Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	life_n	wage_n	6,981	5	11.0985	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31771	Basiliká the works of King Charles the martyr : with a collection of declarations, treaties, and other papers concerning the differences betwixt His said Majesty and his two houses of Parliament : with the history of his life : as also of his tryal and martyrdome.	Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; Fulman, William, 1632-1688.; Perrinchief, Richard, 1623?-1673.; Gauden, John, 1605-1662.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I)	1687 (1687)	Wing C2076; ESTC R6734	1,129,244	750

cannot but see the proportions of their evil dealings against Me in the measure of Gods retaliations upon them who cannot hope long to enjoy their own thumbs and toes having under pretence of paring others nails been so cruel as to cut off their chiefest strength The punishment of the more insolent and obstinate may be like that of Korah and his Complices at once mutining against both Prince and Priest in such a method of Divine Justice as is not ordinary the Earth of the lowest and meanest People opening upon them and swallowing them up in a just disdain of their ill-gotten and wors-used Authority upon whose support and strength they chiefly depended for their building and establishing their Desings against Me the Church and State My chiefest comfort in Death consists in My Peace which I trust is made with God before whose exact Tribunal I shall not fear to appear as to the Cause so long disputed by the Sword between Me and My causless Enemies where I doubt not but his Righteous Judgment will confute their fallacy who from worldly Success rather like Sophisters than sound Christians draw those popular Conclusions for God's Approbation of their actions whose wise Providence we know oft permits many events which his revealed Word the only clear safe and fixed Rule of good Actions and good Consciences in no sort approves I am confident the Justice of my Cause and Clearness of my Conscience before God and toward my People will carry Me as much above them in God's decision as their Successes have lifted them above Me in the Vulgar opinion who consider not that many times those undertakings of men are lifted up to Heaven in the prosperity and applause of the world whose rise is from Hell as to the Injuriousness and Oppression of the Design The prosperous winds which oft fill the sails of Pirats do not justifie their Piracy and Rapine I look upon it with infinite more content and quiet of Soul to have been worsted in my enforced Contestation for and Vindication of the Laws of the Land the Freedom and Honour of Parliaments the Rights of my Crown the just Liberty of my Subjects and the true Christian Religion in its Doctrine Government and due Encouragements than if I had with the greatest advantages of Success over-born them all as some men have now evidently done what-ever Designs they at first pretended The Prayers and Patience of my Friends and loving Subjects will contribute much to the sweetning of this bitter Cup which I doubt not but I shall more cheerfully take and drink as from God's hand if it must be so than they can give it to Me whose hands are unjustly and barbarously lifted up against Me. And as to the last event I may seem to owe more to my Enemies than my Friends while those will put a period to the Sins and Sorrows attending this miserable Life wherewith these desire I might still contend I shall be more than Conqueror through Christ enabling Me for whom I have hitherto suffered as he is the Author of Truth Order and Peace for all which I have been forced to contend against Error Faction and Confusion If I must suffer a Violent Death with my Saviour it is but Mortality crowned with Martyrdom where the debt of Death which I owe for Sin to Nature shall be raised as a gift of Faith and Patience offered to God Which I humbly beseech him mercifully to accept and altho Death be the wages of My own Sin as from God and the effect of others Sins as men both against God and Me yet as I hope My own Sins are so remitted that they shall be no ingredients to imbitter the cup of my Death so I desire God to pardon their Sins who are most guilty of my Destruction The Trophees of my Charity will be more glorious and durable over them than their ill-managed Victories over Me. Tho their Sin be prosperous yet they had need to be penitent that they may be pardoned Both which I pray God they may obtain that my Temporal Death unjustly inflicted by them may not be revenged by God's just inflicting Eternal Death upon them for I look upon the Temporal Destruction of the greatest King as far less deprecable than the Eternal Damnation of the meanest Subject Nor do I wish other than the safe bringing of the Ship to shore when they have cast Me over-board though it be very strange that Mariners can find no other means to appease the Storm themselves have raised but by drowning their Pilot. I thank God my Enemies Cruelty cannot prevent my Preparation whose Malice in this I shall defeat that they shall not have the satisfaction to have destroyed my Soul with my Body of whose Salvation while some of them have themselves seemed and taught others to despair they have only discovered this that they do not much desire it Whose uncharitable and cruel Restraints denying Me even the assistance of any of my Chaplains hath rather enlarged than any way obstructed my access to the Throne of Heaven Where Thou dwellest O King of Kings who fillest Heaven and Earth who art the fountain of Eternal Life in whom is no shadow of Death Thou O God art both the just Inflicter of Death upon us and the merciful Saviour of us in it and from it Yea it is better for us to be dead to our selves and live in Thee than by living in our selves to be deprived of Thee O make the many bitter aggravations of my Death as a Man and a King the opportunities and advantages of thy special Graces and Comforts in my Soul as a Christian If Thou Lord wilt be with Me I shall neither fear nor feel any evil tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death To contend with Death is the work of a weak and mortal man to overcome it is the Grace of Thee alone who art the Almighty and Immortal God O my Saviour who knowest what it is to die with Me as a man make Me to know what it is to pass through Death to Life with Thee my God Tho I die yet I know that Thou my Redeemer livest for ever tho Thou slayest Me yet Thou hast incouraged Me to trust in Thee for Eternal Life O withdraw not thy Favour from Me which is better than Life O be not far from Me for I know not how near a violent and cruel Death is to Me. As thy Omniscience O God discovers so thy Omnipotence can defeat the Designs of those who have or shall conspire my Destruction O shew Me the goodness of thy Will through the wickedness of theirs Thou givest Me leave as a man to pray that this Cup may pass from Me but Thou hast taught Me as a Christian by the example of Christ to add Not My will but thine be done Yea Lord let our wills be one by wholly resolving Mine into Thine let not the desire of Life in Me be so great as that of doing or

height as to interpret all fair Condescendings as Arguments of Feebleness and glory most in an unflexible stifness when they see others most supple and inclinable to them A grand Maxime with them was always to ask something which in reason and Honour must be denied that they might have some colour to refuse all that was in other things granted setting Peace at as high a rate as the worst effects of War endeavouring first to make Me destroy My self by dishonourable Concessions that so they might have the less to do This was all which that Treaty or any other produced to let the world see how little I would deny or they grant in order to the Publick Peace That it gave occasion to some mens further restiveness is imputable to their own depraved tempers not to any Concessions or Negations of Mine I have always the content of what I offered and they the regret and blame for what they refused The highest tide of Success set Me not above a Treaty nor the lowest ebb below a Fight tho I never thought it any sign of true Valor to be prodigal of mens lives rather than to be drawn to produce our own Reasons or subscribe to other mens That which made Me for the most part presage the unsuccessfulness of any Treaty was some mens unwillingness to Treat which implied some things were to be gained by the Sword whose unreasonableness they were loath to have fairly scanned being more proper to be acted by Soldiers than by Counsellors I pray God forgive them that were guilty of that Treaties breaking and give them grace to make their advantages gotten by the Sword a better opportunity to use such Moderation as was then wanting that so tho Peace were for our sins justly deferred yet at last it may be happily obtain'd What we could not get by our Treaties we may gain by our Prayers O Thou that art the God of Reason and of Peace who disdainest not to Treat with Sinners preventing them with offers of Atonement and beseeching them to be reconciled with thy self who wantest not Power or Justice to destroy them yet aboundest in Mercy to save soften our hearts by the Blood of our Redeemer and perswade us to accept of Peace with Thy self and both to procure and preserve Peace among our selves as Men and Christians How oft have I intreated for Peace but when I speak thereof they make them ready to War Condemn us not to our Passions which are destructive both of our selves and of others Clear up our Vnderstandings to see thy Truth both in Reason as Men and in Religion as Christians and encline all our hearts to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Take from us that Enmity which is now in our hearts against Thee and give us that Charity which should be among our selves Remove the evils of War we have deserved and bestow upon us that Peace which only Christ our great Peace-maker can merit XIX Vpon the various Events of the War Victories and Defeats THE various Successes of this unhappy War have at least afforded Me variety of good Meditations Sometimes God was pleased to try Me with Victory by worsting my Enemies that I might know how with Moderation and thanks to own and use his Power who is only the true Lord of Hosts able when he pleases to repress the Confidence of those that fought against Me with so great advantages for Power and Number From small beginnings on My part he let me see that I was not wholly forsaken by My Peoples Love or his Protection Other times God was pleased to exercise my Patience and teach Me not to trust in the arm of Flesh but in the living God My Sins sometimes prevailed against the Justice of my Cause and those that were with Me wanted not matter and occasion for his just Chastisement both of them and Me. Nor were my Enemies less punished by that Prosperity which hardened them to continue that Injustice by open Hostility which was begun by most riotous and unparliamentary Tumults There is no doubt but personal and private Sins may oft-times over-balance the Justice of publick engagements nor doth God account every gallant man in the worlds esteem a fit instrument to assert in the way of War a righteous Cause The more men are prone to arrogate to their own Skill Valour and Strength the less doth God ordinarily work by them for his own Glory I am sure the Event or Success can never state the Justice of any Cause nor the peace of mens Consciences nor the eternal fate of their Souls Those with Me had I think clearly and undoubtedly for their Justification the Word of Cod and the Laws of the Land together with their own Oaths all requiring Obedience to My just Commands but to none other under Heaven without Me or against Me in the point of raising Arms. Those on the other side are forced to flie to the shifts of some pretended Fears and wild fundamentals of State as they call them which actually overthrow the present Fabrick both of Church and State being such imaginary Reasons for self-defence as are most impertinent for those men to alledg who being My Subjects were manifestly the first assaulters of Me and the Laws first by unsuppressed Tumults after by listed Forces The same Allegations they use will fit any Faction that hath but power and Confidence enough to second with the Sword all their demands against the Present Laws and Governors which can never be such as some Side or other will not find fault with so as to urge what they call a Reformation of them to a Rebellion against them Some parasitick Preachers have dared to call those Martyrs who died fighting against Me the Laws their Oaths and the Religion established But sober Christians know that glorious Title can with truth be applied only to those who sincerely preferred God's Truth and their Duty in all these particulars before their Lives and all that was dear to them in this world who having no advantagious designs by any Innovation were religiously sensible of those ties to God the Church and My self which lay upon their Souls both for Obedience and just Assistance God could and I doubt not but he did through his Mercy crown many of them with Eternal Life whose lives were lost in so just a Cause the destruction of their Bodies being sanctified as a means to save their Souls Their Wounds and temporal Ruine serving as a gracious opportunity for their eternal Health and Happiness while the evident approach of Death did through Gods Grace effectually dispose their hearts to such Humility Faith and Repentance which together with the Rectitude of their present Engagement would fully prepare them for a better Life than that which their Enemies brutish and disloyal Fierceness could deprive them of or without Repentance hope to enjoy They have often indeed had the better against My side in the Field but never I believe at the Bar of

as far from meditating a War as I was in the eye of the world from having any preparation for one I find that comfort that in the midst of all the unfortunate successes of this War on My side I do not think My Innocency any whit prejudiced or darkned nor am I without that Integrity and Peace before God as with humble confidence to address my Prayer to him For Thou O Lord seest clearly through all the cloudings of humane affairs Thou judgest without prejudice Thy Omniscience eternally guides thy unerrable Judgment O my God the proud are risen against Me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my Soul and have not set Thee before their eyes Consider my Enemies O Lord for they are many and they hate Me with a deadly hatred without a cause For thou knowest I had no Passion Design or Preparation to embroil My Kingdoms in a Civil War whereto I had least temptation as knowing I must adventure more than any and could gain least of any by it Thou O Lord art my witness how oft I have deplored and studied to divert the necessity thereof wherein I cannot well be thought so prodigally thirsty of my Subjects blood as to venture my own Life which I have been oft compelled to do in this unhappy War and which were better spent to save than to destroy my People O Lord I need much of thy grace with Patience to bear the many Afflictions Thou hast suffered some men to bring upon Me but much more to bear the unjust reproaches of those who not content that I suffer most by the War will needs perswade the world that I have raised it first or given just cause to raise it The confidence of some mens false tongues is such that they would make Me almost suspect my own Innocency Yea I could be content at least by my silence to take upon Me so great a guilt before men if by that I might allay the Malice of my Enemies and redeem my People from this miserable War since thou O Lord knowest my Innocency in this thing Thou wilt find out bloody and deceitful men many of whom have not lived out half their days in which they promised themselves the enjoyment of the fruits of their violent and wicked Counsels Save O Lord thy Servant as hitherto Thou hast and in thy due time scatter the people that delight in War Arise O Lord lift up thy self because of the rage of mine Enemies which encreaseth more and more Behold them that have conceived mischief travelled with iniquity and brought forth falshood Thou knowest the chief design of this War is either to destroy My Person or force My Judgment and to make Me renege My Conscience and Thy Truth I am driven to cross David's choice and desire rather to fall into the hands of men by denying them tho their mercies be cruel than into thy hands by sinning against My Conscience and in that against Thee who art a consuming fire Better they destroy Me than thou shouldst damn Me. Be thou ever the defence of My Soul who wilt save the upright in heart If nothing but My Blood will satisfie My Enemies or quench the flames of My Kingdoms or Thy temporal Justice I am content if it be Thy will that it be shed by Mine own Subjects hands But O let the Blood of Me tho their King yet a Sinner be washed with the Blood of My innocent and peace-making Redeemer for in that Thy Justice will find not only a temporary expiation but an eternal plenary satisfaction both for My sins and the sins of My People whom I beseech thee still own for Thine and when Thy wrath is appeased by My Death O remember thy great Mercies toward them and forgive them O My Father for they know not what they do X. Vpon their seizing the KING's Magazines Forts Navy and Militia HOW untruly I am charged with the first raising of an Army and beginning the Civil War the eyes that only pity Me and the Loyal hearts that durst only pray for Me at first might witness which yet appear not so many on My side as there were men in Arms lifted against Me. My unpreparedness for a War may well dishearten those that would help Me while it argues truly my unwillingness to fight yet it testifies for Me that I am set on the defensive part having so little hopes or power to offend others that I have none to defend My self or to preserve what is Mine own from their prereption No man can doubt but they prevented Me in their purposes as well as their injuries who are so much before-hand in their Preparations against Me and surprizals of My strength Such as are not for Them yet dare not be for Me so over-aw'd is their Loyalty by the others Numbers and Terrors I believe My Innocency and unpreparedness to assert My Rights and Honour makes Me the more guilty in their esteem who would not so easily have declared a War against Me if I had first assaulted them They knew My chiefest Arms left Me were those only which the ancient Christians were wont to use against their Persecutors Prayers and Tears These may serve a good mans turn if not to Conquer as a Soldier yet to Suffer as a Martyr Their preventing of Me and surprizing My Castles Forts Arms and Navy with the Militia is so far best for Me that it may drive Me from putting any trust in the arm of flesh and wholly to cast My self into the protection of the living God who can save by few or none as well as by many He that made the greedy Ravens to be Elias's Caterers and bring him food may also make their surprisal of outward Force and Defence an opportunity to shew Me the special support of his Power and Protection I thank God I reckon not now the want of the Militia so much in reference to My own protection as My Peoples Their many and sore Oppressions grieve Me I am above My own what I want in the hands of Force and Power I have in the wings of Faith and Prayer But this is the strange method these men will needs take to resolve their Riddle of making Me a Glorious King by taking away My Kingly Power Thus I shall become a Support to My Friends and a Terror to my Enemies by being unable to succour the one or suppress the other For thus have they designed and proposed to Me the new modelling of Soveraignty and Kingship as without any reality of Power so without any necessity of Subjection and Obedience That the Majesty of the Kings of England might hereafter hang like Mahomet's Tomb by a magnetick Charm between the Power and Priviledges of the Two Houses in an aiery imagination of Regality But I believe the surfeit of too much Power which some men have greedily seized on and now seek wholly to devour will ere long make the Common-wealth sick both of it and them since they cannot well