Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	desire_a	desire_v	great_a	33	3	2.1023	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17297	Conflicts and comforts of conscience a treatise, shewing how the conscience, in cases of deepest distresse and distraction, may recollect it selfe, and recouer solid and sound comfort / collected from priuate proofe, for publike profit, by H.B. ...	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1628 (1628)	STC 4140.4; ESTC S259	75,671	324

enough To reioyce at the happy estate of Gods Church and Children though it be a symptom and signe of true grace and a qualitie proper to none but to Gods elect Saints Yet what comfort can it bee for a man to reioyce at others well-fare and in the meane time to bee pressed downe with the waight of his owne vnworthinesse Or how can he be comforted to see others in honor that is himselfe compassed about with disgrace Could the sight of Lazarus in Abraham's bosome any whit comfort poore Diues now in Hell torments or not rather add fuell to those flames Much lesse shall hee euer thinke to extenuate his owne sinne and consequently mitigate his sorrow by discouering or vncharitably thinking that there may be farre greater obliquities in others then hee can easily find to bee in himselfe As though anothers Plague would asswage my Feuer Or anothers Gangreue my Reduuiae or sore finger Yea on the contrarie the least sinne becomes the more damnable when it seekes a patronage or shaddow from some others Master-sinne This is to looke vpon others sinnes with a Perspectiue glasse turning that end outward which dilateth and multiplyeth the obiect but the other towards a mans selfe which contracteth and abateth it Nor is it safe for a man so to compare or parallel himselfe with others as looking onely on their infirmities and slips but not on their more masculine vertues and graces And on the other side reflecting vpon his owne moralities perhaps not mixed with the like imperfections at least in apparence yet comming as farre short of the others perfections and nobler parts thereupon either to comfort himselfe or to contemn them in comparison of himselfe As I remember a sweet obseruation of Saint Augustine to this purpose Aug. cōtra Manich. l. 22. c. 68. Multi nunquam Christum vel semel abnogauerunt nec eius pro nostra salute passionem improbauerunt nec Gentes Iudaizare coegerunt tamen Petro qui haec fecit impares comparebunt Ita multi fideles nullius appetentes vxorem nullum maritum appetitae vsque ad mortem persequentes Dauidicum tamen meritum qui ista fecit non attingunt Tantum interest quod cuique in seipso quantunque displiceat vt penitus extirpetur quid pro eo fructiferum opulentum ingenti feracitate consurgat quia agricolae plus placent agri qui spinis etiam magnis eradicatis centenum proferunt quam qui nullas vnquam spinas habuerunt vix ad tricenum perueniunt Many neuer no not once denied Christ nor discommended his Passion for our Saluation nor compelled the Gentiles to Iudaize and yet they will be found far inferiour to Peter who did these things So also many Belieuers hauing neither des●red any mans wife nor persecuted the husband of any desired vnto the death yet they attaine not to Dauid's excellencie who did these things Of so great consequence is it what displeaseth euerie man in himselfe and how much that it may vtterly bee rooted out and what in stead thereof springeth vp as a fruitfull and rich crop because euen those Fields doe more delight the Husbandman which hauing great Thornes scrubbed vp doe bring forth an hundred fold then those which neuer had any such Thornes and yet scarcely amount to thirtie-fold So he But to find solid comfort the Patient must imitate the Spouse who being beaten by the Watchmen for not keeping her owne Vine yet goes on with all care and diligence to seeke out him whom her Soule loued whom till shee found she could find no sound comfort Christ is that great and good Sheepherd that gaue his life for his Sheep He is that mercifull High Priest who takes compassion of our infirmities If any man sinne we wee saith the beloued Disciple we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sinnes This is that sweet Iesus who reiected not his penitent Apostle though he had denied him thrice This is that Iudge before whom the woman ●eprehended in Adulterie being accused shee found mercie when her accusers readier to stone her then so much as once to smite vpon their own brest yet slunke away selfe-condemned not abiding the issue of their accusation while shee neither seeking to hide her sinne nor to hasten from the sentence wholly committing her cause to the clemency of the Iudge was dismissed with this comfortable speech Neither do I condemne thee go sin no more To this merciful Iudge let the distressed Conscience appeale when all the world accuseth condemneth And now O Lord Iesus Christ thou onely compassionate Physitian of the wounded Spirit thou onely refresher of the wearie and laden thou onely mercifull High Priest who wast therefore acquainted with infirmities yet without sinne that thou might'st take compassion euen of our sinfull infirmities Vouchsafe to reflect one looke of grace vpon thy wretched Scruant which as the Sunne-beame may so warme the cold comfortlesse Soule as sending vp vapourie sighes towards Heauen they may distill in such a kindly sad showre of godly sorrow as to cause the parched ground of my heart to fructifie more abundantly as after the latter raine to a blessed Haruest O Lord Christ my sinnefull Soule dare the more boldly appeale and approch to thy Iudgement Seat beecause thy selfe was iudged for me and art become not onely my Iudge but my Aduocate At thy Barre I feare not to hold vp the hand of my faith and to open the mouth of humble sorrow to confesse guiltie Seeing I cannot doe this but presently as by the Law of Relation thou auouchest thy selfe my Sauiour my Suretie my Sacrifice my Satisfaction in whose pure Blood all my pollutions are washed on whose Crosse the hand-writing of all that debt of mine more then ten thousand Talents is fast nayled and cancelled Oh that it where my lot to haue none other Iudge but thy selfe to be sentenced at none other Barre but thy Tribunall Why Because thou ar● not Iust Yea a most vpright Iudge But oh that I might fall into thy hands onely and not into the hands of men For with thee there is mercie that thou mayest be feared Thou so forgiuest sinne Aug. de peccatorū meritis et remiss l. 2. cap. 19 as withall thou forgettest it cancelling and crossing thy Booke But man once offended writes it in his marble heart for perpetuall remembrance Onely thou playest the good and wise Physitian keeping * Idcirco Sanctos et fideles suos in aliquibus vitiis tardius sanat vt in his eos minùs quàm implendae ex omni parte iustitiae sufficit delectet bonum vt quantum tertinet ad integerrimam regulam veritatis eius non iustificetur in conspectu eius omnis v●uens Nec in eo ipso vul● nes dam●abiles sed humiles commendans nobis eandem gratiam suam ne facilitatem in omnibus assecuti nostrum putemus esse quod e●us est long

will goe cut his own throat because his Master against his will cut his finger Fourthly Why should better taught Christians bee like those vntaught Lystrians who either Idolatrously will sacrifice to the Apostles or hearing them professing to be men of like passions with them in the turning of a hand stone them Yet if no remedie Let him that is without sinne cast the first stone Fifthly For the common Aduersarie of all grace nothing will stop his Serpentine two forked tongue If a Minister bee altogether blamelesse hee heares A Puritan But if in the least casuall errour obnoxious Worse then a Publican Lastly It is the glorie of the Gospell to make the least sinnes vile in the eyes of the true Professours thereof to the confusion of Babel with all her Crimsin Criminall Capitall yet Veniall yea Meritorious Meretricious Sinnes And it shall euer bee the glorie of the Ministers of the Gospell as an euidence of true grace in their hearts when they shall with a meeke yet magnanimous Spirit bee able to dig●st the sower hearbes of malicious exprobrations cast in their dish by the profane Aduersarie and to answer them as Dauid did mocking Micol with a noble resolution I will yet bee more vile then thus will be base in mine owne sight In a word if any shall beare himselfe bigge vpon such instances as this of a man made nothing in his owne eyes thinking to purchase some opinion of sanctitie to blaunch his monstrous lurking lusts by how much his mouth shall vent the more venemous Censures against it let such learne of the Heathen Poet Qui ne tuberibus proprijs offendat amicum Postulat ignoscat verrucis illius aequum est Poscentem veniam peccatis reddere rursus Who would bee glad not to offend With his swolne bunches his deare friend His warts must pardon This is iust Who pardon craues hee pardon must But why stand we thus to answer euerie Obiecter Let this Booke answer for all Read it And if it will not satisfie thee Yet I hope it will aboundan●ly satisfie him for whom it is specially written Yet one obiection more is That in these loosse and licentious times it had beene more necessary to reach men the way to repentance humiliation for sinne then how to find comfort being humbled For most men though neuer so sinnefull are apt enough to lay hold on Gods mercie which yet neuer trod the way of true repentance thinking it sufficient as the Thiefe that trusts to his Neck-verse if at the verie end of the Race they can worke force in but one foote and with a Peccaui crowd in at Heauen Gate For such Ben-onies most will bee to assume the name of Sonnes of Sorrow but not before the giuing vp of the Mothers ghost that bare them As the Phenix is not bred but of the dead ashes of the Damme Most men being as loth to see their sinne dye as Hagar her bond sonne How many Iudasses will neuer repent confesse restore but with the Halter in their hands Or at the best as the Aramites going with Halters about their Hypocriticall neckes to the King of Israel to flatter God for a pardon The Vsurer builds no Hospitals relieues no poore till he dy nor many times then choosing rather to dye then make his Will Balaam will but dye the death of the righteous as loth to forgoe his wages of vnrighteousnesse while hee liueth Hee that liues a Theef would dye a Martyr though wee read but of one that did so Dicique bea●us Ante obitū nemo in the worst sense Euerie one would be happy but not till death In this regard then it had beene more requisite to show men their folly in deferring their repentance till either sinne or sicknesse haue made them senselesse of their sinnes or in putting off the payment of their debts till the score grow greater and greater and they lesse able to pay turning at length quite Banckrupts That so repenting in time they may enter in at the Gate of Mercie before it be quite shut vp with an I know you not Depart yee workers of iniquitie Answ. This obiection I confesse is of some moment Too many alas are readie with Ioab flying to lay hold on the Hornes of the Altar when yet they haue not made their peace with King Salomon the King of peace But in case any inordinate liuer shall be brought to a sight and sense of his sin while hee is yet meat-whole as we say here he may by Gods grace find comfort And as for that other taske to teach men the way to repentance others haue bestowed profitable pains therein and especially of late a learned and reuerend Predecessour of mine M. Mason in his Tribunall of Conscience Wherein for the point of moralitie in the examination of a mans life he hath taken worthy paynes Onely I could wish if his leasure did serue that hee would bee pleased to add thereunto a Rule how to examine a mans Errours in point of Faith and of the sound knowledge of the Mystery of Christ. For where this foundation of sound and sauing knowledge is not rightly layd in the heart as the foundation whatsoeuer repentance a man goes about to frame or erect it either falleth as built on the Sand or vanisheth away in an ayerie imagination For the purpose How can a man that either is ignorant of the grace of Christ of the Gospell of God and of the nature of sauing Faith or else is arrogant in the singularitie of his owne opinion wherein he ouerturneth the whole foundation of Grace euer come to true repentance for his sinne For true repentance is a speciall gift of Grace It is an immediate fruit of sauing Faith illuminating and sanctifying the heart and whole man and God giues this grace to no malicious enemie of Grace but to such as hauing receiued it are thankefull for it as a gift of Gods free grace in Christ flowing from the Fountaine of Gods eternall loue in electing vs in Christ before the World was So that it may seeme a worthy worke and necessarie if any for the aduersaries of grace swelling to a great height in these last times as if they would bring another Deluge vpon the Earth to show the way how such may come if it be possible to the acknowledgement of the Truth to repentance and amendment of their Errours and Sins that they may be saued Onely it is a question whether their Errours vphold them in their Lusts especially Ambition and Loue of the World or these their Lusts hold them fast in their Errours But I will not ouer bouldly presse this Taske vpon any it being both touchy and tedious In the meane time if any shall reape either Consolation or Instruction by this poore Worke to the furtherance of their Saluation and the adu●ncement of the glory of him who set me on worke it is the Fruit of all my Labour and I reioyce therein yea and I will reioyce THe Proeme