Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	live_v	young_a	youth_n	255	4	8.1569	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09262	Fiue godly, and profitable sermons concerning 1 The slaverie of sinne. 2 The mischiefe of ignorance. 3 The roote of apostasie. 4 The benefit of Gods service. 5 The Christians loue. Preached in his life time in sundry places. By that late faithfull minister of Christ Mr William Pemble of Magdalen Hall in the Vniversity of Oxford.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1628 (1628)	STC 19576A; ESTC S114334	73,812	112

and halfe sentences so hack and hew at it that you may almost sweare they speake they know not what of matters out of their elemēt though they be the wisest and craftiest headed men in a parish take them in other matters yet in these things you would thinke verily they were borne starke naturals and Idiots they will sometimes shape you such strange absurd and vnexpected answers to your questions that when a man cannot choose but pitty them he hath much a doe to forbeare laughing at them Let me tell a story that I haue heard from a reverend man out of the pulpit a place where none should dare to tell a lie of an old man aboue sixty who liued and died in a parish where there had beene preaching almost all his time for the greatest part twice on the Lordes day besides at extraordinarie times This man was a constant hearer as any might be seemed forward in the loue of the word on his death bed being questioned by a minister touching his faith and hope in God you will wonder to heare what answere he made being demanded what he thought of God he answeres that he was a good old man what of Christ that he was a towardly young youth and of his soule that it was a great bone in his bodie what should become of his soule after he was dead that if he had done wel he should bee put into a pleasant greene meddow These answeres astonished those that were present to thinke how it were possible for a man of good vnderstanding and one that in his daies had heard by the least two or three thousand sermons yet on his death bed in serious manner thus to deliuer his opinion in such maine points of religion which infants and sucklings should not be ignorant of But my brethren be assured this man is not alone there be many hundreds in his case who come to Church and heare much happily a hundred sermons and a halfe in a yeare yet at yeares end are as much the better for al as the pillers of the Church against which they leane or the pewes wherein they sit A matter greatly to be lamented and sharpely reproued that wise men politicke men graue men great men rich men men that carrie the name of Christians should yet be such very children in all godly knowledg Wherefore in the next place let this be for exhortation Vse 2 1 To Ministers that they would be carefull to teach the people if people perish for want of knowledge shall ministers escape who are negligent in teaching Be sure of it both smart togither they for their ignorance these for their negligence such ministers haue their doome in my text because thou hast reiected knowledge I will also reiect thee The people shal indeed perish in their sins but their bloud c whose office it was to instruct admonish reproue entreate and by al meanes to turne the people from their evil waies Oh that such men would be pleased to consider that the best service they can doe the greatest honour they can attaine vnto is to be faithfull labourers in Gods vineyard What an honour and happinesse is it to a man to be made a common blessing vnto all men round about him to be eies to the blind legs to the lame a mouth to the dumbe a staffe to the feeble a physitian to the sick a counsellour in hard cases a watchmā in danger a captaine in conflicts so much and much more is a minister vnto his people if he doe his duty as he ought And vnworthy they are of that office who scorne to take the paines that belongs to it or thinke it an easie or small matter to saue a soule from death But happily I speake to them that heare me not wherefore the next exhortation is 2 To people that they would take notice in themselues of this foule sinne to amend it Some men are ignorant of this like men in the dark thinking themselues faire because they see not their owne deformities Come now then into the light looke on thy selfe see what an ignorant wretch thou art bewaile it repent of it amend it Be ashamed in your selues of that which you are ashamed of when any man takes notice of it blush at your ignorance and heare what the spirit of God saith to you Pro. ● 22. How long ye simple ones will ye loue simplicitie c. If a man cal you fooles and simple persons you 'le be angry with him now God calls you so be angry with your selues be ashamed of your selues that God should stil call you simple scornful foolish because ignorant disobedient men Say now in thine owne heart how foolish how brutish haue I beene how like a beast nay how much worse thē a beast haue I liued The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but I haue not knowne or considered ought surely I haue not in mee the vnderstanding of man what folly and simplicitie is this in me to know any thing but what I should know God and his goodnesse my selfe and my dutie How many sermons haue I heard in vaine how often haue I discouraged my minister making him weepe and sigh in secret to see so little fruit of his ministerie Ignorant I was when he first came to the parish now after many yeares am ignorant still I see young men yea little Children can giue a better reason yea answer more soundly to points of Catechisme thē I can Think thus with thy selfe and then grow into resolution to take a new course begin to doe that which is never too late to be done to know God and which waies thou maist worship and obey him resolue to take all opportunities to spare as many houres as thou canst for the purchasing of this heavenly wisedome And least that here also thou shouldst plead ignorance that thou wouldst get knowledge if thou knewest which way hearken a little to some directions The meanes whereby knowledge will be gotten are these 1 Hearing the word of God preached this is the chiefe meanes wherevnto you must giue all diligent heede God hath appointed it for this end to the instruction of the ignorant and it goes accompanied with his speciall blessings to that purpose Wherefore sit not at home lie not a bed when thou shouldst be at Church Come and come often especially on the Lords day and in the weeke too when occasion serues spare an houre for a sermon as wel as two for a play or a feast idle chatting or doing nothing When thou comest to Church come with a mind to learne set thy selfe in good earnest to heede the Preacher marke what doctrine he delivers how he proues how he applies it Keepe the point he speakes of in thy memorie as he goes along and if thou be short witted helpe thy selfe with thy pen gaze not sleep not talke not thinke not of this and that businesse fixe thy eies vpon the Preacher and thy

scraping pinching and sparing will he be How most vnconscionably and vnmercifully will he oppresse exact cozen and deceiue all the world strangers acquaintance rich poore friends or foes Brother Father and all that may challenge faire and honest dealing If lust rule him he will damne his soule destroy his body disgrace his name ouerthrow his estate vndoe all his posterity for the loue of some base whore The like may be said of Pride Gluttony and Voluptuousnes or any such like swaggering lust Yea to goe farther the godly many times are here besotted who to satifie some one vnmasterly desire will hazard the peace and comfort of their soules disgrace themselues and their profession vexe the spirite and cast themselues vpon Gods sore displeasure So violent and tyrannicall are these commands of sinne and Satan and so base and servile are we growne in our obedience to them that we will not stick to do that which in the practise or event of it tends to our owne vtter vndoing Now who would not be ashamed of such a master and such a service Nay who is not ashamed of it But here is the power of darknesse and the invisible tyrannie of Sathan that whom wee hate yet we feare and serue of whom we are ashamed to him yet we shew our selues obedient Thus much touching a sinners subiection vnto the power of sinne Next follows his subiectiō vnto the punishment of it which is the sorest part of this bōdage which yet a sinner must surely beare He is in this respect of al slaues the most miserable for let him looke which way he will he can see nothing but scourges and Scorpions provided for his backe the whip the Crosse the forke aud such like punishments of slaues in old time are nothing to the torments he stands in feare of No sober houre passeth over a sinners head wherein his heart is not full of slavish and dreadfull terrors arising from a threefold cause 1 From Conscience the horrible clamors whereof terrifie his very soule and gripe him to the heart with vnsufferable panges while it stil cryes in his eare in this ruefull voice yet know that for this God shall bring thee to Iudgment oh this makes him quake and grow pale he is afraide to looke God or men in the face he shifts faine would if he could hide his sinnes from the knowledge of his Conscience and both from Gods eie 2 From Sathan who though he now seeme as his Master yet he knowes and trembles to thinke of it that hereafter he must be his everlasting tormentor 3 From God himselfe whose most furious wrath and vnavoideable vengeance he knows is prepared for him and readie every moment to swallow him for his rebellion Now who coulde eate his meate merrily that must pay such a shot What comforts of this life what pleasures of sin can be sweete which are every moment imbittered with so many woes It helpes not a iot that they be for a time deferred for he is no freeman who though he be not clapt vp in prison yet cannot walke abroad without feare of the Sargeant the prison the gallowes when the country is laide for him and executions out for him in every place Certainely it is a hell to liue in feare of hell and as bad as death to liue in bondage for feare thereof all the daies of a mans life Heb. 2. 13. Yet such is the miserable thraldome of a wicked man he is everie way in the bryers being on the one side fast chained to his sinnefull and vngodlie courses on the other as surely and certainelie bound to his everlasting punishment And so much for the first part of the nature of this spirituall bondage wherein it standeth 2 I goe forwarde to the next point which I proposed to your consideration viz. The diverse degrees of this bondage where you are to note that there are two kindes of it 1. wilfull 2 vnwilfull slaverie 1 Wilfull bondage is when a free mā is content to be made a slaue or being by force or fraud made one is willing to continue one still Such a one was Ahab who sold himselfe for a slaue to doe wickedly 1. King 21. 20. I will giue the worth of it said he to Naboth when he sought after his vine yard true he gaue the full worth of it that sold himselfe for a few acres of land Such are all those that commit sinne with greedinesse who take pleasure in all vnrighteousnesse who loue the wages of iniquitie who obey sinne in the lust thereof who take thought to fulfill the desires of the flesh with full consent and heartie good will giving vp themselues to be ruled by the counsels of Satan and their wicked hearts In which condition of a wretched sinner you may obserue two things remarkeable 1 How strangely base and degenerat mans nature is growne who being a most noble Creature made for the most honourable purposes and services in the world is now growne so vile and extreamly base so farre forgetfull of his duty and the dignity of his creation as to be willing insteed of the free and happy service of God and goodnes to put himselfe into a most ignominious slaverie vnto Divels and vile affections Naturally we all loue libertie choose rather the losse of life then of it and only violence fraude can bring vs or keepe vs in bondage But sinne hath prevailed with vs against nature and so taken off from vs the edge of all vertuous and manly resolution that of our owne accorde we offer our selues vnto it being put in fetters and manicles by our owne corruptions yea this slaverie men count their only liberty in somuch that when they be called vnto freedome haue their ransome offered them and all meanes of escape laid before them yet they choose to be slaues still 2 How Difficult a matter ti 's for a man to come out of this bondage surely he that loues the prison better then his enlargement its pitty there should be any meanes of his delivery and ti 's hazard if they be sought he wil not accept of them That servant who in the seventh yeere of his bondage did so loue his master that he would not goe out free he was by the law to serue his maister for ever afterwarde Exod. 21. 5. Hee that would not be free when he might should not afterwards when happily he would And so it is with the servants of sinne when once they beare a good affection to their Master and are so far bewitched as to hold themselues well apayd with his service Then are their eares nayled fast to the postes and gates of Hell or rather with Siser● a nayle is stricken through their temples and at one stroke they loose both life and liberty for ever So that vnlesse that strong man make a forecible rescue of them out of the hands of these tyrants they doe never escape from this miserable thraldome 2 Vnwilling bondage as when a