Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	spirit_n	word_n	6,961	5	4.2967	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44126	Two sermons preach'd at the funerals of the Right Honourable Robert Lord Lexington and the Lady Mary his wife by Samuel Holden.	Holden, Samuel, fl. 1662-1676.	1676 (1676)	Wing H2382; ESTC R28098	32,373	60

alone for of that even Socrates and Plato were sufficiently secure even by rational Collections Nay 't was the general persuasion of Heathens for who amongst them apprehended not something of bliss or pain on the other side the Grave And 't is indeed very demonstrable were it at present so convenient that Humane Spirits are all Deathless So that Lorinus conceives it only an Article of Faith to shallower Intellects whose weakness craves the assistance of Divine Discoveries to make them apprehend it But nevertheless Dependance on Gods Word for the firm credence of the Truth is a practice more secure and commendable even in the most acute capacities But in Answer to this doubt Solomon here by ascending upward means but the same with that in his 12th Chapter of Ecclesiastes Ver. 7. And the Spirit ascendeth unto God who gave it which imports not only the humane Spirits eternity but also if of the pious its felicity not only its perpetuity but also its place of abode in that perpetuity And here indeed REASON falls short and FAITH flies home The Heathens knew that their Souls should not die but how or where they should live how ignorant were they how unsatisfi'd We may well ask with Solomon Who knows by REASON the place and posture of our Souls surviving But yet we may answer with the Apostle By FAITH we know that when this earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolv'd we have a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens This with the rest are Deaths Priviledges So that although it be the rich and bad Mans Fury yet 't is the poor and good Mans Mistriss The good Man courts her to advance his Fortune I desire to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ which is far better The other for his Sanctuary and in his own defence To both the Grave is advantageous and to dye is gain Better is their Death than any natural thing that attended their Lives and better than Birth that began them But though the Text be full of Consolation to the dying Man or his surviving Friends though Death exceeds either our Birth or Life Yet we must wear this Caution in our Bosomes not wilfully and violently to exchange our Life for Death We all must study to provide for Death not to procure it The encouragement will never justifie some bold Pretenders who furiously lay hands upon themselves and court not Death but ravish her 'T was once indeed a Learned Mans (k) Dr Donn persuasion though alter'd afterwards That Self-murther did not any thing intrench on the Divine Authority nor violate that great Command Thou shalt not kill presuming that Injunction only related to the Lives of others But if to theirs then also to our own though not in Precept yet in Presupposal Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self is our Saviours Summary of the last Six Commandments So that in our own Bosomes we bear directions for our deportment towards others Our Nature then being presum'd averse from wishing that we might be rob'd our selves we are commanded therefore Not to Steal So likewise in False Witness and Defamation and as in other Precepts so in this it being presuppos'd that none would willingly anticipate his End by engaging himself in his own Death it follows therefore Thou shalt not kill thy Neighbour And how can that Command which presupposes the Negative permit the Positive But what if murdering our selves we murder others too Examples oft contract a guilt by others imitation And who can pronounce Brutus innocent of Portia's blood when she learnt death of him and dy'd enamor'd on the fatal President (l) Plutach in vita Bruti in fine Nay what if I in my own private fall become a general Assassinate For he that kills himself does what he can to kill Mankind and were the World as docile in sins of pain and horror for horrid enough Death seems though 't is not so as in guilt of other complexions Killing might grow infections till the Universe became but one Aceldama one Man would dye his Neighbors destruction and become a Rule for the next Man to expire by he to the next and so throughout the specìes till ne're a vein were left in Humane Nature to bleed the sin over again But though as some may think there should be no intrenchment upon Gods Command in Self-destruction yet stands not his Veracity inviolate For on what grounds could he assert That Man remains uncertain of his latter end man knoweth not his time (m) Eccles 9.12 if it be subject to his own disposure He that may be his own Executioner may be his own Prophet too and readily foretell that Fate which he has liberty and power to make Nor is this kind of Death as Cato and others fancy'd the strong result of generous spirits but the offspring of timorous dispositions For though those Tyrants over their own flesh relented not at those Black Guards which still stood ready muster'd in the vale of Death yet dreaded they those bloody Colours which they saw display'd against them on the Plains of Life proclaiming to the world that they durst dye because they were afraid to live If this be Bravery and Courage each Fool may be a Hero with the assistance of misfortune and a little peevishness and though he lives like Nabal and folly with him he may depart the world like a Counsellor and lie down in the dust as wisely as Achitophel So that although kind Death does make us Presents richer than Life yet we may not snatch at them All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come The great felicity we would atchieve is lost by eager and too hot pursuit Death catches back its benefits like Tantalus's waters from hasty and too violent endeavours Thus we may make our Angel prove our Fiend Sufferings have oft Sin has sometimes instructed pensive and dejected men to seek ease in the Grave but they have lost it by thus seeking it nay they have hastened desolation and lengthned it to everlastingness When Sins reduc'd to memory have wrought despair and arm'd Men to their proper ruine their streams of grief have drown'd where they should but have wash'd their blood has then unsanctify'd their tears and blotted out in fury whatever good Lines Remorse had written Though Death be pleasing when 't is well considered yet patient submission to Divine Decrees is one great feature which presents her lovely Whereof our memories may soon relapse into a fresh example and these Garments hang like Phylacteries to mind us of him Shall I say his Name is better than Oyntment than Oyl And yet my Language shew not like the worst of Oyls the Oyl of Flattery Shall I attempt the description of his Life His Cheeks now cannot blush How say you then Shall I present you now after his Death with Catalogues of Epithites and Praises which though the virtues of his life deserv'd yet one great virtue of his life his