Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	good_a	life_n	see_v	9,943	5	3.4753	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56300	A theatre of politicall flying-insects wherein especially the nature, the vvorth, the vvork, the wonder, and the manner of right-ordering of the bee, is discovered and described : together with discourses, historical, and observations physical concerning them : and in a second part are annexed meditations, and observations theological and moral, in three centuries upon that subject / by Samuel Purchas ...	Purchas, Samuel, 1577?-1626.	1657 (1657)	Wing P4224; ESTC R6282	278,822	394

continually on any occasion Lord strike at the roote and dry up the fountaine in me for otherwise though the streames were stopt and the branches cut off and the sparkles quenched yet there would be a perpetuall supply as long as the poyson-full roote remaines XXXIX Many Bees especially when the gathering season is over and the state of flowers decayed about August will be curiously prying into their fellowes hives at first a few give the onset and if they be let alone unresisted or weakly opposed then they double and treble their forces fetching at their returne more of their companie and violently make a prey of all But if these scouts and ring leaders as they presse in be beaten out roughly intertained and st●utly opposed and fought withall they will then by degrees desist and at last quite give over Vaine and wicked thoughts if men give way unto them without checking the motions of them will p●esse as busily as flies in Summer into the heart but a good heart will not owne them nor allow himselfe in them but stands at staves end with them casts them off as hot water doth the scumme or as the stomack doth that which is noysome unto it They find not in it that intertainment which they have in carnall hearts where the scumme seeths in which are stewes of uncleane thoughts shambles of cruell and bloody thoughts exchanges and shops of vaine thoughts a very forge and min● of false politick and undermining thoughts yea often a little hell of confused and black imaginations XL. See you that narrow mouthed glasse which is set neare to the hive marke how busily the waspes and flies resort to it being drawne thither by the smell of that sweet liquor wherewith it is baited see how eagerly they creepe into the mouth of it and fall downe suddenly from that slippery steepinesse into that watry trap from which they never rise there after some labour and wearinesse they drowne and die you doe not see many of the labouring Bees looke that way they passe directly to their hives without any great notice taken of such a pleasing baite Idle and ill disposed persons are drawne away with every temptation they have both leasure and will to entertaine every sweet allurement to sin and wantonly prosecute their owne wicked lusts till they fall into irrecoverable damnation whereas the diligent and laborious Christian that followes hard and conscionably the workes of an honest calling is free from the danger of these deadly enticements and layes up honey of comfort against the winter of evill happie is that man who can see and enjoy the successe of his labour but how ever this we are sure if our labour cannot purchase the good we would it shall prevent the evill we would avoyde XLI A Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a live body loseth both sting and life together In like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sinne was never a white the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the Brazen Serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is so farre from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery Serpent sting us or any thing else hurt us it is helped and redressed by death XLII That honey is sweete it is not a conceit only but the naturall qualitie of it is so yet out of a tast of the sweetnesse to thinke we cannot take too much of it is a misconceit paid home with loathsome bitternesse though our fancy be readie to conceive a greater blessing in outward good things then indeed there is yet we must not deny them to be blessings XLIII Bees when they are abroad at their worke if the clouds overcast the ayre grow darke there be any prelude of a storme which they are very sensible and apprehensive of speedily and in hast thick and threesold repaire to their hives for shelter and security And beleevers never pray so heartily deny themselves so throughly cling so fast to God as when a storme is towards or when they are overtaken by a tempest of persecution XLIV Bees are not querulous complaining or discontented creatures for when they have with many a sore dayes labour and heavie burden filled their hive and thereby furnished themselves against a winters want yet if they be driven and robbed of all have left neither meate nor materialls to put in any yet will if the weather serve speedily and chearefully renew their labours and with double diligence seeke out for a future supply And shall beleevers thinke much to suffer the spoyling of their goods all that they have travelled and sweat for and when they have by many a deare dayes labour got a little somwhat together then to be spoyled of all in a moment seeing they know they have in heaven a better and more endureing substance XLV When the worme dyes which is a more imperfect creature then it revives againe but is quite another from what it was before in every part and member before it was unable to act for it's owne preservation or the good of others could not move out of it's place in a word doe nothing but eate what was brought unto it but after a transformation and renovation it is agill and active laborious and profitable And in the new birth si licet parvis componere magna there must be a mortification of the old man and then an universall change and alteration in the whole man For a new Spirit is universall it goes through the whole man leavens the whole lumpe the new nature is common to all the powers not like a little spring that takes beginning in some peece of ground and ends in the same but like the great Ocean that encompasseth the whole world And as it is universall so it is alterative too it amends not the out-side only but the inward man also It gives a man a new temper it makes him that was fearfull and timerous become bold and couragious him that was peevish and passionate to be of a meeke and quiet spirit him that was dull and cold to be zealous and fervent it makes him with Onesimus profitable to himselfe and others XLVI Bees have a naturall and in-bred love to their Queene which makes them in her absence long after her nay unweariedly seeke for her without any other content or satisfaction but her presence and company and finding her they will not be severed nor sundered pull them away as oft as you will from her yet still they will draw neare and cling to her Carry her whither you will if they be sensible of it you have their company also How doth this condemne the want of love and affection of many subjects to their Governours of many people to their God whom a

whom hee thus spake Oh you wicked creatures you let go unhurt him that robbed you and punish mee ●t a●am careful of your safety Melissa one of the Oread Nymphs finding Hony-combes in Pelopenesus invited her follows to taste thereof with the sweetness whereof they were so ravished that the Grecians called the Bees by the name of that Nymph Iacobus Sanno●arius that excellent Poet hath his figure cut to the life in Mergelli●a near Naples where he lived from whose mouth the Bees do seem as it were to suck hony Livy doth relate that there was found two Coffins of lead in a tomb whereof one contained the body of King N●ma being some four hundred years after his death and the other his books of sacred Rites and Ceremonies And that in the Coffin that had the body there was nothing at all to bee seen but a little light cinders about the sides but in the Coffin that had the books they were found as fresh as if they had been but newly written covered over with watch candles of wax three or fourfold Agesipolis a King of the Lacedemonian● dying of a Feaver near the City of Clynthia was preserved in hony and so carried to Sparta where hee had a royal Funeral Claudius Caesar had a Hippocentaure a Monster part horse par bull brought out of Egyp in hony which Pli●y saith he saw A●s●ith the widow of King Edgar sometimes Monarch of this Island traiterously slue King Edward his son that her son Ethelred his brother in law might as hee did succeed him Some ten years of age was hee when his brother Edward was slain and hee out of childish affection wept for him bitterly which his mother extreamly disliking being author of the murther onely for his sake most cruelly beat him her self with a handfull of Wax-candles So that hee would never endure Wax-candles But another Writer saith that Ethelred would never endure any Wax-candles because hee had seen his mother unmercifully with them whip his brother in Law King Edward either report may bee true Now the Sword and Scepter is taken from the Iews instead of other penalties they inflict sharp penances according to the nature of the crime Thus the Adulterer satisfieth for his hot lust in cold water wherein hee is enjoyned to sit some Winter dayes and if the water bee frozen the Ice is cut out and hee set therein up to his chin as long as an egge is roasting In Summer time hee is set naked in an ant-hill his nose and ears stopped and after washeth himself in cold water If the penance seem lighter they enjoyn him further to run through a swarm of Bees and when the swelling of his body through their stinging is abated he must do it again and again according to the measure of his offence If hee hath often that way offended hee is bound to indure that penance many years Hunding the 23. King of Sweadland upon a false report of his brother in Law Hadings death King of Denmark invited all his Nobility to a sumptuous feast to conclude which hee had provided a very large vessel of Mead of which hee drew out himself to them untill they were all drunk and then in token of love to his supposed dead friend plunged himself into the vessel and so was willingly drowned but ridiculously and foolishly some applaud and prefer him therefore before many heroical Greeks and Romans Hostilia is a Town in Italy watered by the River P● the inhabitants whereof when meat for Bees grows scarce about them carry their Hives into Boats and by night convey them up five miles against the stream In the morning the Bees go forth to their work and so do they shift places ascending up the River till by the sinking of the Boat they know their Hives to bee full of hony and then return they home and take it What is the reason why among the Sarma●ians there is plenty of hony and in Africa small store of Bees And hee renders this as a reason the plenty of trees and variety of flowers which in a few dayes after the snow is dissolved embroider all the fields and the many Fountains and Rivers wherewith they are much delighted Whereas in Africa the fruits and the flowers by the violent heat are quickly withered and the waters are scarce so that of necessity those things being wanting wherein Bees delight there must needs bee few or in some places none at all His reason is not worth an answer had hee been read in history hee might have learned the contrary Io. Leo Ioa●n dos santos would have besides many other credible Authors convinced him of the plenty of Bees in Africa But no wonder if hee were a stranger abroad that was ignorant of Countries near home Hee affirms that in Germany France Britain Italy there are none or few Bees because if you will beleeve him there are few trees fruits waters In Angola they have great store of hony which they thus procure they hang in the top of the Eliconde tree a hollow peece of wood or chest which the wilde Bees being there numerous quickly finde and laboriously fill once in a year with hony and wax which the Negroes then take with smoke rewarding the industrious creatures with robbery exile death It will not bee altogether impertinent to give you a description of this tree with which the Bees are more delighted than any other The Eliconde-tree is very tall and exceeding great some as big as twelve men can fathome spreading like an Oak some of them are hollow and from the liberal skies receive such plenty of water that they are hospitable entertainers of thousands in that thirsty Region Once have I known three or four thousand remain at one of those trees and thence receiving all their warry provision The Negroes climb up with pegs of hard wood which that softer easily receiveth the smoothness not admitting other climbing and I think that some one tree holds forty run of water This tree affords no less bountiful hospitality to the back than belly yeelding as her belly to their bellies her back to their backs excepting that this is better from the younger trees whose tenderer backs being more seasonable for discipline are soundly beaten for mans fault whence came the first nakedness whereby one fat home cut from the tree is extended into twenty and is presently fit for wearing though not so fine as the the Iuzanda tree yeelds which yeelds excellent cloath from the inner bark This tree is alwayes green of a strange form especially in the branches that grow very high and cast down very small threds which touching the earth do bring forth roots from whence other plants o● trees do spring forth most abundantly in great numbers By like beating of their Palm they make Velvets Sattins Taffeties c. But I deviate too far from my subject The burning of Waxen-candles on

when weaker vessells beare saile only in a calme a true vessell of Christ should saile best to his wished port in a storme XX. Almost of the shadow saith Pliny rather then substance of a very small living creature nature hath made an incomparable thing The Bees never lose a day from labour if the ayre will give them leave to worke And when the weather is louring and troublesome they cleanse their h●ves and carry out the filth They keepe watch and ward at the gates as they doe in Campes The Drones they give house-roome unto but because they labour not when they have no need of them they drive them from their dwellings Goe to the Bees O sluggard consider their wayes and be wise they are but small among so●les yet doth their fruit exceed in sweetness saith the sonne of Syr●ch and their labour in greatnesse And goe to the Bees you Magistrates of the earth and l●arne from that little kingdome of theirs to use the vigor and sharpnesse of Discipline against our unserviceable Drones who like paralytick members in the body of man loose and unbound in the joynts of obedience say to the head command us not for we will not stirre at thine appointment XXI Many courteous natures are as waxe sooner able to receive the impression of an admonition but lesse able to retaine it Againe a more heroicall nature is as wax not so soone admitting the print but surely keeping the print being made Many at the first receiving of an admonition most hardly have after most profited by it and others receiving an admonition very gently have lost the fruits of it very negligently XXII Experience may make us blush to see how the Bees naturally foresee stormes and tempefluous weather and therefore either flie not abroad at all or not farre from their hives that they may presently on the first alteration of the weather repaire home in safety but man alone either unsensibly doth not foresee or unadvisedly will not avoyd the perilous times to come This folly of the Pharisees our Saviour reproved saying When it is evening yee say faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning yee say to day shall be a tempest for the skie is red and louring O hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie and can yee not discerne the face of the times XXIII God never suffereth evill but for some great and secret good as Moses saith He caused him to suck honey out of the rock and oyle out of the hardest stone Oh the infinite wisdome and power of God! out of the drie and ragged rock of our sinnes he draweth the sweet sap of humility from us and of mercy from himselfe to the sweete safety and felicity of our soules XXIV Riches cannot make men happie by their owne nature not only because they are unsatisfactory deceitfull and inconsistant but because in the indisposition in our selves they are like the eating of honey to asswage the boyling of a chollerick stomack a little pleasing to the tast but much increasing both the paine and danger of the disease XXV When a Bee hath once lost her sting she may trouble a while with her buzzing and violent striking but can doe no further hurt so afflictions and troubles whose sting is pulled out in the things that Christ suffered and was conquerour for the Elect. I say the sting of harme is taken out of the crosses that God sendeth for the humbling of his Children or Church And they are sent to feare them not to destroy them as the destructions that come on the ungodly with their sting in them XXVI Set your mind and thoughts on heavenly things which are able to satisfie you else like the Bee you will flie from place to place because earthly things doe not satisfie you XXVII Most men will commend the Bee when they feed of her honey and perhaps with some cost and trouble seek her preservation but if she once cause a little smart with her sting then they are quickly out of patience and exclaime as much against her and will be at no further paines and cost for her safety So many men will be content to serve God as long as they may withall advantage themselves but to serve him and deny themselves is a worke which they have not learned Ephraim loveth to tread out the corne saith the Prophet you know the mouth of the Oxe was not to be musled that trod out the Corne he had his worke and reward together XXVIII When honey is expressed from the combes if there be any corruption or drosse in it that will quickly being lightest ascend upmost but the purest honey will sinke unseene to the bottome So when Satan disquiets the heart that which is purest and should most comfort will sinke and be out of sight but our sinnes and corruptions will ever be before our faces XXIX The industrious Bee is diligent to gather honey and when she hath filled her hive is chased out of it and her life oft times by fire and smoke that the profit may be ours so that the paines and labour are only hers but the advantage and profit is ours And the paines of Christs wounds were his but the benefit ours the holes in his hands and side were his but the honey which issued out was ours in one word the price which he paid was his but the inheritance which he purchased was ours he alone without any demerit of his suffered our punishment that we without merit of ours might obtaine his grace XXX Bees diligently apply themselves to their worke early and late neglecting no occasion they are exceeding intent upon it much taken with it and almost over-whelmed in their eager and delightfull paines and that all the time the season continueth for stormes and rainy weather may come and then they will be necessitated to lye still or winter will come and then there is nothing to be gotten and if they have not sufficiently before-hand provided and furnished themselves they must needes starve and dye And shall not men doe good and get good while they have libertie and opportunity even give themselves up unto it and that with all their might Many a Christian is kept from doing good by restraint by sicknesse by worldlinesse by businesse by an unwilling and hard heart howsoever by death when the winter when night comes there is no more working How dolefull will the prison sicknesse and death be when conscience shall pinch us for our libertie health and life abused We may therefore justly use the argument of the Epicure Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all speed because there is no knowledge wisdome nor invention in the grave whither thou goest but here is that which addeth weight unto it before we come unto the grave we may come into this or that strait that shall disable us almost as much as our grave And therefore while we have