Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	david_n	lord_n	saul_n	3,363	5	9.9017	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91738	Deaths advantage; opened in a sermon preached at Northampton, at the funeral of Peter Whalley Esq; then mayor of the said town. And now upon the earnest desires of his friends published by Edward Reynolds. D.D.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1657 (1657)	Wing R1244; Thomason E501_2; Thomason E912_6; ESTC R206048	18,423	35

all this Gain is from Death at a distance while we are out of its possession Is there any Gain from such an enemy while we are under his power Yes even here there may be gain was not the fire an enemy to the three Children were not the Lions enemies to Daniel yet they were rebuked When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his enemies at peace with him Prov. 16.7 Laban pursued Jacob in great anger Esau meets him as we may suppose with hostile purposes but the Lord by his powerful providence over-ruled their hearts that they could not hurt him Saul Davids Father-in-law persecutes him and Achish the King of Gath from whence Goliah came whom David had not long before slain and who could not but for that reason be hated at that place gives him entertainment God can make Moab a covert for his out-casts as he was unto the Father and Mother of David Isa 16.4 1 Sam. 22.3 4. Though Death be an enemy the Lord can weaken it disarm it pull out the sting of it and make us at peace with it But you will say All this is rather harm suspended then gain obtained Is there any more proper and gennine gain to be found in an Enemy such an Enemy having us under his power and possession surely yes We finde the Egyptians bitter Enemies to Israel furnishing them with Jewels of silver Jewels of gold and Raiments Exod. 3.21 22. Was not the Whale that swallowed Jonah an enemy a very type of our enemy here as our Saviour tells us Matth. 12.39 40. Yet by it was Jonah carried safe to land he regained life by that which devoured him he had been drowned in the Sea if the fish had not found out the Shore for him Were not the waters of the Red Sea and of Jordan enemies to those that should go into the midst of them yet through these did Israel gain liberty out of bondage victory over Pharoah and his host and possession of Canaan their promised Rest. Take it in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here men are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 as Jonah is said to have fled from his presence cast out into a Sea of cares troubles fears and sorrows Death as the Whale devours us and lands us at a better shore leads us from the thraldom of Satan from the temptation and sufferings and fiery Serpents which we meet with in the wilderness of this world and brings us into our Heavenly Rest So then even under the notion of an enemy here is gain from death As a Lamprey is esteemed delicate meat when the sting of the back is taken out as the waters of Marah were made sweet by the tree which was cast into it so death being by the cross of Christ purged of its venome and bitterness is become useful and gainful unto us Secondly Let us view Death on the better side for it is as a plaited picture on the one side it looks like a grim and angry enemy as destructive to nature on the other side it hath a more calm and friendly aspect as reconciled unto us by Christ It is as a Servant sent from a Father to call his Son home as a Nurse which taketh the Childe in her arms to carry it to the Mother it is a depositary entrusted with the custody of the body and shal give an exact accompt thereof unto Christ He by his holy body hath sanctified the grave made it a bed to sleep in We find Angels at either end of Christs grave Joh. 20.12 They keep the Saints not onely in their ways but in their graves The Jaylor who before did beat Paul and scourge him and thrust him into the inner prison being converted treated him after another manner washed his stripes brought him into his house and set meat before him Act 16.33 34. Such a change there is in death before the spirit of bondage represented it with a chain and scourge it kept the soul down under the fear and dread of it But now unto a beleever by Christ it is so far altered that it is become part of his dowry and portion numbred up by the Apostle amongst those good things which with Christ are graciously bestowed upon us 1 Cor. 3.22 We will consider the Gain we have by this Friend first privatively then positively Privately It freeth us from all other evil and toilsom labours which we were by the curse pronounced against Adam subject unto It is a kinde of Canaan a Rest a Sabbath unto beleevers write saith the Lord from heaven to his Apostle Blessed are they that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labors Rev. 14.13 they enter into peace they rest in their beds Isa 57.2 1. They rest from the toilsom captivity and tyranny of sin a burden under which they complain as too heavy for them to bear There is no rest in my bones because of my sins mine iniquities are grown over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Psal 38.3.4 6 7 8. the Apostle calleth it a weight and an encompassing sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Pet●i Fabri Agonistic l. 2. c. 3. Methedius apud Epiphan haeres 64. a fat and heavy body wholly indisposeth for an Athletick imployment This body of lust being destroyed they are made perfect Heb 12.23 As Ivy which hath gotten its roots into ●ll the joynts of a wall can never he qu●●e killed till the wall it self be demolished so sin and corruption being deeply seated in the whole nature of man is never quite slain and subdued till the whole frame be taken down and dissolved 2. Greg. Tholos Syntagma juris l. 31. cap. 20. Bestias Asiaticae pressurae Tertul. de resurrect carnis cap. 48. They rest from the buffets and temptations of Satan it was a sore conflict for the Apostle to fight with Beasts at Ephesus whether they were truly or Metaphorically such beastly men 1 Cor. 15.32 but this combate was nothing to the messenger of Satan to the roarings of that Lion how rampant and outragious he will be against the servants of God when the Lord is pleased to leng then his chain and to give him liberty what dismal fears what hellish impressions what fiery darts what black and horrid suggestions he will amaze the souls of poor sinners withal the examples and experiences of many of Gods afflicted people can abundantly testifie insomuch that their soul chuseth strangling as Job speaks Job 7.15 Now being by death translated into Abrahams bosom they are far removed out of Satans reach he was thrown down from heaven and can never shoot up any darts or come near any of Gods servants there to affright or annoy them 3. They rest from the cares sorrows snares toils temptations of the world the examples of sinners do not endanger them the sight of their filthy conversation doth no longer afflict them the fear of their cruelties and persecutions doth no more trouble them

him how I may bring glory to his name how I may promote his interests and Kingdom how I may live the rest of my time in the flesh not unto mine own lusts but unto his will unto whom my soul and salvation was dearer then his own life Since his blood was my price his glory must be my business For he therefore died for All that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 1 Pet. 4.1 2. 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. We see how Christ is life Let us next enquire to whom he is so To me saith the Apostle to live is Christ There is much of the life of Religion in Pronowns and Adverbs in persons and the manner of doing things To those whom the Father hath given him he is life to those that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 To others he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence and his Gospel a savor of death unto death He is not at all in their thoughts or cares to please or glorifie him They are not at a point so he may have honour whether it be by their life or death But so they may have pleasure or profit so their carnal desires may be gratified and their interests secured let what will become of his name or honor Therefore let us make sure the Pronown here To me that I am one who am willing Christ should be magnified by me any way whether by life or by death otherwise we cannot say To me to live is Christ Thus far all runs very smoothly unto Christian ears To live is Christ he our Lord therefore unto his service and honour must our whole life be consecrated and devoted No difficulty in all this The next Proposition seemeth more strange and paradoxal that to Dye should be Gain Arrian Epictet l. 4. c. 10. Senec. ●onsol ad Mart. Polyb. Ep. 24 30 66. M. Antonin l. 3. sect 3. Plutarch consol ad Apollon Many Philosophers have spoken many kinde and flartering words concerning Death That it is the end solution period remedy of all our cares sorrows labors fears a Debt a Tribute a Sleep an Harbor or Haven a rest a quiet Repose after all our griefs and miseries But none I think did ever go so far as to make it Gain and it may seem to be no other nor better gain then that which the Apostle speaks of Act. 27.21 A gaining of loss for what kind of gain would one think can there be found in that the very formal being and nature whereof doth consist in nothing but loss 1. There is in it the loss of all a mans Substance His house knows him no more Job 7.10 His Lands his Place his Tenants Rents Revenues own him no longer If there were a judgement at Law given against a man overthrowing his whole estate stripping him of his house over his head the mony in his purse the corn in his Barns the Cattel in his fields the cloaths on his back leaving him as naked as the world at first found him would any man call this gain Death is just such a judgment leaveth a man no more land then his grave no more cloathes then his Shrowd no more house then his Coffin No difference but this in the one Judgment possibly a stranger in the other a Son or a Kinsman succeeds but as to a mans self it is all one 2. But when all these things are gone haply friends may recruit a man again as they did Job Chap. 42.11 Polyb. hist l. 5. Fruitur diis iratis Juv. We read of the incredible bounty of Princes and States to the people of Rhodes after they had been sorely ruined by an earthquake insomuch that their calamity proved an advantage unto them But in death there is a loss of friends as well as of Estate Wife Children all part at the grave and never meet till the Resurrection 3. Though means and friends be all lost yet if a man could keep possession of himself it may be his head or his hand his wit or his labour would repair his losses again But Death is the losing of a mans self no hand left to work no head left to contrive it tears a man assunder ●ro●n himself and sends his parts as far distant as either Heaven or Hell are from the Grave Now after all these losses of Estate of Friends of Wisdom of strength of a mans very self what possible room is there left for Gain when he that should enjoy it is himself lost All this notwithstanding God must be true and every man a lyar Death is Gain and Gain we must finde in it before we leave it First Let us take it at the worst view which a Beleever can have of it as it is an Enemy for so the Apostle calls it 1 Cor. 15.26 And so it was esteemed by Christ himself who though in love to us and in obedience to his father he submitted unto it yet testified his natural desire to have declined it when with strong crys he prayed once and again O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me You may not without shew of reason say What Gain is to be expected from an Enemy Many times Friends themselves when it comes to the point of gain to this question Who will shew us any good are shie and draw in their friendship Laban though Jacobs Father in law grudged him the benefit of that bargain which himself had before most willingly consented unto Joab was Absoloms friend yet Absolom burnt up his corn Yet we may not deny Vid. Plutarch ●…h de capienda ab hostibus utiutate but that a man may have gain by an enemy as poison unto some creatures affordeth nourishment ●●…elephus had his Impostume opened by the dart of an enemy which was intended for his hurt Those Roses they say are sweetest which grow near unto Garlick the neatness of an Enemy make a good man the better And therefore the wise Roman when Carthage the Emulous City of Rome was destroyed said truly Now our affairs are in more danger and hazzard then ever before When Saul Davids Enemy Eyed and persecuted him this made him walk more circumspectly pray more trust in God more He kept his mouth with a bridle while the wicked were before him Psal 39.1 An hard knot in the wood drives a man to the use of his wedges A malicious Enemy that watcheth for our halting will make us look the better to our ways And so death by the nearness thereof and by the frequent meditation thereupon makes us more careful of our great accompt more sollicitous to make sure our peace with God to wean our hearts from worldly and perishing comforts to lay up a good foundation for the time to come that we may obtain eternal life to get a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God But it may be said