Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	life_n	old_a	5,148	5	5.6715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93917	A learned and very usefull commentary upon the whole prophesie of Malachy, by that late Reverend, Godly and Learned Divine, Mr. Richard Stock, sometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadstreet, London, and now according to the originall copy left by him, published for the common good. Whereunto is added, An exercitation vpon the same prophesie of Malachy / by Samuel Torshell.	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.; Torshell, Samuel, 1604-1650. Exercitation upon the prophecie of Malachy.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5692A; ESTC R184700	652,388	677

Covenant is here amplified by the parts of the Covenant First on Gods part which is double a Gratious promise of life and peace and a faithfull performance My Covenant was with him of life and peace That is I covenanted with him and tooke him into favour and made a league and agreement with him and by my covenant I bound my selfe to give him first life that is length of dayes here on earth Saint Hieroms opinion of the life of grace here and of glory hereafter is not greatly probable hardly any instance of the like interpretation and that peace following after not so to be understood of spirituall peace but of an outward prosperity in this life and so they who incline to Hierom in the former understand it And it must needs be according to that which is Numb 25.12.13 Wherefore say to him Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace and he shall have it and his seed after him even the covenant of the Priests office for ever because he was zealous for his God and hath made an attonement for the children of Israel For the covenant of peace is expounded by the perpetuall Priesthood And in other places the branches of this covenant are set downe in the abundance of outward things by the offering and other means both to the Priests Numb 18.8 ad 20.26.30 and for the Levites Numb 18.21.24.31 And I gave them him Gods performance As I promised him these things so I did very certainly and assuredly perform to Aaron and Phineas and others who did performe conditions and covenant with me and will do to as many as shall so deal also with me For my feare Now he comes to the second containing the conditions performed by Levi and these are the fear of God and humilitie Some read it I gave him my fear which is true and agrees well with the doctrine of faith for the feare of God is the gift of God Jer. 32.40 but the words are otherwise I gave him these for the feare wherewith he feared me Because he beleeved my word and honoured me in his place and lookt to my worship in himselfe and others I honoured him and gave him these things And was afraid before my Name Iunius readeth it He was destroyed for my Name i. for not honouring my Name Numb 20.12.24.28 But the whole speech here is against it for he intending to set forth the care which Aaron and his sonnes had of the worship of God and to commend him rather then tax his infirmities It is rather he was humbled before me he walked humbly and lowly and did all in humility not lifting up himselfe either for his high calling or for his faithfull service The parts of the covenant which is the Priests dignity And first on Gods part and first his promise Long life and the length of dayes is the blessing and gift of God Doctrine that which he promiseth and performeth to all those who feare him and walke in his wayes Prov. 10.27 The feare of the Lord increaseth the dayes but the yeares of the wicked shall be diminished and 16.31 Exod. 20.12 Deuter. 25.45 1 Kings 3.14 And if thou wilt walke in my wayes to keepe mine ordinances and my commandments as thy father David did walke I will prolong thy dayes Psal 91.16 Because God will be glorified by his in this life Reason 1 as the Psalmist I will not dye but live and declare the workes of the Lord. Now the longer they live the more they may glorifie God then it is a blessing Because it is a blessing to helpe many Reason 2 and to draw many unto God in this life but that is done by living long seeing it is so long before a man comes to be able to doe either many of his yeares and dayes spent before he be fit for it But many of the children of God dye untimely Object and live not long how then is this true This is not simply a blessing Answer as if he were happy that lives long but as a symbole or signe of Gods good favour and love If then he shewes his love to some rather by taking them out of this life then by prolonging their daies he doth the rather performe his promife then breake it A man promiseth ten acres of ground in one field and gives him an hundreth in another he hath not broken his promise So if God have promised long life that is an hundred yeares here and after not give it him but gives him eternity in the heavens hath not broken his promise for it being not promised as a blessed and happy thing in it selfe but as a signe of his good will which is greater sometimes to be taken out of this life As Ieroboams good sonne was that he might not be infected with the sinnes of his fathers house and not afflicted with the sight of those horrible judgements that were to fall upon that gracelesse family which was no ill bargaine to be taken from earth to heaven from the conflict to the triumph from the battell to the victory from men to God and to the company of his Angells and Saints This is to admonish old men to be thankefull unto God for his mercy in preserving them so long Vse 1 and lengthening their dayes specially if they have beene found in the way of righteousnesse Prov. 16.31 If they have feared God and walked uprightly and humbly before him it hath beene his blessing upon them and mercy to them otherwise it hath beene but a curse unto them for they have but lived to heape up wrath against the day of wrath and to make up a greater measure of their sinnes that God may make a greater measure of vengeance So that it had beene better for them never to have beene borne or else to have dyed so soone as they were borne for the longer they live the more sinnes they commit and the greater shall be their torments But greater shall be his glory that is found in the way of righteousnesse and in wel-doing because he hath more glorified God And he ought still to use this as a blessing of God that he may glorifie him more and fit himselfe more for him and for his service imagining that as old age is a blessing so is it a bond that he should performe as Psa 71.17 18. O God thou hast taught me from my youth even untill now therefore will I tell of thy wonddrous workes Yea even unto mine old age and gray head O God forsake me not untill I have declared thine arme unto this generation and thy power to all them that shall come And if he have borne it in his youth it will be lesse burdensome in his old age for to others it is heavy Then is it lawfull for a man to pray for long life Vse 2 that he may live to glorifie God here so did David Psalm 102.27 so Hezekiah Isaiah 38.3 True it is that a Christian man should be equally prepared to life or death for

in things wherein a man cannot certainely know which will make more for the glory of God and their owne good and salvations the will of man should be equally prepared for both lest it should resist God so in this And because he should lesse torment and vex himselfe with the desire of life or feare of death yet is it not unlawfull for him to pray for life for the grounds before so he pray for it as for other things conditionally Truth is that of Solomon Eccles 7.1 The day of death is better then the day of ones birth because of miseries and fearefull times when it is like as August to be Diù vivere diù torquere to live long to be vexed long Or as Cyprian * Non solum fidelibus inutilis non est mors verumetiam utilis reperitur quoniam peocandi periculis hominem substrahit in non peceandi securitatem constituit Death is not only not unprofitable to believers but profitable because it sets a man out of danger of sinning and puts him in a security of not sinning Yet proves it not that it is the more to be desired When as a man may shew his patience and spirituall fortitude in his owne miseries and the more he suffers and conquers the more he shall be glorified And in other mens miseries he may shew piety comfort and good will towards other and mercie to them in their miseries and finde himselfe the more mercie And his sinnes he may breake off not by ending his life but by amending of it by true repentance And so his age may be a crown of righteousnesse He is a wise Physitian that knowes how to temper his medicine that it will confirme health And he is a wise man who learnes so to live that a good death may follow after Peace plenty prosperity a prosperous estate Doctrine and plenty of outward things a liberall portion God hath promised and will performe to those who feare him and will walke in his wayes 1 Tim. 4.8 Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable unto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Deut. 28.1 Psal 84.11 Because they may by them be better able both to glorifie God Reason 1 benefit men being helps of their weaknes and strength to their infirmities Because he might encourage them against all the discouragements they shall finde in professing his feare Reason 2 and by these ballance them that they be not driven backe from him by the tempests Satan will stirre up against them They who have the true feare of God Vse 1 may best be and live without carping care for the things of his life they may best take the Apostles exhortation Let their conversation be without covetousnesse Heb. 13.5 For they have his promise and covenant to be provided for of a liberall and rich portion he that hath covenanted with a rich wealthy man and one of great power with a Prince of a countrey that he shall be in safety and abundance under him for such and such service hath taken all care he will for it onely his care is to use it well so it should be with these And farre better may it be seeing his power and riches exceedeth all he hath promised and will performe and though the Lions lacke and suffer hunger yet shall they lack nothing at all who feare the Lord. But many wicked men voyd of Gods feare have more abundance then most of those who feare him Be it so yet is not this crossed for as the life of man consists not in abundance so not their prosperity when they have competencie And a little that is sufficient which the righteous hath where there is contentment with it is better then great riches of the ungodly And if such have not so great abundance and seeme sometime to be scanted it is either beause they have some secret sin known to God which shuts up his hand towards them or because they seek them indirectly which God makes frustrate or he sees how their hearts would be upon them and stolne away from him and that riches would devoure or for a time obscure their religion knowing their hearts better then themselves or as Chrysost 〈◊〉 16. ad popul Antioch He first makes men fit to use and dispose the riches he meanes to give them and after gives them riches * Nisi hoc fecisset divitiarum erogatio non donum sed ultio fuisset poena Which lesse he had done the bestowing of riches had not beene a gift but a punishment and revenge This publicke and generall charter of God hath these exceptions To teach every man what is the nighest and readiest way Vse 2 what is the Kings high-way to prosperity and plenty to riches and wealth the feare of God and the walking in his wayes Many men who hasten to riches and have set downe with themselves and resolved to be rich take many wayes to it by false weights and measures by cozenning or deceit by flattery or other wicked courses Happily a man may come to riches or abundance sooner then another that keepes the Kings high-way as he that hath found a bye and casting way may come to his journeyes end speedier then he that keepes the ordinary way but they shall not prosper with him Prov. 20.21 An heritage is hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed But poverty shall come upon him Prov. 28.22 A man with a wicked eye hasteth to riches and knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him And he shall be guilty of much sinne and bring much sorrow upon himselfe Prov. 22.20 1 Tim. 6.9.10 But they who take the right way shall be sure of them and not finde sorrowes with them For so Gods blessing makes rich for they shall have them by vertue of his covenant and as testimonies of his love which is farre better then farre greater riches if it be but a pittance And I gave them him That he had promised that he performed God in his will and decrees covenants and promises Doctrine is most certaine and sure So much is here and James 1.17 To comfort those who live in toruble and affliction in this life Vse the Lord will make good all his promises to them in due time upon this should they stay themselves as the Anchor hold fast against all temptations herewith should they comfort themselves As Psal 119.49.50 Remember the promise made to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickened me As Abraham said Gen. 22.8 God will provide it may be in this life but if the leaves fall the rootes are sure to stand though earthly things are not alwayes performed because they are not absolutely promised yet heavenly and eternall shall My feare Or for the feare wherewith he feared me The conditions on the Priests part

either perfectly which is either in this life by imputation of his holinesse putting on his garments upon them as Ionathan did to David after their league or else in the life to come by full perfection inherent when they shall be like him in holinesse and glory Or it is partially and begunne in this life whereas they are inlightned as the Moone by the Sunne yet have their spots their errors so are they sanctified and put in a new hew as the fuller doth a cloth or garment yet the old threeds appeare in them Of this is it here spoken and for this is he thus called and to this tends that 1 Corinthians 1.30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption And Cap. 6.11 and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Heb. 2.11 Ephes 5.26 VERS III. And he shall sit downe to try and fine the silver he shall even fine the sonnes of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in righteousnesse AND he shall sit downe to try He shall sit downe to try and fine the silver The third similitude by which Christ is described is from the Goldsmith The summe is that as he sitting in his shoppe by his fornace doth purge the drosse and corruption from the silver so will Christ purge corruption from those which are his He shall sit Noting the dilligence and constancy and care of Christ in this worke i. He shall not doe it lightly or cursorily but seriously and dilligently being marveylous attentive upon the worke for then we sit when we would doe any thing seriously and with all care and endeavour So Psal 1.1 and 50.20 And fine the silver Septuag and fining as silver or as a man that fineth silver for the Hebrewes often omit the note of similitude and the people some thinke is compared to silver because they are so excellent in respect of others which are but iron to them Some because silver hath this of it nature that it is most mixed with other mettalls and mineralls and by the fire is made most pure so they by the vertue of Christs death And he shall purge the sonnes of Levi. The parties whom he should purge understanding not those who were such by nature but such as were spirituall Priests such as were true and lawfull Priests dedicated to the perpetuall and holy service of God And purifie them as gold and silver Hee expresseth the same thing againe and againe that it might be more certaine and firme and to shew that their purity should be very great for these mettals are of all others most accurately purged with the fire lest any rust or drosse should remaine with them That they may bring offerings Here is an effect of Christ purging of them that their sacrifices being polluted and corrupt before should now be pure and holy and be made acceptable to the Lord. In these words are noted the purity of them in the next the acceptablenesse of them Christ is to his as a Goldsmith Doctrine or Goldfiner he that purgeth and purifieth them from their drosse of sinne and corruption which is as the former perfectly in the life to come when as all blots and every spot shall be removed Ephes 5.27 or partially in this life where as all is pardoned so purged but not whole sinne neither if it were can he be perfectly free because living in an infected ayre they cannot but draw in some corruption which though it prevaile not to death yet it will corrupt them still and infect them But Christ he purgeth them and hence is washing of us given unto him Revel 1.5 and cleansing 1 John 1.7 And the baptisme of spirit and fire Matth. 3.11 that as fire he takes away drosse and rust Hence he is said to be Iesus Matth. 1.21 because he saves his people from their sinnes not à culpa onely and à poena but à contagione Hence that Rom. 6.3 we are partakers of his death to make us to dye to sinne and sinne to dye in us Galat 6.14 Because he might make way for holinesse and purity Reason 1 for else the new man cannot be put on unlesse the old man be destroyed men cannot be renued in the spirit of their mindes unlesse they cast off the old man and he be taken from them As the Serpent cannot receive new strength unlesse she first put off her old skin or coate passing and pressed by the straitnesse of her denne or hole So cannot we put on the new unlesse we put off the old August de doct Christi lib. 2. cap. 16. Therefore to make way for that Christ first must purge us from sinne Because he might make us like him Reason 2 he was made like us in all things save in sinne this makes us unlike this then will he take and purge from us that we might be as he without sinne Because we might serve him Reason 3 he desires to have service from us which cannot be unlesse he purge away sinne and destroy it in us for else we shall serve it and we cannot serve two masters Therefore hee destroyes this that wee might not serve it Rom. 6.6 And so might be free to serve him Luke 1.74 To try and fine the silver Drosse is not easily separated from mettall and silver but with the violence and heat of the fire is it tryed and fined insinuating unto us by this how hardly and with what force sin is separated from us how close it sticks by us and with what a doe it is separated The sinnes and corruptions of Gods children sit close to them Doctrine and cleave fast are not to be separated but with much force and violence As drosse to silver Heb. 12.1 To shew this belong those speeches of sacrificing Galat. 5.24 Of mortifying Collo 3.5 of cutting off and pulling out the right hand and right eies Mat. 5.29 30. proved also by that Jer. 13.23 Can the blacke Moore change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evill And Mich 6.7 Men wil give any thing rather then part with sin Because it is naturall unto them as to others Reason 1 brought into the world with them Now as the proverbe That which is bred in the bone will hardly out of the flesh And as naturall and hereditarie diseases stricke the fastest and most heard to be cured so it is of sinne Because besides nature Reason 2 custome and continuance in them is adjoyned now custome is another nature and things bound with such a twofold cord both so strong will hardly be separated Custom oftentimes prevailes much and jura didicit immitare naturae Saint Chrysost But when custome and nature are joyned together who or what shall alter them No