Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	flesh_n	life_n	reap_v	6,710	5	11.2413	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72410	Two treatises, one of the latter day of iudgement: the other of the ioyes of Heauen	I. S.	1600 (1600)	STC 14058.3; ESTC S125046	52,691	137

be placed in the heauenly Ierusalem and reckoned amōg the saints of God that the day of iudgement may not be a day of eternall condemnation vnto vs but euen the perfection of our saluation and redemption and the beginning of all ioy comfort While we liue here in this world let vs be alwayes ready by spending the time well For as we sowe so shall we reape As the holy Apostle doth put vs in minde Gal. 6.7.8 Bee not deceiued God is not mocked For he that soweth to the flesh by practising the workes of the flesh shall therefore reape corruption or rather as if he had said condemnation But he that soweth to the spirit by mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the good motions of Gods spirit shall there hence reape euerlasting life Which sentence I pray God print in all our hearts and so graciously prepare vs vnto the day of iudgement Now the very God of peace keepe vs in all well doing and in all good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euermore Amen 2. Pet. 36. The world that then was perished ouerflowed with water 2. Pet. 3.7 But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men vers 9. The Lord is not slack but patient vers 10. Howbeit the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynesse Looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God by the which the heauens being on fire shal be dissolued But we looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued since ye looke for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is saluation 1. Pet. 4.7 Now the end of all things is at hand Be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man Arise ye dead and come to iudgement The end of the first Treatise A TREATISE OF the Ioyes of Heauen 1. Cor. 2.9 But as it is written The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him IF the holy Apostle S. Paul being taken vp into Paradice heard such words which cannot bee spoken and are not possible for man to vtter as he testifieth of himselfe 2. Cor. 12.3 How should I take vpon mee to shewe you those Ioyes which neither eye hath scene nor eare hath heard nor euer entred into the heart of man Herein I know mens mindes wil run vpon needlesse curiosities which is no part of my dutie to satisfie as also to shew you mine owne deuices and imaginations were a thing to set forth my owne folly But so far forth as mans reason may search but there we must stay for mans reason in spirituall affaires is altogether foolishnesse nay rather so far forth as Gods word doth instruct vs we may be desirous to learne as also to be content although many things bee hid from vs. Let it therefore be sufficient vnto vs if wee may haue but a taste of those Ioyes and that it pleaseth God in a measure to graunt vs some knowledge of them Adam beeing in the earthly paradice knewe not all the secrets and commodities thereof and how shall wee thinke to attaine to the full knowledge of heauenly Paradice But seeing God doth graunt vs the vnderstanding of these matters but after a sort he doth it for our good that seeing those ioyes that we can conceiue are surpassing excellent and yet the heauenly ioyes do surmount our cōceits by many degrees further we might the more be drawne in loue with God himselfe who hath ordained such rare vnspeakeable incomprehensible and endlesse excellencies for them that loue him and liue in his obedience As also considering our own great vnworthinesse we might with the Prophet Dauid breake foorth into the praises of God 14.4.3 and say Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Now as the Prophets doo stir vp the peoples mindes to serue and honor God by setting before them the temporal blessings of this life and thereby giuing them an earnest of greater blessings to come so is the happie estate of euerlasting life described vnto vs by such earthly comparisons as our natural capacitie can conceiue That we beholding in minde and contemplation those wonderfull Ioyes which we can conceiue we may grow into admiration of those heauenly and incredible excellencies which are altogether past our conceit and farre beyond our reach and vnderstanding For as spiritual blessings do far surpasse corporall blessings so heauenly ioyes do far exceed al earthly glory Yea and these stately secrets of an other life are so much hidden from flesh and bloud that all the learning of the wise men of the world can come nothing neare them That in this case they may truly say with the Astrologers of King Nabuchadnezzer Dan. 2. It is a rare thing and there is no other that can declare them but God himselfe whose dwelling is not with flesh The Turkish Paradice But let vs a little behold what flesh and bloud hath set downe concerning these ioyes of heauen In the Turkish Alcoran that is a booke which they vse in stead of a Bible which Booke Mahomet their Prophet left vnto them as the learned haue searched out thus the ioyes of heauen are set downe Their Prophet promiseth them garments of silke of all sorts of colours bracelets of gold and amber parlours and banquetting houses vpon flouds and riuers vessels of gold and siluer Angels seruing thē bringing in gold milk in siluer wine lodgings furnished cushens pillows and downe beds most bewtifull women to accompany them gardens and orchards with harbors fountains springs and all manner of pleasant fruits riuers of milk honey and spiced wine all manner of sweet odours perfumes fragrant sents and to be short whatsoeuer the flesh shall desire to eate Thus fleshly people haue a fleshly religion

liues that godly religious care of the life to come That which we are so greatly in loue withall the Apostle giues vs counsel to the quite contrary Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2 he addeth the reason because the world passeth away But he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Heauen is not in this life and we must looke to bee weaned from this world if euer we wil looke to be in heauen The ioyes of heauen and the desires of the world are quite contrary for they are too heauy a burthen and doo hinder vs from mounting vp so high And herein for the most part wee may be resembled vnto the Grashopper which is borne and bred liueth and dyeth in the same ground The Grashopper hath wings and hoppeth vp a litle but presently falleth downe againe So many of vs haue often good motions vnto godlinesse and the life to come and againe all is gone in a moment and we returne to our olde affections in this world as though all our portion were onely in this life Those foules that feede grosly neuer flye high and they which feed their hearts with things belowe cannot haue their affections in heauen The ioyes of heauen being so rare and excellent and so surpassing woonderfull that they might remoue these heauy lumpish and grouelling desires of this world The carelesse earthly and worldly minde hath no sight nor sence nor feeling of these ioyes But as the oxe is fatted in the pasture and the byrd singeth sweetly and feedeth without feare and suddenly the one is driuen to the slaughter and the other is taken in the snare So they that are giuen to the world are lulled a sleep in securitie vntil the time that death striketh with his dart and endlesse destruction ouerwhelmeth thē But where is that man or woman which can say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey Heb. 11.14 Desiring a better counttey then is to be found in this world that is a heauenly and for them hath God prepared a Citie Heb. 13.14 For here we haue no continuing Citie no continuing habitation let vs therefore seeke a better habitation to come which is of longer continuance and free from all miseries The next fruite is that the remembrance of these ioyes These ioyes teach vs patience teacheth vs patience in affictions in troubles and didistresses For how troublesome soeuer this life is here yet there shal al troubles miseries and wrongs be aboundantly recompenced And the Apostle speaketh truly Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs. In the 126. Psal They that sowe in teares saith the Prophet shall reape in ioy And hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth foorth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Woe bee to you saith Christ that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Luke 6.25 And therefore happy shall they bee in an other worlde who haue in good causes suffered wrongs committing themselues vnto God This time of heauenly ioyes Heauenly ioyes compared to a haruest is compared vnto haruest and what care dooth euery one take to prouide good and choise seede that theyr haruest may fall out accordingly Thy seede is thy thoughts thy words thy deedes and conuersation Therefore let mee exhort you as the Apostle dooth Galla. 6.7 Bee not deceiued GOD is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape For hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Looke how wee sowe so shall wee reape such as our seede is such also shall bee our haruest The date of this our life is but short but the remembrance of a life well ledde shall bee comfortable for euer and this shall for euer and euer bee our endlesse haruest still gathering still encreasing and neuer payring The last thing in the aforesaid 21. Holinesse Chapter of the Reuelation is that there shall enter into this heauenly Ierusalem no vncleane thing And as it is in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 14.21 In that day there shall bee no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hostes The Canaanites were a lewde people and for the same were driuen out of the land and if they were not worthy to dwell on earth much lesse shall they be worthy to be receiued in heauen Dearely beloued saith the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts bridle them keepe them vnder for they fight against the soule Collo 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on earth and mortifie your immoderate affection and euill concupiscence Remember this peremptory word No vncleane thing shall enter there Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Heb. 12.14 Follow holynesse without the which no man can see God And God graunt vs this wedding garment of holynesse that we may goe in with the bridegroome for we know what befell to him that wanted it Mat. 22.11 Let vs worke our owne saluation with feare and trembling being desirous to receiue a kingdome which cannot bee shaken let vs pray for grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence feare And seeing we haue precious promises 2. Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4 and that more surer then the heauen and the earth Heb. 6.13.18 let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh spirit and grow vp into ful holinesse in the fear of God For as they that thus do his will shal enter in through the gates into the Cittie and their right shal be in the tree of life So without shal be dogs and all vnclean persons Reu. 22.14 Let not my last exhortation be forgotten among you Enter in at the strait gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life fewe there be that finde it To adde vnto these Gods mercie one of the greatest ioyes one of the greatest ioyes among all is Gods mercie whereof wee haue a sweete taste in this life For were it not for that none of vs all should enter into that place where thosse ioyes are to be found For as our first parents by Gods iust anger according to their due desert were cast out of Paradice and an Angel set with a sword drawne to keepe the way that no flesh should return thither so the onely gate to let vs in again is Gods mercy Wherof as the godly and most righteous that are stand in great need so let none of vs all either abuse Gods mercy or presume of his mercy least we misse of the same This mercy is called the rich mercy of God for no treasure is comparable vnto it and as it passeth all vnderstanding so cannot the deepest reach of man conceiue any part of the depth or height therof the compasse the largenesse the widenesse and breadth of it is such that it cannot bee measured and therefore may it well be called as it is indeed both infinit and incomprehensible And because no tongue of man can speake it let Angels bring the message As we reade Luk. 2.14 Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will The Lord of his goodnesse direct our steppes to this throne of mercy and cloath vs with the garment of mercy And the Lord this day set his print and seale vpon you Thus I perswade my self I haue now wonne some and whom I haue wonne the Lord in mercy keepe and so I discharge my selfe For we are all by our owne disposition like vnto tottering walles still readie to slide still readie to fall And therefore I would I might say as it was saide to him that suffered with Christ This day shall ye be in Paradice And if this day your hatts be throughly conuerted surely this day you are in Paradice It was no comfort to Adam and Eue to remember they wer in Paradice seeing themselues now cast out And if we be once placed in Paradice then let vs looke to our standing that we fal not For as we are mortal so are we mutable and nothing so familiar with vs as to chaunge Deu. 5.29 Vnconstant God knowes we are the Lord make vs stedfast And the remembrance of these heauenly ioyes which wee haue now heard let that make vs stedfast euen to the end Deo soli omnis laus fit gloria Et gratia in seculum FINIS