Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	spirit_n	23,097	5	6.5373	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17321	Conclusions of peace, betweene God and man containing comfortable meditations for the children of God. By W. Burton.	Burton, William, d. 1616.	1594 (1594)	STC 4169; ESTC S116868	49,833	152

stand in the presence of God and for their strength incomparable or else aske Senacharibs host The pleasures of the sons of men are such as the worlde doth affoord carnall securitie worldly prosperitie fleshly delightes beastly sensualitie with pride ease fulnesse of bread and such like the pleasures of the childrē of God is such as the world can neither giue nor take as the louc of righteousnesse delight in the law of God patience in affliction loue of the saints which excell in vertue and such like The riches and treasures of the sonnes of men are golde and siluer houses and landes lordships and manners rents and reuenewes and such like which theeues may steale or mothes may eat or rust may fret or fire may consume or water may ouerflowe or time may weare or death may end but the riches and treasures of Gods children are the word of God Gods fauour forgiuenesse of sinnes freedome from hell and the diuel liberty with the saints the spirite of contentation peace of conscience continual ioy in the holy Ghost and a kingdome of glory in heauen such like which no theefe can steal no rust can fret no fire can consume no water can drowne no plague can infect no time cā weare nor death can ende The ornamēts which the children of men haue to commend them vnto the worlde they are of the worlde and such as the word doth like of as gold and siluer silkes and veluets iewels and precious stones sumptious and rich attyre beautifull faces comely bodies ripe wittes smooth toonges c. These are also bestowed vpon many of Gods children but they haue better ornaments than these Their liues are adorned with holinesse and righteousnesse with vertue and religion their bodies are attyred with chastitie and sobriety their frontlets are modestie and shamefastnesse their robes are grauitie and wisedome their bracelets are mercie and compassion their wordes are the wordes of grace their lippes are the dores of knowledge and their hearts are the store-houses of vnderstanding Before the world in themselues they are blacke as though they had lodged among the pots but before the lord in Christ they are white as the Lillie and comely as the curtaines of Solomon Behold saith Solomon the beloued of Christ is faire yea behold shee is faire indeed her eyes are like the doues her haire is like the flock of goates which looke downe from the mountaines of Gilead her teeth are like a flock of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing her lippes are like a threed of Scarlet her talke is comely her temples are within her lockes as a piece of Pomegranate her necke is as the tower of Dauid built for defence her breasts are as two young Roes which are twinnes feeding amongst the lillies She is all faire and there is no spot in her The loue of Christ hath threescore queens and of damseles without number to wait vpon her the doue of Christ is alone and vndefiled she is the only daughter of her mother and she is deere to her that bare her the daughters haue seene and coumpted her blessed yea euen the queenes and concubines haue seene her and they haue praised her shee looketh foorth as the morning faire as the moon pure as the sunne and terrible as an armie with banners The rich Iewels of Gods children are sweete fruites of the holyghost as loue ioy peace long suffering meekenesse patience temperance c. for the spirit of God is in them which is a spirit of knowledge and vnderstanding a spirit of councell and courage and a spirit of the feare of the Lord by which they are led as by the hand of God by it they stand as by the staffe of God by it they are instructed as by the mouth of God and by it they are corrected as by the rod of God For want wherof the sonnes of men are most miserable when they seem to be most happy their aboundance seemeth nothing their libertie is bondage their peace is warre their rest is sorrowe their health is sicknes and their life is death Their laughter is but from the teeth outward Their feasts are like the feasts of Balthasar and their honour is like the honour of Haman They feare any thing but not sinne they loue any thing sauing God they ioye in euery thing so it be not goodnesse like the swine which had rather wallow in the stinking puddles of mire than in a sweete bed of Roses They sleep as a drunken man in the top of ship mast in a mightie storme in the midst of the sea their head is fraught with aboundance of care and their hearte with continuall feare Their foes they hate their friendes they suspect they trust no body they haue no ioy of any thing they possesse they are a burden to thēselues their whole life is vanitie and vexation of spirit when sicknes cōmeth they lye like blocks they rore like Bulles and they die like beastes and as they serued the Deuill all their life time so they looke euery houre when they shall goe to hell But the children of God are most happie when they seeme to be most miserable Their peny seemeth a pound their pound seemeth a 100 pound In want they haue aboundance in prison they find libertie in sicknes they haue health in warre peace in labour rest in sorrow ioy in death life and after death they possesse the kingdome of heauen The reason is this where the spirite of God is there is perfect libertie where a good conscience is there is a continuall feast and where the light of Gods countenaunce doth shine there is more ioye of heart than when corne and wine and oyle is encreased Can the children of the wedding fast while the Bride-grome is with them And can the children of God miscarrie while God their father is by them The loue of earthly fathers is transitorie and vncertaine like the loue of Saul to Dauid but whom the Lord loueth he loueth for euer Worldly fathers do many times repent them of that which they bestow vpon their children but the gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance But what do I goe about to set forth the hid honours the excellent state and the great priuiledges of the children of God which are giuen and bestowed not according to the basenes of our heartes and affections but according to the worthinesse and honour of his maiesty that adopteth Verely all that can be said of them is but a tast of them and when we haue done we are to beginne againe if we had the time of another world and the tongues of men and Angels to helpe vs. For who can measure the sea with aspoone who can put the cloudes into a bottell who can gather the windes in his fist who can number the sandes by the sea shore or who can reach the depth of the

would regard you as now I doe not The application hereof I leaue to euery mans conscience but this let euery one be assured of that he which despiseth Gods minister despiseth his father and he that betrayeth Gods minister that begat him to the faith betrayeth his father And will not God be auenged of such vnkindnes yea the heauy iudgmēt of God shall pursue such vnkinde and vnnaturall beasts vntill they be rooted out of the earth and the memorial of them shall perish Elisha seeing Elias ready to depart cryed My father my father the horsmen of Israel and the chariots of the same but now Elah is accounted and vsed of some as if he were the sootstooles of Israel and the chairs of the same howbeit Eliah there be that haue thee in singular account for thy workes sake and be of good comfort for so long as the poor widow of Sarepta hath any oyle left in her cruse or meale in her barrell thou shalt not want Ioash king of Israel will no doubt come and visite Elisha when he is sicke yet some I must needes say are at this point they will giue Ezechiel the hearing and when the Preacher hath done he may goe shake his eares as men vse their wine caskes and fig frailes when they are emptied they are turned out of the dores The Phisition for his phisicke is esteemed of his patients the lawyer for his law is esteemed of his clients the seruing man for his badge is esteemed for his maisters sake the iester with his iests is esteemed of his companions and the foole with his bable is regarded among fooles and shall not Gods minister for his workes sake be esteemed of amongst the sonnes of God If Preachers were lawyers or Phisitions they should be often consulted with and in better sort than they be or if Preachers were players and their blacke gownes turned into blew coates with a badge on the sleeue doubtles the chiefest of the towne would heare them and they should lacke no audience if we be sicke in body send for this doctour and that doctoure both shall be heard without controllment yea and shall they not vse vs at their pleasure If we haue a sute at law we retaine this counseller that counseller we suspect our owne skill and they shall order the matter as they list but many mens soules are sicke to death being ready to yeeld vp the Ghost and to go to hell but the phisitions of the soule are seldome or neuer sent for and euery one is able for the most part to appoint the preacher his text how he shall hādle it for matter and maner this was no fit text saith one this was ill handled and worse applied saith another why doth he not preach vpon the Epistle and the Gospell saith another one saith there he went besides his text another saith he stood too long or hee spake plainely another saith he hath a bad vtterance and spits much another saith this is too high for me I cannot vnderstand him another saith this is common stuffe I knew this before some say what hath he to doe with Maiestrates must he be medling with the Maiestrates office some say what neede he speake against images what hurt do they some say he neuer speaks any Latin I warrant you he is no scholler and another is much troubled in his conscience because the preacher hath gathered notes out of other mens workes but if he hath any notes before him in his bookes to helpe his memorie Oh that is a haynous matter and then he is fallen into a deepe pit indeede let him get out as well as he can for poore Ioseph was neuer in such a pit as this is Euery one is cunning in the preachers office if he be neuer so ignorant and commonly the more ignorant the more presumptuous The Lord open our eyes and touch our heartes that we may repent before his wrath flame out vpon vs for the greate contempt of this his holy and heauenly ordenaunce There is no question but that many things might be better handled than oftentimes they are But for the sinnes of the people it commeth to passe that many times if not generally the Lord doth strengthen the meditations of the minister he dulleth his wits and maketh his tounge to cleaue fast to the roofe of his mouth giuing no edge to his doctrine no comfort to his studies nor any blessing to his labours But the cause hereof may be and no doubt is partly in the speaker and partly in the hearer and want of prayer in both is the cause thereof this knew the Apostle well inongh and therefore he doth earnestly exhort the Ephesians in al their praiers to pray for him that the dore of vtterance and boldnesse might be opened vnto him And againe he prayeth for the Ephesians that God would giue vnto them the spirite of wisdome and reuelation in the knowledge of God and that the eys of their vnderstanding might be enlightened c. This is to teach both minister and people to commend one another vnto God in prayer for well may Iacob prepare a present for his brother Esau but God must giue him and his present fauour in the eyes of his brother and that he must pray for we should pray before we go out of our houses that the Lord would be mercifull both to our owne sinnes and the sinnes of the teacher we should pray that God would direct him in the deliuery of his message and assist vs in the receiuing of the same we should pray that God wold sāctifie both his affections in speaking our affections in hearing to the greatest glory of God and our owne mutuall comfort and that the Lord would giue to both all such graces as he knoweth best to be most needefull for vs we ought not to rush into Gods house as into an Alehouse or to a market the man of God ought not to speake in Gods place as if he were telling a tale at the table for Cursed is he that doth Gods works neglegently saith the Prophet Ieremie neither ought we to heare as if we heard a fidlers song but with al feare and reuerence we should come as into the presence of God and his Angels so we do for what health can we haue when we handle the foode of our soules with vnwashen handes What blessing can we hope for when our sinnes doe call for a curse What fruite can we looke for when we sow among the thornes What reformation can there be where there is no resolution to amend What feare of God when we respect only a man What comfort is there in heauenly thinges when our minds are set vpon earthly matters And finally what peace can we possesse in our consciences when our whole life is a warre against God as Iehu said to Iehoram What peace canst thou looke for when the whoredomes and witchcraftes of thy mother Iezabell are yet