Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A27055
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A true believer's choice and pleasure Instanced in the exemplary life of Mrs Mary Coxe, the late wife of Doctor Thomas Coxe. Preached for her funeral by Richard Baxter.
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Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing B1433; ESTC R218157
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25,373
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74
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of the sensual pleasure we more easily catch a mortal surfeit 6. This sweetness of Gods Word hath made also my calling and daily labor sweet so that it had my heart and not my forced hand and tongue 7. And this hath helpt my constancy herein For when we have no delight in our work we grow weary and weariness tendeth to give it over or to do it heartlesly and slubber it over in unacceptable hypocrisie 8. And this hath much saved me from the sinful loss of time pleasure causeth trifling and delays who needeth vain pastimes that delighteth in Gods Word and Work 9. And this hath been to me an excellent help for the increase of knowledge For the mysteries of godliness have still more to be learned by the wisest man and as Boys at School so the Scholars of Christ learn best who have most pleasure in their Books 10. And this pleasure hath much confirmed my belief of the truth of Scripture when it hath born its own witness to my mind and I have tasted that goodness which is agreeable to its truth I easily believe him that commendeth a thing to me when I taste or feel that it is good 11. And this pleasure hath helped me against vain thoughts and talk while the truths of God were sweet and so continually welcome it 's easie to think of that which we delight in and sinful delights corrupt the thoughts and speech with constant sin 12. And this pleasure hath somewhat fed my daily thankfulness to God in the constant experience of the goodness of his truth and ways 13. And it cured the error of my beginnings when I strove for nothing so much as to weep for sin and perceived not that the joy of the Lord is our strength and the flower of holiness and likest to the heavenly state and that the Spirit sanctifieth by making God and goodness pleasant to us 14. And hereby it made me find that the praises of God are the sweetest and noblest exercises of Religion when before I placed more in lamenting sin and misery 15. And this maketh many things needless to me that else would seem needful I want not more company I want no recreation but for my body if I have not what I would have I see where only it is to be found 16. And I am assured that the constant pleasure of my mind hath not only kept me from melancholy but from greater sicknesses and tended to the lengthning of my life as Scaliger saith Pleasant Studies do For constant pleasure must needs tend to health 17. And this taste hath made me long for more and had I not felt that it is good to draw near to God and very desirable to know him and his will I should never have so earnestly beg'd for clearer light and more near and sweet communion with him pleasure is the cause of strong desire 18. It hath been one of my greatest helps against many temptations of subtile enemies that tempt men to sadducism and doubt of the life to come 19. It hath made me more communicative to others for we would all have partakers in our delights 20. And it hath greatly furthered my Repentance and hatred of sin when I have tasted what pleasure it depriveth us of and the abhorrence and loathing of my self that can delight in such a God and Saviour and word no more when I taste how good it is and see so much reason to rejoice in it and the hopes of Glory a thousand fold-more than I do none of all the actual sins of my life do make me half so much loath my naughty heart as to think that my want of greater joy in so great and near a good doth shew so much weakness in my Faith and Hope and Love O that I had more Faith and Love that I might have more of this delight Hearers I have sincerely told you what comfort you may have if you will not refuse it from the Word of God and from the experience of David and because things near are aptest to affect from the experience of our deceased friend and of my self and indeed of all Gods Servants in their degree you would live in joy you will dye in joy we need it in a life of so much trouble and for a change that else is terrible and its sure and near O Sirs we need another kind of comfort than sport or appetite or wealth or any such fading vanity will give us you may have some of it if you will And though joy be the top of grace which we arrive not at with a wish nor in an hour yet the nature of the new creature relisheth or savoureth the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5 6 7. And the Spirit of Adoption is a Spirit of filial Love and cryeth Abba Father and the Love of God the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Spirit which are the believers part are all of them the greatest comforters and Christ giveth believers that seek and trust him that spring of living waters which tendeth to everlasting satisfaction and cureth indigent and sinful thirst Will you then have any portion heritage and joy which will be worthy of a man and shall go further with you than the Grave If you will you may God and this Congregation are witnesses that it was offered you But think not to refuse it and prefer the transitory pleasures of Sin before it and at last have it and find that which you received or which you sought not first Mat. 6.33 nor to find a Treasure in Heaven where you never laid it up or sought it The hopes of the Wicked perish and the Hypocrites hopes are as the giving up of the Ghost But the Righteous hath hope in his death and therefore may dye in Peace and Joy Job 8.13 14. and 11.20 Prov. 11.7 and 14.32 Perhaps some will say that such a discourse of rejoycing is unsuitable to the mourning of a Funeral I think not of such a Funeral in which we commemorate the Holy Life and Death and believe the present and everlasting joy of such a Friend and one with whom we have long joyned in seeking and waiting for that Felicity and hope ere long and for ever to rejoice with Christ and her and all the blessed And Funeral Sermons are not for the benefit though for the due honour of the dead but of the living to teach us all to prepare for death which indeed is so much of the business of our whole life that all the rest is but a vain shew and foolish trifling or much worse And wherein doth our preparation for death so much consiâ—t as fore-seeing what so great a change will need and what a Tryal it will put our Faith and Hope to to seek and get such security for our everlasting state and such sound belief of it and setled content and comfort in it which the fears of Death Judgment and Hell may not shake or overcome that so we may finish our course with joy and pass through the Valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil but may comfort one another and our selves with this that we shall for ever be with the Lord and may say with Paul I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the Righteous Judge will give to me and to all that love Christs appearance when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe and shall say Well done good and Faithful Servant Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Woe and for ever woe to every soul of you that shall finally reject or neglect the offer of such an Heritage and Joy And blessed be that Grace which hath caused all true Believers to prefer it in their highest esteem and choice and seeking I have lookt about to see if there were any better and surer to be had and I am fully satisfied it must be this or none I offer you but what God hath caused me and all that he will save to choose and Lord grant that I may never look back to any other let the Love of God my Heavenly Father the grace of Jesus Christ my Lord and the joy of the sanctifying Spirit sealing up the promise of God as my security and writing his Law and Gospel in my heart be my Heritage and Joy and I shall never envy the most prosperous sinner their portion in this life but shall live and dye in the thankful praise of the God of my salvation who is Essential Infinite Joyful Love Amen Amen FINIS
How they are called an Heritage for ever III. How they are so taken by Believers IV. How far they are their Joy I. In God's Covenant or Testimonies there is 1. The Author 2. The Mediator 3. The applying Agent 4. The ascertaining Revelation 5. The Donative or Benefit given 6. The Guiding Doctrine and Law 7. And the Persons or Subjects connoted to whom all this is suited to be an Heritage for ever and the rejoycing of their hearts 1. The Author is God the Lord of us and all in whose hand and will is our Soul and Body our Life and Death our Health and Sickness our Joy and Sorrow whose loving-kindness is life and better than life Psal 63.3 who if he will can make us whole and happy and who hath told us what he will do by his Covenant He wanteth not Love for he is Love it self Essential Infinite Self love communicating to his creatures such Love as his Wisdom seeth meet for them to receive The Love that gave us the Mediator and the Covenant will certainly perform it It was of mercy that he promised It is now of mercy and justice that he perform it He wanteth not Wisdom to Rule the world by Truth and Goodness and needeth not deceit and falshood hereunto nor to flatter such worms as we into obedience Nor doth he that maintaineth Heaven and Earth want power to make good all his Word nor is there any adverse power to make it difficult and hazard the success Indeed he that seriously considereth the Divine Perfection will think it were more strange and incredible that God should not bless and glorifie the faithful according to his Word If it be credible that the Sun sends forth its illuminating and enlivening beams so far and wide to so many millions of various creatures though it scorch the unsuitable objects that are too neer it is credible that God who is Infinite Goodness should bless the capable with heavenly Glory And did we not see that sin maketh many uncapable it would be harder to reason to believe that all shall not be blessed by such a God than that all the faithful shall be blessed And we find that though both be hard to unbelievers they are of the two more hardly brought to believe the Threatnings than the Promises of God What wonder is it that Infinite Power Wisdom and Love should make some of his creatures blessed by communication and Man in special when he hath made him capable of it And what greater satisfaction and security can a fearful troubled dying man have than the Infallible word of the most gloririous God Sure he that firmly believeth it to be his Word can hardly choose but believe that it is true and meet for our most quieting trust 2. The Angel and Moses were the Mediators of the Jewish Law But the Eternal Word incarnate is the Mediator of the New Covenant promised only before to Abraham David c. yea to Adam but sent when made man in the fulness of time Gal. 4.4 And it must needs be a sure and excellent Covenant which is made and confirmed by such a Mediator named in the Prophecy Isa 9.6 Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of whose Government and Peace there is no end he is the heir of all things by whom the Worlds were made the Brightness of God's Glory the express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the word of his power made better than Angels having by Inheritance obtained a more excellent name whom all the Angels of God do worship and for whom they disdain not to minister to the Faithful It is a sure and comfortable Doctrine which must have such a Preacher sent from Heaven and a certain Covenant which hath such a wonderful Mediator 3. But it is not like the powerless word of man but the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son undertaketh to accompany it and as the Arm of God to set it home and make it effectual to its proper ends We have not only heard this word but felt it As we hear and feel the powerful Winds though we see them not and perceive not whence they come or whither they go All have felt this who are born of the Spirit Joh. 3.8 God spake not like man when he said Let there be light Gen. 1. And he teacheth not like man when his Spirit by his Word doth quicken illuminate and regenerate Souls It is a sure Covenant that hath such an inward Mediator such an Agent and Advocate and Witness of Christ speaking operatively from God to man and speaking prevailingly in man to God 4. And the sure manner of Revelation doth make it fit to be our Trust and Joy As it beareth on it self the Image or Impress of God's Power Wisdom and Goodness so by powerful Miracles and manifold Wisdom and unmeasurable Goodness it hath been delivered sealed defended and propagated And by a communicated Spirit of Life Light and Love in all sound Believers confirmed to this day 5. And what is it that with such glory and certainty is delivered to us from Heaven It is a Deed of Gift thus sealed by Christ's Blood and Spirit of Grace and Glory of Christ to be our Head and Lord and Husband and Life in and with him John 5.10 12. of the free pardon of all our sins how many and great soever and of reconciliation with God and of justification by the blood and righteousness of our Redeemer and of the continued teaching preserving sanctifying strengthening comforting aid of the Holy Spirit of adoption and title to the Heavenly Inheritance that being Sons and having the Spirit of the Son by it we shall be sealed up to Glory and be made the Habitation and Temples of God In a word it is a promise of this Life so far as that all things shall work together for our good Rom. 8.28 and of the life which is to come where we shall live in Glory with Christ for ever This is the sure and blessed Covenant of God 6. And what is the Doctrine and Laws of God are they not also suited to our Trust and Joy Is it not a delightful thing to read that which no meer man could tell us How God made Man and all the World and what Laws he gave him How sin came into the world and death by sin How God hath governed the World from the beginning and how he hath redeemed us What Christ is and what he hath done and what he will do And what man is and what he should be and what he shall be and do and have for ever And what is there in God's Laws but that which is our safety and should be our joy If good Laws be the safety and honour of Kingdoms are not God's Laws so to all the World What an ugly Dungeon were the World without them and what a worse than bruitish thing were man O how happy were Man were