Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A01750
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Architectonice consolationis: or, The art of building comfort occasioned by the death of that religious gentlewoman, Iane Gilbert; to be studied: and with all a platforme of comfort to be raised up by her husband William Gilbert Doctor in Divinity.
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Gilbert, William, 1597?-1640.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 11882; ESTC S103154
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35,866
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70
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propriae Dies venerit incunctantèr libentèr ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Let us shew our selves to be the same in our life that we are in our Faith that we may not over-mourne for our dearest friends and when the appointed day of Gods sending to any one of us shall come Come let us goe without delay and willingly to the Lord who himselfe cals us Here after that Father before I fall into him againe I can quickly tell you all that Oecumenius doth on my Text 't is to interpret my Text by those foregoing words of St Paul that yee sorrow not even as others that have no hope i. As the Heathen that had no hope of the Resurrection {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Oecumenius holds it proper for such onely to grieve excessively for the dead who have no hope of the Resurrection and how doth it traduce hopefull Christians as hopelesse men when we bewaile as utterly lost and extinct those whom we professe to live with God To this purpose that elegant tongu'd Father v Fidem quam sermone voce depromimus cordis pectoris testimonio non probemus Spei nostrae ac fidei praevaricatores sumus simulata ficta fucata videntur esse quae dicimus nil prodest verbis praeferre virtutem factis destruere veritatem The Profession of our hope of the Resurrection to life is but varnished over and dissembled because we destroy it more with our actions then we doe preferre it by our words else why doe we take on in such a grievous manner when God takes our Friends away from us I know that where hearts have been knit together by God they cannot be rent a sunder without exceeding great griefe as Iacobs could not from Rachel nor Davids heart from Ionathan I also know that our Lord and Master himselfe wept for Lazarus x I finde no fault with naturall affection much lesse with Christian compassion let Nature have her course but let Religion set her bounds let us water our plants of sincere affection and compassion but not drowne them by sorrowing as others doe that have no hope I finde no other fault but that St Paul findes in the proofe of the Doctrine of which my Text is the use when mourning exceeds Christian proportion and all true Measure Ioseph loved his Father better then the Egyptians did yet Ioseph wept but the tithe that the Egyptians did They mourned 70. dayes Gen. 50. 3. he but seven dayes vers. 10. All that I speak is to condemne those who are too little like Rachel in serving the living God but too much like Rachel in weeping for the dead She would not bee comforted but these hopelesse Mourners cannot truly urge the Reason that Rachel did because they are not for we know that they are living with God that dye in the Lord we know that the good theefe was on the day of his death with Christ the Lord in Paradise and as 't is a comfort to know where they are so 't is a further comfort to know what they doe they follow the Lambe wheresoever he goes and is it not a height of comfort to know what they say they cease not to cry day and night Holy Holy Holy they are still a singing Halleluiah and shall not we give over weeping on Earth for them who shall never give over singing in Heaven shall we refuse to be comforted because they are not on earth who are and enjoy all the comforts in Heaven Wherefore comfort one another with these words and with the words of that judicious Father y Contristamur in nostrorum mortibus necessitate amittendi sed cum Spe recipiendi inde angimur hinc consolamur inde infirmitas afficit hinc fides reficit The necessity of loosing our friends that cuts us but the hope of receiving them againe this heales us that is our griefe this is our comfort wherefore against the losse of our deerest friends comfort one another with these words As Apothecaries make singular use even of the dust of gold so the Jewish Rabbins those Apothecaries of the Hebrew simples make profession that great Mountaines hang upon the smallest Jods in the Bible Then surely a discourse like a Mountaine for largenesse but above a Mountaine for fruitfulnesse may be raised from this conjunctive particle in my Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Itaque Wherefore and to make it so I passe from the particular relation of these words to S. Pauls former Doctrine I passe unto the generall Relation of these words to the whole Word of God Pars pro toto comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of Comfort out of Gods Word In the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} these Ratiocinations Arguments rather then bare words so it is that Scripture words are the strongest Reasons to evince and perswade Comfort the true Hearts ease growes only in Gods Paradise in Gods Word There may be some Tulip of Comfort some colour bark or flowre in the words and writings of men but the very pith and marrow of comfort effectuall for all the soules Maladies is no where to be found but in the Word of God in these words As it was said of the words spoken by the Word God Christ Jesus that Hee taught with Authoritie and not us the Scribes z the Scribes taught poore jejune heartlesse matter unprofitable uncomfortable and their forme of teaching was without Majesty without any command but our Saviours both Matter and Forme of teaching carried Authority with it the unusuall unheard of Majesty of the words accompanyed with matter most profitable and most comfortable did command his Auditors Now Christ hath still left the same Matter to us 't is true of all the Word of God that it comforts as having Authority and not as the Scribes not as humane writers who would usurpe upon this Authority which is the absolute Prerogative of Gods Word so that the maine point is this Only Gods Word hath full power and Authority to comfort mans heart 1. à Causa 2. à Subjecto 3. à Doctrinae certitudine 1. From the Efficient cause the Scriptures Authority of comforting is the same with Gods Spirit dictating both matter and words the saving worke of the Holy Ghost the Comforter that also goes along with the Word of God Gods Spirit and Gods Word goe together by way of Covenant Isaiah 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth where Gods Word is the Counsellor Gods Spirit is the Comforter 2. à Subjecto the Subject of Gods Word carries with it the greatest and most infallible Authority of Comforting because 't is the onely Store-house of true Comfort in it is that supreme Treasure the Mediator Christ Jesus that dyed to reconcile us to God Rom. 5. 10.
the hearer to tingle he did then subject himself unto God with that excellent in comparable Speech of Submission It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1. Sam. 3. Though the matter concerned him and his so nigh yet the good man thought that he had nothing more to doe then to set to the seale of his approbation of Gods Will which was a willing Submission to it It is the Lord it becommeth not man to reason with him why he doth thus and thus there is no good to be got by such contention all the Comfort lyes in this out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak after this admirable manner It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Nay a greater then Eli the first High Priest that ever was Aaron who was appointed by God to be a mouth to Moses he could speak so well yet when God burnt his sonnes for offering strange fire he had not a word to say but as the Text saith Aaron held his Peace by holding his peace in this case Aaron did glorifie God more then if he had spoken with the tongues of men and Angels Aaron silencing his sorrow by subjecting his will to Gods Will did shew forth his inward Comfort Once more for 't is a greater then Aaron our High Priest according to the order of Melchisedech was never without Comfort because never without Submission to his heavenly Father when he was alone and none to comfort him indeed he prayed bearing our infirmities Let this cup passe from me but with a pull back of restraint Not my Will but thy Will be done Ipse erat voluntas Potestas Patris tamen ad Demonstrationem sufferentiae debitae voluntati se Patris tradidit Tertull last words on the third Petition Christ was both the Will and the Power of his Father yet to demonstrate to us that Submission is alwayes due to Gods Will He subjects himself in all things Not my Will but thy Will be done This is a strong supporter of true comfort to lay our hands upon our mouthes and not to open them except with Iobs thankfull Eccho Blessed be the Name of the Lord O happy Comfort and well upheld to blesse God in all things by freely submitting our wills to His Will let the Lord doe what he will and let us be sure to blesse His Name for it that is the first Butteresse of Comfort 2. Butteresse and a very strong one too is Right Reason rectified sanctified Reason What is discontentednesse and uncomfortablenesse but the confusion distemper and disorder of our affections and actions but when they are well ordered according to the commands of rectified Reason then riseth comfort and contentednesse of minde when our Passions and Actions are subject to the straight Rule of Reason then is the soule at comfort a man of Right Reason is a man rich in Comfort a happy Dives he may say Soule soule take thy rest for thou hast comfort much riches of comfort laid up for as long as thy Reason is rectified and is guided by the Word of God and the whole course of thy affections ordered by that rectified Reason When a man smothers himself under sorrow and discontent let him see what reason he hath for it out of Gods Word when a man rejoyceth and comforteth himself with anything let him see what good reason he can finde for it beleeve me this is a strong bridle and curbe to stop the course of all discontentednesse and uncomfortablenesse in our Christian journey and withall a very strong keen-metled Spur to put us forward in the free course of true Comfort even this is the ready way to try all things that we doe by sound Right Reason Now that the two former Butteresses may stand fast and the whole Building continue durable we must not faile to put up the third Butteresse that is to put up Prayer for strength of Comfort If any of you lack wisedome Iames 1. 5. let him aske God and he will give it him Thomas expounds that Text to this purpose now in hand Si quis vestrum indiget Sapientiâ id est sapida Scientia ad condiendam amaritudinem tribulationum vel ad degustandum patientiae fructum If any of you want the salt of wisdome to season affliction or to make the fruit of Patience savoury and comfortable let him pray to God for it who is very liberall of comfort to him that askes it the good theef on the Crosse did but aske Christ to remember him in his Kingdome and he gave him Paradise that very day To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise dum memoria poscitur regnum concedit saith the Father Prayer is a faithfull messenger and Ambassador to dispatch all our businesse with God aske and have comfort seek and finde it by prayer knock and a doore of comfort shall be opened Prayer is a strange kinde of key that opens if you doe but knock with it Matth. 7. 7. O then knock strongly that thou mayst have strength of comfort Why but Prayer is only of things possible because Prayer is an Act of Hope and Hope is still fixed upon a possibility of enjoying the object now if there must be hope of embracing what we pray for and a likely possibility of what we hope for what I pray encouragement doe they give us to put up our Prayers for strength of Comfort who make a question whether it be possible for a man in this life to have absolute firme strength of comfort against all evill True it is here is a question started by the Casuists let us persue it a little for it is about the strength of this Building Whether a true beleever may have firme and strong consolation against all evill The Affirmative is thus established that though there may sometime be a mixture of griefe or feare with comfort yet that comfort is a repression mitigation and lenition of that grief or feare and will in time get the victory 1. Because God the Father who workes victoriously is the God of all comfort f comforting us in all our tribulation and in any trouble Vers 4. of that Chapter 2. Because Christ is the Fountaine of all comfort to us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Vers 5. of that Chapter 3. The holy Spirit is the comforter to this end that the knowledge of the truth might make us Conquerors that our hearts might not be troubled nor afraid t 4. The whole Scripture was written for our comfort that we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope strong comfort and strong hope v 5. Because of the immutability of Gods Counsell confirmed by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation x {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a mighty potent firme and solide Consolation The