Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	aaron_n	blossom_n	rod_n	63	3	10.3182	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26847	A posing question, put by the wise man, viz. Solomon, to the wisest men concerning making a judgment of the temporal conditions : wherein you have the ignorance of man (in knowing, what is good, or evil, for man in this life) discovered, together, with the mistakes that flow from it : and the great question resolved, viz. whether the knowledg of, what is good for a man in this life, be so hid from man, that no man can attain it / preached at the weekly lecture at Upton ... by Benjamin Baxter ...	Baxter, Benjamin, Preacher of the Gospel.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1662 (1662)	Wing B1172A; ESTC R39509	142,945	270

us as our Daily Bread It is strange yet it is true These Thorns will bear Grapes and these Thistles will bear Figgs And there is a Day when the Saints of God shall say They could not have been without such and such Afflictions and that It was good for them that they were Afflicted Some Trees there are whose Root is Bitter yet their Fruit Sweet A natural Eye seeth no Good in them and tastes no Sweetness And indeed the Spiritual man doth not always at present discern what Advantage cometh by them We must know those Creatures that we look upon as Venemous and Noxious are yet useful for some Ends and some Respects Thus even Toads c. The skilful Apothecary knoweth how to make Vipers and Scorpions Medicinal Enquire of the Saints of God and they will tell you from their own Experience What good Afflictions have done them and that they were Chastned for their Profit Heb. 12. 10. Afflictions seem to be but dry Rods yet like Aaron's Rod they have found them bringing forth both Blossomes and Fruit. 3. Some say Afflictions are bitter and burthensom to Nature and therefore conclude they are not good for a man in this Life We shall a little examine this to see whether there be Truth in it The Premises are granted That they are Bitter and Grievous to Flesh and Blood and the Apostle grants it Heb. 12. 11. But the Consequence is denied That what is Bitter and Grievous to Flesh and Blood is therefore Evil for a man in this Life And therefore we are to distinguish between what is Toothsom and what is Wholsom Between things that are Pleasingly and Profitably good Things may be Profitably good for us that are not Pleasingly good Those things are sometimes most Wholsom that are least Toothsom There be sweet and honied Poysons that Destroy And there be bitter and distastful Medicines that do Cure We know Wormwood is a Bitter hearb and yet Wholesom and Useful for Man Some things may be sweet in the Mouth that yet are bitter in the Stomack Heb. 12. 11. The Apostle saith of Afflictions though they are Grievous yet they bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness Here is the Difference between the Evils of Sin and of Affliction The Evils of Sin they are Sweet in the Mouth but bitter afterwards but the Evils of Affliction are bitter in the Mouth but sweet in the Close Afflictions indeed are bitter but oftentimes the bitternesse ariseth from our own Spirits When our Taste is Vitiated some things seem to be Bitter to us that otherwise would not be so It 's our Spirits that many times Imbitter our Condition and make our Chain much Heavier than other waies it would be There are many Afflict themselves when they are under an Affliction As it is with a Bird when it is gotten into a Room or Chamber it might do well if it sate still till the Doors and Casements were opened but till then with flying against the Walls it doth but hurt and bruise it self To close up this Physitians do observe we are most apt to Surfeit of those things that are most Sweet and Luscious And we find Solomon the Wisest of Men prefers bitter things before Sweet Eccles 7. 3. Sorrow is better than Laughter Ver. 4. It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to the House of Feasting 4. Some say That Afflictions are the Effects and Fruits of Sin And therefore not Good for a man in this Life We shall a little Examine this Ground It is true That Afflictions were at first Fruits of Sin But we must make a Difference between what they were at First and what Jesus Christ hath made them to His People now It is true they were at first the products of Sin but to the People of God they are now Changed and Altered We must Distinguish between what is Sinfully Evil and Penally Evil. What is Sinfully Evil is Unchangeably Evil but Afflictions are but Penally Evil and may be made good We must know As there is a Regeneration of Persons so of Things To him that is Born again All is Born again As his Outward Comforts are born again so all his Outward Afflictions It is true the Evils of Afflictions were first Conceived in the womb of Sin and Sin brought them Forth but there is the womb of the Covenant and of the Promise where they are New-formed and out of which those things that were Punishments come forth Priviledges and what was Loss comes forth Gain We read Rom. 5. 12. Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin We see Death came in by Sin Death which is the King of Fears and so its Attendants with it viz. all Miseries and Afflictions whatsoever Thus at first they were conceived in and came forth of the womb of Sin but the Covenant and Promise have changed and altered them it turneth Miseries into Mercies and Punishments into Priviledges and Evil into Good 1 Cor. 3. 22. All is yours saith the Apostle to Believers and among other things he names Death where he makes Death one of the Believer's Priviledges put into the Believer's Charter And the same Apostle Phil. 1. 21. saith To him to Die was Gain Death in respect of its first Birth was Losse but being born again it becomes Gain And as Death which is the King of Fears and so the chief of Evils so likewise all other Evils are Gain to a believer Rom. 8. 28. All things work together for Good to them that love God Thus we have examined the Grounds that those go upon in making this Judgment of an Afflicted Condition That it is Evil for a Man in this Life I shall Conclude with these Queries 1. Who knows or can say that That is Evil for a man in this Life that God inflicts upon the best in this Life We often find the cup of Gall and Wormwood going round about the Saints Tables We usually find it the Diet-drink with which God doth Physick his Dearest Children With the same Sword wherewith He destroyeth his Enemies He sometimes wounds his Friends and all this for their Good We find the Godly ones of Judah were carried Captives to Babylon as well as others they lost their Houses Estates were taken out of the Land of their Nativity and carried into a strange Land And yet the Lord saith of them Jer. 24. 5. That he had sent them into Captivity for their Good 2. Who knows or can say that that is Evil for man in this Life that may be consistent with Happinesse An Afflicted Man may yet in this Life be a happy Man As Man at his best Estate is but Vanity so there are that in their worst Estate may be Happy A Man may be Great and Rich and yet Miserable And a Man may be Poor and Afflicted and yet Happy Job 5. 17. Behold Happy is the Man whom God Correcteth It seems to be a strange thing and therefore a BEHOLD is put to it A