Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	4,018	5	9.9916	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90715	The lawfulness of the celebration of Christs birth-day debated, in case it be annnally [sic] known or not known. Discussed by Scripture, and consequence of Scripture; and many objections answered, and refuted by reasons. By George Palmer, wel-willer to a particular and solemn joyous-thankfulness to God, for his several special mercies in Christ; by way of gradation.	Palmer, George, b. 1596 or 7.	1648 (1648)	Wing P228; Thomason E476_10; ESTC R204341	11,240	16

Birth was to be esteemed very highly by them then living and therefore that they were to rejoyce for that great blessing of God that same day of his birth so many as could take notice of that day no man will deny this to be a truth unless such as are of a diabolical spirit And also that the birth of Christ is to be much esteemed by all those that at any time afterwards do trust for salvation by him as it was by them that lived at that time and so rejoyced in it But a question is made Whether it be to be celebrated annually and solemnly with such joy for ever after if in case his birth-day be known to us now as it was to them then or whether that incitation given by the Angel to the Shepherds belongs to us Christians successively and annually or no First I answer that it concerneth us now as much as it did those shepherds and others then living and believing in him For the chief reason or cause of their joy at his Birth was from the benefit which by and from him they were to receive who then and at that time was newly born and we that do believe in him do obtain the same benefit by his birth as they did that then rejoyced in him and therefore it needed not to be commanded in express words successively But some object farther That when the Jews were to keep any day successively and annually for the remembrance and solemn Thanks-giving for any special benefit received they then were enjoyned to do it by Gods special command successively and annually To this I answer plainly That those benefits did concern them in some temporal deliverances and were for that particular people only or chiefly at the most as the Israelites deliverance out of Aegypt and their deliverance from an intended slaughter in the time of Queen Hester c. But this Birth of Christ concerneth all Believers in all places to the end of the World for so saith the Angel Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy that shall be to all people c. And therefore it being for the good of all Believers in Christ of all sorts of people to the end of the world it belongeth to all Believers in Christ to rejoyce for the Birth of Christ as it did belong to them to rejoyce that were then living for the message is belonging to us as much as it was to them in as much as the good tydings belongeth to all people And therefore it being for the good of all Believers to the end of the World the Angel requireth our greater attention and admiration by this word Behold Behold I bring you good Tydings of great joy that shall be to all People for unto you is born this day c. a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And we read of no command from God for the keeping of the new-Purim but it is noted as well done by them c. And that it ought annually to be celebrated with joy we may collect farther by reason that it ought so to be For if great temporal deliverances deserved annual thanks-givings on some special daies then doth an everlasting deliverance from damnation deserve much more such manner of thanks But it is farther objected That all Believers in Christ do give thanks for that great mercy of God as they do for all other his benefits upon the Lords daies in special and upon all ordinary occasions To this I answer thus so were the Jews to do upon their sabbaths for all their temporal deliverances as for their deliverance from Egyptian Bondage and Hamans decree of their death and yet they had their feast of Passeover and Purim to commemorate those deliverances more specially and we have special daies set apart for us to praise the Lord for our deliverances from the Spanish Invasion and the Gun-powder Treason and also for many deliverances from divers great dangers in these our times of War But it is objected again That we do not know certainly what day in our yeer Christs birth-day can be celebrated as the right and true annual day it being not certainly known or at the least it is questioned by many Learned Christians To this I answer first That it is not so great a matter whether we know strictly the day or no so as we do solemnize one day thankfully so neer the true day as we can guess for in such a case we shall be accepted for so saith the Apostle God accepteth the willing mind of his children for the deed which endeavoureth to perform according to their knowledge Secondly if in case we do know the day strictly yet it is not absolutely necessary for us to keep it upon that day alwaies 〈◊〉 for the Jews did not keep their Purim upon the same day of the Yeer wherein their Deliverance was given them but as on the next Day after as you may see in the Book of Esther the ninth Chapter and the sixteenth verse to the two and twentienth And Christ Jesus himself did excuse David for eating the Shew-Bread in his great necessity And he excused his owne Disciples for plucking the eares of Corne upon the Sabbath Day c. upon their necessity and therein was the ancient Proverb verified viz. Necessity hath no Law We are necessitated to observe a day neer the day of Christs Birth And the Passeover was to be eaten in the first moneth as you may see in Exodus 12. 2 3. c. Neverthelesse if you look in 2 Chron. 30. 2 3. compared with verses the 13. and 15. you may there finde that Hezekiah and his People kept it at that time in the second moneth contrary to the institution in that particular and the reason is there rendred viz. that they could not keep it at that time in the first moneth And yet they were accepted of God too as in the 20. verse you may see And although it be said in the last verse now quoted that Hezekiah prayed for the people and that the Lord healed them which implyeth that God was offended with them You shall see that the reason thereof was for their not preparing themselves better when they did come as in the 18. verse you may see for they came unpreparedly to that holy Sacrament If it be questioned whether we may keep it Festivally or not I answer We may and ought so to do though not in excesse thereof but first we are to be exercised in the use of the publike Ordinances as the preaching and hearing the Word and in Godly prayers and praises c. and after that in plentifull feasting and giving gifts to the poor according to our several abilities for though Fasting be for mourners yet Feasting is for joy and mirth as you may see in the 8. chapter of the book of Nehemiah the former part of that chapter to the 13 verse these are those words Eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions to those for whom