Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A48584
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A treatise of election and reprobation in vindication of the universal grace and love of God to mankind by B.L.
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Lindley, Benjamin, d. 1723.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing L2312; ESTC R28788
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51,533
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66
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Favour with God nevertheless by their wilful Disobedience and repeated Provocations fell under God's great Displeasure and Rejection 3. Shewing from thence the Nullity of their or any others Election when falling short of Honouring God and Performing Covenant with Him HAving spoken of Israel in general that Elect People whom the Apostle Paul differs from other People in his Comparisons as the true Olive-Tree from the wild Olive-Tree and as the Natural Branches to them that are not Natural Branches of the true Olive-Tree but in a way above Nature might be grafted in I shall now say something of the Two Principal Tribes amongst them and the most Select Families amongst those Tribes because if ever any were saved without any respect to their Walking with God c. they would be found here we should meet with them among these Beloved and Honoured People And 1. First of Levi that Priestly Tribe in that same Night in which God slew all the First Born of Egypt he sanctified to himself all the First Born of Israel and he made choice of and accepted this Tribe in lieu of them and separated them unto the Priests Office and none were to bear the Tabernacle or Ark or come near to touch the holy things but them and their incampment was round about the Tabernacle c. And of this Tribe the Dignity and first Honour fell upon Aaron and his Sons Eleazer and Ithamar and they were distinguished in their Consecration with Water Oil Hysop and Blood in their Offerings made for them in their Vestments Food Services their Incamping next the Tabernacle Eastward where if any Stranger came he was to be put to Death Now Aaron the first High Priest confirmed in his holy Office against the Contenders for that Dignity by a great Miracle the Budding of his Rod in one Night its Blossoming and bringing forth Almonds he died in Mount Hor. And Moses put his Robes upon Eleazer his Son and Successor in the Honour of the high Priesthood which was confirmed to him and Phineas his Son when he slew Zimri and Cosbi by way of the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood yet a period was put to the descent of this Honour in Eleazer's Line at the Death of the Fourth High Priest after him and it appears it had been of more duration by the Promises made unto the next Family had they kept God's Covenant For the fourth High Priest from Eleazer being dead that Dignity devolved upon Eli the first High Priest of the Line of Ithamar whose Sons were Sons of Belial and knew not the Lord but committed great Wickedness and their Father restrained them not And there came a Man of God unto Eli and said unto him Thus saith the Lord Did I plainly appear unto the House of thy Father when they were in Egypt 1 Sam. 2.33 c. And did choose him out of all the Tribes of Israel to be my Priest c. Wherefore kick ye at my Sacrifices c. And honourest thy Sons above me c. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that thy House and the House of thy Father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord saith Be it far from me For them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Behold the days come that I will cut off thine Arm and the Arm of thy Father's House c. And the Man of thine whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar shall be to consume thine Eyes and to grieve thine Heart c. Soon after this Israel was smitten by the Philistines the Ark of God taken the two wicked Priests the Sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas slain in one day and Eli upon the News thereof falling from his Seat broke his Neck and died c. Hence it is plain the exceeding Love of God to this Family and how perpetually Happy they might have been if they had Honour'd God and how Wretched and Miserable they made themselves by provoking him with their Wickedness and Abominations So as this high Honour was quite remov'd out of their Line in the time of King Solomon when he expell'd Abiather from the Priesthood 1 Kings 2.26 who was the last of the high Priests of the House of Ithamar in whose place he constituted Zadock and in him was again restored the Line of Eleazer to the possession of that Dignity to which as that Prophecy here fulfilled teacheth they now ascended by the steps of the Trespass of the other From whence 't is clear that Sin is Sin in the most Beloved People and that God may be provoked by it to forsake 'em and instead of the purposed Blessing to bring a Curse upon them So there is no continuing Sanctuary in Election if we make it not sure after the above-mentioned Gospel-manner but in Vertue and keeping the Covenant there is Sanctuary in Faith and Holiness is an Invincible Shield To which agreeth the Prophecy of Malachy who in his day told the Priests on this manner If you will not hear if you will not lay it to heart Mal. 2.1 2. to give Glory to my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a Curse upon you and I will curse your Blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart I will corrupt your Seed and spread dung upon your Faces c. So here God will be Glorify'd in the House of Eleazer For want of this we see Ithamar's House long since rejected and cursed and now the Curse entering upon the House of Eleazer for the same cause of not giving Glory to the mighty Name of God And they were a select People and had great Promises concerning the first God had said indeed Thy House and the House of thy Father shall walk before me for ever and to the latter he had long since given his Covenant of Life and Peace even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood but is now beginning to corrupt his Seed and to spread Dung on his Face and what 's become of their Priesthood their Tabernacle their Temple their Mercy-Seat Ark Altar Sacrifices and all their holy things How is Levi this day cast off scattered rejected c And as it is Glorious on the one hand to consider their high Dignity and Honour so is' t on the other hand Astonishing to consider their Privation of it their Debasedness and Misery 2. I come next to speak of Judah the most Enobled and Royal Tribe of the whole Earth if distinction is to be made of Blood it 's to be found here the most Royal Blood that ever run in Humane Veins if of Lineage and Families the World affords us instance of none so Great so Renowned as this Honoured with the Birth of Christ his Name imports Praises and his Excellency was held forth in his Blessing Judah thou art He whom thy Brethren shall Praise thy Hand shall be on the Neck of thine Enemies