Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	holy_a	life_n	7,349	5	4.3274	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62392	The faithful souldier's reward, or, A glimpse of the saints happiness discovered in two sermons, occasioned by the death of that truly vertuous and religious gentle woman, Mrs. Katherine Disney : the former preached at Kirkstead, the place of her last abode here upon the earth, on the 18th day of May, 1690, being the Lord's Day, and the latter at Swinderly, near Lincoln, where she was interr'd the Tuesday following / by William Scoffin.	Scoffin, William, 1655?-1732.	1692 (1692)	Wing S933; ESTC R11432	41,514	126

a Freedom from such Pains gives some Ease and Refreshment But supposing a Person should have ground to fear that he must endure some such racking Pains without the least Ease or Intermission for an hundred Years together the Thoughts of this would even double his Misery How then will the Thoughts of a miserable Eternity torment and tear the Hearts of the Damned This will make them roar out in the Bitterness of their Spirits O miserable miserable miserable Yea it will exceedingly heighten their Miseries to think that when thousands and ten thousand times ten thousands of Years are at an end their Torments and Miseries will not be ended But now on the contrary This is it which will increase and compleat the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven to be fully assured that it shall never have an end and without this they could never be happy As the fore-cited Poet has well expressed it Eternity Eternity Pag. 74. Oh were it not for thee The Saints in Bliss and Happiness Could never happy be If there were the least ground to fear that their Happiness would have an end the Thoughts of this would put a damp upon their Comforts and make them even miserable in the midst of their Enjoyments But so long as the Lord Jefus Christ lives so long shall their Happiness last and that shall be for ever and ever John 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also He tasted Death for them and swallowed it up in Victory and thereby obtained Eternal Redemption for them Heb. 9.12 The Felicity above is durable it is an abiding Happiness The Lord of Life will uphold the Saints in that blessed State for ever I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1.18 And because I live Joh. 14.19 ye shall live also Comfortable Words indeed The Happiness of the Saints would be incompleat if it were not everlasting Yea the least fear of losing it would disturb their peaceful Fruition For as hope in Misery allays Sorrow so fear in Happiness lessens Joy The Apprehension of losing such an Happiness would cause Torment but the full assurance of its Perpetuity will fill them with unexpressible Joy That which will terrify the Damned in Hell will afford Joy and Comfort to the Saints in Bliss and that is the Thoughts of Eternity The Thoughts of this will transport the Saints and will fill them with Songs of Joy and Triumph O who would not strive and labour and pray for a blessed and happy Eternity And now I come to the Third Particular which is to shew you upon what account this Happiness is conferr'd on Believers And 1. Then it is not conferred upon them on the account of any Worthiness of theirs nor do they merit or deserve such an Happiness either in whole or in part No though we should serve God a thousand Years we could not metit to be one Day in Heaven The Happiness is too great to be merited by Man though the Works of the Saints were more perfect For Finite Things carry no proportion to an Infinite and Eternal Happiness And besides alas the Works of the best are so many ways imperfect that they may rather expect Punishment for them than any the least Reward Believers do fight the good Fight of Faith but they do not merit Heaven thereby nor is an Immortal Crown of Glory conferred upon them on that account It is true God will reward their Faithfulness but their Faithfulness doth not deserve that Reward The Heavenly Happiness most sure is such as is not nor can it be earned by the Saints But 2. It is partly the free Gift of God and partly the Purchase of Christ As to any thing therefore that we have done or can do it is altogether free 1. It is freely given us of God and by him was prepared for us 'T was his own Love and most Free Grace that inwardly moved him to do this for us Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock for 't is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom So 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the Things which God hath prepared for them that love him Heb. 11.16 Mat. 20.23 And again Mat. 25.34 Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World This was the Preparation of God's Decree He loved his People from the Foundation of the World so as that he decreed to give his only Son for them Eph. 1.3 11. 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. Gal. 4.4 7 that by his precious Blood and meritorious Death he might purchase for them an Everlasting Inheritance And in the Fulness of Time as he had decreed he sent his Beloved Son into the World Joh. 3.16 and most freely bound himself by his Covenant and Promise to confer this Inheritance upon all true Believers 2. Christ by his precious Blood hath purchased this Eternal Inheritance for us 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 9.12 15. By his own Blood he entred once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance Christ having purchas'd it by his Death and God the Father having graciously promis'd it therefore all they that are effectually called shall have it conferred upon them Heb. 6.20 For Christ is ascended up into Heaven to take Possession of it in our Name I go saith he to prepare a Place for you Heb 10.14 Chap. 9.24 7.25 John 14.2 By his Death he purchased for us a Right and Title to Heaven and by his Intercession he prosecuteth and applieth that Right The merit of his Sacrifice pleads for Believers that the Blessedness of Heaven may be conferred upon them Now as Christ has purchased Heaven for the Saints and the Father will freely bestow it upon them so he freely gives them his Holy Spirit to fit and prepare them for the Enjoyment of it And without this all the rest would be of none effect For certainly 't would not avail us any thing to have Heaven prepared for us unless we be also prepared for Heaven An unrenewed unholy Soul would find little satisfaction in that Holy Place supposing such might be admitted into it But there is no unclean Thing shall enter there Rev. 21.27 The Divine Life is no way suitable to the Nature of an Unregenerate Person Alas such cannot love God here nor do him any acceptable Service but do loath that which he most loves and love that which he abhorreth They are altogether uncapable of that imperfect Communion with him which Regerate Persons do here partake of How then can they live in that perfect Love of him Delight in him and Communion with him 2

Pleasures Riches and Honours cannot possibly satisfy the Mind of Man As one has in Metre well expressed it All Earthly Things Man's cravings answer not Whose little Heart would all the World contain If all the World should fall to one Man's Lot And notwithstanding empty still remain And supposing these Things could yield some Satisfaction Job 14.1 2 Psal 49.10 13. Luk. 12.16 21. Prov. 8.18 21. yet how soon must we take our eternal leave of them Yet a little while and all these Things will be unto us as if they had never been But the Happiness above is substantial and 't is an abiding Happiness What Folly and Madness is it then to prefer Toys and Trifles before such an Happiness What powerful Charm is it that obstructs our true judging of Things What Spirit of Errour hath possessed us Can there possibly be a desire in Man of enjoying an Happiness beyond what is Eternal yea and Soul-satisfying and Infinite O the wonderful Stupidity and Sottishness of Men so careless of Everlasting Felicity Eternal Things alas are quite out of sight 1 Cor. 2.12 14. and therefore are they slighted by the unbelieving World And they look upon those who live by Faith as the veriest Fools imaginable when they see them pressing on towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 for the Prize that is set before them and exposing themselves unto Sufferings for Christ Heb. 10.32 34. chap. 11. 24 26. and in hopes of the promised Glory But we must become Fools in the World's esteem 1 Cor. 3.18 if we will become wise to Salvation And within a while shall the Wicked perceive whether Believers or themselves were the greater Fools As the Author of that Apocryphal Book which is called the Wisdom of Solomon Wisd ch 5 hath well expressed it saying Then shall the Righteous Man stand in great boldness before the Face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his Labours When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible Fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his Salvation so far beyond all that they looked for And they repenting and groaning for anguish of Spirit shall say within themselves This was he whom we had sometimes in Derision and a Proverb of Reproach WE FOOLS accounted his Life Madness and his End to be without Honour But how is he numbred among the Children of God and his Lot is among the Saints Therefore have we erred from the way of Truth and the Light of Righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of Righteousness rose not upon us Jer. 9.5 We wearied our selves in the way of Wickedness and Destruction but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it What hath Pride profited us 1 Joh. 2.17 Or what good hath Riches with our vaunting brought us All those Things are passed away like a Shadow and as a Post that hasted by But the Righteous live for evermore their Reward also is with the Lord Jam. 1.12 Therefore shall they receive a Glorious Kingdom and a beautiful Crown from the Lord's Hand Vse II. For Excitation A Second Vse may be for the stirring us up to use our utmost Care and Diligence for the getting and exercising a lively Faith in order to our obtaining the Heavenly Blessedness And 1. Let me turn my Discourse unto those that are yet in a State of Impenitency Sure what hath been spoken should excite all such to lay hold on the Hope that is set before them and to strive and labour with all their Might to make sure of an Interest in Jesus Christ for without this we must never hope to partake of Eternal Blessedness He that believeth not shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3.36 O what should we strive and labour for if not for Eternal Happiness And what should we strive to escape Mat. 3.7 and flee from if not from the Wrath to come Why Faith and Repentance are absolutely necessary both for obtaining the one and escaping the other He that believeth not Mar. 16.16 Luk. 13.3 5. shall be damned saith Christ And except ye repent ye shall all perish Well what is it then that you are now resolved for And what are the chief Desires of your Souls Are you for Everlasting Glory or for the Pleasures of Sin for a Season Are you for accepting of Christ for your Soveraign Joh. 8.34 2 Tim. 2.26 2 Pet. 2.19 or for continuing still to be the Servants of Sin Are you for sighting the good Fight of Faith or for being the captivated Slaves of the Devil What is it you resolve upon for one of these must be your Choice Are your Desires after God and Heaven Or can that be your Blessedness which you do not desire Deceive not your selves I beseech you with vain Conceits but consider these Things and shew your selves Men. Do you think that God will ever receive any such into his blessed and glorious Presence as are not at all desirous of it or unto whom it shall be a Burden No no God sets not so small a value upon it as to force it upon those that desire it not Mistake not then the Notion of Heaven Psa 17.15 See Mr. How 's Blessedness of the Righteous Psal 63.1 8. Psal 73.24 28. or the Nature of a Soul-satisfying Blessedness Do not you render it unto your selves a Composition of Sensual Enjoyments but look upon it as chiefly consisting in perfect Holiness and Communion with God And then you cannot judge of your own Right to it by a surer Rule than this that the Blessedness of Heaven shall be certainly theirs whose Hearts are bent and directed towards it Mat. 5.6 8. Heb. 12.14 Phil. 3.8 14. Repent therefore and believe the Gospel and sleep not in the Bonds of Iniquity Isa 55.1 2. Joh. 3.16 Ez. 33.11 You are earnestly call'd and invited to come and accept of Eternal Happiness and the Lord is pleas'd to expostulate with you saying Sinners Why will ye die Consider how dreadful your Condition will be if Death should find you in your Unbelief Joh. 3.19 It had been better for you never to have heard of a Saviour than to live and die without an Interest in him O! what will you have to say for your selves when Christ as your Judge shall plead the Case with you And say Sinners Prov. 1.24 31. I sentence you to Hell and Damnation for this is the fruit of your own foolish Choice No Invitations Perswasions or Warnings could keep you from running into it I offered unto you Eternal Happiness but you did not regard either Me or my Offers Job 21.14 15. You could love the most vain and foolish Trifles but you loved not Me nor cared for my Presence Psal 10.4 You had Thoughts enough and to spare for vain Things but how seldom did you think of Me because your Hearts were not with Me. I