Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	love_n	soul_n	6,851	5	4.8704	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28857	Boteler's case being an impartial narrative of the tryal, & penitent behaviour of Master UUilliam Boteler, executed September 10th at Chelmsford, about the murder of Capt. Wade : with the substance of a sermon preached on that occasion, and his last speech faithfully taken.	Boteler, William, d. 1678.	1678 (1678)	Wing B3805; ESTC R43063	16,063	48

Boteler's Case Being an Impartial NARRATIVE Of the TRYAL PENITENT BEHAVIOUR OF Master VVilliam Boteler Executed September 10 th At Chelmsford about the Murder of Capt. WADE With the Substance of a SERMON Preached on that Occasion AND His Last Speech Faithfully Taken With Allowance Ro. L'Estrange Printed for J. Clarke and P. Brooksby Boteler's CASE c. THou art here Christian Reader Presented with a Candid and Impartial Relation of a deplorable Tragedy which yet the good Hand of Providence that sometimes through seeming severities Waits to be Gracious and calls Sinners by Inscrutable Methods even at the Eleventh Hour was pleased at last to Crown with a Blessed Catastrophe though waded unto through Waters of Marah and frightful streights of an Ignominious Temporal Death The Design of this Publication is far from casting the least Reflections or murmuring Surmises on the Judicial Proceedings owned by the Deceased to be Just and Legal Nor is it out of any over-bias'd fondness to his Memory For alas The Dead have no flattorers and he is now we hope in Glorious Rest regardless either of Detraction or Applause as much beyond the Good Offices of Friends as Malice of Enemies There are far more Worthy Reasons and Useful Motives that seem not less to Necessitate than Invite the Divulging of these Papers As First for the Discovery of Truth and Checking those swarms of Different yet equally false Reports every where spread concerning this unhappy Accident The Quality of the Gentleman slain engaged a General pitty and some ungrateful Circumstances a just and more than ordinary Detestation against it's Authour whence busie fame snatching up some partial Rumours Composed of Dark Probabilities and many real Mistakes aggravated it to that hideous proportion that not onely the Credulous Vulgar who are neither able nor willing to Examine things to the Bottom or Distinguish a right became Prepossessed but likewise some more Intelligent seem'd carried along with the Impetuous Torrent and to Disabuse such from undue Impressions is but Justice to the Dead and Charity to the Living Let Malefactors suffer according to their Demerits yet still 't is below the Generosity of a Gentleman and the Dignity of a Christian to Blacken any Man's memory with Feigned crimes and groundless Imputations He that does not Detect Calumnies when he can is tacitely guilty of them and those that scatter Slaunders on anothers Tomb deserve to have their own Monuments sullied with Ignominy 2. A yet greater and most Important Inducement is to promote Gods Glory by Proclaiming the Infiniteness of his Love the Riches of his Grace and Miraculousness of his power in working good out of evil making Destruction Instrumental to Conversion Sanctifying Affliction bringing a Wretched Soul to a sense of his misery and as Charity oblieges us to hope to a hearty sincere Repentance not to be Repented of If the Blessed Spirits of Just Men made perfect and Holy Angels in Heaven rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner ought not Mortals on Earth to Remarque it by magnifying the Mercies of so good a God and publishing his Wondrous Works that the present and succeeding Generations may Celebrate them with due Praises and Thanksgivings 3. Nor can this certain and well known Narrative but be highly useful if rightly improved to the Readers especially such as were Master Boteler's Acquaintance by way of Caution and Information You that were his Friends and without reflection let me add sometimes perhaps Companions in Riot and Extravagance would you Meet him again with Joy in Happiness Imitate him then in his contrition and Repentance You whose Vitious practises have first prevailed to make you Wish there were no future state of reward or Punishment and further continuance in Sin so sear'd your consciences stupesied your understandings and degraded your Reason As with the Fool in the Psalmist To say in your Hearts there is no God Here you may behold how Empty and Idle how Pernicious and Frightful how Loathsom and Detestable such conceits appear when once Serious Apprehensions of Death Approach Opening the self-blinded Eyes of the Soul and taking off those Vain Imaginations which the Depravity of Nature the Inconsiderateness of Youth the madness of Wine or a Proud Fantastick Humour of Singularity have Raised and which tend no less to the Disturbance and Distraction of Humane Society in General than to the particular Ruine and Destruction as well Temporal as Eternal of all those that suffer themselves to be Infatuated by them As for the Truth of what is here offer'd to publique view Let me assure thee Christian Reader That there is nothing contained but what was either found in Mr. Boteler's own Hand-Writing solemnly declared by him as therein mentioned taken from his Dying Lips or known matter of Fact All ready to be Attested by Worthy Persons Ministers Instrumental to his conversion and attending him in his last Agonies or others of approved Integrity Nay so conscienciously scrupulous has the Collector been that many Remarkable Expressions though well remembred in substance and which might much have Embelisht these Memoirs yet because not taken in the very Words they were delivered in are wholly Omitted His aim in this undertaking not being at any private Lucre or Interest but general Satisfaction and Edification To which End may his pains be Sanctified by the Divine Blessing and Gratified by thy kind Acceptance serious Perusal and everlasting Advantage But we too long detain the greedy Reader from matter of Fact to which we now proceed MAster William Boteler was born in Northampton-shire about the Year 1650. Descended of an Antient Family and in his Youth Liberally Educated in Litterature and Exercises tending to the accomplishment of a Gentleman Since the present Wars between the Confederates and French he went over attending a Person of Quality into the Campagn and at the Battel of Seniffe gave Signal proofs of his Courage Where his Patron Unfortunately happening to be Kill'd the whole Care and Management of his Stately Funeral was left to him who dispatcht the same with so much Decency Gallantry and Fidelity as much Indear'd him to the Deceased Gentlemans Relations Amongst whom he has past most of his time since in the North in very good Repute Till coming up to London the great Randevous of Business as a Candidate of Fortune in Expectation of some Imploy He suddenly and most unexpectedly met with that Sad and Disasterous Fate which put a Period to his Life The wicked Instrument that drew this Mischief upon him was one Parsons a fellow of a Debauched Life and Ill Fame who having heretofore insinuated into the Affections of one Mr. Wade living in the County of Essex and not above Four Miles from the Town of Bishops-Starfford A Gentleman of considerable Quality and Captain of the Train-bands He was pleased commonly to entertain him at His House assist him upon any Occasions and in a word had conferred many singular Obligations from time to time upon him But in July last