviii of Esaie saiyng thus Heare the woorde of the Lorde ye mockers because ye haue saied wee haue made a couenant with Death and with Hell are wee at an agreement and haue made falshood your refuge Therefore thus saieth the Lorde Beholde I will laie in Zion a Stone a tried Stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation c. This place doeth saincte Paule also alledge and it is one of the principallest places of the Scripture For Christe is that precious Stone whom God hath laied for the foundation and vppon whom wee are to bee builded And here beholde how S. Peter taketh these wordes and interpreteth them of Christ Again that which Esaie calleth Trustyng in hym that saieth S. Peter to be the same that to bee builded vpon hym is And this is truely and aptly to expounde the Scriptures Thei that builde laie their foundation in suche a place where it maie continue faste and remaine firme so that it may beare vp the whole house and frame that is builded vpō it And euen so doth this liuyng Stone which is Christ vphold and beare all this spirituall buildyng And to be builded vpon hym is nothyng els but that we all together repose our trust confidence and hope whiche wee haue in our selues whollie vpon hym Disalowed of men but chosen of God precious HEre againe he alledgeth a place out of the Cxviij Psalme of the Prophete Dauid The same Stone whiche the builders refused is become the hedde Stone of the corner and it is merueilous in our eyes Whiche place Christ hymself also citeth in the xxj of Matthewes Gospell and is repeted in the fourth of the Actes The Stone whiche you builders reiected and set nought by You saieth he are the builders For thei taught the people preached many thynges enacted sondrie ordinaunces and Lawes but thei made men nothyng thereby but Meritemangers Hypocrites Wherevpon Christe pronouncyng sentence vppon them calleth them plaine Hypocrites and the generation of Vipers and pronounceth many terrible sentences vpon theim reckonyng theim among Synners and not for suche greate holie men as thei would faine haue semed This can thei not abide but reiect hym and saie Hereticke forbiddest thou to doe good woorkes Thou shalte dye the death for thy so saiyng And therefore saieth saincte Peter here This same corner Stone vpon whiche you must be builded is euen likewise refused and set at naught This as the Prophet saieth appeareth merueilous in our eyes and seemeth verie straunge and so wonderfull that vnlesse the Spirite did teache it vs no man by reason could conceiue in Therefore saith he before God this Stone is chosen and precious and of so high price and value that it taketh awaie Death recompenseth for Synnes deliuereth from Hell and laste of all giueth also vnto vs the Kyngdome of Heauen Ye also as liuelie Stones be made a spirituall house HOw and by what meanes are wee builded Euen by the Gospell and preaching of the Woorde The Builders are thei that preache Thei that are builded are suche Christians which heare the Gospell thei are the Stones whiche must be laied and couched vpon this corner Stone so that wee repose our whole truste vppon hym and that out harte leane onely vpon hym and so bee at reste Now it followeth that wee must so directe and frame our selues that wee maie expresse shewe forthe and imitate that course of life that he ledd For it is verie meete that I who am builded and laied vpon hym by faithe should freme my self to the same workes that he did and shewe forth the same conuersation Which order all menne generally and ioyntly ought and are bounde to resemble And this issueth forth and proceedeth frō Faithe and is the woorke of Loue that we should mutuallie bee morteised and ioyned out into an other that we all together maie make one buildyng The same reason hath sainct Paule also j. Cor. iij. Howbeeit not altogether after the same maner that this is You are saieth he the Temple of God It is not the materiall house made of woodd and stone which is his House a Spirituall house is that whiche he requireth whiche is the Churche of Christe in whiche wee are all through one Faithe equall That whiche one is an other is all builded together within our selues mutuallie and emong our selues cemented couched framed and knitte together by Loue without al maliciousnesse guile hypocrisie enuie and euill speakyng as afore hath been declared An holie Priesthood HEere taketh he awaie that outwarde and corporall Priesthood whiche was in the old Testament as also that outward Temple all whiche he quite remooueth and saieth thus That outwarde and externall pampe of Priesthoode is now cleane ceassed now therefore beginne yea newe Priesthood and offer other Sacrifices but so that all thynges be Spirituall Here haue we had somewhat adoe for that wee haue mainteined and affirmed that these persones whiche commonlie of late yeres haue been called and tearmed by y e name of Priestes are not Priestes before God at all and that assertion prooued we cheeflie out of this place And therefore vnderstande it aright and beare it well in mynde That if any should bee so wilfull in suche sorte to wreste and teare in peeces for I will not call it expounde this place as that the same were to be meant of a double Priesthoode whiche some blusteryngly and boldly haue auouched that is to witte bothe of a Spirituall and also of a Corporall Priesthoode will hym to cleare his eyesight and a little better to awake his senses For sainct Peter saieth thus Be ye builded into a Spirituall or holie Priesthood Now demaunde of

spightfull enuie and cancarde hatred am I not a greate deale the fitter to deale louingly and gentlie with my neighbour I haue oftentymes afore saied that although by Faith we bee fullie iustified and haue Christe with all his merites fullie our owne yet ought wee to applye our selues to good Workes and to seeke all that wee can the benefite and commoditie of our Neighbour For we are neuer perfectly purged and cleane so long as we dwell in this worlde there is no man but feeleth and findeth in his Bodie a Storehouse of many euill lustes and filthie desires For Faithe beginneth to mortifie Sinnes and to bryng with it an heauenly life but it is not as yet here perfect and strong enough to doe that which it would Euen as Christe reasoned of the Samaritan which was not yet wholly restored to health although his woundes were bounde vp and charge enough giuen for his curyng and looking to so fareth it with vs. For whē we beleue our woundes are bound vp that is to saie the infection and disease which by propagation is deriued into vs from Adam is begonne to bee healed whiche is brought to passe as wee see in some remisselie and slowly in other some speedily and quickly accordingly as euery one chastiseth himself and represseth his flesh and hath a fuller measure of Faithe giuen vnto hym And therefore when we haue attained these two Faithe and Charitie our next studie and care ought to be euen vntill wee dye to skowre and pourge these reliques of Synne yet harboroughyng within vs. And therefore saieth sainct Peter Arme ye your selues likewise with the same mynde that is confirme your myndes and strengthen your hartes in this cogitation to dooe as Christ hath dooen afore you For if wee be right Christians wee ought thus to thinke with our selues My Lorde GOD hath suffred for me hath shew his precious blood for me and hath suffred Death on the Crosse for me why should I bee suche a bastarde to bee vnwillyng to suffer any kinde of affliction For if our Lorde hymself issue out into the brunte and breaste of the Battaile how muche more meete is it for vs beyng his poore Seruauntes ioyfully to abide and vndertake any daunger These cogitations would animate vs to pearce into and boldely to aduenture to giue the ●nsect vpon any daungerous assaies what soeuer This woorde Fleshe signifieth not onely the Bodie consistyng of Fleshe and Blood Skinne and Bones but all what soeuer commeth from Adam So saieth God Genes vj. My Spirite shall not alwaies striue with manne because he is but Fleshe And Esaie likewise Chap. xl All Fleshe shall see the sauyng health of God That is it shalbee manifest before all menne in the worlde So also saie wee in our Creed I beleeue the resurrection of the Fleshe that is that all mennesh all arise againe Fleshe therefore signifieth the whole and entire Manne euen as he liueth in this life Now the w●●rkes of the Fleshe are in an excellent order reckoned vp and recoumpted by sainct Paule Gala. v. And not those grosse actions and workes of the Fleshe onely as Fornication but the chiefest and greatest vices that bee as Idolacrie and Heresies whiche bée resiaūt not in the Bodie onely but rather in the Reason Note therefore that Manne together with his Reason Will and all inward motions Soule and Bodie is called Fleshe and that because with al his powers bothe inwardly and outwardly he pursueth and himteth onely for those thynges that are carnall and delightfull to the Fleshe Euen so saieth Saincte Peter in this place that Christ suffred in the Fleshe whereas it is certaine that his Passion was not onely in the Fleshe but in his Soule also whiche adode that moste extreme agoine whereof Esaie speaketh And after the same sorte must we also take this that followeth He whiche suffreth in the Fleshe ceaseth from Synne For this is not the meaning of it that he whiche hath his head chopped of or his bodie onely dismembred ceasseth from synnes but this suffryng in the Fleshe comprehendeth in it what soeuer it bee that aggreeueth and vtterly discontenteth Man or that whiche shalbee his happe willinglie to suffer and beare what Miserie Calamitie Vexation or necessitie so euer it bee For there are a greate sorte that beeyng sounde in bodie are notwithstandyng inwardly in mynde greatly perplexed and disquieted and in harte greeuously tormented Now if these grieues be laied vpon them for Christes cause it is good and commobious for them for he that is afflicted in the Fleshe saith he ceasseth from Synne For this purpose is the Crosse very profitable because thereby Synnes are qualified and greatly alaied For when a Manne once beginneth earnestly and from the verie bottome of his harte to repente it is wonderfull to see how soone and how quickely Luste Enuie hatred and other synnes doe vanishe awaie and ceasse Wherefore GOD hath laied the Crosse on vs thereby as it were to compell and pushe vs forwarde as well to beleeue in hym and to put our thirst in hym as also that wee should reache our helpyng hande one to an other through Loue. That he henceforthe should liue as muche tyme as remaineth in the Fleshe not after the lustes of menne but after the will of God OVr partes and dueties are as in the whole course of our life so by the Crosse and daiely chastifyng of our selues to conquere and subdue our Fleshe and to bryng it in subiection not with intent therby to merite any thyng toward our Saluation but to shewe our selues gratefull and duetifull vnto God Not after the lustes of menne saieth he that is We must not doe it to please either our selues or others thereby For wee must not fashion our selues like vnto this worlde as Saincte Paule writeth in the xij Chapter to the Romaines Whatsoeuer the worlde requireth of vs that must we refraine and forbeare For it is sufficiente for vs that wee haue spent the time paste of the life after the luste of the Gentiles walkyng in wantonnesse lustes drunkennesse in gluttonie drinkynges and in abhominable Idolatries WEE haue alreadie too muche cockered our selues and been too muche giuen to our owne wāton delites for before wee receiued the Faithe wee spente our tyme and bestowed our liues accordyng to our owne sensuall appetites in no better sorte then very Gentiles And therefore we must striue and endeuour our selues to consecrate and direct the residue of our life according to the will of God and to doe that whiche maie bee acceptable vnto him For we haue our Enemie within our owne bosome wee foster and nourishe hym within our owne fleshe there and from thence the craftie and moste Pestilent enemie as it were out of an ambushe priuily and secretly setteth vpon vs and that not with any grosse and apparaunt vices but rather with the credite iolitie and estimation of the Fleshe which is called by Sainct Paule The wisedome of the Fleshe j. Cor. j. This beeyng now

golde neither rideth he pompouslie abroade with any glitteryng traine and gallaunt horses But yet neuerthelesse he is the Kyng of all Kynges and hath all Kynges vnder his power and iurisdiction and to speake all at once all thynges must be subiect vnder his feete Behold euen so greate and suche a Lorde art thou if thou beleeue on hym for what soeuer he hath the same is also thyne Here might some peraduenture obiecte thus vnto me and saie Saincte Peter by this thy assertion called Christians Kynges and yet all the worlde well knoweth that we are not all Kynges and therefore saie thei this place is not to bee vnderstoode as spoken of all sortes of Christians For he that is a Christian is not therevppon straightwaies the Kyng of Fraunce or that Prieste of Rome But here now will I demaunde this question of theim whether the Kyng of Fraunce be a Kyng in the sight of God or no Whiche thyng no man dare vpon warrant affirme For GOD will not Iudge accordyng to the dignitie of a Croune In Earth in deede and before the worlde he is a Kyng but when Death hath once seized vpon hym then shall his Kyngdome ceasse and haue an ende and then shall he vnlesse he beleeue aright be subiecte vnder the feete of them that truely beleeue Wee in this place speake of an eternall Kyngdome and Priesthoode of the whiche sorte is euery one before God whiche beleeueth and is bothe a true Prieste and a true Kyng Now who is so ignoraunte that knoweth not that all the table of the greasie Shauelynges bee nothyng lesse then Priestes And as these aforesaied Polleshorne Shauelynges are not therefore to be reputed Priestes afore GOD because of their crounes so neither before God are Kynges accoumpted as Kynges because thei weare Crounes Crouned Kynges and anointed Priestes are of this worlde and are established and constituted by Men. The Pope may at his holie pleasure make as many suche prollyng Priestes as hym listeth to serue his turne but let him not presume to constitute and make a Priest that boldlie maie bee accoumpted for a Prieste before God for suche doeth God himself make and appoinct Therefore in that Sainct Peter here in this place saieth You bee a royall Priesthood it is as muche as if he should saie You are Christians If thou wouldest knowe what title what power prerogatiue and glorie true Christians haue thou seest that thei bee Kynges Priestes and a chosen people Now what this Priesthood is doeth here straightwaies ensue That you should shewe forth the vertues of hym that hath called you out of darknesse into his merueilous light THis office especially appertaineth vnto the Priest that hee should bee the Ambassadour or messenger of God and according to that Commission which he hath from God sincerely preach and declare his Worde The vertues saieth sainct Peter that is to wit those wonders whiche God hath doen for you in bringyng you out of darkenesse into light your partes and office is to preache and tel forth for therein chiefly consisteth the office of a Priest Thus therefore and to this ende ought your preachyng to tende that one Brother should declare and shewe forthe vnto an other that greate and wonderfull worke of Gods admirable vertue how Christ hath deliuered vs from Sinne Death and Hell and all other miseries and hath called vs vnto eternall life Hereof you ought to admonishe others also that thei in like sort maie attaine and come vnto this Light For vnto this ende ought all your driftes to be directed first to acknowledge and knowe what God hath doen for you and next with all diligent care and studie to notifie preache and openly make knowen this benefite of God towarde you and this wonderfull worke of his in you and also to drawe and call all men indifferentlie into this Light Where you see any men that are as yet ignoraunt hereof those ought you to instruct and to teache these thinges in whiche you your selues haue been enstructed and taught to wit that by the vertue and power of God thei must obteine saluation and attaine this merueilous Light Here thou seest how sainct Peter plainly saieth that there is but one onely Light wherein he maketh it most apparaunt that all our Reason seeme it neuer so sharpely to vnderstande and perceiue is nothyng els then mere darkenesse For albeit that Reason be able and hath the skill to coumpt one two three c. and likewise to see discerne and knowe blacke from white and greate from small and so of other externall and outwarde thinges yet is it not able to see what Faithe is Here is it altogether blinde insomuche that if all the wisedome of al men in the worlde were gathered and incorporated into one yet were it not able to comprehende or reache so muche as vnto one letter of the wisedome of God Wherefore S. Peter here speaketh of an other Light and that a merueilous Light and flatlie also telleth euery one of us that we grope in darknesse and vtter blindnesse if God dooe not call vs into his true Light Experience also teacheth vs the same thing For when we heare it preached that by our workes we can not obteine any thyng at Gods handes and therefore that wee haue neede of a Mediator to make intercession vnto God for vs and to reconcile vs vnto hym heere doubtlesse must reason needes confesse that of it self it was neuer able to vnderstande and know these thinges and therefore had neede of an other Light and an other knowledge to teache it to vnderstande the same Therefore whatsoeuer is not the Worde of God and Faithe the same is nothyng els then blinde darkenesse For without these two the Worde of God I meane and Faithe Reason iumbleth at randon and groapeth after his waie like a blinde man in the darke catchyng holde first of one thyng and then of an other and neuer knoweth what it should dooe But when these thinges are tolde to the greate learned and wise men of this world thei can not abide to heare it thei stamp and stare thei fret fume and merueilously rage at it And therefore S. Peter sheweth himself here an Apostle of a singuler vndaunted boldnesse in that he dared to call that Darknesse whiche the whole worlde in a maner doeth euen generallie almoste adore and reuerence as Light Now therefore wee see that the chiefest and especiallest office of all others appertainyng vnto vs Christians is that wee should shewe forthe and declare the vertues and wonderful workes of our God These Vertues and notable workes by God for vs doen are those which somewhat afore we haue spoken of namely how that Christ by the vertue of God hath swallowed vp Death deuoured Hell consumed Sinne and placed vs into an eternal life These Vertues are so great and wonderfull that no man is able to comprehende the same muche lesse to perfourme them And therefore it is to little purpose that some in this poynt

obiect and preach to vs Christians the doctrines of men they ought rather to preache vnto vs this Vertue whiche ouercometh both Deuill Synne and Death And here againe alludeth sainct Peter to sundrie places of the sacred Scripture as in all the rest of his Epistle almoste he still conioyneth and knitteth one place of Scripture to confirme and proue an other For of this doe all the Prophetes foretell and prophesie that it should come to passe that all men euery where should worship preache forth the name and glorie of God and the power of his mightie arme and that he should worke suche a worke whereof the whole world should both speake and make reporte Of this the Prophetes are euerywhere very plentifull and to these places doeth S. Peter here allude Thei haue also spoken muche of Light and of Darkenesse and that it is necessarie for vs to bee illumined with the Light of God wherby vndoubtedly thei shewed and signified that all humaine Reason is nothyng els then very Darkenesse it self Whiche in tyme past were not a people yet are now the people of God whiche in tyme past were not vnder mercie but now haue obtained mercie THis place worde for word is taken out of the Prophet Osee in his ij Chap. and is cited also by sainct Paule in the ix to the Romanes I will call them my people whiche were not my people Al which saiyngs belong to this place God peculierly choose the people of Israell and bestowed on them greate honour he gaue vnto them many Prophetes and did for theim many merueilous things because he had decreed that out of this people the man Christ should be borne For this Childes sake were all these thinges doen for thē and for this cause are thei in the Scriptures called the people of God Whiche the Prophetes more at large expounded and foretolde that this promise of Christe should stretche further and reache also vnto the Gentiles Therefore saieth S. Peter in this place You are now the people of God which in time past were not a people And by this it euidentlie appeareth that he wrate this Epistle vnto the Gentiles and not vnto the Iewes And hereby his meanyng is to proue and shewe that the saiyng of the Prophete is now fulfilled sith thei whiche once were Idolatrous Nations and blasphemous Gentiles and thereby no People are now made and become an holie nation a peculier people a royall Priesthood and a Kyngdome and haue all thynges that Christe hath so that in the meane tyme thei haue onely a stedfast beliefe Dearely beloued I beseche you as straungers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they whiche speake euill of you as of euill doers maie by your good woorkes which thei shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation SAinct Peter here vseth a Style somewhat differyng from the phraze of Sainct Paule For Sainct Paules methode is not after this sorte as anone wee shall heare but euery man hath a seuerall and peculier kinde of speakyng as also in the Prophetes wee maie easily perceiue and see Hitherto hath hee very aptlie and orderlie planted the foundation of the Christian Faith whiche is his chiefest drift Now proceedeth he to teache vs how we ought to demeane and behaue our selues generallie towardes all Men. And this is truely the verie right course and order of true preachyng Namely first to set out the dignitie excellencie and effect of Faith how it is to be knowen how and what it worketh what vertue strength efficacie and nature it hath how it yeeldeth and bringeth vnto vs all thinges euen aboundantlie whiche are appertinent and needful to Godlinesse or Saluation how that no good Work can bee doen by any man but onely by Faithe and finally how that by this faithe all that whiche God hath is made ours If God now haue thus dealt with vs and hath giuen and bestowed all his riche gifes vpon vs it followeth that he himself also is ours insomuche that by Faithe we are possessed of all his goodnesse whereby wee can lacke nothyng What a greate charge therefore lyeth there now vpon vs to doe in lieu of this so surpassyng bountie Shall wee giue our selues to idlenesse God forbid It were best in deede euen straight waies to dye that we might presently haue the fruition and possession of all these his gracious goodnesse But so long as wee liue here it is our partes and dueties so to deale and so to shew our selues in euery respect towardes our neighbours as God hath dealt and shewed himself towardes vs. Therefore it is Faithe onely that saueth vs Loue requireth of vs that we should serue our neighbours and bee carefull ouer them For that whiche Faithe receiueth from God Loue bestoweth vpon our neighbour That which was spoken in one word maie now largely be expounded and declared in many as S. Peter doeth in this place The meanyng therefore of the Apostle where he saieth Dearely beloued I beseche you as Straungers and Pilgrims is this You that are now one with Christe are growen as it were into one masse or lumpe with him insomuche that his goodnesse is yours and your hurtes be his hurtes who as he is carefull bothe for you and for all suche thinges as maie happā vnto you so also ought you to imitate herein this your so louing a Sauiour and so to frame and direct your liues that you maie seeme nothing lesse then to bee Citizens of this World sith you bee adopted and enfraunchised Citizens in heauen where al good thinges are laied vp for you That if you should once loose all these transitorie and momentanie goodes of the worlde yet hauing still Christe who is infinitely more worth then all these brittle and temporall trash you shall receiue and sustaine no damage no losse no hinderaunce at all The Deuill is Prince of this Worlde and gouerneth the same and his Citezens are the men of the World Therefore seyng that you are not of this Worlde so vse and behaue your selues as Straungers and Passingers dooe in their Inne who hauing not there their full wealth and Substaunce make shifte to buye for their money onely suche thinges as be needefull and necessarie and straightwaies addresse themselues forward to the dispatch of their iourney So also we vnto whom this life is nothyng then a certaine passage to an other place for here wee haue no abidyng place but muste passe to an other ought not to rake vnto our selues nor vsurpe more of these worldlie pelfe and gooddes then maie competentlie supplie our wantes for meate drincke and raimente All other thynges muste bee so rekoned and accoumpted of as that thei maie not bee any hindrance or impechement vnto that speedie iourney whiche wee make into an other Countrey In Heauen wee are Citezens on Earth wee are but Pilgrimes and Straungers Absteine from fleshly lustes whiche fight againste the Soule I