Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A65308
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A plea for the Godly wherein is shown the excellency of a righteous person / by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing W1138; ESTC R10636
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40,142
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126
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trap-door to let them into hell But when a righteous man dies his sins die with him the pale face of death looks ruddy being sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb. When a Believer hath death in his Body he hath Christ in his Soul the day of his death is his Ascension-day to heaven The death of a Saint is precious 1. To God The righteous are said to be gathered Isa. 57. 1. * a â—…ner is carryed away in a sâ—…orm Job 27. 20. the righteous is gathered as we gather precious fruit and candy it So greatly doth God value the death of a Saint that he makes inquisition for every drop of his blood Psalm 9. 12. 2. His death is precious to the Saints surviving they follow his hearse weeping as David did Abner's 2 Sam. 3. 31. Though they know that when a godly man dies he is fixed in an higher and more transparent Orb yet they cannot but mourn at the fall of such a Star 'T is a lamentation when God cuts down the Pillars of a Land the great Cables and Anchors of a Ship being gone there is danger of a Shipwrack it presageth a storm coming when God hides his Jewels After Austins death followed the sacking of Hippo by the Goths and Vandals After the decease of Paraeus fell out the destruction of Heidelberg Hence it is that the Saints who are left behind when they see such as are the Glory of a Kingdom taken away by a stroke of death cannot but cry as Elisha did when Elijah was parted from him 2 King 2. 12. My Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the Horsmen thereof The Saints living are affected with the loss of the godly and carry them to their grave with a shower of tears 12. The Dust of a righteous man is more excellent When the Bodies of the wicked are laid in the grave there lies an heap of dust to be tumbled into hell but the dust of a righteous man is part of Christs mystical body the dust of a Saint is united to Christ while it is in the grave And as the dust of Believers is now excellent so it will appear shortly in the sight of Men and Angels Trajan's ashes were honoured at Rome so the ashes of the Saints at the Resurrection shall be honoured when they shall be made like Christs glorious body in beauty strength agility immortality 2. A righteous man is more excellent than a wicked in respect of what he Hath 1. He hath a more excellent Name God himself embalmed Moses name and set a garland of Honour upon his hearse Josh. 1. 2. Moses my Servant is dead The Names of the righteous are registred in the Sacred Records of Scripture Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed The wicked leave their name for a curse Isa. 65. 15. How cursed is the name of Judas what Christian would baptize his Child of that name How odious are the names of Nero Domitian Bonner When their bodies rot under ground their names rot above ground But by faith the Elders obtained a good report Heb. 11. 2. How renowned was Moses for his Meekness Cornelius for his Alms their Names send forth a fragrant perfume in the Church of God to this day Psal. 112. 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance It may be said of a gracious person as once of King David 1 Sam. 18. 30. His name was much set by A wicked man may leave a great Estate behind A righteous man leaves a good name 2. A righteous man hath more excellent company 1. He hath the Communion of Saints Psal. 119. 63. I am companion to all them that fear thee A good man delights in a companion of his own Species the Lamb cares not to be with the Wolf If unawares a godly man lights into the company of the wicked he fears either pollution or scandal therefore makes haste as out of an infected house A righteous man twists and incorporates among the Saints he is joined to Christs body mystical Act. 4. 23. And being let go they went to their own company 2. A righteous man hath communion with God 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus A gracious soul hath sweet intercourse with Heaven he goes to God by prayer and God comes to him by his spirit How happy is that person who hath the Angels to guard him and God to keep him company 3. A righteous man hath more excellent promises belong to him what a sinner hath is rather by providence than by vertue of a promise the Saints are called Heirs of the promise Heb. 6. 17. the Promises are precious 2 Pet. 14. they are the beams of the Sun of Righteousness the pleasant streams that run in the paradise of Scripture Behold a blessed promise Rom 8. 28. All things shall work for good but to whom to them that love God All mercies shall work for their good they shall be footstools to lift up their hearts higher to Heaven and all afflictions shall work for their good the rod shall be a divine pensil to draw Christs image more lively upon their souls and there is another promise Heb. 13 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee This promise belongs to the heirs of Salvation God will not leave his people either to their strong corruptions or their weak graces he will counsel them in their doubts supply them in their wants defend them in their dangers when they are most assaulted they shall be most assisted How can God leave them they are his spouse will a man leave his spouse Thus the Saints have the Royal Charter of the Promises setled upon them and these Promises as they are sweet so they are sure Men reckon their Wealth not always by what ready money they have in their Houses but by their Bonds and Leases a Christians Estate lies most in bonds and bills of Gods hand sealed with his Oath What better security can there be 4. A righteous man hath more excellent freedom Psal. 119. 45. And I will walk at liberty Another is capable of civil freedom he may be a Roman born but he is still enslaved to his lusts but a righteous person is Gods freeman 1 Cor. 7. 21. his neck is out of the Devils yoke he is freed from the law of sin Rom. 8. 2. he hath Gods free spirit Psal. 51. 12. which makes him free and chearful in his obedience the will is not compelled but changed a regenerate person is drawn indeed by the Spirit but sweetly as one is drawn into a garden of spices by the fragrancy of their smell he is drawn to Christ as one is drawn with anothers beauty so that while he is drawn he is free a righteous soul chooseth the ways of God Psal. 11â—… 30. and what greater act of freedom than an act of choice And a Saint cannot have his spiritual
2. 2. There is none holy as the Lord. The blessed Seraphims cover their faces and cry holy holy but what Angels can take the just dimensions of his Sanctity they are too low of stature to measure these Pyramids 2. God is communicatively holy Lev. 20. 8. I am the Lord which sanctisie you He is not only a Pattern of Holiness but a fountain He empties his golden Oyl through the Pipes of the Sanctuary His Holiness is imparted though not impaired 3. God is Unchangably holy his Holiness can no more cease than his Godhead He never lost a drop of his Holiness as he cannot have more Holiness because he is perfectly holy so he cannot have less Holiness because he is Unchangeably holy 4. God's Love is excellent Psal. 36. 7. How excellent is thy loving-kindness O God! This drops as the honey-comb it dulcifies and sweetens the Waters of Marah it is better than life Psal. 63. 3. It hath an Hyper-hyperbole in it it passeth knowledg Ephes. 3. 19. Gods love may be felt but not fathomed Oh then let the Saints have God-admiring thoughts the Psalmist esteem'd him above the Glory of Heaven and the Comforts of the Earth Psal. 73. 25. God is the marrow and quintessence of all good His beauty is amazing his love is ravishing all divine Perfections meet in God as the lines in the center Let us then with St. Paul count all things loss for him if God puts such a value and appretiation upon the righteous they are highest in his esteem let him be highest in theirs 3 Br. If God hath so honoured the righteous and made them better than others let not the righteous debase themselves or lose any of their excellency hath God made them precious let not them make themselves vile 1. Let them not debase themselves with Earth An earthly Saint is as great a contradiction as an Orthodox heretick 'T is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5. 2. because it doth so befilthy a person Earthliness is an enemy to grace 'T is Aristotles observation Dogs cannot hunt among sweet flowers because the smell of the flowers diverts the scent of the Hare Those can scarce run after Christ in the savour of his Oyntments who are diverted by the smell of earthly delights whom the Helena of the world kisseth it betrays It is below a Christian and doth too much resemble Satan to be alwayes compassing the earth Jer. 45. 5. And seekest thou great things for thy self As if God had said what thou Baruch who art by thy new birth excellent a-kin to Angels by thy Office excellent a â—…Levite dost thou seek earthly things and what seek them now I am going to pluck up and art thou planting the Ship is sinking and art thou trimming thy Cabin Oh Baruch do not so degrade thy self of thy honour Seekest thou great things seek them not Though the wicked like Eels wrap themselves in the mud yet let the birds of Paradise fly aloâ—…t the higher grace is the less earthly-minded should Christians be the higher the Sun is the shorter is the shadow 2. Let not the righteous debase themselves by sinful compliance Such as profess themselves to be regenerate should not be malleable to every opinion and humor shall the excellent Cedar bend like the pliant Willow Gen. 49. 14. Issachar is a strong Asse couching down between two burdens Issachar was a strong tribe but wanted courage You who are righteous be not too Couchant do not chuse iniquity rather than affliction Job 36. 21. Do not so value your liberty as to wound your integrity God is a great God dare not to offend him he is a good God venture not to lose him be not swayed with the evil examples of others dead fish only swim down the stream The righteous do much lessen both their esteem and reward by symbolizing with sinners Let not the godly force their Conscience the dust will be wiped off this glass and then it will represent guilt When Cranmer had with some renitency of mind subscribed to the Popish Articles he was afterwards in great horror his Conscience was like Moses rod turned into a Serpent he could have no peace till he had recanted his subscription By sordid unworthy actions the holy spirit will be grieved the godly will be offended the wicked will insult and Conscience will accuse Conscience is like a Bee if a man doth well it gives honey if ill it puts forth a sting 4 Br. If the righteous be more excellent than others let not them envy the prosperity of the wicked Prov. 23. 17. Let not thy heart envy sinners God hath made you better then they he hath given you his spirit to sanctifie you and his Son to save you Envy is an ill humour it is Vulnus occultum saith Cyprian it hurts a mans self most Envy drinks its own venom it corrodes the body as canker doth iron Simul peccat plectitur The first man born in the world was envious Theodoret observes it was not so much Cains own sin troubled him as to see his Brother's offering accepted It becomes not Gods people to feed this fretting disease it is bad to feed an enemy What if God wring out the water of a full cup to the wicked it is but a sugred poyson Prosperity like Circe with its enchantments turns men into swine it makes them grow worse the Moon never suffers an Eclipse but when it is at the Full The world is given to the wicked in anger When Belshazzar was in the midst of his jollity the hand of God was writing bitter things against him The hot day of Prosperity presageth thunder at night Hamans banquet was but a Preface to the Halter O Christian shake off envy as Paul did the Viper God hath made thee more excellent than others he hath given thee better riches and Preferment they have a Golden apple thou hast a Crown 2 Tim. 4. 7. God keeps the best wine till last let this divine harp drive away the evil spirit of envy and discontent 5 Br. If the righteous be so excellent let it perswade people to get into their company and chuse to be of their acquaintance Next to being good it is wisdom to converse with them that are so Psal. 16. 2. The excellent in whom is all my delight Be not like Swine which had rather lie in the dung than in a fair Meadow The righteous are the light of the world and it is prudence to follow them that carry the Light Seek for the Olive but if the bramble take hold of thee cast it away There is much good to be gotten in the society of the godly their speeches edifie their prayers quicken their examples teach Graft among the Saints A slip grafted into a good stock partakes of the virtue and influence of the root The righteous are more excellent be often among these spices and you will smell of them