Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	artery_n	blood_n	vein_n	5,874	5	10.2889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23803	The whole duty of mourning and the great concern of preparing our selves for death, practically considered / written some years since by the author of The whole duty of man, and now published upon the sad occasion of the death of our Most Gracious Sovereign Lady Mary the II, Queen of England, &c. of blessed memory.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1695 (1695)	Wing A1194; ESTC R33068	65,567	192

Deut. 24.6 these Teeth failing Life begins to fail wherein the Memorial of Death is set before us X. And as in the outward Parts so the like Weakness and Decay of strength is to be observ'd in the inward the Silver Cords of the Sinews which conveys the Faculty of Sense and Motion from the Head in Old Age are loosed Eccles. 12.6 that Cable of the Marrow in the Back Bone which was wont so firmly to hold and stay the frail Bark of our Body tossed with so many Motions and by those many Conjugations of Nerves which kept our Body steddy begins now to dissolve the Head which is the golden Bowl wherein is emboxed the Brain that ministers that Faculty of Sense and Motion through Age is broken and become crazy the many Veins which carry the nourishing Blood from the Liver unto each part of the Body become like unto broken Vessels and the Arteries which by the reciprocal Motions and Pulses do convey the Vital Spirits from the Heart even to all Parts of the Body these through languishing Age becomes slow and weak and all these faint Operations are so many Memorials of Death and do plainly portend the Approach of our Latter End XI The Old Man's gray head is in Scripture compared to the white Blossoms of the Almond Tree Eccles. 12.5 this Tree making hast to flourish before many others in the Spring is therefore in Vision used to signifie that God will hasten his Word to perform it Jer. 1.11 12. and consequently the sight of the gray head either in our selves or others serves as a Divine Vision to warn us of God's Decree of hastning our Latter End yea those are upbraided of God as Contemners of this Vision who though their head be not all white do not observe the first sprinkling of the head when as the gray hairs are here and there upon them and they know it not Hos. 7.9 and regard not this Memorial of their Mortality XII As to the decay of Sense in Old Age they that look out of the Windows be darkned Eccles. 12.3 the Eyes fail Gen. 27.1 and 48.10 1 Sam. 3.2 and 4.15 and that dimness of Sight is one of Death's Apparitors to summons Men to their End by that restraint of Sight God calls Men to make a new Covenant with their Eyes to turn them out of the Corners of the World not to gaze longer after Vanity nor to walk after the Lust of their Eyes to live by Faith and not by Sight 2 Cor 5.7 not to look after things temporal which are seen but after things Eternal which are not seen 1 Cor. 4.18 and as the Sense of Seeing waxes dim in Old Age that of Hearing likewise fails the daughters of Musick are abased and brought low Eccles. 12.4 Men cannot then any more hear the voice of singing-men and singing-women 2 Sam. 19.35 God that planted the Ear Psal. 94.9 when he makes this Plant to wither again calls them to remember their Transplantation into another World to wait for their changing and to prepare for it The Tasting likewise decays for Old Barzillai cannot taste what he eats or what he drinks 2 Sam. 19.35 Old Isaac by his touch cannot distinguish betwixt the hands of his Son and the Skin of a Beast Gen. 27.16.21 22 23. The Psalmist when Old is covered with Cloaths and feels no heat 1 Kings 1.1 yea the inward Senses begin to fail also Memory decays the Understanding is diminished and the Aged sometimes in their decrepid Age return to their Infancy and not able to discern between Good and Evil 2 Sam. 19.35 how inexcusable are they that live securely and think not of Death when they have so many Warnings given them XIII With Decay of Strength and Sense comes the decay of Health Old Age is many times a continual Sickness and when the days of Man are multiplied they are but Labour and Sorrow even the strength of them Psal. 90.10 then is the time when the evil days approach and the years of which Man says I have no pleasure in them Eccl. 12.1 then is the Light of Sun Moon and Stars obscured and then the Clouds return after the Rain one Infirmity after another v. 2. Through decay of Natural Heat ariseth Indigestion and Crudity of Stomach and thereupon follow Rheums and Catarrhs and from thence proceeds Aches and manifold Pains and Diseases whereby the Almighty as with an Iron Pen writeth our Lesson and engraveth this Sentence deep in our Flesh and Bones Remember your latter end approaching and prepare for Death CHAP. VI. Several Forerunners of Death which may warn Men to prepare for it Practically Considered THus in every Age before Death Approaches we have manifold Fore-Warnings of his Coming and when Death appears God usually brings with it some Joynt-Warnings to prepare us further for our speedy Dissolution And first before Death makes a Seizure there is commonly Pain like a Harbinger sent before to warn the Soul to entertain the Almighty with a present and diligent renewing of their Faith and Repentance for God could have taken Men out of the World without Pain or Sickness by a sudden Change in the twinkling of an eye 1 Cor. 15.51 52. but the Divine Wisdom saw it not necessary II. When the Lord appeared unto the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and vouchsaf'd unto them Visions of his Glory he used commonly to send before as a Marshal or Usher some great fear Gen. 15.12 Exod. 3.6 so that they fell down as dead Men Ezek. 1 28. and 2.1 2. Rev. 1.17 or stood trembling Dan. 10.8.11 their hair stood an end and all their bones did shake Job 4.14 15. But since God in his Divine Wisdom has altered that Method and appears unto a Sinner at his Death in sweeter Visions of Heavenly Comfort and prepares them with all Reverence for that hour III. God doth now as it were usher his way by sending Sicknesses and bitter Diseases that thereby we might be humbled for Sin and renounce this Transitory Life by giving a more willing Farewell unto it and to long for our Translation and the Joy which succeeds it God shews that then he expects a special Act of Humiliation when near our End he visits us with such Pains which creates a Mourning in us for Sins committed in the World before we depart out of it then are we summoned to stir up the Grace of God within us and to raise up our Spirits with all Love and Reverence to meet the Lord that we may receive his Blessing and enter into his Gates with Joy and into his Courts with Thanksgiving IV. These Pains prevailing at the approach of Death causeth Men to lye down and fall upon their Beds Job 33.19 Acts 5.15 and to let all the Affairs of the World alone with the Works of their several Callings through Infirmity of Body God forceth them to stoop and calleth them to remember their Frailty and their End as if he should command them to couch down

Death is instrumental in our Passage to Heaven therefore how can any think their Time ill spent in preparing for that which will compleat their Happiness V. There is no Circumstance of our Lives but has been imbittered by some sad Occasion of a dying Relation or Friend a happy Meeting often ends in some sad Misfortune which conduces to an Eternal Parting This King of Terrors meets us every where 〈◊〉 creeps in at our Windows like a Thief and enters in at our Doors with his Grand Commission he accepts of no Bribe but will draw his fable Veil over all the splendour and glory of the Universe VI. Death hath his several Instruments to accomplish his Ends sometimes we are taken away by Violence and secret Influence by the Aspect of a Star and the stink of a Mist or by the sending out of a Cloud and meeting of a Vapour Accidents has happened by the Fall of a Chariot a sinking House or a high mettled Horse to cast his Rider others by the stumbling at a Stone the scratch of a Nail or Fin by a full Meal or an empty Stomach by watching at the Wine and drinking of it in full Bowls and Glasses the Healths of others when in the mean time they destroy their own Some by too great Study and Watching at Prayer others is blasted by the Sun or Planet-struck by the Moon sometimes Death's Harbingers are Heats or Golds watchfull Nights or slumbring Days by Water turn'd into Ice or thaw'd into the Flouds of a River sometimes by a Hair or a Ra●sin by violent Motion or sitting still by Severity or Dissolution by God's Mercy or his Anger by every thing in Providence and every thing in Manner Nature and Chance VII Like Worldlings we take indefatigable Pains to heap up Necessaries for our Life and in the greedy Negotiation we purchase Death then we are snatched away and leave what we have so hardly ventured for behind us Now all this is the Law and Constitution of Nature it is a Punishment due to our Sins the unalterable Event of Providence and the Decree of Heaven The Links and Chains which confine us to this Condition are strong as Destiny and immutable as the Eternal Laws of the Almighty CHAP. III. The Certainty of Death practically considered O Vain and miserable World how infallibly true is it that all must die and yet alas this is not all but many complaints remain which does attend and perplex us for here we begin our race in frail and contemptible Weakness and the whole course of our lives is a hazardous progress of dangers If we escape the mischances of silly Children we drive on the rash adventures of Head-strong Youth If we out live those sudden Storms and Tempests we fall into more Malicious and Wicked Calamities our own negligent and superfluous Cares deliberately pine and consume us and the crosses and affairs of the World wear and tire out our Lives II. If fortunately we should by a strange and miraculous Success o're come all these and still bear up our healthful and prosperous Head we are sure at last old Age will creep and find us out and check our Nerves by bowing our strength down to the Grave The Grave of Silence from whence no claim or priviledge Exempts nor any potent Power controuls his Command Kings and Princes must lay down their Crowns and Scepters and Queens must leave their Diadems and Royal apparel the Rich must leave their Wealth behind them and the Great ones of the World must be crumbled into Dust the Beautifullest face must be converted into Rottenness and the Pampoured and well fed Body must become the food of Wormes the buisie and most activest Man must find a time to dye though his great Affairs and full Employment can spare none to provide for it Even the Learned the Eloquent the Wise and most Vertuous must submit to Fate and the Heirs of Life it self be the Prisoners of Death III. Now this when we see we weep and are afraid since we all must drink of the same cold Cup all Heads must descend to the same dark Grave and none can imagin how soon they may be called To day we are jocund in health among our Friends and earnest about our Affairs and to morrow Arrested by the hand of that unwelcome Serjant Death Frail flesh and blood may naturally and faintly struggle for a time but at last must yield and be buried in the Earth from whence we were taken IV. At last we must take our leave of our nearest Relations and dearest Friends and bid for ever a long farewell to all the World then perhaps our acquaintance may talk of us a while sometimes as we deserve and often as they please perhaps our Bodies once laid out of sight we are no more remembred than if we had never been born only our good Works follow us to our Graves and faithfully accompany us beyond our Funerals But 't is not for us O Lord to chuse our own connditions but to manage well what thou appointest CHAP. IV. Several Motives to Remember Death practically Considered GOd having made Man of the Dust of the Earth Gen. 2.7 and thereupon after his Fall shewing him his readiness to return to dust Gen. 3.19 Ecclus. 12.7 doth yet further call us to consider our frailty ordaining that this House of Clay is to be supported by a puff of Ayr continually breathed in and out and that this being stopt the building must of necessity fall from whence we see our life hangs as it were loose before us going in and out every moment therefore it is called the breath of Life Gen. 2.7 and. 7.15.22 this ought to put us in mind of Mortallity by thinking on the breath of our Nostrils so easily departing this is plainly demonstrated by the Prophets Isa. 2.22 Psal. 146.4 and 104.29 II. Another Instrument of human frailty is the Pulse which ariseth from the Heart and the Arteries or beating Veins and this by a double motion of Contraction and Dilatation whereby they are drawn in and out both for the expeling of noxious fumes through the insensible pores of the flesh and for drawing of air to refresh the heart and vital Spirits from the variety of the Pulse are taken many signs of Health and Sickness Life and Death it is the Character of our Strength or Weakness and from hence is described the fainting and decayed state of Man from the panting of the Heart and restlesness of the Arteries and beating Veins III. Another Sustainer of our Life is our daily Food Meat and Drink whereby the Spirit is revived 1 Sam. 30.12 and without it we fall down into the Grave Now if our appointed Food for a Meal or more be wanting then instantly the Body faints and the Flesh fails Isa. 44.12 then Death creeps on by degrees and Men begin to dye sensibly there is a Sense both of painful hunger in the Stomach and of universal faintness and languishing through the