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spirit_n body_n see_v soul_n 13,290 5 5.4132 4 true
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A61204 Death and the grave no bar to believers happiness, or, A sermon preached at the funerall of the Lady Honor Vyner, in the Parish Church of Mary Wolnoth in Lombardstreet, July 10, 1656 by William Spurstow ... Spurstowe, William, 1605?-1666. 1656 (1656) Wing S5092; ESTC R13492 19,798 58

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which is a declaration and conveyance of what Christ hath purchased to be to their behoof and the oath of God which is added to it is as the seal upon the label of the deed that gives a further ratification unto it that so by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie they might have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. And who is it that by the eye of faith views and reads those evidences in which a crown of life Revel 2. 10. a Kingdome that cannot be moved Heb. 12. 28. an inheritance that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. are all ascertained to him doth not rejoyce more under the hopes of glory then the greatest of Princes ever can in the fruition of all their worldly greatnesse Thirdly they are partakers of Heaven it selfe in prodromo in their fore-runner the Lord Christ He at his ascension took seisin and livery of it in their name John 14. 2. I goe to prepare a place for you An expression as some conceive borrowed from travellers amongst whom some one is by agreement sent before to take up lodgings for the rest of his company And as he takes so also doth he keepe possession in their names preserving still their right unto it untill they come to be possessed of it themselves And hence it is that the Apostle saith of believers that they are raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Ephes 2. 6. Fourthly they have the happinesse of Heaven in primitiis in the first-fruits and pledges of it every grace of the Spirit is scintilla futurae lucis a sparke of their future glory every comfort of it is gutta font is vitae a drop of the well of life and are as certain evidences of an ensuing fulness as the day-star is of an approaching morning The tasts and prelibations of happinesse which believers have in this life by the mouth of faith the sight of Heven which they have by the eye of faith that sometimes stands on tiptoe and peeps into the things that are within the vaile doe differ onely in degree and not in kind from the full sruition and vision of God which they have in the other life when their souls and bodie are reunited to each other and both con●oyned unto Christ their everliving head and Lord. Fifthly and laftly believers have life and eternall blessednesse in messe in the rich and full harvest of it when all the promises both of grace and glory are wholy accomplished when all the expectations of faith and hope are swallowed up in endlesse admiration when all the desires of the soule which are more restlesse then the Sunne in their motions are eternally fixed upon one simple and infinite good which contains in it the perfection of all delectible objects Quid ●o avarius cui Deus non sufficit in quo sunt omnia What can be more insatiable then that man whom God doth not suffice in whom all things are can any thirst after a larger possession then immensity a surer state then immortality a longer term of yeers then perpetuity But if you ask me why God defers the consummation of his childrens happinesse unto the resurrection and makes it to be like a Jacobs ladder that hath sundry steps and ascensions amongst many grounds that may be assigned be pleased to take these First God doth it that he may hide his counsels and purposes concerning his children from the eyes and knowledg of carnal proud men to whom the external meanness of Christ and his followers becomes a stumbling-block and a just occasion to make them perish in their sins And he doth it also that he may hide his people from their rage and fury who are as impatient at the least appearances of their welfare as Bulls are at the fight of Scarlet They envy them their morsels of bread much more their Manna their rags much more their robes The evil husbandmen in the Gospel as soon as they beheld the heir deale worse with him then with their Lords servants Luke 20. 14. And did but the wicked of the world but fully know whose the inheritance of Heaven were they would fall upon them as the Jewes upon Steven and stone them to death Secondly God doth it that he may shew forth the greatness of his power Alchymists boast much of their skill that they can turn baser mettalls into more noble Lead into Silver Copper into gold but the ground upon which they build their presumption is that these baser mettals are in their nature in the way to be better and so they doe but perfect that which is imperfect and would by course of nature have become perfect though they had never laboured it But they never assayed to turn dross into Silver or dirt into Gold And yet the power which God putteth forth is far greater when he raiseth his children from the grave to Heaven and makes them that were Netherlanders dwelling in the dust to be citizens of the new Jerusalem which is above the companions of Angels and coheirs with Christ Who but an infinite power can make a vile corruptible body to put on incorruption or can change a naturall body into a spirituall body so as that it shall not need the assistance of meats and drinks but live as the Angels doe or can make a body sowne in dishonour to rise in honour being beautified with the glorious endowments of clarity agility and impassibility Thirdly God defers the full happiness of believers till their resurrection that they may have occasion to shew forth and exercise all kind of graces that bring glory and honour to himselfe If the crown were set upon their heads while they were as infants in the cradle where would their patience in enduring trials and in waiting on the pleasure of God be made visible to the world If they were all forthwith taken up from earth to heaven where would be the exercise of their hope and earnest longing after the appearing of Christ in glory If there were no such changes as death and dissolution intervening where would be the glory of the Christians faith who now believe that which the line of reason cannot fathome Is there any desart so hopelesse as death and the grave desertion of life and being when milke forsakes the brests marrow the bones bloud the veines spirit the arteries and the soule the body And yet after such desolations faith expects a restauration I know saith Job that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand upon the Earth at the latter day and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Job 19. 25 26. Believers know the power of God can easily break asunder the bands of death and therefore yield to it as prisoners of hope Fourthly God doth it that there may be a conformity between Christs and the believers entrance into glory He was first abased and then exalted He suffered and then