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	soul_n	spirit_n	17,497	5	5.6554	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76979	A holy life described and inforced on professors of Christianity, in a sermon / preached at Bishops-Castle in the County of Salop, Jan. 31. 1674/5 by Sam. Bolde Minister of Shapwick in Dorsetshire.	Bold, S. (Samuel), 1649-1737.	1675 (1675)	Wing B3480A; ESTC R172812	15,325	36

holiness by his demeanour as though I meant that holiness did consist meerly in some outward acts for it doth principally consist in the frame of the heart and the inward temper of the person To prevent that idle and easie excuse men are apt to make for their miscarriages viz. that their hearts are as good as the best though it may be their actions and lives are very little better then those of the worst It may be requisite to delineate holiness in its peculiar though outward dress There cannot be a commendable temper in the person but it will express it self by those worthy acts which be the genuine off-springs of so refined a spirit It will appear 2. That Holiness or a godly conversation is variously enforced on all who profess Christianity if you observe its agreement with the divine nature The advantages which Christians have above others in order to their being holy the import of their Profession and the more remarkable destructiveness of impiety to such pretenders 1. It s agreement with the Divine Nature No Argument was strong enough to perswade our first Parents in their innocency to offend but that which came masked with a pretence to make them more eminent resemblers of a Deity If a devillish Imposture did at first ruine us when conveighed under a godly Vizard what should hinder but that the truth of what was then onely pretended should make us vigorous in the pursuit of our recovery by the same means It would be the best use we could make of Satans treachery to worst him and save our selves by the right management of his own weapon Could we argue our selves into holiness by reason of its tendency to promote Gods Image in our souls we should greatly improve our selves we should baffle Satan at his own Topick When malice and envy had wracked the penetrating intellects of the fallen Spirits to make choice of the most plausible motive with which they might prevail with mans unerring nature to disobey this being pitched on was deemed without doubt the most probable to effect the design Innocency not suspecting the fairest offers might be entrapped most easily with a disguise but when falshood does not lye in the bottom only Truth appears in its own garb one would think it should then be most attractive Those discoveries which our shallow capacities do admit of a Deity certifie that holiness is most explicative of it If the most rude and barbarous explain the apprehensions they have of a God their account will be that he is holy Those who can own any thing at randome for their God will notwithstanding ascribe to him an incommunicable eminency and a transcendent sanctity And men of all sorts and perswasions can strive to over-vote one another with the most sounding acknowledgments that God is holy That man must be more then ignorant who has conversed with the Scripture and will not own that God has placed his Image in holiness and that the only way by which we can attain to resemble his perfections is to be renewed in holiness and righteousness Whether this do not oblige them who profess Christianity to be holy I will resign to your free and ingenuous determination 2. The advantages which Christians have above others in order to their being holy The increase of helps doth add much to the obligation to performance He that lies under an equal obligation with others to any concern may with reason conclude that it is his duty as well as his interest to improve more propitious opportunities in order to his acquitting himself commendably in them There can be no dispute about the certainty of mens being engaged in general to abstain from gross enormities yea from whatever is any way displeasing to their God and injurious to their souls unless such an one should interpose whose improvement in vice were enough to make Impudence it self blush Who or where is the man who dares deny the obligation to be as universal as mankind to withhold our hands from robbing our neighbours slaying our friends and murdering our parents Who doubts of all mens being obliged to abstain from Whoredom Drunkenness and such miscarriages No man will scruple matters attended with such notable evidence unless it be one whose accustomary concernedness in Vice has either benighted his understanding or else perswaded him to believe that his honour does require him to vindicate what he has done though he would have condemned it in another for a misdemeanour had not his own example made it authentick If all men in general are obliged to a careful and observant demeanour without doubt the Professors of Christianity are much more obliged They have the advantage above others to know more distinctly what things are obliging and what are not They have more perswading Arguments to enforce on themselves They have greater assurance of assistance and relief They have a more full and certain rule for the guidance of their lives by And they have their own voluntary obligations the result of their profession which bind them to a more worthy deportment then other persons 3. The Import of their Profession The very Profession of Christianity doth oblige men to renounce every sin and to lead a holy life Whoever he be that either calls himself or allows others to term him a Christian and strives not to abstain from every sin and to behave himself in his several affairs and concerns godly righteously and soberly is as great an offender I think as he who makes it his business to poyson the Air he breaths in with the most open and horrid blasphemies or with the most prodigious execrations and makes no Religious pretences That you may not think me over-impudent in begging the Question I will briefly give you an account of what the profession of Christianity doth mean from whence you may with ease conclude that that Profession doth indispensably oblige to a holy life The Profession of Christianity doth note the resignation of our selves to be commanded by Christ and to be imitators of Christ By having his name called on us we certifie the World that we own his commands to be obliging We profess we will subscribe to the Doctrine of the Gospel and that we will answer the design of our Saviours life sufferings and death The great duty he enjoyns us is to take care that both our souls and our bodies may be preserved pure 2 Cor. 7.1 and unblameable and that we cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit yea that we strive to perfect holiness in the fear of God The Doctrine of the Gospel take it which way you will doth onely teach us this Lesson viz. To be holy in all manner of Conversation And whoever does subscribe to that is concerned to be as good as his word or else it will be time for him to quit the name of an honest man The encouragements which are laid down in the Gospel aim at the more effectual incitement of us