Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bless_a	lord_n	soul_n	6,252	5	5.0695	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60670	Life in death, or The living hope of a dying saint, handled in a sermon preached at the funeral of that eminently vertuous, and religious gentle-woman, Mris. Mary Morley, late wife to Colonel Harbert Morley, Esq; and daughter to Sr. John Trevor Knight. By Zachary Smith, minister of the Gospel, and pastor of the church at Glynde in Sussex, Sept. 18. 1656.	Smith, Zachary, b. 1604 or 5.	1656 (1656)	Wing S4351; ESTC R214782	29,879	40

fancy whereby they expect some good but have no warrant for it presuming that all is well with them and that God will take them to himself and shew them mercy when they die though they regarded not to take the Lord for their Portion nor his word for their guide while they lived Sperando pereunt a livelesse lazy conceit building castles in the aire casting Anchor among Quicksands their hope will make them ashamed There is the Hope of the Righteous upright 2. Christian Hope which is an undoubted expectationof all promised good things to come being freely given us of God through Jesus Christ Heb. 6.18 19. that we might have strong consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us which Hope we have as an Anchor of the soule sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile Hath Hope Tremelius renders it thus Recipit se etiam in morte sua justus with this annotation upon it Recipit se à malo adeo vt ne mors quidem ipsa sit ipsi mala i.e. He recovers and delivers himself from evil so that Death it self cannot be evil or hurtfull to him so Mr. Cleaver explains it The righteous hath not only confidence and good expectation but refuge and deliverance in greatest extremities yea in the very danger and torment of death it self yea then especially and more than ever at any time before The Object of the Righteous persons Hope is God himself Ps 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee 1. Tim. 1.1 And Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope Ier. 14.8 Ier. 17.18 And all those future good things which God hath graciously promised in his word both for soul and body Col. 1.5 for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven vers 27. Christ in you the hope of Glory Titus 1.2 In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 3.7 that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life The Hope of a Christian is in another world no man hath better surer greater hopes than a Christian a Worldlings Motto is a Bird in the hand but a Christians is spero meliora I hope for better things The Philosopher could say Tolle coelum nullus ero Much better and surer ground hath a true Christian to reioice in hope of the glory of God and to glory in tribulation for the hope that is laid up in heaven for him which hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.2 3 5. Pro. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladnes but the expectation of the wicked shall perish yea when the hope of the wicked shall be cut off then shall the righteous have a vigorous lively or a living hope 1 Pet 3. an hope that shall not fail even in death they have hope of life and by death they come to be partakers of the object of their Hope and so I come to the 3. particular When. 3. When. The time when the Righteous hath hope in his Death in the evil day in time of greatest disconsolation when friends stand weeping and wringing their hands when speech sight senses strength fail when riches will not profit a man when Physicians are of no value when all Creatures prove miserable comforters and when all human helps fail then is a Christians soule full of hope and may comfortably use this motto spero meliora though I leave a faire house pleasant gardens and loving friends and deare Relations yet I hope to enioy and inhabit an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens whose builder is God to dwell with my heavenly father in his Mansion house I hope to enioy better friends more deare Relations Communion with such as are of a more holy society I hope now by death to come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the Generall Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.22 23 24. 4 Proofs To prove that the Righteous i e. true beleivers who walke uprightly following after Righteousnes have this Hope in their Death consider some testimonies of scripture and some examples Isa 57.1 2. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightnes Where we have a sad complaint of the Cursed security of most people not regarding nor laying to heart the sad tokens of Gods displeasure nor their own danger approaching threatned by the Lords taking away his righteous servants from among them and secondly a Relation of the blessed security happy estate of Gods people at and after their death however they may seeme to perish from the earth yet they are taken away from the evil to come and enter into peace c. The Lord in that Scripture gives us a Description and Character of his own people and of Others of worldlings that lived among them His own people are described 1. By their Disposition and behaviour while they live here 1. Righteous 2. Mercifull 3. Walking in uprightnes as Micah 6.8 2. By their state and condition at and after Death 1. They are taken from the evil to come 2. They enter into peace 3. They rest in their beds The Description of worldlings and carnall people that lived among them by their disposition and behaviour is partly in the end of the former chapter eagerly and inordinately pursuing worldly profits and sensuall pleasures presuming upon long life and plenty c. 56.11 12. and in the first verse of this chapter they are said to be inconsiderat senselesse stupid dead-hearted not laying things to heart not regarding to heare the rod and who hath appointed it nor to behold the Majesty of the Lord when his hand is lifted up Their Dangerous state and condition when Gods servants are taken away from among them is there also hinted at it s a sad omen and forerunner of evil coming upon them That which I specially quoted this foregoing scripture for was to prove that the Righteous have hope in their death and here it is cleerely and fully affirmed that by death they are taken from the evil to come and enter into a state of blessed peace and sweet security Another proofe here of is Revelation 14.13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works doe follow them This testimony John received by a voice from heaven and

therefore it s of undoubted truth and asserted by the spirit of Truth that Gods people are in a blessed condition after death Not only such as die for the Lord who were put to cruell torments and to suffer death by Antichristian Persecutors for not complying with them in their idolatrous worship but such as die in the Lord are blessed i.e. such as were effectually called unto fellowship with Jesus Christ and united to him by faith as members of his mysticall body are happy in their death Death puts a period to all their troubles and labours and brings them to the enjoyment of rest and peace and to receive the reward of their works Here are no purgatory-torments mentioned to be endured by them after death but a perfect cessation from all labour and a full enioyment of rest and blisse To give instance in some examples of Gods people who have had hope in their death we finde that Jacob when he lay on his Death-bed professed his hope of salvation and enioying a better life Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord so Abel Enock Noah Abraham Sarah Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a farre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers on earth declaring plainly that they expected a better Countrey that is an heavenly Thus Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward and endured as seeing him who is invisible vers 25 26 27. Job's spirit was upheld from sinking into despair under all his pressures losses and afflictions and he professeth his hope even in death Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 as if he had said if God should take away my life yet would I in the midst of death expect a better life from him So David Psal 23.4 Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil And Psal 73.26 my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever his hope of being received into glory after death encouraged him to go on in the wayes of righteousnesse whatever afflictions he underwent in his life time Paul in time of his imprisonment at Rome lest the Philippians should be discouraged at his sufferings professeth his earnest expectation and hope of salvation and that he was not any way afraid of death but rather desirous of it in regard of the gain and benefit he should reap by it Phil. 1.21 for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain that is Christ is my life here by grace and hereafter by glory he is both the Authour and end of my life and if I be put to death that shall no way endamage me but rather bring me great advantage in regard that thereby I shall exchange and gain Heaven for Earth and an happy eternal life for this miserable and mortal life and vers 23 I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better And again 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8 giving notice of his approaching death and that the time of his Martyrdom was now at hand he professeth his hope in his death I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing and again 1 Cor. 15.19 If we have hope in Christ in this life onely we are of all men most miserable Cyprian speaking of the nature of death to believers saith It is Janua vitae victoria belli portus maris The gate of life the victory of war the haven of the Sea death to Gods people is as the Angel was to Peter to fetch him out of prison and set him at liberty Act. 12.7 c. and as Pharaohs Messenger was to Joseph to remove him out of the Dungeon into Pharaohs Court Gen. 41.14 where he was highly advanced to Honour and Dignity The benefits which believers hope to be made partakers of by death are either such as concern their Souls or their bodies The Souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holinesse Heb. 12.23 and brought to the spirits of just men made perfect Death abolisheth sin and corruption in believers and brings finalem gratiam the perfection of grace that may make them capable of glorie as sin brought death into the World so death drives sin out of Gods peoples natures Rom. 6.7 he that is dead is freed from sin there is not so much as any remnant of sin that cleaves to a believing Soul after death but it is presented unto Christ without spot or wrinkle void of all sinfull infirmities Here the best of Gods Saints grone under the burden of their corruptions 2 Cor. 5.4 and cry out with Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death before death the best Christians complain the good that I would I do not but the evil that I would not that I do Rom. 7.19 but now after death the least in the Kingdom of Heaven saith the evil that I would not I do not and the good that I would I do 1. By death they have full discharge from all possibility of offending God Death is a loosening to the Children of God here they are as it were tyed to a stake to be baited by Sathan and his instruments death is the breaking of the Chain and the Soul escapeth as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler as the fire burnt the bonds of the three Children and so procured their liberty so death is a Goal-delivery to the Children of God That one happy pang which pulls away the Soul from the body doth also pull away sin both from the Soul and body Greenham Byfield Hieron Hildersam c. to this purpose many of our English Divines have written excellently to comfort the surviving friends of deceased Saints to cure them of the fear of death So Polan Syntagm 342. Mors electis credentibus non est pro peccatis satisfactio sed peccati abolitio transitus in vitam aeternam By death believers are freed from all occasions of sin Temptations to sin Power and dominion of it yea from all dregs and remainders of sin This made the Martyrs so willing to endure any kinde of death that Tyranny could devise that they might be rid of their sinfull bands and this corruptible burden which presseth down the Soul that looks

after Christ M. Marshal It was an expression of that excellent Preacher holy mann ow with God Mr. Marshal The weakest Saint in articulo mortis hath more grace than Paul had in his life time 1 Cor. 13.10 And this consideration should make Christians willing to die that they may be rid of sin and be made perfectly holy Mr. Hildersam in the close of his 65 Lecture on Psal 51. hath a solemne Speech worth our serious consideration which is this Certainly he that desireth not that striveth not to be willing to die even upon this ground because death and nothing but death will perfect the work of mortification in him hath just cause to suspect that there is no truth of saving grace in him no sense of the vile corruption of his nature it is no bondage to him Another benefit which the Souls of believers partake of by death is this They do immediately passe into glory Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better In which words we have Pauls strait and his own inclination expressed rather to die than to live here and the ground of this his desire because it s far better for the Soul to be with Christ than to abide in the body where also he implies two things in the death of the Saints 1. There is a dissolution of the Soul from the body 2. That there is a conjunction of the Soul with Christ He expected not by death to be utterly extinguished but translated hence some other where not an annihilation but a dissolution and he makes no intermission of time or interposition of place between his dissolution and his being with his Saviour he speaks of his being with Christ as the immediater certain consequent of his dissolution Death should be to him but as a Portal opening to give him speedy admittance into the presence of the Lord in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore And this he speaks of as a Priviledge not onely peculiar to himself as an Apostle or a Martyr but common to all true believers 2 Cor. 5.1 4 6 8. Heb. 12.23 Luke 23.43 Act. 7.59 Luke 16.22.23 25. The Angels are ministring Spirits attending on them that are Heirs of salvation to receive their Souls at death and to carry them into Abrahams bosom i.e. a state of rest and happinesse where they are comforted where they behold the face of God and see him as he is and know him as they are known of him 1 Cor. 13.12 and where they behold Christs glory Joh. 17.24 so that you see that death is exceeding gainfull to believers and that the righteous have hope in their death that their Souls being made perfect in holinesse shall immediately passe into glory and enjoy rest and blisse in Communion with Christ Further the righteous hath hope in his death in the behalf of his body Psal 16.9 my flesh also shall rest in hope that is as Aynsworth renders and explains it shall dwell in confidence or abide with hope i.e. boldly safely and securely meaning that his body should abide or rest in the grave with sure hope of rising again from the dead The bodies of believers being still united to Christ do rest in their graves untill the Resurrection 1 Thes 4.14 them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him tanquam membra cum capite The grave is but a withdrawing room for the bodies of the Saints a sleeping room where they rest as in their beds Isa 57.2 Act. 7.60 Joh. 11.11 13 1. The bodies of believers after death remain still united to Christ though death cause a separation betwixt their Souls and bodies yet not betwixt Christ and their dead bodies The union wrought in effectual calling is betwixt Christ and the believers whole man and it is an inseparable indissoluble and eternal union they are joyned to Christ as their husband 1 Cor. 6.13 the body is not for fornication but for the Lord the Lord for the body vers 15. know ye not that your bodies are Members of Christ c. Yea temples of the holy Ghost which is in you vers 19.20 Yea the spirit of Christ dwells in believers Rom. 8.9 10 11. Ioh. 6.37 39 40. The Union betwixt Christ believers holds firm in and after death so that their dead ashes are part of the Members of Christ in the grave Gods Covenant is still of force with them in the dust Mat. 22.31 32 c. Mr. Consule Zanch. in 1 Thes 4.14 Perkins in his Cases of Conscience 1. Book 9. Chap. 3. Sect. expresseth himself thus There is a mystical union and conjunction between Christ and every believer and that not onely in regard of Soul but of body also which being once knit shall never be dissolved but is eternall whereupon the dying dead rotten and consumed body remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the Covenant and is and shall be ever a Temple of the holy Ghost and by vertue of their Conjunction with Christ shall be raised to glory at the last day 2. As the Bodies of Beleivers after death remain still united to Christ so they rest in their Graves as in their Beds they rest from all labour and toyl from all trouble and paine yea from all the motions of sin and drudgery of Sathan Musculus in Psal 16.9 Observandum est mortem carnis interpretatur esse quietem non interitum ergo carni piorum sepulchrum non est fovea sed lectulus quieti destinatus The Bodies of the Saints at Death are only fallen asleep Act. 7.60 We know that naturall sleep is not perpetuall we sleep and awake again in the morning so it s but a certain time that their bodyes shall lie at rest in the Grave they shall be awakened and raised again in the morning of the Resurrection and again the body being asleep can easily be awakened and roused up by being jogged or called upon with a loud voice so the dead bodyes of saints shall be much more easily raised and awakened by the power of Christs voice Joh. 5.28 And as sleep is a great refreshing to sicke and weary bodies so that they are more vigorous and lively when they awake so when beleivers bodies shall be awakened out of the sleep of death and raised out of their Graves as from their Beds they shall be more active and nimble for God than ever they were before 1. Cor. 15.42 43. it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknes it is raised in power So that the bodies of beleivers after death doe not only rest in their graves but they rest in Hope even in hope of a glorious resurrection which is a 3. priviledge of the righteous in their death in regard of their bodies The Righteous hath hope in his

in every condition to undergo what he inflicts and to wait his leisure for deliverance out of all straits Heb. 10.36 ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may inherit the promises they that would rejoyce in hope must be patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 Rom. 8.25 7. Lastly be much in prayer unto the Lord who is the God of hope that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 and that your hearts may be filled with all joy and peace in believing and that you may be made partakers of the righteousnesse of God both imputed unto justification and infused by his spirit unto sanctification that as becometh Trees of righteousnesse of the Lords planting ye may be filled with fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God so shall ye have hope in your death and lay hold on eternal life for they which abound in such fruits of righteousnesse shall abound also in the sure and certain hope of eternal life I should now conclude forbear to speak any thing of the dead knowing that to say much in commendation of the dead is sometimes more offensive than profitable to the living but that some Scripture examples encourage me hereunto Act. 9.36.39 Luke being guided by the spirit of God makes mention of a certain Disciple at Joppa named Tabitha and publisheth it after her death that she was a woman full of good works and Almes deeds which she did and tells us of many mourning Widows shewing the Coats and Garments which Dorcas made while she was with them See what ample commendations are given of that good King Josiah 2 King 23 25. like unto him was there no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his Soul and with all his might neither after him arose there any like him and Heb 11. that whole Chapter is an Encomium setting forth the commendations of men and women famous in their generations for manifesting the life of their faith by their works And in Matth. 26.7 13. the Lord Christ takes care that the memorial of that woman that shewed so much respect and good affection to him as to bestow a box of costly Oyntment upon him should not be buried with her Corpse But wherever the Gospel shall be preached in the whole World there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her However some of his Disciples might censure her rashly as being too lavish and wastfull Christ the most absolute pattern of temperance defendeth this expence in respect of the circumstances and tells them that she was so far from being blame-worthy that the memory of this act of her piety and good affection to him should live to all ages The best actions of good men and women may be sometimes misconstrued by Christs own Disciples as we see there Yet Christ who knowes the intentions of his people sets a price on their good works and defends them though men misinterpret and condemne them The memory of ought done for Christ or any of his God will not suffer to perish This womans Name was Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha as you may see Joh. 12.3 she delighed to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word Luk. 10.39 to whom Christ gives Testimony that she had chosen that good part which shall never be taken from her vers 42. she bestowed much costly ointment upon the feet of Jesus as well as upon the head and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment such another Mary was this so affectionately desirous to sit at Jesus feet and to heare his word and so ready to any act of love and beneficence to Christ the Head or any of his members that she made and bestowed much costly oyntment and other precious cordialls even upon the feet of Christ the poorest and meanest Christians when in their sicknes lamenesse or other infirmityes she was made acquainted with their conditions The odour of her sweet Oyntments did not only fill that house where she made them but the benefit and vertue of them hath been felt to the refreshing of very many in other families of this Countrey where her memory is and will be honoured For me to speake much in Commendation of that precious Gentlewoman the 〈◊〉 of whose Corpse hath occasioned this Concourse of people and solemnity would be but as if I should hold forth a Candle to shew you the sunne she was such a bright shining light and the Graces of Gods spirit did so eminently and illustriously sparkle forth in her speeches and behaviour to the observation of such as had any acquaintance or occasion to converse with her that the Lord hath caused a great Ecclypse and Darknesse to obscure the glory of that family and this whole Neighbourhood in taking her from us Yea and much sadnes and heavines to seize upon all our spirits at our being deprived of so choice a blessing as we enioyed in her I am confident the praise and properties of a vertuous woman mentioned by Solomon Pro. 31.10 c. might as warrantably without flattery be attributed and applyed to her as to any Gentlewoman in this whole County without disparagement to any other She was a woman that truely feared the Lord therefore she shall be praised vers 30. she was very diligent and solicitous about making her Calling and Election sure and with tears trickling down her cheeks hath she often in private Conference propounded doubts and desired Resolutions and directions from me tending thereunto such as lived in that family or rosorted thither knew her to be very conscionable in observing and sanctifying the Lords day and provoking others thereunto calling her servants as well as her children to account what they could remember of the sermons they heard she began betimes like Timothies Mother Eunice and Solomons Mother Bathsheba to justruct her children in the knowledge of the scriptures and to drop instill into her little ones the Principles of Christianity and to train them up in the way that they should goe she was not only carefull that duties of Religion might be attended on daily by those of her family but was also conscionable and frequent in closet-dutyes She was adorned with a meek and a quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price And in her behaviour to her Hushand her chast conversation was coupled with Reverence Love and Obedience a true Christian Yoke-fellow helpfull to him in bearing the yoke of Christ and tenderly regarding the good of his Soul as well as discreetly managing the affaires of the family She was of a sweet winning courteous affable disposition to all very ready to succour and releive any that were poore or sicke whose wants were made known to her whether strangers or neighbours she was so farre from placing any confidence in the flesh or resting upon any thing in her self or her own performances that though she was in high esteem among us for her adorning the Gospell with an holy and unblameable Conversation yet she was very vile in her own eyes and groned much under the sense of her own corruptions her Soul panted so earnestly after Jesus Christ that she counted all but losse and dung that she might win Christ and be found in him In my last conference with her after the discovery of some conflicts betwixt faith and doubting it pleased the Lord so sweetly to come in to the releife of her drooping spirit Nehem. 1.11 and the quieting and satisfying of her Conscience after some musings on Mal. 4.2 that he enabled her to glorify his free Grace and to set her seale to his Testimony concerning Christ in so much that with much vigour and alacrity of spirit she expressed her Resolution in these words I am resolved through Gods Grace to cast my self into the armes of Jesus Christ and rely wholly upon him who I trust will not suffer me to perish Indeed that family and this Parish was adorned with a very precious Jewell whiles that we enioyed her but the Lord judging us all unworthy of her hath taken her hence to weare in his own bosom in heaven whereby we are all deprived of a singular spurre to Piety and help to Devotion I shall adde no more concerning her but make one request to you all that you will not only learn by this sad warning of our Mortality to be prepared for death by following after Righteousnesse that you may have hope in your death and follow her into Glory but that you will expresse your love and respect to her sorrowfull and disconsolate 〈◊〉 fellow and motherlesse Children in praying that 〈…〉 improovement may be made by him of this sad 〈…〉 him and his family and that the children may 〈…〉 Gra●e as 〈◊〉 years They being now deprived of any furth●● 〈…〉 of their mother let me desire you to be in 〈…〉 much in prayer with the Lord that Christ may be framed in them and that they may hereafter be blessings to that family and their Countrey and that this Ancient family of the Morleyes may continue to be eminent for yielding good Patriots and men of publike spirits ready to honour God and serve their Countrey in succeeding Generations FINIS