Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A94152
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A pious president to both kingdomes for a sacred covenant. Being an abstractive exposition by way of paraphrase upon the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, the 28, and 29 verses / by Daniell Svvift, Minister of the gospell of Iesus Christ.
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Swift, Daniel.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing S6255; Thomason E71_3; ESTC R7337
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45,715
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58
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Nehe. 3.5 They are not like some in our times who care not to damne themselves that they may hurt the Church they rather resemble Iustinian they have no lesse care of the Church of God than they have of their owne soules They are Loyall not perfidious to our King Have they not vowed to defend his Majesties Royall person Crowne dignities and estate wherein have they dealt falsely in what particular can you lay treachery to their charge They love his soule they will not corrupt it by ill counsels they had rather fence it that sin may not breake in upon it by christian advice they know that sin is the soules poyson It appeares by their prayers for him they would not have soule-guilt laid to their charge they would have our King hereafter as a bright morning star to shine in the Kingdome of heaven They love his Majesties person it is his presence that they long for not his absence that they are content with Stangers both in Nation and religion doe daily inviron him they feare it may make for his ruine and his good peoples destruction they beseech his Majesty to withdraw himselfe from them they are confidently perswaded of his sweet and pliable disposition they strive therefore to remove evill Counsellors from him they so thirst ofter the enjoyment of him that they are willing to hazard their lives to get him His Majesties peaceable returne unto them will bee the rejoycing of their hearts they stand for his State wealth Honour and Reputation they are willing to settle if not to increase his Revenue and they have ingaged themselves to make him as glorious as any of his Predecessors that have gone before him Surely our King himselfe believes that such of the Pilots Royall of this Land as have made use of and relyed upon the auncient Lawes and long setled Customes of this Nation for their guard and compasse for the guiding of the Barke of this Common-wealth have most honourably and prosperously sayled through all the most dangerous and difficult passages and roughest billowes in the most boysterous stormes and at length have arrived at their desired Haven with infinite glory to themselves and to the Nation or else he would never have said unto them We doe engage unto you solemnely the word of a King that the security of all and every one of you from violence is and ever shall be as much our care as the preservation of Vs and our Children Thus you see his Majesty judgeth them faithful why should we then thinke then disloyall He assures them of his adhering to them and care of them saying Hee will be as carefull of his Parliament and of the Priviledges thereof as of his Life and Crowne And shall not wee encourage them by promising to assist them so long as they stand for us and for our Lawes with out estates and lives Seeing then they are thus zelots for God Fathers to the Country and not rebellious but loyall to his Majesty we need not feare to owne them not scruple to be advised by them not refuse to enter into a holy Covenant with them They are not degenerate they are truly generous dangers doe not dismay them difficulties doe not dishearten them they have met with many stormes but yet they doe not hide their heads they have had many discouragements but yet they hold up their spirits they have bin much tost with waves by reason of crosse winds but yet they are not hopelesse of getting to the harbour The Divell and the scarlet whore with all the Romish faction have combined together against them but yet they are not daunted they still contend for the Conquest they yet play the men for the people and for the Cities of their God Menaces from others doe but breath a new life into their spirits They know that vertues companion is not facility the way that shee treads must be rough and Thorny They remember that good things are hard to come by the Gospell and the Subjects liberty are the Treasures they search for they looke at these as worth their paines as worth their labour it is still for these that they adventure the losse of their precious lives They are content for the present to beare that which displeaseth them that in the end they may freely without interruption enjoy these rich jewels which if they get them will prove advantagious unto them and theirs They are not ignorant that quiet calmes are often subsequents to stormy tempests and that sowre accidents are sometimes seasoned with sweet events these and such like being the subject of their thoughts they breake not off their intended purposes they desert not their president resolutions they alter not their propounded courses with a fixed countenance they out-stare the threatning eye of danger they leave their vow as a witnesse of their valour they are determin'd to resist to bloud rather than forsake their God life is not deare it is the Lords statutes that they covenant to keepe close unto 2 Chro. 19 2. They that love God should be the object of our love it was Iehosaphats sin that he helped the ungodly and loved them that hated the Lord. They are a publike not a private or a cabinet counsell they are the great and generall Counsell of the Kingdome feare not that they will ensnare you themselves and their owne estates are interest in all their decrees they bid you doe nothing but what they have done themselves their covenant will not endanger you unlesse it prove perillous to withstand Gods enemies and to stand close unto Gods Commands A community is seldome prejudiciall unto it selfe or hurtfull unto others They are our brethren So they stiled the Scots in the act of pacification and surely they will not deny us to be their brethren who are of their owne Kingdome and of their owne Religion like brethren in all their actions they desire our welfare they have bin studious to contrive and they are resolute to performe and this present covenant they have set forth for the publike good like elder brethren they command with love Let us not hang backe but joy in our obedience our Nobles like the Primitive Christians are well read in Saint Iohns Doctrine they have begun to soare to the highest pitch of affection they are willing to lay downe their lives for the brethren some already in the common Cause are gone to Heaven in a bloudy Chariot others now are in continuall perills not knowing how soone death may cut in sunder the thred of their lives they may well take up the symbole of Alphonsus Neopolitanus viz the Pelican drawing the bloud out of her breasts for the feeding of her young and considering for what it is that they adventure themselves they may annex unto it this inscription Pro lege pro grege Shall they thus freely for our Kingdomes Lawes and for our safety give up their selves as it were in sacrifice and shall we forsake them O no
let their God be our God their Gospell be our Gospell let not their bondage be our freedome their death be our life let us like brethren dye with them dye for them in the maintenance of this covenant for keeping off all the judgements of Jehovah They are not onely brethren but they are Noble brethren they are in high place they are in great authority his Majesty hath made them his Counsellors by his owne Writt you have made them Patriots of your Country by your own choyse Remember what Paul saith Let every soule be subject to the higher powers hee speaks not in the singular but in the plurall number denoting that there is more powers then one I suppose you cannot deny them this priviledge they have a prelation above you though they be your brethren yet they are to you as these were to Israel your brethren the Nobles Listen to their edict they require that you sorrow for your sins and amend your lives they are willing with you to take out the same lesson therefore with them make a firme covenant to turne from the evill of your waies Lastly doe but compare the times past with the time present formerly you put on mourning as a garment were ever and anon ready to hide your selves whilest men of corrupt minds corrupt concerning the faith were the sole counsellors of estate Prov. 28.28 The wind is turned the case is altered your righteous your religious Nobles are now in authority and that they may the better appeare to be so to the eye of your soules consider a little the particulars First what counsell they give to our Soveraigne is it not like that of the Seniors of Israell doe they not advise him if he will be the servant of this people to speake good words unto them that they may be his servants for ever 1 King 12.7 Secondly what is the charge they give unto the Iudges of the land Is it not that they must take heed what they doe because they judge not for man but for the Lord that they let the feare of God be upon them with whom there is no iniquity nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts 2 Cro. 19.6.7 Thirdly what injunctions doe they lay upon the Ministery Doe they not bid the Levites sanctifie themselves Sanctifie the house of the Lord and carry forth the filthinesse out of the holy place 2 Chro. 29 5 6. Fourthly have they not formerly put you upon fasting and still continue your dayes of humiliation that you may afflict your selves before your God to seeke of him a right way for you your little ones and all your substance Ezra 8.21 And have they not now framed a Covenant for them and for us to seeke the Lord God of our fathers with all our heart and with all our soul O then having uch mercies by them let us adjoyne our selves unto them They tender us a covenant it is for holy observance their counsell is wholsome their demand is equall and their tender is lawfull themselves have led the way let us with Iudah rejoyce at the Oath 2 Chr. 15.12 13 14 15. every one with them subscribe for himelfe that he will keepe close unto the Law of the Lord. Quest Wherein must we cleave unto our Nobles Answ First in obeying them this the Doctour of the Gentiles imposeth as a duty upon us when he bids us be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates and to be ready to every good worke Tit. 3.1 and for this those Iewes are a faire president before our eyes Secondly in hauing a reverent esteeme of them as they are the Lords Vicegerents so they are stiled Gods Exod. 22.28 and it is our duty to render honour to whom honour is due Rom. 13.7 Thirdly in being faithfull to them we have ingaged our selves by solemne protestation to maintaine and defend them We cannot maintaine the priviledges of Parliament and destroy the members of Parliament Let us be loyall not perfidious let us have no hand in any thing that may hurt them if we know of any plot or projects against them let us quickly and timely discover them Fourthly in praying for them Pray for Kings and all that bee in authority saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.2 Preces lachrymae arma ecclesiae your prayers may keepe off their enemies strong cries and earnest entreaties may be prevalent for your Nobles safeties Consider First that your Worthies as they are now assembled are the foundation and Basis of government and consequently of the peace and happinesse of the Kingdome for as they create Law by which we are governed in peace and quietnesse so they uphold the power and authority of the Law so that if through the neglect of prayer you suffer the foundation to decay the maine building cannot long stand For where no counsell is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety Pro. 11.14 Secondly that they are to you as Gideon and the Judges were to Israell A hedge to keepe you within your bounds and a strong tower to keepe off the maine body of your sinnes Judg. 2.19 8. 33. Breake downe your hedge you may ramble whither you please demolish your Fortresse and you lye open to the batteryes of all corruptions whatsoever their dying may prove Idolatries Vivification their death is likely to be the life of mens lusts they may then goe a whoring after their owne inventions therefore as you desire the death of your sins pray for the life of your Nobles Thirdly how comes it to passe that hitherto notwithstanding the malice of your bloudy adversaries your Gospell hath had free passage and your Lawes have bin in force Remember that all the dayes of Samuel the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.13 you had need pray for them if they be once removed your enemies will breake in and if they prevaile where is your life nay the life of your life your law and religion Fourthly the Heathens abhor'd ingratitude wee professe our selves to be Christians our prayers are our thankes they expect that and well may they looke for it in respect of their unwearied paines Indeed when we call to minde what they have done for us and suffered in our behalves our lives should not be deare unto us for their sakes but I scarce beleeve that they will afford them their lives who seldome or never vouchsafe them their prayers O ingratefull wretches let not such unthankefulnesse be found amongst our English spirits They clave to their brethren c THey were brethren quoad carnens as having reference to the flesh they all descended from the loynes of Abraham Ioh. 8.39 They were brethren quoad fidem they all laid claime to the Promise and they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Galat. 3.7 They are brethren in respect of affection Brotherly love continues amongst them for now like brethren they seeke to doe them good