Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A93339
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A sermon preached at the funeral oe [sic] the incomparably vertuous and truly pious gentlewoman Mrs. Dorothy Litster. By Edward Smith.
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Smith, Edward, 1620 or 21-1682.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing S4022; Thomason E1013_19; ESTC R208099
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15,181
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20
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show his power and Soveraignty over his Creature that he is Dominus vitae necisque might handle her in this manner our Divines hold that God may pro Dominio afflict an innocent person not that I go about to free her from sin she she herself would be the first if she knew it that would abhor me for it yet that she was tainted with any course inconsistent with the state of Grace I think malice it self cannot charge her 3. But I think this might be the maine reason God saw her the fittest person amongst us all to be made a monitor to us to use our health and wits to those ends for which they were given us she being one whose sufferings in this nature could not prejudice her future Happinesse as having before-hand secured that by an early working out her salvation with feare and trembling We are now drawing to the end of her life and this dicourse and we shall see that such was the goodnesse of God to her that she died as well as lived an excellent Christian renouncing all her own righteousnesse and expecting salvation meerly by Iesus Christ yea and that with much confidence and assurance as is cleare by the words she spake about 2 or 3. houres before her death viz. I acknowledge the great goodnesse of my Saviour Jesus Christ in saving my soul eternally Which said she gave up her soul to God And doubtlesse both in a spiritual and literall sense is presented a chaste Virgin to Christ in whose tender armes and ravishing imbraces we now leave her with this Congratulation if you l indulge me that liberty Enjoy thy Rest oh virgin-blessed soule And grant good God that we who survive may walk in her steps that so when Christ who is our life shall appear attended with her and thousands of other Saints and Angels we may together with her enter into those mansions of eternal Blessing which God hath prepared for those that love and fear him And in the mean time while we are in this vale of tears may so live that we may dye Rejoycing in hope of the Glory of God which is the Text I intend to speak to for our instruction upon this sad and solemne occasion of our meeting which I the rather make choise of because it suit so well with this Condition that sweet heavenly posture of soul I found her in delighting in nothing but prayer and praising God speaking and contemplating of the joyes above In which sweet and happy temper setting aside the violent fitts of her disease she lived and died ROM 5. latter part of the second verse And rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God THese words are an amplification or a further enumeration of the priviledges Believers have by Jesus Christ Great and glorious advantages are held forth in this and the former verses We are justified being justified we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom also we are brought into such favour and acceptance with God and this state of favour so secur'd to us by Christ that it begets in us not only hope of glory but rejoycing in hope of the Glory of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word sayes Beza may well be explained in that in 2 Cor. 12. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is maximam voluptatem ex iâ—s percipimus i. e. Non solum aequo animo sumus ab omni damnationis formidine liberi imo de peccatorum remissione per Christi sanguinem certiorati inde magna laetitia perfusi exultamus de haereditate coelesti quae nos manet Through Christ we have not only freedom from Hell but right to a glorious Inheritance the Hope whereof doth so hugely please and delight us that our Mouth is fill'd with laughter and our Tongue with singing We rejoyce in Hope of the glory of God We have in the words 1. An Object Glory 2. The qualification of it The Glory of God 3. A double act of the soul exercised about this Object Hope and Rejoycing Which several parts I shall handle in speaking to this general Point of Doctrine which takes in the whole Text viz. Doctrine That the future glory which Believers hope for is ground of their present rejoycing In speaking to this Point I shall first shew that Believers hope for Glory Then that they rejoyce in hope of it And as I speak to them shall gather several Doctrinal inferences by way of Instruction and Consolation 1. Concerning the hope of Believers these Questions are briefly to be answered Quest 1. What hope is Answ It is a certain expectation of those things that are promised us in Christ and yet exhibited Sometimes in Scripture Hope is put for the things hoped for but here I speak of the act or grace of Hope Quest 2. How Hope differs from Faith as respecting the promise of this Glory Answ Faith assents to the truth of the Promise Hope exspects the performance of it or as Luther excellently distinguishes Fides intuetur verbum rei Spes autem Rem verbi the Object is the same but the actings of the soul about the Object are different Faith looks upon the Truth of the Promise that God will give his Children eternal life Hope waits when this shall be done and the Hebrew word for Hope comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth expectavit a looking for a thing with a stâ—etching out of the spirit or mind therefore it is expressed in the Greek by a word that signifies a stretching or lifting up the head to look for a thing Rom. 8 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is to Hope as a mother Hope back again to Faith as a pious and dutifull daughter which like the young Stork nourishes and supports its Dam when she grows weak feeble which pious affection the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this life-time we are as one observes beset with manifold Temptations The work of God seems oft-times contrary to his word and things apparently fall out otherwise than God hath promised That Faith is daunted and needs Hope to support it As for example Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble I 'le deliver thee According to this promise a Christian calling upon God and finding no deliverance begins to faint then comes in Hope and succours it with that counsaile Heb. 2. 3. Though deliverance tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Quest 3. Vpon what is a Christians hope grounded Answ 1. It s grounded on the Grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 13. For so some read the words Be sober and trust perfectly on the Grace that 's brought to you by the Revelation of Jesus Christ For the Grace of God is free and powerfull and therefore affords ground for a Christians hope notwithstanding all discouragements or Temptations to distrust that may arise either from the sense of our own unworthinesse or weaknesse 2. On the Redemption that