Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A07790
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A short treatise of death in sixe chapters Together with the ænigmatick description of old age and death written Ecclesiastes 12 chap. exponed and paraphrased in English meetre. Written by Mr. William Morray minister of Gods word.
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Morray, William.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 18167; ESTC S121485
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18,101
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56
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often meditation of death dying often we may in end die both easily and well Cicero sayeth that the whole life of wise men is the meditation of death Somnium Scip. And it is recorded of the Macedonian King that he commanded his Page once everie day to come and say to him Remember thou art mortall That holy man Hieronimus had alwayes in his studie besides him a dead mans skull and running glasse to keepe him in mynd of shortnesse of his life and certaintie of his death Secondly the often meditation of death is necessare and profitable to make vs liue and die well because it is a strong bitte and bridle against sinne Remember thy death sayeth Ierome and thou shall not sinne and GOD speaking by Moses of his people Israell sayeth Deuter. 32.29 O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter end and IEREMIE Lament 1.9 Her filthinesse is in her skirts she remembered not her last end Eccles 11.9 and SALOMON scorning the folly of youth sayeth Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thine youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes then he addeth as water to their wyne but know thou that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgement Thirdly often meditation of death causeth vs to contemne this short vaine life wherein all is vanitie and vexation of Spirit which is like to a dreame a shaddow a vapour like to the way of a ship in the sea or like to an arrow shot foorth of a bow which both when they are past their trace is no more seene and man in this life is like the flower of the field which sor a tyme is greene but afterwards withereth and falleth downe so I may say with one Vita quid est hominum nisi vallis plena malorum Principio medio fine dolenda suo That is to say What is mans life a valley full of ill Beginning mids and end lamenting still And with an other What if a day or a month or a yeare Crowne thy delights with a thousand wisht contentings Essex lament Can not the chaunce of a night or an houre Crosse thy delights with as many sad tormentings Finally this often meditation of death prepareth vs for it and armeth vs against it so that it commeth not to vs vnawars as a thiefe in the night but wee looke for it wee watch and pray for strength and comfort in the houre of it and when it commeth will say with old Simeon Now LORD thou lettest thy servant depart in peace and also with David and CHRIST In thy hands O LORD I commend my Spirit and with the first Christian Martyre Stephen LORD IESUS receaue my Spirit The second Chapter What death is and of the causes of naturall death IN holy Scripture death is taken in diverse senses as first and most properly for the dissolution of soule and body Secondly for the separation of soule from GOD his grace and favour Thirdly for the separation both of bodie and soule from GOD his grace and glorie eternallie Death then beeing taken into the first sense is commoun to all mankynd since the fall of Adam and Evah our first Parents as witnesseth the Apostle saying As by one man sinne entered in the world Rom. 5.12 and by sinne death and so death went over all men for all men haue sinned In the second sense death since the fall of our first Parents is also common to all mankind vntill they be quickned againe by the Spirit of regeneration as testifieth this same Apostle saying And you hath he quickned who were dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 In the third sense Death is only proper to the Reprobate and it is called in holy Scripture the second death as posterior to the first which wee call naturall death from this death there is a promise of GOD that all such shall bee delivered Revel 20 6 who are partakers of the first resurrection that is of true faith and repentance Now in order of time death in finne is first that is to say the separation of soule and body from GOD his grace and favour Naturall death which is the separation of soule and body is next Everlasting death which is the separation of both soule and body from the grace and glory of GOD for ever last The first sort of death is verie fearefull but the feare of it apprehended by few because it floweth from the wrath of GOD and is a death in sinne a spirituall death yet it is not desperate for Christ died for vs Rom. 4.25 and rose againe to justifie and sanctifie vs And GOD for his sake freely forgiues our sinne who beleeue in his Sonne his Spirit is given vs with his word and Sacraments to regenerate and quicken and at last to perfectly sanctifie vs. 2 Cor. 3.18 The second sort of death is also fearefull because in the owne nature of it it is the punishment of sinne Also because in this dissolution of soule and body that haue beene straitly and long joyned together and acquaint one with other as two neare and deare friends they are loath to sunder So nature abhorreth and feareth this very naturall death but faith and grace overcommeth this horror and feare and maketh the true Christians to triumph over death As witnesseth the Apostle when hee said O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death Rom. 7 24.25 I thanke GOD through Iesus Christ And in an other place O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. â—5 55.56.57 The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But ihanks bee to GOD who giveth vs the victorie through our LORD IESVS CHRIST The third sort of death is most terrible because from it there is no redemption nor delyverie if once wee bee plunged therein It is therefore called the second death the wrath to come everlasting fire everlasting paine everlasting destruction from the which both living and dying wee should labour and pray to bee delivered seeing wee are warned to flie from the wrath to come Math. 37 And IESUS CHRIST hath delivered all true Christians from thence This much of the diverse sorts of death 1 Thess 1.10 whereof the holy Scripture maketh mention Now I minde chiefly to speake of naturall death which I define The dissolution of soule and body The causes there of are these following First the efficient cause of death is sinne for if man and woman had not sinned they should not haue died Thus GOD did signifie to our first Parents by the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evill which grew in the midst of the Garden in Eden The first was to him a Sacrament or signe that so long as they continued in GODS obedience they should liue happily The
the right hand of the Throne of GOD. Therefore those Ethnicks who commonly are accounted magnanimus that for miscontentment slew themselues as Dido Lucrotia Cato and others are truely to bee accounted verie cowards that left their station not keeping their place vntill hee that had placed them there had called them from it Albeit Seneca giveth too great way to a man to kill himselfe yet hee was better advised when hee said I esteeme most of them who come to death without hatred of life and admitteth death when it commeth but draweth it not vpon them Now that wee may die peacablie and well First let vs often meditate vpon death following the counsell of Seneca In epist Thinke ever of death so shall thou not bee affrayed of it the Poet giveth a reason heereof saying Nam levius laedit quicquid praevidimus ante That is to say The lesse is everie sore that we haue seene before And Gregorie said well Death when it commeth is overcome if before it come it bee feared And Seneca In epist No man receiveth death gladly but he who hath prepared himselfe a long time before it And in an other place The entrie of the doore of death is troublesome if wee make it troublesome with torment of minde and a troubled spirit with fleeting thoughts comming to it without resolution by the contrare if we come with a calme spirit death is most like to a sleepe when wee feare not Next that wee may die peaceablie and well follow the counsell of Salomon Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 before the dayes of olde age and death come Thirdly that thou may die peaceably and well stryue to walke with GOD while thou art living follow the example of Enoch Noah Abraham so death when it commeth shall doe no harme but thereby shalt thou bee gathered to thy Father in peace Striue to bee godly and righteous and follow the example of Simeon and the LORD shall let thee depart in peace Bee not like Balaam who wished to die the death of the righteous but would not liue the life of the righteous for hee received not his wish But lay thy account that thou liuest now that thou may die and art content to die when GOD pleaseth that thou may liue happily for ever liue now the life of the righteous and keepe a good conscience so farre as thou can and thou shall die in the LORD bee blessed rest from thy labours Rev. 14.13 thy good workes shall follow thee Now if thou sinne as no man living sinnes not and bee sensible of thy sinnes and manyfold infirmities and imperfections then be instant in prayer to GOD in the name of his Sonne IESUS CHRIST that hee would forgiue thee thy sinnes which thou hast committed supplie that which thou hast omitted restore what thou hast lost heale what is sicke in thee cleanse what is vncleane in thee inlighten what is darke in thee asswage that which swelleth in thee inflame that which is quenched in thee repare that which is broken in thee recover what is neglected by thee amend what is gone astray in thee make plaine which is rugged in thee restraine that which is curious in thee call home againe that which wandereth place aright all which is out of order sanctifie that which is whole by his holy Spirit vntill hee crowne grace in thee with glorie heereafter To conclude this point one sayeth truely Kemps imitation of CHRIST he who hateth the world perfitely and followeth godlinesse zealouslie and will bee admonnished willingly and indevoureth to mend his lyfe seriouslie and can obey his Superiours gladly and deny himselfe throughlie and take affliction for CHRIST IESUS sake patiently giveth notable tokens he will die a good man Finallie that thou mayest die both peaceablie and well In the midst of the agonie of death Psal 51.5 say with that Princelie Prophet DAVID Into thine hands O LORD 1 commend my Spirit Luke 23 46 and with our Saviour IESUS CHRIST Father in thine hands 1 commend my Spirit Act. 7.59 and with STEVEN LORD IESVS receaue my Spirit If at that tyme Sathan or thine owne conscience trouble thee in respect of thy guiltienesse of sinnes and of GODS justice close thine eares at these cryes in the agony of death and answere nothing but commend thy cause vnto GOD Close lykewayes thine eyes in the houre of death and CHRIST shall send his Angels to convoy thy soule This is the counsell of Mr. Luther If thou feele great paine in thy bodie before thy dissolution then say with the Prophet DAVID I will hold my tongue O LORD Psal 36.9 because thou hast done it This was Mr. Calvins practise when hee was dying GOD grant we may so liue that in the houre of death we may rejoice through CHRIST IESUS our LORD AMEN An Aenigmaticke description of old age and death taken out of ECCLESIASTES 12. The Text. THe Sunne the Moone the Starres darkned The Clowds returne after the raine The Keepers of the house tremble The strong Men bow themselues The Grinders cease because they are few They that looke out at the window are darkned The doores are shut in the streets The sound of the grinding is low Hee shall ryse vp at the voice of the Bird. All the daughters of musicke are brought low They feare that which is high feare in the way The Almond tree shall floorish The Grashopper shall be a burden and desire 〈◊〉 fall Man goeth to his long home The mourners goe about the streets The silver cord is loosed The golden bowle is broken The Pitcher is broken at the fountaine The Wheele is broken at the cisterne Dust returneth to the earth as it was and the Spirit to GOD who gaue it The Exposition OVR sight faile Diseases follow one after another forrunners of death The hands become feeble The legs bow vnder the body The teeth faile lowsing consumng or falling out The opticke veine faile ere the eye strings breake The speach faileth The teeth serue not for chawing of meate Host least din the crowing of a cock wakens him The voyce is hoarse the breath weake They can not goe and feare at everie step to fall White haires cover the head Appetite or vse of lust faile Man goeth to the graue His friends and neighbours attend the bringing out of his corps All the sinnews of the bodie streatched out Both head and heart haue no function Vena cava which receaued blood from the liver hath no vse The head draweth no exhalations from stomacke or liver The body made of dust after death returnes to dust The soule inspired by GOD returneth to GOD. The paraphrase of this Text and exposition thereof in Meater DEath when it comes it so benummes and overcomes Our bodie and their members everie one That the Sunne bright Moone and Starres light doe from our sight Obscure themselues and darkned are anone The Clowds returne againe Though raine runne out Vpon vs meakle paine Is powred out And then our hands with all their bands That did before our Tabernacle keepe Tremble and shake and wee doe quaike For feare of comming of so long a sleepe Our limmes that bure our body sure cannot endure But then bow downe themselues though strong before Our teeth which were as Milstones faire gin then to spaire As broken loose and in part lost their 〈◊〉 Also our Opticke vaines That looked throw Our eyes broken with paines Leaue their window Then faile our speach whereby wee teach Our hearers for to vnderstand our minde That doore is close where throw came voice And wee of dumbe men made another kynd The grinding din our mouth within doth then beginne to bee so low that none can heare it when we seeme to eate For why the crew of teach to chew are then so few That little they can serue to breake our meate Then doth a little host Or pituite Or voice of birds bost Our sleepe so sweete And then our voice which made sweete noyse And instruments of musicke everie one Doe holde their peace and haue no grace So weake and hoarse they are and all vndone Hee who would gang doth feare the wrang the least pang Of stone of stocke or blocke is in his way Hee is so weake the smallest straike makes him to quaike Least hee should fall even in the middle day Then buds the Almond tree With floorish faire Mans head then may wee see Full of whyte haire And even iust as the Locust Is shaken off for weaknesse and downe fall So filly dust hath lost all lust No more desire nor pleasure for it call Man goeth home vnto his tombe the dead among Where hee must bide for many dayes and yeares His Kinsfolke deare and Neighbours neare do then appeare To carie foorth his corps and then it beares The silver cord is broken The bodys band The sinnews all are stroken Hee cannot stand The bowle for gold would not beene sold The head or heart I meane is broken quite The liver vaine at his fountaine Like broken pitchers skaile the blood perfite And that round Wheele which once did reele as we now feel Is broken downe even right aboue the Well I meane the head when wee are dead stands in no stead To draw vp foode from livers stell Earth doth then to earth returne Even man to dust His Spirit to GOD is borne Who is most iust Remember man thy Maker then When thou art young and strong before these dayes For thou wilt wearie and cannot tarry To serue thy God and sorrow for thy sinnes alwayes FINIS VICISSITVDINI OMNIA SVBIACENT SOLA VIRTVS CADERE NON POTEST