Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	strange_a	young_a	youth_n	18	3	7.3028	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45241	An exposition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to John by Geo. Hutcheson.	Hutcheson, George, 1615-1674.	1657 (1657)	Wing H3826; ESTC R11373	940,105	442

the strongest ought to subject themselves unto this Government for in the second repetition of the charge it is feed or govern and play the shepherd for the word is different from the former and that even to the sheep 8. The strongest of professours will not within time attain that height of perfection and sanctity as to out-grow Ordinances or a Ministry or not to need them and Ministers are bound to deal with them accordingly Therefore in the third repetition of the charge he useth the word first used feed or provide and afford food and that even to my sheep as well as to lambs Verse 18. Verily verily I say unto thee When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not 19. This spake he signifying by what death he should glorifie God And when he had spoken this he saith unto him Follow me In the next part of Christs conference with Peter he warnes him of his future sufferings promising that he should prove more stout then in his former trial This he propounds more darkly v. 18. and alluding to the custome of these Easterne people who wearing long garments did gird them up by binding their loines when they went to a journey and to the custome of binding malefactours when they were carried from place to place or to the place of execution He sheweth a great difference that should be betwixt his case in youth and in old age In his youth he girded up his loines and walked at his own pleasure but in his old age others should binde him and carry him whether his natural inclination did not lead him And in v. 19. he explains this shewing that he spake of his violent death sweetning it with this consideration that hereby he should glorifie God and commanding him presently to follow him Whence learn 1. Love to Christ must be evidenced not only by active doing of duty but by suffering also unto death if we be called unto it And Ministers especially when they undertake the charge of Christs flock ought to lay their account for such a lot Therefore is this prediction joyned with the former injunction as another proof of Peters love to Christ 2. The matter of suffering would not be lightly thought upon but we should have grave and serious thoughts of it that afflictions in some measure abide us that it is our duty to resolve for the worst and that suffering will indeed try us and therefore we should be laying up for such a strait for these causes doth he begin this doctrine with a grave asseveration Verily verily I say unto thee c. 3. There will be great difference betwixt a Saint trusting in his own strength and the same Saint leaning upon and supported by God he who before durst not look a damosel in the face will in the other case dare to look death in the face for so appeared in Peter of whom Christ foretels this when he is minding him of his former failing 4. As it is the duty of Saints alwayes to look on suffering for Christ as their great honour Acts 5.41 so in particular when a Saint is indeed penitent for his shifting of suffering and sliding in a time of trial it will be his great comfort to know that he shall have the honour to suffer and be born through in it that so to say he may be avenged on trial for his two eyes for here it is held out for Peters encouragement that Christ will employ him who had proven so weak yet to suffer unto death for his Name as a souldier who is shamefully beaten desires nothing so much as another day wherein he may shew his valour and repair his credit 5. As nature hath an antipathy at death and particularly a violent death so Saints have not an inclination to suffering ready to let out at their pleasure till God give them victory and resolution Therefore is his suffering called anothers girding him and carrying him whither he would not not only shewing that naturally he would be averse from it or that he would have no hand in his own suffering and death but that take him in his own resolutions and inclinations and he would decline such a lot though grace made him submit and stretch out his hands that they might gird him and this sheweth how needfull it is that the most resolute of men do seek willingnesse from Christ lest their natural inclinations prevail And that even where there is a natural antipathy and fear of death and suffering yet Christ may make eminent and resolute Martyrs of them they depending on him as many Martyrs who have been long exercised with the feare of death have found in experience 6. The thing which nature especially while men are young and in vigour would still be at is to be their own Masters not subject to the Law of God nor to the tossing Providences about the world for this was Peters way and what he delighted in then when thou wast young thou girded thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest He was his own man and delighted to walk as he pleased and at randome and liberty 7. Men may expect strange changes in their lots and exercises in the several turnes of their life before they go off the world and particularly when men engage themselves in Christs service they may expect a strange change to follow on it Not only will their consciences within them curb their extravigant and lawlesse walking but whereas there were none before to trouble them now there must be nothing but bonds and death for them So much doth this opposition betwixt Peters lot in his youth and old age teach us When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self c. But when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy bands c. 8. That Christ promisseth he shall not suffer till he be old He teacheth partly that the timing of his peoples suffering is in his hand and he can when he pleaseth give them a faire time wherein to serve him before he call them to seal the truth by their sufferings for Peter is old before they gird him c. See Luke 13.31 32. and partly That Christ may call his people to suffer when their visible ability is least that so the power carrying them through may be seen to be of him Therefore also doth he suffer when he is old when albeit old age might quench many lusts in him and experience and time might settle him yet his natural vigour was decayed and feares usually accompanying old age might retard him 9. Christ would have his doctrine distinctly taken up and understood by hearers therefore as Peter understood this well enough so John explains it for our use shewing that Christ spake of Peters death in these termes 10. The sufferings of Saints do contribute to set out the glory of

to prevent it Not that he wanted sympathy but that he knew how to bring joy out of it 5. As Christ mindes his own glory in all his working so he joynes therewith the promoving of the true good of his people for this sicknesse and death of Lazarus is not only for the glory of God ver 4. but for your sakes and good So that Saints will finde his glory and their good still carried on together 6. Christ in afflicting any of his own mindes not only their own particular good but the good of other Saints also by their observing the proofes of Christ manifested upon and to the afflicted for not only Lazarus but the disciples and sisters also get good and confirmation out of the trial and the issue of it 7. Even such as live under the most eminent ministry for a long time and are very eminent in Christs house and who have seen much of Christ may yet be very weak in faith and need confirmation thereof for albeit these were called to be Apostles and had seen the most of all Christs miracles and lived under Christs ministry till now that it is near an end yet even at this time they need help to beleeve or to be confirmed and strengthened in it That ye may beleeve And it is still of general verity that whatever faith Saints have yet it needs daily confirmation and growth 8. Confirmation and strengthening of faith is ●o needful and useful that it is not to be thought strange if Christ send sharp trials on our selves or others to bring that about Yea a Saint is highly honoured when God afflicts him most sharply if his afflictions and the issues of them be a mean to confirme others Therefore Christ thinks Lazarus pain in his sicknesse and death and the sharp sorrow of his sisters but a small thing and not to be stood upon if it produce confirmation of faith even in Disciples I am glad I was not there to the intent ye may beleeve 9. As any thing that may advance our good is matter of Christs joy so in particular there is nothing more pleasant unto him then to have his people beleeving and growing in faith I am glad to the intent ye may beleeve 10. Albeit Christs absence from his people for a time may seem to discourage them much yet very absence may tend to the strengthening of their faith afterwards for I was not there to the intent ye may beleeve 11. Whatever incouragement Christ allow upon his people yet it is not to be expected that he will allow them their own desired ease by shifting their duty for any danger for albeit he point out all these solid grounds of comfort yet go to Judea they must Neverthelesse let us go And indeed if they had gotten their own desired refreshment they had missed of all these true comforts 12. Inability and impotency in the needy will not hinder a meeting betwixt Christ and them but he will go to them who cannot come to him for such is his dealing to dead Lazarus Let us go unto him 13. Christs going unto or dealing even with the dead is not uselesse but to good purpose for albeit it should seeme it were too late to go now neverthelesse saith he let us go unto him Ver. 16. Then said Thomas which is called Didymus unto his fellow disciples let us also go that we may die with him This conference closeth with a particular discovery of Thomas Didymus or the twin as his name Thomas in the Hebrew also imports He seeing Christ so resolute invites the rest to go and dye with him not with Lazarus but with Christ And the meaning is That since Christ would not follow their counsel but would run on his own death there was nothing better for them then to run on the hazard with him and so once be out of troubles and fears In this resolution there doth indeed appear 1. Affection in cleaving unto Christ and 2. Zeal in exciting others to the same Yet this resolution is but full of fear and dissidence for had he beleeved what was spoken ver 15. he would not have expected this issue of the journey Doctrine 1. It is the duty of Christs followers not to quit him though it should cost them their lives for so much doth this resolution teach 2. It is their duty also to excite one another to duty in times of hazard Let us go saith he and die 3. Christs followers have more fears and sad apprehensions then there is just cause for let us go and die when Christ had told of another thing imports so much This produced an untimous exercise about suffering wherein he proved not so resolute when he was called to it 4. It breeds men much needlesse exercise that they will not beleeve nor expect the good that Christ promiseth them but will judge of all things by their own apprehensions for so was it with him his eye was so on feared danger as he little regarded what Christ had promised 5. The Lord doth not approve of that resolution in dutie or suffering that doth not slow from faith but from distrust for herein did Thomas resolution faile 6. The Lord also dislikes mens willingnesse to suffer when it proceeds from a desperate wearing of their present lot which makes them content to rid themselves of it by sharp sufferings for this was also one of his faults as hath been before explained Verse 17. Then when Jesus came he found that he had lien in the grave foure dayes already 18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Hierusalem about fifteen furlongs off 19. And many of the Jewes came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother Followeth to ver 38. Some antecedents of the miracle after Christ came near to Bethany and before he came to the grave Unto which and these that follow a preface and introduction is premitted in these verses which will give light to the following purpose And namely there is recorded 1. The length of time since Lazarus who was to be raised had been buried Jesus findes that is was foure dayes ver 17. 2. The nearnesse of Bethany to Jerusalem namely that it was a furlong lesse then two miles eight furlongs making a mile is marked ver 18. And that as for other reasons so also to point out a reason why so many Jewes came to bear Mary and Martha company which is the third thing premitted ver 19. Doctrine 1. While as it is said Jesus found he had lien foure dayes we need not enquire how he found it for we may conceive that as he knew of his death before and told of it ver 11 14. So now he found by report and information that it was as he knew As indeed his knowledge is infallible Though it may be also asserted in general that Christ as man being freely acted by the Godhead was sinlessely ignorant of some things not incumbent to his calling and did learn from experience information