Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	pray_v	prayer_n	13,124	5	6.7659	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05056	Mary sitting at Christs feet A sermon preached at the funerall of Mris Mary Swaine, the wife of Mr William Swaine, at Saint Buttolphs without Aldersgate. Declaring her christian life, and comfortable death, for the encouraging of all christian gentlewomen, and others, to walke in the steps of this religious gentlewoman already departed. By Lancelot Langhorne, preacher of the word of God.	Langhorne, Lancelot.	1611 (1611)	STC 15197; ESTC S105859	10,285	46

her attire she condemned the monstrous pride of this age which is amongst woemen 1 Pet. 3.3 as the Apostle enioines vertuous wommen Her apparell was not outward in broidred haire or gold put about or in putting on of apparel but the Hid man of her heart was vncorrupt Her cariage generally towards all was so milde so wise so discreet so louing as it pleased all wrought an admiration in the eies of all at her death caused great lamentation in the hearts of all drew teares from the eies of all Her name by her Father was Winhall and lastly did Win-all that knew her And as all shall misse her so especially the poore for shee was so charitable as if she were made of the bowels of mercy compassion full of pittie towards the distressed full of mercy towards the needy her poore neighbours shal haue cause daily to bewaile her death For she stretched out her hand to the poore Pro. 31.20 and put forth her hand to the needy And what shee had shee bestowed it not vpō vaine toies but laid it vpon the backes of the poore members of Christ in clothing the naked and feeding the hungry She was a Nurse to the Fatherlesse Children eies to the blinde feet to the lame the blessing of them that were ready to perish came vpon her Thus in her life shee chose the better part laid vp her treasure in heauen a good foundatiō for the time to come that when Christ shall giue the last Sentence shee shall heare these comfortable words Come thou blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for thee For what thou hast done vnto one of these thou hast done vnto me And when God summoned her with sicknesse to leaue this world and with the New-yeare to set her heart in order for a new world though her whole life were a meditation of death her whole life a preparation for death yet out of her great humility shee confest her great vnworthinesse at the feet of her Sauiour that she was an Vnprofitable seruant and being taught by the Spirit of God that none shall bee saued but such as continue to the end she still prayed vnto our Sauiour for perseuerance and which is worthy to bee obserued though through the whole course of her life her soule was still powred out in praier vnto her God yet shee found by experience that when the body is weake with sicknes the heart is not so fit for praier Let vs heare her words which she vttered vnto two reuerend Diuines Mr Chark Mr Paget and often repeated to vs that were present with her in time of her sicknesse Let none deferr their preparation nor their praiers vnto the bed of their sickenesse for then the mind is too much troubled with the greife of the body to be imployed as they ought in spirituall exercises Yet she was strong in faith and had strong consolations and stil did cast her hope the sure and stedfast anchor of her soule vpon Christ Iesus the fore-runner in heauen and often shee desired in her praiers that Death might not be bitter vnto her to shake her faith or remoue her affections from her God but that she might haue an easie passage And behold the Lords mercy all that day before shee departed though her memory was good her senses perfect yet she said she felt no paine and so could not bee perswaded that Death was so neare But she left the world with no more striuing or greife then if shee had beene cast into a slumber or fallen asleepe as Saint Hierome saith of Iohn the Euangelist Quòd fuit à dolore mortis extraneus That hee was freed from the sorrowes of Death and as it is written of HENOCH That walking with God he was taken away So though her body must remaine in the dust vntill the last resurrection yet her death was so easy that it seemed rather to be a Change then a Death rather a Blessed Assumption then a Violent dissolution Now she found to her endlesse comfort that with Mary She had chosen the better part which should not be taken away from her 3 Our Application Let vs all for our application learne of a woman of the weaker sex especially woemen imitate her in her Piety in her meeknesse of spirit in her obedience to her Husband her Modesty her Grauity Mildnesse of Nature in her Charity Imitate her in her Life that you may be like her in her Death Imitate her in her Grace that you may be partaker of her Glory Make choyce of this part which shall neuer be taken from you As it is good so it is perpetuall Many excellent earthly blessings are bestowed vpon mā by God Sed pereunt cum pereunte they perish with the vsing either they will leaue vs or wee must leaue them but whosoeuer doth inherite this part shall keepe it without feare of loosing 1 Maries commendation Non auferetur It shall not be taken from them Mary considered that all things vnder the Sunne are vanity and therefore shee made choyce of the better part which shall neuer be taken from her 2 Maries imitation So this Mary had many outward blessings which flesh and bloud might haue reioyced in Shee was well descended but she considered that of all other vanities Honour is but a vayne title For her person a comely and graue Matron but shee remēbred what Salomons Mother saith That fauour is deceitfull Pro. 31.30 and beauty vanity but the woman that feareth the Lord shee shall be praysed She liued very comfortably with a louing and kind Husband yet shee knew that once they must part God blessed her with plenty in the world but shee knew that riches are vncertaine For long life that she knew by her owne experience that longa vita est longa agritudo long life is a long sickenesse the things that were vantage vnto her shee accounted losse for Christs sake as she said the same day she departed Shee would not change her estate in that shee was remouing out of the body to the Lord for all the world 3 Our Application For our application let vs imitate her happy choice set our affections on things that are aboue and not on things that are on the earth weane our selues from the loue of these worldly vanities which at last wee must loose or leaue and set our selues to attaine this good part which shall neuer bee taken from vs To haue Christ dwell in our hearts in this world that wee may dwell with him in the world to come where is true Nobility in that wee shall bee Heires Co-heires with Christ where is true Honour in that we shall bee crowned with the crown of righteousnesse where is true Beauty Mat. 13.43 in that we shine as the Sun for euermore where we shall haue long life euen life euerlasting where we shall haue true Riches an immortall inheritance reserued for vs in the Heauens where for the Company of our dearest freinds whom wee loue best Psal 16.11 we shall enioy the company of holy Angels blessed Saints euen the presence of God Where is fulnesse of ioy at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore where we shall haue more comfort happines in one day thē possibly we could haue in ten thousand vpon earth if the world should make vs her Minions and which is worth all we shall enioy them with a Non auferentur neuer to bee taken from vs. Let vs then cast downe our selues at Christs feet that wee may with Mary haue euerlasting ioy in the kingdome of heauen Let vs with this Mary liue like Saints in this world that with Mary and the rest of the Saints wee may be glorified in the world to come Which the Lord grant vnto vs all for Christ Iesus sake that sits at the right hand of God in heauen to whom with the holy Ghost one God and three persons be ascribed all Honour Glory Power praise Dominion and Thanks-giuing of vs and all creatures now and euermore Amen FINIS

to his owne soule Elegi I haue chosen the better part which shal not be taken away from mee And now I come to the Obiect the Center and heart of the body of my Text The better part That as Martha was troubled about many things she had chosen the better part c. Christ here vseth a metaphor taken from heires that diuide their inheritance for amongst the Romans and other Nations as Seneca saith there was a custome that the eldest child must diuide the inheritance into as equall parts as he could and then the yongest did first choose So Martha and Mary being sisters they diuide Christ as an inheritance betweene them Martha diuiding as being the eldest 1 Her commendation and Mary did choose as beeing the yongest And she chose the better part c. Now the part that she did choose is that shee sate at Christs feet and heard his preaching sought her saluation neglected all in regard of this esteeming it no profit to gaine the whole world and to loose her soule It is said by some that she neuer looked man in the face after her conuersion but Christ And this we may note that she neuer came vnto Christ but she fell downe at his feet When she annointed him Luk. 7.38 Iohn 11.32 Iohn 12.3 Mat. 28.9 When she besought him for her brother Lazarus At the supper in Bethania After his Resurrection And now when she heard him preach And herein appeared her great humility 2 Maries imitation But this Mary hath not fallen at Christs feet fiue times but all the daies of her life how she loued the Temple of God the House of Praier She considered that one thing was needfull though she had but a weake body yet shee respected neither health nor life so she might sit at Christs feet heare his word How oftē did she fall at Christs feet to pray vnto him Shee praied not three times a day with Daniel but Continually I haue often obserued her that all the time she was not imployed in houshold businesse she spent it in meditation and praier and if at any time she vsed ordinary recreation to beare her Husband and his freinds company her affections were so wholly set vpon heauenly things as she often vsed this gracious and sanctified speech This is a passing away of the time but no redeeming of the time And such a care she had to prepare her selfe for an other world to haue oyle in her lampe when the Bridegrome came as she was still afraid lest God should take her away when she was so imployed Her whole care and desire was with Mary to sit at Christs feet to heare God speaking vnto her or else to speake vnto God by praier And the oftner she fell downe and kist her Sauiours feet the more desirous she was The oftner she heard the word the oftner she praied the more ardent and strong her desires were the more Gods graces were encreased in her And as it is said that when Anthaeus wrestled with Hercules the oftner hee fell to the ground receiuing strength thereby hee became more valiant in fight So the oftner she fell downe at the feet of her Sauiour and wrestled with God the more strength she receiued against the assaults of sin and Sathan and rose vp more rich in grace then before 3 Our application For our application Let vs learne to humble our selues at the feet of Iesus Christ and then we shall profit by his word to the sauing of our soules and our praiers shall be heard as the Apostle saith Cast downe your selues before God and he will lift you vp The higher men intend to build the lower they lay the Foundation So God will neuer exalt thee except thou beest first humbled and fall downe at his feet Christ himselfe was not exalted Phil. 2. but by Humiliation the lowest Vallies are most fruitfull God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the Humble yet few imitate Mary herein they will set Christ at their feet Treade the bloud of the Lambe vnder their feet But they will not fall downe at the feet of Christ and with Mary choose the better part c. Now let vs come to the Excellency of this Obiect in that he calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good part Augustine he turnes it meliorem partem the better part The word in the originall is the Positiue but I vnderstand the wordes to bee spoken Comparatiuely that Christ compares Maries part with Martha's and that the Positiue is either put for the Comparatiue as some translate it meliorem the better part or else for the Superlatiue as others translate it Optimam the best part as Mat. 18.8 where the word is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is good for thee and yet the Positiue is there put for the Comparatiue It is better for thee c. as we translate it So here it is called the good part which is better then Martha's and also the best for they haue the best part that haue the Lord for their portion 1 Maries commendation This good part is that Summum bonum the cheife good euen Christ Iesus and his merites in comparison of which Phil. 3.8 all things else are but Dongue for hauing Christ she had all things no graces which did belong to the comfort or sauing of her soule could bee wanting vnto her for She did choose to heare the word which is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth which wrought grace in her heart which is crowned with glory in heauen 2 Maries imitation But let vs leaue Mary in our Text and behold what rich graces this good part wrought in the breast of this our Mary which appeared both in her life and at her death First for her piety towards God She was truly religious her Profession was not Hypocriticall nor Verball but she feared God with her heart For her conuersation in the world it was Pure and vnspotted so as Enuy might carpe but malice could not condemne she was of wonderfull meeke and quiet spirit which afore God is a thing much set by and as they that knew her had experience of it so especially her Husband with whom shee liued for the space of 33 yeares and I haue heard him often say That in all that time he neuer receiued an vnkinde word frō her mouth or cause of discontent where also wee may behold Her great wisedome in Houshold gouernment And moreouer so great was her loue vnto her Husband as she expressed it in her exceeding great loue and care of his owne kindred for shee loued him in them as appeared both in her life and at her death Her greatest and last care vpon earth was that seeing God had giuen him no children by her he would be a father in prouiding for them which were left vnto her as to a mother Againe for her modesty and grauity shee was matchlesse In