Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	david_n	king_n	saul_n	5,115	5	10.1244	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33963	The happiness of brethrens dwelling together in unity discoursed upon Psalm 133, vers. 1, on occasion of the late thanksgiving, Feb. 14, 1688/9 / by John Collinges.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1689 (1689)	Wing C5318; ESTC R26035	25,331	41

occasion Composed it saith not It is not improbably guessed that the occasion of the Penning was the Vnion of all the Tribes in David their King of which you read 2 Sam. 5. 3. After 2 Sam. 5. 3. the Death of Saul David reigned some years over Judah alone but you read there that after he had reigned seven Years and three Months in Hebron over Judah alone all the Elders of Israel came to him in Hebron and made a league with him and anointed him King over Israel and thus now the twelve Tribes were become Gens una one Nation David might very probably upon this occasion Pen this Psalm commending to them the keeping of this Knot which God's Providence had made Thus it excellently suteth our present occasion we being at this Day in such an opportunity of uniting all that profess the Reformed Religion as possibly our Forefathers for more than an Hundred years till within our memory have wanted whether God will yet please to hide from us the things which concern our Peace time must shew However I could not but take the advantage of it to commend to you the Vnion of Brethren The words I have read to you is the Proposition of the whole Psalm the Proof of it lyes in the last words the other Verses are made up of two Similitudes illustrating the general Proposition The Proposition of the Psalm is that which my design is to make the Subject of my Discourse which I shall prove only by opening the last Clause There God commands the Blessings The other Passages of the Psalm I shall no further concern my self in than they will naturally fall under the proof of the Proposition Prop. It is a very good and pleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity The Notion of Brethren in Scripture is of as great a Latitude as that of Neighbour It signifies those that agree in uno aliquo tertio in any third thing whether it be Blood in a more general Notion and thus all Men are Brethren each to other or in a more restrained Notion thus all of the same Family are Brethren or in the same more immediate Parents thus Esau is called Jacob's Brother or in the same Nation thus Paul calls the Jews his Brethren or in the same Religion or finally in the same Faith or hope of calling as the Apostle phraseth it thus we are called to Love the Brethren As to the particular sense of it in this Text it doubtless signifies those that were Members of the same Nation and United in the main things with respect to Religion It may be a more valuable Question what Vnion this is predicated of The Heb. saith no more than in One. I find some would have it only to respect Place But besides that this was sufficiently exprest before by the words dwell together Nor doth this always appear Productive of any Happiness or Pleasantness And if it did it would speak the Psalmist only here commending the Happiness of those who live in Towns and Cities contiguous one to another above theirs who live in the Country or places where Mens Habitations are at greater distances which is too mean a Notion to suit David's design in this Text. We must therefore find out some other Unity here intended Vnity refers certainly to the Mind and so there is a double Vnity The one referring to the Vnderstanding the other to the Will and Affections Unity so far as respecteth the understanding is a Oneness in Apprehension and Judgment which is consequent to it for every Man must judge of the truth or falshood the goodness or badness of a Notion as he apprehends it Now this is an Vnity which is not to be expected we may as soon look to see an Oneness in the likeness of all mens faces their features and complexions as in their apprehensions there must and will be while the World lasts different abilities in Men to discourse Conclusions from Principles as differences also in their Educations and improvements of their Reasons from whence Men and Womens apprehensions and judgments are formed I doubt whether any such thing may be pray'd for for what were it but to pray God to unmake the World and to Cast all mens Souls in the same Mould or to work some such miraculous change upon all for neither of which I know of any Warrant Besides supposing that the will must follow the dictate of the understanding it would with a witness too destroy all liberty of the will which some so contend for Nor do I know whether this would produce any such Happiness Indeed there is an Vnity of Faith that is desirable But that is secured by Mens rightly apprehending and Judging in all things necessary to be believed and done in order to Salvation But when shall we be agreed what those are I do not think that Unity is at all concerned in my Text. It must therefore be the Vnity of the Will and Affections And this either respects 1. Designs and Councels Or 2. Offices of Love and Charity 1. Tho' Men as to particular Notions may have different apprehensions and Judgments yet they may have a oneness of Will and Design for the promotion of some general good let it be the Glory of God or the common good of the City or Community in which we are involved Now there are two things which give a liberty for this under different Apprehensions 1. That a Man may practice according to or contrary to many particular Notions and yet glorifie God if he lives up to the Dictate of his own Conscience This the Apostle abundantly determines Rom. 14. in the case of the Jewish Holy days and Meats v. 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord that is to the Glory of God and be that regardeth it not to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord and giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Thus it is in all things which God's Word hath left indifferent God's Glory is neither concerned in the doing or not doing of them Those who think a Superiour's command afters the case should do well to consider whether Saint Paul might at that time have by his command made it necessary for any Jew turn'd to the Christian Faith to have kept the Jewish days or to have for born the Meats there spoken of What shall he say saith Solomon that comes after the King even the same thing that hath been said before What shall God's Vicegerent say or do who in any thing cometh after the King of Kings surely nothing but what hath been said before him in the things of God commanding things necessary and leaving things indifferent as God hath left them I never read but that the good Kings of God's ancient People and Paul and the rest of the Apostles did so not pretending to a Wisdom paramount to that of God. 2. A second thing is

THE HAPPINESS OF BRETHRENS Dwelling together in UNITY DISCOURSED Upon PSALM 133. Vers 1. On Occasion of the late Thanksgiving Feb. 14. 1688 / 9. By JOHN COLLINGES D. D. LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-Place 1689. TO THE READER FOr the Divisions of Reuben are great thoughts great searchings of heart saith the victorious Prophetess Jud. 5. 15 16. Reuben was one of the most Potent Tribes of Israel you will find Numb 1. that upon their first Numbring there belonged to it Forty six thousand five hundred fighting Men Vpon the second Numbring Num. 26. Forty three thousand seven hundred and thirty They had their Portion on the other side of Jordan and were by that River divided locally from their Brethren but that is not the Division here lamented In a cause where the whole was concerned against a Potent Enemy they could not unite but abode amongst the Sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the Flocks The cause of this Neutrality is not told us but what ever it was it could not be justified and caused amongst the more considerate amongst their Brethren great thoughts great searchings of heart and not without reason It is a just amazement to any that any Men for a little Secular Profit and Advantage to themselves should disunite from their Brethren in Councels and Actions tending to the common preservation of the whole Body of which they are Members This hath been our case in England for more than an Hundred years Men to keep up their particular Dominations grandeur and Secular Gain and Interest have kept up Division to the apparent hazard of the whole at least twice or thrice and this deserveth great thoughts great searchings of heart Being called to perform my part in the late Publick Thanksgiving I knew not what better Subject to pitch upon than the Commendation of Unity with a Persuasive to it because I thought this alone was a Real Thanksgiving as well as most of any thing subservient to the good of the Nation Every one calls for Unity and reflects upon those who are in their fancies the hinderers of it but they seem not to understand the way of Peace Would they have an Unity in the Doctrines of Religion Nothing less they grant this unpracticable nor will they themselves own the Articles of our Religion further than as an Instrument of Peace and with a Latitude for their own sense of them Would they have an Vnion in Designs and Councils for the Publick Good and in the performance of mutual Offices of love one towards another To this all good Men will say Amen Only say we this is inconsistent with any Persecution for how do they shew their readiness to do all Offices of love one to another who make it their business to ruine others by Fines Imprisonments c. Or how can they joyn in Actions for Publick Good of whom you require as the terms of such Conjunction things that their Consciences tell them they cannot do without Sin and others Consciences tell them are no way necessary for that end but wholly foreign as to the thing for which they would have them unite Would you have an Vnion to uphold the Protestant Religion All honest Men are agreed for this But say they and truly too you pluck up Protestant Religion by the root that day that you deny to every Protestant the Judgment of Discretion which allows to every Man a liberty to Judge of his own Acts whether they be such as he may lawfully do or may not do For if a Man may act contrary to the practical Judgment of his own Conscience in compliance with the Commands or Opinions of others calling themselves The Church The Papists have got a great Point of us and seeing they have greater Numbers and that of Learned men than are of and amongst Protestants they grant it safer to be Papists than Protestants Well but say some We would have such an Vnion that all may joyn together in Hearing Receiving the Sacrament c. All good Men will say Amen to this too Provided that they will allow all those who are true Ministers of Jesus Christ if there be any in the World except amongst those of their Persuasions to Preach and Administer the Sacraments And Provided There be nothing added to Preachings beyond what God hath revealed in his Word nor to Prayers and Administrations of Sacraments beyond what God hath directed in his Word which is a sufficient Rule for Worship as well as Doctrine except as to the common Circumstances of all humane acts We hear Men say Will you allow nothing then to Humane Laws and Legislators Yes very much 1. A Power to judge what is necessary and expedient in all Civil things for the upholding and managing the Civil Government 2. A Power to inforce the Laws of God in Religious things 3. A Power there also to determine the necessary Circumstances of those actions so far as they are Humane Acts. But by the granting of these things so much of some mens craft is in danger to be set at nought So much Magnificence as some count it in danger to be destroyed that I despair ever to see such an Unity Nor do I understand how it is necessary in order to Brethrens dwelling together in Unity more than it is necessary to the Civil Vnion of a Corporation that all Men in it should manage the same Trade by the same Method and in the same Circumstances If Men be united in their common Counsels Designs and Readiness to serve the publick for their common Good and Advantage and a readiness to serve one another in love it is enough for our Civil and Secular Happiness and if they be united in a common belief of all things necessary to be believed and all things necessary to be done in order to Salvation it is Vnion enough in order to our Spiritual and Eternal Happiness The necessity of any other Vnion is a Chimaera fit only for such who cry out for Unity upon terms upon which it is almost impossible it should be had that is they cry out for continued Discord under the Notion of Unity This Reader is that Union which the following Discourse pleadeth for and directeth what seemeth to me the best means to attain Now the God of Peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his Will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen Psalm 133. vers 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to Dwell together in Vnity WE have not in the Title of the Psalm so certain a conduct to determine the occasion of the Penning of it as we have in many other Psalms It tells us indeed it was a Psalm of David but upon what