Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	good_a	life_n	see_v	9,943	5	3.4753	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79420	A discourse of divine providence I. In general: that there is a providence exercised by God in the world. II. In particular: how all Gods providences in the world, are in order to the good of his people. By the late learned divine Stephen Charnock, B.D. sometime fellow of New-Colledg in Oxon.; Treatise of divine providence	Charnock, Stephen, 1628-1680.; Adams, Richard, 1626?-1698.; Veel, Edward, 1632?-1708.	1684 (1684)	Wing C3708; ESTC R232630	167,002	420

Crosses in the Scripture are not excluded from those things we have a right to by Christ when they may conduce to our good 1 Cor. 3.22 Life and Death things present and things to come are yours and you are Christs Since the revelation of the Gospel I do not remember that any such complaint against the Providence of God fell from any holy man in the New Testament for our Saviour had given them another prospect of those things The holy men in the Old Testament comforted themselves against this Objection by the end of the wicked which should happen and the rod cease * Psal 73. Rom. 8. In the New Testament we are more comforted by the certain operation of crosses to our good and spiritual advantage Our Saviour did not promise wealth and honour to his followers nor did he think it worth his pains of coming and dying to bestow such gifts upon his Children He made Heaven their happiness and the Earth their Hell the Cross was their badge here and the Crown their reward hereafter they seemed not to be a purchase congruous to so great a price of Blood Was God's Providence to Christ the more to be questioned because he was poor Had he the less love to him because he was a man of sorrows even while he was a God of glory Such groundless conceits should never enter into Christians who can never seriously take up Christs Yoke without a proviso of afflictions who can never be God's Sons without expecting his corrections 2. God never leaves good men so bare but he provides for their necessity Psal 84.11 the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly If any thing be good and upright man may expect in from God's providence if it be not good he should not desire it Howsoever grace which is necessary for preparing thee for happiness and glory which is necessary for fixing thee in it he will be sure to give we have David's experience for it * Psa 37.5 in the whole course of his life 3. The little good men have is better than the highest enjoyments of wicked men Ps 37.16 a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked not better than many riches of the wicked but better than the riches of many wicked better than all the treasures of the whole Mass of the wicked world Others have them in a providential way good men in a gracious way Pro. 16.8 better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right without a Covenant right Wicked prosperity is like a shadow that glides away in a moment whereas a righteous mans little is a part of Christ's purchase and part of that inheritance which shall endure for ever Psa 37.18 their inheritance shall be for ever i. e. God regards the state of the righteous whether good or evil all that befalls them God doth all with a respect to his everlasting inheritance No man hath worldly things without their wings And though the righteous have worldly things with their wings yet that love whereby they have them hath no wings ever to sly away from them how can those things be good to a man that can never tast them nor God in them 4. No righteous man would in his sober wits be willing to make an exchange of his smartest afflictions for a wicked mans prosperity with all the circumstances attending it It cannot therefore be bad with the righteous in the worst condition Would any man be ambitious of snares that knows the deceit of them Can any but a mad man exchange Medicines for poysons Is it not more desirable to be upon a Dunghil with an intimate converse with God than upon a Throne without it They gain a world in prosperity a righteous man gains his Soul by afflictions and possesses it in patience is the exchange of a valuable consideration God strips good men of the enjoyment of the World that he may wean them from the love of it keeps them from Idolatry by removing the fuel of it sends afflictions that he may not lose them nor they their Souls Would any man exchange a great goodness laid up for him that fears God for a lesser goodness laid out upon them that are Enemies to him * Psal 31.19 Who would exchange a few outward comforts with God's promise inward comforts with assurance of Heaven Godliness with contentment a sweet and Spiritual life Soveraignity over himself and lusts though attended with sufferings for the Government of the whole World 5. It is not ill with the righteous in afflictions because they have high advantages by them That cannot be absolutely evil which conduceth to a greater good As First sensible experiments of the tender providence of God over them If the righteous had not afflictions in this life God would lose the glory of his providence and they the sweetness in a gracious deliverance from them in wayes which make the affliction the sweeter as well as the mercy they would lose the comfort of them in not having such sensible evidences of God's gracious care The sweetness of the promises made for times of trouble would never be tasted Psal 37.19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time that is they shall be mightily encouraged and supported God's people do best understand God's strength when they feel the smart of mens malice 2 Tim. 4.17 The Lord stood with me and strengthened me He had never felt so much of God's strength if he had not tasted much of mans wickedness in forsaking him Psal 37.39 he is their strength when in times of trouble they experiment more of his care in preserving them and his strength in supporting them than at other times Abundance of consolations are manifested in abundance of sufferings * 2 Cor. 1.5 1 Pet. 4.13 14 A greater sense of joy and glory lights upon them in a sterm or persecutions Men see the sufferings of the godly but they do not behold that inward peace which composeth and delights their Souls worth the whole Mass of the woulds goodness and pleasures of the unrighteous 2. Inward improvements Opportunities to manifest more love to God more dependance on him the perfection of the Soul 1 Tim. 5.5 Now she that is a Widow indeed and desolate trusts in God and continues in Supplications and Prayers night and day there is a ground of more exercise of trust in God and supplication to him The poor and desolate have an advantage for the actual exercise of those graces which a prosperous condition wants God changeth the metal by it what was Lead and Iron he makes come forth as Gold Job 23.10 when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold Crosses and sufferings which fit good men for special service here and eternal happiness hereafter can no more be said to be evil than the fire which refines the gold and prepares it for a Prince's

for you The manifestation of the Spirit to any man is given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 And this is the great end for which men should seek to excel viz. for the edifying of the Church 1 Cor 14.12 For as much as you are zealous of Spirtual gifts seek that you may excel to the edifying of the Church 2. The gists and common graces of bad men There is something that is amiable in men though they have not grace As in Stones Plants and Flowers though they have not sense there is something grateful in them as colour and smell c. And all those things that are lovely in men are for the Churches good the best life and the worst death things present let who will be the possessor all things between Life and Death are for the good of Believers because they are Christs 1 Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world i.e. Whether the gifts of the prime lights in the Church or the common gifts of the world are all yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods God is the dispencer of them Christ is the Governour of them and all for your sakes As the medicinable qualities of waters are not for the good of themselves but the accommodation of the indigencies of men By the common works of the Spirit God doth keep his children from suffering much evil in the World For it cannot be supposed that the Spirit whose mission is principally for the Church should give such gifts out of love to men which hate him and are not the objects of his eternal purpose but he hath some other ends indoing it which is the advantage of his Church and people and this God causes by the preaching of the Gospel which when it works gracious works in some produceth common works in others for the good of those gracious ones As a seed of corn hath straw husks and chaff come up with it which are shelters to that little seed which lies in the midst so in the preaching of the Gospel there are some husks come up among natural men which God makes to be shelters to the Church as those common works and restraining men through the knowledge of Christ God gives gifts to them not out of love to them but love to his Church As Nurses of great mens Children are fed with better meat than the other Servants not out of any particular personal respect to them but to their office that the milk whereby the child is nourished may be the sweeter and wholesomer were it not for that Relation she must be content with the Diet allowed to the rest of the Servants Some stinking plants may have medicinal virtues which the Physician extracts for the cure of a disease and flings the rest upon the Dunghil God bestows such qualities upon men otherwise unsavoury to him which he draws forth upon several occasions for the good of those that are more peculiarly under his care and then casts them away These gifts are indeed the ruin of bad men because of their pride but the Churches advantage in regard of their excellency and are often as profitable to others as dangerous to themselves As all that good which is in plants and animals is for the good of man so all the gifts of natural men are for the Churches good for they are for that end as the principal next the glory of God because every inferior thing is ordained to something superior as its end Plants are ordained for the nourishment of Beasts and both Plants and Beasts for Men. The inferior men for the service of higher and all for the community yet still there is a higher end beyond those viz. the glory of God to which they are ultimately ordained which is so connected with the Churches good that what serves one serves the other 3. Angels the top Creatures in the Creation are ordered for the good of the Church If the Stars are not Cyphers in the World only to be gaz'd upon but have their influences both upon Plants and Animals As the Sun in impregnating the Earth and enlivening the Plants and assisting the growth of fruits for the good of mankind If the stars have those natural influences upon the sensible world the Angels which are the morning-stars have no less interest as instruments in the government of it The Heathens had such a notion of Daemons working those things which were done in the world but according to the will and order of the supream God The Angels are called Watchers Dan. 4.13 a Watcher and an holy one vers 17. this is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones they watch for Gods orders and watch for Gods honour and the Churches good There are orders of state among them for we read of their decree 't is called their decree ministerially as they execute it By way of approbation By way of Authority approbative as they subcribe to the equity and goodness of it As the Saints are said to judge the world not authoritative as in commission with Christ but as they approve of Christs sentence They seem to request those things of God which may make for his glory and they decree among themselves what is fit to be presented to God in order to his glory They cannot endure that men should trample upon Gods authority despoil him of his right and tread down his inheritance and therefore they send such requests to God to act so as men may acknowledg him and his govenment to the intent that the living may know that the most high rules in the kingdoms of men Their care therefore must be for the Chuch since God rules all things in order to that and since that is Gods portion and inheritance so that as they have a care of Gods glory they must also have a care of Gods portion and his peculiar treasure Exod. 25 1. The inward part of the Temple was to be adorned with Cherubims to note the speceial attendance of the holy Angels in the assemblies of the Saints As evil Angels plot against the Church Trap. on Numb p. 58. so good Angels project for it Though in the Scripture we find Angels sometimes employed in affairs of common providence and doing good to them that are not of the Church as one is sent to comfort Hagar and relieve Ishmael upon his cry though he had scoffed at Isaac the heir of the covenant when he was in Abraham's Family * Gen. 21.17 yet for the most part they were employed in the concerns of some of his special Servants Angels thrust Lot out of Sodom * Gen. 19.15 16. An Angel stopt the Lyons mouths when Daniel was in the Den Dan 6.18 My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lyons mouths God emploies Angels in the preserving and ruining of Empires which is clear in the prophecy of Daniel and some understand Isa 10.34 And lebanon shall fall by

before he would use his interest in the Kings favour Nehem. 2.4 then the King said unto me for what dost thou make request So I prayed to the God of Heaven and I said unto the King c. So Abraham's Steward puts up his request to God before he would put the business he came upon in execution Gen. 24.12 David frequently in particular cases 1 Sam. 23.9 2 Sam. 2.1 2 Sam. 19.23 God only doth what he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth He only can blese us he only can blast us Shall we be careless in any undertaking whether we have his favour or no 'T is a ridiculous madness to resolve to do any thing without God without whose assistance and preserving of us we had not been able to make that resolution 2. Trust Providence To trust God when our Ware-houses and Bags are full and our Tables spread is no hard thing but to trust him when our purses are empty but a handful of meal and a cruse of Oil left and all ways of relief stopt herein lies the wisdom of a Christians grace Yet none are exempted from this duty all are bound to acknowledg their trust in him by the dayly prayer for dayly bread even those that have it in their Cupboards as well as those that want it The greatest Prince as well as the meanest beggar Whatever your wants are want not faith and you cannot want supplies 'T is the want of this binds up his hand from doing great works for his Creatures The more we trust him the more he concerns himself in our affairs The more we trust our selves the more he delights to cross us for he hath denounced such an one cursed that maketh Flesh his arm * Jor. 17.5 though it be the best flesh in the world because it is a departing from the Lord. No wonder then that God departs from us and carries away his blessing with him While we trust our selves we do but trouble our selves and know not how to reconcile our varions reasons for hopes and fars but the committing our way to the Lord renders our minds calm and composed Prov. 16.3 commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be astablished Thou shalt have no more of those quarrelling disturbing thoughts what the success shall be 1. Trust providences in the greatest extremities He brings us into straits that he may see the exercise of our faith Zech. 3.12 I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. When we are most desolate we have most need of this exercise and have the fittest season to practise it he is always our refuge and our strength but in time of trouble a present help Psal 46.1 Daniel's new advancement by Belshazzar but a day before the City was taken by the Enemy * Dan. 5.29 the King slain and no doubt many of his Nobility and those that were nearest in Authority with him it being the interest of the Enemy to dispatch them was a danger yet God by wayes not expressed preserved Daniel and gave him favour with the Conqueror God sometimes leads his people into great dangers that they may see and acknowledg his hand in their preservation Daniel had not had so signal an experience of Gods care of him had he been in the lower condition he was in before his new preserment God's eye is always upon them that fear him not to keep distress from them but to quicken them in it and give them as it were a new life from the dead Psal 33.18 19. To deliver their Soul from death and to keep them alive in famine God brings us into straits that we may have more lively experiments of his tenderness in his seasonable relief If he be angry he will repent himself for his Servants when he sees their power is gone because then the glory of his providence is appropriated to himself Deut. 32.36 39. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive No Creature can have any pretence to share in it He delights thereby to blow up both our affections to him and admirations of him and store up in us a treasure of experiments to encourage our trusting in him in the like straits We should therefore repose our selves in God in a desart as well as in the Cities with as much faith among Savage beasts as in the best company of the most sociable men * Durant de Tentat p. 168. And answer the greatest strait with Abraham's Speech to Isaac God will provide For we have to do with a God who is bound up to no means is at no expence in miraculous succors who delights to perfect his strength in the Creatures weakness We have to do with a God who only knows what may further our good and accordingly orders it what may hinder it and therefore prevents it He can set all causes in such a posture as shall conspire together as one link to bring about success and make even contrary motions meet in one gracious end as the Rivers which run from North and South the contrary quarters of the world agree in the surges of one Sea Though providences may seem to cross one another they shall never cross his word and promise which he hath magnified above all his name And his Providence is but a servant to his Truth 2. Trust it in the way of means Though we are sure God hath decreed the certain event of such a thing yet we must not encourage our idleness but our diligence Though Moses was assured of the victory when Amalek came armed against him yet he commands Joshua to draw up the valiant men into a body himself goes to the Mount to pray and is as diligent in the use of all means as if he had been ignorant of God's purpose and had rather suspected the rout of his own than his Enemies forces Neither doth Joshua afterwards though secured by promise in his conquest of Canaan omit any part of the duty of a wise and watchful General he sends spies disciplines his forces besiegeth Cities and contrives stratagems Providence directs us by means not to use them is to tempt our Guardian where it intends any great thing for our good it opens a door and puts such circumstances into our hands as we may use without the breach of any Command or the neglect of our own duty God could have secured Christ from Herod's sury by a miraculous stroke from Heaven upon his Enemy but he orders Joseph and Maries flight into Egypt as a means of his preservation God rebukes Moses for praying and not using the means in continuing the Peoples march Exod. 14.15 Wherefore criest thou unto me speak unto the children of Israel that they go forwards To use means without respect to God is proudly to contemn him to depend upon God without the use of means is irreligiously to tempt him in

preservation of it all things must necessarily concur by the wise disposal of affairs Therefore since they are travelling to be where their head is he having the government of the world will make all things contribute assistance to them in their journey that Christ may have that compleatness of glory which God intends him He expresly tells his Father John 17.10 that he is glorifyed in his people * John 17.10 And I am glorifyed in them And at the sound of the seventh Trumpet the Kingdoms of this world are to become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever * Revel 11.15 Now since all the motions in the world are that the Kingdoms of the world may become the Kingdoms of his Christ pecenliarly his as a being anointed King by hm It must needs be that all things must be subservient one time or other to this end was rein the good of his people doth consist otherwise they would not bless God so highly for it as they do* Revel 11.17 We give thee thanks O Lord God almighty because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And where there is a resistance of this glory of Christ it is a natural effect of that decree whereby Christ is constituted King that the resisters should be broken in pieces and dasht like a Potters vessel Psal 2.6 9. and the issue of all is the blessedness of those that put their trust in him v. 12. The care that God hath of Christ and the Church in the types of them seems to be equal The Ark which was a type of Christ and the Table of shew-bread a figure of the Church had three coverings whereas all the rest of the Vessels c. belonging to the cerimonial part had but two * Numb 4.5 6 7 8. On the Ark there was the vail and covering of badgers skins and a covering of blew On the Table of shew-bread there was a cloth of Blew a cloth of Scarlet and a covering of badgers skins God orders as much for the security of the Church as for the security of Christ therefore the same things that tend to the glorifying of Christ shall tend to the advantage of the Church 2. God has given the power of the providential administration of things to Christ to this very end for the good of the Church If God had constituted him Head over all things to the Church can there be any doubt but that he will manage the Government for that which is the principal end of his Government which he hath shed his Blood for and which is chiefly intended by God who appointed him 1. All power of government is given to Christ Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered to me of my Father And the Father judges no man but hath committed all judgment to the son Joh. 5.22 that is the whole Government and Administration of Affairs 'T is not to be understood of the last Judgment for then it would be a limitation of that word all not that the Father lays aside all care of things but as the Father discovers himself only in him so he governs things only by him All this power was committed to him upon his interposition after the Fall of Man He was made Lord and Christ that is anointed by God to the Government of the World For upon the Fall God as a Rector had overturned all Man could not with any Comfort have treated with the Father had not Christ stept in and pleaded for the Creation whereupon God commits all judgment to the Son that he might temper it It was by Christ as a covenanting Mediator that the Earth was established * Isa 49.8 He had this Government Anciently and it was confirmed to him upon his death Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power Calvin understands the first word not only of the Deity of Christ but of the discovery the Father made of himself in and through him as Mediator The latter words some understand both of his Providential and Mediatory Kingdom by the word of his power this say some is referred to the Father whose image Christ is as ating by a delegated Authority and Commission from his Father others to Christ as that Christ upholds or bears up all things by his own powerful word Calvin thinks both may be taken but embraceth the second as being more generally received I may offer whether it may not be meant also of the powerful interposit ion of Christ as Mediator whose interest in God was so great that he kept up the World by his powerful Intercession when all was forfeited and God put it upon that interposition into his hands as heir of all things who having a hand with him in Creation understood both the Rights of God and the Duty of the Creature upon the condition of purging sin by his Death which he did and thereupon went to Heaven to take Possession of the Government at the right hand of God sat down took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high as due to him by Covenant and Articles agreed on between them I know nothing at present against such an interpretation of the words but I will not contend about it All this honour was confirm'd unto him upon his Death For having perform'd the Condition requisite on his part God deputes him and intrusts him with the Government of things that he might order all things so as to see the full Travel of his Soul 2. All this power was intended by God for this End the good of the Church As God appointed Christ a Priest for his Church to sacrifice for them a Prophet to teach them so the other Office of King is conferred upon him for the same end the advantage of the Church God acquaints us of this End aimed at by him in the Promise of the Government to him Jer. 33.15 16. In those dayes and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land what is the end In those dayes shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely He should execute Judgment that is Administer the Government for the salvation of Judah and security of Jerusalem It was his Office both to build the Temple and to bear the Glory and to Rule upon his Throne to be a Priest upon his Throne to Rule as King and Priest Zech. 6.12 13. He shall build the temple of the Lord even he shall build the temple of the Lord. The erecting a Church is the sole work of Christ by Gods appointment And he was to bear up the Glory of it He should rule to this End for the Counsel of peace shall be between them both If by both be meant the Lord and the Man whose name is the Branch it then chiefly