Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	young_a	youth_n	649	4	8.7145	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09262	Fiue godly, and profitable sermons concerning 1 The slaverie of sinne. 2 The mischiefe of ignorance. 3 The roote of apostasie. 4 The benefit of Gods service. 5 The Christians loue. Preached in his life time in sundry places. By that late faithfull minister of Christ Mr William Pemble of Magdalen Hall in the Vniversity of Oxford.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1628 (1628)	STC 19576A; ESTC S114334	73,812	112

and halfe sentences so hack and hew at it that you may almost sweare they speake they know not what of matters out of their elemēt though they be the wisest and craftiest headed men in a parish take them in other matters yet in these things you would thinke verily they were borne starke naturals and Idiots they will sometimes shape you such strange absurd and vnexpected answers to your questions that when a man cannot choose but pitty them he hath much a doe to forbeare laughing at them Let me tell a story that I haue heard from a reverend man out of the pulpit a place where none should dare to tell a lie of an old man aboue sixty who liued and died in a parish where there had beene preaching almost all his time for the greatest part twice on the Lordes day besides at extraordinarie times This man was a constant hearer as any might be seemed forward in the loue of the word on his death bed being questioned by a minister touching his faith and hope in God you will wonder to heare what answere he made being demanded what he thought of God he answeres that he was a good old man what of Christ that he was a towardly young youth and of his soule that it was a great bone in his bodie what should become of his soule after he was dead that if he had done wel he should bee put into a pleasant greene meddow These answeres astonished those that were present to thinke how it were possible for a man of good vnderstanding and one that in his daies had heard by the least two or three thousand sermons yet on his death bed in serious manner thus to deliuer his opinion in such maine points of religion which infants and sucklings should not be ignorant of But my brethren be assured this man is not alone there be many hundreds in his case who come to Church and heare much happily a hundred sermons and a halfe in a yeare yet at yeares end are as much the better for al as the pillers of the Church against which they leane or the pewes wherein they sit A matter greatly to be lamented and sharpely reproued that wise men politicke men graue men great men rich men men that carrie the name of Christians should yet be such very children in all godly knowledg Wherefore in the next place let this be for exhortation Vse 2 1 To Ministers that they would be carefull to teach the people if people perish for want of knowledge shall ministers escape who are negligent in teaching Be sure of it both smart togither they for their ignorance these for their negligence such ministers haue their doome in my text because thou hast reiected knowledge I will also reiect thee The people shal indeed perish in their sins but their bloud c whose office it was to instruct admonish reproue entreate and by al meanes to turne the people from their evil waies Oh that such men would be pleased to consider that the best service they can doe the greatest honour they can attaine vnto is to be faithfull labourers in Gods vineyard What an honour and happinesse is it to a man to be made a common blessing vnto all men round about him to be eies to the blind legs to the lame a mouth to the dumbe a staffe to the feeble a physitian to the sick a counsellour in hard cases a watchmā in danger a captaine in conflicts so much and much more is a minister vnto his people if he doe his duty as he ought And vnworthy they are of that office who scorne to take the paines that belongs to it or thinke it an easie or small matter to saue a soule from death But happily I speake to them that heare me not wherefore the next exhortation is 2 To people that they would take notice in themselues of this foule sinne to amend it Some men are ignorant of this like men in the dark thinking themselues faire because they see not their owne deformities Come now then into the light looke on thy selfe see what an ignorant wretch thou art bewaile it repent of it amend it Be ashamed in your selues of that which you are ashamed of when any man takes notice of it blush at your ignorance and heare what the spirit of God saith to you Pro. ● 22. How long ye simple ones will ye loue simplicitie c. If a man cal you fooles and simple persons you 'le be angry with him now God calls you so be angry with your selues be ashamed of your selues that God should stil call you simple scornful foolish because ignorant disobedient men Say now in thine owne heart how foolish how brutish haue I beene how like a beast nay how much worse thē a beast haue I liued The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but I haue not knowne or considered ought surely I haue not in mee the vnderstanding of man what folly and simplicitie is this in me to know any thing but what I should know God and his goodnesse my selfe and my dutie How many sermons haue I heard in vaine how often haue I discouraged my minister making him weepe and sigh in secret to see so little fruit of his ministerie Ignorant I was when he first came to the parish now after many yeares am ignorant still I see young men yea little Children can giue a better reason yea answer more soundly to points of Catechisme thē I can Think thus with thy selfe and then grow into resolution to take a new course begin to doe that which is never too late to be done to know God and which waies thou maist worship and obey him resolue to take all opportunities to spare as many houres as thou canst for the purchasing of this heavenly wisedome And least that here also thou shouldst plead ignorance that thou wouldst get knowledge if thou knewest which way hearken a little to some directions The meanes whereby knowledge will be gotten are these 1 Hearing the word of God preached this is the chiefe meanes wherevnto you must giue all diligent heede God hath appointed it for this end to the instruction of the ignorant and it goes accompanied with his speciall blessings to that purpose Wherefore sit not at home lie not a bed when thou shouldst be at Church Come and come often especially on the Lords day and in the weeke too when occasion serues spare an houre for a sermon as wel as two for a play or a feast idle chatting or doing nothing When thou comest to Church come with a mind to learne set thy selfe in good earnest to heede the Preacher marke what doctrine he delivers how he proues how he applies it Keepe the point he speakes of in thy memorie as he goes along and if thou be short witted helpe thy selfe with thy pen gaze not sleep not talke not thinke not of this and that businesse fixe thy eies vpon the Preacher and thy

liues in that being without sense of goodnes they gaue themselues vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannes even with greedines For what will not a gracelesse ignorant man doe who knowes not but he may doe any thing He is blinde and cannot choose but stumble at every blocke dash himselfe against every post tumble into every ditch he is a ship without a Master that runnes at adventure with any winde vpon any rocke or shelfe It is Christs comparison Ioh. 12. 35. He that walketh in the darke knoweth not whether he goeth and so is an ignorant man he travels in the night hee cannot see his way before him he misseth at every turning hee must leape hedge and ditch and yet stil the farther he goeth the more he wanders No good worke he takes in hand but hee failes strangely in the performance in everie course of his life hee goeth astraie through his great folly and before he is aware runnes vpon a thousand snares and temptations the Divel hath set for to take him You see then ignorance is an occasion of manie sinnes but in particular let me giue you warning of two speciall faults that ignorant men vsually runne into 1 Inconstancie in religion whether it be in opinion or practise for when men take vpon them the profession of religion believing and practising many things but are not able to giue an account of their faith nor tell any sound reason why vpon what grounds to what end they do such and such things can it be expected but that if these bee strongly sett vpon and put to it indeed they will be drawne without much adoe to change their minds We knowe what the Apostle speaks of those silly women who were alwayes learning and yet neuer came to the knowledge of the truth they were the fittest to become a prey vnto false teachers and deceavers who creeping into their houses hearts by cunning insinuations deluded them and led them captiue to any erroneous opinion or practise 2. Tim. 3. 6. 7. Among vs my brethren in these times wee haue to blame men as well as women for this fault The intolerable ignorance of most is sufficient witnesse to all the worlde that there are not a few whose religion is yet to choose and for ought they knowe to the contrary another may be as good as that which they professe for the present they be Protestants in shew but they knowe as little what belongs to true religion as they doe of Popery They bee no more able to distinguish betweene true religion and false then an infant betweene the right hand and the left And therefore if at any time a Priest or Iesuit or other cunning Papist set vpon them they are straight way puzzled and staggered they haue nothing to answere in defence of their religion but you shall see them presently fetch 't ouer with fine words and halfe perswaded to be of another opinion yea did not ciuill respects temporall incōveniences beate them off from poperie more thē the knowledge or hatred of such errors as papists maintaine there is nothing could keepe them in that case from revolting vnto their side It is a needfull point my brethren to be thought on by vs that seriously especially in these evill daies wherin Satan and his complices doe on all hands assault the Church of God seeking to swallow her vp Our brethren abroad are in sore affliction yet they forsake not their God le ts pitty them and pray for them that they may continue faithfull even to the death for our selues at home God he knows we are as sinfull a people and haue deserued as sharp a triall as our neighbour let vs pray still for the life and safetie of our King the peace of our Church the welfare of our state and let each one looke to his owne particular walking in the light whilst we haue the light getting knowledg and wisedome faith zeale that we may stād fast in the profession of Gods true religiō whatsoeuer danger may betide vs. This of the first fault of ignorāt men The second followes 2 Securitie or senslesnesse in regard of sinne or punishmēt An ignorant person knowes not what it is to sinne and therefore dares commit it hee apprehends not what punishments belonge to sinne and therfore he makes no scruple of them hee sees no danger before it comes so he feares it not when punishment comes vpon him he knowes not why or from whome it comes t is with him as with Ephraim Hos. 7. 9. Strangers haue devoured his strength and he knowes it not yea gray haires are here there vpon him yet he knowes not many markes of Gods anger are vpon him yet he knowes apprehends not by whome or wherefore he is smitten You shall haue many a man pine away in his estate vnblest and vnthriuing in all his businesses crost with vngratious and disobedient Children vext with evill servants and vnfaithfull troubled with an vnquiet discontented familie tormented with vniust suites in law slandered in his good name by false reports raised of him yea disquieted in his soule with griefes and feares yet mark this man in all his vexations you see him sensible of nothing but present paines he thinkes of nothing lesse then of Gods hand and his owne sinne in all this God smites him for his covetousnesse vncleanesse prophanesse vnbeliefe Atheisme with the like notorious sinnes he liues in but the ignorant wretch never considers of this nor doth he any iot the more either turne to God that punisheth him or from his sinnes for which he is punished he toiles moiles rides and runnes vp and downe tries now this way then that entreates one bribes another after all complaints of his hard fortune and ill successe in all his affaires And yet see in the middle of all this trouble he sinnes as much as euer he did he sweares he drinkes and consens his neighbour as much as euer he is as irreligeous as he was before not any dutie of religion performed by himselfe or with his familie more then at another time No he keeps his old wont ventures on still in his evill courses hoping that times may change matters amend one day If he can but make any shift to escape the present smart that is all that he lookes after Thus is the condition of many soules who doe evill and are plagued yet doe evill still because they be besotted haue not the wisedome to see their sinne or feare their punishment Thus much of the first effect of ignorance viz sinne the second followes 2. Punishment my people perish which is partly in this life partly in that which is to come In this life God often plagues them and puts them to shame This was one cause of the captiuitie of the Iewes as it is Esay 5. 13. therefore my people is gone into captiuiy because they had no knowledge They seldome escape here but hereafter they