Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_v	world_n	worthy_a	27	3	6.1141	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52356	An exposition with practical observations upon the book of Ecclesiastes written by Alexander Nisbet ...	Nisbet, Alexander, 1623-1669.	1694 (1694)	Wing N1168; ESTC R3204	421,927	628

things Wrath against the day of Wrath For he speaks mainly in reference to Wicked Mens abusing this Dispensation that they prosper as much yea often more than the Godly while he saith There is an Evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one Event c. also the Hearts of the Sons of men are full of Evil c 2. Mens abusing of outward success and Prosperity to imbolden themselves the more in Sinning against God it common among all that are unrenewed and is a most hainous crime being a Sin against the goodness and long suffering of God and the occasion of many other Sins for both the commonness and hainousness of it are imported in this expression There is an Evil among all things done under the Sun 3. Though it be an ordinary delusion among men to think their Hearts good were their way never so vile yet not only are the Hearts of all men naturally altogether void of any thing that is good and that is the cause why they abuse to licentiousness the goodness of God manifested in his Dispensations but likwise the more of his Goodness they meet with their Wickedness grows the more their vitious habits contempt of God love to their Lusts hardness of Heart and spiritual security grow upon them for this may be either taken for the cause why they abuse their Prosperity to grow thereby Mad in their Sins or for the effect of their abusing of it The hearts of the Sons of men are full of Evil. 4. As unrenewed men especially in Prosperity do ordinarly go Mad in their Sins violently prosecuting their Lusts boasting and Glorying in their sinful ways as if there were no account to be given thereof as the word Madness signifies So what ever use of their wit they may have to plot mischief to execute their purposes and carry on their Plots closely they are really Mad incapable of any wholsome counsel destroying their own Souls and taking pleasure in so doing like Mad Men For saith he Madness is in their Heart 5. While Men abuse the Lords Dispensations by flattering themselves in their Sins and perswading themselves of his love and favour notwithstanding of their Wickedness because they prosper there is a spiritual distemper and Madness upon their Spirits For it is mainly in reference to the mis-judging of the Lords Dispensations and making this wrong use of them that he saith Madness is in their Heart 6. Men void of Saving Grace never weary of their Mad and sinful Courses while Life or Strength continues after they have along their Life abused their prosperity by Pride Insolence Oppression and Slighting of God even when Death draws near they but grow yet more Mad in Sin repining against God and his Providence because they cannot longer enjoy their sinful Pleasures and so they carry their Sins to the very Gates of Death with them For saith he Madness is in their Heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead he speaks of their sinful Courses as having an immediat connexion with their very Death 7. As Temporal Death shall put an end to the sinful Pleasures of Wicked Men so eternal Death shall then begin to seize upon them whereof the Servants of Christ should often put Mad Sinners in mind whether they will believe or not For there is more in this last Expression than a simple minding Men of Natural Death which is common to all And after that they go down to the Dead Ver. 4. For to him that it joined to all the Diving there is hope for a living Dog is better than a dead Lyon 5. For the Living know that they shall dye but the Dead know not any thing neither have they any more a Reward for the memory of them is forgotten 6. Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun THe Preacher giveth here two Considerations serving to work the Hearts of the Godly to a cheerful Submission under an hard Lot in the World and to stir up all to use their Life and the Comforts of it well that so they may prepare for Death The One is That the meanest or most afflicted Life hath some Advantages with it which being improven may make Men digest the Afflictions attending it The Other is That they who have the most prosperous state in this World must part with all the Comforts of it at Death And so the Words may be also looked upon as containing the Reason of Mens madness in abusing the Lord's Dispensations as is exprest in the former Words namely their inconsideration of the Advantages of Life and the necessity of parting with all the Comforts of it at Death In setting out the First he commends the state of natural Life while he saith To him that is joined to all the Living which is a kind of description of any Living Man and commendation of his state 1. From the Social temper which he ought to have and the Advantage he hath thereby There is hope how sad soever his Condition be he may have hope that it may be better or there is ground of hope to him if he make use of his Life that he may get all the troubles mitigate and sanctified and so may prepare for a better and this he doth illustrat by a common Proverb A living Dog is better than a dead Lyon which is a Speech applicable to many Purposes and according to the matter in hand the meaning of it is that a Living Man who hath the most abject and contemptible Life for such a Man useth to be set out by the name of a Dog in Scripture as 2 King 8.13 is Better that is he may be more useful for himself and others than the Greatest Man now being Dead Here it would be considered for clearing of the following purpose that while he compares the Living and the Dead and preferrs the Former to the Latter he doth not speak of the Dead considered as to their future Eternal State for so they are beyond all comparison either better or worse but abstracting from that considers them simply as by Death deprived of Natural Life and the Advantages thereof 2. The Second Thing that commends Life is That the Living know that they shall Die That which none can be altogether ignorant of who have the use of Reason and which all should actually consider he speaks of as agreeing to all and this is a great Advantage if it be improven that Men knowing this may while they have opportunity prepare for Death loose their Hearts from their earthly Enjoyments from which Death at last will separat them use their Allowance cheerfully for their incouragement in God's Service and comforting of themselves against the Afflictions of their Life which is the Scope Now in opposition to these Advantages of Life he comes in the next place to point out the

frequently asserted it here again represent the same to his own Heart and others Vanity of Vanities c. 2. So prone are our Hearts to wander after Earthly Delights as our only Happiness that even after they have been in some measure divorced from the same there is great need often to view the Vanity of these things as we desire to keep our Hearts alienat from them and in love with that true sweetness which is to be had in Communion with God while we are in this life we are like Children newly weaned very ready to renew old acquaintance with the Breasts Therefore doth Solomon after frequent Repeating of this Truth along this Treatise of Mortification Repeat it here again in the close of it that he may keep his Heart alienat from Idols Vanity of Vanities c. 3. When Ministers have sufficiently proven illustrat and made use of the Truth proposed by them to be handled it is no vain Repetition for them to represent the same Truth in the very Terms in which they did propose it at first that by the Blessing of God upon their proofs illustrations and uses of it it may now at last have more hearty acceptance and take deeper impression than could be expected at first For so doth Solomon here Repeat the Truth he proposed in the entry of this Book after he hath cleared proven and made use of the same Vanity of Vanities 4. When Men see Holiness in the Beauty of it Sin in the hazard of it and Death in the certainty and terrour of it they cannot but see the Vanity of Earthly Delights considered as the object of Mans Happiness they cannot but see the emptiness and insufficiency of them in order to that end seing they distract the Heart from the Study of Holiness and marre preparation for Death and consequently Men that banish thoughts of Death and neglect the study of Holiness cannot but be ravished with Earthly Delights as the only substantial things worthy of their Heart and to be sought as their chief good for we may safely conceive Solomon here after many sweet Precepts concerning the study of Holiness and lively Representations of Death to his own Heart and others to have gotten a new sight of the Vanity of things Earthly and to invite others to pass sentence thereupon with him Vanity of Vanities c. 5. A Man that hath a call to Preach the Truth of God should esteem more of it than of the most Honourable outward Relation or Title he can have beside he should carry the thoughts of Gods calling and entrusting of him along in his Heart to make him confident of Furniture even to the end of his Imployment and people also should frequently remember the calling of sent Ministers that the Truths delivered may have the greater weight as coming to them from Gods Commissionat Officers For as Solomon took this for his first stile in the beginning of his Book even while he was Reckoning out some others so he mentions it alone in the close as his main incouragement and that which should mainly gain respect to his Message Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher 6. When we have gone thorow many particular instances of these Earthly Delights wherein Men place their Happiness and have attained to convincing proofs of the Vanity and insufficiency of them for that end we ought then to raise our Hearts to an assent to the truth of the general that all of that sort are Vanity and not leave room still to Satan to keep our perverse Hearts in suspense and expectation that there may be some Earthly Delight which we have not yet seen more worthy than the rest and so keep us off all our time from seeking Happiness in that wherein it can only be found For after Solomon hath confuted many particular instances of these things wherein Men ordinarly seek their Happiness he now asserts the general and holds out to all for their assent unto it all is Vanity Vr. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the People knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs THe second article or Conclusion of this Book contains a Commendation of the purpose contained in it and this hath three Branches The first is from the Preacher himself whose qualifications and pains are set forth in several particulars in this Verse 1. He had a good stock of Wisdom both immediatly infused 1 King 4.29 and by his extraordinary pains acquired Eccles 1.13 2. He did improve the same well for the Instruction of the Church in all ages especially these under his charge here called the People 3. He was very assiduous and constant in this Work he still taught either by frequent Preaching and Exhortation as a publick Officer of the Church such as he was should do 2 Tim. 4.2 Or by puting other Ministers to their duty and incouraging them in it as a Religious King like him should do 2 Chr 7.8.9 Or by writting Scripture as an extraordinary Prophet in which respect being Dead he yet speaketh and still teacheth the People Knowledge 4. He rested not upon any measure he had received but gave good heed or as the word in the original is he Weighed every thing in the Ballance and sought out carefully more and more of the Knowledge of God and of Mans duty that he might edify the Church 5. He did wisely order and digest the purpose he delivered 6. He condescended upon variety of matter sutable to many cases of the People And 7. He contrived the same in such short and grave Sentences here called Proverbs as are apt to gain esteem and have prevalence in the minds of Men as the word rendered Proverbs signifies he set in order many Proverbs Hence Learn 1. Though the worth or qualifications of Instruments can add nothing to the Authority of the truth of God which is of it self worthy of all Acceptation who ever carry it yet so ready are people to lay hold upon every thing that may but seem to be a ground of casting at Truth that the Vessels that carry it had need not only to be without spot and blemish but also adorned with such accomplishments as may make them lovely to people that so there may be no ground from them to cast at their Message For here the Spirit of God finds it necessary to commend the Vessel that carried the Treasure in this Book to the Church thereby to gain the more acceptance to it And moreover because the Preacher was wife he still caught c. 2. As every Christian is bound humbly to avow the Graces and Gifts of God bestowed upon him when the Glory of God and the incouragement and edification of others require the same so it is especially sutable for Ministers when their Intention is Honest and sincere namely to make Truth not themselves only in esteem As they should be ready to declare themselves sensible of and humble for their