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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	death_n	sin_n	wage_n	4,184	5	11.8525	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66053	Of the principles and duties of natural religion two books / by the Right Reverend Father in God, John, late Lord Bishop of Chester ; to which is added, A sermon preached at his funerals, by William Lloyd ...	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.; Lloyd, William, 1627-1717. Sermon preached at the funeral of John, late Lord Bishop of Chester.; Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.	1675 (1675)	Wing W2204; Wing L2705_PARTIAL; ESTC R20334	178,528	530

of grief and care and diseases and the infirmities of age and therefore we cannot expect a total exemption from these things Omnia ista in longâ vitâ sunt quomodo in longâ viâ pulvis lutum pluvia These things in a long life are like dust and dirt and rain in a long journey which it were a vain thing for a man to think he could wholly avoid but that he must sometime or other have his share of them Now men usually vex and repine at that which is extraordinary and unusual not at that which is general and common to all 2. We are sinners and so afflictions are our wages our due and there is no reasonable man that will repine at just and equal dealing there is a special emphasis to this purpose in the very phrase of that Text forecited A Man for the punishment of his sins implying that if he be but a man if he have but rational principles he must needs acknowledg the equity of being punished for sin The Thief upon the Cross had so much ingenuity as to confess it reasonable that both he and his fellow should submit to just punishment Now the Apostle tells us that every man is by a natural conviction concluded under sin for this very reason that every mouth may be stopped and that God may be justified in his saying and clear when he judgeth One chief reason which makes men apt to complain that Gods ways are unequal is because they do not consider that their own are so It is the pride and folly of our natures as to ascribe all the good we enjoy to our own endeavours and merit so to murmur and complain against God for the evil we suffer than which nothing can be more false and unequal The wise man hath observed it that the foolishness of man perverteth his ways and his heart fretteth against the Lord. We first run our selves into mischief and then complain against God whereas according to common reason the blame should be where the fault is It would be a much more befitting temper to demean our selves upon this consideration as Elihu advises Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more c. And upon this ground it is that the Prophet having in one verse in the forecited place disswaded from murmuring and complaints he doth in the very next verse exhort to self-examination Let us search and try our ways implying that he who rightly understands his own sinfulness will find little reason to repine at his sufferings 3. We are living men whereas the wages of sin is death all the plagues that we are capable of either in this or the other world being but the due reward of sin And we have no reason to repine at kind and moderated corrections He might have struck us dead in the act of some sin and so have put us out of a possibility of happiness It was Davids comfort that though the Lord had chastened him sore yet he had not given him over to death And the advantage which he enjoyed in this respect did abundantly silence him against any complaints in regard of the other It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not The words are very emphatical mercies in the plural for the number intimating a multitude of a favours in this one act of his forbearance And 't is compassions or bowels for the nature of them which signifies tender affectionate mercy 3. From the consideration of afflictions which in themselves are neither good nor evil but secundùm modum recipientis according to the disposition of the subject To wicked men they may prove curses and judgments testimonies of Gods hatred and anger But to others they may upon these two accounts prove benefits from their Indication what they signifie End what they effect 1. From the indication of them what they denote and signifie not Gods hatred of us but his special care towards us They may be testimonies or earnests of Gods favour for whom he loves he rebukes and chastens even as a father a son in whom he delighteth Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord. Ye are the children of God saith Seneca and therefore sicut severus pater duriùs educat he carries a stricter hand over you as having a special regard to your wellfare that you may not miscarry or as the Apostle expresseth it that you may not be condemned with the world The Holy Ghost esteems afflictions to be a special priviledg speaking of St. Pauls being a chosen vessel to bear his name before the Gentiles and Kings in the next verse it is reckoned up as another priviledg that he should suffer many things for his name sake And therefore the same blessed Apostle speaks of afflictions as a gift To you it is given not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake If ye are without afflictions then are ye bastards and not sons 'T is reckoned upon as a curse to have our good things in this life And that was one of Gods severest punishments which he threatens to those Hos. 4. 14 that he will not punish them for their whoredoms and adulteries Not to be troubled like other men may be a sign of neglect and disfavour 'T is necessary to our conditions in this world and God doth afflict his own children out of faithfulness He hath so appointed that the way to the heavenly Canaan shall be through the Wilderness 2. From the end of them what they are designed for and effect namely our profit and improvement being intended either for our correction or probation for our amendment or trial as I have shewed before 4. This virtue of patience and submission is highly reasonable upon account of those advantages which do follow such a temper of mind 1. It keeps our happiness in our own power by bringing our minds to our conditions which is the only remedy things are capable of when we cannot bring our conditions to our minds Hanc rerum conditionem mutare non possumus id possumus magnum sumere animum viro bono dignum quo fortiter fortuita patiamur It is not in our power to change our condition but this is in our power to attain unto such a greatness of mind as becomes worthy men whereby we may be lifted up above the hurt of outward crosses If a man would be sure never to meet with any impediment in the thing he desires never to be forced to any thing against his will his only way is to conform his mind to the will of God and to let him do with us what seemeth good unto him If he would have me saith Epictetus to be sick or poor I will be willing to be so whatever employment he will design for me I will not decline and

belonging to good men such persons can challenge no greater share of this than according as their real merit and virtue shall require The Royal stamp upon any kind of Metal may be sufficient to give it an extrinsick value and to determine the rate at which it is to pass amongst Coyns but it cannot give an intrinsick value or make that which is but Brass to be Gold 'T is true indeed there are some Callings and particular Relations of men to which an inward veneration is due though the persons themselves should not be virtuous namely Magistrates and Ministers and Parents and Benefactors who having somewhat of a Divine stamp and impress may therefore challenge from us that we should demean our selves towards them both with such an outward respect as becomes their places and with such an inward respect too as may be suitable to that image which they bear to our dependance upon them and obligations to them But then we cannot be obliged to think such persons good men unless we have some evidence to believe them to be so or at least not to be otherwise so that they are beholding to something extrinsecal to their persons namely to their Callings and Relations for that honour which is paid to them 2. Outward Honouring is when men do by their words or actions testify that esteem and respect which they have for the worth of others And this indeed may be truely said to be in the power of others because men have a greater command over their words and actions than they have over their belief Now all men that are truely virtuous and religious will be ready to give unto every one his due honour and such are the best judges of it Upon which account Tully defines true honour to be consentiens laus bonorum the concurrent approbation of good men such only being fit to give true praise who are themselves praise-worthy As for vitious and irreligious persons 't is not to be expected that they should be forward to commend that which is opposite to them But then 't is to be considered that these are no competent judges of such matters And for a man to resent deeply the contempt of unworthy persons were overmuch to honour them as if their esteem could add any thing to his reputation And yet even these persons cannot avoid having an inward veneration for goodness and religion which is the reason why they are so forward to dissemble it to disguise themselves under the shew of it Men do not use to counterfeit common stones and metals but such as are precious Jewels and Gold Nor would any one take the pains to counterfeit being Religious if he did not think it a matter of some value and a means to procure esteem from others And when such men do revile and persecute any one for being religious yet is there such a natural veneration belonging to the thing it self as makes them to disguise it under the name of Hypocrisy Heresy Superstition c. whereby they may justify themselves in their opposing of it II. But this is only general discourse and in the notion The best argument to this purpose would be from Experience by which I mean that practical knowledg which every man may attain by his own observation of the usual course of things in the world And by this it will appear that no kind of persons have been more highly reverenced in the hearts and consciences of others than those that have been most eminent for their virtue and religion which hath been always true both with respect to publick communities and private persons 1. For Nations If we consult the Histories of former times we shall find that saying of Solomon constantly verifyed That Righteousness doth exalt a nation but sin doth prove a reproach to it And more especially the sin of Irreligiousness and Prophaneness As this doth increase in any nation so must the honour and Reputation of that nation decrease The Roman Empire was then at the highest as to its name and greatness when it was so as to its virtue when they were most punctual in observing the Rites of their Religion though that were a false way of worship most Heroical in their Justice courage fidelity gratitude then it was that they deserved to govern the world and to be had in greatest honour above all other nations And not only Cicero and Polybius two Heathen Writers who upon that account might be thought more partial But St. Austin also and Lactantius two of the Fathers do ascribe the flourishing of that Empire when it was at its height to the Religion and Piety and virtue of those times and as they did afterwards degenerate from this so did they decline likewise in their greatness and honour 2. Thus also hath it been with particular persons Amongst the Heathen what Elogies do we find in the honour of Socrates Aristides Cato Epictetus The last of whom though but a poor slave had yet such a veneration paid to his memory that his earthen lamp by which he was wont to study was after his death sold for Three thousand Drachms Nor was it otherwise amongst the Christians The Apostles were but poor Fishermen illiterate Mechanicks many of the Martyrs were but of mean condition much opposed and persecuted in the world and yet these men during the time of their lives were highly reverenced amongst those that knew them and since their deaths what can be more glorious than that renown which they have amongst men when the greatest Kings and Princes will not mention their names without reverence when whole Nations are willing to set apart and to observe solemn days and Festivals in honour of their memories And as it hath always been thus formerly so I appeal to every man's breast whether it be not so now Let them but examine what their inclinations are towards such persons whom they believe to be truly virtuous not only to such among them as are their particular acquaintance and friends but likewise to strangers nay to very enemies whether they do not esteem and love them and will-well to them It cannot be denyed but that there are too many in the world who propose to themselves such ways and courses for the promoting of their honour and reputation as are quite opposite to that which I have now been discoursing of namely prophaneness and contempt of Religion despising that which other men stand in awe of by which they think to get the reputation of Wit and Courage of Wit by pretending to penetrate more deeply into the nature of things and to understand them better than others do not to be so easily imposed upon as other credulous people are Of Courage by not being so easily scared at the apprehension of danger at a distance But the plain truth is such persons do hereby prove themselves to be both Fools and Cowards Fools In mistaking their great interest in making choice of such means as can never promote the

judgments are a great deep that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and that when God hath not thought fit to tell us how he will be pleased to deal with such persons it is not sit for us to tell Him how he ought to deal with them Only of this we are sufficiently assured that in all ages and places of the world all that are saved are saved by the mercy of God and by the merits of Jesus Christ who is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world the Scripture having expresly told us that there is no salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved To be sure there is no reason for any man who lives under the dispensation of the Gospel to expect that he shall escape if he neglect so great salvation This is the tenour of that Doctrine of the Gospel which Christ immediately upon his resurrection doth commissionate his Disciples to preach Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And Joh 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already And presently it follows This is the condemnation c. And again Joh. 7. This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. Now that to us to whom the Christian Doctrine is revealed and proposed the belief and practice of it is the only way wherein we can hope to be accepted I shall endeavour to make out by these two arguments 1. From the Evidence we have of its Divine Authority 2. From the Excellency of the things contained in it which are the two chief grounds of our obligation to it 1. From that Evidence which we have for the Divine authority of this Doctrine above any other It seems to be a Principle of Nature to which all Nations have consented That God himself should prescribe the way of his own worship All kind of inventions whatsoever that have been any way useful to humane life especially such kind of Laws as concern Civil or Ecclesiastical associations of men have upon the first discovery of them been still ascribed to the Deity As if the Authors of them must needs have been first illuminated with some ray of Divinity Nor is it probable that ever any Nation should with any degree of zeal embrace the respective Ceremonies of their Religion unless they had first esteemed them to have proceeded from Divine Revelation Upon this account was it that Lycurgus and Numa Pompilius and Mahomet and the rest of those kind of Founders of Nations and Religions when they would obtain a reverence and devotion to the things they were to establish they were fain to pretend at least to Divine Revelation Which proceeding of theirs though it did really abuse the people with gross delusions yet was it founded upon this common Principle that none can think aright of God much less serve him in an acceptable manner unless they are first instructed by him in the true way of doing it Now that the Doctrine of Christianity is thus derived to us by Divine Institution we have as clear and convincing evidence as things of that nature are capable of As for the Old Testament that hath by the general consent of learned men all the marks of purest Antiquity there being nothing in the world which in this respect is equal to it or which may pretend to be compared with it All other the most ancient monuments of Antiquity coming short of it by many Ages It was written in the first and most ancient Language from which the very Alphabets and Letters of all other Languages in the opinion of the most learned Heathen Plutarch Pliny Tacitus Lucan c. were derived The very number and order of Letters most generally used in all kind of Alphabets being very improper and unnatural which it is not likely men of several nations would have all agreed upon were it not barely upon this reason that they were taken up by imitation and so did retain the errors and imperfections of that first original from whence they were derived This Book contains as the most ancient so the most exact story of the world The propagation of men and the dispersing of families into the several parts of the earth as I shewed before And though this Book were written in several ages and places by several persons yet doth the Doctrine of it accord together with a most excellent harmony without any dissonance or inconsistency And for the manner of delivering the things contained in it 't is so solemn reverend and majestick so exactly suited to the nature of things as may justly provoke our wonder and acknowledgment of its Divine original Insomuch that Longinus a great master of eloquence amongst the Heathens hath observed the decorum and majesty which Moses useth in describing the Creation in those words God said Let there be Light and there was Light And as for the New Testament Those various correspondencies which it bears to the chief things of the Old Testament may sufficiently evidence that mutual relation dependance and affinity which there is betwixt them That in such an Age there was such a man as Christ who preached such a doctrine wrought many miracles suffered an ignominious death and was afterwards worshipped as God having abundance of disciples and followers at first chiefly amongst the vulgar but a while after amongst several of the most wise and learned men who in a short space of time did propagate their belief and doctrine into the most remote parts of the world I say all this is for the truth of the matter of fact not so much as doubted or called into question by Julian or Celsus or the Jews themselves or any other of the most avowed enemies of Christianity But we have it by as good certainty as any rational man can wish or hope for that is by Universal Testimony as well of enemies as friends And if these things were so as to the matter of fact the common principles of nature will assure us that 't is not consistent with the nature of the Deity his Truth Wisdom or Justice to work such miracles in confirmation of a Lye or Imposture Nor can it be reasonably objected That these miracles are now ceased and we have not any such extraordinary way to confirm the truth of our Religion 'T is sufficient that they were upon the first plantation of it when men were to be instituted and confirmed in that new Doctrine And there may be as much of the wisdom of Providence in the forbearing them now as in working them then It being not reasonable to think that the universal Laws of Nature by which things are to be regularly guided in their natural course should frequently or upon every little occasion be violated or disordered To which may be added that wonderful way whereby this Religion hath been propagated in the world

publickly burnt at the Interment To which I conceive the Preacher alludes Eccles. 7. 1. where he says A good name is better than precious oyntment and the day of ones death than the day of ones birth When one cometh into the World none knows how he may prove if he do well in it he goes out with this publick testimony After which the Jews never mentioned such persons without a blessing on their memory But above all others the Primitive Christians were very observant this way They saw it was the will of their Lord and Master that the good work which was done upon him by Mary should be kept in perpetual memory and is therefore recorded in the Gospel They saw how the works of Dorcas were shewn at her death the Coats and Garments which she made for the poor They saw what need there was of great Incentives in those days when Christianity was a most dangerous Profession It is of no small force to make men love a Religion when they see it infuses excellent Principles that it excites so suitable practises that it is proof against suffering and death And the experience of that power it hath in some provokes and animates others to the same Upon these and the like considerations and perhaps with allusion to that Text where S. John is said to have seen the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar They had their Memorias Martyrum their places of Worship where they placed the Altars over the bodies of their Martyrs What with any intention to worship the Martyrs It was so suggested by the Adversaries and as vehemently denied by the Christians of those times By those of Smyrna in the undoubted acts of Polycarpus We cannot say they worship any other than Christ We love the Martyrs as being followers of Christ We celebrate the days of their passions with Joy We do it both in remembrance of those Champions of God and to train up and prepare others for the like conflicts Besides this which was peculiar to the Martyrs they had a lower degree of remembrance for Bishops and Confessors and all other eminent persons departed this life whom they not only praised in Orations at their Funerals but writ their names in their Diptychs or two-leaved Records which contained in one page all the names of the Living in the other the Dead that were of note in the Church All these were recited in the Communion-Service Where as the Living for themselves so for the Dead came their Friends and gave Oblations and Alms. Which before they were distributed among the poor were first offered up to God in a prayer like that which we use for the Church Militant here on Earth These Doles were their only Sacrifices for the dead Only Alms to the poor with which sacrifices God is well-pleased And their prayers were not for any deliverance from pains unless the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Apostles and Virgin Mother of Christ were in the same pains too and needed the same Deliverance For they were all mentioned alike and together as it is to be seen in the ancientest Liturgies Among all these Innocent Offices and Rites of the Primitive Christians was there any thing of prayer for souls in Purgatory Was there any thing of prayer to Saints departed this life Was there any foundation for those superstitious Observances Of adoring their Reliques of Prostration to their Images of Pilgrimage to their Shrines of making Vows of saying Masses of Offering to them and the like The Papists say there was they plead the practice of the Church for it they wrest places of Scripture to their purpose Nay the Rhemists and others alledge this very Text without which I should not have mention'd them at this time But as the Learnedst men among themselves have been so just not to charge this upon my Text and some of them confess they have no ground for these things in any one Text of Canonical Scripture So they would do us but right to acknowledg that none of these things was practis'd for some hundreds of years after Christianity came into the world In those Primitive times all their Offices for the Dead were either to give Testimony of that Faith in which they died and that death had not dissolv'd their Communion with the Living or they were to bless God for their holy Life and happy Death or to Pray to him not for their deliverance from Purgatory of which there was no Faith in those times but for the Increase of that Good which they believ'd them to be possest of already or for the Attainment of that farther good which they thought they were sure of namely for their speedy and happy Resurrection for their perfect discharge at the day of Judgement for the Consummation of their bliss with their own in the Kingdom of Glory Not to say how the Fathers differ among themselves in these particulars or how many of these particulars are omitted in the Roman Church as well as ours it is enough that here is nothing makes for them but much against those their Errors and Corruptions All that is agreed on all hands or that we find in the Practice of the first Ages being sufficiently contain'd in those Offices of our Church in the prayer for the Church-Militant in the Collect on All-Saints day and in the Office for the burial of the Dead where we pray That it would please God of his gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of his Elect and to hasten his Kingdom that we with all those that are departed in the true faith of his holy Name may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in his everlasting glory Lastly Remembrance in Action is the other duty enjoyn'd in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitate their Faith that is their Christian profession and practice their whole Life and Conversation according to their own belief of that word which they have spoken The Reason of this duty is plain for it is our business in this world to recover the Image of God in which he created us to be like him here in Righteousness and Holiness that we may be like him hereafter in Glory and Happiness To this End God has given us those Lineaments of himself which are written sufficiently in our Nature but more fully and distinctly in Scripture In which Scripture he so oft and so vehemently requires us Be ye Holy as I am Holy be ye Just as I am Just be ye Merciful as I am Merciful be ye Pure as I am Pure be ye Perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect This good Word of God which was given by the Prophets and Apostles is still inclucated on us by them that speak to us the word of God Which Office being primarily of Bishops as appears in my Text They are first and above all others to conform themselves to it to shew others how possible and how practicable it is Our Apostle suppos'd this in