Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	body_n	soul_n	spirit_n	5,254	5	5.2345	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64984	The death of ministers improved. Or, an exhortation to the inhabitants of Horsley on Glocester-shire, and others, on the much lamented death of that reverend and faithful minister of the Gospel, Mr. Henry Stubbs By Tho. Vincent, John Turner, Rob. Perrott, M. Pemberton. To which is added a sermon upon that occasion, by Richard Baxter.	Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.; Turner, Robert, b. 1649 or 50, 4aut.; R. P. (Robert Perrot) aut.; Pemberton, Matthew, d. 1691. aut.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1678 (1678)	Wing V430; ESTC R221906	43,418	108

and affections the resolving and removing groundless doubts and perplexing fears concerning your spiritual condition the arming you against Satans temptations the guiding of you in the dark night of desertion and when under the Eclipse of th● light of Gods countenance and for your quickning and encouragement under affliction● and all oppositions and difficulties which you do or may meet withall in Heavens way But should we write particularly and fully to you of these things our Letter would grow into a treatise which is beyond our design therefore we must refer you for Counsel in these things unto the Word of God and those Books in our English tongue which are written on these Subjects and particularly to call to remembrance what your dear Pastor hath taught you and advised you who was the best acquainted with the state of your Souls All that we shall further add is to mind you of some duties and to suggest some considerations for your comfort and encouragement under this so great a loss The duties which God calleth you more especially unto after his taking away your Pastor from you are 1 Watchfulness 2 Fruitfulness 3 Prayer 4 Family-instruction First Watchfulness All Ministers are or ●ught to be the Lords Watchmen the Watch●●n whom the Lord set over you was emi●ently faithful but he is now gone and will ●●itch over you no longer and therefore you ●●ve the more need and are now called to ●atch over your selves the more diligently ●nd to watch over one another 1. Watch over your selves guard your ●●nses which are the inlets of sin and keep ●our hearts with all diligence from whence ●re the issues of sin it is not long since you ●ad the eye of your Minister over you ●ho was a faithful reprover now he is removed take heed you give not your selves the more liberty either to neglect duties or to comply with temptations whereby you may be enticed unto any sin were Mr. Stubbs alive and by you it may be you would not yield to such and such Temptations lest you should offend him and be reproved by him but think with your selves that God is by you always and being infinitely holy is more highly offended with sin than the most holy man on earth can be and you have also an observer within you a reprover we mean your own Consciences and take heed of offending them in offending of God for if God and Conscience should be against you it is a thousand times worse than to have all the men on Earth and all the Devils in Hell against you Watch not only against grosser and more scandalou● sins but also against lesser sins and such as a●● of more ordinary practice in the World an● that not only amongst the profane but all amongst professors of Religion themselve● amongst whom too many hypocrites will b● found at the last day Watch also again● errours especially such as are damnable su● as are in the foundations of Religion whi●● should you entertain would be mor● effectual to ruin your Souls than if you we●● guilty of the grossest immoralities Havin● received the truth hold it fast prize it abo●● Silver and Gold as being far more preciou● yea above life it self and let all go rather tha● let any truth go let truths be rooted in you● hearts imbrace them with love and delight otherwise you may be imposed upon with e●rours by some cunning impostors and be tosse● to and fro with divers winds of Doctrine● by the flight of men and cunning craftiness 〈◊〉 such as lie in wait to deceive always suspec● them as dangerously erroneous who endeavou● to bring the Ministry of Christ's appointme●● into contempt and perswade you to a neglec● thereof which you have reason above othe● ●ighly to esteem and keep close unto having ●●d so eminent and faithful a Minister amongst ●ou Secondly As you ought to watch over ●our selves so also to watch over one another ●hat so instead of one there may be many ●atchmen amongst you Watch over one ●nother in reference to sin and in reference to ●uty In reference to sin both to prevent sin 〈◊〉 one another and to restore such as are fallen 〈◊〉 it Watch to prevent sin so far as you have ●ower say not with Cain Am I my brothers ●eeper As you ought not to murder the ●odies of any nor to suffer any if you can ●inder it to murder themselves so you ought ●ot to murder the Souls of any nor to permit ●hem if you can hinder it to murder their ●wn Souls should you see any of your neigh●ours or acquaintance take Swords or Dag●ers and therewith to gash and wound them●lves lift up their hands to thrust them into ●heir hearts would not you run to them and ●atch away those weapons and instruments of ●eath from them Would not you argue and ●ead with them to forbear the laying such ●●olent hands upon themselves By sin your ●●ighbours wound themselves if they wound 〈◊〉 their flesh they wound their Spirit if they wound not their bodies they wound their Souls and as those wounds are most inward so they are the most deep and dangerous the wounds of sin are mortal wounds and not only temporal death but eternal will be the effect of them without a seasonable application of the blood of Christ. O do what you can to prevent sin in your friends do what you can to arm them against Temptations and to encourage them to resist the Devil to expose themselves to any kind of sufferings and pains and to deny themselves any kind of delights and gains rather than to offend God and wound their Consciences by their sins But if any of your Brethren have been tempted and have yielded if they are falle● and wounded watch to restore such and there in follow the direction of the Apostle Gal. 6 1● Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault 〈◊〉 which are Spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest tho● also be tempted If you hear of a fault in any of your neighbours be not forward to believe it unless the thing be evident by clear proof or the parties own confession and then think what the Law of love doth require Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him When your neighbours lie under guilt let love to their Souls prompt you to use your endeavour for the removal thereof don 't speak of their faults behind their backs to their defamation and the wounding of their names but speak of their faults to themselves in your plain and faithful reproofs in order to their amendment and the healing of the wounds in their Consciences and that your reproofs may be successful they must be managed with much prudence with a due consideration of the fault the person the place the time and the manner as to the manner the Apostle directs you to do it in the

to succeed you who will watch over and feed them as you have done Indeed after so much toil and labour you may well long to be at rest after so much work you may well look and long for your reward but will not your rest be the sweeter if you ●abour a little more Will not your reward ●e the greater if you add further work to what you have done already If you long to be in Heaven O stay a little for us till we be more fitted for that place good Sir abide a little longer with us that you may gain more Souls for Christ who will add to your glory and joy at the day of Christs glorious appearance Thus we might have argued and pleaded with him to stay had we known that he was going from us not to London only but also unto Heaven But it was the will of God he should take this journey to London and that he should finish his course there his glass was run his work was done the bounds of his years and days were determined over which he could not pass had both he and we never so much desired it He is gone he is gone never to return to us again in this World We have lost a most dear tender hearted faithful laborious and painful Minister but our loss is his gain he is happy we do not envy his happiness but he hath left us behind forlorn and sorrowful in a World of sin and misery Such language as this we may suppose to have been amongst you in the Country and as you are most deeply concerned in the loss of Mr. Stubbs so that you have been greatly affected therewith beyond what we can set forth Two Funeral Sermons on Mr. Stubbs death have been Preached in the City one on the Lords day by Mr. Thomas Watson the other on the week day by Mr. Richard Baxter both which we suppose will come to your hands The Character which Mr. Baxter in his hath given the only Sermon of the two which we have seen of Mr. Stubbs his Spirit Doctrine manner of Life conversation his great diligence and unwearied pains in publick Preaching and private instruction when the Sermon doth come forth will sufficiently evidence to others as well as your selves what a loss above others you have sustained Should we employ our Pens in drawing further lineaments of this excellent person they might prove but shadows not to set off but obscure the picture of his spirit already drawn so lively by a far more skilful hand and therefore we forbear any further commendations of him who is above our commendation Our design and business is to mind you of your duty in reference to this sad providence which hath bereaved you of such a Pastor as Mr. Stubbs was unto you One great duty is to lament and lay to heart your Pastors death to affect you herewith what we have already written hath a tendency we know all of you have reason to grieve but are there not too many of you unsensible of this great loss And is not this loss the greatest to such When good old Iacob dyed his death was lamented sorely not only by his own Children but also by the Egyptians Gen. 50. 10 11. When Moses and Aaron dyed the Israelites mourned for each of them thirty days Numb 20.29 Deut. 34.8 When the good King Iosiah was slain there was a great mourning for him amongst the Iews called the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon When Elisha the Prophet lay on his death-bed Ioash although a wicked King did weep over him 2 Kings 13.14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he dyed and Joash the King came down to him and wept over his face and said O my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and Horsemen thereof And we read Act. 8.2 when Stephen the Protomartyr was stoned by the Iews Devout men carryed Stephen to his burial and made great Lamentation over him Eccles. 12.5 Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the streets But when such men go men of God Embassadours Ministers such eminent Ministers as yours was O what mourning should there be for him you have lost a Soul friend yea a Soul-Father an old Disciple a Soul-counsellor a true shepherd a Soul feeder a sincere Nathanael a Barnabas a Soul comforter you have lost an Angel a steward a labourer a watchman a builder one that studied for your Souls Preached prayed for your Souls watched for your Souls wept for your Souls spent himself for your Souls good and shall not such a loss be bewailed As Paul said to the Ephesians concerning himself we may say to you concerning Mr. Stubbs Act. 20.25 Behold all ye amongst whom he hath gone for some year● Preaching the Kingdom of God ye shall see hi● face no more and it is said Verse 37.38 And they all wept sore and fell on Pauls neck and kissed him Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more Mr. Stubbs hath several times come to the City and returned to you again but now he will return to you no more he hath done Preaching to you he hath done praying for you he will weep and wrestle for you no more he will never more instruct and counsel you never more warn and admonish you never more exhort and perswade you never more comfort and encourage you the doors are now shut the doors of your ears have been too often shut against his message and now the doors of his lips are shut up and never will they be open to you any more It would have been a just cause of great trouble if your Minister had been removed into a corner or had been thrust into a Prison although there you might have visited him sometimes and received a Spiritual benefit by his private converse and not have been without hopes of his deliverance and enjoying the fruit of his labours again but now he is gone from whence he will not return his Soul is fled beyond your reach and his body is gone down to the place of silence the Lord hath put him to silence men could not do it he would preach so long as he had a Tongue to speak but God hath silenced him in the grave so that now you must not look that he should pray more and put up further supplications for you or preach more and give further instructions unto you this is a Lamentation and should be for a Lamentation Especially you should lament your sins which have procured this loss this sad stroke have you not sinned away your Minister by your unteachableness under the word which hath been taught by his mouth your unfruitfulness under Gods showing upon you Gods dressing and manuring of you by his hands We have had our loss too here in the City not only of him but also of many other eminent and faithful Ministers our glory is in a great measure

away from God don't give the strength of your years too Let the time past be sufficient wherein you have served divers lusts and let the remaining part of your days be devoted unto God It is likely that many of you are now got into intanglements and will be hindred by incumbring business in the work which is like to be more difficult than if you had begun betimes but think although the difficulty of Repentance be never so great yet the necessity of Repentance is far greater Repentance is both universally and absolutely altogether indispensably necessary you must repent all of you must repent otherwise you are lost irrecoverably and will perish everlastingly It may be hard to you now and grievous to unravel all your sinful works to undo what hither to you have been doing to begin another life now after you have spent or rather mispent so much of your time It may be very grievous to you to cut off your right hands to pluck out your right eyes but better do so than that the whole body be cast into the fire we mean it is better to part with your most beloved lusts called in the Scripture and by our Saviour the right hands and the right eyes than that the Soul should perish in sin and be tormented in Hell surely Hells torments is far more grievous than repenting work and converting work can be O be not befooled by the deluding Devil and your own deceitful hearts to defer so great and necessary work any longer you have thought to repent at this time and thought to repent at that time and yet this time hath come and that time hath come and both have slipt and are gone and still you are where you were as far from Repentance yea further from it more indisposed more averse to it than at the beginning Sinners what do you resolve upon will you hold fast sin still Will you pursue your lusts to the burning lake Or will you defer again this work of Repentance until a fitter season What season can be more fit than the present season when God calleth you commandeth you and stretcheth forth his hand to encourage you unto this duty Thirdly And lastly We shall add one word to call old sinners to Repentance your Spring is past your Summer is ended your Winter is come and yet you have not repented yet have not amended And what do you think now to do Are you resolved to finish your course as you have begun it Are you resolved to fill up the measure of your sin with your days and will you deafen your ears against all Gods calls unto the last You have one foot in the grave and don 't you sometimes think of Death Can you think to live here always Don't you feel your strength to decay Have you no Harbingers and forerunners of death with you Do not your Silver hairs mind you of the loosing of the silver cord and your daily breakings through the infirmities of old age of the breaking of the golden bowl and pitcher at the fountain and wheel at the cistern whom dust shall return to the earth as it was and the Spirit to God that gave it that by him you may be judged Eccl. 12.6 7. Young ones may die in youth but you must die in old age you cannot last much longer in a moment you may go down into your dust and what do you think will become of your Souls when they are separated from your bodies Will not God call you to an account for all your sins Shall you not receive according to what you have done in the body Can you be content that God should banish you from his presence for ever and punish you amongst Devils in Hell Can you dwell with devouring fire Can you inhabit everlasting burnings Can you endure to be tormented and that to eternity and that with extremity of torments But you will say is there no hope I answer the Devil may tell you there is no hope when you were young the Devel perswaded you it was too soon to repent and in the strength of your years that it was too soon time enough hereafter and now it may be he would perswade you it is too late yet however grey-headed Converts are very rare some such there are and have been found We read Math. 20.6 of some called to work in the vineyard at the eleventh hour Indeed your Repentance now will be with the greatest difficulty but consider what hath been said of its necessity and you may take same encouragement from its possibility It is possible for you to obtain Repentance and Remission and Salvation if without further delay you seek it if you diligently seek it You have need to ransack your hearts to read over the Register of your Consciences to draw up bills of inditement against your selves you have need to retire within to go down into your Spirits with the candle of the Lord in one hand and the word of the Lord in the other hand that you may find out and bring out and slay those lusts there which war against you and which if they be not slain will be your ruin you have need to humble your selves greatly before the Lord to lie very low to cry very loud to mourn and weep to grieve and lament over so many sins and those so highly aggravated as yours have been And then know there is mercy enough in store for such as you free-grace can save the oldest and greatest sinner the merits of Christ are sufficient for your pardon the promises of the Covenant are large and may reach the worst of you O then break off your sins by Repentance and lay hold on the Lord Jesus by faith and devote what remaineth of your life unto God and it is possible that such as you may get into the Kingdom of Heaven and eternally admire the infinite Riches of Gods free grace in your Salvation Our Letter would swell too much should we add particular directions in order to this work we therefore exhort you to call to Remembrance what your own Pastor hath Preached to you for your guidance and help and it is possible that the seed which he sowed whilst alive may spring up after his death and the Sermons which he hath Preached amongst you and the Counsels which he hath given to you may through Gods blessing and your Remembrance and Application have their effect even now he is gone in your Conversion and Salvation Besides unconverted persons we hope there are many true Converts truly gracious persons among you and not a few who have been the Seal of Mr. Stubbs's Ministry Some of you are new born others well grown Christians some of you are in a declining state others are thriving Christians we might be as large in our writing to you as we have been in our call of the Unconverted we might give particular counsel and advice in order to the healing of wounded Consciences the reviving decay'd graces