Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	benefit_n	bless_v	lord_n	4,603	5	5.2098	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31459	The life and death of that holy and reverend man of God, Mr. Thomas Cawton ... with severall of his speeches and letters, while in exile, for his loyalty to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty : to which is annexed a sermon preach'd by him at Mercers Chappel, Febr. 25. 1648 ... : published with the approbation of several of his brethren, ministers of the Word in London.	Cawton, Thomas, 1637-1677.	1662 (1662)	Wing C1653; ESTC R36292	43,772	96

at Mr. Whitakers and spent it most in Prayer every week one day was set apart on purpose for it and indeed his case was so full of Labyrinths that he knew not what to do only his eyes were towards God to extricate him and to lead him in aplain path because o● his enemies It was thought dangerous ●●ly long hid for fear of his being discovered and therefore having asked Counsell a● the mouth of the Lord and his judicious friends they agreed he should be conveyed away into Holland in which voyage Mr. Nalton being much threatned fo● the same crime was his companion an● fellow-sufferer A little before they set upon their voyage He most solemnly takes his leave of his dear Wife in two letters sent speedily one after another which because they shew his faith patience and resolution in sufferings I think ●t will not be amisse to insert The one was this Dear Heart I am joyfull that God hath assisted thee in the midst of thy sorrowes and sufferings so that thou art enabled to bear up and to encourage thy self in God and look upon his hand as the work of a Father towards his Child Read Heb 12. and then see what way God takes with his Children I do not fear but God will be thy husband in mine absence and the Father of my fatherless Children let them be taught the fear of the Lord and then they shall not want any good thing and then he that leaves not his will be their portion and God alsufficient I shal indeavour to lay up a stock of prayers in heaven for them I hope I shall Pray and not faint both for thee and them the Lord increase our faith and then be it unto us according to Gods promises and our faith We must not be so covetous as to desire two heavens the wicked have their Portion in this life we in another here persecuted in the world to come the crown that is laid up for us which the righteous Judge shall give unto u● reioyce more to see grace in thy Children hearts than if thou hadst thousands t● give them Know that he that is our Go● is the God of our seed and thou remembrest what the holy man of God said I never saw the righteous forsaken nor b● seed begging bread Train up our children in their catechism and in frequent reading of the Scriptures let them know the Scriptures from their childhood and they will make them wise unto salvation let me and them enjoy thy prayers an● the fervent prayers of all our sincer● friends whatsoever is laid aside let no● the work of prayer be forgotten Min● my friends of my condition that they may begg a way of the Lord for me an● that I may be counselled from Heaven how to imploy my self and that may not be wholly laid aside as useless and that if God will give me my life thi● time also I may lay it out more than eve● for his glory and that God would kee● me from the snares of the place where ●● may dispose of me I have lost much tim● and now would fain redeem some of it if God will give an opportunity when God has brought me to a place of rest shall I hope not loyter in my studies as ● have done If I have an opportunity m● friends of the Ministry and others sha● hear from me The Lord help us to keep the word of his patience that he may keep us in the hour of temptation Whatsoever my Brethren can lawfully do and without scandall to the wisely Godly I desire if it may advantage me for my true and safe liberty that I may not be left out Remember me to all our Friends that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Improve thine Interest for me i● Heaven that as the Church had two wings of a great Eagle given her that she might flye from the Draggon into the Wilderness so God would make me a member of that Church give me the benefit of those wings What shall I say more to thee the Lord blesse thee the peace of God that passeth understanding guard thy heart the joyes of the Holy Ghost that are unspeakable fill thy soul I wish thy perfection Thou art mine and I am thine the great sea shall not quench our love the blessings of heaven and earth be upon thee Farwell farwell in the Lord the Lord in his good time bring us together again Adiew in Christ Thine through Christ really cordially a sympathizing Husband The other letter written upon the receit of a letter from his Wife in which she testified her willingnesse to submit to God and to follow him where ever God should place him was this Dear Heart I have read thy sweet and gratious letter with teares and great ioy the Lord make way for our happy meeting at the throne of grace we shall meet I hope every day I know God will appeare for thee and me and stirr us up friends let us labour to act faith and say dayly Lord increase our faith It 's a very great mercy that the Lord was pleased to deliver me this time as I hope he will I grieve at the very heart to hear what have done not only to accuse themselves but to betray the lives of their Brethren yet I will not boast I do not know what my vile heart might have done I will rather judge my self I know my own great unbelief and base fear the Lord help me against them I do not fear but that Christ will be thy Husband and make up all in my absence If God make my way plain before me I shall look upon it as things now stand as the greatest mercy ever befell me in the matter of deliverance and that if he give me my life this second time I hope I shall improve it better for his glory than ever I have done I see I could not be without this tryall and yet I think I was not fit for the greatest of this affliction and therefore I hope God will lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and will make away to escape I hope that I shall at last learn to live that which I have preached unto others I grieve for my dear friends in the Parish that will be left as sheep without a shepheard but God will provide for them remember my dear affection to them all they shall have my prayers and I hope I shall have theirs I hope God will make way for the imployment of that poor Talent he hath given me if not in my Native Country yet some other where I have been unprofitable and therefore God may lay me aside but I hope he will still make use of me But sweet soul how shall I leave thee and my little ones behind me yet we shall only in body and place be separated not in mind and affection For directions I know not what to give thee only be thankfull if God hath left this back

remarkable that it deserves to be registred in Marble if that be durable enough to perpetuate so famous an amendment of so profane a generation of drunkards swearers and Sabbath-breakers that an Aegypt for darkness and ignorance should be turned into a Goshen of light and knowledge a Bethaven changed into a Bethel deserves to be written in immotall Records One thing for which he was noted in that place was his zeal in preaching against Sectaries and their hereticall tenets which ●s one speaks though Paul never planted ●r Apollos ever watered to be sure God ●ver blessed them yet grew a pace in all ●●rners of the land he did so solidly and ●●nvincingly confute them that he kept his ●●rish almost free from them when other ●●owns were mightily infested and infected with the Sectarian insect He gave clear evidence of what I said before that 〈◊〉 sucked in none of John Goodwins prin●●ples though he were his Pupil He often preached at Colchester for Reve●●nd Mr. Robert Harmar where there was ●●nest of Sectaries but he feared neither ●●gh nor low Once having preached up●● that Text If God be God serve him Baal be God serve him the Anabaptists●●reatned ●●reatned him on the Road to pull him off ●●om his horse as he was riding home but ●●at God hindered them He had many ●●sputes and private conferrences with them ●●fore he preached so much against them ●●d found many of them very ignorant as catechistical principles they were per●●aded before they were instructed and ●●refore they would not be perswaded to be ●●structed for as Tertullian speaks Here●●ks persuadendo docent non docendo persua●●nt they teach by perswading but do ●●t perswade by teaching they wooe and ●●tice the affections of their hearers without ●●nvincing their judgments No man was ever more beloved of his people than he was all sorts rich and poor did manifest a great deal of respect and affection to him the very children were s● taken with his winning way of catechizing them that they loved him and their catechism the better for it a great many of them would every Sabbath day go together to meet him between his house an● the Church shewing their readiness to be catechized by him Thus he that at fir● was counted so severe was esteemed worthy of all love and honour and that not only amongst the good but the bad such a Majesty there is in grace and such amiableness there is in holiness This their love was not ill bestowed the● was none of it lost there being an arde● love in his brest to them again in so much that he would often say Wivenho was h● first love He hath this character given 〈◊〉 him by all that knew him that he was very much unconcerned in the world he was convinced that all the world ca● afford was either uncertainly good or certainly evil and therefore he could not s● his heart on that which was to be trampled under his feet he counted the mouth and bellies of the poor the best treasurie to store up his goods in All the profits ● his living for three years together being about an hundred pounds per annum h● laid out upon the Personage house which was old and ready to drop down he built it with brick from the ground a very good house with Orchards of his own planting and fish-ponds made at his own charge and was often heard to say that it might please God this might be an inducement to some godly Preacher or other to come amongst his people when he was dead and rotten he cared not for his mony so much as for his people and was of so publick a spirit that he made all his private conveniencies give way to that way that did most promote his peoples publick welfare he was not content to do them all the good he could while with them but was sollicitous that one might succeed him who might be faithfull to their Souls when he was forced to leave the living he was offered an hundred pounds to resign the Living and Personage-house but would not but provided them a Minister who was presented by the Patron and let the house go to the Minister and all that succeeded him as long as it stands Having finished the house and enjoying some content in seeing his spirituall children walking in the truth God inclined his heart to Marriage which was after the thirtyeth year of his life and he gave God leave to choose his Wife for I count that giving leave to choose for us when we choose for God or in order to Gods glory more than for our own profit when that side God is on carries it in our choice he wa● offered many great matches but none s● good as that which he pitched upon which was Mrs Elizabeth Jenkin daughter to the Reverend Mr. William Jenkin a renowne● Preacher in Sudbury and Grand-child t● the famous Mr. Richard Rogers of Wether field He preferred the stock she came of her religious education parts and eminent piety before a great portion which h● might have had with others he thought good portion far above a great portion Being married he returned again to h● charge of Souls in Wivenho where he we●● on in his Ministeriall function with mu●● delight and as much dilligence on Lord days he preached with a great deal of v●gour and life and on week-days his li●● was a continued Lecture and commentary on his Sabbath Sermons he went 〈◊〉 and down doing good and did not thing all his work was to be done in the Pulpit but discharged his conscience and tr●● with much fidelity visiting the sick admonishing the wicked strengthning the wea●● quickning the strong and counselling a●● Thus this holy man of God continue among them for the space of seven years during which time he was very sickly a●● not likely to live long being naturally an infirm constitution the badness of the air at Wivenho did not a little add to his distempers At the end of the seventh year of his abode in Wivenho he had a very great fit of sickness in so much that his Physitians and friends did even despair of his recovery but it pleased the great Physitian who was his Maker as he had built the cottage of his body so to shoar up the building and he was in some measure restored to health whereupon the advice of his Physicians was he should change the air and get out of that could waterish place he was in and the more because he constantly was troubled with an ague twice a year at least London was the place which was thought might best agree with his thin body a great many arguments were used by his friends to perswade him to leave Wivenho but none could prevail but that of necessity by reason of the intire love he bore to his people and the great blessing he saw God gave to his Ministry in that place Necessity urging him more and more to look after his health he