Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	know_v	word_n	4,525	5	4.2540	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00931	A bright burning beacon forewarning all wise virgins to trim their lampes against the comming of the Bridegroome. Conteining a generall doctrine of sundrie signes and wonders, specially earthquakes both particular and generall: a discourse of the end of this world: a commemoration of our late earthquake, the 6. of April, about 6. of the clocke in the euening 1580. And a praier for the appeasing of Gods wrath and indignation. Newly translated and collected by Abraham Fleming. The summe of the whole booke followeth in fit place orderly diuided into chapters.	Nausea, Friedrich, d. 1552.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1580 (1580)	STC 11037; ESTC S102280	47,166	126

of the end of this world and saieng There shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone c. For séeing that this worlde may well be compared vnto Aegypt in sundrie considerations and manifolde cases it commeth to passe that as in old time there were sights and wonders séene whereby the ouerthrowe of Aegypt was threatened should come so in this last end of the world signes tokens are strangely séene in the foure elementes which giue vnderstanding to all the inhabitants of the earth that the end is at hand Now for that we sée in these our daies such signes and tokens multiplied how can we doubt that the end of the world is nie Specially because we sée things that haue increased diminish and things that flourished vanish and at length die and come to an ende Which alteration of the world and the diminishing thereof we shall perceiue to be come if we thinke vpon the daies of old and consider with our selues how many countries nations and Islands in so few yeares haue perished and come to naught how all the elements are growne out of course quite contrarie to their first nature and being meruelously chaunged in themselues kéepe not their accustomed condition and qualitie in due time and season as at the first that the earth hath lost much of her wonted fruitfulnes how painfully so euer it be plowed as wée haue plentifully declared in our Catholikes dedicated to the right renowmed Charles the fift and Ferdinand which to repeate againe in this place were labour superfluous It must therfore be confessed that these so sundrie straunge wonders happening in our daies foretell vs that the end of the world approcheth and prophesieth against it some lamentable destruction as certeine tokens appearing in the bodie of man foreshew the daunger either of sickenes or death ¶ At what day and houre the end of this world shall certeinly be as some hold opinion Chap. 10. THat the end of this world is at hand there is none that can iustly denie because that beside the reasons specified in the last Chapter we sée nothing but it foretelleth vs that the same is like very shortly to be For we may behold according to the prophesies of Christ our Sauiour that there is an alteration and chaunge of the state of all things in a manner that the worlde waxeth worsse and worsse and that with the preuailing of wickednesse it is like to be ouerturned that in these daies of ours iniquitie sinne is growen to the highest degrée that equitie is rare vngodlinesse couetousnes concupiscence and lust common the good a praie spoile to the wicked euery where molested troubled that euill men are rich and wealthie vertuous men in pouertie contempt all iudgement confounded lawes ouerthrowne and that which a man hath be it litle or be it much it must be gotten and also kepte by maine strength that boldnesse and violence haue possession of all thinges that there is no faith no trueth no conscience no honestie among men no peace no méekenesse no shame no rule in themselues nor rest from mischéefe that the whole earth is in an vprore and tumult that warres doe rage in all places that all nations are in armour and assault each other and that Cities nie adioining are at strife betwéene themselues If this be so that these as the Lord himselfe beareth witnesse are forewarnings that the worlde is at an end what remaineth but that we beléeue and looke when it shalbe Now because I thinke there is not a man so shamelesse that will gainesay this it néedeth not that I vse many words in this matter considering that we haue discoursed at large hereof in our Centuries and Catholikes It resteth therefore that we make answere in this place to the obiection of some which demand the question not so necessarily as curiously At what day and houre the end of this world shalbe whereof the scriptures of God haue so profoundly spoken Although I make answere that it is not vnknowne to me that some there are which haue taken in hande to tell by account of yeares when the end of this world shalbe of which sort some haue said that foure hundred yeares some that fiue hundred yéeres some that a thousand yeares should passe and runne out betwéene the ascension of the Lord and his last comming to iudgment before the world should be at an end yet notwithstanding I denie that there is any man able to know or to shewe either the houre or the day of the end of this world as also I hold opinion and certainly beléeue that there is not a man liuing that knoweth the ende of his owne life as the scripture testifieth vnles he be instructed and taught from aboue by some singular reuelation And therefore vpon this certeine beléefe I boldly affirme that the end of this worlde hath alwaies béene euer shalbe altogether vncerteine and that it is not for mortall men as the Lord saith to knowe the times and the seasons which the Lord hath put in his owne will power yea that man cannot comprehende the same by any naturall knowledge as the trueth it selfe prooueth saieng Of that daie or houre no man knoweth no not the Angels of heauen nor the Sonne but the Father because the day of the Lorde as the Apostle saith shall come like a theefe in the night For when they shall say peace and quietnes then shall sudden destruction come vpon them as the sorrowe of a woman in trauell and they shall not escape By which words we are warned that the last ruine and ende of this worlde shall come so suddenly vpon men that when the state of thinges séemeth to be amended and growne from worsse to better famine turned into plentie warre into peace pestilence into securitie then euen then in the twinkling of an eie it shall be consumed with fire Beholde a spectacle in Sodom And this is the reason as I take it why the Lord doth exhort vs euerie where to watch because that as no man is certeine of the ende of his owne life so much more ignorant and doubtfull of the ende of the whole worlde Take heed saith our Sauiour watch and pray because ye know not when the time shall be For you knowe not when the Lord will come in the euening or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the morning least when he commeth suddenly he finde you sleeping It is Gods will that as well the ende of our owne life as also the end of the world should be hidden from vs that we might euermore be carefull thereof and setting our mindes vpon it be readie at his comming For the suspicion which the Goodman of the house hath of the comming of the théefe is very profitable though it kéepe him waking when peraduenture otherwise he woulde fall asléepe And surely if it were good for vs to knowe this

bréefe cocker our selues too much become careles because the woes wherof we are forwarned will not come yet it will be long first ere they take effect For so did many vse to say of the floud in Noes time of the fire brimstone in Lothes time of the destruction of dust and ashes Doe you not thinke that they themselues if they were able to speake would say thus to vs Alas wretches what meane you to runne vp and downe from place to place after the vanities of this worlde Alas why doe you ouerwhelme your selues in the seas of sin and wickednes Looke vppon our bones and let your owne greedines greeue you your owne miserie make you affraid We were once as you be now and as we are so shall you be And therefore to returne thither from whence I haue straied let vs wey with carefull consideration and in weieng let vs tremble at the fearfull end of this world and hauing the day of our owne death continually before our eies let vs hasten as much as we may to amend our life missed Let vs not neglect the time because our good God forbeareth vs vile offenders and his anger commeth forth but slowly to take vengeance for this slownesse shalbe recompensed with gréeuousnes of punishment and his lame legge if I may so speake shall neuer leaue till it haue ouertaken the swift running sinner This is doubtles that how much the longer God looketh for amendement at our handes and we regard it not so much the more gréeuous shall his iudgement be against vs which to be so the Scripture by many examples hath not slenderly proued Now if we thinke which thought be farre from vs that it will be long ere the end of this world come and therevpon euery one of vs set at naught the consideration of our own falles who are more miserable Are we not I beséech you suddenly smitten with death and our soules taken out of our bodies we looking for nothing lesse whiles we very willingly and in the pleasure of our mindes are well content to tarrie in this forsaken worlde and determine with our selues of matters of long continuance But who are happie Euen they that alwaies haue before their eies either their owne death or the ende of this worlde and that make hast to be found in a readines when that houre commeth Let vs therefore be mindfull one with another that we walke in the middes of the snares of the Diuell and in consideration thereof let vs alwaies be prouided that whensoeuer the Lord laieth his commandement vpon vs being set frée from all blottes and blemishes of sinne wée may enter into his rest Let vs not persuade our selues that the time is long which we haue to weare out in this world For it may be that God will call vs vpon such a sudden that we shall not haue an houres respite giuen vs to repent Alas let vs remember the words of our Sauiour saieng Verily verily I say vnto you the houre is come when all that are in their graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they which haue done well shall come forth into the resurrection of life but they which haue done ill into the resurrection of iudgement Nowe therefore let vs take our choice determine with our selues what to doe in this life that according to our desertes we may either reioice with the godly or be tormented with the wicked worldes without end If rewardes will not win vs to béecome better let punishments make vs affraide to waxe worsse and if it be not in our power to despise this present world and to ceasse from the custome of sinning yet let vs at the least doe what we can to redresse our selues by righteousnes If we haue wandered like wantons in our youth let vs nowe repent and be reformed in our age and the euill déedes which wée haue done in sinning let vs renownce and forsake by amending For beholde how the world not by litle and litle but as I said altogether beginneth to come to ruine and decay yea it hath failed already many waies and at this present it draweth néerer and néerer to his last destruction as wée haue béen taught by many tokens al which with one consent agrée vppon that matter euery thing that wée sée vanisheth like a clowde passeth away like the euening shadow Behold the euents of things which were foretold vs long ago by the very trueth it selfe are nowe in these daies of oures more than apparantly perceiued All goodnesse as wée plainely sée is taken away and banished all mischéefe and euill day by day doth more and more abound in such sort manner that there is not a man able to open his mouth and so bold as once to gainesay that the last times are come vpon vs considering that the workes fruites of these dangerous daies are so rise among vs in cōtinuall vse practise For in the latter daies saith the Apostle shall be perillous seasons and men shall loue themselues they shall be couetous high minded proude blasphemers stubburne against their parents vnthankfull mischeeuous void of loue without peace faultfinders accusers dishonest vnkinde cruell traitors froward ambitious louers of pleasures more than of God hauing a shewe in deed of godlines but yet vtterly denieng the force and power thereof in their life Is not euerie place of the earth I pray you full of such men Doe not all corners of the worlde swarme with them in such maner that the wordes of the Lorde are more verified in vs of this latter age than of anie people of olde saieng All haue gone backe and started aside all are become vnprofitable there is not one that doth good no not one For now doubtlesse is that houre come according to the testimonie of eternall trueth wherein Iniquitie doeth abounde and the charitie of a great manie is waxed colde For which cause the Lord threateneth against vs his kindled wrath and indignation and foretelleth vs by horrible signes strange wonders maruellous visions monstrous shapes and such like fearefull appearances as it were by proclamations made from heauen that he is comming to iudgement and admonisheth vs earnestly to repent and amend still shaking his right hand of reuengement ouer vs but sparing to smite telling vs neuerthelesse that except we repent we shall all perish And God graunt that hauing so many warnings both in heauen and in earth by the voices and outcries of such strange wonders we woulde at length shake off slouth and awake not setting at naught the soundes of these trumpets these true proclamations from heauen heauie threatnings of God whereby we are called compelled to repent God grant we may so do to whom be all laude praise dominion power and maiestie now and euermore Amen ¶ A contemplation of wonderfull accidents and principally of Earthquaks as well particular as generall which haue happened in the realmes