Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	life_n	reap_v	sow_v	9,564	5	10.7381	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27497	The penitent death of a woefull sinner, or, The penitent death of John Atherton, late Bishop of Waterford in Ireland who was executed at Dublin the 5. of December, 1640 : with some annotations upon severall passages in it : as also the sermon, with some further enlargements, preached at his burial / by Nicolas Barnard ...	Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1642 (1642)	Wing B2015; ESTC R3687	79,120	190

him 2. Hee hath peace of Conscience The Earth no outward weight can moove yet the stirring of a few unruly vapours within will make some parts to quake There are some men no outward Crosses can trouble but the guilt of some secret sinnes within hath made them tremble The soule of a wicked man is often like a troubled Sea or like the Ship in a storme the Disciples were tossed in but as soone as CHRIST entred there was a calme So as soone as the Conscience is possest of CHRIST there is peace Some when they are disquieted in their minds do as David wished hee could doe Psalm 55.7 When fearefulnesse and horrour overwhelmed him Oh that J had wings like a Dove then would J flie away and be at rest Goe travell as if they would out-ride the cry of Conscience which they carry with them Some send for Musicke as Saul for a Harper when his evill spirit came upon him Others deale with their Consciences that thus arrest them in GODS Name as some have done with the Serjeant make him Drunke and so escape him These wayes and the like had this our Brother tryed formerly but found no sound peace till he thus turned to CHRIST the Prince of it The Marriners in that mighty tempest rowed hard to get the Ship to land but no meanes would do till Jonas was cast out and then presently the Sea ceased from her raging I have beene a witnesse of strong tempests raysed within his Conscience when he first grew sensible but after he had disburdn'd it and out with those pressing sinnes in such salt and overflowing teares in Confession and Repentance he soone found the fruit of that call of our Saviour Come unto mee you that are weary and heavy laden and J will give you rest Having like Noahs Dove strayed from the Arke of CHRIST he found no rest for the feete of his Soule till he returned to CHRIST againe 'T is a usuall division of those foure sorts of Consciences a quiet but not 〈◊〉 good neyther good nor quiet 〈◊〉 good but not a quiet both good and quiet The two former he had experience of in his life the two latter neere his death the misery of the one and the happinesse of the other which he had so lately exchanged how sensibly have I heard him expresse apprehending in the deepest degree of his humiliation more true content than in the height of all his sinnefull pleasures Chrysostome cals the Conscience Gods Coine wherein as the Kings Image is in his so is Gods instamped in this And therefore as we give that which is Cesars to Cesar so he exhorts to give this which is Gods to GOD and a good Conscience before GOD and man 't is the richest pearle the most invaluable treasure under Heaven Saint Pauls glory and joy 1 Corinth 1.12 Acts 23.1 3. Thirdly he hath peace with Death a Bee without her sting is more feared then hurtfull 'T is so with this once freed from the guilt of sinne the sting of it He that knowes he owes nothing flies not the approach of the Bayliffe He that is assured of the blotting out of the hand-writing that was against him needs not to shunne the arrest of death Be it sudden yet 't is not untimely to him What a measure of this Christian valour was found in this our Brother after this spirituall sealing hath been manifested before many witnesses and needs not any repetition here Only observe what this blessed change in him had wrought in others of him He once wept much by himself in private when the tongues of men with good cause were open against him in publike Now teares of all sorts are shed for him publikely when he had Comforts within himself secretly He that was hated at his Condemnation is lov'd at his Execution Such as were grieved at his life are comforted at his Death He began with his owne teares he departs with the sobs of others And I doubt not but what he sowed in teares he reapes in joy what was seal'd here on Earth is ratified in Heaven From a Death temporall he is passed to a life eternall Unto which God of his mercy bring us all for the merits of his deare Sonne To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory new and evermore Amen FINIS Errata in the Relation Pag. 4. marg l 16. r de via p. 7. l. 19. r. their prisoners l. 10. r. h●s Throne p. 11. l 8 m. r. lenic p. 23 l. 8 m. r. admisceat p. 29. l. 28. m Nam r. Now. a Epist 31. b Eras in Ep. ad Arc. Toled an op August Possidō de vit August In ipsâ mensâ potius disputationem quam opulation●m d●lig●bat c Ibid. Quasi Deus voluerit in Augustino tanquā in una tabulâ vividum quoddam exemplar Episcopi represeatare omnibus virtutum numeru abselutum c. d Fred. Spanhemius Professor of Divinity in Geneva dubiorum Evangelicorum parte tertia in his Epistle Dedicatory largely P. Bertius in tabul Geograph Speaking of Dublin and the Colledge addes this only Fameuse pour la presence de Iacobus Vsserius Theologien honime de gran le crudition piete sur tout celebre par ses escrits natif de Dublin Ioan Selden marmor Arundell in editionis causa Reverend ss Antistes Jacobus Usserius Archiep Armachanus vir summâ pieta●e judicio singulari usque ad miraculum doctus literis severioribus promovendis natus c I● Casaubonus Abrah Scultetus Cambden with divers others By which it is evident that if some so advanced have miscarried the fault hath not bin as the vulgar apprehends in the soyle but in the seed Et hisce commemorandis nos vel utilitati publicae grat ulamur vel divinae benignitati gratamur Vt est enim modestiae non agnoscere laudes ita gratitudinis non tacere viros per quos Deus tanta commoda largitur humano generi e 1 Cor. 9 16. f 2 Cor. 4.8 g Egregia virtutis exempla veluti lumen in edito ponenda sunt ut omnibus praeluceāt multosq ad aemulationem accendant h Mat 5.15 16. i Rom. 11.14 k Lu. 10.37 a 1 Cor. 11.32 33. S. August brings in God thus saying from Heaven to a penitent sinner Parcamus huic homini quia ipse sibi non pepercit agnescamus quia ipse agnoscit conversus est ad puniendum se convertar ego ad liberandum in Psal 84. b 2 Chro. ●2 20 c Peccavi peccatum grande turbata est conscientia sed non perturbabitur quoniam vulnera Domini recordabor non despero quoniam ubi abundaverūt delicta superabundavit gratia Aug. d Jonah 3 6. Exod. 33-4 Poenitentes serico purpura In duti Christum induere sincerè non possunt Cypr. Qui Deo appropinquas non vestiū quaere ornamenta sed morum

but being thus come of my selfe he tooke me as sent of God He acknowledged his stupidity and senslesnesse desired me to take a further liberty of Speech unto mee to preach the Law to him to aggravate his sinnes by the highest circumstances that he might grow but sensible of the flames of Hell In subjects of this nature we spent neere two houres when I left him plyable onely with this assurance that in Christ his sinnes were pardonable His request then was that I would not leave the Towne till I left him in better case that as he had begunne so he would continue to open himselfe unto me and would in all things be ordered by me and prayed me to see the end of him to which I yeelded As a Preparative to the maine I advised him to Lay aside all rich cloathing and to put on the meanest he had To let the Chamber be kept darke To deprive himselfe of the solace of any company but such as came to give him spirituall counsell and so to commit himselfe close prisoner to his owne thoughts that if upon necessity any meat was brought unto him he should eate it in a solitary way alone And chiefly to give himselfe to fasting even to the afflicting of his body which he had so pampered as a meanes to effect the sorrow of the Soule To have his Coffin made and brought into his Chamber which howsoever they were but small things in themselves yet altogether were very conducible to a further end as he acknowledged afterwards I went to him usually three times a day To relate what discourse we had and what most affected him would be tedious In summe he first entred into a serious and speciall consideration of all his sinnes In thought word and deed of Omission or Commission against God or man which he drew out according to the severall Commandements of which they were breaches and for his memory by his pen put all into one Inditement wherein he might at once as in a glasse view the face of his soule After this rough draught that he might be the more astonished he went over them againe with marginall aggravations whereby they became exceeding sinfull by the circumstances of time when place where and person against whom done against the light of knowledge often checks of conscience many seasonable Admonitions in publike and private notwithstanding the ●pparent hand of God in severall crosses speciall mercies unexpected preservation Then hee considered with what presumption ●e had sinned even before Gods face though he knew he was by him and looked on all the while Hamans aggravation for Esther The Theeves condemnation to steale before the Judges eyes What hardnesse of heart after it though he could not but know God was angry with him yet continued carelesse whether he were pleased or no such an answer of a servant in a small matter would much incense his Master His reproving and sharpe censuring others for the same faults which must needs leave him altogether inexcusable and further bind him over to condemnation His often relapses after vowes in sicknesse after receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper each of which sins so often reiterated added to the heape as multiplying of the same figures doe in numbers a great Plea against a Rebell being often pardoned Upon this in the next place did he make a stand in thinking what a miserable condition he must needs be in if he should now dye in his sinnes viz. A lost and undone man for ever He imagined with himselfe as if he now saw the day of Judgement set heard the Trumpet sounding the voyce crying Arise ye dead as if he beheld the graves opening the earth and sea like Gods Goale giving up the prisoners our Saviour upon the Throne in flaming fire both judge and witnesse Every mans life and his among the rest reading before men and Angels and in conclusion a finall sentence pronouncing upon his body and soule Hell accordingly with his wide mouth enlarged to receive him those spirits of darknesse ready to seize on him c. These thoughts and the like had their worke upon him in some frights and astonishments but a spirit of Contrition and Compunction he complained was farre from him How often did I heare him yet crying out Oh! can you give me any receipt that will worke my heart into teares and sorrow The eye of his understanding he confessed was sufficiently enlightned his conscience smitten but still his heart and affections were hardned All my friends saith he as ashamed of me have forsaken me But if God withdraw his Grace from me what shall I doe And so desired me to speake to any in the Towne whom I thought would be compassionate of his Condition to pray for him for which he thought there was more cause than for any bodily sicknesse And here by his owne experience whatsoever he had before uttered he utterly condemned that doctrine of Free-will naturally in man to any saving good that though it be in his own power thus to kill himselfe yet it is not to make himselfe alive againe How firmely did he now beleeve Repentance to be the gift of God that it is he that worketh the will and the deed How happy did he apprehend those that had broken hearts though not bound up againe with comfort And how unhappy such whose hardened hearts could not repent though swimming in all earthly contents And yet herein he had a doore of hope that his dry soule in time should be watred with this dew of Heaven in that God did not give him over with Cain unto despaire but still hee stuck to his first Principle that mercy was attaineable his sinnes pardonable The thing he only wanted was Gods act in powring upon him that spirit of Grace and supplication whereby hee might mourne and be in bitternesse of weeping for them That there was a fountaine of salvation opened to him for sinne and for uncleannesse He saw but his case was like the poore impotent man at the poole of Bethesda wanted one to put him in his first supporter in this case was that of Nehemiah who desires to feare thy Name that of our Saviour You that are heavy laden and whosoever will whosoever is a thirst come And indeed this was some change in him before hee was wont to fling the thoughts of griefe out of his mind did his utmost to put them from him Now he bewayled their absence hee grieved that he could not grieve To be altogether insensible is very opposite to the State of Grace but to be sensible of an Insensiblenesse proceeds from some already The fight and sence of sinne was some pledge of a further perfection at least that God had not given him over unto death as Manaohs wife said to her husband if the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not

that it mooved him not and that he looked further than him in it prayed God to forgive him and that for his part he did it heartily and would pray for him before he left the Chamber The Sheriff with-drawing he desired us that were there to joyn with him once more in prayer to God for his speciall assistance against all sorts of enemies that he expected now would beset him at once We all kneeled down but such a powerfull excellent prayer did I scarce ever heare so that all both wept and sobb'd with him And so after some comfortable speeches to us and hope that once more before he dyed he should have a return of the same measure of comfort he had enjoyed the last night The Sheriffe came in again and received him In the Coach rode with him one of the Sheriffs of the City the sub-Sheriffe of the County his own man and my self At his entrance he said This puts me in mind of Eliahs Chariot he was carried to Heaven in When he saw the throng saith he J am made a spectacle to men but J hope to Angels also who are attending to receive my soule The time he spent there in singing some consolatory parts of Psalms one of which was the 23 private ejaculations now and then speeches to us concerning the parting of the soul from the body the carriage of it by the Angels the vanity of this world that his care was neer at an end c. And to feed his thoughts with such things as were seasonable I read now and then some speciall comfortable passages which I had picked out of the Psalms which he would glosse upon to his own application When he came upon the bridge and through the curtains of the Coach for it was closed he discerned the Gallows with the people gathered he said unto me There is my Mount Calvary from which I hope to as cend to Heaven When he came to the place of Execution there were two things which might have disturbed him the one was a fellow got upon one end of the gallows deriding him and interrupting him when he began to speak whom he answered not but patiently bore it and proceeded The other the breaking of his foot-mans head whom he loved who had run by the Coach side and diligently pressed nigh to attend by one of the Sheriffs of the City unknown by laying about him to make room who when he saw him with the bloud running down his face He bemoaned him onely and desired me that he might be remooved out of his sight To which I might adde a third happening in the conclusion of all as he was ready to go up viz. one calling to him about some papers or leases whom the very standers by cryed down as very unseasonable All which I could easily think the common enemy might have a hand in to distract him When there was a silence made he stood up and made a large and an elegant Speech substantiall and sententious and I know it was not fram'd before for the matter he had indeed resolved upon but the forme he put to his present expressions there I had indeed advised him to pen it least the sight of death might then distract him but his answer was He would put his trust in God who he hoped would not faile him in that last act and was confident death would not disturbe him To relate the speech it selfe unlesse I could remember exactly his own expressions would be but a wrong to him for the matter it was thus which being so publikely knowne I may be the briefer in His entrance was somewhat to this purpose Gentlemen my first salutation to you is God blesse you and God save you and I desire you to pray the same for me J am I thinke the first of my profession that ever came hither to this shamefull end and I pray God I may be the last you are come hither to see a Comedy turned into a Tragedy a miserable Catastrophe of the life and actions of Man in this world c. Jn summe He acknowledged the Justice of the Law of Man as Gods in condemning him who as he had not deserved so he desired not to live He observed the speciall hand of God throughout the whole businesse both in the Witnesses in the Jurie in the Judges and in Himselfe In the Witnesses and Informers they were such as eate of his bread came daily as friends to his Table some of them were at dinner with him the day before the complaint was put in against him in Parliament The Jury howsoever he beleeved they were honest Gentlemen and went according to their consciences yet the Evidence was not so cleare but they might have stucke at it but he said it was Digitus Dei the Justice of which he fully and solemnely acknowledged to a friend of his at that instant he heard the Jury had returned him guilty though he denyed then as he did now the maine thing in the Inditement which the Law layd hold of and which hath beene since confirmed by the Confession of his chiefe accuser at his Execution also yet in his owne Conscience applauded and magnified Gods Justice in it and so burnt a volume of papers which with a great deale of paines he had wrote out of Law books in his own defence In the Judges of whom hee said though some were hot against him hee imputed it only to their zeale against vice which did deserve it yet it could not sinke into him that in Law he could have beene denied his Councell that which he had pleaded in some errors in the Inditement he conceived was reason but Gods hand was in it and he most willingly submitted to it all things in the end had turned to his good In the infatuating of Himselfe for his chiefe Accuser he said he could have sent into England and have had him indited for a hand he had in a stealth there easily in this time have out-law'd him and so his testimony had beene void For the Jury he could have excepted against 20. at least and so howsoever have put it off till the next Term before which he might have had other thoughts the fore-man of the Jury he knew was outlaw'd also and these things he conceived he might have done lawfully in the pleading what he could for his life yet omitted them the cause he said was both the height of his spirit in scorning to stoope to such poore shifts and protractions and the confidence he had there would be no neede he had trusted ever too much to his own wit and expressions with which till now in any thing that ever he had attempted he had not mis-carried and that he should be so infatuated in this businesse that so neerly concerned him he tooke it to be Gods hand evidently which he now not onely patiently yeelded to but with thankfulnesse embraced And thus much he thought fit to speake concerning those things he was justly

Gods word will not grudge to supply the Minister in Temporals who communicates to him in Spirituals and what ye yeeld let it be willingly not wrung out by Suits such as strive with the Priest are accounted the worst of men by the Prophet Hosea 4 4. How able and active this our Brother was in the recoveries of such dues ye all know But what a griefe now his spending so much time in them was whereby he lost himselfe I know The regaining of the Churches Rights he thought might be done but the gaining of soules the Rights of Christ purchased by his blood by no meanes should be left undone Often did he apply to himselfe that Speech of a great man at his last Had hee been as diligent to have done God service as he had done the King he had kept the Kings favour still So had he been as conversant in the study of the Gospell for the instruction of Men as he had been in the Law for the setling of Lands he had not by the Law so deservedly lost Lands Body and Estate and all at once we are called Fishers not Hunters Fishers of men not of money we are prest for a Spirituall warfare and such entangle not themselves with the affaires of this life S. Augustines spirit is very worthy of imitation who was hardly drawne to answer any Letters for himselfe or others that concern'd these worldly matters onely ready for such whose subject was spirituall And if at any time he were necessitated to it he thought so much loft and returned from it as a prisoner set at liberty Nay sometimes Gave up his right rather than runne himselfe into a Labyrinth of Law contentions according to that of our Saviour Math. 5.40 The onely way the Divell is sometimes put to for the stopping of the mouthes of able Divines If he can but get their hearts to cleave● to the world in suites soon cleave● their tongues to the roofes of their mouthes for preaching and so by a disuse in time according to that threatning in the Prophet to the Idoll shepheard Their armes are dried up their right eyes utterly darkened And their right hands with the Psalmist forgets their cunning Their abilities and gifts perish also And 't is certain howsoever others have thought the contrary that as the interposition of the Earth eclypseth the Moone So these earthly imployments instead of spirituall hath rather clouded than added to the glory of our function Secondly then give them Audience Obedience I put them together as indeed they should never be severed First audience the denying of which to the Embassadour of the meanest Prince on Earth is accompted the highest indignitie Oh see then ye refuse not him who speaks from Heaven Say ever in this sence with Samuell speake Lord thy servant heareth And when ye do let it be with Attention not to have your mind roving about some other matter your tongues whispering in anothers eare A fault this our Brother publikely acknowledged in himselfe And let it be also with Reverence Remember 't is the voice of God and not of Man as one observes of that speech of John the Baptist Ego sum vox in deserto John was the voyce but God the speaker as holy men were the pen-men of the Scripture but God the Inditer Balaam bids Balak arise Eglon of himselfe rose up from his Throne when Ehud said he had a message from God to him If these gave this outward reverence let us adde an inward reverence and feare also Secondly give them Obedience the former is but the shell the shaddow this is the Substance Many indeed give us the hearing but very few in that sence 't is usually taken in the Prophets viz. Obeying Remember we are Gods Messengers Great mens intreaties are commands Our commands from God are but intreaties God doth beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead unheard of that a King should Petition to his Subjects and yet who of you yeelds who obeyes Historians say that mens lives were never worse than when the seven wise men lived It would be ill newes if it should be so with us since the long continuance of the wisdome of the word among us However as our Saviour so may we say unto you also We have not spoken of our selves but the Father which hath sent us he gave us a Commandement what we should say and what we should speake and the word which wee have in Gods Name spoken and not obeyed shall rise in judgement against you at the last day Obiect not the disobedience of this particular Person to palliate your owne Let his selfe condemnation prevent yours his exhortation to others be yours He was a prodigall but returned once lost but now found and if the Father have remitted it let not his Bretheren be offended at it And so much for the first part of the Text S. Pauls Mission I send thee Now the second part of this Text concernes S. Pauls Commission in a word of Information To open their eyes in a word of Application To turne them c. the two necessary parts of a Sermon Before you heard our Dignitie now we will confesse out Duty and 't is this latter that must support the former And for this we shall consider it two wayes as it may concerne this our Brother First Actively as being his duty towards others Secondly Passively as having been effectuall in himselfe In the first I shall but performe the will of the dead who had intended at the place of Execution to have made a large Exhortative Speech to the diligent performance of his function in PREACHING and CATECHIZING but that he thought few of his Profession would be there and the Papist● who might be the most would but deride him and so omitted it Only he declared how the neglect of it was his greatest griefe and for the breach of his vow in which he was perswaded as a iust punishment God left him to himselfe whereby he came to this shamefull end for this sinne of Omission he observed Gods Justice in giving him over to sinnes of Commission according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1.21 24 26. And as this Subject is seasonable in regard of his particular so is it necessary in regard of the times neglect in generall When Preaching is so undervalued so flighted as if it were too meane for the Dignitaries and Fathers of our Church and only left as the refuse of our Office for the inferiour Ministers And let me not be misunderstood as if in the words of S. Paul I had ought to accuse my Nation or Profession of or with Cham had a desire to discover my Fathers nakednesse No only let me magnifie their Office and in this our Brothers stead incite them unto that whereby their Dignity with man here and their comfort with God hereafter may be continued The Summe of the