Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	able_a	body_n	destroy_v	4,435	5	7.8202	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61129	Of trust in God, or, A discourse concerning the duty of casting our care upon God in all our difficulties together with An exhortation to patient suffering for righteousness, in a sermon on 1 S. Pet. III. 14, 15 / by Nathaniel Spinckes ...	Spinckes, Nathaniel, 1654-1727.	1696 (1696)	Wing S4978; ESTC R1589	208,951	357

considering the daily Benefits his Bounty supplys them with and afraid also to do it least so he should be provoked to with-hold his Hand and deny them what they come next to petition him for or perhaps to send them away with a Curse instead of a Blessing It is very serviceable likewise for affecting our Souls with a sense of the numerous Blessings we daily partake of and hereby for enflaming them with the love of our so infinitely generous Benefactor and an unfeigned gratitude to him for all his unspeakable Loving-kindness It teaches to sue to him beforehand for what we need and when we have obtained it fills our Mouths with hearty Songs of Praise and Thanksgiving for it And by how much the easier it renders us under all Afflictions so much the more it contributes to a ready and chearfull performance of our Duty in all respects It engages us to study what return we shall make the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto us and leaves us free to apply our selves to whatever acknowledgments we believe he looks for from us By not suffering us to be overwhelmed with grief in any case it preserves our Faculties in their due liberty and so disposes us to hearken to God's Will and forthwith to set about the performance of it beyond what might otherwise have been hoped for And being thus usefull an Instrument in order to an holiness of Conversation it must necessarily be owned to be of great importance for entituling to an eternal state of Happiness 3. As it is a singular Preparative for times of Persecution Which how intolerable soever in it self loses a very considerable part of its weight when it falls upon such as are in a readiness to receive it It is a great support amidst the most formidable Terrours to have learned to place our Trust in God as an impregnable Defence against all the assaults of the most inveterate Adversary assuring our selves that far * 1 S. Jo. 4.4 2 Kings 6.16 greater is he that is with us than he that is in the world and that therefore † Rom. 8.31 if God be on our side we need not much concern our selves who shall who can be against us For as he is ready at all times to take care of them that cast their Care upon him so doth he it in an especial manner whenever he sees them willing to expose themselves to hardships for his Name 's sake He will either deliver them out of the Hands of their Enemies or if he sees it best that they suffer by them will turn their Sufferings to their advantage causing that their light afflictions which are comparatively but for a moment shall work out for them ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.17 a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory * S. Matt. 10.18 Fear not them saith our Saviour which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell And if ye suffer for righteousness sake saith S. Peter * 1 Ep. 3.14 15. happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled but sanctifie ye the Lord God in your hearts And again † c. 4.16 19. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalf and let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator And of how great importance it is in order to the eternal Salvation of our Souls thus to cleave to and rest upon God though in the midst of Tribulations and Tortures chusing to undergo the utmost Barbarities if called to it rather than depart from our Integrity our blessed Lord sufficiently enforms us in these words ‖ S. Matt. 10.32 33. Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my father which is in heaven but whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven Or as it is expressed in S. Mark 's Gospel * S Mar. 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy Angels As much as to say He that owns our Saviour's Gospel and is neither ashamed nor afraid to profess its Doctrines and observe its Precepts in spight of all opposition shall be sure to receive an abundant Reward at the last day but they who are timorous and faint-hearted and cannot hold out in times of tryal must expect a different portion even the eternal Vengeance of Almighty God to be poured forth upon them as a just recompence of their defection from him Well therefore might the ancient Professors of our Faith resolve with the Apostle S. Paul That * Rom. 8.38 39. Has cogitationes quae persecutio potest vincere quae possunt tormenta superare Durat fortis stabilis religiosis meditationibus fundata mens adversus omnes Diaboli terrores minas mundi animus immobilis perstat quem futurorum fides certa solida corroborat D. Cypr. de exhortat Martyr Hoc est esse discipulum Dei hoc est militem Christi quem nullus hostis expugnet nullus lupus de castris coelestibus rapiat nullus laqueus inducat nullus dolor vincat nullus cruciatus affligat Lact. de mort persecut c. 16. neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature should separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus and from a resolute obedience to his Gospel Nay so cautious were they in this respect that they not only refused to deny the Faith upon any terms but would expose themselves to the utmost rather than do what might be misconstrued a denial of it Insomuch that when † Sozom. Hist l. 5. c. 15. Julian set himself to beguile those by subtilty whom he could not force to Idolatry they that understood the cheat chose rather to suffer for forbearing to pay their accustomed Homage to the Emperour than do what would be interpreted an act of Adoration to the Images of Jupiter and Mars and Mercury which he had purposely ordered to be placed by his own Chair to the end that when the Christians bowed after their wonted manner to himself they might be represented as doing it to these And when again ‖ Greg. Naz. Steletut 1. at the bestowing of Donatives amongst his Army they that stood by the Emperour commanded the Souldiers as they came to throw a little Frankincense into the Fire as the manner of the Romans was in the worship of their Gods the more intelligent utterly refused it and the rest being afterwards told

while with an assurance that seeing he had already * v. 33. overcome the World for them they needed not therefore to be affrighted at all its Threats and Cruelties And again he acquaints them † S. Matt. 10.28 what abundant reason they had to fear God more than Man and his Eternal Vengeance infinitely beyond the utmost Evils that could possibly befall them in this World and bids them ‖ S. Lu. 12.32 not fear because it was their Father's good will to give them the Kingdom implying that having destined them to that singular happiness he would not fail to take care of them in the mean time And the same Doctrine our Apostle S. Peter here inculcates on the Strangers dispersed throughout * c. 1.1 Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia whom he advises to account it as a Blessing and a Favour rather than a Grievance and a Vexation when they should be called to suffer for a good Conscience and therefore not to be disturbed or afraid whatsoever dangers they inight be threatned with from the Power and Malice of their enraged Adversaries but to sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts by an humble earnest and steady dependance upon his good Providence to take care of them and an undaunted perseverance in their Duty how hard or dangerous soever being ready upon all occasions and in the worst of times to confess him before Men and submissively and patiently to bear all the Severities whereto they might possibly find themselves exposed for their adherence either to his Doctrines or Precepts to the Principles of the Christian Faith or to the faithfull and conscientious observance of those most holy Commands he had given them in charge But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Which being a Doctrine that concerned not the first Christians only but all that at any time fall under Persecutions for the sake of their Religion and their Saviour as some have in all Ages and many in our own times in several parts of the World and many more possibly may that therefore which I design at present from these words is to apply the Doctrine seriously to our selves to try if we can be prevailed with to prepare our selves for the constant practice of it as oft as we may have occasion And to this end I shall beg leave to enforce it from these several following Considerations 1. To be willing to suffer when called to it is no more than our Religion enjoins us from time to time as a necessary qualification for being our Lord's Disciples and absolutely requisite in order to Salvation 2. It is but what our blessed Lord has done for us in a very extraordinary manner 3. This is the best and most effectual way of defending our Religion 4. It is a Service that will undoubtedly meet with an abundant Recompence And lastly 5. It is no such dreadfull Task as Men are wont ordinarily to imagine Of these in their order and I begin with the first of them 1. To be willing to suffer whenever called to it is no more than our Religion enjoins us from time to time as a necessary qualification for being our Lord's Disciples and absolutely requisite in order to Salvation It is not the portion of all actually to suffer for our Saviour's sake but there is no possibility of approving our selves good Christians at present or being happy hereafter without a Readiness and Preparation of Mind to do it as oft as occasion offers it self that is to say whensoever it cannot be avoided without Sin There is no temporal Advantage so valuable nor any Loss or Cruelty so formidable but that we must be content to conquer our selves in relation to it even to part with * S. Matt. 5.29 30. a right eye or hand or what perhaps may be as dear to us before we can promise our selves that our Lord will own us for his Followers here or admit us into his Heavenly Kingdom when we shall be translated hence † S. Lu. 9.23 If any man will come after our Saviour he must deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow him If any would be ‖ S. Matt. 10.32 33. confessed and owned by him before his Father which is in Heaven he must not be ashamed nor afraid to own Him and his Doctrines and Commands though in the most perilous times If any would be accounted * v. 37 38 39. S. Lu. 14.26 worthy of him he must be disposed to leave all his nearest and dearest Relations yea and his own life also upon his account which whosoever refuses to do he cannot be his Disciple It often happens that they * 2 Tim. 3.12 who would live holily in Christ Jesus must unavoidably suffer Persecutions and must † Act. 14.22 enter through many Tribulations into the Kingdom of Heaven And hence we are directed to esteem our selves happy if we be reproached and abused for the Name of Christ and to ‖ S. Ja. 1.2 count it all joy when we fall into temptations and whilst we * 1 S. Pet. 4.19 suffer according to the will of God for our firm adherence to his Laws to bear it patiently and quietly never attempting to cast the Cross off from our Shoulders by any unwarrantable means but committing the keeping of our Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creator and † v. 12 13. not to think it strange even concerning the fiery trial if that should prove our lot as though some wonderfull matter had befallen us and with which other Christians had been unacquainted but to look upon it rather as a just ground of Joy and Comfort when we are thus made like to Christ in Suffering in hope that at the last day ‖ S. Lu. 12.4 when his transcendent Glory shall be revealed we also shall have abundant cause to be glad with exceeding joy We must not stand in * S. Matt. 10.28 fear of them that can kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do but of God Almighty who is infinitely greater than the most powerfull of Men and able to punish infinitely beyond all the Barbarities of the most outrageous Adversary by destroying both body and soul in Hell must be sure in all things to † Act. 5.29 obey God rather than man whatsoever the consequence be in this World and must constantly persist in well-doing and whatever we suffer for our Integrity must yet be mindfull to * 1 S. Pet. 2.20 take it patiently with an hearty zeal for God's Glory and an entire Resignation to his holy Will as well knowing that this is an acceptable Service with God and highly pleasing in

parts of the Creation * S. Matt. 6.25 c. Take no thought for your life saith our Saviour what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or for the Body what ye shall put on for these following Reasons 1. Because the Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment Whereby is intimated that God who hath already vouchsafed us the better will not refuse us the less having given us life he will not deny us those things which are requir'd for its support He spake the word and we were made he commanded and we were created and dare any say that he will not condescend to order a due provision for those to whom he hath thus bountifully given a Being It is easie to believe that his intent in producing us was not that we might pine away with insuperable hunger or parch with insupportable thirst or that we might starve for want of something to shelter us from the cold and that therefore he will not let us languish under any of these Inconveniencies longer than he sees very good reason for it Having bestowed upon us Life which is a much greater blessing than Meat for it and a Body which is far more valuable than the Raiment we put upon it and the production whereof was a far greater work of his Omnipotence than a supply of these things is there is no cause to fear that these shall not also be added to those other in a due proportion 2. Because he takes care of the Birds to give them their Meat in due season For so it follows Behold the fowls of the air they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they As much as to say Since you are certainly of far more account with God than the Fowls and yet he makes such plentiful provision for them your own Reason will enform you that he will much less neglect your selves 3. Because his Providence extends it self to the Flowers of the Field as well as to the Birds for these also are delicately cloathed by him Consider the Lilies of the Field how they grow they toyl not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Wherefore if God so cloath the Grass of the Field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall be not much more cloath yeu O ye of little faith Where our Saviour still proceeds à fortiori as in the former case only that he doth it with more advantage arguing that the Wisdom and Goodness of God manifested in this lower rank of Creatures ought to convince every one what reason there is to conclude that he will much rather multiply his Blessings upon Mankind whom he hath created of a nobler Race and to whom he hath all along professed much greater kindness And indeed it is not conceiveable that he will take care not only of the Beasts but of the Birds too and even of those little inconsiderable Birds the Sparrows as I noted before that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Chrysost in loc not one of them falls to the ground or is ensnared and perishes without his Providence and of the Flowers to array them in such gorgeous Attire and that he will yet be regardless of Man the master-piece of this lower World It is not to be thought that he will have a constant respect to the Creatures that were made for our sake and † Psal 8.6 put in subjection under our feet and will neglect us for whose sake they were made and to whom they were thus subjected The consideration of a general Providence sustaining these inferior Beings is on the contrary a powerful Argument for engaging Men to hope for a greater Interest in his care because of the nearer relation they bear to him And what our Saviour here proves by a very rational method of deduction the holy Scriptures at other times expresly affirm declaring That * 1 Tim. 6.17 God giveth us all things richly to enjoy † Act. 17.25 giveth us life and breath and all things ‖ S. Ja. 1.5 giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not that is that he giveth all necessary things and this not with a sparing Hand but bountifully richly and liberally and not to some select number of Favourites only but to all men of whatsoever Age Language Nation or Religion that it is in him or by his assistance that * Act 17.28 we live move and have our being and again That if † S. Matt. 7.11 we being evil know how to give good gifts unto our Children our Father which is in Heaven will much more give good things to them that ask him And again That he ‖ Job 5.11 setteth up those that be low and those that monrn he exalteth to safety * v. 18. He maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole † v. 20. In famine he redeemeth from death and in war from the power of the sword Sometimes he represents himself ‖ Exod. 15.3 as a man of war and the Lord of hosts is his name and again * Psal 46.9 he maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder and burneth the chariot in the fire † 1 Sam. 2.6 He killeth and maketh alive bringeth down to the grave and bringeth back ‖ Psal 146.7 8 9. 107.9 and 68.5 He executeth judgment for the oppressed suiting his Relief to theirs as he doth also to other Men's Necessities If People be hungry he giveth them Food if Prisoners he looseth them from their Confinement if blind it is he that openeth their Eyes if bowed down he is ready to raise them up nor is he wanting to preserve the Stranger or to help the Fatherless and Widows in their streights When any are in the wost disconsolate condition to all outward appearance and are neither able to help themselves nor have any Friend that will stand by them and assist them they have yet this comfort left that the God of Heaven sees their Distress and hears the Sighs and Groans which they send forth in the anguish of their Souls and when * Psal 27.10 Father and Mother forsake them and all other hope fails he will take them up and will provide for them Neither are they only matters of greater concernment that he attends to as Balbus in † Magna Dii curant parva negligunt De nat Deor. l. 2. c. 66. Tully supposes of the Heathen Deities but those likewise of least importance even the very ‖ S. Matt. 10.30 Hairs of our Head all which our blessed Saviour assures us are numbred by him There is nothing about us that escapes his notice nothing in all our Affairs that he is not privy to or wherein we may not