Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	sin_n	true_a	9,048	5	4.9749	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14386	Romphaiopheros = the sword-bearer. Or, The Byshop of Chichester's armes emblazoned in a sermon preached at a synod by T.V. B. of D. sometimes fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford, and now pastor of the church at Cockfield in Southsex.	Vicars, Thomas, d. 1638.	1627 (1627)	STC 24705; ESTC S119120	20,427	32

made mention of Zanchius his interpretation on that place let us also take notice of his application Discant hinc concionatores non semper blandè leniter agendum esse cum populo Let all preachers learne from these proceedings of God not alwaies to sing a song of peace but to take up the axe of reproofe and to lay about them with the sharpe sword of admonition that sinners may see their daingerous estate and how to avoyd it For as he goeth on there well mostly now adayes men are hypocrites and carnall Gospellers and out-side professors who cannot indure any voice but the sweet sound of the Gospell that Christ is the Saviour of the worlde that he died for our sinnes and that by his death he hath wrought a full and perfect redemption and yet in the meane time no shew nor touch of any true repentance in them for sinne no change in their liues at all but remaine obstinate and obdurate in sinnefull courses and will in the length kill their owne soules meerely with flatterie unlesse some speedy and sharpe course be taken to rouze them out of their securitie I know there is a more gentle way milder course to be taken with sorrowfull and relenting sinners of whom there is hope that they will be reclaimed and reformed by that milder course but I speake now of notorious obstinate sinners which are setled upon their lees as the Prophet speaketh And yet in dealing with them I grant that the Minister ought to use a great deale of discretion For though the minister haue the face of an Eagle that is be able to soare up never so high in the contemplation of divine Mysteries though he haue the face of an Oxe that is be as painfull and diligent in his place as an Oxe is at his labour though he haue the face of a Lyon that is be as bold as a Lyon in rebuking of sinne yet if he haue not also the face of a Man to guide and direct all these things according to discretion they are nothing worth But here now falls in that maine question What is discretion I feare there are some Clergie-men I will not say that make an idoll of it but that doe not well in opposing Zeale and discretion as though they could not stand together and under pretence of discretion slack their paines in preaching grow perfunctory in their perswasions cold in their reproofes healing the sores of the daughter of my people with faire words and I feare preaching peace peace where there is no peace But if this be the discretion they meane then well-fare the ardour of Elias the fervencie of Phineas and the godly zeale of Moses Of Moses it is said that although according to the testimonie of Gods spirit he was the meekest man upon earth yet in Gods cause he was zealous to the death Causam populi precibus egit apud Deū saies Philo causam Dei gladijs egit apud populū For when he was to plead for the people unto God he did it by prayers but when he was to pleade Gods cause with the people he did that with swords It is an excellent speach of S. Austine Non omnis qui parcit est amicus nec omnis qui verberat inimicus He that spareth when he should smite is no friend he that smiteth freely when there is cause is no Enemie Meliora sunt vulnera amici quam voluntaria oscula inimici Better are the wounds of a friend then the voluntary kisses of an enemie Melius est cum severitate diligere quam cum leuitate decipere And it is alwayes better to loue though our loue be mixed with severity and sharpnesse then to deceiue by too much lenitie gentlenesse Aug. Epist. 48. Uincent Too much eagernesse is naught and so is too much remissenesse too but beloved charitie is so cold and pietie so rare and the dayes so desperately wicked that I make it a great question whether a man can now be ouer zealous in Gods cause O beloued we are fallen into those dayes wherein the people for the most part non sustinent veritatem they cannot abide to haue the truth spoken home plainly and particularly Is any covetous ulcus est ne tangas it is a sore a gall take heed how you touch it Is any a drunkard ulcus est that 's a gall too take heed how you touch it Is any sacrilegious ulcus est a sore gall I promise you it must not be touched Is any an oppressour ulcus est That 's a very sore gall too and take heed how you touch it For and if you doe then be sure the gall'd Horse will kick and fling and you must looke for nothing but hard measure from that furious beast Amant veritatem lucentem saith Augustine non redarguentem If you will weaue out unto them some goodly faire plausible discourses they will heare you as long as you will but come once to use this sharpe sword to reprooue sinne and rip up their secret offences then they will cry out presently Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should liue any longer These things being considered I trust it doth appeare that it is not for Ministers to disharten their brethren or to pick quarrells one with another for preaching plainly and powerfully they should rather joyne the right hands of fellowship to outpreach sinne to out pray sinne to outface sin and they should whet one another on by their good example as Iehu said unto Iehonadab If thine heart be upright with mee as mine is with thee then come along and thou shalt see what Zeale I haue for the Lord of hoastes 2. Kings 10. And I wish heartily that in these last times and therefore the lewdest and of loosest manners all the Ministers were such as Bernard describes de Consid. lib. 4. Qui Regibus se Ioannem exhibeant Aegyptijs Mosen that would be as sharpe with Kings and greate ones as S. Iohn was with Herod that would spare mightie sinners no more then Moses did the Aegyptians Qui fornicantibus Phineam Eliam idololatris Elizaeum avaris that would be another Phineas against fornicators another Elias to idolaters and another Elisha to the covetous Qui Petrum mentientibus Paulū blasphemantibus negotiantibus Christum that would beate downe with their voyce horrible lyers as Peter did that would confound palpable blasphemers as Paul did that would whip out grosse sacriledge as Christ did the buyers and sellers out of the temple I must yet go on a little further with that mellifluous Author Qui vulg us non spernunt sed doceant that do not despise the meanest but rather teach them Qui divites non palpent sed terreant that do not flatter rich men in their sinnes but thunder against them Qui minas principū non paveant sed cōtemnant that do not feare the threatnings of great men

that double effect it worketh upon the harts of men It hath two edges and it cuts with both But the one edge cuts so as that it lets out only the impostume and corrupt blood upon which there followes health and salvation the other edge cuts more deepely and giues a mortall blowe upon which there followes death and destruction For the better opening of this obserue that in the visible Church of Christ there are intermixed two sorts of people and will alwaies so remaine untill the day of separation at the last judgement Then they are called sheepe and goats now they are called elect and reprobate Both these living within the borders of the Church where God hath set up the ministerie do both of them heare the Preacher and receiue the word but with different successe for to the one it is the savour of life unto life and to the other it is the savour of death unto death 2. Cor. 2. 16. That position in philosophie is most true Idem quà idem semper facit idem that if the cause be the same in each respect then it bringeth forth alwayes the same effect but if it varie never so little either intrinsecally in it selfe or extrinsecally in respect of some circumstantiall adjacent it produceth not onely different but also most contrariant effects as we see in the fire The same heate that melteth waxe till it drop againe like water hardneth the clay till it be a very stone And we see the same in sweet oyntment as Gregor Nyssen hath observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as the same oyntment which addeth life and strength to the doue taketh away both life and motion from the beetle so the word of Christ or Christ preached to the Iewes is a stumbling block and to the Grecians foolishnesse but to them that are called both of the Iewes and Greekes it is the wisdome of God and the power of God Rom. 1. 24. By this then we haue now delivered there is taken away a scruple of some Ministers who dare not in a manner preach some part of Gods word I meane the Law and the threatenings of the Law against Sinners because that by the preaching of these things many fall back into desperation and damnation But the man of God ought not to be offended at this for what saith the Apostle We are the sweet savour of Christ unto God both in them that are saved and in them that perish 2. Cor. 2. Let us be carefull to discharge our duties and let us leaue the successe to God And let this be our staffe of comfort to support us in the exercise of our ministrie that whether the word that we preach worke life and salvation in our auditors which we so much desire or it worke death and destruction in them which we so much feare yet still we are the sweet savour of Christ unto God both in them that are saved and in them that perish 2. Cor. 2. 15. Secondly hereby we haue an error corrected that runs among the people They cannot indure at no hand that the preacher should open the doctrine of the Law or denounce the curses contained in Gods word against sinners Why I say they this is the ready way to plung men into the pit of despaire and to send them to hell before they be dead But these people do not rightly understand themselues It is not for them to prescribe unto vs either the forme or matter of preaching We are tyed unto both to presse the law with all earnestnesse and to preach the Gospell with all meekenesse of spirit A necessity is laid upon us for both and wee must not keepe backe any part of Gods counsell from the people And let men content themselues and never storme at the matter Let them looke carefully about them and let them be assured of this that God will haue his glory upon them either in their conversion if they belong to the number of his chosen servants or in their confusion if they be rejectaneous and castawaies The Lord hath created all things for his owne sake euen the wicked men against the day of evill Prov. 16. 4. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We haue done with the first attribute a double edged sword there remaines now the other onely a sharpe sword and this seemes to giue life to that which went before If it were a sword and had never an edge it would be of no use if it were a sword which had two edges and they were dull and blunt ones it would be but of small use and therefore as it is a sword and a double edged sword so it is a sharpe two edged sword If men will walke on in sinfull and wicked courses they must not make account to go away smoothly and never be touched for it They shall meete at one time or another with a sharpe sword in their way which God hath set up in the ministrie of his Word and they shall not avoyd it For what Esay the Lords Prophet saith of himselfe every faithfull minister of Christ may apply to himselfe The Lord hath called me from the wombe and made mention of mee from my mothers belly and he hath made my mouth like a sharpe sword Esay 49. 2. Ministers must deale sharpely with notorious sinners If Herod will play the wanton and keepe his brother Philips wife against Gods law he shall be sure to heare of it as well by S. Ioh. Baptist. It is not lawfull for thee to haue her Math. 14. 4. If the Scribes and Pharisees will take part with their fathers and progenitours in their viperous qualities they shall be sure to heare of it aswell by the same S. Iohn O generation of vipers who hath forwarned you to flye from the Wrath to come Now also is the axe laid to the roote of the trees Every tree therefore that bringeth not foorth good fruit is cut downe and cast into the fire Math 3. 10. Indeed I confesse in the text there it is called an axe Now also is the axe layd to the roote but that axe there is all one with the sword here and so you haue them both expressed together in one verse Hos. 6. 5. I haue hewen them by my Prophets and I haue cut them with the words of my mouth An elegant metaphor to expresse Gods sharpe dealing with that sinfull and rebellious people that were growne tanquam nodosa ligna saith Zanchius such knottie peeces of wood that a plainer would not serue the turn to smooth them but they must haue an axe to hew them so knottie and hard withall that a knife would not serue to prune them but they must haue a sword to cut them asunder Dolavi eos I haue hewen them by my Prophets there 's the worke of the axe secui eos I haue cut them with the words of my mouth there 's the worke of the sword And because we haue