Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	affection_n	love_n	love_v	7,004	5	6.6942	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96522	A sermon against lukwarmenesse in religion. Preached at Saint Maries in Oxford, the sixt of September, 1640. / By Henry Wilkinson, Batchelour in Divinity of Magdalen Hall. Printed by order from the House of Commons.	Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1641 (1641)	Wing W2238B; Thomason E204_7; ESTC R15190	18,781	50

Mammon others betwixt God and their belly a third betwixt God and some adored Hellen a fourth betwixt God and his Mecaenas a fifth betwixt God and the world When we see a divorce made where there should be an inseperable union that is betwixt God and the heart and an union made where there should be an eternall divorce that is betwixt the heart and the creature when we see a mixture in these things which should be most simple and pure when the Mint and the Cummin are more stood upon than the greater things of the Law and men are more scrupulous in observing the traditions of the Elders then the Doctrine of Christ being most superstitious in things not commanded and yet most negligent in things necessary ambitiously seeking after the charge of soules and yet most negligent in looking to their charg crying out Templum Domini Templum Domini nothing caring for the Lord of the Temple When we see pictures preferred before their Prototypes and Saints days honoured above his day that is the Lord of Saints When we see men bowing the knee to Christ and yet crucifying him in their lives professing to know God but in their workes denying him When a heat of professing is turned into a heat of disputing and matters of faith are made matters of controversie and discourse of Religion hath almost turned out the practice of it When we see old Haereticks revived and exploded errours new dressed When we see brainsick fancies are broached and embraced for Truth and novelty hath turned out Antiquity When I say such things as these doe occurre either in a Church or person when we see such Symptomes as these it will be no hard matter to guesse at the temper and constitution I should in the next place come to speak of the judgment * The occasion of these words was the report that the Scots had taken New Castle but I fear that this part of my Text is taken out of my hands and is already begun to be put in execution I feare I may too truely say as Jeremy did that the Lord hath opened his Armory and brought forth the weapons of his indignation Jer. 50. 25. God grant that part of Ezekiels Prophecy Chap. 23. 33. be not begun to bee fulfilled in us thou shalt be filled with drunkennesse and sorrow with the cup of astonishment and desolation But for my part I had rather be an Evangelist to bring glad tydings then a Faecialis to denounce Gods judgements VVherefore in the last place consider how grievous this sin is and how dreadfull is its punishment and tremble at the one and abhorre the other If therebe but a sparke of zeale let us blow it into a flame If zeale be languid or the heat remisse let us double and intend it For it is the heat of love and a heart replenished with flames and it is zeale as strong as death and most intense affections it is a soule ravisht with love and an heart transported with an holy extacy that Christ delights in VVhat ever we render unto him it must be totall and it must be superlative if we love him we must love nothing else he will have no rivals in our afflictions if we serve him we must serve him alone he will have no partners in his worship Hee that offers lesse then all to him who infinitly deserves more than all that we can offer he undervalues him Hee therefore that gives to Christ the halt the lame and the blind a halting heart lame affections and blind devotion Hee that thinkes his lukewarme love his languid zeale or his faint performance will serve the turne he offers the greatest contempt and the highest indignity to the Sonne of God VVherefore let us beseech Almighty God that he would bee pleased to put his holy Spirit into our hearts to animate and quicken our soules by the powerfull working of the Holy Ghost that so we may serve him with ardent zeale strong affections and love enflamed alwayes going on with courage and resolution continuing with patience and constancy that so we may end with glory Amen FINIS

afflicted and tormented I doubte not but if they would have contented themselves with this negative kinde of goodnesse they might have gone in better clothes and found better usage But those were such as were ready to fulfill the whole Law of God not onely in not doing ill but in doing good though they were sure to be evill intreated Let but such men as count their lives deare unto them when they see Religion lye a bleeding holinesse of life become a By-word zealous professours reproached and men separated from all imitable qualities advanced Haeresies favoured and truth with-held in unrighteousnesse let these I say that count their lives liberty or goods deare vnto them consider how that the fearefull are put in the forefront of all those that have their parts in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Revel 21. 8. Let them remember likewise why our Saviour saith Mat. 16. 25. He that will thus saye his life shall loose it How farre are these Men from counting it all joy when they fall into diverse temptations Jam. 1. 2. Object But you will say that the times were never worse it never farre harder with good men Answ Answ We will grant all this now is the time of tryall for remember what our Saviour saith Mar. 8. 31. He that is ashamed of me and my words in an evill and adulterous generation it is an evill and adulterous generation that puts a man upon his tryall of him will I be ashamed Object But you will say I shall be accounted singular I shall be thought to walke alone Answ Answ This was just Elijah's case He knew of none that did worship the God of Israel but himselfe Let us never give God cause to complaine as once he did Ezek. 22. 30. I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before mee for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none Where is the courage and constancy of Saint Basil who for his constant and bold defending the truth against the Arrian Haerisie being threatned death by Valence the Emperour answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh that I might dye for the truth But when they saw that threatning would doe no good they then sought by flattery to corrupt him but he told them that he was not so to bee wrought upon he was resolved neither for feare nor flattery to betray either a good cause or a good conscience The true tryall of a Christians love and zeale to the truth is when ones goods or his credit or his life comes incompetition when once it comes to this that a man must leave all and follow Christ it is to be feared that many who have farre lesse to lose then the rich man in the Gospell will goe away farre more sad When once it comes to this that if you sticke to Christ in such a cause you shall be turned out of the Synagogue when once it comes to turning out it is also to be feared that many who did beleeve in Christ as those did John 12. 42 43. yet will not dare to confesse him but will with them rather chuse the praise of men than of God You would thinke the lukewarme professour to be a very good Christian till he come to his tryall and then hee discovers himselfe what he is for doubtlesse that man that hath his heart fixed on any sinne hee will dispence with his Religion when once it comes to crosse him in it Some men have their Herodias their Dalilah others have their honourable Lords they must bee all pleased others have great livings those must bee kept Pilate was very unwilling to deliver Christ to the fury of the Jewes to bee crudified and yet for feare of Caesar sayes one Evangelist and to content the people saith another for feare of Caesar and the satisfaction of the People two potent arguments he delivers him to bee crucified Their is no discovering of a lukewarme Professour till he be put upon some Criticall point and then he will doe as those did John 6. 66. they will goe backe and walke no more with Christ they can be contented to follow Christ but when once it comes to take up the Crosse and follow him Oh then they are offended They will be accounted professours of the Gospell as it is a Gospell of peace and as it brings glad tidings and promiseth Salvation but when it comes to be made good that whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim 3. 12. When once it comes to bee fulfilled in them the World will hate them then Christ becomes a stumbling-blocke then Religion becomes a scandall These men would serve God but they would serve as good cheape as they could and with as little paines as may be For if it come to a matter of cost then have they a quorsum perditio haec to what purpose is all this cost if of paines O then Durus est hic sermo this is a hard saying who can beare it Let but these men compare their zeale to Christ with the zeale and love that men usually bestow on their ordinary impolyments and they shall find themselves much outstript We see how that men ordinarily can be content to rise early and late to take rest and eate the bread of sorrow and yet the lukewarme Christian will not deprive himselfe of the least contentment and satisfaction he will by no meanes defraud his Genius in any thing We see men fast tyed to their private interests being in a manner captivated to their owne imployments and yet it is a kind of bondage and abridgement of liberty to devote ones selfe to the service of Christ Let them looke upon sinners in the prosecution of their lusts and let them blush to be outgone by them When any sinne is enshrined in thy heart with what facility doth it command all the faculties as its vassals and yet with what difficultie and reluctancy hath God any service Sinfull objects do insinuate themselves with admirations and satisfactions attracting the desires and inclinations after them They enter into their play their serious businesse their sleepe their actions they take up their discourse replenish their memory enflame their desires And behold how little these lukewarme men are affected with spirituall objects Thus can men be content to nourish feavers and burning coales in their bosome but cannot endure a sparke of zeale How farre are such men from being transported with an holy extasie with the Spouse in the Canticles How farre from being sicke with love from being ravished with the beauty of Christ Lord what showres of teares can they bestow upon any transitory losse but not a drop that they spare for the losse of our Beloved What ardent desires what flames can they send after their sinnes and how dull how sluggish in seekeing him whom our soule should love Let but these lazy negligent Christians consider this and bee ashamed Secondly there