Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	know_v	life_n	love_v	8,582	5	6.6638	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10791	A guide vnto godlinesse moste worthy to bee followed of all true Christians: a treatise wherein is set forth the folly of man in prolonging the amendment of his sinful life, togither with the chiefe causes thereof, and souereigne remedies againste the same. Written in Latin by Iohn Riuius: Englished by W.G.; De stultitia mortalium, in procrastinanda correctione vitæ. English	Rivius, Johann, 1500-1553.; Gace, William.	1579 (1579)	STC 21064; ESTC S100606	51,601	134

of concerning hel the riuer in hel that alwayes burneth the iudges Minos and Rhadamanthus the place abode punishmēt of the wicked wherupon came that saying of Seneca The poets deluded vs saith he and put vs in vaine feare so many count for trifles and fables vtterly contēne as vayne threats those thinges which at this day are read in the holy Scriptures of hel of eternal death of the fiery lake wher shal be weeping gnashing of teeth also of the resurrectiō of the soule bodye either to euerlasting paines or eternal glorye Whē as al these things without doubt strike horror into thē that be godly in deede do feare god aright as one saith they are almost afraid to heare thē once named or spoken of Thus hast thou the chiefe principall cause as I thinke why all of vs almost do so prolong the amendment of our life Of the second cause vvhy man differreth to amende his lyfe LEt vs nowe come to the second whiche is hope of Gods pardon and fauour a hope great in deede but surelye false and altogether vncertaine With this hope the continuall enemy of mankind the Deuil holdeth man in sinne and by dayly setting before him Gods lenitie and gentlenes keepeth him from fearing his iustice But as God doth easily pardon the penitent and fatherly forgeiueth such as returne vnto goodnes so he leaueth not vnpunished neither suffereth vnreuenged suche as with an obstinate mind perseuer in wickednes In vain therefore doe they hope for pardon who do not hartely repent for their sinnes committed The deuil notwithstanding by setting this hope before man bringeth to passe that he sinneth securely and neuer hath any earnest cogitation of amending his lyfe but despiseth the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth him to repentaunce that I maye vse the wordes of the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans Let man here call to minde that which our sauiour sayth in the gospell of Matthew Repent saith he your former life for the kingdome of heauen is at hand And that which the Lord saith in Esay Which of them shall I then regarde Euē him that is poore of a lowly troubled spirite and standeth in awe of my words Christ saith moreouer in the gospel of Luke Vnlesse ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Peter in the Acts sayth Repente ye therefore and conuert that your sinnes may be put away I omit sixe hundred other places in the Scriptures which tende to the same ende that is which teache that none can hope and trust for pardon of his sinnes but he that repenteth For in vaine as I haue sayde doth he hope to haue remission and forgiuenes whose hearte is not touched with true repentance Now albeit no repentaunce be to late before God which the example of the theese mentioned in the gospell doth declare for God desireth not the destruction of sinners but rather that they repent and liue Who notwithstanding seeth not how daungerous a thing it is to differre the amendment of our life Well was it sayd of one that none hath euer had God so fauourable vnto him that he coulde promise himselfe to liue till the morowe Death oftentimes cōmeth vpon men vnawares so that they haue no time so much as to thinke of repenting and amendinge their life I will not here rehearse those thinges whiche Plinie declareth in hys natural history of sodain deathes farasmuch as nothing almost is more common vsual euen at this time also It is not many yeeres since there were two olde men in this country both inhabitants of one and the same citie who the same night they dyd lye with the strumpets to whō they vsed to resort that one lost his life by an Apoplexie the other was stabbed in with a dagger so both of them died sodenly with how great peril of their soules let euerye one thinke with himselfe I confesse it in dede to be true that it is cōmon to the godly as wel as to the wicked to die sodenly that that is true also with the wiseman saith that the righteous man with what death so euer he be preuented shal be in rest How dreadful a thing is it notwithstanding that the impenitent person should sodenly be ouertaken with death after such a sort Of how many haue we heard oftētimes who euen when they were tipling and making god chere falling vnto strife brawling amōg themselues haue bin thrust through one of an other Of howe many who being taken in adultery haue by the sword lost their liues Of howe many who playing at the dice haue bin slayne of them that played with them That I may say nothing of them who falling frō their horse haue brokē theyr neckes who haue perished sodenly in the sea by shipwracke finally who either byfalling of houses or by some other chance haue died a sodain death Although then y God doth desire rather the repentaunce then death of a sinner as in deede he doth it is notwithstanding a very perilous thing by reason of the vncertaine chaunces which be incident vnto vs to differre the amendment of our life vppon hope of Gods mercy Thou must repent in time while thou doost yet liue and art in good health But thus standeth the case A younge man takethe hys pastime and pleasure geueth himselfe to banketting and riotous liuing promiseth himselfe to liue manye yeeres and therefore thinketh nothing of reforming his life but differreth this thing vntill olde age whereunto notwithstanding it is vncertaine whether he shall euer come For what one among manye thousandes liueth vntill olde age Nowe what doth he that is become verye olde and is as it were euen at deathes dore To morrowe saith he it shall be done and againe it shall be done to morrow so he willingly deceiueth vaynly flattereth himselfe seeing as I haue sayde no man can promise himselfe to liue till the morrow no no man knoweth whether he shall liue vntil the euening In the meane season mē so dayly differring prolonging the amendmēt of their life death oftentimes commeth vppon them vnawares as we may see almost euerye day and yet can not other mens harms make vs to beware so doth the deuill alwayes drawe vs on and allure vs with a vayne hope of Gods pardon and of a long life Now although it neither ought nor by any meanes may be denyed that the penitēt obtaine gods grace and fauour at all times neither may it be sayde that he who is nowe about to yeeld vp the ghost in that very agonye of death should despeire of pardon who notwithstanding is so vnwise that he doth not rather desire that which is safe and boyde of all danger then that which is ioyned with exceedinge greate perill Wherefore rather then there shoulde be any scruple or doubte let vs thinke in time of amending our life let vs not differre it from day

of better state that is being alwaies in extreme and vtter desperation then which there can be no torment more greeuous or greate Whom would not all these thinges greatly feare from sinning namely the horror of hell the paines that neuer shall haue ende or measure eternall death the fire that shall neuer go out vnspeakeable torments the companye of the deuils the societie of the reprobate and wicked feare anguishe tremblinge euerlastinge and infinite and suche as the minde of man can not comprehende nor any words expresse Whom I saye will not that daye of wrath terrifie as both the Prophet and Paule to the Romans calleth it a daye of affliction and anguish a day of calamitie and miserye a darke glomie day a cloudy and blacke day when God will reward euery mā according to his workes I woulde to God the cogitation and remembraunce of these thinges were alwayes before the eyes of our minde Truely if they were either I am much deceiued or men would more diligently obserue the commaundements of Almighty God they would more refrain themselues from sinne and euel doing they would embrace vertue and godlines and endeuour to liue holily and vprightly What ought that also nothinge to moue vs that vertue is sometimes rewarded here on the earth as vice wickednes is plagued and punished And that I may omit to say any thing of the conscience wherof we haue spoken in other bookes we wil entreate of those things which thou mayst almost handle with thy handes much more be hold with thine eyes For that I may speake of a moste common vice what inconueniences euils ensue of surfettinge drunkennesse hereof as one saith in his historye of the worlde commeth palenes of colour hanginge cheekes sore eyes trembling handes troublesome sleepe vnquiet rest in the night hereof commeth stinking breth ache of the hed a weak memorie a dul wit hereof come oftentimes greuous diseases as great ach of the ioynts the gout apoplexies as both the phisitions affirme and almost dayly examples do teach As for lecherye howe often doe we see it in our age punished with the french pocks as also immoderate carnall pleasure wyth the palseye blerednesse of the eyes tremblinge of the sinewes What shall I saye of prodigalitye and ryotte hath it not broughte many to pouerty and penurie What of Adultery is it not somtimes a present punishment and is cause of infamie alwayes after Moreouer whō hath not his wrath often hurt vnto whom hath not prid procured hatred What shoulde I speake of enuie is it not a punishment vnto it selfe and doth gnaw and consume it selfe so that it was sayd rightly of one The tyrannes of Sicilie found no greater torment then enuie and of an other also An enuious man doth pine at the prosperitie of another Now concerning couetousnes is not he whose hearte it possesseth disquieted with a desire alwayes to encrease his substance and afflicted with feare to lose that he hath For a couetous man is not content with that which he hath and he feareth also least he shall not still retaine the same Dost thou not plainly by the premisses see that euen here vpon earth vice wickednes oftentimes escapeth not vnpunished Nowe if this little moue vs yet those eternall torments in hell which the Scripture threatneth to the wicked ought worthely to moue all and greatly to stir vs vp and pricke vs forward without all delay to amend our life if we count not those things a fable which the holy Scriptures teach of the life immortall of the godlye and of the paines eternall of the wicked I will rehearse what is wont mightelye to moue me and as it were inflame me to liue godlily if perhaps the same may minister occasion to other to amend their life Thus doe I often thinke with my selfe What I say Riuius if at this very instant thou shouldest depart out of this life what thinkest thou would become of thee Thinkest thou thy selfe sufficiently prepared to dye For althoughe thou reposest thy trust as thou oughtest in deede in the infinite clemency and goodnes of GOD thinkest thou notwithstanding that thou hast no cause to feare his iustice How many thousand christians are committed to euerlastinge paines howe many young men old men men of midle age women folks maried vnmaried finally howe many of euerye state age and sex whose sinnes were both farre fewer and much lighter then thine O dreadfull iudgement of God yet righteous and iust How many Iews are there in hell how many idolaters are tormented with continuall paynes Who if they had bin conuerted to the faith of Christ as by Gods goodnes and grace we are they would perhaps haue liued farre better on the earth then we at this daye doe and also would haue auoyded those eternall torments O execrable ingratitude of ours O senselesnesse of mans heart What I say if thou shouldest heare that which was spoken of the Prophet vnto Ezechias Prepare thy selfe for thou must dye and shalt not escape what wouldest thou doe in this case Thou wouldest wyshe I thinke a tyme to liue wherein thou mightest bewayle thy sinnes vnfeynedly repente and aske mercye of god Why then dooste thou not that daylye and throughe thy whole lyfe which thou wouldest then do in a moment of time By thinking of these things I am wont as I haue sayde to be much stirred vp and inflamed to liue godlily also hereby am I terrified from sinning moued to craue mercy of god Let therefore such as thinke good set the same before their eyes There is scarce any mā who purposeth not to forgiue his enemies before he go hence let him then forgiue him now There is scarce anye who desireth not to returne into Gods fauour let him returne therefore nowe There is scarce anye who thinketh not to amend his life let him amend it therefore now Brieflye whatsoeuer thou wouldest doe at the poynte of death doe the same through Gods helpe and assistance while thou liuest and arte in helth that is that I may speake particularly repent continuasly feare God vnfeynedly loue him wyth thy whole heart and most entirely repose all thy trust and confidence in him alone call vpon him in aduersitie giue him thanks in prosperitie prayse extoll confesse him at al times singe willinglye hymnes vnto him remember him alwayes in thy prayers wishes and desires committe thy selfe to hys goodnes and submit thy selfe to hys wyll set his example before thee and imitate the same in deseruing well of men finally endeuour to be like vnto him in louing thine ennemies Moreouer be patient in aduersitie humble in prosperitie diligent in thy dutie temperate in thy liuing comely in thine apparel iust toward thy neighbor liberal toward the poore gentle curteous in the company of mē patient to suffer iniuries a furtherer of peace concord chast shamefast sober to conclude in all thinges vpright entire And forasmuch as thou art not able to performe