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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	die_v	life_n	5,110	5	5.0778	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91944	The figg-less figg-tree: or, The doome of a barren and unfruitful profession lay'd open. In an exposition upon that parable: a certain man had a figg-tree planted in his vineyard, &c. Luke 13. 6,7,8,9,10. / By Nehemiah Rogers, a minister of the Gospel of Christ.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1659 (1659)	Wing R1823; Thomason E973_1; ESTC R203371	458,183	541

and cannot do other than right unlesse he should deny himself which is altogether impossible for him to do Gen. 18 25. Deut. 32.4 Job 8.3 34.10 11 Rom. 3.5 6. Secondly He is gracious and slow to anger Exod. 34. Favours are from God's own bowels but Judgments alwaies are forced as the Bee stings not till it be provoaked Thus it is in the maine Poynt of a man's eternall estate man's Salvation is ex mero beneplacito The gift of God is eternall life but his damnation is never without a cause in man The Soul that sinneth shall dy so is it in this case of lesser Good or Evill We may make good Use of this Vse in all Judgments and afflictions that befall our selves or others seem they never so severe Let us learn to justify God and clear him from all injustice Psal 51.4 Rom. 3.4 David indeed complained justly of his enemies that they persecuted him without a cause Psal 35.19 that is In respect of them he had given them no cause so to do but who can charge God with this injustice but he must charge God foolishly and impiously He never smites till he be provoked nor alwaies then God when he doth smite exacteth lesse of us then our sins deserve as Zophar said to Job 11.6 An Ounce of Judgment was never without a Pound of Sin Yet when any Judgment lyes upon us we are too apt to think that God deals therein over-severely with us and are ready to cast a sullen frown upon God with Cur me coedis Why dost thou smite me It is storied of Titus Vespasianus the Emperour that lying on his death bed and looking up to heaven he complained of his Gods saying Immerenti sibi vitam eripi That he deserved not to dy having never committed any thing in his whole life whereof he repented but one surely he had so much the more cause to repent him now But why speak I of him Job was a holy godly man and confessed his own vilenesse and guiltinesse before God as appears Job 40.4 yet he had in himself a secret conceit that he was not so vile and sinfull as to deserue such heavy Afflictions as God had laid upon him which was the reason of God's so speaking to him Job 40 4. Ver. 8. vers 8. Wilt thou also disanull my Judgment Wilt thou condemn me that thou maist be righteous The best of us are apt under heavy afflictions to disanull God's proceedings with us and question God's righteous proceedings therein but this may not be we may not give liberty to tongue or thought to murmur or repine under God's stroaks But First Learn Silence Job 4.4 6. Psal 39 9. and with Job to lay our hands upon our mouths Job 40.4 5. and with David Psal 39.9 to be dumb nor onely bind our Tongues to the good behaviour that they do not speak impatiently against God but our very Hearts must be kept from inward repining and fretting against him Psal 62.1 Psal 62.1 Truly my Soul keepeth silence unto God Secondly Acknowledge God to be just in all that hath befallen us I have sinned said holy Job What shall I do to thee Job 7.20 Psal 119.75 ô thou Preserver of men This David confessed I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 Which saying of David Mauntius the Emperour used when his Children were slain before his eyes and after that his own eyes put out Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments Thus it should be with us in all Judgments that befall a Land or Nation seem they never so severe and sharp Let us learn to justify God therein As did the Princes of Israel and the King himself When God punished them by Shishak they said The Lord is righteous 2 Chr. 12.6 Lam. 1.18 Neh. 9.33 Dan. 9.14 Mich. 7.9 2 Chron. 12.6 the like confession did the Church make Lament 1.18 So Neh. 9.33 Dan. 9.14 Mich. 7.9 They have not onely confessed God's righteousnesse therein but his Goodnesse and Mercy some mitigation of the rigour of Justice some cause of admiring rather his Indulgence towards them than of repining against him for his severe dealing with them Lam. 3.22 Lament 3.22 It is the Lord's Mercy that we are not utterly consumed that is from being a People because his compassions fail not Thirdly Patiently bear the soarest correction that God is pleased to lay upon us out of this perswasion that we have deserved more Thus Ezra speaking of the extream Judgment of God upon his People in the Babylonish Captivity which was the extreamest and heaviest Judgment that ever God had inflicted upon any people under Heaven as appears by that we read Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 yet he confesseth Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 Ezr. 9. 13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse than our Iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 When their uncircumcised heart is humbled saith God then they shall accept of the punishment of their Iniquity Lev. 26.41 Mich. 7.9 10. Levit. 26.41 that is they shall willingly bear them Well may that Offender bear a brand in the hand who saves his neck Mich. 7.9 10. Ransack thine own heart and thou shalt find that thou hast deserved that which thou sufferest more 1 Joh. 3.20 and if thy conscience condemn thee God is greater Fourthly If in case the Cause and Reason of God's severity be unknown unto us yet let us learn to justify God therein resting assured that there is Cause enough albeit as yet we have not found it out His Judgments are somtimes secret but alwaies just It is not possible that he should do any wrong to any of his Creatures his Will is the Rule of Justice and every thing is right because it is his Will to have it so But besides this there is some particular Cause or Reason why God writes such bitter things against us Job 13.26 1 Sam. 17.29 2 Sam. 21.1 Jer. 8.6 Ezek. 16.43 Therefore as David answered his Brother so answer thy repining Soul 1 Sam. 17.29 What hath God now done is there not a Cause Therefore Fifthly Search out the Cause if it may be as did David 2 Sam. 21.1 God blam●s the want of this Jer. 8.6 Ezek. 16.43 But how may we find out the particular Cause for which God punisheth us Quest What must be done in this case God doth so order his Judgments commonly Resp. that in the Punishment we may see the Sin and in the Sin foresee the Punishment Sometimes the very Punishment and Circumstances of it shewes us the Cause God many times punisheth us in the like kind Jud. 1.6 7. 1 Sam. 15.33 Exod. 1.22 Talia quisque luat qualia quisque facit Euseb l. 9. c. 9. Bodin l. 6. de Rep. Lin. Decad. 1. 1 King 21.19 Jer. 7.32 as in Adonibezeck's Case Judg. 1.6 7. And in Agag's Case 1 Sam. 15.33 And Pharaoh's Case Exod. 1.22 He

for that his Ingtatitude he takes the matter into his own hand and punisheth Nabal with no lesse punishment then the stroak of D●ath yea with a blockish and senslesse Death his heart dyed within him and he became like a stone whereat David rejoyced and for which he blesse God Ver. 39. who had judged his righteous cause in bringing the wickednesse of Nabal upon his own head And indeed you shall find that Proverb to be most true Pro. 17.13 Whoso rewardeth evill for good evill shall not depart from his House Prov. 17.13 Plagues and Punishments from God and many times from man also light upon such either in their Persons or Posterity Jer. 18.20 21. God's wrath hath been revealed from Heaven against it and that in a very high degree as Jeremiah sheweth by the Spirit of Prophecy Jer. 18.20 21. And if Ingratitude of man towards man be so hateful what think you of man's Ingratitude towards God shall that ever escape unpunished Consider advisedly and give sentence We read that when Tamerlane had overcome Bajazet he asked him If he had ever given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour Bajazet replyed that he had never thought of that It is no wonder then said Tamerlane that so unthankful a man should be made such a spectacle of misery as thou now art God will be unto such as forget him a Lyon a Leopard and as a Bear robbed of her Whelps Hos 13.6 7 8. Jer. 8.13 Hos 2.9 13. Rev. 2.5 Num. 4.25 28. Rom. 1.21 Mat. 25.30 Opposita juxtase posita magis illucescunt as it is threatned Hos 13.6 7 8. And ungrateful Israel found it to be true as the whole Book of the Judges testifies Sometimes he punisheth Privatively in taking away his Mercies from us as Jer. 8.13 Hos 2.9 10 11 12. Revel 2.5 And sometimes Positively with Judgments Temporall as Numb 14.25 28. Spirituall as Rom. 1.21 and Eternall as Math. 25.30 Let this prevail with us to beware of so foul an evill Lastly Let us on the other side take notice of the Good of Gratitude that so the ill of Ingratitude may the better be discovered There are but three heads whereto we refer all that is Good Jucundum Vrile Honestum Pleasure Profit and Honesty each of these singly we count Good but when all these three concur we count that Excellent Now in this one Duty of Thankfulnesse all these meet Psal 147.1 Psal 147.1 O praise the Lord for it is good yea it is a pleas●nt thing and Pra●se is comely It is Good as it brings Profit with it and Profi we know is a very moving Argument The Benefit is great that comes by Thankfulnesse unto us for by it we retain the old and invite new Mercies Blessings already conferred on us are retained and kept by our Thankfulnesse no better way to preserve what we have than by being thankful for what we have And the thankful Acknowledging of Blessings invites new Mercies Gratiandi actio est ad plus dandū invitalio Ps 9.10 11. Luk. 17.15 19. as appears by that which David speaks Psal 9.10 11. So Luke 17.15 that Leper which returned back to give God thanks received a second time forgivenesse of sins ver 19. There is nothing that obtaine h more of God than Agnition of favours received Such a one we say deserveth to have kindnesse shewed him he is so mindful of a good turn On the other side Unthankfu●nesse is a great loser it forfeits all that hath bin by Prayer obtained Si c●ssat Gratiacum recursus c●sset gratiarum decursus Bern. Mark 6.5 and ●oppeth the cour●e of Gods blessings and dryeth up as it were his hand that he cannot stretch it forth to co us good so we read Mark 6.5 Christ could do no mighty Works in his own Country And why not there as well as e●sewhere their unthankfulnesse and ingratitude towards him transfused as it were a dead Palsey into the hands of his Omnipotency Such is the venemous nature of it As David said of unthankful Nabal 1 Sam. 25.21 So saith God of an unthankful Christian 1 Sam. 25.21 In vain have I kept all that this fellow had in the wildernesse c. So in vain have I done so much for this ungrateful wretch Thankfulnesse is good as being Pleasant and delightful It is the Exercise not onely of the dumb Creatures on Earth but of the glorious Angels in Heaven to give thanks unto the Lord and praise his name Psal 148.2 3 8. Revel 4.8 11 7 11 Psal 148.2 3 8. Rev. 4.8 11 7 11 22. 22. Yea there is more delight in this then in Prayer saith Reverend and Humble Hooker for the one hath pensivenesse and fear but the other joy annexed But in Ingatitude there is no delight at all nothing but envy murmuring and discontent Serpents have venome within themselves which they put forth to the hurt of others but an ungrateful wretch hath his venome within him wherewith he is tormented daylie Lastly Gratitude is an honest and comely Good Nothing doth more commend a man to God and Men than it Luke 17.15 Luke 17.15 But Ingratitude is a foul and ignominious thing It leaves an aspersion on the name and fame of a man no vice greater so did the very Heathens judge of it Ingratum dica● omnia dixisti Senec. de Benisic they counted it for the fowlest imputation that could be layd upon a man to say He was Ungrateful Term him so and you have called him all the fowl names that may be It overflowed all other particular vices No other vice could get a name amongst them where that was it swallowed all devoured all and became all Su e I am that our Saviour joynes these two together the unthankful and the evil Luke 6.35 the unthankful man hath his brand to be a naughty man and St. Luk. 6.35 Paul sets the unthankful and unholy together in that bead-roll of vitions Per●ons 2 Tim. 3.2 2 Tim. 3.2 intitimating in what e●teem they are to be had amongst us Lay altoge●her and then tell me if we have not great cause not onely to beway our former Ingratitude but for the suture to beware lest we be charged with it which we cannot avoyd unlesse we make some thankful return to God for all his Favours bestowed But God's gifts are free Object Psal 50.7 14. Psal 16.2 Resp Mich. 6. Psal 50.14 he gives and looks for nothing again Psal 50.7 14. Psal 16.2 God looks for nothing to be done by us by way of Exact Recompence Thousand of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl cannot do that but something he expects should be done by us by way of acknowledgement and declaration of his goodnesse and care of us Psal 50.14 and that for the good of others I will publish the name of the Lord saith Moses Deut. 32.3 Ascribe ye greatnesse unto our God We must report that they who

and ridiculous Creature These are the signes of wisdom and promise it but if wisdome be wanting and no Wine within it is a folly to have the Bush hang forth Dionysius distoabing Apollo of his golden Cloak said Nec aestate nec hyemi vestis haec convenit So do many saith Ambrose play with God and deceive their own souls in the businesse of Repentance or As the Philosopher said of marriage In youth I was too young in middle age I had other businesse and now I am ●oo old to mind it So say some old men who think it as much too late to become godly as young men think it too soon Oh! That we should live to this age and yet be now to learn to become godly and yet which is worst of all to think our selves too old to be taught that when we perceive our faces and eyes look drooping to the Earth yet our spirits are never a whit the more lifted up to Heaven that when every man can see and say that we are spent and come even to a period of our dayes yet no man can say that we are come to the beginnings of grace Such as are aged and godly God seems to boast of Act. 21.16 Dan. 7.9 Rev. 12.9 Acts 21.16 these resemble the Antient of daies but to be old and vitious these resemble the old Serpent our gray haires make our sins to be the blacker and powre contempt upon us See then you whose Allmond Trees do bloom that you bear better Fruit then such as doth presage the boyling-Pot Jer. 11.13 Jer. 11.13 Rev. 22.7 12 20. Jer. 20.15 If God comes as come He will and that very quickly and finds no Fruit or no better Fruit then generally this Age bears it will be very sad with you You will have cause to curse the time that ever i● was said a man childe is come into the World It is high time for such to look about them Old age is the Winter of our life No Spring to be expected but that of the Resurrection which shall be to Salvation or Damnation And yet who so old but hopes for longer life No Stake so old we say but may stand one year longer in the hedge True but yet ere Winter be over it may be pluckt up and cart into the fire Thus I have shewed you what the three years or ages of man's life produce●h these three years many of us have stood in the Vineyard of the Lord and yet the time of Fruit is not yet come how can we answer it I might come a little nearer home and apply it to this Place Parish Congregation and every particular soul within the hearing but I hasten to a second Use Use 2 Which is to exhort you all both one and other of all Ages to make better use of your time then formerly the very best stand in need of this Exhortation Think that Voyce of God spoken to you all It is sufficient that we have spent the time past after the lusts of the flesh 1 Pet. 4.2 3. and thereupon make good use of the time remaining that you may become Fruitful that God may find some Figgs under the leaves of your Profession lest it encrease your condemnation I might say much and use many Motives that this Exhortation may take with you and become effectuall Indeed all that can be said is little enough nay not enough unlesse God be pleased to accompany it with his blessing Some considerations I shall commend unto you and leave the successe to God First Consider the worth of Time Many things are far fetcht and dear bought fit for rich Purses and curious Palates but there is a poor contemptible herb in the Garden Time more precious then all this we passe by with neglect which is especially worth our gathering Time in it self considered as it is God's Creature is more pretious then Gold Some Philosophers have defined it to be Eternity limited It is the onely measure out of which God powres out all his gracious administrations and for the continuance whereof he keeps all the Celestial Orbs at continual work daylie and hourly It is a most precious Cabinet albeit in it self empty and made to contain in it the most precious Jewel that ever the World had Gal. 4.4 Gal 4.4 Every moment of time brings some blessing or other with it Thou crownest the year with goodnesse saith David Psal 65.11 Psal 65.11 It brings Heaven and happinesse with it to such as will accept it In which regard saith one every Minute of It is as much as Heaven is worth for that Heaven and our Souls Salvation lies upon the well using and improving of it Nor is all the wealth in the World able to purchase one hour's time when Death and Judgment come nor to recover one hour's losse Other things may be recovered and ●●cht back again If we have embezelled our estate by ill Husbandry we may repaire it by thrift and industry If we have morgaged our Lands the Morgage may be satisfied and the Land restored if we have pawned our Plate or Housholdsluff they may be redeemed Health lost may be recovered Jewels lost may be found albeit cast into the Sea as Polycrates his Ring was which a fish bought in the Market brought back again into his Kitchen Yea God's favour and loving countenance lost may be regained if sought in Time but Time it self being lost cannot be recovered at any hand Of it we may say as one doth of Virginity Jewels once lost are found again this never It 's lost but once and once lost lost for ever Let it be secondly considered by you how short the time is that is allotted to you for the bringing forth of Fruit for albei● it be sufficient for the performance of special and commendabl● Actions in case the whole be employed yet it is but the time of Life at longest and what is that but a day and that not a natural but an artificial day consisting of 12 hours Hohn 11.9 2 Pet. 3.8 John 11.9 Indeed a thousand years with God are but as a day the eldest man that ever lived lived not out that day we live but an hour of that day they lived Of a thousand years Adam lived 930 and left but 70 for us which is but the twelvth part one hour of that day Yet none may reckon upon the whole twelve hours our Sun may set at Noon not one of a thousand fullfills his natural course and runs through all the hours of that Day Amos 8.9 To speak as the truth is we live but a minute of an hour no more time can we make reckoning of but the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Punc● 〈◊〉 est qu●● 〈…〉 the very instant time and moment that we now live which is but a point like too lines laid acrosse which touch but in one place Time past and time to come toucheth not only ●hat minute we live toucheth and none

the true Religion professed and by Authority maintained we have his Ordinances the Word and Sacraments continued His favour hath many wayes bin manifested in many great deliverances that we have had We have strong Walls about this Nation a great Navy by Sea Strong Forts by Land Valiant Souldiers expert Commanders c. But it is in vain to rest upon any of these All these will be but as paper walls whilst those sins are so common amongst us that provoke God's wrath against us When Phocas had killed his Master Mauritius the Emperour like another Cain he laboured to secure himself by building a mighty Wall about his Pallace but he heard a voyce by night that told him Albeit he built Walls as high as the Clouds yet sin within those Walls would undermine all He was a Noble and wise Captain of whom I have read who being moved to take upon him the defence of a strong City and encouraged thereunto from the strong Fortifications about it inexpugnable walls of it and the plentiful Ammunition that was in it demanded of them If there were any covering betwixt it and Heaven if they had any defence against God's Vengeance whom by sin they had provoked It is in vain to ask what strenth we have by Sea or Land but let us enquire on what terms we stand with God Let us draw our eyes from Walls and Towers and make God our Tower and Fortresse if we would be safe Zach. 2.5 Yet to come a little nearer Zach. 2.5 let none of you content yourselves with the Priviledge of Christians unlesse you live the life of Christians nor flatter your selves with an outward Profession nor any other outward priviledge It will nothing availe you that you are chosen out of the rest of the World Tim. 2.14 to be a peculiar people unto God unlesse you be purged from your iniquities and be zealous of good works Nor that you have the Covenant and the seals thereof the glorious Gospel of Christ and the Sacraments that you have bin Baptized and thereby admitted into the Family of God and have eat and drunk at His Table if you live not as Children and Servants ought to live for then these will be to you 1 Sam. 15.27 28. but as the lap of Samuel's Garment in the hand of Saul the pledge of your rejection Nor are these temporal Blessings which God hath bestowed on you say it be greatnesse or high place or the like sufficient Arguments of God's Love or pledges of your Salvation unlesse withall you have the Grace to employ them to the Glory of the Giver and to use them to those holy ends for whith they were bestowed Where God hath bestowed the Seed of his Mercies with a liberal hand He expects a fruitfull harvest of righteousnesse and true holinesse But if we return no crop or bring forth the Tares and Cockles of sin and wickednesse we shall be but nearer the Curse and his many benefits shall serve but as so many arguments to aggravate your sins and encrease your Punishments And so much let s●ffice to be spoken of the Severity of the Sentence denounced against this Figg-Tree Cut it down We come now to the Equity of the Sentence Why cumbereth it the ground God need not give a Reason of his doings Job 9.12 Job 33.13 2 Sam. 16.10 his Judgments although not alwaies manifest yet they are alwaies just yet that he might be justified and the mouth of wickedness stopped he is pleased to stoop so low as to render a Reason of his severity and to impart to us an account of the ground of his proceedings thus he deals with the Dresser as if he should say Think it not strange that I deal thus severely with this Figg-Tree I will give thee my Reason Terram reddit otiosam It is not onely barren in it self but it cumbers the ground Doct. Josh 7.10 11. Lam. 3.39 40. Isa 42.25 57.17 Jer. 13.22 30.15 2 Thes 2.10 1 Cor. 11.3 〈…〉 and causeth barrennesse drawing away nourishment from other Plants that would bear fruit In General then let us pitch our thoughts awhile upon this Truth God's severest Judgments have alwaies most equitable Reasons When God strikes there is some Cause evermore some Motive for the inflicting of evill Josh 7.10 11. Lament 3.39 40. Isa 42.25 57.17 Jer. 13.22 30.15 2 Thes 2.10 1 Cor. 11.30 It is a natural Conclusion as well as Divine that when God is angry he strikes and when he strikes he is angry This Judgment saith Calvin speaking of the Barbarians censure of St. Paul was common in all ages that those who were grivously punished had grievously offended For God to the end that he might make the world without excuse would have this deeply rooted in the minds of all men that calamity and adversity and chiefly notable destructions were testimonies and signs of his wrath and just vengeance against Sin and there upon did the very Barbarians conclude against Paul Act. 28.4 that he was a Murtherer when they saw the Viper hang upon his hand that had leaped out of the fire whom though he escaped the Sea yet vengeance would not suffer to live Acts 28.4 That God strikes not in such anger but with relation to sin is a Doctrine that a man need not to be catechized in He needs not read Fathers nor Councels nor Schoolmen nor Summists nor Casuists saith one no nor the Bible it self out of which we may bring multitudes of proofs to strengthen it The very natural man can so conclude albeit he may err when he comes to particulars as those men of Malta did who descended hastily and inconsiderately to particular and personal Application Had they known Paul or known him guilty of Murther or any such heinous crime there had been some ground for their censure For when the sins of any are notoriously and manifestly known unto us especially if they be such as God hath threatned to punish with such Judgments in such a case it is not unlawful to judge That for those sins God hath justly smitten them Psal 52.6 7. But when we judge a man guilty of some great sin albeit we know no sin by him onely for the Affliction that he endures and the Judgment of God that is upon him is great rashnesse And for this Job's friends were reproved sharply Thus the men of Malta failed they judged that the Judgment upon this man St. Paul was an evidence of his guiltinesse in this offence of Murther For there were many crimes and those Capital and such as would have induced death on this side of Murther but they stopped at none till they came to the worst and therein they transgressed the bounds of Charity and were faulty But that God is angry when he strikes and that he hath just cause to strike when he doth is an undeniable Conclusion from the Dictare of Nature as well as Scripture For God is a righteous God Reas