Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	flesh_n	spirit_n	5,367	5	5.2461	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63270	The saints declining state under gospel administrations, or, The case of desertion briefly stated in a few considerations by William Troughton ...	Troughton, William, 1614?-1677?	1652 (1652)	Wing T2318; ESTC R6248	32,617	114

doe their first works So that in the purest times the Saints have had their cold fits their retrogradations and goings back in spiritualls Thus much for the proofe of the premisses now that the weak ones may not be offended at this discourse for I would not willingly offend or stumble any that professe the name of Christ it will be necessary to premise a few cautions 4. Considerations by way of caution for preventing mistakes and informing the judgment a right before I come to the Symptomes and in order there unto I shall lay down these following considerations First as Satan that lying spirit may delude thee 1. Consi Satan will tempt you to think worse of your spirituall condition than it is by flattering thee into a beliefe that thy soule is in a flourishing growing condition by reason of some gifts and enlargements when it is otherwise and thus he deales with hypocrites and temporary believers so may he likewise accomplish his wicked designe by perswading thee that thou art in a languishing condition when thou art not by the one he would puffe thee up and make thee glory in the flesh and by the other he would expose thee to such discouragements that thou shouldest not serve God comfortably in thy calling as hee will tempt thee to think better of thy condition than it is so likewise to think worse of it than it is by presenting before thee false mediums and glasses and putting thee upon consulting with flesh and blood which is no competent judge in spiritualls for the flesh savoureth not the things of God q Mat. 16.23 Now this latter temptation of Satan commonly surprizeth a Christian when he hath a deep sense of his own vilenesse and is much abased in himself his heart in an humble and contrite frame for then 't is most probable such a temptation may take a deep impression therefore at such times take heed you deny not the work of grace and the operation of the Spirit of God upon your souls acknowledge your own nothingness but with all be sensible of the love of God towards you in changing and renewing your hearts Secondly 2. Consi The keennesse of a corruption doth not infallibly pre●●●se a declension in spiritualls it cannot be safe for a Christian to judge of his spiritual condition by the keennesse or activeness of this or that corruption in him for the soul may have intimate converse and familiarity with God and be filled with that peace which passeth understanding when yet it is buffetted and exercised with the bublings up and stirrings of corruption and this was Pauls case in the 7th to the Romans 1 Rom. 7. where after a great conflict with the flesh hee comes off a conquerer by the consideration of the victories of Christ and in another place r he tells us that he had a thorne or prick in the flesh which was some notable corruption or other and though hee had prayed thrice against it yet still it continued vexing the good man to the end that his faith patience might be exercised and therefore the Lord tells him for his comfort that his grace was sufficient for him notwithstanding the malice of Satan and the daringness of his lusts and that the Lords strength was made perfect in his weaknesse ſ 2 Cor. 12. Here Paul was not in a spirituall consumption because he was exercised with the stirrings of corruption but therefore God permitted it that he might not trust in himself but in the Lord so neither shouldest thou presently conclude upon the stirring of every corruption that thou art run behind hand in true mortification for as some Patients that are nigh unto death make a great bustling and are so strong when they are giving up their last breath that two or three men can scarse hold them or as the body of a man after he hath received his deaths wound will leape and move from place to place even so it is with the lusts and corruptions of believers for though they are knockt in the head and have received their deaths wound by the death of Christ yet will they bustle and make a stir so long as wee remaine in this Tabernacle and untill the flesh be perfectly subdued in us by the Spirit 3. Cons The distemperature of the body hinders internal actings Thirdly the constitution of the body if distempered with melancholy and other ill humours may and doth cloude the understanding and interrupt the internall motions and operations of the renewed soul So that a Christian cannot clearely apprehend them in himselfe or make out the same to others Melancholick Christians are as full of divine experiences as heavenly and spirituall as any yet when this duskish humour and black distemper of melancholy which may well be called the devils cushion is prevalent upon them oh what false conclusions what grosse mistakes and carnall reasonings what closing in with Satans suggestions and fighting under his coulours doe these bewray at such times how shamelesse are they in denying what Christ hath done for them and what the Spirit hath wrought in them and evidenced to them which they will thankfully acknowledg when the skie is clear the weather faire when the cloude of melancholy is dispelled and the foggy mists of temptations scattered and therefore it behoves Saints not to judge of their spirituall condition in melancholick and pettish fits for the Satan and their owne lying hearts joyning together will deceive them Fourthly 4. Cons Saints differ in the measure of their spirituall growth as some trees grow taller and shoot forth more than others so is it with Saints in their spirituall growth there are Saints of severall degrees and measures as there are several gifts and dispensations and but one Spirit t 1 Cor. 12. so there are severall degrees of faith love joy humility and all even the least of them streaming from that one Spirit Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ u Eph. 4.7 Some have more and others lesse according to the wise dispensation of the Father perhaps thou art not so high in communion with God as others are thou hast not high attainments but art low and dead hearted comparing thy self with others wilt thou therefore conclude that thou hast no communion with God at all or that there is a decrease of thy communion with him that thou art no member at all because thou art not the most eminent member or that thou art a languishing dying member because thou art not so nimble and active in spirituall performances as others These are false conclusions and shew forth a great deale of pride and unthankfulness Thus much by way of caution now I come to the Symptomes of a Christians abatement in spiritualls in the handling whereof I shall be somewhat large First 1. Symtome If there be a decay of love humility self-denyall if there