Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	darkness_n	death_n	shadow_n	3,756	5	10.1492	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90885	A sermon preached in the Colledge Church of St. Katharin's, Februaey [sic] the 13th 1698. / By Josia Povey, Brother and Minister there.	Povey, Josia.	1698 (1698)	Wing P3041; ESTC R181978	14,064	32

sorrow to the Grave this made Hecubà and others Bark with the Inhabitants of the Kennel Howl amongst the Tombs and sail to their Sepulchres in a Sea of tears I might instance a thousand more calamities incident to the life of man so that were it not for the Expectations of another life man would be the most miserable of Animals in this It was an apt Expression of the Philosopher upbraiding one that desired long life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alass ther 's no object so deplorable as a Gray Head and an Unsanctified Heart but the Hoary Scalp is a Crown of Glory and only to be desired by such as excel in Piety Such aspiring Spirits were not given us to be tyed ever to a Perishing Body Nor can we think it worth the while that the maker of the Universe shou'd Create a Soul and send it down into the Body or World on purpose to superintend these trivial affairs to keep alive a silly piece of Earth whilst it Eats and Drinks to move it too and fro in chase of Shadows and to hold it up while others bow the Knee and do it Homage No our Creator has put us into this world in order to our Translation to a better we are not always to live among Mire and be tyed to a Perishrng body we come into this World not to take up our aboad and rest this life is only to Exercise our virtues and qualify us for the world to come we live not so much to Enjoy it as to Conquer it's Temptations and dispise it's flatteries and if we live long enough to do this we may thank God for what Labouring man wou'd not willingly be at rest what Mariner is not glad that he hath weathered all Storms and steer'd to his desired Haven where his soul shall Enjoy Divine pleasure to big to be describ'd When Craesus ask'd Solon who he thought happy he told him one Tellus a man that was dead for tho death breaks the Vnion between the Body and Soul yet it cannot break that Vnion between the Soul and Christ if undefil'd then why should we think a Temporary Life such a Felicity then why shou'd it trouble us to leave men to live with Christ and Angels why shou'd we be so unwilling to leave this body of dust where we shall sin no more be sick no more and troubled no more but pass from death to life from a vally of tears to Eternal joys then why should we not with Scipio desire to be dissolved when we hear of Immortality and Glory undoubtedly death to him that is undefil'd in the way is only as a passage through a dark entry into a Glorious Pallace a putting of these Rags of the flesh and a puting on the Robes of Righteousness a laying down a Sheep-hook and a taking up a Scepter a laying down a Crown of Thorns which Prick Torture and Torment us and a putting on a Crown of Glory which will for ever Comfort and Delight us Lastly A concurrence and combination of all these cannot make so much as one man Happy the Heathen Philosopher in search found a conveniency but no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-sufficiency for if one man had all the Excellency and Power all the Highest and Greatest Treasures and Glory under the Sun had he all the Bodily perfections which are distributed amongst the numerous Train of mankind and all conspired together to make this one man happy he wou'd infinitly come short of his Design And this miserable one Person at last would wofully Experiment that all these Glittering and Guilded Representations with which this flattering World had dazled and deceived his Eyes were but like Painted Sepulchres glorious and gay without but within fill'd with Rottenness Darkness Horror and Death or like Egyptian Temples with a Specious outside but Inhabited with Crocodiles and Dragons instead of Gods I say had one man all the Ethics of Aristotle all the Morality of Seneca all the Learning at Athens had he all the cuning and trickes of Achitophel the strength of Goliah the Treasures of Nebuchadnezar the Honour of Haman the Beauty of Absolon Nay had he the knowledg of the Scribes and the Devotion of the Pharises he would at last discover himself to be a stranger to true Felicity and utterly unacquainted with the blest condition and that on these following accounts At the Fall of our First Parents the Earth was Curst so cannot yeild to Man any true Comfort It must now bring forth Thorns and Bryers that is Cares and Troubles and so it s a Delusion to expect a second Paradice here or to hope for true Happiness any where but in Heaven because all here is mutable and we Mortal Wordly comforts are transient and vanishing they cannot extend themselves to Eternity and thus they want the very life and accomplishment of true Tranquillity here we cannot write for ever on our Riches here we cannot write for ever on our Honours or Pleasures there will be a period put to all Humane Glory all our Riches Pomp and Grandeur must abandon us at the Frontiers of the Grave six Foot and a Shrowd then will serve Indeed were it in our power to Procrastinate our days could we strike off the nimble Chariot Wheels of time and with Joshua Bid the Sun stand still could we Lengthen out our days to some thousands of years and those to be imployed in the most Entire and Choicest of Worldly Fruitions without interruption or decay it would seem a little more plausable to place our Hapiness here But alafs who is there Ignorant of this said Truth that the Life of Man is but a Span Long Are not my days few saith Job I go where I shall not return even into the Land of Darkness and shadow of Death and none knows but the next breath he draws to cool and fresh his Lungs may be that Gale of wind to waft him on the Coasts of Eternity For when God is but Angry all our days are gon Man is sick and dies Man perishes and where is he to day hee s set up and to morrow he shall not be found for he is turn'd into dust and his purpose Perisheth and his pomp terminateth in a neglected Grave and in a few Months after the Mourners have gone about the Streets and the Solemnity of his Funeral is over is forgotten as if he had never been and if so why should a thinking Man place his Happiness here Why should an Eternal Spirit Address a Vapour Why should an Immortal Soul court a Phantom since the Spirit of Man cannot delight in any thing that 's Terrestial here indeed are Diversions that please and tickle the Senses but cannot give the least Delectation to the Soul nor any wise satisfie the Capacity of a Mans heart for if a Man could give Silver as Stones and Caedars as the Wild Figtrees that grow abundantly on the Plains could he provide Men Singers and Women Singers and be croun'd with the