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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	according_a	hand_n	lord_n	994	5	3.8044	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93740	The great, useful and blessed duty of a contentment, willingness and desire to die set forth upon true and assured grounds, in several discourses on these following scriptures. By Richard Stafford, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Recommended as more proper and beneficial to be given at funerals than gloves or rings.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1700 (1700)	Wing S5119A; ESTC R223444	53,707	69

and the Devil Captive which before did lead and hold People in captivity who from their inslaving Nature are here expressed not to be only Captivating Men but they are Captivity it self in the Abstract Intimating thereby that these who are under the power of Satan For so the Scripture expresses it to turn from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God they are in the utmost Captivity yea worse than that is of those that are bound with Chains and Fetters although these are seen but the others are to be understood and felt by such who are in the Bond of Iniquity Acts 9. 23. For Sin iniquity and lust are as a Chain or Bond which doth hold and hamper People therein that they know not yea they cannot without Christ that strengtheneth them get out and extricate themselves from it Now as Jesus doth save his People from their sins he doth in this sense Preach deliverance to the Captives and set at liberty them that are bound and Redeem them who for their Iniquities had sold themselves Isa 50. 1. Even unto the Devil and Hell the place of Damnation and eternal Punishment And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them The Principalities and Powers here meant are the Principalities of the other World the Powers of Darkness and the Devil who is the Prince of the Power of the Air Here Jesus Christ is said to have spoiled the Principality and Power of the Devil which he hath done to such as are Christs for over such the Devil hath no Principality or Power and triumphed over them in himself so that since he hath Redeemed ransomed and preserved us from all the evil and terrible things of the future and invisible world which we immediatly enter into by Death And then we may be willing contended and desirous to dye when we are assured before hand that God hath by his Son Jesus Christ Redeemed us from all the Power of the Enemy and from all the evil things of the other World So that nothing there shall in the least hurt us much less torment and make us miserable And thus these two Expressions Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Into thine hand I commit my Spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth do fall in and meet together near to same sense and meaning even according to the requiring and earnest desire of the reasonable Creature who would fain not be miserable hereafter The one signifies to be saved and the other to be Redeemed from the wrath to come which are one and the same thing The consequence again is certain if we are saved from the wrath to come then we shall enjoy the Blessedness come ye Blessed of my Father to come as the Scripture saith Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire So it may be reasoned on the other side whosoever shall not be cast into the Lake of fire shall enter into Life so that if we are saved and Redeemed from the Lake of fire we shall enter into life and everlasting happiness Now seeing that the decree of God standeth on this wise we may upon very good reasons not only say so contentedly but also really assent unto the same in our minds being contented willing and desirous from the ground of our heart that it should be so Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation into thine hand I ●ommit my Spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth The third true and assured ground of a contentment willingness and desire to dye is when we have glorified God on the Earth and finished the work which he gave us 〈◊〉 do Even every one that is called by my name For I have created him for my Glory I have formed him yea I have made him this People have I formed for my self they shall ●hew forth my praise Isa 43. 7 21. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Rev. 4. 11. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit John 15. 8. From all these Scriptures considered together it appears that the end and intent of God's creating People is for his own Glory and Praise and that he might have fruit from them or that they should bring forth fruit unto God For the Son of Man is as a Man ●aking a far journey who left his House and gave Authori●… to his Servants and to every Man his Work and commanded the Porter to watch Mark 13. 34. And so it may be conceived after the same similitude of things that Almighty God the great Creator who is now in Heaven the habitation of his Holiness which is afar off and many Millions of miles distance But the Earth his house or one ●art of the House of his Creation He hath left and ●ave to the Children of Men and gave Authority to his ●ervants as Rulers and Ministers have For none are so 〈◊〉 to have Authority as those who are indeed the Ser●nts of God And to every Man his work and commanded the Porter to watch so that every Man hath received his work from God for him to do and finish on this Earth And accordingly as he doth and finisheth this work here on Earth he can both surrender back his ●pirit and also give up his account with joy and not with grief which would be unprofitable for him Now what is it to glorifie God here on Earth I an●wer in General It is to observe to do the statutes and ●udgements of the Lord God of our Fathers in the Land ●hich he giveth us to possess it all the days we live upon Earth Deut. 12. 1. To fear God and keep his Commandments is to be our constant business and work all our life long but there being div●rsuies of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but it is the same God that worketh all in all But the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 4. 5. 6 7 This spake he signifying by what Death he should Glorifie God John 21. 19. And so according as there are diversities of gifts and differences of operations in People and as one glorifies God by his Death one way and another another So there are divers ways and different manners of Glorifying God according to the several cases circumstances conditions or rather according to the several gifts and endowments in People By what Death he should Glorifie God Now in Death there is bitterness and hardship it being the hardest and most terrible thing in the world to dye from hence we gather that when we poor Creatures submit or subject our selves to hardship or difficulty either in obedience to

THE Great Useful and Blessed DUTY OF A Contentment Willingness and Desire TO DIE Set forth upon true and assured Grounds in several Discourses on these following Scriptures Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy word For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Luke 2. 29 30. Into thine hand I commit my Spirit Thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth Psal 31. 5. I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17. 4. By RICHARD STAFFORD A Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ Recommended as more proper and Beneficial to be given at Funerals than Gloves or Rings LONDON Printed and are to be sold by the Book-sellers of London and Westminster 1700. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy Word For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Luke 2. 29 30. FRom these Words I shall treat through God's Assistance and according to the Knowledge given me O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in heart of our contentment and willingness to Die or depart from off this Earth Why Is there any need to perswade or exhort People to a Willingness and Desire to surrender back their Spirits unto the God who gave them This seems to be but what is Natural and Reasonable Yet still there is a reluctancy and backwardness in our Spirits to do this because the Spirit is conscious of having offended God and is afraid to meet with him Angry or as a God that ●aketh Vengeance And therefore until this same God is perfectly Reconciled unto and at Peace with her and he is sensible and assured thereof the Soul must needs be affraid and backward to come and appear before him A diversity is to be observed when it is written Into thine hand I commit my Spirit Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth The Psalmist doth not here say Thou hast Created me O Lord God of Truth Though indeed this is true yet that is not altogether so satisfying 〈◊〉 Reason for him to willingly commit his Spirit into God's Hand as the consideration of his having Redeemed him is Because that by Nature we are the Children of Wrath as well as others and we are shapen in Iniquity and in Sin doth our Mother conceive us So that until this same Sin and Iniquity which is the Object of God's Hatred Displeasure and Punishment be done away and we are Redeemed from it for by his Redeeming us we are in a state of Reconcilation again as this is God's Act also as well as of Creating us we are not meet and consequently there cannot be a Willingness upon good and true Grounds to give up our Spirits unto God or to say with old Simeon in the Text Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace Even this old Simeon though he had already lived long on this Earth yet he would not have been so contented and desirous to have departed out of it unless he was to depart in Peace Not to depart generally as most People do in doubt fear and trouble but to depart in Peace If we could have our choice and it were so in our power as to be Immortal here and never to Die as for my part I should desire and pray unto God either to depart in Peace or not to depart at all Fo●… as it is said of the Son of Perdition It would have been good for him if he had never been Born so it may be here affirmed of those who do not depart in Peace It would be good for them not to depart or not to dye at all Not but that some may go off disturbedly and yet go off safely The Soul may be sometimes in a state of Peace and yet not be sensible thereof Who feareth th● Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant and yet walketh in darkness and have no light Isa 50. 10. But when one hath true and assured Grounds of Departing in Peace as Simeon here had there one may pray and appeal to God for him to let our Soul depart from the Body What were those true and assured Grounds which Simeon had of departing in Peace They are contained in the following Verse For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation From hence it appears that the true and assured Ground● for which any one is willing and contented to Dye is Because he hath seen the Salvation of God or for the committing our Spirit into the Hand of God is Because he hath Redeemed us Now to see the Salvation of God or for God to Redeem us do amount to near one and the same thing As it is written The Kingdom of God cometh not with Observation in the Margent there it is with outward shew Neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for be●old the Kingdom of God is within you So here it may be reasoned and supposed The Salvation of God is not outward nor yet cometh with Observation but the Salvation of God is within us It is wrought and accomplished within us And thou shalt call his Name Je●us for he shall save his People from their Sins Mat. 1. 21. Who is a Prince and a Saviour and the Author of E●ernal Salvation to all that obey him and the Salvation of God As to all this Christ is no otherwise a Saviour ●r doth save us or is the Salvation of God than as he ●oth save us from our Sins and turn us from our ●aiquities For this is laying the Ax to the Root of ●…e Tree and digging to the very Ground-work and ●oundation because that only by reason of Sin we be●…me liable and obnoxious to Death Misery and Punishment So that by certain and necessary Consequence 〈◊〉 we are saved from Sin then also we are saved from ●eath Misery and Punishment Hence again appears that this is the Salvation of God to save us from our Sins ●nd to save us from the Guilt and Corruption of our ●ature from whence these same Sins do proceed forth and so in those many places of Scripture where Salvation belongeth unto our God and is ascribed unto him 〈◊〉 he is called the God of Salvation there it is meant of ●…ving us from our Sins Where he saves from our E●…mies Sin is the greatest Enemy for 't is Sin in such a ●…an or Woman which only makes him or her to be our ●nemy Thou hast led captivity captive Psal 68. 18. that 〈◊〉 God hath led Sin and Corruption which doth in●lve the Children of Men in Captivity Captive by 〈◊〉 having received gifts for Men. And then it follows ●lessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with Benefits and ●…imating thereby that to be saved from our Sins or to ●…d that Captive which before held us in Captivity is 〈◊〉 greatest Benefit And then it follows Even the God of our Salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto

the Commandments of God or according to the decree and appointment of God this is a glorifying God and God is Glorifyed thereby When Christ his only begotten Son came to taste of that bitter Cup he saith Now is my Father glorified but for this hour came I into the World In the divers kinds of Death some are more shameful and painful then others as to be hanged on a Gallows or Gibbet or to be nailed on the Cross is more shameful and painful than to dye of a common Disease in our Bed yet from hence it follows that as Jesus Christ our Lord and forerunner was made a curse of God for us as cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree And as himself who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps did herein undergo both the pain and the shame therefore the more painful and shameful the Death is provided always that it be in a way of duty and in obedience unto or keeping the Commandments of God So much the more God is glorified thereby Which consideration if it be throughly weighed in our minds should make us earnestly desire Martyrdom and not to be afraid of or decline from it Hence it follows that to take up the Cross yea to take up the Cross dai●y saith Christ He that taketh not up the Cross daily ●annot be my Disciple Which is to cross and do con●rary to our Natural Inclinations this also is a glori●ying God and God is so much the more glorified According as so much the more the Cross is taken up From hence again it follows on the contrary that where a thing is easie and customary God is not al●ogether so much glorified thereby To go on in a course of outward and perfunctory Worship when the Worshippers at the same time commit Sin Iniquity Trans●ression and Hypocrisy God is not at all glorified ●hereby yea he is rather dishonoured according to ●hat is written Thou that makest thy boast of the law ●hrough breaking of the law dishonourest thou God For the ●ame of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you ●s it is written Rom. 2 23. 24 And when they entred ●nto the heathen whither they went they prophaned my holy ●ame when they said to them these are the people of the ●ord and are gone forth out of his land Ezek. 36. 20. And so Hypocritical Worshippers give great occasion as Nathan told David he did by his Sins of Adultery and ●urther to the Enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme By givi●g occasion to the lewd and prophane sort or to the ●eople of the World to cry out and say these be your ●eligions who do such abominable and evil things ●nd it gives occasion to think as if the God whom ●hey pretend and outwardly seem to Worship and serve ●ere altogether such as themselves Psal 50. 21. Or as 〈◊〉 his Commandments which are Holy just and good ●nd Religion did teach and allow them to do such evil ●nd shameful things And many shall follow their perni●ous ways by Reason of whom the way of truth shall be Evil ●oken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. In verse 14. They are called cur●d Children as indeed cursed are all they that err from ●is Commandments Instead of bringing glory unto God ●s they would seem by their outward Worship like ●em that bended the knee and cryed hail Master and yet crucified him so do these Crucifie the Lord of Glo● afresh and put him to an open shame Of such it is said What judgment of a long tim● lingreth not and their damna●… on slumbreth not Hypocrites are ranked in their co●demnation before unbelievers Said Jesus Christ who to be judge of all the Earth and therefore knows ho●… it will go at the last day Give him his Portion with H●… pocrites and unbelievers Now an Hypocrite is one who outwardly Worshi●… God whereby he seems to be Religious and yet at ●… same time lives in the continued breach of his Co●… mandments Like as a stage Player acts the Person another then really himself is Even so the Hypoc●… acts the Person of another for he seems Religious his constant outward Worship and to be an obedi●… Servant of God when in truth he is neither If Man among you seemeth to be Religious and bridleth his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart A true scription of an Hypocrite for none deceives his o●… Heart so much as he For such take up the outw●… Profession out of some hope to go to Heaven when t●… will not as well as to get credit and Reputation amo●… Men That Mans Religion is vain James 1. 26 S●… may be applied and reasoned as to the neglect or ●… ure in any other duty For all their seeming to be ●…ligious this or that Mans Religion is vain And for his seeming to be an obedient Servant of the L●… God when he despiseth his Word and Commandm●… and when he doth according to his own will and ●…mour any Law or Ordinance of God to the cont●… notwithstanding when he transgresseth this or that ●…cept according as his pleasure or profit swayes and ●…clines him Even knowing and understanding Men ●… plainly see and discern his Hypocrisy and Dissimula●… herein much more will the alwise God who is a Go● knowledge and by him actions are weighed Who sear●… the Heart and tryes the Reins to render unto every ●… according to his ways and according to the fruit o●…doings Men may yea they do deceive their own s●… and others also But they can never deceive God ●… ●…o the alwise God will never be imposed upon as if ●…ch did serve and Honour him notwithstanding all ●…eir outward Pretences who do in truth dishonour him ●nd make his name polluted and evil thought of and ●…il spoken of among the Heathen or ungodly sort of ●ankind I have heard it related concerning the Turks that then they have promised a thing if they are asked to ●…nfirm it further by writing they will answer with ●…dignation Do ye think that I am a Christian to falsify ●… word that I must be forced to perform it by giving somewhat ●…derhand For they observe more truth and just dealing between Man and Man when it is only by word of mouth ●…en many called Christians but worse then heathen and ●…fidels in practice for many who name the name of ●rist will falsify their word and bond also when it ●… in their power so to do Which seems to be to the utter ●ame and reproach of Christianity it self but rather it is ●… the utter shame and reproach of such false preten●ers to Christianity Such who wrongfully take upon ●…emselves the name of Christians do make the name ●… Christ the Lord of Glory evil spoken of amongst 〈…〉 e Turks and unbelievers and it carries a suspicion ●… if the God and Christ whom they seem outwardly ●… serve and worship did teach and allow them in ●…ch falshood and unjust dealing which the soul of ●od hates

too hard for the Lord And so it wa● to the promise of God increasing his seed and b●… ing them into the Land of Canaan when they we●… danger to be murdere and destroyed in their birth in 〈…〉 pt and afterwards when they were pursued by Ph●… and his Host and were in peril to be all drowne● the Red Sea and then many of their carkases fell in ●… ●ilderness Yet for all these seemingly contrary events ●od did at length perform and fulfill all his words ●hich he had spoken unto Abraham Throughout the ●…hty ninth Psalm are recited up many particular cove●…nts and promises which God made to David and his ●…ed And therein also is summed up a seeming breach ●…d failure of all those several Covenants and Promises that one might be tempted to think how could ●…vid believe God for all these For even himself did ●… out Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses ●…ch thou swarest unto David in thy truth Remember ●…d the reproach of thy Servants and how I do bear in ●… bosom the reproach of all the mighty people wherewith thine ●…mies have reproached O Lord wherewith they have slander 〈…〉 the footsteps of thine anointed Intimating thereby that ●… enemies of the Lord were apt to reproach and ob●… unto his Servants How was he a God of truth ●…he did fail so in his promises which he had sworn to David in his truth And how was he a good God ●…e did not continue all his former loving kindnesses ●…twithstanding this reproach of his enemies Yet David ●… all this was satisfied in his heart yea and he did be●…e that God would perform all his Covenant which ●… hath done since he is now a doing and will form unto his seed for evermore Thus much may be ●…hered from that form of praise wherewith that whole ●…m is concluded Blessed be the Lord for evermore A●… and Amen A double Ratification thereof and ●…ch is as much as if David was resolved to bless God ●… let his enemies reproach and say what they would ●nother Instance hereof we have in the same David ●… when it was told unto him by Samuel How that ●… day he should be King over all Israel he did after●ds so distrust and dis-believe it because of the then ●kelihood thereof as to say in his haste all men are Liars ●…ch must extend also even to Samuel the Prophet of the ●…d Again when he saith My soul fainteth for thy Sal●on but I hope in thy word Mine eyes fail for thy Salvation ●… for the word of thy Righteousness Psal 119. 81. ●… By Phrasing it on this wise it seems as if God did ●…ay or neglect to perform his Word and bring about his Salvation and yet for all this the Man after Go●… own Heart did hope in his Word Again the Prop●… Jeremiah saith boldly unto God Wilt thou altogether m●… me a liar unto this People and as Waters that fail 〈◊〉 had sent him to foretell the Jews capitivity but a●… he had made known this his message the people ●… not give so much heed and belief to it as they shou●… and partly through the delay of time between ●… also the prophet himself saw no great outward like li 〈…〉 thereof that he cryed out on this wise But at le●… The Lord hath done that which he had devised he hath ful 〈…〉 his word that he had commanded in the days of old 〈◊〉 2. 17. Not to multiply many more instances of this k●… after that Christ had foretold When ye shall see Je●… lem compassed with armies then know that the deso 〈…〉 thereof draweth nigh Luke 21. 20. It was so long ●…fore that was throughly fulfilled even forty years ●… Christ's death that many were apt to say in their h●… in the mean while Where is the promise of his co●… yea when Titus Vespatian first invested Jerusalem wit●… Armies he went off again So that this word seem to be falsified but it was not falsified ●… came on a second time and than was accomp●… the total and entire desolation thereof We ought as firmly to believe that all Scriptu●… true as that there is a God or that Jesus Christ ●… Saviour of Mankind for if we believe that God ●… his visible works of Creation do declare then w●… to believe also that this God is true and than o●… quently that all Scripture is true seeing that all 〈…〉 pture is given by inspiration of God And al 〈…〉 perhaps at first we may not know how to reconci●… truth of several parts and places of Scripture with common and daily events of the world or wit●… lives and manners of the people yet this is our ●… ance and infirmity for if we did seek out of the B●… the Lord and read and if we did understand throu●… we should find and perceive that whatsoever is ●… done on the Earth by all and the several Inhab●… ●…eof It is all but a fulfilling of the ●ame word and ●…gs do so and so come to pass that the Scriptures ●…t be fulfilled Acts 3 18. And those things that God ●… aforeshewed by the mouth of all his Prophets by ●…st and his Apostles He hath so fulfilled is at this day ●…ulfilling and he will fulfill to the end of time as ●… greater things are yet to come and as yet to be ful●…d And whereas it is so ordered of set purpose by alwise God that several things happen out ●…ch seem perplex and hard to be understood this is to ●…e our faith therein and if we hold out and retain ●… faith nevertheless then it is a giving glory unto God ●…e have his word and promise for it then the more ●… believe in hope against hope it is yet the more giving ●… unto God For if in things to be believed there was ●… manner of doubt or unlikelihood what reward hath To be strong in faith doth glorifie God So on the contrary ●…elief doth dishonour him wherefore take heed of un●…ef which notwithstanding the outward profession ●he Gospel is very common amongst Men. There is ●…ot of unbelief growing in the hearts of unregene●… people and there is also a mixture or rather a tin●…e thereof in the hearts of the Regenerate Sometimes ●… in them are little questionings within themselves ●…ther these things are so and sometimes little ●…bts that they are not which cometh to pass because the little likelihood that sometimes appears in the ●n while that they ever will be so which is to prove ●… faith ●…s to obey God and keep his Commandments is to ●…ifie him So to believe on him and his word is to ●…ifie him likewise The several acts of faith do give ●…y unto God yea when we believe his word altho●… it seems against common reason and the outward ●…ability of things in the mean while yet here still believe and be fully perswaded that for all this there ●…ll be yet an expected end this is to be strong in ●…th and to