Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	soul_n	way_n	5,772	5	4.7678	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53907	A sermon preached at the funeral of the Reverend Doctor Ambrose Atfield, late minister of St. Leonard Shoreditch, preached in the said parish church, March 19, 1683/4 by Richard Pearson ...	Pearson, Richard, d. 1734.	1684 (1684)	Wing P1015; ESTC R23231	12,727	34

will give me leave to prosecute and that too briefly viz. That the Belief of a future State or the Hope of a joyful Resurrection which the one is endued with and the other void of is indeed the main cause of this great Difference 'T is no great wonder that the poor Heathen should be so carried on by the Tide of their Extravagant Passions so billedged with the Flood●s of Tears and even sunk by the most desperate Grief since they wanted both the Compass of God's Word to stear themselves by and the Advantage of that sure Anchor of Hope with both which we Christians are so abundantly furnisht For bare natural Reason especially whilest it was so clog'd and prejudiced by the force of prevailing Custom was too weak sufficiently to correct the Extravagancies of their Passions and keep them within their due Bounds For with what Anguish and extreme Dispair must they needs be posses 't while they beheld those dear Relations snatch't from them who whilst living were the very joy and comfort of their hearts and had no sufficient Grounds to hinder them from more than suspecting that they should never have an opportunity of enjoying them any more forever but that they were lost and utterly extinguished to all Eternity what unsupportable Grief must needs be consequent under the disadvantage of such black and melancholick Apprehensions But we Christians are thorowly assured that there is most certainly a State beyond the Grave and that as to the Righteous there is Hope in his Death Prov. 14. 32. We are naturally apt to lament the Death of the best Men most but now to prevent all Excesses in this case especially the Gospel has furnished us with the most effectual Remedy unless we can find in our hearts either to lament or envy their being removed to a State of so infinitely greater Happiness and Perfection We are assured that they are not perish't but only gone before that their Spirits are presently received into the hands of God their most faithful Creatour and that those Carcasses also which we now see laid in the Grave and sown in Corruption shall in due time be raised Spiritual Bodies and in Incorruption every way fitted for such a Re-union with the Soul as may render the happiness of the whole man most perfect and complete In the mean time therefore though Nature and Decency do seem to allow some moderate tears upon these occasions yet how can we find in our hearts even now to be excessive since we who survive may consider that after a few more days dream't over separate Friends shall meet again to part no more forever and that too if we do but now take care duly to prepare our selves for the same in such a blessed State as that we shall hereafter wonder at our former frailty and weakness that we should ever be so loath to part from each other here in order to it and so apt to deplore the loss the Priviledge of those who went but a little before us That there is indeed a future State and that the Dead shall be raised to live forever we believe we know as sure as that Christ himself is already risen for because he lives we shall live also and that he indeed so lives we have as much reason to be assured of as 't is possible for us to have in the very nature of the thing and at this Distance Let us not therefore shame and contradict the Faith we profess by any unagreeable Practices But whilest others who know no better indulge themselves in immoderate Grief and Prophane and Effeminate Lamentations seasonably dry up our Tears and behaving ourselves as it becomes those who profess themselves Children of the Resurrection breaking other into those Triumphant W●●●● of St. P●●● which our Church also fitly Remind● 〈…〉 such Occasions 1 Cor. 15. 55 O Dea●h where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ or in that of 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead To conclude Brethren we shall shew our selves to be far worse than ignorant as concerning them that are asleep if upon these Occasions we do not take care so to moderate our Grief as becomes Christians but give our selves leave to sorrow even as others that have no Hope And now having done with my Text I shall only say something with a more Particular Regard to that sad and Afficting Providence which has at present brought us here together to perform that last Office for our dear and Reverend Friend By whose Decease indeed I must needs say we are presented with no ordinary Occasion for the exercise of a truly Christian Sorrow and that too perhaps even to the highest Degrees of Grief which may be well consistent with such exceeding good Hope as God be praised we have every way so just reason to entertain He was a Person generally well known and had the Happiness as well as Merit to be as generally well beloved and respected and the loss of him now will I 'm confident be no less universally Lamented For indeed how can it be expected that he who was so dear and singularly useful in all his several Relations and Capacities both Private and Publick that he who was so excellent and agreeable a Husband so sweet and tender a Father so Affectionate and Beneficial a Kinsman so sincere and faithful a Friend so constant a Reliever of and so many ways a Benefactor to the Poor and in a Word so innocently Pleasant so admirably Courteous and Obliging in his Conversation and to his Power so really Beneficial unto all how can such a Person who was all this and much more be now snatch'd away from us and not leave many a heavy Heart and weeping Eye behind him And what Reason have you of this Parish to deplore the loss of so Diligent Pious and Faithful a Minister And may I not also say the whole City in General in that they are deprived of the Benefit of so constant and frequent so ready and very useful a Preacher Could he at all need it or had I any Talent at giving Characters I might certainly have a safe and fruitful Opportunity to exercise the same at present But yet as it would be more easie so 't is withal less necessary to be large in the Commendations of such a Person whom every Body else also has been so ready to value and commend that perhaps scarce any other Honest Regular Clergy-man of his Time in England ever came nearer than himself has done towards the making a happy Exception to that General Woe denounced against those of whom all Men shall speak well For now and then a most rare Example is to be found of a Person that shall Faithfully and Impartially