Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	death_n	sin_n	sin_v	6,726	5	9.1768	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15621	An A.B.C. for layemen, othervvise called, the lay-mans letters An alphabet for lay-men, deliuering vnto them such lessons as the holy Ghost teaches them in the worde, by thinges sensible, very necessary to be diligently considered.	Wither, George, 1540-1605.	1585 (1585)	STC 25888; ESTC S101869	82,014	180

Christ preached in the worde is the true Light which lightneth all that come into the worlde that are lightned The benefite that wee receiue by light setteth out the benefite of the knowledge of Christe And as they that loue it hide their doings in the dark it is a manifest token that their owne consciences beareth them witnesse that their doings bee naught So they that loue and choose rather ignoraunce then the knowledge of Christ It is a manifest token that they loath to see the filthinesse of theire owne workes Moreouer it is a manifest token of condemnation when they shut their eyes againste the trueth As Light endureth not alwayes but darknesse succeedeth so the times and means to get knowledge endureth not alwayes but wee are to vse them whilste God doth giue them Otherwise as he that goeth in the darke catcheth a shrewde turne afore he wotteth of it so he that walketh in ignoraunce runneth headlong to destruction when hee least thinketh of it Whosoeuer thinke that they beleeue in Christe and yet abide in their olde ignoraunce and care not for knowledge deceiue themselues The light that shineth vnto vs out of darknesse is the knowledge of the glory of God in Christe And those which are endued with this knowledge are nowe light in the Lord whatsoeuer they haue bene ought carefully to walk as is comely for the children of light For many things which whilste they were in darknes ignoraunce seemed not were not thought of them to be faults vices are discouered made manifest by y e light of knowlege and therfore to be diligently auoided and eschued of thē which willingly wilfully wil not continue in wickednes For it is a vain perswasion for mē to thinke that they haue fellowshippe with God who is light and in whom is no darknes and yet walk in darknes still Also they are fowly deceiued that think themselues to be in the light yet hate their brethren Lilly AS the lilly doth florish and spring in the feeld or garden so God doth make the penitent whose sinnes he forgiueth pardoneth to growe and ●lorish The lilly of the feeld whose beauty exceedeth the glory of the richest raiment that euer any king or potentate in the worlde ware declareth what God is able to doe for those that rest and repose themselues vpon his prouidence when ordinary means faile Lion GOd killeth vp them y t disobey the voice of his words by the cruelty of raging of lions So was the Prophet that prophecied against Ieroboams calfes for eating in Bethel contrary to the precept of the Lord destroyed and slaine by a lion So were the Samaritans newly planted by y e king of Ashur in the land of Israel for not fearing the Lord destroied by lions But God can shut vp the lions mouths make them calme and meeke to them which fear and serue him As lions rage and roare when they seeke after their pray so doe wicked men when they seeke to destroy them that feare God So fearfull as the roaring of a lion is so terrible is the wrath of a king And as the lion and lions whelps fiercely rageth on his pray so shall God on the enimies of his Church when he riseth vp to defend it Rauening lions expresse the nature of tyrants that make hauock of the people committed to them The lion caught in a net or pitfall expresseth the miserable estate of a king taken captiue and held in captiuity As a raging lion spoileth and deuoureth all that hee can catch or come by so the Lorde deuoureth and spoileth the wicked that fall from him and exerciseth all maner of cruelty vpon them As when y e lion roareth whosoeuer is within his danger can not choose but be afraid so when the Lord speaketh what prophet or preacher of his can holde his peace Leopard AS impossible as it is for a black-more to cast awaye his Skinne and to become White and for a Leoparde to put awaye his spottes So impossible it is for them that noosell themselues and accustome them selues continuallye with euill doing to chaunge their custome and to endeauour to doe well The swiftnesse of the Leopard is not comparable or equall to the pace of their horses whom God stirreth vp to plague the wickednes of them that that prouoke him to wrath or anger Leauen A little leauen hidden in a greate lumpe of Doughe by little and little leaueneth all which teacheth vs not to be amazed or astonished at the small and vnlikely beginnings of the gospell but patiently to waite and abide Gods leasure till the fruite and encrease thereof be made apparant And as sweete Dough is made sowre by a little leauen So is the sweetenesse and comfort of the doctrine of trueth corrupted if it be neuer so little entermedled with humane doctrine or mans traditions The like is to bee seene in our conuersation If the leauen of malitiousnesse and wickednesse remayne in vs. We must take heede therefore of suffering a little euill and fostering a fewe wicked personnes amongest vs. For it doth quickly corrupt much and many the beginnings therefore of wickednesse are to be refrained Life AS that is counted the life of men wherein they most delight and reioice So that is a good ministers life to see his flock stand fast in y e Lord. God gaue vnto his people stacutes and declared his iudgements vnto them which whosoeuer doth shall liue in them But this life all men lost death preuailed in all because all men sinned that is to say transgressed the law But God of his mere mercy fauor and goodnes hath giuen vs life eternal in Christ and when we were deade in sinne hath quickened and raised vs againe in Christ hath reuealed it to vs by the preaching of the Gospell to the ende that all that beleeue should not perish but be partakers of life euerlasting Man WHen we see any possession kept by strength force of armed men which cannot bee remooued but by greater strength force then also we are to remember that euē so we were kept by y e prince of this world whose possessiō we were and whose force could be by no means remoued but by the might of our God shewed in his sonne Christ that victorious lion of the tribe of Iudah by whome the prince of this world was cast out of dores When we see a man robbed or woundded or in any other kind of necessity then are we to remember that he is that mans neerest neighbour that dealeth moste neighbourlie by him giueth him most and best comfort how farre soeuer hee dwell from him or whatsoeuer enimity or strangenesse haue beene betweene them Mariage AS often as wee are present at any mariage and see man and wife coupled together in holy

or store-howses men keepe all manner thinges to serue their purposes so God keepeth in store weapōs of his wrath to reuenge him self vpon the wicked for the iniury and violence done to his Church Treasure that by some occasion hath bene long and closely hid It is a rare matter to find it which sheweth how few there be that vnderstand and know of the ritches of the kingdome of God And as the man that findeth the treasure can not iustly enioy the same except at his great charge he first straine him selfe to purchase the soile So heauenly riches cannot bee had but of them which if neede so require can be content to forgoe all their worldly wealth for it As great and ritch treasure is many times hid in an homely earthen vessell So it pleaseth God to put the precious knowledge of him selfe and his truth into pore weake and fraile men Vapour AS vapours appeare for a little while and afterward vanisheth quite out of sight So the life of man is quickly vanished and gone Vessell A vessell howe profitable soeuer it hath beene to the owner and how necessary for his turn yet when it is broken it is throwne awaye and regarded no longer which is a plaine image and an expresse forme of a man forsaken of those whose friend he hath beene so long as he was able to stand them in steede As in a great howse there be many vesselles of sundry sortes to diuers vses not only of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth some for honour some for dishonour so in the outward society of the Church there bee men of all sortes appointed for diuers endes wherefore we are diligently to looke about vs that we may bee vesselles apt and meete for the Lorde being prepared for euery good worke A vessell the weaker it is the more it is to be fauored and spared if we will haue it continue so a woman because of her infirmityes is much to be borne withall Vine AS a vine when the fences thereof are broken lieth open to the waste and is spoyled of euery beast of the feelde so the people and church of God when for their sinnes God seemeth for a time to withdraw his protection and defence is subiect to the iniuries violence of all sorts of the wicked A vine planted which neither for choise of good groūd neither for any other thing which the hand of the husbandman might do to it can iustly complaine of any want and yet deceiueth the husbandmans expectation and maketh him to loose both paine and cost expresse the vnkindnesse of people oft times who woulde be couuted for the people of God and whome God hath diligently called to the knowledge of himselfe by the preaching of the worde and yet proceede in impiety and vngodlines Of the shredings of the vine commeth no profit neither can they serue for any other vse but for y e fire so those whom God cutteth casteth of from his church can serue for none other end but for the hell fire A Vine representeth to vs Christe the braunches representeth Christians As branches can not bring foorth fruite except they abide in the Vine so Christians cannot bring foorth fruits of righteousnesse except they abide in Christ. The husbandman or dresser of the Vine representeth to vs God the father For as the vine-dresser cutteth of euerye braunche that bringeth not foorth fruite and letteth it wither and maketh a fire of it so God doth cut of fruitlesse Christians and throwe them into hel fire And as the vine-dresser doth purge the fruitfull braunches that they may bring foorth more fruite so God by diuers meanes doth purify and clense his children that they may be the more fruitfull Virgin CHriste by the parable of the fiue wise and of the fiue foolish Virgins teacheth vs how profitable and good it is for vs if we watch and bee prepared against his comming againe in glory And again how dangerous it is if we be a sleepe and vnprepared at his comming Viniger VIniger is as bad and hurtfull to the Teeth as smoake is to the eyes and yet more hurtfull then eyther of both is a slouthfull seruant to him y t sendeth or setteth him about any busines Viper AS Vipers broode destroyeth them that breede them So generally the children of them that murthered the prophetes and shewed cruelty to the saints of God fulfill the measure of their fathers and are vnmercifully bent against al those that seeke their life and saluation Wages WHen men receiue the wages which they earne then let them take heede least they earne at Gods hand by sinning for the wages of sinne is death Way AS oft as wee walke in the high wayes and common pathes we shoulde call to God to direct vs in his ways and to guid vs in his paths for the way of the wicked is as daungerous to walk in as an exceeding slipperye way to them that walk in the dark Yet it is very broade and well beaten meruailous many tread it though it lead to destruction As oft as we walke to a place whether leadeth no more wayes but one we shold remember that Christ is the onely way to heauen and that no man can come to the Father but by him VVall. A Wall when it beginneth to bowe or is shaken will shortly fall euen so ruinous is the seate of the wicked howsoeuer it seemeth to be A whited or painted Wall the brauery whereof serueth for no profite but for a meere shewe seteth foorth the profite that commeth to the common wealth by those iudges which sitting in place of Iustice doe wrong to men contrary to the lawes VVaights TO buy by an heauier waight to sell by a lighter is abhominable in the eyes and sight of God VVaste AS soile that hath lyen long waste by good husbandrye is rid and often broughte to flowrish with corne or grasse so the Churche of God after long persecution Is by the power and goodnesse of God brought againe to a flourishing estate Warre CIuill dessension and warre is commonly by Gods iust iudgement sent into those landes for their sinnes which he wil afterward destroy and bring to desolation in short time The roote and welspring of all contentions warres grow from our corrupt lusts and affections that fight and striue in our members Upon stubborn trāsgressors of Gods law God will sende a sword to auenge the quarell of his couenaunt And when they flye into their City he will send pestilence among them and they shall bee deliuered into the hande of their enimy In warre peace is to be offered and to bee perfourmed to them which peaceably yeelde themselues and are content to become Tributaries If we be of great skill in warlike affayres we are to blesse God who teacheth our handes to fight and our

abroad their filth But God ruleth the raging of the sea and stilleth the waues thereof Whereby wee vnderstande his great power and might and that there is none in ability like him Sedition FEare the Lord and the king and meddle not with them that are seditious for theire destruction shall rise sodainly and who knoweth the ruine of them Sepulchres SEpulchres and Tombs which are costly builte and richly adorned and haue nothing within them but a stinking Carkas and rotten boanes doe aptly represent the notable goodly outward shewes which hipocrites make their hearts being full of all wickednesse and corruption Seedes AS the seed once sowed wheresoeuer it pleaseth God to grant his blessing vnto it whither the sower sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer hee doeth and howsoeuer hee is occupied groweth encreaseth till it come to maturity and ripenes so y e worde by the minister of God being scattered wher God worketh withal by his holy spirit there it bringeth a greate meruailous an vnlooked for encrease As a number of things shold yeerely decay come to naught except seedes of them were saued whereof they are by sowing renued so the people that beare Gods name vppon earth shoulde in the day of visitation of their sinnes be cleane and vtterly destroied as Sodom and Gomorah but that God spareth some remnant to be as it were a seed for the encreasing of his Church and people againe Seedes y t are sowed except they corrupt grow not again so our bodies except they cōsume rise not again And as the same seede in substance that is sown springeth again yet altered in forme and fashion euen so our bodies shall rise againe the same in substance but meruellously altered in qualities so our bodies except they consume rise not againe yet altered in form fashion euen so our bodies shall rise again the same in substance but meruellously altered in quality Such as the seede is such is the life of y e which proceedeth from it As therfore of mortall corrupt seed men are first borne to this mortall and corruptible life so must wee of the immortall incorruptible seede of the word be borne againe to a life immortall and incorruptible if we will liue euer Serpent THe sight of a serpent shoulde bring to minde the subtilty malice of the diuell whereby he deceiued and seduced oure first father Adam and induced him to transgression and disobedience and also it should make vs the more heedful and carefull to espy his crafts to withstand his malice seeing that we are eazlier nowe to bee ouerthrowne by reason of our corruption then Adam was afore his fall We also that are ministers shoulde also thereby learne to be wise considering the manifolde daungers which are incident to our calling Seruaunts THe diligence of our man-seruants and maide seruaunts in attending vppon vs and doing their duties vpon hope of finding help friendship at our handes is a good lesson as well to teach vs howe diligently we ought to be in pleasing God and also how well content we shoulde be to tarry his leasure for those graces mercies which we look for at his hand A wise seruant is a great pleasure to his Lord master but a lewd seruant always prouoketh him whome he serueth to anger A discreet seruant is better then a lewd sonne shal deuide the heritage amongst y e brethren As impossible as it is at one and the same time for one man to serue two diuers sundrye masters for y t he cannot be diligēt imploy him self about vpon the busines of the one but hee must needs neglect the others affairs so impossible is it for man to addict him self to God ritches When we see our seruants at our beck and commandement and diligent to do those things which we appoint them then we should remēber by how better right equity wee all creatures shoulde redilye obey the voice of God our creator and of Christ our redeemer If thy calling be to be a seruant care not but if thou maist bee free vse it rather For he that is called in the Lorde to bee a Seruant is the Lordes Free-man But learne that the propertye of a good Seruaunt is to giue all reuerence to his master obeying him in all thinges and that in singlenesse of heart and in the feare of the Lorde endeuouring alwayes to please him yea though he be froward executing the trust that is committed vnto him aswell in his masters absence as in his presence If a liberall good and bountifull master to his seruauntes can not but bee very angry and much offended if any of them deale cruelly with their fellows how much more iustly shall God withdrawe his mercy from them that deale vnmercifully with them that liue amongst them If men be bountifull vnto such seruants whose faithfulnesse diligence they haue good trial of as wel in their absence as presence on y e contrary side angry seuere sharp to them which deceiue their expectation do not answere the trust which is reposed in them how much more iustly shall God put the like difference in rewarding or punishing the good endeuours or negligence of them to whome he hath committed seruices of trust in his people and Churche As men haue iust cause with more sharpnesse and greater seuerity to punish those seruauntes to whome they haue shewed theire minde and will and yet their businesse is neglected then others who therefore doe it not because they knowe it not So GOD to whome soeuer hee hath reuealed moste and vppon whome he hath bestowed moste greatest giftes of knowledge them if notwithstanding they bee negligent in vsing their gifts to the profite of Gods Church will he most seuerely and sharply aboue all other punish Seruauntes be they neuer so diligent in executing that which is committed vnto them yet cannot iustly vaunt themselues that they haue done any more then bounden duety So we then when wee haue trauailed as much as for vs is possible yet are to confesse our selues vnprofitable seruauntes It is an olde saying Seruice is no heritage Therefore when we see seruaunts when they haue serued a time chaunge their masters and are eyther masterlesse or serue others then let vs remember that so vnstable and vncertaine is our condition in the Churche of GOD except wee haue the spirite of freedome namely the spirite of adoption of children and so by Christe and in Christe be truely made free Men are their seruauntes to whose commaundementes they yeelde all obedience Therefore if wee obey sinne wee are the seruauntes of sinne and our wages is death But if we obey God then are wee the seruauntes of obedience to righteousnesse and our ende is euerlasting life For the moste part some priuate respect of commodity and the seruice