Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	word_n	work_n	worldly_a	39	3	7.8174	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27353	Nehemiah the Tirshatha, or, The character of a good commissioner to which is added Grapes in the wilderness / by Mr. Thomas Bell ...	Bell, Thomas, fl. 1672-1692.; Bell, Thomas. Grapes in the wilderness.	1692 (1692)	Wing B1804; Wing B1803_PARTIAL; ESTC R4955	138,914	254

his People bring them with 〈◊〉 the bond of his Covenant and give them a free ●●spensation of his ordinances whilst he doth not to others and loves them that are of themselves may be the least lovely Answer The Lord loves and chooses because he loves and chooses ●eut 7. compare the 7 and 8. verses Question 8. ●●w comes it that the Lord surprises his Saints any times with such unexpected kindness and ●ercies as distress their wits and dash their mo●sty so that they are equally ashamed and ignorant of that kindness wherewith they are so loaded ●d weighted without wearying that they are ●terly at a loss to express let be to requite it hence is all this I say Answer Because Gods way with his People is not the manner of man And what can David say more to it 2 Samuel 19 20. Question 9 But how is it that the Lord withdrawes his comfortable presence many times ●om his People when they are most earnest to keep ●m and solicitous to entertain him Answer ●hat is as he pleases Cant. 2 7. It becomes us well to ●ait his Dyets and it as well becomes him to be ●aster of his own Dyets Question 10. Why is it ●at the Lord gives many of his finest and most ●oly Saints such a sad inward life of desertions ●ears Tentations that are able to distract even a ●ise Heman from his youth and to make them ●iferenters also of such Exercises Answer I find ●is Question made by Heman Psal. 88 14. but I ●nd no answer to it And it may be the Lord would have said it is ill speired The just answer to this and such like Questions is Job 33. 13. G●● gives not account of any of his matters Question 11. ● dispensations how is it that either all things f● alike to all or if there be any odds of Lots the worst falls to the Saints in this life And that som● times men that are singulary Holy are strangely afflicted as Iob. Answer Job 9 22 23. This ●● one thing therefore I said it he destroyeth th● perfect and the wicked if the scourge slay suddainly he will laugh at the tryal of the innocen● O Soveraignity becoming him only who doth ● Heaven and Earth whatsoever he pleaseth Th● next property and attribute of God observable i● his works is wisdom and this sweetly influence the former for albeit God always will not yet always he well can give a good account of his ma●ters known unto God are all his works from the beginning Act 1● 18. Yea the Lord som● times manifests the wisdom of his works evidentl● and eminently to his Peoples admiration rath●● than satisfaction and lets them see more wisdom in his dispensations than they can fathom O th● depth Rom. 11. 33. I dare not cast my self into the depth of this wisdom of God in his dispensations lest I be not able in haste to recover my self Only let us mind that what we know not now ●● God 's mind in his dispensations it may be w● shall know afterwards to our great satisfaction We should likewise observe in the works of God Power Holiness Justice Goodness whereo● more in the sequel of our discourse and particularly we would observe the Truth for which the Psalmist so much commends the judgements and ●nd works of God we should observe how every work of God verifies some word of his book and ●ow all fulfills the whole We find it frequent in the mouth of Christ and his Apostles and sure it was first in their eyes thus and thus it was done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled The works of God are an enlarged Commentary of ● daily new edition upon the Word of God And be sure this shall not be an Orleans gloss that will overturn the Text nor will the only wise God so far forget himself in the least to counter work his Word And if thus we observe the correspondency of Gods Works with his Word our Song shall be as we have heard so have we seen in the ● City of our God And that according to his name so is his praise to all the ends of the earth Psal. 48 8 10. Only let us be sure to have the Word on our side if ever we would expect good of the Works of God for if Gods word be for us himself is on our side if God be for us who shall be against us who is the man what is the thing neither death nor life c. The Fourth thing to be observed in the works of God is the voice of them Gods words have a hand and are active working words his Works have a tongue and are speaking works his words may be seen Ier 2. 13. O generation see ye the word of the Lord and his works may be heard Mica 6. 9. the Lords voice cryeth to the City and the man of wisdom shall see the thy name hear ye the rod and him that hath appointed it There is both a visible Voice and name and an audible Rod. Men have no ears for Gods Word or if they hear it they dally with it and make i● but what they please darkening it with the du● of their Carnal self-pleasing glosses but God hath another Voice the heavy voice of a bloody lashing rod that Voice will cause men hear and i● speaks so distinctly that it will make the meaning of a despised Word so plain that it shall be even visible what God would say to such hearers As the Apostle sayes 1 Cor 24 10. there are so many kinds of voices in the World and every voice hath its own signification So the several works o● God have their several signifying voices to the Sons of Men. Some Works of God have a Voice o● Instruction some have a voice of Lamentation Jesus once weept over the City Ierusalem with the proper voice of his Body Jesus often weeps over Cities Churches Provinces and Kingdoms with the Metaphoricall voice of his Dispensations some works of God have a voice of gladness and singing Psal. 9. 4. thou Lord hast made me glad through they work Some have a voice of Victory and Triumph and dividing the spoile I will triumph in the works of thy hands ibidem in that same verse Miriam sang Exod. 15 1. the Lord hath triumphed Gloriously and Psal. 47. the Lord is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our God sing praises Some Works of God have the voice of a Lyon roaring some of a thunder cracking some of waters rushing some Works of God have a still whispering voice some have ● clear speaking voice some have a loud crying voice The still voice whispers in the Conscience the plain clear voice speaks in the Word and the loud voice cryes in the rod the Lords voice cryes to the City hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Now they hear and observe the voice of God's Works

Word Remember whereby they referr particulars to him who is able to do abundantly above all that they are able either to ask or think David sayeth remember me Ieremiah sayeth remember me Hezekiah and Nehemiah say remember me and Augustine sweetly rendereth Psal. 8. 4. ver Domine quid est homo nisi quia memor es ejus Lord what is man but that thou art mindful of him And happy he whose name is written in that Book of Remembrance that is before the Lord Mal. 3. 16. And when each man comes to be rewarded malicious opposers of reformation and profane corrupters of Religion and the Covenant of the priesthood may readily come to be remembred Chap 6 14 and 13. 29. 2. In his retreat he goes off with an eye to himself Remember me c. The Ruler who would make a honourable retreat and come fair off would look to 5 Things chiefly that concern himself 1. His conscience Can he say with Nehemiah chap. 5. 19. Remember me O my God for good according to all that I have done for this People and chap. 13. 14. Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds and I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof Or with Hezekiah 2 King 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Or with Samuel 1 Sam. 12 3. I have walked before you from my Child-hood to this day behold here I am witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose ox have I taken or whose ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you Or if in any thing as a man he hath erred for that he must say to God with Nehemiah chap. 13 22. Remember me O my God and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy A good conscience is a strong comforter but Gods sweet and tender mercies are the sinners last refuge and sure salvation and it is Bellarmines own Conclusion Tutius tamen est adherere Christs Justitiae And if so why should unhappy men so voluminously dispute against their own mercy Psal. 119. 77. Let thy tender mercys come unto me that I may live was the suit of the man according to Gods heart the pattern of Rulers And truely this Generation would be advised to amend their manners before they change their Religion lest under the gilded large net of Popery by the Doctrine of merits they be involved and held in the inextricable grin of desperation Or if indulgence and pardon in end must do it what ails them at Gods which is infinitly better than the Popes and incompareably surer beside that it is manifestly cheaper But for the Conscience of a Ruler who can say with Titus that darling of mankind Non extare ullum suum factum Paeniteneum excepto duntaxat uno 2. His soul The Soul and Conscience are of such affinity that he who destroyes the one cannot save the other And what doth it profit a man though he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul The soul is the man and he hath got his prize who gets that for a Prey The end of our faith is the salvation of our souls Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee was the rare and suit of that excellent Ruler And what a pitty is it to see a Ruler upon a retreat from the World and from the Body going off with such a amentable Dirgie as did Adrian the Emperour in Aelius Spartianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque eorporis Quananc abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nee ut soles dabis ●ocos Or with such a hideous rage as Tiberius in Sue●onius like one speaking out of Hell Du me Deaeque ejus perdant quam quotidie perire sentio 3. His fame and memory a matter that highly concerneth the Ruler as in the last view shall be showen more fully ● His posterity natural or politick 5. His Works both which are expressed together in that Prayer of Moses the man of God Psal 90. 16 17. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy Glory unto their Children and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it The good Ruler not like the Ostrich which God hath deprived of wisdom neither hath he imparted to her understanding that is hardned against her young ones as though they were not hers her labour is in vain without fear Iob 39. 16 17. This regard to the work of God and to the good of posterity made Moses record his Song Deut. 31 and 32. and moved him to bless the People chap. 33. This moved Ioshua to make a Covenant chap. 24 25. This begot in David such a desire to build house unto the Lord. This made Hezekiah weep bitterly that the begun Reformation was like to cease by his death This incited Paul that great Church Ruler so zealously to warn and guard th● believers against what should happen after his departure This made Moses and David before the death so carefully give charge to their successor concerning their duty This moveth all men naturally at their death to leave their Counsel and Blesing to their posterity And finally this induceth good Rulers in their time to establish good Ordinances by which being dead they may speak to posterity 3. Like Moses he makes his retreat with a respect to the recompence of reward Remember me O my God for good And that bo● proposed in the promise 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with mean everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire Or pledged in the testimony of a good Conscience 2 King 20. 3. Remember O Lord how I have walked before the● in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is right in thy sight He who can say with Iob My witness is in Heaven and my record on high may justly say with Isaiah my work is with the Lord and my reward with my God For surely there is an end and the expectation of the righteous shall not be cutt off Now by these last words of the Tirshatha the Ruler would be warned in time to think of his retreat how he may make it good with honour For whether slow footed Time which changeth not his pace for fair weather or foul for Summer or Winter advance at the ordinary rate of Journey or whether death take post or changes take wing and calamity come suddenly or whether all these hold the ordinary road with

tryed the Experiment of all things Sublunary that they are but vexation of Spirit and a very Vanity And will a man fill his Belly with the East-wind The most refined Spirits and artificial Extracts of natures fullness hath no more fitness and congruity to satisfy a Soul than Chaff or Sand hath to nourish a humane Body Nor did Nebuchadnezar eat Grass with the Oxen until his heart was made like the Beasts Moreover the Glory of all things transitory hath not the Civility to see the Soul to its rest But serve it like wicked Companions who have debauched a man all the day and leave him to dry a Kennel at night O when the Soul shall run out into Eternity and Death shall draw the Courtain upon all things Worldly Then it shall be seen that the things that are seen are but Temporal And then if the Soul would return to call but for a cup of cold water of all its sensual Pleasures it cannot have passage For there is a great Gulf fixed betwixt So that they who would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence Luk. 16. 26 To close this consideration Remember that the wise God called him a fool a great fool a rich fool Who for that his Barns were full would say to his Soul Soul thou hast much good laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12. 19 20. But O! the revenue of Godliness God and the Light of his countenance Christ and his Merits the Holy Ghost with his Comforts and Graces the Justification of Faith the Peace of God the Joy of the Holy Ghost the hope of Glory are things of great Beauty to please our Souls withall 3. The Consolations Joyes Pleasures and Delights of Godliness are the choicest of any For however as the Proverb is a small thing will make fool fain and as little makes him sad Yet the Delights of a Wise-man are such as are the things he delighteth in Ps. 4. 7. Thou thorough the light of by countenance hast put gladness in my Heart more ●●an in the time when their Corn and their Wine in●eased O Lord I am as far above the envy of the ungodly as they are below mine The Worlds great prejudice against Godliness is that they fancy it an unpleasant thing void of delight But ●●tum est in organo And no doubt if men found that delight in Holiness which they do in wickedness we should quickly have the World a Pro●lyte to Godliness O then that my Words were weighed and that the World would give me a air hearing but in this one consideration no doubt I had then gained Delight is a very alluring thing and trahit sua quemque voluptas every one follows whither his I leasure and Delight ●ads him Nor is it any wonder that so it be ●r Delight and Pleasure is the very flower and ●ossome of Happiness the accomplishment and ●st act of Blessedness differing from Vertue and Godliness as the Flourish from the Tree the Rose ●●m the Bush. The Scripture placeth the Saints ●lessedness both in the Estate of Grace and Glory Pleasure and Delight That Delight is a mans ●lessedness in the state of Grace see the Command Psal. 37. 4. the Promise Isai. 64 5. the ●●ints professed practice of whom Christ is the chief and chiefly meant Psal. 40. 8. The Motive given by the Spirit of God Prov. 3. 17. And that Delight hath the same place in Glory if any that have heard of such a thing as Heaven did ever once doubt of it it is more than clear from Psal. 16. 11 Revel 21. 4. with many the like places If men knew to do the Epicureans right in their opinion of Felicity and could speak as Philosophers and not as taunting Satyricks I could rather be than be called an Epicurean For Imperious custom even like Diotrephes who in all things loveth the preheminency hath usurped sofar upon the World that she prevaileth equally in mens Words and practices calling things as she lists Whence a sensual Sow wallowing in the mire of Lust must bear the name of an Epicurean whercas in Truth an Epicurean is no other than a man placeing Happiness in rational Pleasures and intellectual Delights worthy of men Even as I according to the Scripture have placed it in those Delights that are Spiritual and becoming a Saint The cutting off of a Member deserves not the name of a Cure but is the Uncomfortable result of the desperate wits of Extremity and Necessity in a deplorable Case and an expedient intending the preservation of the whole with the loss of the part For better it is to go to Heaven with one Eye Hand or Foot than to be cast into Hell with two The Stoical Apathetick method if the Stoick be not as much wronged as the Epicurean is but a pitiful cutting at best a curb no wayes a Cure of a corrupt World A man will suffer much before he suffer the loss of his Limbs and he hath wrought but an undesirable Cure that by cutting off of a Member hath made a man creple or maim The World will want much before they want their Pleasures and Delights And indeed who would choose to be miserable Wherefore the only expedient method in this case will be diversion whereby men may save their Members the World may enjoy Delights and Pleasures for measure as much greater as for quality better than formerly in their courses of Iniquity only they must not run any more in the Channel of Sensuality but in the vein of Religion and Spirituality Consider then the Delights and Pleasures of Godliness and then let reason say who hath the sweetest Life the Saint or the Bruit 1. For their nature they are unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. the Word is significant in its own Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorifyed ●oy a very Heaven upon Earth A Joy of the same Nature though not to the same degree with that in Heaven The Saints Delights in Earth are a cup of the same Wine for kind which they shall drink in the Kingdom of their Father though it be not of so high a colour nor of so rich a relish to us here in the Cellar as it is to them at the Kings Table Holiness is much mistaken in the World and so is Heaven and Happiness which is no other than the top and upper ●nd of Holiness or Holiness in its Holy-dayes Cloathes If men would consider this I suppose some should be as afraid of Heaven as they are of Holiness Yea I am really of the mind if God should open a door in Heaven to a Prophane Liver and say Come up hither that he should not dare to enter The Beauty and Light of that Glory so contrary to Darkness would dazle and confound and utterly undoe him If a man should be permitted yea commanded to throw himself into a burning Fiery Furnace like that of