Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	sin_n	world_n	6,776	5	5.1990	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39910	A discourse concerning God's judgements resolving many weighty questions and cases relating to them. Preached (for the substance of it) at Old Swinford in Worcester-shire: and now publish'd to accompany the annexed narrative, concerning the man whose hands and legs lately rotted off: in the neighbouring parish of Kings-Swinford, in Staffordshire; penned by another author. / by Simon Ford ...	Ford, Simon, 1619?-1699.; Illingworth, James, d. 1693. A just narrative or account of the man whose hands and legs rotted off.	1678 (1678)	Wing F1484; ESTC R28411	53,261	98

God and much less their future estate from the most evident Judgments temporally befalling them 1. Not their present estate towards God For a sore Judgment may befall a man greatly in Gods favour for a foul Crime as in the case of the Death of Davids child inflicted even after his Repentance for those hainous sins of Adultery and Murder because he had by them caused the Enemies of God to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 doth evidently appear 2. And much less must we thence judge their future estate in another world For there is no sufficient cause to judge even Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10.3 1 Sam. 6.19 2 Sam. 6.7 the inquisitive Bethshemites Vzzah and others damned though God smote them dead in unwarrantable actions Yea even Moses and Aaron themselves died by a Divine Sentence in the Wilderness for their sin at Meribah and yet one of them Moses we have sufficient evidence is in glory Mat. 17.3 and have no reason to doubt the case of the other Yea men may be judged of the Lord in the Apostles supposition when chastened with sickness and death extraordinary that they may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.30 31 32. 1 Cor. 5.5 and an offender delivered even to Satan may suffer to the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord i. e. in the private Judgment which he undergoes from the Lord at his death 7. That we assign not particular sins as the special Causes of a Divine Judgment too peremptorily except where the circumstances notoriously evince it by the Rules before given or some of them at least For if we be therein mistaken in our Judgment yea if there be no moral certainty that we are not mistaken such as may rationally convince the persons concerned and others thereof the end which we are supposed to design by such application to wit to render the particular sin to which we attribute the procuring that Judgment more formidable is lost upon those whom we particularly intend to benefit by it and others too and we our selves are liable to be censured for putting an uncharitable brand upon our brother without a cause 8. That we vaunt not or magnifie our selves against our suffering Brother by comparing our selves with him as if we were therefore the better men because we fare better at Gods Hands he This is one property of Charity among the many excellent characters given it by the Apostle that it vaunts not it self 1. Cor. 13.4 i. e. with the diminution of a mans brethren for else it were rather a description of Humility than Charity nor is upon such an account puffed up And the most uncharitable account upon which any man can vaunt to the lessening of his brother is when it is done meerly upon the difference that Gods only pleasure makes betwixt the one and the other This among many others was one great piece of uncharitableness in Jobs friends that having in his sad sufferings taxed him with being of the number of those whom God had signally branded with remarkable Judgments and a partner in guilt with those of the old world whose foundation was overflown with a flood Job 22.15 16 20 21 29 30. though he were differenced in his punishment being a sufferer by the contrary Element of fire they in the mean while boast that their substance was not cut down as being men more acquainted with God more humble more innocent as they imply when they advise Job upon their experience to become so too 9. That we make no mans religious living formerly or eminent profession of it no not though we have some cause to think him declined from it now by objecting it to him under suffering a part of his calamity nor occasion him whilst he suffers under Gods hand to suffer for his sake too A thing too usual when bad men apply the Judgments of God or those which they interpret to be such to good men or those who have had a reputation to be such beyond their neighbours For this is to give them as the Persecutors did to our Saviour gall and vinegar to drink when they have already bitterness enough upon their spirits from the Cup of their Cross that God appoints them to drink off This was to David as he tells us like a Sword in his bones when profane men said to him in his affliction Where is now thy God Psal 42.10 and when they cast in his Teeth as their successors did afterwards in our Saviours his former trusting in God as if it had either been Hypocritical Psal ●2 1 8 9. or if real misplaced on one that had thus forsaken him Now to deal thus with our neighbour is at all times greatly uncharitable For it either argues an hard censure of him that he is an hypocrite or a greater and fouler affront if we do not so esteem him for then we turn as the same Psalmist elsewhere taxeth men of the same uncharitable temper his glory into shame Psal 4.2 and endeavour to make that a matter of disgrace to him which is really most commendable 10. In a word That we do not rejoyce insult or triumph over any man under Gods hand upon any account much less revile and reproach him but really pitty bewail and condole with him rather and as we have opportunity instruct admonish comfort and pray for him For to do the former is the constant guise of those that in the character of Gods Holy Spirit in the Scripture are marked for wicked men The Heathen Edomites were such Obad. 1● and they rejoyced in the day of Judah's distress Davids Enemies being so to him on Gods account were such and in his adversity they rejoyced Psal 35.13 Our Saviours Persecutors were such and as they judged him smitten of God they shaked their heads at him upon the Cross Isa 53.4 See Mat. 27.40 41 42 43 44. Mark 15.29 c. and reviled him with most unsavoury and reproachful speeches And although there be several Passages in Scripture which seem to propound Gods Judgments as a glad spectacle to good men and a matter of rejoycing when they befall those that are notoriously wicked As when it is prophesied That the righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance c. Psal 58.10 And when God calls on all the Saints even in glory Apoc. 18.2 the holy Prophets and Apostles especially to rejoyce and triumph over Antichristian Babylon Yet it is to be observed that these and the like Texts relate only to such as were Gods publique and notorious enemies and the joy and triumph required or allowed in their destruction is only upon account of the success of his cause against them and the vindication of his Glory and Interests As appears remarkably in the Psalm quoted wherein he tells us how the observers should express their joy to wit by taking notice that verily there is a reward

nearest procuring Cause or Causes Answ He answered yes so it was in his case He stole a Bible from a Woman and being charged with it denied it with this fearful wish That his Hands might rot off if he stole it Quest Then I asked him whether his hands began to blacken or change Colour or tingle c. presently after the imprecation or that fearful wish of his Answ Answer'd no but his Conscience tingled sadly Quest John how long was it e're your hands began to rot or had any signs of putrefaction upon them after the Curse Answ About a fortnight Quest Have you made your peace with God for so great an offence Answ Being a man not apt to speak and ignorant withal made little answer only shaked his head Quest Have you asked the Woman forgiveness and to your power endeavoured to make satisfaction or if the Bible were in your hands to make Restitution Answ Yes he did send for her and she came accordingly and prayed God forgive him for she did Quest John canst pray I have not found in thee any motions or inclinations thereunto since I came Shakes his head again and nothing he said Quest John dost thou know how at so great a distance as sin hath made thee to go to the Father Answ Yes by Jesus Christ whispering it softly yet so as I might hear him Quest Then fearing he did not understand what Christ hath done for the World I very briefly opened to him the Tenor and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace and so how he must expect Mercy at the hands of God Answ Then so far as I could guess he began somewhat to relent for the Tears trickled down his cheeks and many Symptoms of conviction and sorrow seemed to be upon him saying these words or to this purpose For Gods sake Sir pray for me Quest John I am glad to see some though the least tokens of penitence in thee The Lord enlarge thine heart and make thy Conscience tender I am willing John to pray for thee and so I perceive is this whole company But it would be great satisfaction to us if you would acquaint us what we should more particularly desire of God on your account Answ Good Sir that my sins may be pardoned as loss of Time neglect of Duty and the service of God Quest Is not Sabbath-breaking one Answ O yes yes Quest Have you any thing else to say Answ No. Then let us pray Ending with the Lords Prayer he repeated the Petitions after me saying Amen with somewhat an elevated voice being observed to weep several times whilst we continued prayer After which I parted with him making me to promise him the continuation of my Prayers About a fortnight after he sends a Messenger to me to tell me he desired my company again at which time I made it my business not so much to ask him Questions as to inform him of those Truths that as I thought had a necessary conducency to our eternal peace Spending some hours with him that day as I could bear the noysom stench that then came from him Before I came away that time which was the last time that I saw him his Keeper told me that a Popish Priest had been with him some few days before earnestly endeavouring to proselyte him to their Religion using this Argument That if he would turn Roman Catholick I will pawn my Soul to thy Soul thou shalt be saved But all he could obtain of the poor man was only this that he would consider of it Then asking John Duncalf whether this was true He answered Yes Praying with him I took my final leave and farewell This is all worthy Sir that I know concerning him I can only add that I am Your most humble Servant JONATH NEWEY Kinfare Aug. 17. 1677. WE whose Names are hereunto subscribed living in the Neighbourhood of Kings-Swinford where John Duncalf the subject of the preceding Narrative whilst Gods hand was so severely upon him for the most part resided and having most of us visited him and discoursed him in that condition and the rest of us received frequent Informations of the Passages herein mentioned from a multitude of credible Witnesses do in order to the rendring so useful a Relation more creditable so far as we are known attest that we judge it to be very exactly and impartially penned in all the particulars and especially in those Passages of it which contain the frequent serious acknowledgements of the mentioned John Duncalf That he did imprecate that Judgment upon himself which is here expressed and upon the occasion here related which he made not only in the hearing of the Author but also of most of us as also in the substance of those that relate the rotting off of his Hands and Legs before his death in the manner herein mentioned And this attestation we make with no other design but that God may have the glory and the world the benefit of so Exemplary a Providence For which end we as heartily accompany this Narrative with our prayers as with our hands Simon Ford D. D. Tho. Wilsby Amb. Sparry John Raynolds Samuel Mountfort Edward Paget