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	word_n	8,769	5	4.5336	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09417	A faithfull and plaine exposition vpon the 2. chapter of Zephaniah by that reuerend and iudicious diuine, M.W. Perkins. Containing a powerful exhortation to repentance: as also the manner hovve men in repentance are to search themselues. Published by a preacher of the vvord. With a preface prefixed, touching the publishing of M. Perkins his vvorks. And a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to be expected.; M. Perkins, his exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah. Selections	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1609 (1609)	STC 19708; ESTC S105944	42,578	198

better cause may it be saide to vs as to the Iewes O Nation not worthy to be beloued Looke at the outward face of our Church at the signes of Gods loue which are amongst vs and at Gods dealing with vs and behold we are a beautifull church a glorious Nation a Nation to be admired and wondred at but looke at the liues of our ordinary professours looke at our sinnes and at our requiting of Gods loue and wee are a people of Sodome as full of iniquities as they were whose sinnes were so manie so rise and so ripe that at the last they will euen bring downe fire and brimstone or some other strange iudgemēt vpon vs if repentance do not preuent it or the cryes and prayers of holy men stay not Gods hand So then let vs all here assembled grant confesse that wee are a Nation so farre from beeing worthie to bee beloued as that wee are most worthie to be hated and to haue all the wrath of God powred vpon vs. Now then are wee so and shall wee continue so still Nay that is the worst and most wretched of all then let euery one of vs learne this dutie enter into our selues search our hearts and liues that they may lie open to our owne sight to the confusion of vs in our selues that in God by repentance wee may be raised vp Our sinnes lye open before the face of God and stinke in his presence and crie for vengeance and before the face of Gods Angels who bewaile it before the face of the Diuell who reioyceth in our confusions and shall they lye hidde onely to our selues Now then if wee would haue them hidden from God and stoppe the cry that they make against vs and keepe them from Sathan who accuseth vs for them we must so search our selues that they may lye open vnto our owne heartes Remember thou thy sinnes and GOD will forget them laye them open before thine owne face and GOD will hyde them from his write them vp for thy owne selfe and God will blot them out of his remembrance but if contrarywise thou hidest them then assure thy selfe the more thou hydest buriest them the more open doe they lye in the face of God and then what will followe but that they will all bee disclosed at the last day to thine eternall confusion Therfore againe and againe I exhorte you in the name of God Search your selues finde out your sinnes confesse them to God freely and ingeniouslie confesse their deserts to be hell and damnation humble your heartes to God crye and call for pardon as for life and death purpose and promise to leaue them begin a newe course of life beleeue stedfastlie and doubt not but of pardon and forgiuenesse in the blood of Christ continue in that faith and that newe course of life So may Englande preuent Gods iudgements quench that great action of vnkindenes which God hath against them and become a Nation as worthie vpon their faith and repentance in Christ to be beloued as for their peace and prosperitie they haue beene of all Nations of the earth admired Hitherto of the third generall point 4. The fourth generall point in this exhortation is time limitted them when they should Search Before the Decree come forth c. As though the Prophet should say Israel repent before God execute his iudgementes on thee For beholde the gratious dealing of God Man sinneth his sinnes deserue plagues but God presently plagueth not but deferres it hee puts a time betwixte the sinne and the punishment ordinarily this hee doeth to shewe his mercie vnto mankinde because that he would not destroy them if they would amende Therefore after the sinne he smites not presently but puts off his punishment that in the mean time man may repent Here the Prophet compares the Lorde to a mother for as she conceiues the fruite in her wombe and beares it a long time ere shee bring it out so the Lord after a mans sinnes or a peoples sinn●s conceiue that is ordaines and decreeth a iudgement for it but hee keepes it vp and all that while hee beares it But as shee when her time is come then trauailes and bringes foorth So when the time that God hath appointed is come and still sinne not repented of then his iustice trauailes to bee deliuered of that iudgement which mercie hath kept vp so long a time Thus the olde worlde had an hundred and twentie yeares giuen them for time of repentance all that while God was in conceiuing at last when their sinnes were ripe and no hope of amendment then God trauelled and brought forth a fearefull byrth namely the vniuersall flood to wash away and take reuenge vpon the vniuersall iniquities of those times So mame hundreth yeares hee gaue vnto the Iewes long hee was in conceiuing their destruction and oftentimes he had it at the bringing foorth as in the captiuity of Babylon and vnder Antiochus yet his mercie stayed it and still hee trauailed longer telles them heere by the Prophet that yet the Decree is not come foorth though it bee conceyued but at last when Israel woulde not Repent but grewe worse and worse as in CHRIST his time then hee could containe no longer but trauelled indeed and though it be with griefe yet hee hath brought forth and what a most fearefull birth euen an vtter desolation of that Kingdome and Countrey of their Cittie and Temple and a dispersion of this nation ouer all the world but as a woman at last is deliuered with daunger and difficultie with paine and sorrowe so the Lord long conceiues but at last brings forth his iudgements yet is it with griefe and vnwillingnes and hee is loath as it were and much grieued to execute his most iuste iudgementes on those who haue professed his name hee often touched the Iewes a little and as beeing vnwilling to smite them hee drewe backe his hand againe but at last when their sinnes did so increase were so strong that they euen did wring out by violence his plagues from him then with much bewailing of their great miserie as wee may see in Christ weeping for them hee executes his iudgementes on them But as they are long a comming so when they come foorth they were the heauier as a childe the more fulnesse of time it hath is the greater the liuelier and the stronger so Gods iudgements the longer God deferreth them is in conceiuing them the heauier are they when they come that is manifest in the Iewes once his owne people for hee hath destroyed their land with an irrecouerable destruction smitten their posteritie with a blindnesse of minde till this houre so that to this daye when the olde Testament is read the vaile is ouer their eyes that they cannot see the light of Christ Iesus but plod on in fearefull and palpable blindenesse This doctrine hath speciall vse to this our Church to teache vs to looke to our selues betimes and trye

is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on bodie soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporall death the death of the bodie The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all tormentes and I shewe it thus Often when thy toothe acheth and sometime when thy headacheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the worlde to bee eased of that paine Nay in the extreamitie of some fittes manie will wish themselues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one toothe can so farre distemper minde and bodie that it cannot bee releeued with all the pleasures of this life Oh then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of GODS wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule bodie and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternallie without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vglie and darksome place of torrments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and bewaile it with thee but with the diuells dāned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy miserie and will reioyce as thou diddest serue them in earth so now in hell to bee thy tormenters It may bee therefore by the way a good warning and wisedome to vs all when wee feele the extremitie of some bodilie paine to consider with our selues and say Oh then what shall bee my miserie and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall bee racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lorde of Hostes. In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euerie man is borne And these doe answere to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a threefolde guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall vniuersall corruption Thirdly a pollution by manie outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euerie man is equallie guiltie In the second euerie man is equallie corrupt But in the third euerie one keepes that compasse within which the Lorde will keepe them by his limiting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sinne hath his beginning in original sinne his continuance in actuall sinne his perfect on So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwayes standeth opposite to sinne is begunne in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And nowe these three rules I commend to the carefull and Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you searche your selues as heere the Prophet biddeth So that you can neuer search your selues aright till you be perswaded and resolued of these three rules of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences Namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sinne Secōdly that thou art prone by nature to all euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as the three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to bee such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a newe course therefore what the Prophet saide to those Iewes I say vnto you also My brethren of this Realme of England who are now heere gathered together out of so manie countryes and quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to doe or not to doe it but knowe it that God commands you as euer you wil come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see howe much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to be searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt prooue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blowne away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take holde therfore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the Chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lye cankering and rotting in thy heart Be sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the ministery of the word of God will bee putryfied and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhorte you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceites of Gods fauour before we haue it that so this Chaffe beeing blowne away the Lord may then bestowe vpon vs soundnesse of grace and the foundation of all goodnesse which is a holy and humbled heart Saluation is such a building as the foundation thereof had neede to bee sure and strong Ignorance blindenesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon anie earth but hee will first search it least it prooue sandie and so ouerthrowe all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies and conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building will refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sounde grace as wherevpon hee may trust so weightie a worke as is the saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stande in the day of triall then search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt chaffe and wheate thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the winde but good corne indures the Fanne and the furie of the winde so in the day of triall

an other that Rule is certaine and an euident truth needs no prouing Now wee haue beene visited with famines Earth-quakes pestilences invndations Thunder and lightnings in winter and most straunge and vnseasonable weather but alas all these haue taken no effect where is the humiliation Repentance and reformation which they haue wrought therefore it must needes bee there remains behind a greater iudgement Men may be so madde to thinke these to be ordinarie things and to come by course of Nature and ordinarie causes but certainly they are the shaking of the Rod and fore-runners of a great iudgement vnlesse Repentance cutte off their course For look as one cloud followeth another till the Sunne consume them so one iudgement hastens after an other and repentance onely is the Sunne which must dispell them 3. Thirdly it stands with the iustice of God according as he hath reuealed it in the Scripture especially in Deut. 28. out of the whole Chapter it must needes bee gathered as a Rule I will curse that people that breake my lawes nowe wee may not deny but this land of ours is for abundance of sinne a people of Sodome All kinde of sinnes in all estates of men rage raigne euery day more and more therefore I conclude that vnlesse we repent and so dissolue this cloud of iudgemēt that hangs ouer our heades it cannot be but a most fearefull tempest is to come at the last and when it is come it will be too late to wish they had done it Therefore in the bowels of CHRIST IESVS Let this bee to intreate and exhort you all to search and looke into your selues that so repenting and changing your wayes you may get the sword againe into his sheath which is alreadie drawne out but yet hath not stricken home and may quench the wrath which is alreadie kindled but yet burnes not out as it will doe if by repentance we quench it not and doe this euery one as you tender the saluation of your owne soules and the continuance of the Gospell to this glorious Nation and the peace and prosperous state of this Church and common wealth For let mē make what causes they will it is certainely sinfulnesse that ouerturnes kingdomes and changeth states as all these kingdomes and states haue felt who haue continued finally to contemne the Gospell It followeth And you be as chaffe that passeth on a day The Prophet proceedeth and describeth more plainly the manner and state of that plague which God will sende vpon them the meaning was partly opened before to bee in effect thus much Search your selues least God take his fanne and try you because you woulde not trye your selues and finding you vppon the tryall not sound Wheate but light Chaffe blowe you to Hell with the winde of his wrath the Metaphor which the Prophet vseth is this he compares the Lord to a husbandman great and rich the whole world is his corne fielde seuerall Nations as this of ours for one are his heapes of corne but the heapes of corne bee full of Chaffe that is these particular Churches are full of hypocrites nowe a wise husbandman letteth Corne and Chaffe lye together no longer then till the wind doth blowe and then he appoints his fanning time to seuer his corne from his chaffe and to blow away his chaffe and lay vp his corne so God the great and wise husbandman will not let the chaffe lye for euer amongst the Wheat he hath therefore appointed his fāning times whē to blow the chaff into hel to gather his wheat into heauenly garners Nowe Gods winnowing times are two the one is at the last day after this life and that is Gods great winnowing day of all his corne that of all men when the bad shall be seuered frō the good for euer neuer to be mingled againe with them but by the strong powerfull fan of his last and finall iudgement to be blown into hell the winde of whose wrath at that day shal be strōger to blow them all away then all the wind in the world to blowe away one handfull of light Chaffe 2. Gods other fanning time is in this world and that is also double The one is when the word is preached the Preaching of the word is one of Gods fannes For when the Gospell is preached to a Nation or Congregation it Fannes them and tries them and purgeth them and so serues them that a man may see a manifest difference of the chaffe and the wheat that is of the goodly man and the wicked man this preaching of the Gospell doth Iohn the Baptist expresly call a Fanne where the holy Ghost pursueth this whole Metaphor most plainely speaking of Christ he saith Whose Fanne is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floore and gather his wheate into his garner but the Chaffe hee will burne with fire vnquenchable The winde of this Fanne of the word preached is so strong as that it seuers the Chaffe from the Wheate that is good professors from hypocrites in the visible Church and blowes so strongly vpon the wicked that it brings them to the beginning of Hell euen in this world for it so worketh vpon the conscience as if it cannot conuert them it strikes them with feare terrour and torment either in life or at death which torment of conscience is the very flashes of hell-fire But when this first Fanne of the word will not serue to bring men to repentance for the word preached doth not confound a man actually but onely pronounce the sentence and thereby striue strike the consciēce then God hath another fanne and that is the Fanne of his iudgements and that fanning or winnowing time is when he executes his vengeance and his iudgements on a Nation this is his latter fanne when the first will not preuaile this is his powerfull and strong fan driuen about with the winde of his wrath this fanne went ouer the olde worlde and swept them all away and went ouer the Nation of the Iewes and wee see they are no more 1. These three fannes of God make a threefold separation of the Chaffe from the wheate that is of the wicked from the Elect with the fanne of his worde which is powerfull hee seuers them in all affection and disposition and makes a distinction of them so as generally the wheat is knowne to be wheat and Chaffe discerned to bee Chaffe by the Preaching of the word but though the tare be knowne to be tare yet both grow together so that the word onely serues them in affection and sets seuerall notes of distinction vpon them both 2. But then the second fan of his iudgements is more violent for thereby he seuereth them asunder in soule gathering the godly men as his Wheate into the heauens and blowing the soules of the wicked into hell but yet the bodies of them both lye together as partakers of the same iudgement so subiect to the same corruption and are all lodged in the