Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	scripture_n	19,615	5	6.1818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29663	A sermon at the funeral of the Worshipful John Symonds, late of Great Yeldham in the county of Essex, Esq. preached in the parish-church of Great Yeldham aforesaid on the 24th of February, 1692, by John Brooke ... ; with a short account of his life.	Brooke, John, 1633 or 4-1716?	1693 (1693)	Wing B4906; ESTC R12467	25,737	32

blessed for straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life and few there be that find it as our Saviour tells us few alas in comparison of those that miss of it but that such of those dead are happy or blessed that die in the Lord which is the second thing to be opened viz. what it is to die in the Lord And there is some variety amongst Expositors about the interpretation of this phrase Some there are that tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put here for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that to die in the Lord in this place is to die propter Dominum or Domini causa for the Lord or in the Lords cause in defence of his Truth against Antichrist as the Holy Martyrs did and they quote several parallel places of Scriptures where the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lord is to be so taken to confirm what they say as Rom. 16.12 and Ephes 4.1 and do moreover alledge the context and the occasion of these words for this sence of them Others there are that take these words in their proper sence as not confined to the martyrs only to such as die for the cause of Christ and do seal his Truth with their Blood but as belonging to all that die in the faith and fear of the Lord and so to die in the Lord with them is to die in his faith and fear in his love and favour as all good men do and they do quote also several places of Scripture to confirm this sence of theirs where this phraze is so used as Rom. 16.7 salute Andronicus and Junia which were in the Lord before me saith St. Paul that is which were believers which were in the faith before him 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus i. e. which die in Jesus will God bring with him and to mention no more places to this purpose see Ver 16. of the same Chap. The Lord hims●lf saith the Apostle shall descend from Heaven with a shout wi●h the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first the dead in Christ i. e. those that die in the faith of Christ as all true believers do interested in him in his love and favour The words in my Text may be taken I humbly conceive in both these Senses and though possibly the first sense given of them may be primarily intended in it yet the second is in no sort to be excluded for though the Martyrs and such as die for the truth and cause of Christ may have the greatest share in this blessedness as being most capacitated for it and most deserving of it yet such as die in the faith and fear of Christ as all good men do are blessed as well as they and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab hoc tempore henceforth as we render the Original which brings me to the second thing observable in my first general viz. 2. The circumstance of time whence this blessedness doth in a more especial manner commence comprized in this word henceforth Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth Not but that the dead that died in the Lord were blessed before this time alwaies blessed and that too from the very first moment of their dying whatever the Papists talk to the contrary in defence of their Purgatory and Limbus Patrum but that they were so now in an especial manner when this Book I mean of the Revelations was written in that they would by this means be as it were housed and secured from that severe storm of persecution which then hung over the Church of Christ and which was to be raised by the Beast and Antichrist against the saints and servants of God but so much shall suffice for the explication of the first thing observable in my Text the Assertion here laid down touching the happy estate and condition of such as die in the Lord in these words of it blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth I come now to the Second general viz. 2. To the Confirmation of this Assertion in the remainder of my Text and we have it confirmed to us Three wayes 1. By a voice from Heaven I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead c. 2. By the Testimony of the Holy Spirit upon the earth Yea saith the Spirit 3. By the reason of the thing or the ends that are given here why good men die That they may rest from their Labours and that their Works may follow them 1. Then we have this assertion here confirmed by a voice from Heaven I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth We read in the Scriptures of several Voices that have been heard from Heaven to confirm us in the Principles of our Religion and in the Articles of our Creed The voice heard from Heaven by St. John in my Text was to Confirm him and us in the last Article of our Creed touching the Happiness of the dead and the glorious estate of the triumphant Church in the life to come and what greater confirmation can we desire to establish us in any truth than a voice from Heaven since a voice from Heaven tells us that the dead that die in the Lord are blessed we have no reason in the world to doubt of it For who can know who are in Heaven and what is the estate and condition of those that are there better than those that are in Heaven or have come from thence as this voice did we have no better way to know what is done in China or in the East-indies or how happy the Inhabitants of those Countreys are Than by talking with one that hath been in those parts or is come from thence we have no better way to know what is done in Heaven and how happy they are that are got thither than by talking with and hearing of those that live there or have come from thence and therfore I say since the blessedness of those that die in the Lord hath been confirmed to us by a voice from Heaven we have all the reason in the world to believe it But then 2. We have this truth confirmed to us as by a voice from heaven so also by the testimony of the holy spirit upon earth I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord henceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea saith the Spirit viz. the Divine Spirit or the Holy Ghost as the word Spirit doth often import in this Book and in other Books of the sacred Scriptures as if the voice or he that uttered the voice had said to St. John 't is not only I who am but possibly an Angel a fellow-creature of thine a bare messenger sent from Heaven to

tell thee this that say so but the divine Spirit the Holy Ghost himself who is equal with God the Father saith so and that not only in multitudes of places in the Scriptures but in the hearts and consciences of all good men of all true believers This Holy Spirit saith yea to what I have said gives his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Amen or v●●●ly to ●t and hath commanded me to tell thee as much and ther●fore thou hast reason to believe it For what he saith and declares is as he saith it is and as he declares it to be and whatever he promiseth or threatneth shall accordingly in time he performed and made good He is as we are told a Spirit of Truth a faithful Witness one that cannot lye as the Apostle expresly tells us Tit. 1 2. his word shall be made good to a tittle Heaven and earth shall pass away but not one Iota not the least tittle of what he hath said shall go unfulfilled as our Saviour assureth us Mat. 5.18 He is not a man that he sh●uld lye neither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said it and shall it not be made good said Balaam Numb 23.19 the sons of men indeed are often lyars men of low de●ree saith the Psalmist are vanity and men of high degree are a lye Psa 62.9 they will say and unsay many times with the same breath we have no sure hold of their word no sure ground to build upon their assertions but it is not so with the Spirit of God we may safely build upon his word 't is imp●ssible that he should lye or deceive any as the Apostle tells us Heb. 6.18 Truth is of his very nature and essence and he may as soon cease to be as cease to be true but that is the second ground given in my Text why we should believe that such as die in the Lord are Blessed because the Holy Spirit hath affirmed it and gives his yea to it Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit But then 3. As the Spirit saith so as it is evident and clear from what the Spirit tells us in the Holy Scriptures and in the hearts and consciences of all good men so the Ratio rei the reason of the thing speaks as much or it is evident that it must be so from reason it self I might name many but I shall content my self at present with what we have in my Text and we have Two here given for it The dead that die in the Lord must needs be Blessed For 1. They rest then from their labours And 2. Their works will follow them 1. Then if we consult Reason Good Men such as die in the Lord will be blessed after death For then they will rest from their labours they will then be at their rest there the wicked ceas● from trouble and the weary be at rest saith Job speaking of the grave or the other world Jo● 14.13 There remaines a rest for t●e p●o●l● o● God saith the Apostle Heb. 4 9. And such as die in the Lord are said to rest or sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 Th●y shall ● ter ●●to peace th●y shall rest in their beds saith the Prophet speaking of righteous men that are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57.1 Look what a bed of rest or sl●ep is to the weary labourer such is Death to good men their dying day is their resting day they shall then rest from their labours Not neither for I would not be mistaking here that the souls of good men after death are without all motion or operation till the Resurrection of their bodies not that they turn sleepers till then as some have im●gined not that they dose away all their time or indeed any of it from the last breath or gasp that the body takes to the blowing of the last trumpet as some do fondly dream For the soul is of such a nature as that it can no more be and not act than the wind can be and not blow than the fire can be and not burn than the sun can be and not shine its very nature and essence consisteth in alwayes thinking in constant cogitation as some both of the old and new Philosophers tell us They rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which is and which is to come saith St. Jo n of the four and twenty elders and so of the souls of just men made perfect Revel 4.8 The resting of the soul then is not a cealing or a rest from all kind of motion or operation But a rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is phrazed in my Text that is a rest from all those toilsome labours and troublesome pains wh●●h they are forced to undergoe whilst here in the body ●oth in the pursuit of their particular callings as men and in the pursuit of their general callings as Christians They rest from all toilsome labour with reference to both of these and that too both with reference to all sinning and suffering in either of them To mention no more 1. The Souls of good men which die in the Lord rest from all their labours with respect to sinning their death puts a period and an end to all their sinning in both the issue of sin shall then be quite dryed up shall run no longer Here the heart of a Christian is like Rebekahs womb it hath as it were twins strugling in it the old man and the new flesh and spirit the law in the members warring against the law of the mind The flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.17 and by means of this contrariety there is a great conflict many times much strugling and striving much labour and trouble in the heart of a Christian So that the good which he would do he doth not and the evil which he w●uld not do that many times doth he as the Apostle phrazeth it in his own person Rom. 7.22 his very life by means of this is like a Book fraught full of Errata's who knows the Errours of this Life saith David there is not a just Man upon earth that doth good at all times and sinneth not saith Solomon Eccles 7.20 If any man saith he hath no sin he deceiveth himself and the truth is not in him saith St. John 1 Jo. 1.8 And in many things we offend all saith St. James Jam. 2.3 Our very righteousness is but as filthy rags as the Prophet tells us Isa 6.4 Our best graces saith one are not without their defects Lord I believe help mine unbelief cryes he in the Gospel Mark 9.24 Our best duties not without their defaults When I would do good evil is present with me saith the Apostle Rom. 7.21 The purest fire we know hath some smoak the richest wines some dregs Sin in short will have a