Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
spirit_n abandon_v body_n unnatural_a 18 3 10.3700 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A19611 The terrestriall paradise, or, Happinesse on earth. Written by Robert Crofts R. C. (Robert Crofts) 1639 (1639) STC 6044; ESTC S109076 37,271 114

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

men aswell as of Angels they somtimes proceed to conceive and maintaine prodigious Paradoxes and erroneous fancies But wee are to know that while wee are in this life It is very fair good lawfull and commendable for us to learn well to play the parts of a Man yea it is a divine knowledge in a religious and vertuous manner rightly and duly to governe use and enjoy both the pleasures of the minde and of the body also and not to renounce the meanest of them but in their good use freely to enjoy them to which Nature provokes us Reason also excites us yea Religion and God himself exhorts us All which I shall endevour to shew as plainly as I may We must consider wee have bodies aswell as souls which require due refreshments recreations and pleasures to which every man findeth in himself a naturall appetite and desire yea necessity compels us therunto wee could not subsist nor live without these And Nature willeth very wisely that these actions which it hath enjoyned us for our necessity be also delightfull inviting us therunto not onely by appetite but by reason What greater folly is there and more against reason aswell as nature to account our actions vitious because they are naturall unworthy because necessary and pleasant It is indeed contrary to Iustice to be too defective stoicall and rigid on the one side As to be too excessive and superfluous on the other So that as wee ought not to take such pleasure in earthly things as to prejudice the health and safety of our bodies and mindes by excesse and abuses so wee ought not also to take so little pleasure therin as to hinder the welfare therof through defect In such sort as wee must not disallow and reprove naturall and convenient pleasures as wee do those which are impious vitious and superfluous but rather greatly commend the same for as much as that reasonable meane may be observed therin which is good and commendable in all things And so without question that delectation which proceedeth from the temperate and good use of pleasures is to be enjoy'd freely and ●heerfully And it is also reason that the minde should partake with the body of such naturall pleasures which are just good and convenient These two the body and the minde are as it were married together it is against reason not well done to divide and separate this naturall conjunction but rather wee should renew the same by mutuall offices The Spirit ought to quicken and revive the dull heavy body The body also should stay and allay that strange unnaturall prodigious proud extravagant lightnesse of the spirit The Spirit should assist and favour the body as the husband the wife And not reject it nor hate it It should not abandon the body and refuse the naturall pleasures therof which are due convenient just lawfull and moderate such as befits the Marriage that is between them It seemeth unnaturall Presumption Pride and Folly so to do contrary to right and reason It should a●her in all cases assist the body to mayntaine it alwayes in due order And as Nature and Reason so also Religion commendeth yea willeth and commandeth the enjoyment of earthly happinesse within the bounds of Temperance and Vertue It is true indeed Religion exhorts and commands us to avoid intemperance and abuses herein and to use them well But herein it doth greatly increase our happinesse even on earth for as hath been shewed a multitude of restlesse desires cares feares distempers anguish and miseries proceed from all vice and impiety even in this World And no men on earth live more pleasantly healthfully prosperously and happily then the contented temperate vertuous gracious man So that Religion greatly addes to our free enjoyance of Terrestriall happinesse in directing us to avoid the abuses therof and to use the same well And in such good use it commendeth willeth and commandeth the enjoyance therof freely and cheerfully And greatly blameth such as forbid and teach the contrary To instance in some places of the sacred Scriptures Thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee Thou and the Levite and the stranger that is among you Deut. 26.11 Because the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy increase and in all the work of thy hands therfore thou shalt surely rejoyce Deut. 16.5 Behold that which I have seene saith the Preacher It is good and comely for a man to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life which God giveth him for it is his portion Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eate thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour This is the gift of God He shall not much remember the days of his life because God answereth him in the joy of his heart Eccles. 5.18 19 20. Rejoyce in the wife of thy youth Let her be unto thee as the pleasant Hind loving Roe rejoyce in her love continually saith Solomon Pro. 5.17 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly saith Saint Paul That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences feared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth for every creature if God is good and nothing to be refused of it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. By these few instances amongst divers others which might be added it appeares that we may freely and cheerfully enjoy these earthly happinesses and that such as forbid or deny the same are greatly to be blamed The rather because as Saint Paul signifieth in the forenamed place to Timothy That God hath created them to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth God himself is the Author of these Riches and honour come from God saith King Solomon and the blessing of the Lord maketh rich He created saith Moses the Paradise of pleasure wherin hee planted man They are Gods gifts saith the Wife man and ordained of him which appears also by their variety and pleasantnesse not only for necessitie but for lawful and moderate delight Eccles 5.18 19. And therfore if well used are to be esteemed as his gifts and blessings Also they may serve to many excellent uses as hath been said in the former Section even to increase in us heavenly joy and happinesse also of which I intend to write in the last Section And therfore in all these respects it appeares That such as use these terrestriall Felicities with moderate delectation to the glory of God and so to good ends are better to be reputed then such