Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	body_n	natural_a	sow_v	2,624	5	11.4108	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13179	Disce mori. = Learne to die A religious discourse, moouing euery Christian man to enter into a serious remerbrance of his ende. Wherein also is contained the meane and manner of disposing himselfe to God, before, and at the time of his departure. In the whole, somewhat happily may be abserued, necessary to be thought vpon, while we are aliue, and when we are dying, to aduise our selues and others.	Sutton, Christopher, 1565?-1629.	1600 (1600)	STC 23474; ESTC S103244	111,652	401

weakenesse and we beginne to shrinke from it but hauing confidence in God who hath willed vs not to feare we finde it a meane to ●iuide the waters of many tribulations to make vs a passage from the wildernesse of this world vnto a better land of rest T is strange we should make so nice of our selues as to count it a death to meditate of Death Nay to esteeme the very remembrance thereof as Ahab did the presents of the Prophet Elias to be troublesome vnto vs. Whereas Death is so farre from hurting them who put their trust in God as they shall rather finde it a gentle guide to bring them home to their owne Cittie where they would be to remaine for euer That which wee call life is a kinde of death because it makes vs to die but that which we count death is in the sequcle a very life for that indeede it makes vs to liue There is a death which some call mortall sinne and this is the death of the Soule which death wee should all feare There is also a moderate feare of the other death which is profitable to withdraw vs from the allurements of euill But so to feare it as if it were the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of all our beeing we neede not wee ought not When the Apostle S. Paule spake of the vnconqu●rarable faith which was his stay and the stay of all them whose hope was in Christ Wee saith the Apostle know that if this earthly house of our Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building not made with handes but giuen of God eternall in the Heauens As if he would tell the persecutors of his time that miseries for a moment could not dis●●ay them the perishing of the outward man could not daunt them nor present death could discourage them for they knew their habitation was in ●eauen and themselues incorporated Cittizens into that Ierusalem which is aboue A heathen man could say Degeneres animos timor arguit this ●biect feare is farre dissident from a generous ofspring Salomon saith The iust is as a Lion of whome the Naturalist writeth that hee is of such courage as beeing fiercely pursued he will neuer once alter his gate though he die for it With what constancy aunswered the second of those seauen brethren who all yeelded vp manfully themselues to torment for the mainetenance of the Law of God Thou O King takest these our liues from vs but the King of Heauen shall raise vs vp in the resurrection of euerlasting life The Philosopher might say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of thinges terrible none more then Death But it is otherwise with Christians Tertullian told the persecutors of his time that their cruelty did but open a doore to Gods distressed people whereby they might enter the sooner into a state of glory and therefore death was very acceptable to them Why should I feare saith the Prophet in the euil day As if Dauid saw no cause of dreading death howsoeuer nature may begin to tremble at the mention thereof Hila●ion could not but wonder his soule should be so loath to depart after hee had serued God and God him so many yeares Consider death as in it selfe and so naturally we seare it Consider death as a meane to bring vs vnto Christ willingly we may embrace it When Iacob saw the chariots of Egipt and thereby perceiued his sonne Ioseph was aliue his fainting spirites reuiued saying I will goe see him before I die When faith dooth bring vs many testimonies our Ioseph liueth the Christian soule may recomfort her selfe in her panges and say Mori●r vt vido●● In the name of God to see him let me die Now for these corruptible bodies they take no dammage at all by death T is no harme to the seede though it hath for the time a little earth raked ouer it it shall spring againe and flourish and bring foorth fruite in due season No hurt is it to these our bodies to be cast into the grounde beeing sowen in wealienesse they shall rise againe in power being sowen naturall bodies they rise againe bodies spirituall being sowne in dishonor they rise againe in glory The keeping greene of Noahs Oliue troo vnder the floud The budding againe of Aarons rod The deliuerance of Ionas from the depth of the Sea The voice that calleth come againe ye children of men The hope of Iob that he should see God with no other but with the selfe same eyes The Prophesie of Ezechiell vnto the dry bones that should come os ad os bone to bone may stirre in vs a ioyfull hope and cheere vs vp against all the feare and terror of death But the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ that is the comfort of all coinforts Vox Christi vox Christianorum The voice of Christ is by Christ the doyce of Christians saith S. Austen Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory As he was the cause efficient so was he also a figure of the Resurrection Hee risinge wee all arise Of a more powerfull cause there is a more powerfull effect If the sinne of Adam who was a liuing soule was the cause that death raigned ouer all much more the resurrection of Christ who was a quickening spirite shal be of power to raise vp all that beleeue to the hope of euerlasting life What greater ioy then to be able to know him as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the power of this resurrection Christ as in dying shewed what we should suffer so in risinge from death what we should hope To wit that all the bones in Golgatha shall rise and those that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall heare the voice of Lazarus come foorth Wherefore though Death doe swallow vs vp as the Whale did Ionas bind vs as the Philistines did Sampson yet wee shall come foorth and breake the bendes as the birde out of the snare The snare is broken and we are deliuered They may well feare death saith S. Cyprian that haue no saith in Christ but for those who are members of that head who vanquished the power of Hell and Death Death is to them aduantage and a gentle guide that bringes them home to euerlasting rest Hence is it that dying they are said since Christes resurrection to fall asleepe They that sleepe in Iesus saith the Apostle they lay them downe and take their rest and God it is that makes them dwell in euerlasting safety We should not then feare to fall a sleepe for sleepe is a refreshinge after wearysome labours The painefull labouring man after his dayes worke ended sleepes often more quietly then Diue● in his marble pallace on his bed of Iuory where hee tosseth and tumbleth hee sleepes not quietly either in life or death and of such is that verified O mors quam amara O death how bitter is thy remembrance Hauing wearied

a more short riddance from these bodily in●rn●ities the suddainenesse with Gods helpe is no pre●●dice vnto his future good that liues euer prepared for the day of his departure and they are not ouertaken with death how suddain●ly soeuer they are gone that dayly mind the tune of their dissolution Wee may remember that if wee respecte our estate and condi●ion of life we are all at one and the selfe same stay Considera saith S. Bernard non qualis sis sed qualis fueris consider not so much what thou art as what thou shalt be What is become of all Adams posterity for these many hundred yeares passed excepting a remnant that must shortly follow after are they not all gone Moyses mentioning the age of those who liued before the floud when as yet the dayes of man were of more continuance then they are saith All the dayes of Seth were nine hundreth and twelue yeares and hee died All the dayes of Iered were nine hundreth sixty and two yeares and he died All the dayes of Methushelah were nine hundreth sixty and nine yeares and hee died that same mortuus est and he died will yere long bee the clause appliable to vs all In the meane season we reade the Epitaphes of others follow the Funeralles of some deere friends we see many as those on whom the Tower in Siloa fell gone in a moment warninges sufficient if warninges will serue to make vs liue prepared for our ende Carelesse men saith one are not vnlike dissolute seruitors in princes courts who hauing their allowance of lights spend them out in riot and so at last are faine to go to bed darkling prouident Christians haue a foresight to thinke of the time to come consider this transitorie estate will haue an end and therefore prepare for an other world where they may haue a stay or perpetuity of rest Now then to bee euer in a readinesse for the giuing vp our acc●unt to God to liue prepared for the day of death the vncertaintie of life the waightinesse of the charge may iustly moue vs all to bee carefull indeed Howe much therfore it concerneth vs in time of health to prouide for another world euery one doth see we haue not two souls that wee may hazard one God willed his people vpon their passage out of Egypt to haue their loines girt their staues in their handes their shooes on their feete that there might be no let when the time of their deliuery should come wee know not how soone God will sende vs from this Egypt Iesus Christ graunt we may keepe our Pasouers with soules prepared to bee gone Who so feareth the Lord saith the Wise man it shall go well with him at the last and hee shall find fauour in the day of his death The Tenth Chapter Wherein is shewed the maner of preparing or the state and condition of life wherein the christian man should stand prepared for death THe meane then to die the death of y● righteous is firll to liue the life of the righteous The meane to sit with Abraham is here to walke with Abraham for God hath appointed a vertuous life to go in order before the great reward of eternall life not as the cause but as the consequent of our blessed righteousnesse in Christ our Sauiour What remameth but to frame the premises as we would fine the conclusion To sow as we would one day reape for those that will lie soft must make their bed thereafter and to liue the life wee hope to liue is in a generalitie here to liue religiously The old Christians made the worlde to reade in their liues that they did beleeue in their hearts and Heathen men to say this is a good God whose seruants are so good Therefore then this godly and holy conuersation of life what better state for a Christian man to stand in euer prepared sor his end Was not that a memorable protestation of Samuel when before his death in the presence of all the people he declared as thus his integritie of life Behold here I am beare recorde of me before the Lord and his anointed As if he should haue said giue me my qui●t●s est at parting whose oxe h●u I taken to whom haue I done wrong The peoples replie in effect was now God be with thee good Samuel to whō thou art going and so with mournfull heartes they gaue him this testimonie at parting That of Saint Paul when hee tooke his farewell of the men of Ephesus who wept abundantly for the words he spake being chiefly sorie they should see his face no more I take you to recorde this day I am pure from the blood of al men I haue couered no mans siluer or gold After so good a life was not this a good farewell That of Simeon a iust man one that ●eared God and waited for the consolation of Israel who imbracing Christ prayed to depart in peace O good life saieth an ancient father what a ioy art thou in time of distres It made the some father neither ashamed to liue any longer because hee had liued honestly nor afraid to die because he had a good Lord. Plutarch writeth of Pericles that he neuer caused man to weare sorrowfull attire he was so harmlesse And of Lysander that hee was more honoured after his death then euer he had beene in all his life hee was so vertuous But the Wise man speaking of the seruants of God who passed through the darkenesse of this world with lamps in their liues which did both light themselues and others The righteous saith he are had in a perpetuall remembrance their bodies are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore For such is the power of vertue as it makes men not onely honoured when they are aliue but also when they are dead and it is wont to take them out of their graues and cause them to liue in the mention of long posteritie hauing their names registred and inrolled with the Saints of heauen These stood euermore vpon their departure hauing that heauenly treasure of a good conscience hauing peace and tranquilitie of mind When the euill are tossed saith the Prophet Esai as the raging waxes of the sea their name perisheth saith the Wise man as if they neuer had beene Thus the innocent life like the watchfull seruant openeth the doore gladly when his maister knocketh but the riotous seeketh corners being ashamed to be seene the one is quit by a ioyfull proclamation the other found guiltie at the barre of his own conscience He that will say with the Apostle Mors mihi lucrum Death is to mee aduauntage must liue with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omni bona conscientia with all good conscience Thus much ingenerall of preparing our selues for the time of our dissolution in particular to come nearer home the applying of himselfe to Faith Hope and Charitie is that

and blessed Eucharist which is called of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a most necessarie prouision for out spiritual voyage O blessed mysterie which amongst other high and heauenly effectes is a meane to strengthen vs in this great iourney and comfort vs towardes the ende of the way Thus setting our selues in order wee may accept of the time whensoeuer it shall please God that broughts vs into the worlde to take vs from this our continuance in the same The condition of life wherein we may stand prepared requires our Christian practise the happinesse of this condition wee shall finde when wee come vnto the state of all happinesse The eleuenth Chapter How the Christian man shoulde demeane himselfe when sicknes beginneth to grow vpon him THe first and principall thing religiously to bee remēbred in the beginning of sicknes is that the soule do cal her selfe to a serious account of sins passed of the euill committed and the good omitted remembring that of the Prophet Dixi quod confitebor aduersum me iniustitiam meam I said I will confesse against my selfe my owne vnrighteousnes Therefore by an auncient decree the sicke was enioyned before sending for the Phisition to make first a contrite confession and humble acknowledgement of his sinnes as if our sinnes were as they often are the cause of our sicknesse and surely this decree was very respectiuely had in vse For God doth oftentimes take away the effect when we take away the cause or vse of sinning Christ hauing cured the man that lay so many yeares by the poole Bethesda and shewed no small worke of mercie for being put backe at the mouing of the water of himselfe weake of friendes destitute the right course of this vnrighteous worlde if any go downe this man doeth Well Christ cures him and giues him this caution as a Memorandum for the time to come Beholde thou art made whole sinne no more least a worle thing come vnto thee made whole therefore sometimes a dieased creature made whole therefore not of thy selfe whole made whole therefore now a sound man Sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee Hee that afflicted thee for a time coulde haue held thee longer he that touched thee in part could haue stricken thee whole hee that laide this vppon thy bodie hath power to lay a greater rodde vppon both body and soule Sinne no more So that by this wee see that sicknesse of the bodie may moue vs to crie out with the Prophete Peccata iuuentutis ne memineris Domine Lord remember not the sinnes and offences of our youth And ab occultis munda nos cleanse thou vs from our secreate faultes When sicknesse beginneth sharpely to touch vs wee are carefull in seeking and sending to procure the health of the body as Asa sought to the Phisitions to heale his disease when he should haue rather sent to y● Prophet to haue giuen him some spirituall receipt for his sicke soule when the phisition hath done then we can be content the Diuine should begin as if some fewe wordes of ghostly counsell were enough when wee see there is but one way with vs No no the first and chiefest care in all extremities should bee a penitent imploring of the help of God who in this case doeth oftentimes cure both bodie and soule and lengthen the daies of sorrowfull suppliants as hee did the daies of Ezechias The lumpe of dried Figges meanes ordained by God haue also their conuenient vse The phi●●eke of the soule must haue the best cordials for the penitent patient That of the people in the booke of Nombers may bee remembred who being stung with the serpentes in the wildernesse had no other meane of succour then the looking vp to the serpent which Moyses as a meane ordained by God set vp for the procuring of their health we haue no other refuge in time of need then the lifting vp of the eyes of our soules to beholde Christ crucified The people cryed vnto Moyses and Aaron but there was no helpe vntill God in mercie appointed this miraculous meane No reliefe could bee founde in the Law for the distressed soul vntil God in his wonderfull loue raised vp a mighty saluation in the state of grace The serpent was lifted vp on high that all might behold him so was the Sonne of God that all beleeuers might receiue sauing health from and by him In the curing those who were stung by the Serpent it was Vide viue looke and liue for Christes curing it is Crede viue beleeue and liue This blessed meane in times of greatest extremitie doeth adde no small comforte to the afflicted man And thus the principall ●are when sicknesse beginneth being an humble acknowledgement of our sinnes which may moue vs to say as Iosephs brethren Therefore is this trouble come vpon vs a heartie confession of them all an humble desire with bended hearted and knees for the remission thereof a willing mind ●o bee deliuered from the bandes of sinne may make vs crie with the prophet Dauid I am so fast in prison that I cannot get out And last of all a ioyfull lifting vp of the hart to the throne of grace may make vs willingly renounce the world and resigne ouer our selues vnto his diuine pleasure to whose appointment we ought with patience meekely to submit our selues Wee see wee are in his hande who alone hath power ouer al flesh when we are in want we then know the benefite of plenty when we are in bondage wee then best perceiue the good of freedome when we are in sicknesse wee must thankfully acknowledge the blessing of health if we haue any thank fulnesse and may easily gather how God by lingring sicknesse doth in mercy stay till we make vs rendie If it shall please him to adiourne the time of this our pilgrimage we ought to offer a determina●e purpose as a sacrifice vpon the altar of our hearte to serue him truely all the daies of our life And thus hauing our trust in Christ crucified we make this resolution If we liue we shall do well if we die wee shall doe better The Twelfth Chapter How the sicke shoulde dispose of worldly goods and possessions HIs sinnes by the sicke partie confessed his soule religiously commended vnto God his desire either to liue or die giuen ouer to the Divine prouidence an orderly disposing of those temporall blessings which GOD hath heere lent vnto his seruants is verie conuenient for euerie Christian in time of health and nothing ominous as some haue timirously doubted None ought to alienate ancient inheritance God would that ●he ●ight heire should take place and succeed in order Experience doth shew that after wise men haue liued long and serued God many yeares in the world this disposing of blessings temporal maketh vs not to die the more quickly but the more quietly And therefore it was put in practise