Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	body_n	spirit_n	vital_a	3,629	5	10.6721	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70079	Golden remains of Sir George Freman, Knight of the Honourable Order of the Bath being choice discourses on select subjects.	Freeman, George, Sir.; Freeman, Sarah, Lady.	1682 (1682)	Wing F2167B; ESTC R21279	41,541	130

thy continuance in well-doing thou shalt most certainly accomplish to thy unspeakable comfort but if thou art a captive to the false and deceitfull pleasures of sin as I have been hearken unto me who can upon too too long an experience Lord pardon my many relapses assure thee that what fair appearances soever sin presents thee with in its first approaches it will leave a sting behind and after the commission of every sinfull act thou wilt most certainly be so far removed from God as the greatness of thy sin was and as the testimonies of a good conscience decay so will the accusations of an evil one come in their room till insensibly thou fall into horror and despondencies of spirit one of the least of which is far too dear a price for all the pleasures the world can afford thee These are the entrances of Hell into thy soul upon the withdrawings of God and spiritual consolations without which the soul languisheth as the body fainteth upon a decay of the animal or vital spirits this must thou look for after the continuance in any known and presumptuous sin but if thou find it not thy condition is dangerous for the obduration or hardening of the heart is the threshold of Hell look quickly then and seriously into thy soul labour to get a sight of thy sins in the Book of Conscience whiles they may be blotted out pray earnestly to God for a true sense of them for Prayer is the Key of Heaven consider often of Death Judgment Heaven and Hell think how odious the sin of ingratitude is between man and man and that unthankfulness for the Blood of Christ is the highest of that kind think of the shortness of mans life and the great business is to be done in that little life that thy short life is posting to an end O the folly and madness of sin it is a continual acting against reason a treasuring up of wrath with the God of all Power a providing for the society of Devils and damned souls who will be cursing their Maker and one another to all eternity 't is that which only is dishonourable to man a disturbance to Commonwealths it is the satisfaction of Devils if they could have any the trouble of Angels and blessed souls nay the grieving of the Holy Ghost and the continual murthering of the Son of God I have no design in this short Discourse but the Glory of God the conversion of souls and the discharging of my own Conscience by testifying to as many as I can the detestation of my former life that so the ill consequences of my example may be in some measure repaired by this publication of my self and therefore wish to that end that all may see this that saw my debauchery and I beseech God to give me boldness in the confession of my faults and to make me only shamefull of recommitting them Above all things I advise men to beware of immoderate drinking which dulls the understanding and makes the soul impatient of contemplation it disposeth vehemently to the pleasures of sense and to a gigling impertinent mirth it precipitateth to the acts of uncleanness and exciteth all the passions exposing men to many and daily hazards both of soul and body and rendring them unfit for any employment either in Ecclesiastical or Civil Affairs And since it is so that some mens bodies by their temperament do require strong drinks more than others it is not a total abstinence but a moderate use of it which is expected for which end I think it a very good rule by which to set some observable bounds to drinking that men would drink so far as to cherish the stomach but not to the least elevation of the brain and the stomach is satisfied with a small quantity unless a man lie under the cheat of a habit but when the spirits of the wine or any strong liquor begin to mount up to the brain from whence the soul doth principally and most immediately act the contemplative power begins to be disquieted and unfixt and the soul now to fluctuating as it were and wavering in her motion her best and steady operations being hindred pleases her self with being conversant about outward things and trivial objects and lies more exposed to the danger of frequent temptations this which I speak of is but the first change of the brain when it is altered from its usual tone and composure and although a man may drink to this pitch and yet carry civility about him and a favourable correspondence with men because his tongue doth not falter neither is his understanding so obscured as to fail at least in matters of common converse yet this person who hath done nothing unacceptable to the world hath so changed the Scene within himself that he is now more at the command of his sensual appetite than before and his noble faculties begin to lean towards the world and stagger in the sight of God though his legs stand firm before the eyes of them that see him I appeal to the consciences of any such plausible drinkers whether they do not find themselves more cold in acts of devotion more fond of outward pleasures more affected with the thoughts of temporal honours and the favour of great men more than the love of Jesus Whether the contemplation of eternity and the estate of their souls in reference to that being doth so well relish with them at that time If they did so why do they not wave a Stage-play and go to publick prayers which are at that time Why instead of going to a wrangling Gaming-house do they not study the game of Christianity that they may beat that experienced Gamester the Devil and win their souls which lye continually at stake and are in imminent danger of being lost What a sad thing is it that so noble a Creature as man should rest in and be contented with trifles for whom are prepared the glories of eternity if here he will take upon him the easie yoke and light burden of Christ Now although many men that drink not may and do often these things and far worse yet drink betrayes them more easily to vanities and idle pastimes therefore be carefull to avoid this degree of drinking and thou wilt then be secure from the scandalous sin of visible drunkenness which is the beastly consummation of the former I do not speak this to perswade men from society and chearfulness as if Religion and Mirth were things inconsistent since I know that true Mirth is found no where else But we do for the most part mistake Mirth the most of any thing accounting that it consists in laughter only whereas properly a man may be most truly merry when he laugheth least For none laugh more than Idiots and men of weak understanding and sensualists while men advanced in knowledge and quieted in mind by serious and due reflections on themselves do it but seldom but none will deny but the latter