Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A34921
|
Isagoge ad Dei providentiam, or, A prospect of divine providence by T.C., M.A.
|
T. C., M.A.
|
1672
(1672)
|
Wing C6818; ESTC R4623
|
270,847
|
560
|
from starving Remember that Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I â—ill never leave thee nor forsake thee OBSERVATION XXIII There are the signal Sallies remarkable Excursions or Displays of Providence as they respect the sons of men in the course of life CHAP. I. BEFORE was shewed how Providence runs hand in hand as it were with man from the Cradle to the Crutch of old age a Race there is from the birth even to death Here now something offers it self to be spoken unto as remarkable in this Race and this is termed forth under the notions of signal Sallies remarkable Excursions or Displays of Providence And that there are such Sallies Excursions c. appears 1. From God's manner of appearing to and for the Patriarchs of old There were some certain and eminent seasons for such appearances So Noah had a discovery to make an Ark when the Flood was to be brought Gen. 6. 13 14. Abraham experienceth solemn visits of Providence Gen. 12. 1 7. Gen. 13. 14. Gen. 14. 13. with Isa 41. 2. Gen. 15. 1. Gen. 17. 1. Gen. 18. 1. Gen. 21. 12. Gen. 22. As God did appear to him so for him and that wonderfully according as his case was so Gen. 20. 3. Psal 105. 14. Others as Jacob Joseph Moses might be instanced in whose lives are recorded in the Scriptures and passages to this purpose in their lives are obvious and may be touched in the following discourse and therefore I forbear further amplification 2. From Promises which do seminally contain such signal Sallies Excursions or Displays of Providence Such as the Tree such the fruit If there be a promise to Abraham That God will give his posterity a visit in Egypt as Gen. 15. 14. what follows but as is said Psal 80. 8. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt Are there Promises referring to Spirituals and Temporals Accordingly will be the Disphyâ— of Providence as shall make most for God's glory and the good of parties who are concerned in such promises 3. From the Attributes of God the glory whereof in an eminent manner the Lord consults at some seasons All the Israelites nights were not nights of observation in comparison of that night when the starrs of God's Attributes did so gloriously shine in their going forth from Egypt Exod. 12. 41 42. So in Psal 102 16. When the Lord shall build up Zion be shall appear in his glory There are seasons for the Lord's Attributes to have on their Festival Robes 4. From the object-matter of such Sallies Excursions or Displays of Providence The object may be considered in regard of temporals and spirituals The Providence of God like a glorious Sun casts its beam on each of these We may here consider the Sallies of Providence according to the subsequent miscellaneous order First There are the Nativity-Cradle-Minority-Dispensations Thou are he that took me out of the womb saith the Psalmist Psal 22. 9. He doth not say the Midwife though she might be the ministring-Instrument Benjamin is born and his Mother dyes when he comes into the world his Mother goes out Gen. 35. 18 19. Moses is born when a bloody-Statute was on foot against the Males of the Israelites there was an Ark of Providence as well as an Ark of Bull-rushes for his preservation A conjunction there was of many gracious acts of Providence as well as an artificial conjunction of the Bull-rushes as the story declares Exod. 2. Our Saviour Christ in his minority as man had an hedg of Providence set about him to keep off a pushing and goring-Herod Mat. 2. 13. That eminent servant of God Peter Du Moulin was Utque mirabili Dei Providentiâ quando puer ad necem quaerebaris inhorrenda clade Bartholomaeâ servatus ancillae maximè industria fuisti Doct. Hornbeck Sum. Controv. Epist Dedic ad Moliâ— wonderfully preserved being a little one in the time of the Parisian Massacre The murthering Papists shall not stop the breath of him who must live to serve God with his Tongue and cut the throat of the Popish Cause with his Pen. Secondly There are some signal Sallies of Providence with respect to the Calling or Employment of parties So in Joseph who is a None-such for wisdom and trust in Pharaoh's eye Gen. 41. 38 39 40. Amos relates the story of God's Providence in his call to the Lord's work and that after a signal sort Amos 7. 14 15. Wonderful is the Providence of God sometimes in a strong byassing of a Parent 's spirit to intend such or such a Child for the Sacred Ministry otherwhiles the Providence of God is wonderful in so wheeling matters as that a Child otherwise intended is like the Flower-de-luce in the Mariners Card in motion till it settle towards the North-pole The Lord will find a way or make one to the Pulpit or Professors chairs of Divinity Junius was designed for Court-life his Father was willing his Son should be godly but not a Preacher of godliness but yet he is both for so it fell out that before a supplicatory Letter sent from the Son in order to his abiding longer at Geneva comes to the hands of the Father his Father was slain by the hands of the Popish-party in a tumult as that eminent servant of the Lord doth declare in the History of his own Life Thirdly There are remarkable Displays of Providence with respect to some particular Affairs and Negotiations of persons and that 1. By way of prospering them Thus Abraham's servant in that clause of his prayer O Lord God of my master Abraham if now thou dâ— prosper my way which I go intimates Gen. 24. 42. The Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man and he was in the house of his Master the Egyptian and his Master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand Gen. 39. 2 3. David behaved himself wisely and the Lord was with him 1 Sam. 18. 14. The seventy Disciples returned again with joy saying Lord even Devils are subject unto us through thy name Luke 10. 17. The hand of the Lord was with them who were scattered by reason of persecution and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord Acts 11. 21. For I saith Paul will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 18 19. Ita mihi omnibus in rebus omnibusque modis adfuit Christus ut etiamsi maxime velim tamen dicere non possim quod per me non effecerit ut gentes Evangelio obedirent Beza ad locum 2. By way of crossing them and cursing too as the Lord sees
the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God To this of the Apostle add what Solomon hath as pertinent for a period here and oh that it might put a period to further deeds of darkness Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12. 13 14. OBSERVATION XXII PROVIDENCE runs parallel with the line of man's life Or Providence reacheth from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave CHAP. I. AS there is a general inspection of God over all the Creatures as hath been before shewed so there is a more special over Man the Flower of the Creation next to Angels And this more special Inspection Care or Providence is co-extensive to the life of man which may be evidenced from the Scripture as followeth 1. It is plainly and positively asserted The Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men from the place of his habitation He fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works Psal 33. 13 14 15. To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven a time to be born and a time to dye c. Eccles 3. 1. See Mat. 10. 29 30 31. Coelum non est otiosum palatium sed Dei regia e quâ Imperium suum per omnes mundi partes cum summâ ratione sapientiâ exercet Mollerus 2. It 's acknowledged by the Lord's people in their addresses to him But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breast I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly Psal 22. 9 10. O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works now also when I am old and gray-headed O God forsake me not Psal 71. 17 18. 3. Otherwise that Principle of undoubted Verity In him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 28. would expire before man breathe out his last If there be not a constant motion of Providence from life to death the sense must be In him we live not move not and have not our being 4. The Scripture descends particularly 1. To the Actions of man 2. To what befalls man and that by way of reference to the Providence of God First The Actions of man fall under a threefold consideration 1. As Natural as eating drinking walking talking sleeping these are subjected to the Providence of God They are like to make but a poor meal who have both mouths and meat if they find not grace in the eyes of the Lord. While the flesh was yet between the teeth of the Israelites yer it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people Numb 11. 33. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. But I will come shortly to you if the Lord will 1 Cor. 4. 19. The answer of the tongue is from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. On that night could not the King sleep Esth 6. 1. For so he giveth his beloved sleep Psal 137. 2. 2. As Civil or Political such are ploughing buying selling It is said of the Husbandman his God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him Isa 28. 26. The Apostle James reads to buyers and sellers a good and savoury lecture he willeth them to eye Providence for though they are Masters of their own Trade yet not Masters of their own Lives and what becomes of the intentional bargains then in a moment yea of what they have gotten through succeeding Providence when they are swept away by death which proves at times the death of their Wealth their Estates and Affairs lying raw and undigested and being left in the hands of Fools or Knaves See James 4. 13 14 15. 3. As Moral and that whether good or bad As for actions good no man unless he he forget himself to be a man will appropriate that to himself as a Fountain of which he is but a Cistern for who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4. 7. See James 1. 17. And as for actions bad which are vulgarly so termed though Providence be not an author of them yet it is a spotless actor in and about them the foul acts in a man's lame-foot and yet lameness is not chargeable on the soul God is an holy God notwithstanding the displays of Providence in and about the Sins of men as hath elsewhere been discovered Secondly What befalls man is reducible to the Providence of God Not only the Honey but the Gall of man's life hath its being from Him I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Isa 45. 7. Job in that Doxology of his acknowledgeth this The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1. 21. CHAP. II. 1. LOOK back how Providence hath dealt with thee in time past Jacob did so as is left on record Gen. 48. Moses the Man of God in the book of Deuteronomy which may may be termed the book of Moses Farewel-Sermons preach't a Month before his death as some observe doth commend to the Israelites a survey of God's Providence towards them he willeth them particularly to take a view both of Mercies and Afflictions Thy raiment saith he waxed not old upon thee neither did thy foot swell these forty years thou shalt also consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Deut. 8. 4 5. 2. Take encouragement for time to come to trust in God Some are miserably baffled with temptations for futurity How shall they do What may befall them and the like here is both an Antidote and a Remedy against this Disease Providence runs parallel with the line of life and this may quiet and compose the spirit if well thought on and improved But more particularly consider here three things 1. Providence is not tired It is a mighty Giant not wearied with half-racing Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40. 28. 2. The experience of an hitherto-Providence may sweetly invite to wait on God for futurity So David reasoneth Thou art my Lamp O Lord and the Lord will lighten my darkness for by thee I have run thorow a troop by my God have I leaped over a wall 2 Sam. 22. 29 30. So Paul too 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. 3. The Promises are not empty breasts There is enough in them to keep faith