Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	body_n	heart_n	soul_n	4,786	5	4.6656	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26888	The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B1214; ESTC R13061	111,630	274

contradict Gods Word and Cavil and Argue against Faith and Holiness They that deride and mock at the Obedience of Gods Commands and Reproach the most Religious by scornful Nicknames They that seduce them by false Doctrine and that draw them from Gods Worship and they that silence necessary Faithful Preachers and they that dissuade Men from hearing or regarding them O! what an Army hath Satan for his work of destroying Souls These Men should think that it 's greater Cruelty to destroy Souls than to Rob or Murder Bodies It is fighting against the Office and Work of Christ that came to save them and against all the Ordinannances and Word of God and all the Course of his saving Mercies and all the Desires and Endeavours of the Godly that Long and Labour for Mens Salvation It is to be like Devils and do the Devils work and by hurting others they more hurt themselves And if Gods Mercy should Convert and Save such wretches they cannot Convert and Save those that they have deceived and drawn to Sin And God only knoweth what thoughts they would have if they come to Heaven to see or know of Souls in Hell that they brought thither But if they die Unconverted and go to them their Presence and Torment will be the increase of their own 11. These thoughts should stir up all believers to labour to save Souls from the Snares and Powers of Devils O! do not say as Cain Am I my Brothers Keeper say not that it is only the Work of Ministers They are Guides in Christs Army but you are Soldiers You are Vowed to fight against the Devil the World and Flesh and that for others as well as for your selves Societies are for Mutual Helps A Minister is but one Man and not an Army and can be but in one place at once You live among and near your Family Neighbours and such as you Converse with and may often speak to them All in your places must be Lights and Salt to Enlighten a Dark and season a Corrupt Generation O! You that believe the Life to come make haste to help poor Miserable Souls before Death put them past Remedy or Sin hath utterly hardened their Hearts Do you love your Neighbours as your selves and will see them continue in Ignorance Worldliness and Profaneness and do nothing or little to save them If you saw but their Bodies in need and shut up the Bowels of Compassion against them what love have you to God to Christ or them If Christ in Judgment will Condemn Men for not relieving Podies Math. 25. will it prove less sinful to afford no help to Souls If you are not for Christ and his Works you are against him If you saw them fall down in a Swound you would help them up And if their Houses were on Fire you would help and haste to quench it yea if your Enemies Beast fall into a Pit you must help him out And do you believe a Hell and not help Sinners The Devil their Adversary and yours as a Roaring Lyon seeketh Night and Day to Devour And will you do nothing to save Men. If you cannot do what you would do what you can Do but take it for your Duty and Works for which you must give account to God and keep you an account how you perform it Ask your selves what have I done for Souls this Week or this day Begin at home and give to all an Example of Holiness Heavenly meekness and Self-denial Then look to your Families O! betray not the Souls of your Children and Servants with a few slight good words or forms but with Love and Diligence Labour to make them understand Gods Word and the things of their Salvation Catechize them and help them to understand and apply it Keep them from ill Company Labour to render Gods Service to them as it is Necessary Honourable and Pleasant Time is short Souls are precious Hell is dreadful Heaven is joyful Devils and their wicked Servants are busie While you have opportunity labour to do good to all Your Labour if sincere shall not be in vain If you want Ability labour to increase it and get the help of such as can do better get them to able Ministers Put suitable Books into their Hands Do not as those Sectaries that to shew their Gifts are ready to intrude as publick Preachers but instead of Patient and Compassionate Diligence with the Ignorant and Ungodly about them do but exasperate them by Reproaches and Disgrace Condescend to the least and lowest Do all with Humility and Winning Love Alas Satan hath a greater and more dangerous Army to fight against Christ and Holiness and Mens Salvation among the Great and Rich and Proud and Careless Voluptuous Sinners than among Witches and possessed Bodies He wins and undoes most by pleasing them If he can get them to prefer Earth before Heaven and Wealth and Honour before Holiness and to be lovers of fleshly Pleasures more than of God and keep them from any serious Minister or Means that would waken them and bring them to their Wits and keep them from serious Consideration and from thinking whither they are going and how all their Carelesness Ease and Sin will end this is it that answereth his Soul murdering desires 12. But especially these Instances of Satans Diligence and Malice should teach Ministers how to preach on what Subjects in and what manner and how to converse personally with those of their charge Shall the Captains in Christ's Army see the Devourer go away with the Prey and do little for their rescue Is ignorant cold jingling contentious Preaching meet for them that are so greatly obliged to militate under Christ against the Destroyer and for the everlasting saving of Mens Souls The Lord heal and pardon our Unbelief and cruel want of Pitty and our Sloth and Lukewarmness for it is great and serious Work which we undertake But of this I refer those that will read it to my formed Pastor O Lord give to the Christian World a greater number of Wise Humble Holy experienced Teachers and save them from those that hate or believe not the Doctrine which for worldly Ends they preach and that serve the Devil in the name of Christ and calling themselves the Church and their Conceits its Canon or Rule do Preach and Rule for themselves their Honour Will and Wealth on pretence of the Welfare and Unity of the Church and become the Trumpeters of Malignity Persecution and Schism and have not known the way of Mercy CHAP. II. Several Historical Instances of Apparitions Witches and marvellous convincing Works of God's Providence § 1. THere are in this City of London many Persons that prosess their great unbelief or doubt of the Life to come the Immortality of the Soul and therefore much more of the truth of the Gospel and Christian Faith and Supernatural Revelations But they say that could they be certain of Spirits Apparitions Witchcraft and Miracles it would do more to

a Body of gross Air and sometimes may gratifie the Lust of one Witch on another or on a tempted ignorant Wretch He that can bring a Witch in without opening the Door can bring such an one Male or Female into another's Bed 12. It is not impossible that wicked Souls may carry with them hence their filthy Inclinations and Desire to use them 13. It is plain that Devils and wicked Souls are not yet in the utmost of their Misery but are reserved in Chains to the Judgment of the great Day of Christ Such joking and dallying and whistling as the Devil of Mascon and many other used shew this 14. It is clear that whether you call it in State or Place I think both the blessed Souls and Angels are far above these in a higher World or Region and no wonder if they appear more rarely to Men on Earth 15. Yet Angels can be here and do their Office for us without such Descent as shall abate their Joy and Glory and why not blessed Souls too if they shall be equal with Angels The Sun can enlighten every Eye here without losing its higher Residence 16. When revengeful things are done as on Murderers Defrauders c. it seems to be from the revengeful Wrath of some bad Soul especially when it is about Money or Lands it seemeth to savour of the Worldly Mind Yet it is uncertain whether it may not be from the Justice of God and governing Angels sending the Evil Spirits on such Errands A Hawk and a Hound are fitter Messengers to destroy than a Dove or a Lamb. 17. When a Genius sheweth some Kindness to the Soul as his that I mentioned that knocketh at his Bed's Head and about him after every time that he is drunk and one that Bodin mentioneth that was stricken when he said or did amiss it is uncertain to us whether it be a good Angel or the Soul of some former dear Friend that procureth this Leave to try to turn and save the Sinner Or whether Christ and Angels force Satan to do it against his Will 18. Though the unquenchable Fire which is to follow will shew the utmost Severity of God's Justice there is some signification of his Mercy to the Wicked in suspending it so far as to allow them such a Condition as many of these Apparitions signifie by their Words and Deeds 19. Yet here is nothing to encourage their Opinion that think such Souls or Demons are but in via and have another Day of Hope and Means to use in possibility of Salvation And though many are said to have begged of the Living for Mastes and Prayers it is liker to prove a Diabolical Cheat to promote Superstition than that there is a Purgatory-State of Hope 20. Those that are tempted to think that Souls are all one and that Individuation is only by Corporeal Matter and that Individuation ceaseth at Death are by all these Examples fully confuted Devils and wicked Souls have their Numerical Individuation and therefore no Godly Person need to fear the Loss of it Either it is good or bad for us If good shall the Wicked and Devils have it and not the Godly If bad why should it be desired Angels are Individuals and shall not our Souls § 6. These great Benefits we may get by the right Use of these Histories and such others 1. We may learn to admire that Frame of Divine Government that hath Creatures so various to rule and order and maketh one beautiful Frame of all As Toads and Serpents on Earth are not useless nor devouring Fishes Birds and Beasts so neither are Devils nor damned Souls no nor their Sins which God will use though he will not cause 2. We may gather that in Heaven it self there will be an orderly Oeconomy and difference of degrees of Superiority and of Glory when there is so great difference through all the World All shall not be equal to them that shall sit on twelve Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes There are many Mansions in that House even to them that be all with Christ. 3. We have great Cause to be very thankful to God that doth not let loose wicked Spirits against us that they are not here our Terror and Tormentors 4. How great a Mercy is it that we have a Saviour that hath power over them and hath Redeemed us from their Power and from everlasting Damnation 5. We may see that the Angels of God are not useless to us but their Ministry is one of Gods Means for our Preservation and we owe them Love and Thanks for all their Love and Service And it is not through Pride or Insensibility of this benefit that we do not worship them whom we see not 6. If the Devils possessing and tormenting Mens Bodies be so heavy a Plague how much worse is it to have him the Master of their Souls O! How carefully should we resist his Temptations Every Sin that we commit through Love to it or by Wilfulness or Sloth is worse to us and more pleasing to the Devil than to be Tormented so long by him He mist of his aim at Iob when he could not by all his Sufferings draw him to Sin O! how much more miserable is a Worldly Proud Gluttonous Dives Lord Knight or Gentleman and sensual Youth ●i●●racted with Vain Mirth and Lust than one Bewitcht or Bodily only possest by Devils And how much should the most godly be afraid of Sin and of Temptations 7. It is a sensible help as to Convince Brutists and Atheists and Infidels so to confirm the best Believers against all Temptations to doubt of the Life to come and the Immortality of Souls and the future Judgment and Retribution And though it be our shame to need such helps it is a Mercy to have them If a Sadducee will say If one did come from the Dead or I saw such things I would believe should not our Faith be past wavering that have these added to the greater Gospel proofs 8. It 's matter of Comfort to departing faithful Souls that these evil Spirits that are chained up now and not suffered to disturb us shall not hinder our passage to Glory If we must pass through the Air inhabited by Devils and Wicked Souls Angels will Convey us and Christ receive us and it shall not be to our hurt or loss 9. It should always keep the Souls of the Faithful in joyful gratitude for the work of Regeneration Grace Justification and Salvation which was our great Deliverance from Devils And teach us to live as the saved of the Lord. 10. It should warn all to take heed that they be not helpers and Servants to Devils in Tempting and Destroying Souls O! how many do his work that defie his Name All that by wicked example and scandal harden Men in Sin they that Tempt People to Pride and Lust and fleshly pleasures They that draw them into the Company of Vain Lascivious Lustful Ryotous and Ungodly persons They that madly

bearing them with Christian-like Patience living in his House in Glamorgan was very much troubled one Night with a great Noise much like the sound of Whirl-wind and a violent beating of the Doors or Walls as if the whole House were falling in pieces And being in her Chamber with most of her Family after praying to the Lord accounting it sinful Incredulity to yield to Fear she went to bed and suddenly after there appeared unto her something like her Husband and asked her whether he should come to Bed She sitting up and praying to the Lord told him he was not her Husband and that he should not He urged more earnestly What! Not the Husband of thy Bosom What! Not the Husband of thy Bosom Yet had no power to hurt her And she together with some Godly People spent that Night in Prayer being very often interrupted by this Apparition The next Night Mr. Miles a Godly Minister with four other Godly Men came to watch and pray in the House for that Night and so continued in Prayer and other Duties of Religion without any interruption or noise at all that Night But the Night following the Gentlewoman with several other Godly Women being in the House the noise of Whirlwind began again with more violence than formerly and the Apparition walked in the Chamber having an unsufferable Stench like that of a putrified Carcase filling the Room with a thick Smoak smelling like Sulphur darkening the Light of the Fire and Candle but not quite extinguishing it sometimes going down the Stairs and coming up again with a fearful noise disturbing them in their Prayers one while with the sound of Words which they could not discern other while striking them so that the next Morning their Faces were black with the Smoak and their Bodies swollen with Bruises Thereupon they left the House left they should tempt the Lord by their over-bold staying in such Danger and sent this Atheist the sad News of this Apparition who coming to England about May last expressed more Love and Respect to his Wife than formerly yet telling her that he could not believe her Relation of what she had seen as having not a power to believe any thing but what himself saw and yet would not hitherto go to his House to make trial but probably will e'er long for that he is naturally of an exceeding rash and desperate Spirit August 1656. Mr. Samuel Jones's Letter in relation to Lieutenant Col. Bowen together with an inclosed Letter from Mr. Maur. Bedwell on the same Subject Worthy and much Honoured YOU may be pleased to remember that when I waited upon you at the Sherift's House in Sallop in August last amongst your other Enquiries touching the State of that poor Country where the Lord hath cast my Lot for the present you desired me then to impart what I had received by Relation concerning the Apparitions in one Col. Bowen's House and upon my return to procure you some further Intelligence touching that Tremendous Providence Whether it be by Time or Familiarity with the noise hereof or rather the no less to be admired Blockishness of the Spirits of Men that the Horror of that terrible Dispensation be allay'd I know not but surely the thing it self was very Stupendous and the remembrance of it carries much Amazement with it still to them that have any thing of Tenderness or Understanding left them By the inclosed from an Honest and Godly Hand not far from the Stage where these things were acted You may understand the Substance of that matter the Party being a Minister of the Gospel perfectly knew Colonel Bowen and hath often conversed with him both before and since his House was haunted If you are pleased to command any further Satisfaction herein I shall take a Journey my self into the place and endeavour to gratifie your desire as to any further particular that you desire the knowledge of If any publick use be made hereof you may conceal my Friends name and mine own lest any offence should be taken by some of the Parties Relations in Parliament and Council Of the receipt of this Paper I desire to hear with all convenient speed At the Throne of Grace vouchsafe to remember your weak and wretched Brother who yet desires to be found in the number of them that are Sir Yours in the surest Bonds to Honour and Serve you Samuel Jones Coedreken Nov. 28. 1656. The Reasons why forbearing Names was desired being now over yet Mr. S. Iones still living I think my self disobliged as to that Restraint R. B. Mr. Maur. Bedwell's inclos'd Letter Dear Sir GLad I am of your safe return and gladder should I be to be instrumental according to my weak Capacity of nayling you to these parts I hope if my desires are agreeable to the Lord you will meet with some directing Providences from him which will answer all Objections As to Col. Bowen's House I can give you some brief Particulars which you may credit as coming from such who were not so foolish as to be deluded nor so dishonest as to report an untruth What I shall write if need were would be made good both by Eye and Ear Witnesses The Gentleman Col. Bowen whose House is called Lanellin in Gowersland formerly was famous for Profession of Religion but this Day is the saddest Man in his Principles I know living To me in particular he hath denyed the Being of the Spirit of the Lord His Argument thus Either 't is something or nothing if something shew me tell me what it is c. and I believe he gives as little credit to other Spirits as the Sadduces At his House aforementioned he being then in Ireland making Provision for removing thither these things happened About December last his Wife being in Bed a Gracious Understanding Woman and one whom little things will not affright one in the likeness of her Husband and just in his Posture presented himself to her Bed-side proffering to come to Bed to her which she refusing he gave this answer What refuse the Husband of thy Bosom and after some time she alledging Christ was her Husband it disappeared Strange miserable Howlings and Cries were heard about the House his Tread his Posture Sighing Humming were heard frequently in the Parlour in the Day time often the Shaddow of one walking would appear upon the Wall One Night was very remarkable and had not the Lord stood by the poor Gentlewoman and her two Maids that Night they had been undone as she was going to Bed she perceived by the impression on the Bed as if some Body had been lying there and opening the Bed she smelt the smell of a Carcase some-while dead and being in Bed for the Gentlewoman was somewhat Courageous upon the Tester which was of Cloth she perceived something rolling from side to side and by and by being forc'd out of her Bed she had not time to dress her self such Cries and other things almost amazing her but she

me There were many People as usual sat up with us I preached from Heb. 2. 18. and contrived to be at Prayer at that Time when the Noise used to be greatest When I was at Prayer the Woman kneeling by me catched violently at my Arm and afterwards told us she saw a terrible Sight But it pleased God there was no Noise at all And from that Time God graciously freed her from all that Disturbance I examined this Person and could find nothing in her Circumstances fit to induce one to any satisfactory Judgment of her Case These Noises lasted about three Months and she was much enfeebled in Body and almost distracted thereby but soon recovered upon the Removal thereof Attested by me Daniel Williams Aug. 2● 169● The CONCLUSION Concerning Angels VVHile I consider these unquestionable Evidences of the certainty of Spirits and how much they have to do with Men I cannot but think that we have also much to do with them with the bad to resist them as our Enemies and the Enemies of the Gospel and the Church of God against whom we must continually Watch and Pray lest we fall into the Snares of their Temptations And with the good that we may be meet for their Preserving and Comforting Ministry But in all our Histories it is observable that bad Spirits Apparitions and Actions are far more frequent and more Sensible than good ones which may perhaps to some seem strange Concerning which I consider 1. That Corporeal Crassitude is an abasement and therefore fittest for the more Ignoble sort of Spirits We that dwell here in Bodies are of a lower Order than those of the more high and invisible Regions 2. And the bad Spirits as they have a baser Consistence have also a more base and Terrene Inclination And therefore it is the less wonder that they mind matters of Money and Lands And no doubt but the Souls of wicked Men carry with them much of the Vicious Habits in which they lived here That is of Covetousness and Revenge And they that tell us that such as Dives retain no Love to their Brethren on Earth speak more than they can prove and are not so Credible as Christ that seemeth to say the contrary Some make a state of departed Souls Good and Bad out of their own Inventions which it 's very likely Death will Confute 3. And it is far greater things than Visible Appearances that we constantly receive from Angels more sutable to their Nature and Dignity and to our good Some Men have long Laboured to attain a Visible or Sensible Communion with them and think they have attained it But while they presumptuously desire to pervert the Order of Gods Houshold and Government it is no wonder if in stead of Angels they Converse with Devils that are Transformed into seeming Angels of Light that by Delusion they may Transform such Men into Ministers of Righteousness It is a doleful Instance of the effect of a perverse kind of opposition to Popery and running from one Extream to another to note how little Sence most Protestants shew of the great Benefits that we receive by Angels How seldom we hear them in publick or private give thanks to God for their Ministry and Helps And more seldom pray for it When hear we any Ministers Teach Believers what Love and what Thanks they owe to Angels whereas the Excellency and Holiness of their Natures obligeth us to love them and their Love and Care of us bespeaketh Thankfulness Yea we have Teachers that would perswade Men that this Savoureth of Popery and doth Derogate from Christ And yet if the People Love and Honour and maintain them they take this to be no Derogation from Christ. As if they were more Amiable then Angels or Christ may not use the Ministry of Angels as well as their's The Lord pitty the distracted divided Societies of Christians who in all Countries are fallen into Uncharitable Sects that on pretence of saving the Truth and the Church from the Errours of each other do corrupt both by the Addition of contrary Errours so that it 's hard to find out many Errours of Popery or Ancient Heresie which hath not been avoided by contrary faults in the Corruption of Doctrine Charity or Concord Devils have a greater Game to play invisibly than by Apparitions O happy World if they did not do a hundred thousand times more hurt by the Baits of Pleasure Lust and Honour and by Pride and love of Money and Sensuality than they do by Witches O! that they did not more dangerously Hant the Houses and Souls of Lords Knights Gentlemen and Lustful Youths Who can Conjure them out of Universities and Pulpits out of a Malignant Sclanderous Clergy and Laity out of Worldly self-seeking Carnal Men I have before told you of the Witch Magdalen Crucia who got the Reputation of a Saint by having the Sacramental Bread brought to her Mouth in the sight of all the People by an Invisible Carryer Bodin and many others Record the Story and how to get Pardon she went to the Pope himself and confessed how from twelve years old the Devil had lain with her thirty years and made her the Abbess of a Monastery I fear lest the visible Hand of some Priest do play this Devils part and give the Sacrament to such as more openly serve the Devil all the week and are forced to receive it to escape a jail or do it as a Sacrifice to expiate the guilt of an Ungodly Life If the Devil can get People perhaps Lords and Ladies to spend the Day their precious Hours in Cards and Dice and Feastings and Stage-plays and Masks and Musick and perhaps filthy Lust he will let you say your Prayers at Night and cry God Mercy and perhaps tell him that you Repent that you may Sin on the more boldly the next day And it 's like he will provide you a Ghostly Father as bad as your selves that shall give you the Sacrament as a sealed Pardon and pronounce you absolved and that as in the name of Christ. All these effects of Devils the World abounds with but the effects of Angels are observed but by very few Because even as the Sadduces think that all these Vices and Confusions are only the effects of Mens own pravity and not of Devils not knowing that all such Births have a Father and a Mother the Devil and Mens own Hearts so most good people look so much to God and to Ministers in all that is done on them that they take little notice of Angels that are Gods greater Ministers as if they had little to do with us By this 1. We give not to God the due Honour of the Order of his Works 2. We are guilty of Unrighteousness in denying their Due Love and Gratitude to such Noble Agents 3. We lose the Comfortable Remembrance of our own Communion with them 4. We lose some helps to a Heavenly Mind and Conversation when as it would make the thoughts