Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	good_a	life_n	16,696	5	4.8534	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87384	The active and publick spirit, handled in a sermon, preached at Pauls, October 26th. 1656. By Thomas Jacomb, minister at Martins-Ludgate, London.	Jacombe, Thomas, 1622-1687.	1657 (1657)	Wing J112; Thomason E904_3; ESTC R202625	34,125	55

is done that let men be who they will or doe what they will still all is carryed on in a streight Channell to the doing of Gods worke and the fulfilling of his will And not onely a David but a Cyrus also he serves by the will of God Isai 44.28 Ezek 29.20 for even he is but Gods Servant to performe his pleasure Nebuchadnezzar too serves by the wi●l of God for he doth but work for God Nay not onely the services but also the very sins of men are in some sense by the will of God that even in their sinfull actions the will of God is done not the will of his command but the will of his decree As in that grande nefas Acts 4.28 that sin of the first magnitude Hae● sunt magna o●era Domini c. etiam per ●andem creaturae voluntatem quafactum est quod Creator noluit impleret ipse quod voluit c. ut miro c. ut miro ineffabili modo non fiat praeter ejus voluntatem quod etiam contra ejus fit voluntatem Aug. Enchir. ad Laurent c. 100. de Civ Dei l. 22. c. 1. Multa fiunt a malis quidem contra voluntatem Dei sed tantae est ille saepientiae tantaeque virtutis ut in eos exitus quos bonos justes ipse praescivit tendant omnia quae voluntaei ejus videntur adversa vid. Lombard C. 10. D. 47. the crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Herod and Pontius Pilate did but what Gods hand and counsell had determined before to be done But so much for this point David served by the will of God God cut out his worke David was but his Journiman to make it up Propos. 2 The second proposition is this Vsefull and active men in their generation shall not dye before they have done their worke or thus God will not take away any Instrument of publick good before he hath finished his service David after he had served his generation then he fell a sleep but not before Serviceablenesse exempts none wholly from death the most usefull man must dye as the Sun must set notwithstanding its publick influence but serviceablenesse prorogues dēath that throùgh mercy it shall not arrest an active man before he hath done that worke which God hath allotted him T is in the world as t is in a Comaedy there are severall actors that have their severall parts which when they have acted they goe off from the Stage and others come on thus t is here with men upon the Stage of the world Lombard c. 1. D. 47. in the acting of their severall parts as to service God hath this businesse for that man this for another Disce quod homines non citius moriuntur neo diutius vi vunt quam donec nou possunt amplius servire consilio Dei Stres the Magistrate is to doe so much the Minister to doe so much when they have done it then the all disposing providence of God removes them and others are raysed up in their roome to beare up the name of God and to be Instruments of his glory But I say never till they have dispatched their task of service a Moses a Joshua an Eli a Nehemiah first serve then dye first finish their worke Phil. 1.23.24.25 then and not till then their days Take the instance of Paul for this he was in a streight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is farr bettér what is Paul in a streight as to his being with Christ surely his whole soul could not but pant and breath after that True but his eye is upon service to others neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needful to you to me death is most gainful to you life is most needful that in my ministry I may further your joy and faith Well here is work to be done for Paul his ministry is not yet fully discharged see what he says upon this having this confidence I know I shal abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith as if he had said I see God hath more for me to doe I must not go to heaven yet I must stay and serve a little longer till your grace be pèrfected Pray observe me in this God wil not wicked men shal● not out off one that is useful in his generation till his worke be done I say God will not and wicked men shall not let them rage and fret never so much and be their power never so great they shall not hurt a godly Magistrate a godly Minister a godly Christian if God hath more for them to doe some come to Christ and tell him Herod would kill him what kill me now before I have finished my worke goe saith Christ Luke 13.31 and tell that fox for I fear him not behold I cast out Devills and I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected he cannot touch a haire of my head to day and to morrow that is whilst I have work from my father to doe in deed when this is done then they shall take away my life the third day I shal be perfected when my service is perfected but not before Propos 3 The third Proposition David in suae c. i. e. postquam perfecisset ca quae Deus in hoc mundo ipsum agere coustituit placide desunctus est Ge●hard de morte death is and will be very sweet and welcome to that man who in his life hath been faithfull in the serving of his generation David after he had served his generation fell asleep death was nothing to him but a sleep sleep is welcome to the weary man the labourer that hath been toyling and sweating all day how sweet is rest to this man so is death to him that hath laid out himself for good in the place where God hath set him Whatsweetned death to Hezekiah I beseech thee O Lord to remember now Eccles 5.12 2. Kings 20.3 how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight to Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished my course 2. Tim. 4.7.8 I have kept the faith henceforth is c. To Christ himselfe I have finished the worke which thou gavest me to doe Joh. 17.4.5 and now O Father glorify thou me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was When God the Father had finished the work of creation and looking back upon what he had done saw that it was very good the Scripture says Gen. 1. ult Gen. 2.2 he rested Not only so as to work no more but he found great rest and complacency in what he had done because all was very good T is thus with men when they can reflect upon their lives and can say

they have not been idle nor unprofitable nor self-seekers but in some measure active for God and publick good These men when they come to dye shall have in their consciences un-speakable joy and satisfaction and after death they shall enter upon an everlasting Sabbath of rest the truth is a lazy sluggish man upon the approaches of death though others have but little greife yet he himselfe is filled with abundanc● of horror others doe not much lament him say they who was the better for his life who will be the worse for his death let him dye and let his name perish but he doth very much lament himselfe conscience gripes him and flashes in his face O how little have I done for God how unprofitable have I been in my place c. I say these reflections make death to be very terrible to such a drone but to a David that serves his generation death is welcome and full of comfort He fell asleep But I come to the fourth and maine Proposition where I intend to dwell a little upon this occasion and that is this T is the glory and the duty of a man to serve his generation to have a publick Spirit not serving himselfe but his generation I say this is the glory and the duty of a man David served his generation and this is recorded here by the Spirit of God for his honour and for our imitation He did not make himselfe the Center of his designes and actions he was not a man of a private selfish Spirit no he minded the good of others and laid out himselfe for the good of others he was active and active for the publick he served his generation Now as for particulars wherein he did thus I must leave the finding out of them to your selves in the reading of the Historicall part of the Bible To the point in hand Narrownesse and selfishnesse of Spirit t is a mans shame and sin but largenesse and publicknesse of Spirit 1 Kings 4.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S●p●uag Lati. tudinem cordis h.e. mentem multarum rerum capacem quemadmodum arena longe lateque occupat circalittus Maris Vatabl. t is his glory and duty T is said of Solomon God gave him largenesse of heart I doe but allude to it oh this largenesse of heart is an excellent thing when a person lookes beyond his own private ends and interest lays out himselfe for the good of the community trades every Talent power preferment gifts wealth grace with respect to the publick good here 's a man of worth and one who is faithfull to his duty I le prove the truth in some few particulars and so come to the application which I mainly intend First serving our generation is a frame of Spirit not onely highly commended but strictly commanded the word is full of this Gal 6.10 1 Cor. 10.24 Phil. 2.4 As we have opportunity let us doe good to all men Let no man seek his own things but every man anothers wealth Look not every man upon his own things but every man also on the things of others Let me tell you he that lives to himselfe and doth not lay out himselfe for his generation this man mark him lives in an open and flat contradiction to the word of God let such professe what they will they are very Antipodes to the rule of the word Secondly This is one great end of our Creation Why doth God send us into the world ●inc monemur quorsum homines vivant in mundo ut scilicet alii alios mutua communicatione juvent Neque enin sibi quisque natus est sed inter se quasi sacro nexu colligatum est humanum genus Ergn nisi leges Natuta evertere libeat meminerimus non privatim nobis vivendū esse sed proximis nostris Calvin in loc To be idle and selfish to gratify our selves in the present delights to be immersed and swallowed up in our own private interests No this is not the end of God in our being we are made for higher things then these namely the publick good and the service of our generation If the Scripture was silent the Schoole of nature would learne us this lesson we are not borne for our selves or made for our selves a Heathen can tell us that the Law of our very being calls upon us to eye and serve the Community A private spirited man is a shame to his Creation because he walks so contrary to the great intendment of God in it for as Fulvius said to his Son Ego te non Catilinae genui sed patriae so here God did not make us for selfe but for the Community And further this is the designe of God in all our gifts parts indowments injoyments all are as so many Talents concredited with us and put into our hands not that we should wrap them up in Napkins but that we should trade them for the glory of God and the good of others Some have wisedome knowledge understanding why that their generation may be the better for them some have wealth God blesses them with great estates why Not that they should have their Gold and Silver lye moulding in their coffers but that they may releive the poore and be charitable to them that are in wants Look upon all that you have received the end of God in all is this he gives in to you that you may give out to others you are not as Vessells where the mercy is to be lodged but as Pipes to convey it to others He hath filled the Sun with light the Sea with water that they may communicate of their fulnesse to the benefit of the world and so t is here as the Apostle speaks concerning gifts The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 How shal many answer for their gifts at the great day who have onely studyed how to advance themselves and not to profit others Peters advice here is very seasonable 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift be it what it will even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God The Steward doth not receive money from his Lord for his own use but he is to lay it out for the good of the Family so saith the Apostle Be yee Stewards of the grace of God what ever you are what ever you have all is Grace improve and lay out all in service for the benefit of others this is to be good Stewards of the grace of God Manna stank if it was not eaten and so parts and gifts are offensive if they be layd up and not layd out for God Thirdly Our common union in the Mystical body cals for this that we should serve our Generation T is with the Church as t is with an Army which is divided into several Regiments yet t is but one Army Or as t is with a civil Corporation there are in it

the Gospel generally to pitch upon this medium Math. 12.38.39.40 and indeed Christ himself uses this very Argument when the Scribes and Pharisees come to him and desire a signe that is some cleer proof that he was the Messias saith he to them There shall no signe be given to you but the signe of the Prophet Jonas For as Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth And what can be more convincing or demonstrative of the businesse in hand See Garbuts exc Treatise upon the Resurrection of Christ or of the verity of the Christian Religion then the resurrection of Jesus Christ Undermine this you undermine all you make Christ an Impostor and all our faith to be in vain but confirme this you confirme all 1. Cor. 15.14 This the Iewes foreseeing above all things they labour to hide suppress the knowledge of Christs resurrection Math. 28.12.13 they knowing that by this Rom. 1.4 he was mightily declared to be the Son of God The Prophesies which the Apostle doth instance in Psal 2.7 Isai 55.3 Psal 16.10 are three Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is declaratively I will give you the sure mercies of David Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption The latter of these he doth most insist upon and least it should be mis-applyed he gives in the Text a short Comment upon it Some might say This was spoke to David what 's this to Christ True indeed it was spoke to David but not accomplished in him for he dyed and did see corruption For David after he had served his Generation fell on sleep v. 37. and was gathered to his Fathers and saw corruption But this was fulfilled in Christ for he whom God raised up saw no corruption he saw a dissolution but no corruption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter inlarges much upon this head when he had upon the same occasion cited the same Prophesie he gives his hearers an explication of it as to the person to whom it was to be applyed Men and brethren Acts. 2.27.29.30.31 let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buryed and his Sepulchre is with us to this day Therefore being a Prophet c. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soule was not left in Hell neither his flesh did see corruption You have the Coherence In the words themselves you have first the person or the subject and that is David set forth by a blessed Character v. 22. v. 22. A man after Gods own heart Secondly the predicate or the thing that is affirmed of him After he had served his generation by the will of God he fell on sleep In which words you have a short description of Davids life it was serviceable He served his generation and of Davids death it was comfortable He fell on sleep In that claüse which relates to his life you have First An account of what he did He served David reigned and David served this serving implys not some one single individuall Act but a series or succession or complication of good acts in the whole course of his life Secondly You have the publikenesse of his activity He served his own generation not his own selfe but his own generation Thirdly The ordering or disposing cause of all this and that is the will of God By the will of God Breifly for the explication of the words I finde some difference amongst the learned as to the reading of them some making the comma at generation read them thus Haec distinctio neque invetustis exemplaribus invenitur neque ulla ratione nititur quis eenim aliter quam Dei decreto interveniente moritur Beza vide Calvin in loc Hanc distinctionem c. rejecta altera in margine quae tamen c. Actio enim verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 melius fertur c. Boisius David after he had served his generation by the will of God fell on sleep and so they referr this will of God to his sleeping and not to his serving thus the Syriack Oecumenius and Erasmus Beza dissents from these and says there is neither antiquity nor reason to favour this Lection and therefore contends for the reading of the words as we have them After he had served his generation by the will of God he fell asleep Calvin says this is very probable but yet the other is not to be rejected There is another difference set down in your Margents according to which some would have the words run thus For David after he had in his own age served the will of God fell on sleepe and this the learned Boisius contends for I will not determine which is the best onely give me leave to follow that at present which is in our translation from which I could never vary without weighty reasons You shal have the sum of the words and the further explication of them in these four Doctrinal Propositions three of which I shall doe little more then name Propos 1 The first is this Good men if they be serviceable in their generation this is by the will of God David served his generation by the wil of God How by the wil of God I answer either as God had designed him from everlasting to be such a publick Instrument of his glory for God in his secret purpose orders every man his service in the world or else as all his actings were subservient to the accomplishing of Gods will I meane his decretive and providentiall will for this will of God in the Text is not to be understood of Gods preceptive will Huic consilio servivit David quia fuit efficax Instrumentum per quod per cujus manum illud consilium ac beneplacitum Dei in execution emvenit Stres but of Gods decretive and providentiall will all his ways and actions in publick service were decreed from eternity and disposed or ordered in time to be according to for the accomplishing of the holy and wise will of God Thus David served his generation by the will of God And this truth reaches to all men whether they doe much or little in their sphere this will of God is the foundation of all their service this designes their work to them and them to their work for there is a double designation one of the person to the service the other of the service to the person there is a divine ordination in all they doe as Christ says concerning the work of his mediatorship Joh. 17.4 I have finished the worke which thou gavest me to doe And there is also a Soveraigne super-intendent providence which doth wisely and certainely so dispose of things and actions that in all the will of God