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
A42366	A sermon preach'd at St. Michael Crooked-Lane September the 8th. 1700 Upon occasion of the death of His Illustrious Highness the Duke of Gloucester· By James Gardiner, M.A. rector of the said parish.	Gardiner, James, 1637-1705.	1700 (1700)	Wing G227A; ESTC R202270	13,434	29

last than to turn a Beggar out of his House of Hurdles WHAT Ground there is for that Observation The Life of Man is short of Kings shorter of Popes shortest whether it be because they are subject to Envy and a Rival-ambition or because they that stand high are prone to be giddy headed and consequently are aptest to catch a Fall I list not now to enquire certain it is since they are part of Adam's sinful Progeny that die they must their strength is not the strength of Stones which yet the very drops of Water wear out nor their Sinews of Brass or Iron which yet the Rust and Canker consumes DEATH like Caesar Taxes the Whole World and his Mortal Sythe Mows down the Lilies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the Field The Mighty of the Earth have no more Dominion over it then the British King Canutus of Kent had against the Seas incroaching upon his Throne Those who have a just Power of Life and Death as to their Subjests have none over their own to prolong their Lives or protract their Deaths one moment Nay couldst thou by thy Power and Policy exalt thy Throne above all the Thrones of all the Kings upon the Face of the Whole Earth and proclaim thy self Vniversal Lord and Monarch and send Yokes by thine Embassadours to all the Princes and States of the Universe Yet the Time will come and will not tarry when the Grandees and Potentates of the World who have gone down into the Dominions of Death and Darkness before thee may take up this Proverb against thee and say Art Thou also become weak as we Art thou also become vanity like unto us The Globe at One end of the Library and the Skeleton at the Other was a pretty Emblem of what we are now Discoursing and may signifie thus much that supposing a Man Master of the Whole Ball yet his Spirit shall be taken from Him that He may be dissolved and become Earth ‖ Tobit 3.6 Diogenes is brought in by Witty Lucian as Jearing the Ghost of Alexander after Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is Alexander Dead as well as Diogenes Alexander had then learnt that he was not Immortal and co'd say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's no wonder I am Dead since at best I was but a Man WHATEVER course God gives to our Fortune Nature will certainly maintain and keep hers and make the Pulse beat alike in Men of High degree and those that are obscure and will inflame both alike with Fevers and chill both alike with Rheums and finally close the Eyes of both alike by Death which draws the Curtain of the Stage and then the Comedy of Fartune is at an End Nature which brought them forth Naked takes them in more naked then she brought them forth Stripping the Soul off the Body and the very Flesh off the Bones Death divesteth all the Actors of this Play of Life of the False Properties of Fortune and then Who can say This is the Noble and that the Ignoble Dust for in Death there is neither Small nor Great neither Male nor Female neither Bond nor Free the Greatest shall lye as low as the Meanest every One there shall be but as his Neighbour and as his Brother in the Flesh BUT for the further Illustration of this Great Truth That no Period of Life no State or Quality is secure a Moment from the Arrest of Death that all our Destinies are hurstled in the same Urn and sooner or later we shall be all carried into Eternal Exile let us turn to and ruminate a little upon these following Texts for thus it is Written * Heb. 9.27 It 's appointed for ALL Men Once to Die No Priviledge no Immunity from the Grave It 's a Statue-Law that hath been in Force in all Ages and will be so to the End of Time The Decree is irresistable and you may pretend as soon to obstruct the Course of Nature or hinder God's Covenant of Day and Night as to preserve Men of what Names or Titles soever Dignify'd or Distinguish'd from going to the Place appointed for all Living This is called in another place † Josh 23.14 the Way of all the Earth Some walk indeed on the Golden Sands others in Dirt and Mire but the same Vncontroulable Necessity involues all and whatsoever the Way be Plea ant or Troublesome yet every One passeth in it with equal steps measur'd by the same invariable Spaces of Hours and Days and arrive at the same common End of Life Again * Rom. 5.12 DEATH passeth upon ALL Men for that ALL have Sinned Whatever it is that makes Men Great makes them not more then Men nor less then Sinners and the Work and Wages are inseperable for the Wages of Sin is Death Nay Death found a Passage where Sin had made none even the most Holy Jesus was Dead and Buried Again † Isa 40.6 7 8. ALL Flesh is Grass and the Goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field the Grass withers the Flower fadeth But is this a Truth so Universal that it admitts of no Exception Are not the Princes and Herves of the World exempted Have not They something in them that may be a Preservative from the insults at least of this Tyrant Death Something that They may upon Occasion plead against the Common Fate The Prophet seems to agree to this and therefore makes some difference betwixt the Great and the Person of Low Estate But what is it No other then what is between Green Grass and a Flower which tho' more Beautiful and taking to the Eye and pleasing to the Sense is every whit as subject to be trod under foot as the Grass and as they grow together in the same Field are equally liable to be cut down by the Edge of the same Sythe Nay say they escape the Browsing Mouth of the Beast the Pruning Knife the Plucking Hand and the Nipping Air yet are they still perishing still fading and will wither away of themselves Again * Psal 39.5 VERILY Every Man at his best Estate is altogether Vanity Every Word strangely Emphatical In the Original it runs Every Man is every Vanity Imagine what Vanity you will Man is that This is the true perfect Mapp of the Little World Man drawn and Colour'd by the Pen of the Royal Prophet as his Hand was guided by the Holy Ghost Behold I shew you a Mystery The Lesser World Man is more comprehensive of Vanity than the greater Again † Psal 89.48 WHAT Man is He that Liveth and shall not see Death Shall He deliver his Soul from the Hand of the Grave Selah The meaning is No Man can escape it Which is the reason that the Assertion is not left bare and naked but fixed with a Selah to assure the Truth of it or so to engage our Attention as not to pass it by till we have given it a Serious and a feeling Thought Upon which account

us not only that there are the Abjects † Ps 35.15 the Lowest of the People * 1 Kings 12.31 Children of base Men viler then the Earth † Job 30.8 and on the other side that there are the Mighty of the Land * 2 Kings 24.15 the Honourable Person † Isa 9.15 Men of high Degree * 1 Chr. 17.13 the Shields of the Earth ‖ Ps 47.9 So Great that they are called Mountains of Israel † Ezek. 36.1 and so high that their Height is like the Height of Cedars * Amos 2.9 And brand them for Hereticks who speak Evil of Dignities ‖ Jude 8. or Blaspheme Glories as the Greek Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie But moreover they declare unto us how that these Distinctions are Instituted by God By Me Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice by me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth † Prov. 8.15 16. Again Let every Soul be Subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are Ordain'd of God * Rom. 13.1 If there were not a Distin guishing Dignity to be ascribed to Persons of Sublime Place but all Men must be alike and brought down to a Par Why is Joseph called the Second Man in the Kingdom Joseph of Arimathea an Honourable Councellour Festus spoken of by the way of Noble And the dear Jesus himself compar'd to a Nobleman WAS there ever any Nation heard of that allow'd not Degrees and Terms of Distance That cannot give most clear Images and Impressions of them to very good Advantage AND well it is for the Children of Men that Providence hath so order'd it since it is impossible in the Nature of the Thing that any Civil Society should subsist or Nation support it self where there is neither Government nor Order neither Managery Guidance nor Superiority And therefore They that would thus Democratically argue and turn the World into a Dividend are pernicious Neighbours wherever they are and this Determination is both Just and plain upon them viz. That He that cannot be content to have less or be less then another is altogether unfit not only to be as Great or to injoy as much as another but to be or to have any thing at all LET none therefore dare to wrest from you your Titles ye Men of Honour or the Distinctions of your Qualities ye Men of Renown maintain your Crests and your Rights for ye are Cedars and not the vile Crabstock nor the Brier and Thorn which cannot be taken with Hands but the Man that will touch them must be fenced with Iron and the Staff of a Spear 1. ONELY thus much may be insinuated we humbly presume that this Priviledge ought to teach the Nobleman Gratitude to say with Jacob I am less then the least of all thy Mercies with David Who am I O Lord and what is my Father's House that thou hast brought me hitherto A Cedar you are you say Look to the Rock our of which you were hewn and let the Praises of God be ever in your Mouth that hath caused your Lott to fall in such a good Place be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name for Waters of a full Cup for Silver Wings and Feathers of Gold for riding upon the high Places of the Earth Ascribe you Greatness to the Lord who hath set you among Princes and made you to Inherit the Throne of Glory If a Poor Man ought to bring a Turtle and Two young Pigeons the Great and Mighty cannot any way be excused under an Whole Burnt Offering an Heacatomb the Altar should Flame with Sacrifices to that God who hath made Him thus to differ 2. AGAIN thus much without Offence may be said that it ought to be Pious Greatness As Cedars they ought to be Trees of Righteousness * Isa 61.3 and full of Sap † Psal 104.16 They are called Fools to their Faces that have a Price in their Hands and yet will not permit Religious Practise to correspond with Ability How is God Almighty offended when He had planted a Noble Vine and it turned into a degenerate Plant It was dismal when Jeremy * Isa 61.3 went unto the Great Men thinking that they had known the Way of the Lord and the Judgments of their God and yet these altogether had broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds in sunder Bring unto the Lord O ye Sons of the Mighty Be ye Presidents of Religion let who will be Neglictive of their Duty For such Personages to degenerate is a Reproach and a shame not to be forgotten tho' They were born of a better Father then ever was Jupiter to use the Words of Menander 3. LASTLY Thus much from the Premises may be Suggested without offending against the Rules of Decency viz. That they ought to be as really servisable as their Order and Rank in the World bespeaks and justly demands That they be of a ductile Temper benign and placid in their Expressions the Cedar you know is not rough and knotty but smooth and pleasant sweet and obliging in deportment not swell'd with Conceit not strutting and looking down with Contempt upon the Creation but free and easie to be intreated making use of the soft still Voice like Great Moses who was the Meekest Man upon Earth and Mordecai who spake Peace to all his Seed Not Humoursome or supercilious not designing or reserved for themselves but useful as Cedars for the building of the Common-wealth not keeping their Timber within it's own Bark but ready and willing to have Pieces quarter'd out of it to rear up Structures of Honour to a Kingdom and to Repair the Breaches and the Old wast Places of their Native Soyl. If a Man's Country be like another God as Hierocles said then should a Man the Man of Splendour and Capacity especially be ever Sacrificing to this Numen always contriving how to be serviceable in his Circle before that Time comes when he shall be laid aside as Vseless amongst the other Rubbish of the World for Die he must as well as others Which naturally leads me to the consideration of the Second Proposition viz. 2. THAT Great Men must fall by the Stroak of Death and retire into their Graves as well as others The Loftiest Cedars in Lebanon and the Goodliest Oakes in Bashan must down as sure as the Sycamors in the Valley or Willows by the Water-brooks This Truth that God accepts not the Persons of Princes nor regards the Rich more then the Poor is Written indelebly in their very Dust and the One must be content to mingle Ashes with the Other It is to their Persons as it is to their Habitations Destruction takes hold upon Castles and Abbies as well as the Mud wall and Thatch of the Cottager Neither is it any more trouble for Death to pull the strongest Prince out of his Palace and that it will come to at