Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	death_n	life_n	sin_n	18,996	5	4.9294	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44071	The hoary head crowned a sermon preached at Brackley at the funerall of Fran. Walbank, a very aged and religious matron / by Thomas Hodges ...	Hodges, Thomas, d. 1688.	1652 (1652)	Wing H2320; ESTC R14545	20,718	34

old men that have forgotten God dayes without number even to this day and hour consider this your cursed latter end if you will not turn your feet into the way of righteousnesse least God tear you in peeces and there be none to deliver you For know it for a truth that the wicked and unrighteous be they old or young shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Againe Is old age then honourable when found in the way of righteousnesse Then hence young men may learn how farre they may honour their Fathers and Elders with the honour of imitation how farre they may follow their steps viz no farther then they walk in the way of righteousnesse then they follow Christ The old Prophet at Bethel deceived the young Prophet the Devill in the habit of an old man in Samuel's mantle deceived Saul the Gibeonites deceived Josuah and the Princes of Israel with their old mouldy bread old shooes old garments And alas how many thousands amongst us have been seduced even to oppose and fight against reformation upō no other account but this these men will change our old customes our old conversations or manner of conversation received by tradition from our Fathers And here let me freely speak unto you old men of this generation God would have had off your bark of unprofitable Ceremonies and have made you white and straight staves even staves of beauty in his hand and this would not be done without putting you in the flames of a Civill Warr a while And now be wise ye old men and as you love your selves see that you oppose not reformation if you stand in Gods way now that he comes as a Refiners fire to purify his Churches from all their tin and all their drosse he 'l burn up the old oakes of Bashan as very briers and thornes 6. And therefore let me in the next place entreat all you old men to suffer a word or two of exhortation from this Text. Be hence perswaded oh all ye Elders of the congregation to be righteous to be holy Take unto you the Crown of Religion better then a crown of starrs all you that have the crown of a hoarie head To perswade you hereunto let me commend to you these ensuing Considerations 1. That the case of a wicked old man is very dangerous and dreadfull if he dye in his sinnes he shall receive greater damnation the Furnace of Hell shall be seven times hotter for these then for young sinners Oh these bundles of Tares fully ripe these old rotten Faggots of Bryers and Thornes so wicked men are called how suddainly how terribly will they burne Certainly it shall be more tolerable for Er and Onan who were cutt off betimes in their sinnes in the day of Judgment then for the sinners of a hundred yeares old 2. The case of a wicked old man although it be very dangerous yet it is not desperate Some old festered soares have been healed some old Chronick diseases have been cured 't is not impossible to bow an old oake yea to bend the very heart of oake art can doe that God is a Chirurgeon can heale old soares a Physitian can cure old Diseases he hath an Arme can bow the heart of Oake he that can of stones raise Children to Abraham can if he please and when he please of old sonnes of Belial make Children of God He that raised up Lazarus after he had been dead foure dayes can raise up sinners who have been dead in sinnes and trespasses to the life of grace to the life of faith after they have been spiritually dead fourescore years The houre cometh and now is saith Christ Joh 5.25 When the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Note 't is said the dead without any limitation or restriction to any number of dayes moneths or years how long they have been dead The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live Again the possibility of the conversion of an old man seems to be granted or supposed by our Saviour in his conference with Nicodemus Joh 3.4 5 6 7. where our Saviour denyes not the Regeneration of an old man but taxeth Nicodemus his grosse ignorance in thinking an old man if he be borne againe must needs enter into his mothers Wombe when he is old 3. Although the conversion of an old sinner is not absolutely impossible yet 't is a hard work 't is a rare and marvellous work If a Bone be many years out of joynt it is exceeding difficult to set again now sinners are Members out of joynt as is intimated Galath 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set such an one in joynt again When our Saviour Christ raised Lazarus Joh 11. we find that it cost him more then to raise Jairus Daughter newly dead or the Widdow of Naims son carried forth towards buriall he wept he groaned in spirit he prayed he called upon Lazarus with a loud voyce Lazarus come forth and he troubled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach us how hard a matter it is to raise an old sinner from the death of sinne to the life of grace I have read that about three hundred and sixty years after Christ there was an old man who had been a Pagan all his dayes before who in his old age hearkened after Christ and said he would be a Christian Simplicianus hearing him say so would not believe him but when the Church saw him a Christian indeed there was shouting for gladnesse and singing in every Church Caius Marius Victorinus is become a Christian An old sinner to become a young Saint is a great wonder But yet because the Conversion and Salvation of old sinners is not impossible let me perswade and direct the oldest sinners of all that hear me this day to turn their feet into the way of righteousnesse to accept of Salvation inter pontem fontem betwixt the bridge and the water as we say to accept of a pardon when thay are just turning off the ladder to accept of life now they are at the point of death hear all ye old men and your souls shall live Our Lord Jesus Christ is able and willing and ready to save old sinners if you will accept of him for your Saviour upon his own that is upon very honourable termes Beloved there is yet hope concerning your soules God is willing to pluck you yet as fire-brands out of the burning to rescue you out of the mouth of the Lyon the roaring lyon to save you out of the belly of hell that is out of the belly of that great Leviathan who in his thoughts hath already swallowed you up Oh therefore now God calls to you saying How long How long When will it once be Return return why will you dye Let every soul of you Eccho back again surely this is a faithfull saying worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came