Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	hell_n	sin_n	sting_n	5,056	5	11.5139	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91908	An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song, commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.	Robotham, John, fl. 1654.	1651 (1651)	Wing R1730; Thomason E639_1; ESTC R206657	461,322	801

owne weaknesse to comply and yield to the corruptions of the times for feare of persecution or for love of the World In that I have been slothfull and sluggish in keeping that which was committed to my trust The wise man speaketh of the sloathfull mans Vineyard thus I went up by the field of the sloathfull and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and lo it was all growne over with thornes c. Prov. 34. 30 31. So the Church here had been sloathfull and carelesse of her Vineyard she was over-run with the weeds of sin and superstition and with the Thornes and nettles of persecution Now this shee giveth out as the last cause of her blacknesse and deformity namely her not keeping well her owne Vineyard Now let us prooceed to the Observations that these words thus opened will afford us First Looke not upon me that is not with disdaine or contempt Hence Observe That we ought not to disdaine or contemne our Brethren in Affliction To him that is in affliction saith Job pitty should be shewed from his Friends Job 6. 12. It is in the Originall To him that is melted for afflictions melt the heart of man and therefore pitty ought to be shewne The word translated pitty signifies a pious affection of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pietas bonitas benignitas mercy goodnesse and pity so that Bowells of compassion ought rather to be shewn to Brethren in misery then contempt and disdaine Secondly Looke not upon me that is with triumph and rejoycing over me Hence Observe As we ought not to disdaine much lesse should we triumph or rejoyce at the affliction of our Brethren This was a brand upon Edom the Posterity of Esau where the Lord saith Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy Brother Obad. Vers 12. That is thou shouldest not have insulted and tryumphed over thy Brethren towit the Children of Israel and of the seed of Jacob who was Brother to Esau their Father The contrary is that for which Doeg the Edomite was sharpely reprehended for in Psal 52. 1. Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O mighty man That is why doest thou insult and vaunt in thy wickednesse and that because the Lords Priests were slaine by the hand of Saul the word signifies to vaunt insult or to rage like a mad man and therefore foolish and vaineglorious Boasters are called in Hebrew Holelim which cometh of the root Halal to praise or extoll but when men are lifted up at evill then it is folly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splenduit metaphorice laudavit celebravit per antiphrasin and madnesse as all they that rejoyce at the affliction of the Saints shall find it to be nothing but folly and madnesse in the end Thirdly Look not upon me with horrour and astonishment Againe Observe Insanus insanivit Unde Halle lujah praise ye Jab The afflictions or the deformities of the Saints should not dishearten or drive us off from the wayes of Christ If our owne afflictions should not make us flag or faile much lesse the afflictions of others the Apostle comforteth the Saints in that they were tempted and tried There hath no temptation taken you saith he but such as is common to man By temptation he meaneth affliction and persecution whereby their faith was tried as Gold in the fire and saith he such afflictions are common to man That is it is no more then is incident to man as man you might have had as great afflictions as any you have endured even as you are men for as men you are subject to as great afflictions as any that have befallen you but saith he God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able That is God will so moderate the affliction and prevent you with grace and strength which shall inable you to beare the temptation And with the temptation will make a way to escape He will give an issue together with the temptation 1 Cor. 10. 13. now if the Saints have no affliction but such as they might have had as they were men and that affliction measured out to their strength or their strength raised according to the temptation and in that they are not onely kept under but delivered out of affliction there is nothing in the afflictions of the Saints if well considered that may dishearten or discourage us in the ways of Christ The Church saith no lesse her selfe in the Text Looke not upon me with astonishment and feare Because I am blackish or somewhat black as if shee had said my blacknesse is not so much as to trouble or amaze you I am not altogether black though my outside be something blackish yet my inside is faire and beautifull Hence Observe That there is no evill sufficient in the afflictions or deformities of the Saints as to be a stumbling block unto us either to cause us to disdaine them or to feare the like afflictions The evill of sin is the greatest evill and the evill of affliction is but a fruit of the evill of sin Now the Apostle doth triumph both over sin and affliction 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. O death where is thy Sting O grave or hell where is thy Victory Now he tells us the evill of both these is taken away The Sting of death is sin That is sin is death's weapon by which it is armed against us but when sin is taken away the sting of death is also taken away But how comes sin to be so prevalent and strong The Apostle telleth us The strength of sin is the Law That is sin is not imputed to us but by the Law and our flesh doth alwayes oppose that which is commanded But saith he thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now mark what the Apostles Exhortation is upon this Therefore my Brethren be yee stedfast and unmoveable let nothing cause you to forsake the way of Christ it is not affliction or sin shall hinder your acceptance with him Forasmuch saith he as you know your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. The afflictions of the Saints are but something like afflictions they are not afflictions themselves they are but the outsides of afflictions the sting and evill of them is taken away Thus the Apostle affirmeth in 2 Cor. 4 8 9 10. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed That is though we are beset round with trouble yet God gives an issue and makes a way for escape VVe are perplexed but not in despaire we are never without hope Persecuted but not forsaken the Angell of Gods presence going always before us cast downe but not destroyed though affliction may keep us under yet it shall never consume us And againe the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 6. 8 9 10. As deceivers and yet true as unknowne and yet well knowne as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing

for us Thus Christ gets acceptance for us with the Father according as he saith Whatsoever you will aske the Father in my name he will give it you John 16. 23. It is Christ that puts incense upon our prayers and mingles them with the sweet odours of his owne merits he is the onely Altar of Christians sanctifying all their gifts and Sacrifices 3. The rose delighteth in shadowy places for as over much cold would starve it so overmuch heat would scorch and burne it Thus Christ doth appear unto his Saints in a moderate way in all his dispensations he sometime afflicts his people that he may purge them and heale them which cannot be done without some smart and bitternesse but yet withall he mingles abundance of love and sweetnesse with those afflictions So that his sweetnesse doth as it were swallow up all his bitternesse his bitternesse is in the lowest degree but his sweetnesse in the superltive Christ doth so moderate his dispensations that he will not suffer us by wantonnesse to abuse his love and mercy neither yet will he suffer us to perish by afflictions 4. The rose is a cooler unto nature thus Christ is a cooler of his Fathers wrath and indignation The soul being convicted of its sinfullnesse speaks as the Prophet doth Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings God is devouring fire and everlasting burnings in relation to sinners his wrath is like the fire of hell as I may say the breath of his indignation is like a River of brimstone kindling and perpetually maintaining the flames of Tophet What shall the poore soul doe now Here is nothing but menaces and threatnings terrours and amazements death and destruction and where is the remedy No where but in Christ alone Israel passing through the Wildernesse had a Cloud to cover him and defend him from the Scorching Sun-beams now what was that Cloud but a type and shaddow of Christ as the Apostle makes it 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. he makes there the Cloud and the Sea and the Manna and the water of the Rock to be all figures and Images of Christ Christ is a Sea to wash Manna to feed water to refresh and a cloud to hide the soul from the hot and burning wrath of God the fiery beams of that wrath would surely suffocate and stifle us were it not that Christ did interpose and sot betweene to ibnubilate and veile our souls from it 5. The rose though it be sweet and comfortable to the smelling yet 't is offensive to the sense of feeling because it is full of prickles Thus is Christs Gospell accompanied with the Crosse and Tribulations his selfe suffered in his owne person so that in respect of his depressed condition the Prophet saith His visage was so marred more then any mans and his forme more then the Sons of men Isa 52. 14. And againe he saith He was despised and rejected of them a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefe he was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth c. Isa 53. 3. 7. His Members also must suffer the same things they must drinke of his Cup and be Baptized with his Baptisme if they will be his Disciples they must take up their crosse and follow him Christ is the Rose of Sharon or the flower of the field Now Sharon as was hinted before was a field of pasture for Bulls and Oxen contiguate to Bashan it being a field for grazing and feeding of Cattell must not onely be fertile but also admit shaddowing plats for the best shelter in the heat of the day so that the roses of Sharon must needs be flowers of a singular kind Now we may note two or three things from the place where this rose grew towit in Sharon 1. Sharon was an open field where Cattell fed Bulls and Oxen and unreasonable Beasts did graze there Hence note these roses then were subject to all spoyle and lewd trampling under feet so that Christ and his Church were both exposed to persecution to be plucked of all that passe by the way and trodden down and eaten of Beasts Secondly note from the places fertilitie and shadow whereby the rose was super-excellent notwithstanding the danger it was in that notwithstanding the danger of this flower by reason of Sharons beasts yea of Bashans Buls and all those perilous things accompanying Christ yet Christ is made able to overcome and conquer them all Let all his enemies fret and push their fill from Edom and Bozra with red garments stained with blood yet Christ alone shall triumph over them for saith he Who is this that comme●h from Edom with died garments from Bozrah wherefore art thou red in apparrell c. I have saith Christ trodden the wine-presse alone and there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will staine all my rayment Isa 63. 1 2 3. Edom is put by a Synechdoche for all Christsenemies because among the enemies of the Church of the Jewes the Edomites were none of the least as appears in Psal 137. 7. and therefore here Edome is propounded as a type of all the spirituall enemies of Christ and his Church now Christ threatneth to dissipate and break them al he will tread them downe as grapes in the wine-presse so that Christ will preserve both himselfe and Church from the fury of the Beasts of Sharon and Buls of Bashan for he is exalted at the right hand of the Father and shall reigne untill his enemies be made his footstoole Psal 110. 1. Thirdly he is the Rose of the field not of the garden Hence note That Christ is not a rose sprung up and become orient and sweet from the industry of man but groweth only by the providence and good pleasure of God Christ was not brought forth by any humane power wisdome or wit but hee was the wisdome of the Father and the power of God so that Christ had his being and all his excellency from God but not from man Fourthly the flower of the field is not inclosed and made private to a few as the flower in the garden but it is common to all that wil gather it so is Christ a common Saviour not of the Jewes only but of the Gentiles also God hath enlarged his heritage so that the sonnes of Iaphet may dwell in the Tents of Shem. Christ doth not refuse any that come unto him but all sorts of people Jew and Gentile may be accepted This is elegantly set forth by the Prophet Isa 41. 19. where God promiseth to plant in the wildernesse the Cedar the Sitath tree the myrtle the oyle tree the fir-tree the pine and the box-tree together This was also represented unto Peter by a sheet knit at foure corners wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things

under the apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that beare thee THE Church going about to declare the love she carried towards her head and husband Christ doth in this verse in the first part of it by way of demand speake of her selfe and the latter part taking upon her the person of Christ she sheweth what great favours and graces she had received from him There is nothing by the speech it selfe that discovers whether Christ or his Spouse uttered these words But the Hebrew text declareth it to be spoken by the Spouse because this clause I raised thee up c. And also this Thy mother conceived thee are spoken in the masculine gender as to a man and not as unto a woman and so wee take them for the words of the Spouse setting forth the vehement and ardent loves of hers unto Christ in respect of those many favours she had received from him In the words then shee setteth forth the vehemencie of her love First as it were by comparison saying Who is this that commeth up c. Secondly the place from which she ascended from the Wildernesse Thirdly The manner of her ascension leaning upon her beloved Fourthly the meanes of her ascension I raised thee up under an Apple-tree there thy Mother brought thee forth c. Who is this or who is she for so we may reade the words that commeth up c. some thinke that this speech implyeth the springing up of a new Church conducted by Christ through the Wildernesse of this world others understand it to be the speech of the daughters of Jerusalem admiring at the encrease of faith and grace in the Spouse but we may understand it of the Spouse her selfe admiring at her selfe being filled with grace and being cloathed with so many mercies by Christ as if she should say where is she to be found that hath shewed the like love to her welbeloved that I have shewed unto mine that hath taken such travaile and indured so many afflictions passed through so many perils to come to her beloved as I have done to come unto mine Hence Observe That the Saints do admire their own ascension unto Christ It is their glorie and Crowne it is their joy and boafting all the day but wee must also know that the boasting of the Saints is not from any thing of their owne they cannot so admire their own strength or parts as in the power and strength of Christ by which they are brought up unto him Now that then which the Saints doe so much admire is that shee should ascend up from the earth to live in Christ and that in the power and goodnesse of Christ Secondly The place from whence she ascended is mentioned From the Wildernesse The Wildernesse is sometimes taken for the people of this world out of which the people of God are called and chosen Ezek. 20. 35. John 15. 19. but wee may rather take it here for the former state of the Spouse in the state of sinne and ignorance under the bondage of the powers of darkenesse from which she escaped by Christ for the Wildernesse was a drie and thirsty land a land of drought and of the shadow of dearth Ezek. 19. 13. Jer. 2. 6. The Wildernesse is cloathed with no beautie whereby men should delight in it or desire to dwell there but it is rather a place of Dragons Foxes and Tigres and all wilde ravenous Beasts Hence Observe That the Saints ascend up to Christ out of a low darke desolate Wildernesse Their state is a Wildernesse condition desolate lost and forlorne till they ascend up unto Christ there be many dangers ina Wildernes so the soule is in a lost dangerous condition till it ascend unto Christ the true Canaan and Land of plenty and rest A man in a Wildernesse knows not which way he goes whither forward or backward no more doth the soule while it walks in the Wildernes of darknesse and confusion under the power of hell and death surely this must needs be a blessed ascension to ascend out of a desolate Wildernes unto Christ the true center and rest of the soule It followeth Leaning upon her beloved Here is set downe the manner of the Spouses ascension Leaning upon her beloved or adjoyning associating her selfe with her beloved The Spouse doth not use this speech onely to note her love towards Christ as it was the custome for men to leane upon them whom they best liked as appears 2 Kings 5. 18. but also to set out the strength and comfort she had from him without whom by reason of her owne weaknesse she had never beene able to get out of the Wildernesse Hence Observe That the Saints ascend up unto Christ by the assistance of divine power from Christ All the strength of the Spouse was in the power of Christ who upheld her and sustained her steps carrying her through all dangers and difficulties The Spouse is by Christ made perfect stablished strengthned and settled 1 Pet. 5. 10. This divine assistance was foretold by the Prophet in Gods dealing with the people of Israel when he put his holy Spirit in his people and led them through the deep as an horse in the wildernesse they stumbled not as a beast goeth downe into the valley the spirit of the Lord quietly led them so didst thou lead thy people to make thy selfe a glorious name Isa 63. 11. 13. 14. So here the Spouse acknowledgeth all her strength and stay to be from Christ and from the power of his might It followeth in the next verse I raised thee up under the Apple tree The Spouse is said sometimes to raise up Christ as in Psal 44. 24. Stir up why sleepest thou Lord And the Saints are said to stir up themselves and take hold of his strength in Isa 64. 7. but the Spouse being but the instrument of Gods power and goodnesse she doth as it were speake in the person of Christ and as Christ gives life to his people so his people are said to give life to him and raise him up as it were from sleep and from death This raising up was under the Apple-tree the tree of life and grace whose shadow and fruit had beene delightfull to her to which tree Christ himselfe was likened Chap. 2. 3. So that the Spouse is said to raise up Christ in his owne power under the Apple-tree towit under his shadow and fruit whereby she her selfe was comforted and refreshed Hence Observe That Christ is raised up by or in the Saints by his owne power Though the Saints are said to raise up Christ it 's under the Apple-tree it 's in Christs owne power so it is no more but Christs raising himselfe in the Saints Christ by the divine power raised himselfe out of the Grave so by that divine power he doth rise in the Saints by which power they are said to raise up Christ and therefore what Christ is said to doe unto the Saints