Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	body_n	soul_n	unite_v	6,137	5	9.8589	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91481	David restored. Or An antidote against the prosperity of the vvicked and the afflictions of the iust, shewing the different ends of both. In a most seasonable discourse upon the seventy third Psalme, / by the right Reverend father in God Edward Parry late L. Bishop of Killaloe. Opus posthumum.	Parry, Edward, d. 1650.	1660 (1660)	Wing P556; Thomason E1812_1; Thomason E1812_2; ESTC R209776	187,261	357

eys of carnall men that apprehend and esteem nothing more contemptible then a suffering persecuted Christian yet the grounds of it are 1. That Calamities prove as Phisick to purge out the old leaven of corruption that may remaine vexatio dat intellectum trouble makes men more wise and less secure or unadvised and therefore David tells Psal 119. before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word 2. They give occasion to the exereise of many eminent and excellent vertues which otherwise would not appeare They worke strong confidence manifest patience assured experience and the Hope which maketh not ashamed it is much to believe and obey but to suffer for the name of Christ will be a greater increase of Glory according to the mercifull providence that gives unto him that hath and more abundantly to him whose works are more abounding in the Lord. And these thoughts taught the Apostle to overcome all his suffrings when he tels 2 Cor. 4.8 that his troubles could not make him despaire because he knew the glory that attended them Calamities rob worldlings of that which they count their felicity casts a cloud on their brighest enjoyments and makes their treasures unpleasant a powerfull argument would they but consider it that felicity consists not in the fruition of these sublunary things and is not to be found in such fading possessions but no trouble can deprive us of our future Glory no imprisonment can sequester Heaven nor any losle bereave us of an invaluable Reward Why then should we be as men without hope what cause can there be either of despaire or disbeliefe our confidence is better seated then to be so shaken our hopes are just if our Consciences be pure nor can we suspect the truth of our future hapinesse whilst we cheerfully lay hold on Jesus the Author thereof waiting for his appearance whom the world may as soon divert and hinder from coming to Judgement as from bringing along with him the reward of the faithfull 2. Doctr. Saints are meer Passive Receivers of Glory A second generall conclusion from these words is this That the Servants of God are meerly passive receivers of Glory at the hand of God for the Prophet saies not I will ascend or mount up and assume glory to my selfe but in a more humble straine Afterward thou wilt receive me to Glory And how litle the best of meere men doe or can contribuhe to their own advancement unto glory how worthily they may be accounted meer Receivers thereof not efficients or Agents therein these following reasons may evince 1. To and before the attainment to Glory there is required a double Resurrection in either of which how small is mans efficiency will be known by the particulars One is that which in the phrase of Scripture is called the first Resurrection Revel 20.6 and though that which is there spoken of is not it may be that which I meane yet that which I now intend may well borrow that name I meane Conversion Regeneration and Sanctification by Grace For observe The estate of unconverted men is described by this expression amongst many others that they are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 where also the contrary estate is exprest by a quickning and being raised in another place by the having a new life but alive unto God by Jesus Christ Rom. 6.11 And that conversion and regeneration must go before Glory is made evident to us Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God and vers 9. if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his and in the 30. verse of the same chapter he tells us that calling and Justification which do both comprehend full conversion is before being Glorifyed Now that in Conversion man is meerly passive is not able to convert himself I need no other proofs then that of death Resurrection which expressions tell us that as Lazarus contributed nothing to his own revivall so in conversion man is of himselfe breathlesse t is the life of Grace must restore him and produce so powerfull a change as a returne from sin and a more endlesse death the same thing is also intimated by Regeneration new creation man makes not himselfe it is God that worketh in us to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 If then man be passive in resurrection and conversion which is the meanes to glory he cannot bring himselfe to glory but is a Receiver of it as of grace Secondly unto Glory it is requisite that there be a Resurrection of the Body from the grave and the power of death of which the Apostle gives us a large account 1 Cor. 15. from whence observe 1. That though the soule live after death yet can we not properly say the whole person is in glory whilst the body is in the grave and sees corruption Now glory is promised to the whole person Secondly Though the soule be capable of a better well being in Heaven then this life can afford yet is it not in its perfect and compleat estate without the body as having a naturall desire and inclination to be united to it wherein as it had its first being so with it it desires stil to be Thirdly the necessity and lasting dominion of death was brought in by sin and till all the effects of sin be done away there cannot be full glory and therefore man cannot be compleatly happy till he can triumphantly say O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Now there is no worke nor wisdome in the grave when man returnes to his dust againe the body submits to a dissolution and enlivens that corruption and dishonour it was borne to This is a privation totall from which no returne can be made by mans own efficiency for how can he revive himselfe that is altogether livelesse or act to his own recovery that is insensible and movelesse in this then is man a mere passive receiver And thus much of the first reason Reas 2 The second Reason is taken from the modus agendi Gods manner of working man receives and God gives but what is the ground of Gods giving and the manner is it necessary nay is it not free and voluntary of his owne good will pleasure in this we may well say with the Apostle Rom. 9.16 it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Object And if it be objected that there is in the soule of man naturally a desire of blessednesse which providence is engaged to answer Answ I answer Providence answers the naturall desire of each species and Kind by and in the individuals and to this end the individualls must be such as they were created else providence is not obliged as it is not engaged to make this or that Tree worm-eaten fruitfull Had man continued in that Estate which creation set him in it might be thought

the Son of God by Generation and the holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and Son 2. Directory or voluntary founded in Gods free will The decretory or voluntary Being with God is that which is founded in the actions of Gods free will And this Being with God is of the Creature and is either generall or speciall In that which is generall these two things are observable 1. Which is general 1. That before the world and its creatures had an actuall existency in nature they were all Ideally in the mind and Councell of God according to which he worketh all things Eph. 1.11 what ever hath an actual being is but a representation of that which God purpos'd in himself before the foundation of the World 2. God having put his decree in execution by actual creation what ever he gave an existence to is so with and in him as that it cannot consist without him Thus the Apostle Coloss 1. Having discours't of Christ and of the creation of all things adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in him all things subsist In him we live move and have our being Act. 17.28 Of him as the Author by him as the preserver as the end are all things hence he is said not to be far from us for if the whole creation be with and in God he is in evidence of reason with the creature This the learnedest of the heathen mean by their several expressions Thus the Poet Principio coelum terra c. Spiritus intus alit totosque infusa Virg. Lib. 6. per artus Mens agitat molem c. And else where-Deum namque ire per omnes Terrasque tractusque maris Thus Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Seing therefore that our dependence is upon God for our very being that when he hides his face we are troubled and when he taketh away our breath we dye and returne to our dust Psal 104.29 It concernes us to cast off any thing that may animate us to a Rebellion against him whose hand once with drawn from upholding us we must necessarily droop and come to nothing Special As for the special being with God which belongs to the faithful only and is founded on Gods free grace and mercy this in respect of man is either future Future in glory or present The former is that which the Apostle gives us hopes of 1 Thes 4.17 We shall be present with the Lord This the glorified saints and Angels participate of and the Prophet here after mentions V. 34. Thou shalt afterward receive me to glory of which more fully in its place Or present in grace The special present being with God is the state of the faithfull in the Kingdome of grace Who even here are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him 1 Cor. 8.6 And this is that which Christ prayes his own may participate of Joh. 17.21 And because this their being with God necessarily imports a Reciprocation we may often finde this Priviledge express't by Gods presence and being with his people Thus the Patriarcks were oft assured that God was with them and Christ promised his Disciples I am with you Math. 28.20 Whose very name is Emanuel God with us Though therefore in respect of the matter the Prophet might have as well said Thou art continually with me as I am continually with thee all being one Yet he rather chooseth this latter expression and that as I conceive because of the present calamity of chastisment which lay upon him Calamity oft accounted a partition wall yet it is not For it is common with men to conclude of Gods absence by the presence of calamity whether the reason of it may be because God himself is the chiefest good and height of blessednesse and therefore there can be no inconvenience where he is Or that because afflictions seem in their owne natures to be darke partition walls betwixt God and us and such heavy chaines as fetter us unto misery and restreine us from all comfortable recourse to any thing else Nor is it unusual for those who have openly professed their confidence in God to be upbraided by wicked men in their distresse with their being far from God forsaken by him Ps 7.11 and their saucy inquiry being too frequent where is now their God Psal 42.11 When the Innocent Lambe of God hung upon the crosse how many revilings did the stuborne Jew spit upon him He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Math. 27.38 c. 41. They imperiously insult as if that calamity had broken all relations betwixt God and him It is further in this case observeable that men of Religious tempers oft carry such infirmities about them as that they apprehend themselves at a great distance from God in the dayes of trouble Why Lord hast thou absented thy self Why hidest thou thy face and forgetest our misery Are sad expostulatinos of David in misery Men are apt with Gideon to cry If the Lord be with us why is then all this trouble Judges 6. Arise come and help us go not far from me O Lord are the frequent requests of a distressed Spirit But the Prophet triumphing over the censurs of men breaks through this black cloud and cryes Neverthelesse I am continually with thee Though he was seemingly involv'd in calamities yet they were not able to seperate him from God As Christ was not alone for the Father was with him so the Apostle assures us Coloss 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God Hid because in outward appearance they made no greater shew then others nay in regard of that grosse contempt cast upon them by the World lesse then others yet their life is hid with God from whence the united force of the whole creation cannot force it If we cast our eye upon those particular expressions which God ownes in Scripture we may conclude an inseperable union betwixt him an his He is termed their Husband united by a covenant Isa 54.5 He ownes a sympathy as to be afflicted in their affliction Isa 65.8 9. which consists not with separation Those blowes which are made at them he feels and violent usage of them is lookt upon as a persecution of himself And truly so high is Divine love to man in Christ as that it hath proclaimed that nothing shall worke a separation between God and man but sin and nothing else Sin will do it Isay 59.2 your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear And as for suffering of calamity there is no sin in it For if sufferings be lookt upon 1. In the notion of those bonds and bitter imprisonments which the Apostles and Martyrs endured They are then undergon for the Name and truth of Christ for righteousnesse sake and thus notwithstanding the perverse revilings of persecutors they are so far from being forsaken by him as