Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
death_n adam_n natural_a sin_n 5,693 5 5.6599 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A97294 Some prison meditations and directions on several subjects viz. on [brace] the fall of man, the sufferings of Christ, repentance and faith, reproof and counsel, the holy Scriptures, prayer, love to mankind, sincerity, the vanity of the world, the benefit of affliction, heaven and hell / by Samuel Young, minister of the Gospel. Trepidantium Malleus. 1684 (1684) Wing Y88A; ESTC R43962 59,844 144

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

them and blessed them and called their name Adam In the day when they were Created they were one though not by a Physical yet by a Conjugal Union they were two distinct persons yet one by nearness of relation and so I may consider them both though sometimes I name one only as I see occasion Before the Fall great were the priviledges they had for their Bodie and Souls Of the first sort 1. Their Bodies were sound and free from all distempers bodies that could not be disturbed by any outward colds or heats or by any inward malignity or humours Gen. 2. ult Ask the sick and unhealthy that are chained by many pains in Head Stomack what this mercy was 2. All the Creatures were in subjection to him Gen. 1.28 29 30. God gave man Dominion over the Birds of the air and over the Beasts of the earth and over the Fish of the sea and over the living things that creep on the earth The Creatures saw such a lustre in the countenance of man that they fear'd him so much majesty yet appears though sin hath lessen'd it that the Beasts fear us not a little For venomous Creatures they either had no venome or that venom could not hurt 3. He was seated in a pleasant Habitation Gen. 2.8 And the Lord God planted a Garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed The Excellency of which place we read in the 10 11 12 13 14. verses Where he was placed or where Eden was a Learned Author hath spent much time to enquire Sir Walt. Rawley Hist of World That Paradise was not the whole world is clear from Gen. 3.24 So he drove out the man not sure out of the world for Adam lived Gen. 5.5 nine Hundred and thirty years For the idle notions that the Rivers signifie virtues c. I will not honour them with a confutation The good things of the Soul were these 1. It was enricht with wonderful knowledge Gen. 2.19 20. When God brought the Creatures to Adam he on the first sight gave names to them that is names significative or expressive of their natures as if we should call a Lion Rage a Lamb Meek a Dove Innocent c. His Knowledge much exceeded ours his was habitual ours acquired his was compleat ours imperfect His knowledg was as much above the knowledg of the wisest man on earth as the knowledg of a wise man above the knowledge of a Child 2. He had a perfection of Holiness not only a perfection of degrees but of parts he was perfect not only if we consider Perfection in opposition to Hypocrisy as Abraham Noah and many Saints in Scripture are said to be perfect But perfect in opposition to any defect or imperfection Adam in Paradise was as an Angel in Heaven was as free from any Sin or contempt of God 3. He had frequent and immediate and full Communion with God Gen. 2.16 17. God speaks to man and man to God without any fear or dread What an honour is it for a mean man to have the ear of a Prince or great man at his pleasure Hence it was that Paradise was a lower Heaven which makes some think if man had not sinned he had there continued for ever 2. We come to consider what Sins we were guilty of in the Fall Man had very bad thoughts of a good God very good thoughts of a bad Devil very high thoughts of low Self Adam and Eve 1. They made God a Lyar and justified the Devil as a Speaker of truth Gen. 2.17 God said In the day you eat thereof you shall die Gen. 3.3 The Devil said You shall not surely die Gen. 3.4 The Woman said Lest you die God affirms the Devil denies and the woman doubts Many Temptations Adam had that we know not Now this was by Interpretation to give God the Lye How tedious is it among men to be called a Lyar and what effusion of blood hath it caused Now the Devil the Father of Lies is believed more than God 2. They lookt on God as unworthy to be their Commander and took the Devil for their Councellour God must stand by the Devil takes place They chose this God or Guide for themselves and Posterity hence it is the Devil is called by the Apostle The God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 3. They thought it unbecoming them to be restrained by any Law They should be as Gods Gen. 3.5 That there was some hidden vertue in the Tree that would make the Eaters of its fruit more like an absolute God than God would have them be and therefore God forbad the touching that Tree This was the Temptation 3. We shall consider what Miseries we brought on our selves after the Fall 1. We were deprived of the Image of the Blessed God According to supernatural endowments it was totally gone there was not one Spark of Grace left nothing of holiness remained in man According to natural endowments this Image was in part gone much wisdom much power over the Creatures was gone Gen. 3.7 They were as naked in their Souls as in their Bodies As Aaron in the matter of the Golden Calf is said to make the people naked Exod. 32.25 2. We were cast out of Paradise among the rest of the Beasts Gen. 3.24 Cherubims appeared in Shape like an Ox. Now man by Sin had made himself like the Beasts that perish and therefore God sends him to be their companion He is not now in Paradise but in a Wilderness not in a place of pleasure but of toyl and sorrow Gen. 3.19 3. We are naturally inclined to all sin and so exposed to all Judgments The Understanding is clouded with errour the judgment fails both in directing what is to be done and judging of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what is done The affections are carnal In a word the Soul is blinded Gen. 3.19 nay some so blind as hardly to see the Being of God That what once God said to Adam they are ready to say to God Where art thou Gen. 2.17 I know it is enquired what Death was threatned in those words Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Some think only the death of the Body But I thus argue That Death that followed mans sin was there threatned and the death that followed was the natural death of the Body the spiritual death of the Soul and the eternal death both of Body and Soul and therefore all was threatned in those words Thou shalt die Is it reasonable to think that the great Law-maker put more in the Execution than there was in the Threat In Adam you find no confession of Sin to God but adding Sin to Sin Gen. 3.10 When he fled God calls to him how doth he reply I heard thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid my self As if he had said I am hid because I heard thy voice it is exceeding
piercing it is the voice of a God and I am but Flesh and Blood and I cannot bear it But did he not hear Gods voice before Gen. 2.16 17. when God gave him a charge not to eat of the Tree in the midst of the Garden I was naked was another Excuse Gen. 2.25 Were they not before both naked and not ashamed When God told Adam plainly of his Sin Gen. 3.11 Hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat One would think now there is no room for an excuse verse 12. you read The woman thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat He layes it on the woman but the woman could not compell though she did tempt Nay rather than take the blame to himself he layes it on God Thou gavest If thou hadst not given me the woman she had not tempted nor I eaten Few know or consider the hardning nature of Sin One might have expected he should have cryed Lord pity me Lord contrive a way to shew mercy if there be any or if none Lord thou art just in all the evil that shall come upon me So was man exposed to all Judgments temporal distempers troubles losses death and at last to eternal Judgments where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire is never quenched And now to these Meditations I shall add a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Mourn over your selves and Brethren fallen into sin and misery Complaints against Adam are in vain Complaints against God are worse It was necessary as Calvin sayes that the will of man should be flexibilis in utramque partem God having made man it was convenient he should put him on Tryal of Obedience God gave him but one Law not many an easie one not difficult a negative one not positive no thanks had been to Adam to obey if he could not have disobeyed Consider it and it fell out that he sinned What have we lost in losing Paradise and the blessings there When Ziklag was burnt what an outcry was there 1 Sam. 30.3 4. So David and his men came to the City and behold it was burnt with fire and their Wives and their Sons and their Daughters were taken Captives What follows Then David and the People that were with him lift up their Voice and wept until they had no Power to weep What was Ziklag to Paradise what was the Captivity of the Body to that of the Soul How sadly do men look back on a burnt House and Treasures there and weep bitterly 2. Cry against the Tempter that you may through Grace out-wit him Was he too hard for man in innocency how much more now If any man wants wisdom let him ask it of God James 5. Cry to God against Satan as David against Ahithophel that God would confound the Policy of Ahithophel so Lord 2 Sam. 15.31 confound the Devices of the evil one 3. Strive against all Objections against God in this matter Though the Act Physically considered is of God yet not Morally And though it is true that second Causes cannot act without the first aliquid Positioum yet they may aliquid delinquens We have learnt of Adam to lay all on God To them that deny any thing of Predetermination I humbly offer this to Consideration Whether it be rational to imagine that it depended upon so pitiful and weak and changeable a thing as Adams Will without Gods Determination Whether Christ should come into the World and dye and so be a Saviour Whether the Providences of God in the World should be such as they are Whether the greatest part of Mankind should be in Hell for ever and thousands before the Throne Praising God for a Redeemer However Let every Mouth be stopped before God Luther says I put off questions about Gods Predeterminations with that of Christ to Peter when he asked an unnecessary question about John Joh. 22.23 What is that to thee follow thou me Officium agamus said Melancton Loci Com. disputationes de Predestinatione Seponamus Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Many would search out unsearchable Judgments and find out ways past finding out I will not cut a knot that I cannot untie We that cannot solve the Phoenomena of Nature how can we satisfie our selves about the great Mysteries of Religion We are by Nature Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 and let us not so curiously enquire how Original sin got into our Heart as carefully enquire how to get it out For that Objection against Sin in Infancy Obj. Omne peccatum est voluntarium Every sin is Voluntary Mel. in his Com. Places says that must be understood in civilibus Delictis in civil Offences among men and yet sin is voluntary in Infancy quia saith the same Author eo delectamur because we delight in it As for such foolish Questions Whether if Adam had begotten Children before he fell Sin had been imputed to those Children we will not waste time to consider them Catarinus affirmed Soto denyed Hist of the Council of Trent as F. P. says Run to Christ who by once Suffering can save you as Adam by once sinning hath destroyed you Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ was obedient unto Death Phil. 2.8 even the Death of the Cross The Law is in full force against every ungodly man God hath still his Power of commanding though we have thrown away our Power of obeying God sees more sin in one wrathful thought than we do in actual Murther in one covetous thought than we do in open Theft Oh then run to Jesus that justifieth that sanctifieth that saveth He is our Joseph that hath all the Store-houses of Provision in a time of Famine As the distressed Egyptians said to him let us say to Christ Gen. 47.18 19. We will not hide it from my Lord our money is gone Give us bread let us be Servants unto Pharaoh We will not nay we cannot hide it from our Lord All is gone let us have Grace from him that we may serve our God and all Believers must say to Jesus as they to Joseph v. 25. Thou hast saved our lives let us find Grace in the sight of our Lord. When sin had slain us Christ had Compassion on us as David had on his Son when his own Folly had ruin'd him 2 Sam. 18.33 And the King was much moved and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my Son my Son Yet Absalom sought his Fathers Crown and Life and we would be as Gods Christ feem'd to say over us Would to God I might dye for thee and indeed it pleased the Father to bruise Isa 53.10 I believe that Adam through this Christ was saved Gen. 3.16 God
immediately on the fall applyed himself to him and promised a Redeemer Paul to the Romans makes Adam a Figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 If sin and guilt might have made any man pine away Adam had been the man that opened the Flood-gates of Sin and Wrath to break in upon the World and was the ruine of the greatest part of his Posterity yet hearing of a Saviour he lived almost a thousand years We are not so to mourn for sin as to forget to rejoyce in Christ our Saviour Of this blessed Saviour I shall speak in the next Chapter CHAP. II. Of the Sufferings of Christ MEDITATIONS GOD is more pleased with the Sufferings of Christ than displeased with the Sin of Adam he more loveth us as the Children of Christ than he hated us as the Children of Adam We must often consider the Death of Christ and be affected with it It was Prophesyed of old Zach. 12.10 They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for the loss of an only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born And O what wringing of hands what deep Groans what doleful Out-cryes are there made oftentimes for the loss of an onely Child or First-born Act 2.37 What made Peters Converts to be prickt at the Heart but the Preaching of a crucified Christ I shall here consider 1. What Crucifying was 2. Who were the Agents in this Work 3. Who and what he was on whom this Cruelty was acted 1. For the manner of Crucifying There was Lignum Geminum as the learned Weems speaks at large in his Christian Synagogue The Cross had four things Arrectarium or Main-tree Scabellum the Tree where the feet were Nailed Lignum transversum whereunto their Arms were fastned with Cords and there Nail'd Vertex the Title with the Inscription above the Head This way of putting to Death was so shameful and so lingring that the Romans inflicted it on none but Slaves or the vilest sort of men Constantine in Honour of Christ took away this Punishment Christ had carryed his own Cross as all Crucified Persons did but they had so weakned him Mat. 27.32 that they made Simon of Cyrene to carry it not out of Kindness to Christ but hatred lest he being so severely handled before should faint by the way and their blood-shot eyes lose the Pleasure of beholding him tormented on the Cross The Romans call'd this Punishment Servile Supplicium for the reason before-named 2. We come to consider the Actors in this woful Tragedy They were not the prophane Gentiles or common Rabble among the Jews that only did this but the High Priest the Scribes the Pharisees 1. They that had so long prayed and waited for his coming Before he came into the world the Devout Jews thought Blessed were the eyes that should see the promised Messiah in the Flesh It was a Petition commonly made by them in their Giving of Thanks at their Tables Let our eyes be made worthy to see the Messiah in the Flesh What cryes were there Isa 64.1 O that he would rend the Heavens and come down Malachi that closed up the Old Testament foretold how though they longed for him yet they could not stand before him Mal. 3.1 2. Behold I will send my Messenger and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight But what follows But who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like Refiners Fire and as Full●rs Sope. He dealt too plainly with the world con●erning their Sin and Duty to be welcom'd by them They expected a Messias to deliver them from the power of the Romans and God sent a Messias to deliver from the power of the Devil 2. They that were acquainted with the Law and the Prophets That might by Types and Prophesies have known that Christ was the promised Saviour 3. They that heard his Doctrine and saw his Miracles His Doctrine was spitual and Heavenly reaching the Heart and Soul His Miracles were not done in a Corner as feeding many thousands with a few Loaves his raising Lazarus from the Dead 3. We now come to consider who and what he was who thus suffered 1. He that did their Bodies so much good Paul sayes for a good man some would even dare to die Though scarcely for a Righteous man Rom. 5.7 That is consider him as righteous before God and so few love him so well as to die for him but consider him as good to man so some would lose their lives for him But here they were so far from dying for this good man that they contrived his death He cured all sorts of men of all sorts of Distempers he raised the Dead c. 2. He that came to save Souls from endless burnings and to bring them to endless Blessedness 1 Thes 1.10 It is not more true that our Bodies and Souls are now in the world than that they had been in endless misery had not Christ dyed 3. He that was God God suffered in the Person Acts 20.28 though not in the Nature Hence it is that his Temporal Sufferings were as much as our Eternal would have been Christ had his Sonship but not his Substance from the Father who begat him in respect of Personality not of Essence The dignity of his person made the Sin of crucifying him so great I will suppose that all the Saints in Heaven and Earth were met together yea that all the Angels were incarnate and among them and that a man or number of men should murther them all this Sin were no sin in comparison of what I now speak of the Crucifying of the Lord of Glory Christ suffered from first to last In his Birth for the Ancient of Dayes to be born in time for the Eternal God to become a Babe this is soon said but who understands the depth of these things Luke 2.12 And this shall be a sign unto you you shall find the Babe wrapped in swadling-cloaths lying in a Manger yet was all ordered by the infinite wisdom of God Had Christ been the Son of Herod or Caesar then it had been no wonder that all the world went out after him but that one so obscurely born should carry the world before him was wonderful John when in Patmos Rev. 11.15 foresaw That the Kingdoms of the World would become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ which then was very unlikely in outward appearance He was sorely tempted by the Devil we read at large in Mat. 4. Gods end in all we have Heb. 2.18 Being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Ask the Saints what Suffering this is that often sweat under this Saddle when they are tempted to hate God or distrust him have such suggestions as are not fit
to be named He was despised in his common converse with men Luk. 8.20 The Foxes had their holes and the Birds of the Air their nests but Jesus had not where to lay his head He was reviled as one that had a Devil Joh. 10.20 Mark 2.16 Luk. 22.44 and was made as a Friend of Publicans and Sinners In his Agonies in the Garden He sweat drops of Blood though it were such a cold season that one might think would have struck the Blood inward It was a cold time for Peter stood to warm himself Our Sin was the heavy burthen that lay upon him When and after he was Betrayed Betrayed he was by a Friend a Bosome-friend to be Betrayed and that in point of Life and all by an intimate acquaintance goes near the Heart What David said to him that betrayed might Christ say to Judas Had it been an Enemy Psal 11.13 14. I could have born it but it was thou my Companion we took sweet Counsel together and walked together as Friends He was severely handled by Souldiers who batter'd his Ears with Blasphemy as well as tormented his Body when he was on the Cross Mat. 27. v. 39 40. they waged their Heads tell him of what he was accused vers 41 42 43. The great men revile him when usually men that scarce pray all the year long for themselves if they see any infamous Criminal executed they never tell him in a way of scoffing of his Fault or Crime but say God be merciful to his Soul At last Christ cryes out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must warily understand this not as if God had forsaken Christ in respect of Strength for an Angel was sent to strengthen him Luk. 22.33 nor in respect of Essence nor of Complacency but God forsook him as to present comfort in a great measure Imagine you stood as the Devout Women at the Cross and saw this I now come to lay down a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Look on and wonder Are these things so 2 Tim. 3.1 Then great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh If it be a Mystery it cannot be fathomed Wonder at what Christ is and at what he doth What he is Prov. 30.4 It was the wise mans Probleme or hard Question What is his name or his Sons name if thou canst tell His Name is called Wonderful Isa 9.6 Wonder that the Divinity did not swallow up the Humanity that the fire and the bush can so well agree together All the Attributes of God are given to Christ all the Works of God spoken of him as of Creation Sanctification Glorification Therefore Christ is God not only by name or secundum divi but God by Nature He was God that he might satisfie he was Man that he might suffer Wonder at what he doth Patereulus says that when the Lacedemonians opposed Attica the Pythian God told them that that Army whose General was taken should conquer Codrus deposita veste regia c. Codrus laying aside his Princely Robes went among his enemies and was slain by them Our King on Maunday Thursday so call'd as some say because of the Command of Love Christ gave his Disciples before his Passion Mandatum novum do vobis I say our King useth to wash the feet of as many poor People as he hath lived years and yet not the less a King for this humble act Our Lord Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords dyed that we might live abased himself that he might exalt us Psalm 126.1 2. When God delivered the Church out of Babylon by Cyrus they were like men that dreamed How much more should we be Astonished at our deliverance from Sin and Satan by Jesus Christ 2. Let Love be attactive of Love Let the Love of Jesus to us make us to Love him I have read of Agilmond King of the Lombards that one day he went a fishing and saw a Babe sprawling in the Water perhaps a base child he took it up and made it his adopted Son and called him Lama and left him his Crown and Kingdom You may easily imagine what delight this Lama took in seeing of King Algilmond whilst he lived and in thinking and speaking of this King after he was dead How excellently doth God express his love to the poor Jews of old Ezek. 16.4 5 6. As for thy Nativity in the day thou wast born thy Navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water None eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live And lest this should be soon passed over the Holy Ghost bids them as it were stand and hear it the second time Yoa I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live When Tiberius was in a Village named Spelunca Stones fell from the house where he was Sejanus genu vultu manibusque super Caesarem suspensis opposuit sese satis incidentibus saith Tacitus Sejanus covered the Emperour that if the Stones fell where they were Sejanus might die and not the Emperour which as the Historian observes made the Emperour ever after to love Sejanus though he loved him not before The wrath of God fell from Heaven because of mans sin Christ hath embraced the Sinner and that wrath hath fallen on him that else had crushed us O let us love him let us not be satisfied till we find our hearts burning in love 3. Crucifie Sin that crucified Christ Be the death of those Sins that were the death of Jesus Pride Wrath Covetousness and every abominable thing which the Soul of God hates Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Sin is onely destroyed by his death had not Christ dyed for us we could no more have killed our Corruptions or been made Saints than the Devils can cease to be Devils and become Angels 4. Come to God as those that expect to be justified no other way but by Christ and his Righteousness In him is God well pleased with Believers The Names given to Christ are in Scripture given to a Christian as Son of God an Heir King yea the name Christ The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.12 As many Members make one Body even so is Christ Where it is understood not of Christ personally but mystically for Christians or the Church of Christ Now as Adams sins is imputed to us though he and not we disobeyed so Christs Righteousness is imputed to us though he not we obeyed 2 Cor. 5. last verse Though Adams Sin be imputed to us yet we were not the first sinners nor the involvers of all Mankind