Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	beget_v	love_v	only_a	2,697	5	6.4558	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47663	The secret miracles of nature in four books : learnedly and moderately treating of generation, and the parts thereof, the soul, and its immortality, of plants and living creatures, of diseases, their symptoms and cures, and many other rarities ... : whereunto is added one book containing philosophical and prudential rules how man shall become excellent in all conditions, whether high or low, and lead his life with health of body and mind ... / written by that famous physitian, Levinus Lemnius.; De miraculis occultis naturae. English	Lemnius, Levinus, 1505-1568.	1658 (1658)	Wing L1044; ESTC R8382	466,452	422

created that are in the compasse of the Heavens or comprehended in Sea or Land Which the Prophet David the chiefe admirer of Gods works doth testifie in these words O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the World For thy magnificence is exalted above the Heavens What is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou so regardest him Thou hast made him little lower than the Angels that thou mightest crown him with Glory and worship thou hast set him over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feet c. In which words he declares how much God respects man next unto Christ and how great reckoning God makes of man to whom the world is made subject and obedient that not onely all things created are exposed for his use and profit but also Christ died for man by whose favour and merits the Father gives all things unto us abundantly CHAP. IV. How great Man's thankfullnesse should be unto God BUt this principally should stirr up exceeding great love and reverence in man toward God that when he was estranged from God and for breaking his Commandements cast down unto eternall death Mans reconciliation our Heavenly Father by the singular favour we enjoy for Christs merits received us into his mercy For Christ taking pity of mans misery reconciled man to his Father by shedding his own blood and conquering death and breaking the yoke of the most cruel Tyrant to whom man was bound and indebled he brought him back beyond expectation to his former liberty and restored him to his Inheritance of his heavenly Kingdome So that as St. Paul saith we are no longer strangers and Forrainers from God but Citizens and Heirs and friends Ephes 2. and of the houshold of God built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone by whom we have admission and entrance unto the Father in one spirit Wherefore since every one of us is ingrafted by the help of saving doctrine by faith and the washing of regeneration into Christ and as St. Paul saith have obtain'd grace and inheritance Tit. 3. by the renovation of the holy spirit that he hath powred forth upon us abundantly it is fit and the restauration of our salvation requires it that placing all our hope and trust upon so magnificent a Father and upon his Son Jesus Christ who hath destroyed death and sin we should submit our selves to him and conform unto him our lives We must approve our lives to God manners and customes and with all purity of Mind and holy and unblameable conversation with daily and earnest prayer we should procure his favour to us and endeavour to win his love and gracious acceptance CHAP. V. What Baptism adds to Man and what it minds him of What Baptism doth BEcause Baptism or sacred washing is the first Entrance into the Church and company of the faithfull and is the very gate and footstep this is it that leads us to hope and confidence of Salvation For by Faith and Repentance that is by detesting our former life and by mortifying our bodies and by renewing of our minds we are ingrafted into Christ who hath wiped off and cleansed us from all spots and abolished all faults of our souls applying this external Sacrament unto us and by infusing the holy Ghost into our hearts whereby being assured of our Salvation we cry Abba Father Which double and continually ingeminated invocation is so effectual and present help that it will obtain all things from our munificent father if so be that a man direct his prayers and desires and groans unto God for Christ his sake For by this Leader and Mediatour who hath deserved favour for us 1 John 5. James 1. with his own bloud we obtain all things that are good for us and our prayers are never in vain and uselesse For so mercifull a Father will never stop his ears to their requests Prayers are effectual by Christ Deut. 6. Levit. 7. for whose sake and redemption he gave his onely begotten Son to dye CHAP. VI. Next unto God we must love our neighbours BUt since we are chiefly to love God to whom we owe all things Mark 12. Luke 10. Love towards God and for whose service man is bound to employ all his force that is in his heart mind and service so also he must be loving to his neighbour that is to man who is of the same nature and condition with him and must love him as himself So that each man must willingly lend his help unto him and when there is need and an opportunity offered which also it is fit we should seek for and take to assist him with Moneys and counsell For this is the principal fruit of our faith and is a sincere and no counterfeit testimony of our true Christian profession Love to our neighbour CHAP. VII How great should be the piety of children towards their Parents MOreover as we owe all to God much to our country and friends so it is no small matter that we owe unto our Patents But what respect and honour we ought to shew unto them I need not speak any more or prescribe since naturally every one is enclined to love his own even the very heathen as Christ testifies so that this love though we do our duties Math. 5. deserves no commendation but is our duty and must be done if we will be blamelesse But this must from our child hood be daily inculcated unto every man that he love heartily and entirely his Parents by whose means and ministery he enjoyed his first being and life Children must love their Parents Prov. 28. that he obey them in all things that equity and reason shall dictate unto him as Christ is said to be subject to his Mother Mary and to Joseph For Piety is acceptable to God Luk. 2. and the service and obedience we shew to our Parents is approved by him which is also carefully commanded in the Old and New Testaments Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Math. 25. Ephes 5. Math. 7. Mark 4. That is is a witty saying of Pittacus the Philosopher Such duty as you shew to your Parents expect the same from your children To which respects that speech of Christ that is more large Such measure as you mete the same shall others measure to you again For from the errour and negligence of this it commonly falls out that children are unruly and disobedient to their Parents that when they come to years they scorn to hear their Parents instructions and that sometimes by a deserved and just retaliation and revenge because their Parents were not obedient to their Parents before them but were stubborn and untoward CHAP. VIII How every Man ought to behave himself toward his Master MAster 's that instruct you and adorn your mind with principles of Learning We must

Resurrection strengthens feeble minds and all comfort in the greatest dangers is in the faith of the Resurrection let us set this faith against all the terrours and temptations wherewith the Devil endeavours to overthrow and weaken our minds and let us hope assuredly in him who is the Author unto us of so great advantage and liberty What Christ's Birth did The long expected birth of our Saviour did exceedingly raise the Souls of men to a high hope of salvation and confidence of it His conversation amongst men his upright life his doctrine and lastly his death which he suffered for us to free us from destruction did confer much thereunto What Christ's Resurrection did But the truth of his resurrection did effect this that when he had got the victory over death no man need to doubt of his salvation but ought to hold a firm hope that what hath been done already in Christ their head shall be perfected in them also Wherefore all our hope depends on our Saviours Resurrection whereby he vanquished death and thereby he pulled out the sting of death that is sin that bred the Enmity between God and us Wherefore since we have obtain'd so great felicity by the death and resurrection of Christ Peter 1. let us not be removed from the truth but let us endeavour to partake of the fruit of so much good works and look steadfastly upon him who by his singular favour and mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope by Christs rising from the dead and hath restored us to life that shall never end and hath assigned unto us an immortal Inheritance pardoning all our offences Colos 2. and blotting out the hand-writing that was against us The memory of this benefit should be alwaies before our eyes especially at our last conflict The Resurrection should still be in our minds when detesting all the wickednesse of our former life we must oppose against Satan sin death and hell the immense mercy of God the Father by out full assurance in Christ by whom there is provided certainly for us salvation and remission of all our sins and reconciliation by his blood By him we have admission and entrance unto the Father He is the propitiation for our sins Considence in Christ gives us courage For so God loved the world that he gave his onely Sonne to redeem us that every one that believes in him trusts in him and relyeth on his promises may not perish but have everlasting life Which confidence raiseth our minds to bring forth good fruits by works of charity whereby we love God above all things and our neighbour for his sake Mat●h 25. What Faith dictates Charity performs For a working Faith begets charity and charity nourisheth faith Faith joyn'd to Love So in the foolish Virgins lamps the light of faith went out because there wanted oyl of charity Wherefore this faith and confidence of promised mercy that is infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost must be stirred up and nourished in us that by the merit of Christ our Mediatour we may cry Abba Father For the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4. and the earnest of our Inheritance raiseth up our hearts and comforts us with the redemption and possession purchased for us and takes from our minds all fear and trembling and terrour of Conscience and makes us acknowledge Gods favour presence and mercy and that we may attain Redemption and Reconciliation by the help of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be our peace-maker through faith in his blood Wherefore being justified by faith we have peace with God and a settled Conscience and a quiet mind so that all distrust and desperation is discussed and we apprehend certain hopes of the Resurrection and Immortality and doubt nothing of our salvation so that we depart from hence chearfully to our heavenly Country and place of rest to enjoy everlasting comfort with our Redeemer And that these things may never slip out of our minds and so great a benefit may never be forgot Christ instituted his holy Supper The Communion whereby we may remember and recollect what he hath done for us that our mind may be elevated and grow hot with the frequent meditation of the new Covenant to adore him and receiving his body and blood we may be united to him and may conceive certain hope and trust of his great love and mercy to us whereby he was willing to dye for us Which wonderful work we ought daily but especially to meditate on at our end when death approaches The Lords Supper that our minds may be settled and we may firmly believe in him and we may give him continual thanks for that inestimable gift of our salvation by the shedding of his blood whereby he wiped away all spots of sin from us and freed us from dear of death and from the cruel tyranny of our great Enemy the devil so setting us at liberty Therefore by this mystical Bread and holy Sacrament we are assured that Christ is in us and we in him and that we are joyned to him by the most firm bond of love Heb. 8. Whence it is that being born up with certain hope as with a staff we are confident to receive those things that faith infused into us by the Spirit prompts us with and perswades us unto for from faith as the root spring forth the branches of charity James 2. that yield plentifully the fruits of good works For works testifie that faith is alive and safe and sound in all parts of it There must be choice of works For saving faith is never without good works that are pleasing to God but as a good Tree brings forth both leaves and fruit Since therefore those heroick and divine vertues inspired by God which are so joyned together that they can never be asunder are so necessary to salvation the mind must be daily busied in them that after the troubles of this life are past after that we have approved the profession of our faith and shew'd it openly which God requires we should do Sinners are Justified by Faith in God and exerciseth us therein we may come to those riches that Inheritance those rewards that God hath appointed for them who in the conflict of this life have employ'd their Talent as they ought to do Ezek. 18. wherein if they have erred the next way to salvation is to lift up their souls to God and to commit themselves wholly to his great mercy Wherefore depending on his clemency in hopes of mercy which he denyeth to none that repent Heb. 4. Let us come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace that we may find mercy in time of need And let us continually from our very heart speak in the ears of our merciful and placable Judge those words of the Prophet Psal 148. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant Psal 119. O Lord because in thy sight

that may raise distempers quarrels or troubles between them The affections passe to the Child Which are those the people call naturall Children for all these things fall upon the Child that is then begot and inform it with the like manners and the parents conditions are imprinted upon it I referr that to the like causes that Children which they call naturall that is such that are illegitimate and born without lawfull matrimony are of different nature condition and manners from the other Children whereof such as were begot by noble parents and gentlemen are oft of an high and lofty behaviour and are adorned with many great and rich endowments with rare wits singular prudence exact judgements especially if the parents are a help to their liberal education so that somtimes they become the pillar of the family and are an Ornament and glory to all that are of their kin and blood Why illegitimate Children are more witty than others The reason seems to me to be because they have received all things abundantly from their fathers loynes and bowells and in that secret copulation obtaind by stealth they received not sparingly and slenderly but abundantly the guifts of Nature From when both greedily desire to satisfie their Lusts and are prodigall in their embracements and use all the might they have to propagate and beget a Child it comes to passe that all things necessary for conception are afforded plentifully and there is no want in this businesse and so it falls out Whence comes it Parents love their Children and contrarily that since Children represent their parents manners and have obtain'd much from them there is an incredible love and prosension on both parts and they love one the other exceedingly From which force also there ariseth cheerfullnesse and readinesse of mind in the Child and a generous inclination whereby they disdain that they were born illegitimate and out of the laudable bands of Matrimony and that they should want any thing that others do not to make them uncapable of honours and dignities and publick employments A sublime mind strives for the highest things This makes them use all means to bring themselves out of contempt and by their good life and sound manners to blot out that mark of infamy which some very unwisely impute unto them who some times were begotten more beastly than those that were begotten in adultery But such Children that are born after this adulterous way from mean and base parents and so want the benefit of education for want of means can hardly ever attain to any great matter or raise themselves from the Earth for as the Poet saith Juvenal Satyr 3. They hardly can proceed Who are at home in need Poverty that is wise For though a poor man be wise as the Proverb saith and be the inventor of many rare Arts yet it is a very great hindrance to famous wits that they cannot rise to any high things CHAP. IV. How comes it that the Bay-Tree which some say will not grow in Zeland grows no where more beautifully than in this place and what you must do to make it endure the Winter frost and cold MAny wonder that in the Sea-coasts and that part of Zeland which is denominated from the River Scheld that runs by it that such stately and large Bay-Trees grow being the Country is cold and this Tree abhors cold and frosty climates The Bay-Tree what ground it loves And they wonder the more at this miracle of nature because they are not onely in every mans Garden and allwaies green and very tall with leaves still upon them but they bear long fashioned Berries very black and smooth no lesse effectuall and good in discussing winds and dissipating collections of humours than those that are brought from hot Countries Sometimes the Bay-Tree feels the injury of the Ayre Cold an Enemy to the Bay-Tree especially to the voot and in Winter when it is very cold is in danger by it so that the leaves boughs stalks sometimes wither and dye but the root takes no harm wherefore the Bay-Tree dead upwards must not be dug up by the roots but cut off by the body for when the spring comes or somewhat sooner it will grow green again But that it riseth so high in this Country is caused by the fruitfullnesse of the earth which is wonderfull and the thick compacted nature of the ground that consists of a fat tenacious earth so that by reason of the Earth's solidity The Bay-Tree requires a thick ground Snow melted hurtfull to Plants the cold cannot in frosty weather penetrate to the root of it Now nothing is more hurtfull to plants or more destructive than Snow or Ice melted if when they are melted the drops come to wet the roots especially if after this it chance to freiz again and to stick first about the roots in icecles For so the earth loosned drinks-in the cold chilly moysture and the root drenched with it withers and dyes But that plants may not be subject to this inconvenience nor be obnoxious to the injuries of cold the superficies of the ground wherein they are set must be fenced with straw and ashes Ashes keep herbs from frost A comparison of Vineger and Lees with ashes Why the Bay-Tree grows not in Brabant for ashes by their imbred heat foster the ground and will not let the strong cold enter For as Vinegar and Wine-lees so coles and ashes are of a fiery quality But that the Bay-Tree grows not in Brabant and other parts of the Low Countries or else grows more sparingly amongst them it is not to be ascribed to the Ayre which is very calm and wholsome but to the nature of the ground which is dry sandy light empty that the cold can easily enter nor is there any solid substance to make the Tree fat and thence it is that in those Countries the Bay-Tree is low and shrubby and wanting berries whereas in the City of Zirizea by the benefit of the Earth it grows so tall that it is above 20 foot high and full of boughs about the root with many shoots coming forth whereby it defends it self from the cold Water shoots Wherefore that numerous company of suckers about the root must not be taken away or cut up for it is defended thereby that it cannot easily take cold for if it lose the leaves yet next Spring it grows again so the root be kept untouched by the cold and frost CHAP. V. Of a neutrall body that is one that can be said neither sound nor sick but is of a tottering and doubtfull condition floting between both IT is confessed that the art of Physick was formerly divided into three parts The first is that preserves the present health and carefully keeps off all inconveniences of sicknesse The second that which containes the reason whereby the body may be fenced and defended that it shall not easily fall into sicknesse The last that

opinion concerning Women that Plato to the disgrace of this sex saith that they have hardly any soul and scarse deserve to be called by the name of man or to be honour'd with it yet St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. who with a fatherly care gives counsell concerning oeconomicall government and peace in Families will have honour given to the woman that belongs to her and that she must not be totally despised or accounted base and vile since she is of allmost the same dignity and condition and partakes of the same guifts with man being taken out of man by the operation of God that made them both Genes 2. Wherefore the man is the Image and Glory of God as the Apostle saith but the Woman is the glory of the Man for the man is not from the Woman but the Woman is from the Man For man was not created for Woman but Woman for Man yet the Man is not witout the Woman Eph. 5. nor the Woman without the Man in the Lord who so orders all things that the woman must be in subjection to the Man For as the Woman is from the Man so the Man by the Woman begetteth Children So that there is a society for help that is seen on both sides Colos 3. and there is required the mutuall succour love and consent of them both Wherefore St. Peter thinks it fit that Women should obey their husbands Pet. 3. and that the men should be gentle and loving to their Wives forbearing them as being the weaker vessells pardoning small faults in them and winking at many things and not repining at them for it is not fit that a man should be too cruell against that sex which is so frail Adultery in woman is an indelible spot Adulterers laugh at adultery with a proverbiall speech or too sharp and bitter so long as a Woman doth her duty and is not tainted in her honesty and chastity which fault when it is known brings a man more indignation than it doth him hurt as Adulterers use to say yet that spot in a woman can never be washt out nor can that wound be healed though Christian charity and matrimoniall love must not be too rigid or implacable since there is reconciliation with God and the divine goodnesse provoked by our wickednesse idolatries and grievous sinns is wont to be pacified by our prayers and repentance when we acknowledge the errours of our lives past when we are sorrowfull for what we have done and disdaine and hate our sinns with a setled purpose of amendment of life Moreover great part of molestation in this sex comes from the tediousnesse of their going with Child and the trouble they have in suckling and breeding up their Children whence women are so froward and no small inconvenience from their Termes stopt which if they run at the set time for them the heat of anger and bitternesse is driven off those smoky vapours being turned from their hearts and brains and the sad vapour being discussed that useth to fly upwards When a woman is more patient But it is best known to them that are marryed I need not enlarge my discourse upon it how calme and mild that man shall find his Wife when the marriage bed is frequently adorned and this ground is manured with often embracings and copulation And although I may seem to have been something tedious and fuller of words than it needs in explaining this Paradox or sentence that is besides the common opinion and vulgar custome of the Wise Hebrew The place of Ecclus explaind that the meaning of it might be searched out That the wickednesse of a man is better than a good woman that is such a one that is afterwards a cause of Infamy and by whose society disgrace may arise The sense is it is better to hold commerce with a wicked man or to deal with him than to have to do with a deceitfull woman For though in shew and at first appearence she may seem to be good and honorable and in outward behaviour discovers no wickednesse or deceit yet afterward you shall find her inconstant false captious fraudulent and full of imposture so that if any man deceive another the fraud and imposture of a man is righteousnesse compared with the wickednesse of a woman The like forms of speech are found frequently in the Scripture So God in Ezechiel aggravates the wickednesse of Jerusalem very much Ezech. 16. saith that she hath justified Sodom and Samaria whereby he condemns her for to be more wicked and that she exceeds those nations in impiety and wicked actions that the Sodomites and Samaritans compared to her The place in Ezechiel explain'd may seem to be just So in the wickednesse of opinions and in asserting any pernicious sect and maintaining it one man may be more dangerous and more impious than another that some Hereticks may be accounted Orthodox and to teach the right saving truth compared with others One man is more wicked than another that establish more absurd impious blasphemous execrable doctrines which is grown to a proverb This man is a godly and holy man in respect of that as much as to say that though they be both Knaves and ungodly yet if you would measure them both by the rule of equity and square of Justice one may be accounted innocent and to be pardoned in respect of the other 's wicked enormities So one man is more superstitious than another and farther from the true religion and piety and worship of God So want of knowing truth doth fools delude Horat. l. 2. Sermon Ignorance of truth begets errors And errour from the right way doth exclude All those that doubt some here do misse some there All such by seeming truths seduced are So errour involvs a man as well as it doth a woman and wickednesse lays hold of them both but the woman is more detestable and execrable for her wickednesse Therefore the wickednesse of a man is better than a woman doing good and as the Dutch proverb runs De deucht van Een vrouwe is Ergher dan Een Mans boosheyt By which proverb they aggravate the malice of that sex that if you should compare vices with vices and examine the frauds impostures fallacies and devices of them both those that are committed by women are farr more pernicious and heavy than such as are acted by men CHAP. XIV Wherefore an Eggat both ends where by at the long and narrower end it will stand like the Pole artick and antartick cannot be brokén between your fingers or both hands closed together although you press it wherfore steeped in sharp Vineger it will grow soft like a tractable and soft membrane lastly why the same Egg steeped in Aquavitae that is in spirits of Wine it will be consumed like iron by Aquafortis An Egge will melt in Vinegar IF you steep an egg in the sharpest Vineger four days or rather

Luke 2. strength and power whereby he casts down his enemies and supports those which are godly is inexpugnable and invincible For there is nothing but must yeild to his omnipotence and no Towers Bulwarks or Forts be they never so strong that can resist his force His Judgments and Justice Gods Justice Ps 78.47.84 whereby he distributes to every one what belongs to him and rewards men according to their works and as they have deserved are right holy sincere lawfull and most equall so that no man whose judgement is not depraved can justly speak against them His Mercy Ps 16.22.149.84 Gods mercy is a refuge for sinners Clemency Placablenesse which every Prophet hath at large and magnificently set forth is immense and over all his works For all those that fear his Justice fly unto his mercy as a place of refuge and safeguard This removes distrust and desperation from fearfull minds Psal 32.56 Colos 1. With this the Holy Ghost the Comforter supports those that slip and fall and by putting into them hope and confidence to attain Salvation he drives them to the throne of Grace which mercy the Dutch call it Remis ende quiit schelding van misdaet that they may obtain it So that nothing can be imputed unto them Heb. 4. or make them guilty of death When Paul had made trial of this he became an Apostle from a persecutor So he supports the doubtfull and wavering minds of men and provokes them to seek for Gods mercy by his own notable example Whereas 1 Tim. 1. Paul magnifies Gods mercy Joh. 16. saith he I was first a persecutour blasphemous and injurious I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly through unbelief that is wanting faith and being ignorant of Gods counsel for he thought when he persecuted the Christians that he did God good service Saint Paul provokes all men to submit to Gods mercy Now that every man may take care of his Salvation and all may know that sins are purged by Christs bloud for so many as believe in him Paul pronounceth with an asseveration and firm assertion that this is a faithfull saying and worthy of all men to be accepted that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief But I therefore obtained mercy that Jesus Christ might first shew in me all long suffering for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting that is in hope and expectation of his heavenly kingdome Which benefit since it must be onely referred unto our heavenly Father and it is not meet to deprive him of his due praise and glory he concludes thus To the King Immortal Invisible to the onely wise God be ascribed all Glory and Honour both now and forever Amen Peter also by reason of the Mystery of Redemption 2 Pet. 1. Saint Peter infinitely extols Gods mercy Tit. 3. gives the like praise unto God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who according to his abundant mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope by the rising of Iesus Christ from the dead unto an Inheritance Immortal Undefiled and Uncorruptible laid up for us in the heavens that is for the love of us For after that the gentlenesse and love of God our Saviour appeared unto us not by works of righteousnesse that we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life This is a faithfull saying and every man ought to fix it in his mind Since therefore the love and inclination of God is so great unto mankind so great is his favour and mercy that besides the use and commodity of all things he hath also given his onely beloved Son to Redeem us that by the death and Resurrection of Christ we might obtain favour and Reconciliation We must approve our life to God Faith is adorned by works It is but just and all equity and gratitude for so great a benefit requires it of us that every man should place his hope and confidence in God and extol him with the highest prayses and strive to approve his life unto him and to please him by faith not that which is vain and conceited but which is compassed about and garded by works of charity denying all ungodlinesse and carnal lusts to consecrate himself unto God Tit. 2. and to live soberly justly and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquities and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works For by this way of ordering our lives Rom. 5. by the assistance of the Spirit our Comforter peace and security shall be maintained in our minds and all trembling and fear of death being cast away we shall find an entrance into immortality and those blessed mansions Christ being our leader For death is not the destruction of our bodies but the renewing of them not the annihilation of Nature Death is the renewing of life but the passage to a better life and the gate and first entrance into the heavenly City and the way to eternity And of the certainty hereof no man ought to doubt or to distrust Gods promises since the truth it self that cannot lye will faithfully perform what he hath promised For God is truth but every man is a lyar God is faithfull in his promises Ps 62.115 Rom. 3. that is God deceives no man nor mocks him or frustrates him of his hope and expectation he is none of those vain boasters or idle promise-makers as men are who break their Covenants and rend asunder all bargains and agreements and that find out some subtile waies to elude and to free themselves from what they seriously promised but he is stable firm constant and will with the greatest assurance and fidelity make good all his promises and what he said he will do he will perform But every man is a Lyar that is false trivial idle light slippery inconstant What is meant by man is a liar unfaithfull changeable doubtfull wavering diverse fraudulent vain captious uncertain and who will say one thing sitting and another when he stands up so that no man can safely put any confidence in him But these crimes are far from the majesty of God for no humane passions fall upon him Wherefore we must chiefly depend upon him in full assurance all our wishes hopes and desires must be transported unto him whether dangers or calamities or death and our last conflict come upon us In danger of life we must fly unto God For all things grow more tolerable by reason of his favour and presence and be they never so bitter and sowre they are thereby made sweet The fear of death is shaken off by our trust in him and all trembling and fear is driven out of our minds For the love of him we despise and regard not the delights and flatterings of this World By his help and assistance we endure all such miseries and calamities that compasse us in every moment By a solid hope and expectation of eternity and being supported by him we joyfully leave the Prison of this world and we are carried on to those blessed habitations Christ being our Conductour But it will trouble us the lesse to forsake the society of our bodies here and to leave our station of this life Christs death purgeth our sins and our last conflict with death makes us lesse sorrowfull and doubtfull wherein almost distrust and desperation are ready to lay hold of us because we are certain that Christ by his merits hath obtained redemption and favour for us Christs Resurrection justifies For Jesus Christ who is the Mediatour between God and man hath reconciled us to his Father and washed away all our sins by his own bloud and by the power of his Resurrection hath justified us For Christ was delivered for our sins John 1. Rom. 4. as Saint Paul saith and was raised again for our Justification So that by Christs Resurrection as by a pledge we are confirmed and are confident that we shall be saved and be raised again by his power For he as the Apostle testifies shall transform our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body Philip. 3. according to his mighty power whereby he subdues all things unto himself For although according to Saint Paul his doctrine 2 Cor. 4 5. this earthly house of ours or this earthly Tabernacle be dissolved like to a ruinous building that is disjoynted and all the frame and contignation of it taken asunder yet we have a house with God not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens For God who hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by him and shall make us partakers of the same glory and this certain assurance effects thus much in us that we are not so refractory and unwilling to leave this World FINIS