Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	darkness_n	light_n	shadow_n	7,372	5	9.4624	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20957	A preparation to suffer for the Gospell of Iesus Christ. Or, A most Christian exercise full of comfort and consolation for these present times. Written in French by the learned, and zealous, Peter Du Moulin, Profresor of Diuinitie, in the Vniuersitie of Sedan	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Darcie, Abraham, fl. 1625.	1623 (1623)	STC 7336; ESTC S118563	17,868	86

on the earth and of those vnder the earth and euery tongue shall confesse that IESVS is the Lord sitting in glory with God the Father This is the glorious name by which and for which all things were all creatures subsist haue their being their life their operations and their good and yet neuerthelesse it is hated of men after the custome of many barbarous Nations who at the rising of the Sunne shoote their Arrowes against it with a thousand maledictions because they doe but feele the ardour and heate of it at high noone day not considering that without the benefit of his beames and vertue they could not liue And euen so the world shoote the darts of their hatred and madnesse against Christ who is the Sonne of Righteousnes when they apprehend but the ardour of persecution or else supposing that Christ brings with him some Inconuenience whereas indeed hee is the true sunne of all happines and that without his light and special grace there is nothing but darknes misery the shaddowes of death and death eternall Persons empoysoned with this hatred against the name of Christ are of two sorts some be those which make no profession at all of him but openly detest him as Paynims Iewes Turkes and miscreants The other haue some knowledge of him but yet they are erronious Christians mingling the word of God with false Doctrines Superstitions Inuentions and humane Traditions such as be the Heretikes and adherents to Antichrist And though this latter sort and their beleeuers auouch not publikly any hatred to the name of Christ yet they shew it by plaine and euident effects as Saul before his conuersion persecuted the Church of God though his intention and meaning was no wayes such And which is much to be lamented deluded and abused Christians shewe oftentimes more rancorous implacable hatred against the true faithful then those people themselues which hold the Gospel in abomination and suppose they beare a great zeale to Iesus Christ when they persecute him in his members and that they offer an acceptable sacrifi●e vnto God when they put his children to death If it be wonderfull therfore that this name of Christ is hated of men is it not likewise a very strange thing that true Christians should be hated one of another For though they haue the most principall rights in the citie of this world yet are they intreated as strangers they loue all the world and all the world hates them they seek after peace euery one makes warre against them they are detested of their enemies and yet they pray for them They are the honestest men of all others and yet are persecuted then the most wicked sort they liue in the flesh and yet not according to the flesh they conuerse on earth and are citizens of heauen they submit themselues to Lawes in their obedience and by their holy life surmount and excell them others curse them and they blesse they are punished and tormented as malefactors and men would not haue them confesse and acknowledge who they are their good names are slandered and depraued and yet wee are enforced to commend their integritie mortall enmitie is put in practise against them and no iust reason can bee rendred thereof men are ignorant of their Profession and notwithstanding condemne it In a word looke what the soule is to the body the same are the faithfull to the world the soule is dispersed ouer all the members of the body and the faithfull ouer the seuerall parts of the earth the soule dwelleth in the body yet is not of the body and so the faithfull dwel in the world yet are not of the world the soule loueth the body though the body warre and contest with it and the faithfull loue all the world though all the world be opposite to them the soule is enclosed within the body as within a gaole or prison and yet she preserues the bodie and the faithfull are imprisoned and shut vp in this world as within a prison and yet they preserue support the world by reason that for their sakes God forbeares to destroy it and when the number of the faithfull is accomplished then the world shall ende and finish The soule is incomparably more excellent then the body and the faithfull of infinite more value then the world The soule is of heauen and the body of the earth so are all the faithfull heauenly whereas the body is wholly earthly and terrestriall The immortall soule dwelleth as a stranger within our mortall tabernacle and so the faithfull haue but a trauailing life in this corruptible world attending most blessed and happie immortalitie The soule being depriued of bodily delights is made the better and more perfect and so the faithful rudely intreated by the world doe profit the more in the exercise of vertue From whence proceedes it then that they are so hated of the world why from this that they are not of the world for if they were of the world the world would loue them because euery thing loues it's like But in that they are distinguished and separated from the world by the profession of the Gospell which a doctrine so sweet amiable and healthfull comprehending and exposing the promises of the grace of God and of life eternall propounding such sacred and admirable misteries such perfect and diuine Instructions how comes it to be thus hated First in that the world is ignorant of it for those that truly know it cannot but loue and embrace it and so of violent presecutors they many times become ardent and zealous Professours The reason of this ignorance is because it is altogether spirituall celestiall and the world earthly and carnall which cannot beleeue nor apprehend it by reason of the sublimitie and excellency thereof no more then the beasts can be capable of the discourse of Reason To which purpose the Apostle affirmes in the first to the Corinthians the second chapter Wee propound wisedome to the perfect a wisedome no wayes of this world neither of the princes of this world which come to nothing but we propound the wisdome of God which consists in mysterie that is to say hidden which God had ordeined before all ages for our glory which none of the Princes of this world haue knowen for had they knowen it they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of Glory But as it is written these bee things which the eye neuer saw the eare heard nor that neuer hath entred into the heart of man but God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit for the spirit sounds all things yea euen the profoundest matters of God For who is he amongst men that knoweth the very things of man but the spirit of man which is in him No man in like manner knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God Now we haue receiued not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God to the end that we might know the things that are

for vs testifying therein an infinite loue toward vs. In a word we must not call in question the verity of his word for that is infallible Furthermore this promise is not of weake or slight importance for it intimates vnto vs a deliuerance from an extreame miserie which is from eternal death and damnation to the horror wherof we are naturally subiect and from which it hath pleased the Lord to redeeme vs out of his wonderful goodnes and mercy for if men reioyce so much for escaping some eminent or great peril or for being preserued a little while from death which neuerthelesse is ineuitable what a ioy should possesse vs for our liberty and escape from eternall death and perdition and to bee preserued from the same for euer considring the smal number of those that shall be saued in respect of them that shall perish Wheras vnto this benefit there is also annexed an assured possession of eternall Beatitude the which Christ also inferrs saying Whosoeuer perseuers to the end shall be saued If he promised a life of many hundreds or thousands of yeres in this world men would make great esteem of it especially when it were exempted from all molestations sadnesse griefe infirmities all encombrances but accompanied with ioy contentment health power and security of estate condition But much more also were it magnificent and glorious for the inioyance of great wealth and many dominions of a florishing kingdome and famous empire replenished with whatsoeuer the eie the eare or the heart could wish And Iesus Christ promiseth much more vnto vs thē all this saying He that continues to the end shal be saued For what can be comparable to this saluation which in all circumstances is most absolute and perfect the place thereof is heauen the continuance therof is eternall the constancy therof is subiect to no mutation the possession secure and certain the nature of its benefits are incorruptible incomprehensible and diuine their number infinite their degrees eminent and supreme their measure immeasurable and their puritie without taint of euill or corruption for they are all absolutely perfit holy and blessed of God the peace thereof is without molestation the glory thereof is the glory of the Lord God almighty How different then is this saluation from a fraile and transitory life which is nothing but a shadow deuoured swallowed vp in miseries and mortality A life which humors griefes and inflamations consume extenuat which the aire makes sick which meats surcharge which abstinence weakneth which sorrowes waste which passions disturbe which cares do wrinkle which pouertie abaseth which old age bends and makes crooked which torments ouerwhelm and which a lamentable death doth finish a life assayled with a deluge of euils wherin there is no firme station where we can scarcely see one poore branch of the flourishing Oliue wherupon the fearfull Doue may for a moment fasten the foot A life affording the same residence allotted to vnclean beasts and the same light which the very wormes of the earth enioy How far I say more excellent is the state of saluation then this present momentary life where no necessities presse no annoyances disturbe no apprehensions molest no miseries approch or draw neer vnto but replenished with happinesse and beatitude where life is without death ioy without sadnes youth without old age peace without trouble light without darknes abundance without defect good without euill security without danger felicity without end This saluation is so much the more to be desired in that it cōpleatly comprehends the happy estate of our whole persons that is to say both of ●●e soule body the which Christ signifies in saying He that continues to the end shal be saued For otherwise how can we be said to be saued if we might also bee said to be lost and Christ comming to saue that which was lost and absolute entire man being lost must he not likewise in his intire and absolute estate be saued For what a defect were this when Christ hauing assumed our entire person hee should haue redeemed but the moity therof If he were but our half Sauiour and that by him we were but saued in part And who doth not see that the Iustice of God requires the presentation of whole man and as in the one or other part he hath participated of good or euill he hath his share in the retribution both in the one and other part But how should this come to passe that this very body dissolued to ashes atomes and elements should returne to it's former frame and composition O man he that reuiueth the dead that calleth things which are not as if they were cannot hee giue life after death and repeale it from ruine and destruction If he created it when it was not can he not repair it when it hath once bin especially when creation is a greater work then reparation to make more then to restore If he hath made of earth flesh and of flesh earth can hee not of earth reduce it to be flesh again for to him whose wil was to create can any thing be difficult or vnpossible though this worke exceed beyond measure the order and power of Nature yet do not think that it surmoūts the power of the Author of nature who by a vertue and power supernatural gaue being to Nature and who can when he pleaseth exceed the bounds of nature thorow the infinitie of his power which is comprehended within no bonds nor limits And if thou dost but contemplate Nature her selfe and the seueral parts of this world high and low maist thou not discern examples of the great power of God which may be vnto thee as Images and figures of thy restauration For but lift vp thy eyes to heauen mayst thou not see the Sun who after he hath run his course and is spent after the maner of a death in the west no otherwise then as if it were extinguished he returnes againe to appeare seems raised vp in the East with the resplendencie of his former lustre the ornamēt of his beames and the brightnes of his light and by his alternatiue absence and presence dost thou not see the day dye in the night being buried in all parts in darknes then again to renew and reuiue with clarity beauty grace lustre and ornament causing his death to die which is the night and opening its sepulchre which is the darknes liuing till night by a continual and indifatigable vicissitude succeeds it brings it change giuing an end to it as before it receiued light from the same And do ye not behold the innumerable company of lights celestial relightned which before seem'd quite put out the twinckling of Stars reuiued the light of the Planets renued the wanes and increases of the Moone reestablished Moreouer by the remotion or approch of the Sun who does not perceiue al seasons to returne with their qualities forces and vertues Winter with