Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A62109
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Saints like Christ: or, somewhat of truth delivered to the congregation at headly in Hampshire By Jo. Symmonds, M.A.
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Symonds, Joseph.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing S6357; ESTC R222482
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66,641
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157
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was imputed that all believers may be reputed before God by vertue of Christs righteousnesse holy and perfect as righteousnesse it selfe Thus you see how souls may be said to be sinners take them as in themselves and in the flesh so sinners take them as reconcil'd to God as having Christs righteousnesse imputed to them and beheld of God in that so without sin without guile no sinners but holy pure undefiled beloved of God blessed Saints 3. They are precious souls precious in this filthy ungodly sinful wicked world that from grace coming in act in wayes of grace and holines without that let the inhabitants of the world be wicked follow their Prince the Devil yet they wil walke in holines following the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of peace and King of righteousnesse God in all ages hath some to witnesse to his glorious truths so in this age some that are taught of the Spirit led of the Spirit that minde the things of the Spirit that have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and by the power of that Spirit in dwelling doe mortifie the deeds of the body and are raised up and quickned by the Spirit of God within to walke in righteousness true holines to serve God and own his cause though the world with them that dwel therein oppose they are excellent souls that appear for God in bad times in the worst of times yea when 't is not alone a hazarding their names to disgrace and shame but their bodies to be torne in pieces to be burnt to ashes You that are acquainted with scripture and history may see every age every yeare bring forth some such gallant spirits that were ready to lay down their lives to undergoe any cruel vile shameful death for the name of Christ and the testimony of Jesus 4. They are precious for they that are faithful and chosen that are such as Christ is continue good let all the world be bad A precious soule is an excellent Theophilus and wil appeare so let others be never so bad let them be enemies to God fighters against God Times are bad now and like for a while to be worse yet there are pretious Christans so some there wil be as long as the world continues that shal shine out as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 that wil be without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverss nation that wil run right on towards glory let whose wil run crosse that wil keep their garments white though others be soyl'd I commend such to you souls for precious Christians for precious Saints that abstaine from all appearance of evil that in heart and soul and life clear to and follow after what is good Vse 3 Love those precious souls that Christ esteemes precious nay that Christ hath made precious that are before God precious that are the dearely belov'd of his soul that are honourable ones that are borne of the wil of God that are attended on by Angels that are for a short time plac'd in the world and shal ere long be received into glory let your delight be plac'd on those excellent ones let your eyes be on them that Gods eyes are on your heart towards those that Gods heart is towards good children are apt to respect those they see their parents love if you be true children rightly descended of the Royal line of heaven you wil eye the outgoings of your fathers love and as Bees settle where the Queen settles so wil you where God upon what family or soul the Lord hangs his love you wil hang yours where God delights to be you wil delight to be all so Consider I pray who you love what sort of people it is you most affect whether it be carnal worldly unregenerate men or holy heavenly regenerate Saints Do you now desire to know Gods jewels Vse 4 to be able to discern of these precious ones to say such are Gods children such are the friends of Christ like Christ you must have the life spirit wisdome knowledge of Christ you must be taught of God to know who are Gods like God Paul persecuted the precious Saints of Christ and was a deadly foe and enemy to them til such time as he was endued with wisdome from on high til God shone upon him yea into him and then knowing Saints he associated himself with them and was no longer hurtful but helpful Many a soul is a sore and grievous enemy to the people of God I am perswaded much of their enmity ariseth from this because they know not Saints they are ignorant what glorious ones they are in what a high esteem they are with God how God wil punish them that wrong them Ignorance of Saints makes them slighted reviled defam'd accounted as the filth of the world and the off scouring of all things T is want of knowing the worth of a Jewel that makes it not prized so of a Saint that is a member of Christ a child of God The God of wisdome give you wisdome to know such that are holy that are Princes of the bloud-Royal of heaven and to give them such respect that is due and reverence as belongs to them This none can do but such as have the spirit this you wil do if the Lord give out the spirit of truth to guide you in all truth if heavenly light shine into you that light shining in wil discover and manifest to you the children of light and whosoever you can find walking heaven-ward you wil be glad of their company Ignorance had a hand in killing Christ and it hath some hand in all the wrong is done to Saints the Lord free you all from it least ye should through ignorance harme the darlings of God and bring swift damnation on your selves God hath grievous threatnings in Scripture against Saint-wrongers and there are recorded some heavy punishments that have been inflicted on them that harme the righteous God keep you from the sin and so from the suffering I might ad how beneficial 't is for you to know who are Saints and how much for your souls advantage to be acquainted with them but I omit it Happy are you that are of the number of these jewels of God of these preciout Vse 5 ones I do not know what your condition is in respect of outward things and creature-enjoyments but I can safely say you are a happy people if precious if such as Christ you shal all be laid up in glory shortly God wil not lose one of his jewels for a world Heaven and earth shal perish but no Saint never a precious soul not a jewel that belongs to the crown Royal of glory These rare souls these souls to whom Angels do service that are carried in the armes in the bosome in the heart of God that are singular souls chosen out from among thousands by royal favour sâ—ch in whom the eye of God can see nothing amisse no defect no excesse no presence of sinne no
God speaks good to souls now and gives in somewhat of love but 't is here a little and there a little now and then a drop to keep their hearts open but in heaven God comunicates all at once here he gives out what he gives in degrees according to Saints capacity to receive but in heaven the whole shall be posses'd that God hath in store for them that love him they shall have perfect holines compleat happines and pure spirituality Animorum summa puritas stupenda corporum charita c. There natures shall be spotless and there actions blamelesse an orient splendour and matchlesse brightness of resplendent light shall cover the whole man as a garment Oh what an infinite unconceiveable and unparallel'd gladnes throughout the soul spirit whloe man wil this occasion Saints here desire much and have somewhat of heavens excellency but their desires are not fully satisfied Quicquid desiderare poterunt electi illic invenient quia coram a facie ad faciem intuentur eum qui est omnia and in heaven they shal have their ful insomuch that desires shal cease not longing after more for God shal communicate himselfe fully and at once to Saints there Saints have now some beauty some comlines they are in part sanctified but in heaven they shal be fully sanctified all glorious this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality and then conceptions of evil shall not be in souls there shal be no unsoundnes of judgment nor taints of error no impuritie nor imbecillity of affections in glory Saints love to Christ shal not be cold weak and feeble but it shall be hot strong perfect they shal be without any imperfection Nothing in them or what is done by them shal be blame-worthy Similes erimus ipsi Deo benedicto in seculum they shal be like the blessed God for ever Is not this a word of comfort now wil it not be much more a precious soul-rejoycing to enjoy this purity this samctity this holinesse of being made a excellent beautiful like Angels Angelis sibi ipsi nos similes reddit yea like God himself There shal be nothing amisse in the soul it shal be all glorious no blindnesse lamenesse deafnesse nor crookednesse nor infirmity shal be on the body the bodies of Saints in glory that be handsome faire comely beautiful yea like unto the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3.21 yea and which is more they shal in the whole body be like unto his glorious body Eadem corpora quae hic cum Christo crucifixa sunt una cum Christo in caelesti beatitudine glorificantur These very bodies of Saints that suffer now with and for Christ shal with Christ in heavenly blisse be glorified with him yea they shal have such glory as he hath This Souls I shal leave to you to admire I cannot sufficiently and to the ful in words discover it to you 'T is a wonder to thinke that they that are gracious and so like Christ here should be in heaven as handsome bodied as Christ is Gloria nulla lingua satis explicari potest and have as comely a person and feature as he himself has whom the Father loves dearly that their bodies shal be in all places like to Christs body Beloved may not this incourage us in trouble to venture life and limb for God rather then that God should lose his glory seeing that he can make up all again and supply all wants and wil make every one perfect at last and also not to be troubled as concerning Death with any discomfortable thoughts of worms eating and destroying the flesh with rottennesse seising upon the body and the like knowing that Christ at last wil restore all perfect 2. Saints you have now some wisdome and knowledge you shal have more abundant you shal have more wisdome Isa Dei sapientia seipsam eis ostendet c. you shal have clearer knowledge in the things of God and Christ and of heaven surely knowledge is an exellent thing especially Divine and Heavenly knowledge knowledge in the mystery of salvation What is it that some would not give for knowledge now in Arts and Tongues and in Scripture-truths yea to know God rightly In heaven Saints you shall have an exquisite and perfect knowledge of God ye shal see him not only mentally and contemplatively but also with the bodies eyes corporally so Job Job 19.25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whome I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another This Christians I conceive may make your longings to be eager after heaven and exceedingly rejoyce to thinke you shal see God to see God as he is in himself and as he Is in you And all this in a spiritual manner for all knowledge in heaven shal be spiritual I might enlarge my self more on this but I forbear according to what of God is given in to you such is your knowledge already and as God shal be reveal'd knowledge shal encrease and at last you shal in glory know as you are known 3. Saints shal in heaven have a ful fruition of Christ a ful sight of their sweet Saviour Chridum videre superabit omniagaudia Superabit omnia cordis nostoi desideria such a sight that shal give in unspeakable joy such enjoyment that shal bring more joy then heart can wish no tongue can express no heart can conceive what consolation they have that shal enjoy Christ and dwel with him for ever To see Christ to dwel and be with Christ brings to soules wounderful happines This makes souls cry out how long Lord Jesus is it ere thou wilt bring us to glory where we may have beauty presented to our sight sweetnes to our taste amongst men Pulchritudo erit visui mel gustui cithara auditui balsanum olfactui flos actui musick to our eare what is odoriferous to our smelling and delightful to be touch'd and handled the soul also fil'd with light and comfort every faculty having what is pleasant to it given out freely and fully O blessed condition O sweet life O happy being to be brought into the Court of the glorious God to the society of Saints Jesu Christe sponse animaemeae suavissime into the bosome of sweet and blessed Jesus the loving and ever-glorious husband to blessed souls Love is abundantly shown on earth by Christ to those that are Christs in their affaires to direct them in their troubles to help them in their dangers to deliver them in bestowing divers and excellent benefits both of grace and nature and of creature-things likewise in disappointing the dangerous devices of enemies in frustrating the subtile and crafty plottings of Satan in beating downe the power of