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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	good_a	life_n	see_v	9,943	5	3.4753	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70235	The vanity of self-boasters, or, The prodigious madnesse of tyrannizing Sauls, mis-leading doegs, or any others whatsoever, which peremptorily goe on, and atheistically glory in their shame and mischief in a sermon preached at the funerall of John Hamnet, gent. late of the parish of Maldon in Surrey / by E.H. Minister ...	Hinton, Edward, 1608 or 9-1678.	1643 (1643)	Wing H2066; ESTC R7444	51,429	56

children this unwillingnesse to dye in Jeremiah (i) ●r 37.20 Therefore heare me now I pray thee and let my supplications be acceptable unto the King my Lord that thou cause me not to return to the house of Ionathan the Scribe lest I dye there Our Saviour foretelling Peter that bold professor Though all should be offended yet not I k Mat. 26.37 of his death foretold him also how unwillingly he would undergoe it Thou shalt be carried whither thou wouldest not (l) Iohn 21.18 And thus unwilling have the Saints been to dye not only when wealth and pleasures would have made them in love with life but even in such times as these when sinne and misery did abound in the world yet even then loath have they been to be took out of it just as Lot who though his righteous soule was vext day by day whilst he lived in Sodom (m) 2 Pet. 2.8 although he knew that a fearefull destruction was falling on it suddenly yet how strangely did he linger when God would take him out of it insomuch that the two Angels were constrained laying their hands on him to force him out So weak was the purest and best flesh that was ever made even our Saviours though united to the God-head that it begged If it be possible let this cup passe from me Ipsa vox non exauditi magna est expositio Sacramenti (n) Leo in Mat. 26.39 The mystery that Christ should be God and not be heard is to tell us that nature flesh and blood would not willingly purchase any good thing at so deare a rate as the price of its life and being Man then yes the best man nay God himselfe as he was a man being not able without some struggle and reluctancie to undergoe the last and sad departure of the soule from the body these deare intimate and ancient friends with what heart-breaking then and tormenting unwillingnesse doth a man formerly carelesse and customary in Religion yeeld up his soule Againe take notice how hard 't will be for him to resist the Devill who then especially recollects what malice and poyson is within him and vents it with most violence Vltimum magno scelus animo patrandum as Medea of her selfe (o) Sen. Med. Sad and present experience will tell you that when the besiegers of a Town heare that the siege is shortly to be raised by the reliefe of approaching succours whereby it must necessarily be for ever rescued out of their hands how fast and lowd will the Ordnance then thunder what underminings what stratagems what force will be then used then will they recollect whatsoever is man in them not a brain heart or hand which shall not be then imployed that their former hopes may not faile or their former labour be lost And can the Devill thinke you who hath besieged a soule for 30 40 50 or 60. yeares and all this while hath more then hopes of taking it be forced to remove siege ere hee hath tryed his utmost strength fury and policie And as the Devill will on our death-beds use his utmost endeavours so shall we formerly carelesse be utterly disenabled for resistance Alas we have not in time of health got unto our selves the whole armour of a Christian which is very improbable I will not say impossible to begain'd in the last sicknesse for the armour the chiefest whereof is the shield of Faith comes by hearing (p) Rom. 10.17 God therefore seldome very seldome bestowes his graces on those who in their health have not thrived by this Ordinance And this is the reason why many carelesse ones dye either without a Minister or happily having an ignorant loose one which knows not how to awaken a soule out of its damnable lethargy or lastly having a faithfull one cannot by reason of their present paines or feare of hell reape any profit by him and if any seemingly to us are by Gods blessing on a faithfull Minister brought to repent their repentance is scarce acceptable or sound 1. Not acceptable May not God say to such as he in the Comedy Cum nemini obtrudipotest itur ad me you make me your refuge not your choise nay you come not onely last unto me but you reserve that which is worst for me As in a barrell long drawn Non tantum minimum sed pessimum relictum what is left is not onely little but grownes and dregges the worst of all so offering your selves unto me on your death-beds you give me onely that little of your life that is left and this little is the worst part too made up of paines weaknesses feares and agonies nor this neither would you give me knew you how otherwise to bestow it What thank-worthy is it to be willing to leave your sinnes when you can keep them no longer to renounce the world and its vanities when you must be took from them to give means to the poore when you your selves cannot make use of them to forgive your enemies when you are disinabled to return their injuries or to perswade your wife and children to rely on my providence because you can no longer lay up for them 2. 'T is usually unsound Many at their last gaspe with teares in their eyes groanes in their hearts and confession in their mouthes miscarry and goe to hell which we assuredly conclude to be in heaven and have oft with joy related what good ends they have made looking onely at their last pensivenesse and not at their former lives by which onely may we guesse what followes death death being the Eccho to life so we usually dye as we live This sad truth my own reason and experience makes good Some have I known in extremity of sicknes being as they thought the last have made large confessions of their past errours and have profest strong resolutions of amendment for the future in supposition of recovery Oh! said they if it would please God to spare me suffer me to recover my strengh ere I goe hence adde unto my yeares mightily would I manifest how the Lord hath sanctified his visitation unto me by a reclaimed strict and exemplary life yet being restored againe to their former strength and liberty Dogges and Sowes as they are have suddenly returned to their vomit and mire this my experience tels me now my reason tels me that had these wretches died in this their repentance which the devill made them beleeve and they us was sound and true they must necessarily have gone to hell because their after relapses and wallowings proved them to be counterfeits Thus are we necessitated to fear the miscarrying of all these careless ones though they are permitted to dye in their beds with a long and ordinary sicknesse Oh then in what danger do they live and how do they walke upon the brinke of hell which care not through repentance and humiliation to make their peace with God in these dismall bloody dying times of ours when

1 Sam. 21.6 and immediately breaks that Oath and Pacification and through the evill Spirit that was upon him sought again to smite him to the wall with his Javelin b vers 10. anon after David being certified by Ionathan of his Fathers murderous intentions c 1 Sam. 20. à ver 37. ad 41. was forc't to flie for his life and in his flight betook himselfe to Ahimelech the Priest for reliefe and succour and so well told he his tale that he got of him the Shew-bread and Goliah's Sword d 1 Sam. 21 àver 6. ad 9. But see the ground and Author of this great mischiefe Doeg was then in the Temple and heard all as 't is the peculiar lot of Gods people to fall into the hands of Doegs treacherous and deceitfull people this sneaking Parasite carries and aggravates the businesse to Saul I saw the Sonne of Iesse comming to Nob to Ahimelech the Priest and he enquired of the Lord for him e Sam. 22.9.10 and what of that 't was after treason and conspiracy the King enquired sed ea ratio est adulatorum ut si principem calentem videant velint eum incenderc ex stulto prorsus insanū facere f Pet. Martyr in loc but such is the condition of flatterers that they 'l blow a heated Tyrant into a flame and turne his folly into madnesse Upon this false information Ahimelech and the rest of the Priests with all of their Families were sent for g ver 11. they come Saul becomes both the accuser and the Judge and presently falls upon the tryall Heare now thou Sonne of Ahituh and he answered Here am I and Saul said unto him Why have yee conspired against me h ver 12.13 But wherein laid the conspiracy in relieving a man faithfull to his God and Prince And who is so faith full amongst all thy Servants as David which is the Kings Son in Law Conjuratio est consensus aliquorum contra rempub i Pet. Martyr Ib. The conspire which mischievously plot against the Common-Wealth he goeth at thy bidding and is honourable in thy house did he then begin to enquire of God for him k vers 14.15 i.e. is this the first time I enquired for him or being thy Son-in-law and thy faithfull Servant I did not so much enquire of God for him as for thee At last knowing he was to deale with a Tyrant whom reason law or right would nothing move hee gives over pleading and falls to begging Let not the King impute any thing to thy Servant for thy Servant knew nothing of this more or lesse l ver 15. What if you had Ahimelech would you not therefore have relieved him because the King unjustly persecured him would that have beene faire dealing think you If others had been of this minde he had never overcome the Tyrants cruelty But now I see that our Priests as they desire to be cald are not the first that would rather renounce a just cause then displease an unjust man Our cruell High-Priest violent and peremptory as he was did with his power so brow-beat and dare all the rest as one of themselves lately and publikely confest that they had but one voice amongst them all the rest being but his ecchoe's his dictates out-nois'd those of their conscience for woe had been to them who had done otherwise who had relieved any though never so innocent and religious whom his Grace had slung his Iavelin at sent his Citation for or once cal'd Puritane Rubet auditor cui frigida mens est But to goe forwards would this Priest his closing with Saul serve his turne no certainly For the King said Thou shalt surely die Ahimelech thou and all thy Fathers house m ver 16. The sentence is past between which and execution some respite ought to be but no such matter now he immediately sayes unto the foot-men that were about him Turne and slay the Priests of the Lord n ver 17. fearing happily lest cooling and comming to himselfe he might on better consideration not have been guilty of so much innocent blood But wherefore should they be slaine Because they knew when David fled and told it not unto me but where is the witnesse Doeg you 'l say did affirme it but is not this against the known Law o Deut. 17.6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall hee that is worthy of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse he shall not die But see the honest Guard farre honester then their master would not put forth their hand to fall upon the Priests of the Lord p vers 17. they well know he was but Gods Minister for their good mandatorius siquid vult facere contra mandatum id jubet esse irritum q et Martyr Ib. and whatsoever a Commissioner injoynes beyond his Commission is voide and ought not to be obeyed But if one won't another will the Devill will alwayes supply Tyrants with suitable instruments Doeg seemes to be glad of the office and resolute to doe whatsoever the King should command him never interposing that honest condition of the Israelites to Ioshua onely the Lord be with thee r Iosh 1.17 and forthwith he fals to work fell on the Priests of the Lord and slew on that day fourescore and five persons that wore a linnen Ephod ſ 1 Sam. 12.18 he slew the Priests the Priests of the Lord he slew men unarm'd men consecrated to God he slew old men and women he slew children and sucklings to whom Scythians and Parthians have shown mercy in the time of the cruellest warre and to make up the summe he slew so many innocents he slew them he their informer was their executioner first bely'd them with his tongue and then butchered them with his hand chuse which you will now either Saul or his instrument and you cannot but confesse there is cause more then enough of my Psalmists question and exclamation Why dost thou Saul thou envious malitious unjust bloody Tyrant or why dost thou Doeg thou sneaking base informing Parasite thou cruell murdering butcher why dost thou boast thy selfe in this so unheard of a mischief But happily on good grounds Davids wonder may be that any whatsoever should boast in any whatsoever mischief therfore I shal endeavor to make good the question in general And now me thinks I am brought into a wildernesse the subject I am fallen on is so large and fearefull should I let fly my Meditations with that bitternesse and liberty wherewith such mad and prodigious boasters ought to be took up I should lose both you and my selfe But the sutablenesse of my first questions businesse both to our times and our present occasion tempted me to so much over-largenesse that I could not but in equity promise brevity in the following questons that therefore I may bee as good as my word I shall not keep you long

in coelo angelos qui in coelo peccantes dejiciuntur in haec corpora quasi in se pulchra tot in coelo ruinae quot in terra nativitates Ep. Tom. 2. p. 124. This consideration also made the (m) Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 63. Naturalist conclude it an argument of natures bounty afford us such diversity of poysons whereby we may free our selves from the world and its crosses And though Religion allowes not of this atheisticall exchange of misery of leaping out of the Frying-pan as we speak into the fire even Hell-fire yet the miserable condition of man hath made some of the Fathers to bestow large-commendations on death that known speech of Ambrose is most remarkable Mors remedium potiùs poenae quàm vindicta culpae Death was brought on us rather for the ending of our punishment then for the punishment of sinne For a punishment saith he was it said unto man (n) Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread but for his comfort was it added till thou returne to the earth And even in this respect also is it truly affirmed by our best Divines that though death considered according to its owne nature be a punishment yet as it is considered with relation to the faithfull it is not because to them the nature of it is changed and from a curseit is turn'd into a blessings for the sting of it Sinne is taken away in which its hurt and punishment consisted and whereas Arminius would therefore prove death properly a punishment even to the faithfull because though the right of holding them captive be taken a way from death by Christ yet from the actuall dominion of death we are not freed till the resutrection I could tell him might I stay so long that death hath not this actuall dominion over the faithfull he speakes of seeing by Christ we have gotten the victory over it so that we may not crouch to it as captives to their Governour but rather as Conquerours over a captive may we triumph O death where is thy sting t 1 Cor. 15.55 thy punishment thy dominion thought thou art an enemy the last enemy to be destroyed and art though by the Arminians to helpe forward our afflictions yet abundantly hast thou helped forward our good the good not only of our soules which hereby flye to heaven are made infinitely and eternally happy but of our bodies also which hereby have a thrice happy deliverance First they are delivered from the sense of misery from the paines of sicknesse the troubles of old age the crosses of the world and the misusages of persecutors Secondly they are delivered from the society of wicked men they are tooke from sojourning in Mesech and from dwelling in the Tents of Kedar which in this world is so loathsome so burdensome unto them Thirdly lastly they cease from their labors not only from their sufferings under which they unavoidably labour but from their labours of sinne they rest from their workes of wickednesse sinne by death loseth not onely its dominion but its habitation it shall not onely not reigne but no longer dwell in their mortall bodies and the reason is because their bodies shall be no longer mortall 'T was well askt why is earth ashes proud u Ecclus 10.9 so true is that common etymology homo quasi ex humo man is so cald because his foundation is in the dust x Psal 108.9 our first parents had no other materials nor ever since have we nay the bowels whence we sprang are nothing else Wonderfully and fearfully sayes the Psalmist y Psal 133 15. hast thou made me in the nethermost parts of the earth i. in my mothers womb and so truth is the Chaldee Paraphrast reads it hence the Hebrewes call women plainly earth so truely so verely earth are wee not onely made of earthy materials but cast also in an earthy molde So earthy and mouldring that that which we call life is it selfe but a wasting and dying a continuall fluxe and decaying no part of it being our own nay no part of it being but punctum continuationis the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present moment which too is so neare nothing that as the Philosopher desinit esse antequam est it begins almost not to be before it is What is past of this we call life is lost what is to come is not gain'd this present instant onely remaining which was so fleet to that 't was gone assoone as I could tell you 't was come is vanish't whilst 't was spoke of Be not mistaken death consists not in the last gaspe last groan or fit these do not name or cause death but finish it just as it is not the falling of the last sand in this glasse which makes or names this houre but the falling of all the sand and the houre might be then said to make toward an end when the glasse was first turned 'T is not you know the last blaze of a Candle spends him because he is spending all the time he burnes and may truely be said even then to begin to go out when he was first lighted No otherwise is it with us death consists not in the last breath or sickenesse no 't is now upon you even upon the best and healthiest constitution every breath you fetch every step you move and every journey you take 't is towards the grave thither were you tending when you first set out even the first minute of your birth all of you beginning then to die when you first began to be But men resolving to be proud A Cavill answered and therefore willing to forget they are but dust and ashes may reply 'T is a very truth that in these times and places of Warre and sicknesse our earthy fraile condition plainly appears but at other times and in other places we know 't is otherwise Have there not bin and are there not even now amongst us many aged people Answ 'T is confest but yet there is scarce any of these aged ones which you call now living which on serious thoughts and recollection dare say they truely live that onely being true life which hath joy and contentment individuall with it which the cares and thornes of the world the weaknesses and infirmities of old age denying them denies them also truely to live So true is that of my Psalmist ſ Psal 90.70 The dayes of our yeares are threescore yeares and ten and if by reason of strength they be eigthy yeares then is their strength labour and pain If joy and content did not onely speak us truly and properly alive then they in hell may be said to be alive but on them the second death hath seized Aged men by reason of the troubles and cares the world hath brought on them are like those on the seas bent for a short voyage but vext and hindered by contrary winds and tempests for as such cannot be said

in this wildernesse Mad and prodigious boasters have I cald them and truly both these they are First they are mad for who but a mad man would boast that he had given himself his deaths wound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is the death of the soule t Ezek. 33.12.13 Who but a mad man would boast of that heavie burden he is forc't night and day to sink under a heavie burden are my iniquities faith David they are too heavie for me u Psal 38.4 This heavie burthen the Prophet cals a Talent of Lead w Zach. 5.7 yes heavier and more intolerable then Hell or the Devill himselfe for 't was sinne made Hell and 't was sin sunk the Devill into it without it he cannot adde a dram weight to depresse or keep us from making towards heaven nay though unwillingly hee furthers us in the way but 't is sinne alone and only which keeps us down Again who but a mad man would boast in what arrerages he runnes with his Creditours vauntingly publish how all hee hath is morgaged and that Vsury eates him up apace 't is truth indeed some may and many do base and unworthy as they are pretend poverty say that they are ready to starve that thereby they might starve Christs cause But I cannot deeme that man truly himselfe which really boasts how bravely he is undone Now to obey Gods law is a debt due from us to him Cursed is hee that continueth not in all the words of the Law to doe them x Deut. 27.26 and all the people shall Amen that obedience is our debt we cannot deny our consciences seale to this bond the counterpane of it is wrote even in every naturall mans heart y Rom. 2.15 every sinne then being a transgression of the Law is an arrerage and upon this arrerage the soule is morgaged and without repentance lost and forfeited the sinner is utterly undone he shall be delivered up unto the tormentor untill he hath paid all his debt z Mat. 18.34 Once more who but a mad man will boast that he is a loathsome creature a wicked man is a loathsome man saith Solomon a Pro. 13.5 loathsome in Gods eyes my soule loaths him saith the Lord b Zach. 11.8 loathsome in the eyes of good-men and not only loathsome but infectious too the Prophet therfore resolved not to be in a wicked mans company c Psal 26.5 Lastly it makes him loathsome and contemptible in the eyes of his nearest friends yea of those friends which ought according to the Laws of God nature not only to love but to reverence him Thus the Prophet of Icrusalem by reason of sinne Icrusalem hath grievously sinned d Lam. 1.18 therefore they that honoured her dispised her and though for want of faith and by reason of the weaknesse of spirituall judgement wee cannot discover the filth and uglinesse of sinne yet doubtlesse at Christs second comming when hee shall be revealed from Heaven this also shall bee revealed even what an ugly noisome creature an impenitent sinner is then saith the Prophet speaking of Doomes-day and sinners they shall be an abhorring to all flesh e Is 66. ult Againe as these boasters in mischiefe are mad so are they also prodigiously wicked for who but a man prodigiously wicked would boast that God is fallen out with him such a boaster is he which boasteth in sinne for 't is sinne that separates between us and our God f Isa 59.2 secondly every sinne is a contempt against God quo ejus pracepta contemnimus temnimus saith Bernard g Serm. 31. de mod bene viven di how prodigiously then doth he contemn God which boasts that he hath contemned him Thirdly sinne is that which excludes us heaven and flings us into hell that which deprives us of all that we call good and brings on us all that is miserable 't is the greatest of curses and the worst of judgements Hence Saint Paul labouring to expresse how much Christ had suffered for us sayes he was made sinne for us h 2 Cor. 5.21 How prodigiously wicked then is he which boasts of the greatest misery that man is capable of Lastly sin being that alone which crucified the Lord of life which tore our Saviours head with thorns pierc'd his side nail'd his feet which made him sweat blood water which put the gall and vinegar to his mouth and wrung from him that bitter complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Tell me then sadly tell me is not he prodigiously wicked which boasts in that which after so cruell and shamefull a manner crucified our Saviour Nor is this boaster in mischiefe mad onely and prodigiously wicked but which must necessarily follow and be supposed is in a desperate and forlorne case and for these two reasons First because such a one sinnes with the fullest swing and willingnesse without any reluctancy and scruple nothing hath hee of the Spirit in him which might cause opposition or pawces The words of his mouth are intquity and deceit as my Psalmist of him he hath left off to be wise and to doe good hee deviseth mischiefe upon his bed hee setteth himselfe i. e. gladly goes on in a way that is not good i Ps 36.3 who being past feeling hath given himselfe over to worke all uncleannesse and greedinesse k Ephes 4.19 Secondly because these of all men are farthest from Christ and heaven being farthest from repentance whose sinnes are so farre from being a load and heavy burden unto them that they glory in their shame 'T is with these boasters as with men dived to the bottom of the water as long as they lye in the water they are nothing sensible of its weight but once recovering out would be overwhelmed with a small quantity of it So these boasters being sunke to the bottome almost as low as hell and lying there under never so many and hideous sinnes are never senfible of their load and burden whereas to a man by Gods grace recovering out of them one and the least sin will be a talent of Lead And so much of this second Question a short application and I have done Applic. And here let 's pawse a while with our best and serious thoughts admire and lament the miserable condition of our land wherein so many of these madmen of these prodigies of these desperately forlorn wretches swarme and spread amongst us Go abroad and listen and you shall hear the Drunkard boast how many swine he made the last night you shall hear the Ruffler boast what a new handsome full-mouthed oath he hath got the Goat how many women he hath abused and the Fox how many he hath over-reached and cousened Fiunt Fiunt ista palam cupiunt in asta referri But alas these though miscreants are but novices and bunglers in respect of some closer workers and deeper instruments of the devill who first guild