Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A65748
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A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first book of Moses called Genesis by John White.
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White, John, 1575-1648.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing W1775; ESTC R23600
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464,130
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520
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my mother and my sister Job 17.14 Reason 1. To humble us Gen. 18.27 2. To magnifie Gods mercy in abasing himself to look on such vile wretches see Psal 113.6 7 8. to give his Sonne for them to advance dust and ashes to such a glorious condition as the Apostle describes Cor. 15.42 43 49. 3. To move us to long for heaven see 2 Cor. 5.1 2. First It reproves all that glory in Beauty or Ability or bestow all their care and labour in making provisions for the body by costly clothing delicate feeding sumptuous building and in the mean time leave the soul empty and naked discovering therein 1. Their earthly mindes Phil. 3.19 2. And grosse folly Psal 49.13 3. Joyned with some impiety in glorying in that wherein God especially labours to abase them Secondly let it move us to cease from our cares of providing for these earthly tabernacles and to bestow our labours for the supplying and adorning of the soule As 1. More immediately given by God 2. Carrying the most lively character of his Image 3. More capable in it self of true beauty 4. Yet most deformed by sinne 5. Consequently requing most care and labour to repaire and restore it unto that condition in which it was created To which purpose endeavour to enrich that with knowledge Psal 1.9 adorne it with humility 1 Pet. 3.4 establish it in faith Heb. 13.9 Now in that God who threatened death to our first Parents in the day wherein they should eate of the forbidden fruit yet suspends the execution thereof till a longer time though the weaknesse and infirmities of nature which before their fall they were not subject unto seized on them at present we may from thence 7 OBSERVE The disposing of mans life is in Gods hand Observe 7 WHich God chalengeth to himself Deut 32.39 David acknowledgeth Psal 3.15 Daniel testifies to Belshazzar Dan. 5.23 and is clearly manifested by all experience Psal 104.29 so that it is not in the power of men to cut it off at their pleasure 1 Kings 19. Dan. 3.27 and 6.22 though God use them to that end somtimes as his executioners Psal 17.13 14. Reason 1. He gives it Psal 104.30 Job 33.4 no reason then that any creature should make his gift void 2. And he can preserve it see Isa 54.16 3. To have power of life and death belongs to the highest Authority which is founded in God alone see John 19.10 11. that all men might feare before him First let it arme us against the threats and violence of wicked men who 1. Cannot shorten our life one day see Luke 13.32 2. Nor till we have served our time Acts 13.36 and finished our course 2 Tim. 4.7 3. And then shall but make us the sooner possessours of our reward Secondly depend upon God for our lives 1. Seek them at Gods hand with Hezekiah Isa 38 3. with David Psal 102.24 and Jonah and depend not on meanes with Asa 2 Chron. 16.11 12. 2. Blesse him for them Isa 38.20 3. And serve him with them living to him and not to our selves 2 Cor. 5.15 The decree of God for mans dissolution is clearly expressed the time when this shall be God keeps in his own breast that is not expressed at all Whence 8 OBSERVE Though death be certain to all men yet the time of death is uncertain Observe 8 NOt in respect of God who numbers every mans days out unto us Luk 12 19. as appears not only by extraordinary judgements that fell upon Dathan Uzzah Ananias c. but in the ordinary course of Providence Reason 1. That men might not be hardened in sin as usually they are when judgement is deferred Eccl. 8.11 but walk in fear as being not assured of life for one moment of an houre 2. To be assured of the terme of life would not profit us any way either to prevent death which is certainly determined or to further repentance which that blasphemous thief upon the Crosse found no place for though he saw death before him Luke 23.39 It is true notwithstanding that God extraordinarily may reveale unto men before-hand the time of their death or removal from hence as in Aarons and Moses case Numb 20.26 Deut. 32.49 and Elijahs 2 Kings 2.3 5. and Hezekiahs 2 Kings 20.6 but that is not usual Let it move all to stand loose from the world in which they have no assurance to continue one moment to have our lamps alwayes burning with the five wise Virgins Mat. 25.7 to make sure of Christ and Heaven to be alwayes well-doing that our Master may finde us so whensoever he comes Mat. 24.46 47. for feare of the danger threatened ver 50 51. But it is worth our observing that God together with the sentence which he pronounceth against man withal manifests the equity of it that he doth man no wrong since he leaves him in no worse condition then he was at first resolving him into dust that was but dust Whence 9 OBSERVE The judgements of God are just and equal all of them in all things Observe 9 AS Moses professeth Deut. 32.4 and Job acknowledgeth Job 1.21 and 2.10 and David Psal 119.75 128. though many times we see not how see Jer. 12.1 which notwithstanding God reveales unto his servants as he did to Abraham in the destruction of Sodom Gen. 18.32 Reason 1. He cannot wrong his own creatures no more then the Potter can the clay nay much lesse 2. His Nature will not suffer him to do otherwise he that is God must necessarily do good Psal 119.68 out of the Lords mouth proceeds not good and evil Lam. 3.38 3. Nor the respect to his owne honour magnified as well in his justice Psal 64.8 9. as in his mercy and truth 4. It would otherwise discourage his own servants see Mat. 25.24 25. as the opinion of Gods favouring of the wicked and afflicting his own servants had almost discouraged David Psal 73.13 14. Let it cease our murmurings against Gods administrations towards our selves or others to which our corrupt nature easily inclines Psal 73.3 against which the Psalmist gives a special Caveat Psal 37.1 and justifies God in all his wayes in which he is righteous Psal 145.17 To this purpose 1. Let us lay that before us as a principle unquestionable with the Prophet Jer. 12.1 2. That we may see and so beare witnesse to that justice of God 1. Confider that God may charge the best of his servants with folly see Psal 130.3 and 143.2 2. To satisfie us concerning the seeming prosperity of the wicked Consider 1. What they enjoy 1. Only outward things neither grace nor glory which are the godlies portion Psal 84.11 2. And those unto their own hurt Eccl. 5.13 so that a little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 3. That also oftentimes to their destruction at the last Prov. 1.32 for which purpose God advanceth them Psal 73.18 whereas good mens afflictions turne to their good
Him when we are limited even in the smallest things 2. To shew us that it is only Obedience and Conformity to his Will that God respects and not the Matter or Substance of the thing it self in which he requires it 3. To make our yoke the more easie that we might be the more encouraged to obedience as Naaman's servants move him to wash himself in Jordan as the Prophet commanded him because it was an easie thing even a small matter that was required of him 2 King 5.13 Who then are they that esteem observances in matters of small moment nicenesse and precisenesse and would perswade us that the smalnesse of the matter makes a sin venial whereas God punisheth the gathering of sticks only on the Sabbath day with death Numb 15.35 as he did afterwards only for touching the Ark 2 Sam. 6.7 and shall as our Saviour tells us judge men hereafter for every idle word Matth. 12.36 This Tree of the fruit whereof Man was forbidden to eat was seated in the middest of Paradise and consequently in the middest of all those pleasant fruits which God had given man free liberty to make use of not only for necessity but for delight besides Whence we may take occasion to 5. Observe Our Abundance and Delights and Pleasures must be used in fear and within the Limits of Obedience Observ 5 A Man must not give the rains to his appetite but eat within measure when he comes to a Feast as Solomon adviseth Prov. 23.2 And it is a mark of sensual men that they feast without fear Jude 12. So that there must be a limited measure in the freest use of Gods blessings and limited time both of them proportioned according to the Laws 1. Of Nature that we feed for hunger and to strengthen the body and not for drunkennesse and surfeiting Eccl. 10.17 2. Of Moral respects of Sobriety Modesty and Correspondency to our present condition every man may not wear costly apparel but such as are in Kings Courts Luk. 7.25 And to the necessities of other men Dives must not feast every day and let Lazarus starve at his Gate 3. According to the Rules of Religion God takes it heinously at his Peoples hand when they fall to slaying of Sheep and Oxen in a time when He calls to mourning and fasting Isa 22.12.13 And the Apostle gives a Caveat to forbear even the Lawful use of marriage at such time as we should give our selves to fasting and prayer We have hitherto considered the law which forbad the eating of the fruit of that Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill The Sanction followes which is the Intermination of a most fearfull curse which necessarily implyes the heinousnesse of the sin in disobeying Gods Commandement Whence 6. Observe Disobedience is a fearful sin in Gods account Observ 6 ANd is therefore by Samuel equalled to Witch-craft the most hatefull of all sins 1. Sam. 15.23 for which Saul was cast out of his Kingdom which God Himself threatens with Destruction Isa 1.20 not onely Temporall but Eternall 1 Pet. 3.19.20 And that especially because it is directed against the Majesty of God Himself whose Authority is sleighted and despised when his Lawes and Commandements are disobeyed And Secondly it opens a gap to all manner of loosenesse and disorder Nature knowes to stay when it hath once passed the bounds of Obedience no more then a violent stream doth when it hath once broken over those Banks that before kept it in Let us then esteem and value all sins according to that Circumstance the more Disobedience there is in any act of ours the more sin Therefore sin is out of measure sinful when it is 1. Against knowledge Jam. 4.17 John 9.41 2. Against Warnings Perswasions Judgments Experience of Mercy or against any meanes of Grace See John 15.22.24 2 Chron. 36.15 3. Or Voluntary without Sollicitation or urging by the violence of any Temptation as when men set themselves in a way that is not good Psal 36.4 and imagine mischief upon their beds Mich. 2.1 Lastly when the law it self is rejected and cast aside Jer. 44.16 and accompted as a strange thing Hos 8.12 and cast behind a mans back Psal 50.17 But why is such an heavy curse threatned to Adam in this state of his Innocency having especially had such late and large experiments of Gods Bounty towards him It cannot be doubted that God had speciall respect unto the Mutability of his Nature and therefore knew that he needed this bridle which also by experience appeared to be too weak to restrain those inordinate lusts which were quickly stirred up in him by Satans Suggestions so that out of this help that God thought fit to provide for him We may 7. Observe The Terrours of the Law are usefull and needful even unto the best amongst the sons of men Observ 7 IF God found it needful to Adam in this state of perfection much more must it be useful to all men now seeing besides all temptations from without we have within us such a fountain of Corruption breathing out continually Inordinate lusts that need the strongest bridle to keep them in and suppresse them Besides those terrours are now unto us of speciall use to sweeten the Remembrance of our Redemption by Christ from the Curse and condemning sentence of the Law and to strengthen us against those manifold temptations which from without assault us more free-quently and prevalently then they did our First Parents Wherefore we finde the Spirit of God making use of those Terrours not onely in Generall as in the Proposall of the Law to his own People but more particularly to affect the hearts of the best men as Moses Himself trembled as well as the rest at the giving of the Law Heb. 12.21 Yea even godly men themselves have made use of them of their own accord for the keeping of their hearts in an awful Reverence of God to hold them on in a Course of Obedience as Job did Job 31.14 15. and David Psalme 119.120 Hitherto we have considered this Curse in relation to the Sin against which and the Person against whom it is denounced We are farther to take notice of the Kind Measure and Certainty thereof all implyed in that phrase Dying thou shalt die together with the speedy Execution thereof in the very day wherein they should eat thereof And first in that God threatens death unto the man in case of his rebellion We may 8. Observe Death and Destruction are in Gods Hand to inflict them where He pleaseth Observ 8 HE justly claimes unto Himself the power to kill as well as to make alive Deut. 32.39 And therefore his Children ascribe it unto him 1 Sam. 2.6 and unto Christ Rev. 1.18 Even Bodily or Temporall death which may indeed be inflicted by men who can kill the body Matth. 10.28 But therein they are but Gods Executioners Rev. 6.4 and are the Sword in his his Hand Psal 17.13 Much more are Hell and Eternall death in