Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	devil_n	life_n	power_n	5,141	5	4.6090	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00614	The maner to dye well An introduction most compendiouslie shewinge the fruytfull remembrance of the last fowre things: that is to say, death, hel, iudgement, and the ioyes of heauen. Gathered out of manye good authors, both comfortable and profitable to the dilligent reader. Learnedly instructing howe to prouide for death.	Soto, Pedro de, d. 1563. aut; W. B.	1578 (1578)	STC 1075; ESTC S120489	42,232	138

hinder thee Although I speake to thee O beloued soule I do meane and speake these thinges also to those which are as yet vnperfect aduising and counsayling you al to loue innocēcie and hate euyl What soule soeuer thou be that offendest be sory and repent and so repent if thou doest meane to reape the fruites of true repētance that thou doo not returne to thine olde sinnes nor to the occasions therof Looke alwayes for death and so prepare thee selfe for it as though euerie howre should be the instaunt therof And lest weake soules should lacke any kinde of godlie instruction whereby they might the better prouide them selues to dye I wyl adde more to this which I haue sayde Marke well the wordes of mine Apostle which thing the matter it self doeth plainely shewe You haue no stedfast dwelling nor permanent cittie sayth he in this trāsitory world for such a cittie is onely to be looked for in the worlde to come vnto the which this world is nought but the way and pilgrimage which iourney and pilgrimage is ended when your life is determined Death is the end of al men that boundeth and leadeth directly from the pilgrimage wherein you now are vnto the region whervnto you cast your course in suche dyrect sorte that there is none other way or gate through which you cā enter or departe out of this Pylgrimage into your countrey but onelie by death As there is no assuraunce of lyfe so there is an assured certenty of death but this indyfferent betweene the good and the euyll that being mixt in this perigrination they be al but straungers and they al do long to come to the blessed kingdom although they al walke not in the ryght path Al you so lōg as you are in this iourney although you stray you may returne to the ryght way againe And when you come to the ende of your iourney euē at the very gates therof at the extreme instant of death some go from eryle to lyfe and other some go to myserable and eternall death You ought not therfore lightly to esteeme nor forcelesse with a neglygent conscience to consider in what sort you shoulde come to death For then must you forgoe leaue behind you al thinges whatsoeuer you put any trust or confidence in whether it be riches honour friendes or any other vanitie whatsoeuer for at the howre of death they shal profite nothing but must be al left behind and you fellowlesse without companye shal goe alone before the tribunall seate of almightie God thereto receyue accordinge to your workes What greater blindnesse madnesse maye there be then to take pleasure or reioyce in any thing that may happē vnto you whylst you trauaile in this iourney or to loue any transitorie thing that neither auaileth or profiteth the soule And as it were cast into a certayne sodaine madnesse with a drye wythered conscience without God to seeke for such things as are altogether fleshly and rashly to rush and thrust foorthe after externall thinges onely neglecting slouthfully tyme and godly occasions wherby they might amend their liues taking no regarde nor heede to the spiritual estate of their inwarde man And in this maner you doe runne headlong vnto death O how many are in this very point deceyued Loe here how they are intraped wrapt vp and taken in the deceytful nettes and priuie snares of this transitorie and miserable worlde See howe vnhappilie they are taken captiues and compelled to drawe the yoke of the diuell that thus vnaduisedlye come to death with blinde and hard hartes O howe vnhappie bee their liues that neglecting death prepare not for their owne health They whiche hinder the soule and with pleasure pamper theyr fleshe forgoing althinges behouefull and necessarie for theyr saluation are worthy to be cut of an cast away Euerie man ought so to liue at euery howre as though the same were the last howre of his life wherein he should go to heare the iudgement of god And right now if not oftner alwaies he ought to cal present before his eyes the dreadful houre of his departure from the fleshe for the soule shal be iudged for euery word work and thought Alwaies and presently thou oughtest so to rule thy self that by thy nowe doing thou shouldest be found in such a readinesse as in tyme to come thou wouldest wyshe thou shouldest be found in when vndoubted death shal appeare It is therefore the parte of a foolish and madde harte to deferre the correction of life vnto that time wherein the ende of lyfe appeareth and when there is no further hope of life At what time we ought not neede to be amended but rather being amēded we ought to meete our god Departing out of this life thy soule forgoeth not onlie al offences but also leaueth al other thinges behinde it And yet art thou not sayde then to forsake sinne whē thou canst sinne no more Therfore whilst thou hast power to sinne forsake it seeing that true repentāce can neuer be to late notwithstanding that such repentance as is deferred to the last howre is much doubted whether it maye be called true repentance or not If the feare of damnation do so much trouble thee at the howre of thy death take heede then that thou prepare what remedie thou canst to preuent the same I feare me thy feare groweth not by charity for that thou didst offence me thy Lord God but that it commeth only of the proper loue thou bearest to thee selfe Thy onely cause of griefe is for that by thine owne offences thou hast gained death and eternall damnation whereas if thou hadst truely repented thy chiefest cause of sorowe shoulde be in that thou wast vnobedient stubborne vnthankfull reprocheful and that thou yeeldedst not due honour vnto me This ouer great lamēting of thine owne cause doth iustly argue that if there had bene no daunger or if sinne should freelie escape vnpunished thou wouldest neuer bewayle thy sinfull estate although thou hadst continued therein a thousand yeres The true repentāce whereby the soule is reconciled vnto me is grounded only vpon charity doth continually lament and repent that it hath so often despised me the best the greatest faithfullest Lord God Creator redemer And that it hath exalted it self so hyely so proudlie so arrogantlie and vnobedientlie against me it being but dust and of no value Whosoeuer he be that meaneth to dye well let him as mine Apostle teacheth lyue soberlie iustlie and godly For after a good and iust life foloweth an happy death For the death of my Saints are precious in my sight by what death soeuer they doe depart out of this life whether it be by water or by fyre or in their beddes And for a preparation thervnto in the meditation whereof a wyse man spēdeth the whole course of his natural lyfe take here this short exercise whereby euery Christian may in suche sorte admonishe and direct himselfe in such order as he

al true beleeue us cast out and vomite foorth with horror and hatefulnes all the delectations of the fleshe and van●ties of the world through which they come to so great calamities in hell FINIS ¶ Hereafter followeth certayne meditations of the Heauenlye kingdome or the ioyes of Heauen WE oughte so to liue in this worlde that when our bodies beginne to become subiectes to wormes in the Sepulture then our soules should beginne to be glad with Saintes in heauen directing of spyrites thither whither it continually aspyreth We ought to hasten our selues thither where wee shall alwayes lyue and where we shalle are death no more If we do any thing at al affect this v●ding and transitory life which at no time is void of cares and labors and that by eating drinking sleeping or any other recreation scarce can we at any time satisly the necessity of the flesh By how much the more ought we to desyre and wishe for eternal life wherein we shal abide nor suffer no lobor or payne where there is continual health eternal felicity happy lyberty and perfect blysse where men shal be like vnto the Angels of God and iust men shal shine as the Sun in the kingdom of their father How thinkest thou then of what brightnes wil the soule be when the body shal possesse the light of the Sun In that place there is no heauinesse no sorrow no griefe no feare no labor no death but a perpetual health and euerlasting blisse In which eternal kingdome there is no malice nor misery of the fleshe no disease no lack no hūger no thrist no colde nor heate no weri●es of fasting nor temptation of the enemy no will to sinne nor power to do euyl but a quiet harborough of pleasur crumph where men in the society of Angels shal continually dwel without any infyrmity of the flesh There is infinite ioy eternal blisse from whence none shal be remoued that once can enter therein Ther is the rest from labours peace frō the enemy a new kinde of pleasure a securitie of eternity taking a meruaildus delite and exceeding plesure in the beholding of god Who is he thē that wil not seeke and desyre by all means possible to be a dweller there both for the desire of peace ioye and eternity for the perfect sight of god The desire the soule hath to the Heauenly iudgement O Spirituall Hierusalem the holye citie of God happy wer my soule if I might obteine to behold thy glorie thy gates thy wale thy streetes thy innumerable habitations thy most noble citizens and thy omnipotent king in his maiesty glory For thy walles are made of pretious stones thy gates of excellent margarites thy stretes of most pure golde wherein that sweete song Alleluy a is incessantly songe Thy manifolde mansions are founded vpon square stones and builded with S●phyres couered with golden Tiles wherin no wicked man entreth nor sinner dwelleth O heauenly Hierusalem thou art sweete bewtiful in al thy peasures and delights There are no such miseries in thee as wee feele abid suffer in this poore miserable life Ther is in thee no darknes no night nor chaunge of time The shining of the Moon the twinkling brightnesse of the stars geueth not light in thee but only the God of God the light of light and the Sun of iustice geueth light in thee The white inunaculate Lambe a most beutiful light is thy light thy ●rightnes goodnes is an endles contemplation and beholding of thy moste ●ewtiful king The king of ●●ngs is in the middest of thee in●u●●●● on ech 〈◊〉 with his beloued ●h●●●● In thee are legions of Angels s●●ging of sweete ●i●●es in thee are the felowship of heauenly Citizens there resteth the sweete solēnity of al such as returne from this miserable pilgrimage vnto thy glory the prouident cōpany of the prophetes dwel in thee there are the whole nūbet of the twelue Apostles and there is the victorious army of innumerable martirs there are true perfect holy men and women which haue vanquished the pleasures of the world and the infirmity of the flesh Ther are yong childrē and maidēs which haue passed ouer their yeres in holines of life ther are they that haue escaped the snares nets of pleasure and sensuality Euerye one reioiceth in his degree though not equal in glorye yet lyke in ioyes and gladnes For there reigneth perfect charity and God is al in al whom without ●●d they 〈◊〉 cōtinually and stil in 〈◊〉 ●olding him theyr loue increseth they loue pr●ise him al theyr wor●●●● to the prayse of God without ende intermission or labour Happye were I yea most happye if I could obteine after my departure from this life to beare the song of heauenly melody which is song by these heuēly Citizens happy companies of blessed spirites in the laud praise of the eternal king Most fortunate and blessed wer I if I my selfe could come to sing that sweete song and to stand neere my kinge my God and captain to behold him in his glory and maiesty as he himself hath vouchedsafe to promise saying father I wil that those which thou hast geuē me be with me the they may see that excellēt purenes that I haue with thee before the constitution of the world Let him who ministreth vnto me followe me where I am ●he● sh●l●●y seruāt be And again ●e that loueth me is beloued of my father I●●●il loue him and shew my self vnto him Howe plentifull of al goodnes and how spare of all euill the heauenly Hierusalem is O My soule let vs returne vnto the heauenly citie wherin we are registred appointed to be dwellers as the felowes of Saints and housholde seruances of our Lord heires of God and coheires with Christe our Sauiour Let vs consider so far as possible we can of these licitye of that holy Citie saying with the prophete O what glorious thinges are sayde of thee O thou Citie of God for thou art the habitacle of al those that reioice and be glad For the art filled with ioye There is no olde age nor miserye of age in thee There is none maimed lame crookebact nor deformed in thee for in thee al men grow to ful strength and perfectnes yea vnto the very yeres of our Saui or Christ What life is happier then that life where there is no feare of pouerty nor weakenesse by desease Ther is no anger hurt nor enuy no couetousnes nor ambitious aspiring to honor nor power pricketh the mind of any that dwel in that holy Citie The feare of the deuil his daūgers and the terror of hel is far absent frō thee The death neither of body nor soule is feared in thee but a pleasant life rewarded with in●●ortalitye Ther wil be then no euil peace shal be there proclaymed in euery place and al discorde shal be quyte forgotten for the concorde of the holye Saintes is one Althinges shal

world to be but short seeing it is su●●●fent to liue a short time and smal age so that we spende the same in dooing well For what matter is it wheth●● one dye yong or olde for so much as the number of yeeres nor length of tyme do make neyther blessed nor vnblessed happy nor vnhappy And that by cōming to death the ende of al humain kinde we shal aryue in a safe porte quiet harborowe free and safe from al the daūgerous stormes troublesome broyles of this worlde The death of the iust man. NOthing ought to be more wished for then to be in the handes of God ▪ wherein the Soules of the iust quietly rest Theyr death is acceptable to the Lorde if a man maye ca● that death which is the greatest pleasure that can happen to good men for it is to them the ende of labour care the winning of victory the way of lyfe the entrie into perfect securitie and ioyning of the soule to God the thiefest goodnes which is of al other the greatest rewarde that men can haue The departing of the iust man from this lyfe is the vyage and passage from trouble to rest frō paynes to glory from pouerty to a kingdom from feare to securitie from griefe to ioye from death to that lyfe which onelie ought to be called lyfe And to conclude death is nought else vnto him but an escape from prisonment a returne from banishment a finishing of labours an arriual to the port of rest an ending of pylgrimage a lyghtning of his burden a delyueraunce from a ruinous house an ending of euylles an escape from daungers and paying to nature hir duetie and entrye into his countrey of euerlasting ioye and glorie By meanes where of that daye wherein the Saintes departe hence and are receyued into Heauen is commonlie called their natall daye for that when they departe hence then doo they begynne to lyfe and by dying in this worlde they enter into a better The death of the euyll THe death of a sinner is most wretched of al euyls for there by he loseth the worlde the greatest aspect familyer felowship of his best beloued also by it the soule is seuered from the body is condempned to abide the affliction of Hell fyre For the paines of one cōdemened soule is farre worse greeuouser then al the tormentes of al the holy Martirs yea though they were al gathered in one For the sinner hath horror feare at his departing griefe sorow in his iourney shame and confusion in the sight of God the vpright iudge incredible terror dreade in departing from this lyfe entring into an vnknowen Region wherein feareful spyrites wycked Angels meete the soule and pul it to eternal paines The goodes of the wycked are diuided into three Fyrst his soule to the diuel his body to the wormes his temporal goodes to his heyres which are cōmonly vngratefull and too prodigal The daungers of death THe diuel doth with al his engines and snares seeke to intrap mans Soule at the very howre of death if God of his speciall goodnesse assyste him not tempting him fyrste of the verity of his faith persuading him to forgo the same putting him in remembraunce of his cōmitted offēces thinking with the greatnes of them to driue him into dispayre And at the same instaunt cōmonly a pang more painful then tongue can tel assayleth him which is the separation of the soule from the body That paine is so great that as then he can remember nought els but the deadly pāges of death only Therfore it is written In death O Lorde none remembreth thee And Saint Augustine sayth The sinner is stricken with such animaduersity that dying he forgetteth him selfe who whylst he lyued remembred not god Saint Barnarde also treating of the ho●●e of death Cursed spyrites s●●th he watcheth at my doores and ●●rrible diuels attende my comming so that I dare not goe forth S●●●● lie I am not able to escape theyr haudes vnlesse the Lorde defende me But he who tedeemed me wyll defende and faue me Howe we shoulde comfort those ▪ that be in daunger of death To the end that euery man●night learne the ryght waye howe to dye I haue gathered together these sewe lynes folowing out of dyuers good Authors Three exhortations to the sicke 1. Consider good Brother that all men of what condition or degree soeuer they bee must once dye some sooner some later according to the tyme appoynted them by God to whom we are al subiect to paye vnto Nature hir fees whensoeuer his omnipotencie shal thinke good who hath appointed this worlde vnto vs as a bayting Inne and not to be our continual dwelling place There is no cause therefore why you should so much affect this transitory life for by how much the lōger your life is prolonged by so much y more your syns are increased And y elder you grow in age the more your offences are multiplied for euery day vice increaseth and vertue decayeth We ought therefore to be the more wylling to dye for the by flytting from this poore mortal life we shal come to the euerlasting and blessed lyfe 2. Acknowledge good brother most thankfully ▪ God 's bountiful goodnes towardes thee in that that hytherto of his vnspeakeable mercie he hath permitted thee to lyue yea for that at this present extremitie of death his hyghnesse hath graunted thee thy perfect senses reason and vnderstanding whereby thou mayst acknowledge thy bounden duety vnto his heauenly Maiestie And in that he hath not oppressed not preuented thee with sodaine death and for that also he hath of his merciful goodnes called thee vnto his true and vnfaigned faith through which by his help thou shall be brought to his euerlasting kingdome and eternal inheritaunce For this and al other his innumerable benefites geue vnto his highnesse most hartie thankes and altogether betake thy selfe vnto his endles mercie humblie crauing pardon of him for thine offences 3. Consider that God the Father hath geuen and yeelded his welbeloued sonne in whome he tooke great delyght to be crucifyed and tormented with innumerable tribulations tortures and paynes and to suffer most vyle bitter death for vs most wretched sinners Seeing therefore thou hast in this transitorie life commytted done innumerable synnes and haynous offences which deserueth farre greeuouser and greater paynes and punishmentes then bee assigned vnto thee Thou oughtest therfore patientlie to beare the paines and panges of this thy deserued disease and death Christ for thine offences most willynglie and patientlie suffred death and the holy Martyrs and Apostles with al theyr minde moste wyllingly imbraced death for his names sake Knowe thou therefore that what maner of death soeuer thou suffrest is muche lesse painefull then theyrs for wyl thou nyl thou die thou must therefore in the name of Christ good brother take it patiently Questions to bee asked of him that lyeth sicke by