Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	bless_a	body_n	life_n	4,371	5	4.4076	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90512	Gospell courage, or Christian resolution for God, and his truth. In a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at Margarets in Westminster, at a publique fast, the 31. of May, 1643. / By Andrew Perne Master of Arts, sometimes fellow of Katherine Hall in Cambridge: now minister of Wilby in Northampton-Shire.	Perne, Andrew, 1594-1654.	1643 (1643)	Wing P1577; Thomason E55_12; ESTC R16176	18,919	39

would not have them pin their Religion upon his sleeve It must therefore be a supernaturall light that must thus convince the soule and make the wayes of God thus unquestionable the 2 Cor. 1.4 5. And my Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticeing words of mans wi●edome I preach not in the straines of humane eloquence in filed phrases and quaint expressions which the wisedome of the World thinkes the fittest way to winne men to their side and opinions but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that is hee used plainnesse of Speech homely expressions which gods spirit doth accompany with power to what end did the Apostle this Vers 5. That your faith might not stand in the Wisdome of Men that is that you might not belive this to be the truth because it came in abundance of earthly Wisedome for then if another come with finer words and more wit you will goe to him and forsake this Or others Preaching the same Gospell but not with the like Worldly wisedome and eloquence you would not believe it to be the same So that you would believe no longer then you are fed with Worldly wit and fine words but that your faith might stand in the power of God that is that you might believe it upon such grounds upon such a powerfull conviction of the spirit that all the World should not be able to turn you from it a stedfast unconquerable resolution proceeds from a powerfull and thorough conviction of the truth of God and his wayes That is the first Reason 2. It proceeds from an apprehension and feare of danger if a man forsake those wayes of GOD. Feare and danger doe excite courage and resolution when a man apprehends that the greatest danger is a falling into the hands of God as Ioseph if he had yielded to his Mistresse for feare of her anger had fallen into the wrath of GOD How can I doe this evill and sin against God And so Moses Heb. 11.27 He forsooke Aegypt not fearing the Kings displeasure who would he then feare a greater seeing him who was invinsible one that could have made Aegypt too hot for him if hee had stayed still The three children feared a hotter furnace if they should worship the golden Image Full to this purpose was the speech which one uttered when he was before some that threatned him with prison fire and faggot if he would not forsake the truth who answered to a friend that stood by they have not threatned Hell yet So when a man apprehends Hell the worst of Prisons and everlasting destruction the King of terrours to awaite him if he forsake GOD and his wayes this will make him resolute for GOD. 3. It proceeds from hope hope of gaine and preferment makes men bold puts courage and resolution into them hope of preferment hath made many a man resolute and even past shame in an evill and Idolatrous course hope of white sleeves hath made many a man bloody his fingers Well Gods children they have hope too which does exceedingly much strengthen their resolutions The Crowne of righteousnesse the weight of glory the Kingdome prepared from the beginning these were Pauls hopes these are and were ours and these beare our charges in all our sufferings Feare not Abraham saith GOD I am thy Buckler and thy exceeding great reward I 'le see thee payd that thou shalt be no looser and now Abraham would lackey it at the stirrup and goe from his Fathers house whether GOD would have him So when a man apprehends that God carries the purse and that the keyes of preferment hangs at his girdle and he can trust God for all this will make him valiant and resolute for the wayes of God 4. It proceeds from Love love to the party for whom we are thus resolute and therefore it must needs please God Love lookes through all dangers and difficulties weakens all opposition strengthens it selfe makes it apprehend any thing feasable your resolution will tell you what you are and whom you love Ruth 1.14 There are two pretend love but Orpha is soon taken off when Naomi tells her that she had no preferment for her yet see the resolution of Ruth ver 16. Intreat mee not to leave thee where thou goest I will goe where thou lodgest I will lodge nothing shall part thee and mee but death Here 's love and here was resolution 5. And lastly It proceeds from Experience the soule hath tasted of the sweetnesse comfort peace and joy of the wayes of God and therefore is it so resolute for them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth And see what followes upon this v. 106. I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements The soule cleaves to that that bids most pleasure for pleasure is the food of the soule the body can as well live without food as the soule can without pleasure when the soule hath tasted how transcendently sweet the wayes of God are what sweet hopes what blessed peace what joy unspeakable and glorious the word and wayes of God doe breed in the soule it pitches it's tent sets up it's rest there it will dwell and with them it will remove The Godlesse Courtiers and Flatterers without all question thought Daniell to be a foole That he would hazard all his Court-preferment and his life too but he would be praying and he must have his window opened too So many thinke those to be farre from wisedome that doe too farre ingage themselves in the cause of God if you doe not heare so I am sure they doe in the Country for of late we have heard them thus say what you must bee running to Sermons though the Court catch you and you will not bow downe to the name of Jesus though you be undone But wee may give you that Answere that was given for the Martyrs in the Primitive Church Videtis punctiones sed non unctiones they then and so you now can see their smart and sufferings but not their refreshings the peace love and joy unspeakable comfort which the Saints of God then and now have met withall in these wayes of God You which powre out your selves in Hawkes and Houndes and other pastimes and thinke that the Saints of God doe live a mopish life and their soules dwell in too narrow a lane yet could you but meet with those heates of heart and hints of love and mercy that they meet withall from their God you would be ready not onely to doe but to suffer with them Hee that hath once tasted of the savour of Christs oyntments will never leave him We might give you more of these Reasons but these may suffice Vse 1 The first Use might bee a booke of Lamentation for the want of this Christian valour and resolution May not we well complaine as Jer. 9.3 They are not valiant for the truth upon Earth How many amongst us

and Religion but for ever and ever One phrase only I conceive needs opening which is this What it is to walke in the name of a God and it stands under divers senses First to bee called by his name as Wives Children Disciples are called by the Names of their Husbands Parents Masters So here all Nations will tryumph and will be willing to owne and not be ashamed of the Name of their God and wee will not be ashamed of our glory Deut. 28.10 and all the People of the Earth shall see that thou art called by the Name of the Lord the 2 Chron. 7.14 If my People that are called by my Name c. Secondly to goe furnished with the divine Authority of God Mar. 11. Blessed is he that commeth to us in the Name of the Lord and so the 1 Cor. 5.4 In the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit c. 3. To walke in the Power and strength of God the 1 Sam. 17.45 Thou comest to me with a sword and a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts saies David to Goliah which is in the strength of God Fourthly to walke in the scare Lawes Ordinances and whole worship of God And this I conceive to be the proper meaning of this place The Doctrines are many We shall therefore play the Travaller passe by some Townes though good call in at others and make our stay in that that is most convenient Doct. 1 There is a GOD. This truth we read in the Booke of nature that lies continually open before us written in so great and Capitall Letters that one though stone blind if he have other senses may read it And Conscience within teaches this All Nations agree in it There is a peradventure indeed in every mans heart that there is no God and according to the strength of this in the soule so is the life God lesse But there is a semi-certainty in every soule that there is a God and when this prevailes then a Man will be devoute in his way And therefore saith the Heathen Menciuntur qui dicunt se non sentire esse Deum they lie in their throats that say they thinke there is no God But we leave this Severall Nations have severall Gods Or there are many false Gods in the World In the 1 Cor. 8.5 There be Gods many and Lords many No truth so generally and universally granted as this That there is a God but none so much controverted as who the true God is Man brings into the World with him notions and sure apprehensions of a deity Education and Custome do specificate and shape these generall notions of a GOD and a Religion to that God and into that Religion that the Countrey accounts the true From hence he that is borne in Turkey is a Mahumetan In Italie a Papist in England a Protestant So soone as Men are borne they fall a groaping for a God and for a Religion One there is but who and which wee know not and that that is first put into our hands by our Parents and Governours that we close withall And this is the State and condition of all Men living the best and dearest Saints of God are thus by nature and would have beene Turkes and Papists had they bin borne there till God seized upon them by his grace regenerated them and reveal'd himselfe unto them Yee were without God in the World as well as others A God then there is but who and what 〈◊〉 one the People and Nations of the World cannot agree and therefore how many have the Nations who are left unto the light of nature set up for Gods that had Country Gods and Citie Gods and houshold Gods and particular personall Gods Gods for all places for Heaven and Hell and Sea and Land for all occasions for war and peace and plenty and health and sicknes the number of their Gods as some of their own Authors have summed them up was above thirty thousand The Papists in our dayes have more If yee say what 's the cause of this that the World should be thus out in so great a point Reas 1 All have lost the knowledge of God in Adam that was our great losse for his sin God hath withdrawne himself hid himself in secret will not fully sufficiently or savingly reveale himself by the Creatures to the sons of men but hath chosen a new way to vent himself which is by Iesus Christ Mat. 11.27 No Man cometh to the father but by mee saith Christ and so Ioh. 11.6 No man knoweth the Father but the son and he to whom the Sonne shall reveale him There is not in all the Booke of Nature one Iota or one hint of Jesus Christ Many nations are without the Gospell few persons know Jesus Christ I pray God you may looke to your selves and therefore are wilde and vaine and various in their Imaginations of God It comes from the infinite disproportion that is between God and Man Reas 2 What House will yee build mee saith God I fill Heaven and Earth the Heaven of Heavens are not able to containe mee So what thoughts will yee reare up to entertaine the great God in How will yee doe to stretch those narrow Soules of yours that the King of glory may come in It is impossible for a Camel to goe through the eye of a needle but how impossible for God to come into his Creature The sences which are the Lanes or Gates which lead to the soule neither is there any thing in the understanding but it is first in the sences these are all too narrow God is invisible and cannot be seene Thou canst not see my Face sayes God to Moses and yet he had and could see great and dreadfull things but had hee seene this his soule would have ran away He is ineffable bigger then all definitions and descriptions greater then words can tell It s peculiar to God to exceed knowledge And therefore the Logicians have wisely excluded him out of their Predicaments ubique prosens sed latens nothing more present then God and nothing more unseene Obj. If you say but this Reason shuts out all Men yet there are that doe know him Answ It doth indeed shut out all from any naturall knowledge of him by naturall meanes the knowledge of God is a supernaturall grace bred onely by the spirit of God in the hearts of the Men of his good will This Spirit doth supernaturally stretch out the narrow soule of Man doth in large and widen it and raises it up about its own nature to conceive aright of God This Spirit lifteth up the doores and sets open the Gates that the King of glory may come in And because the faculties cannot bee wound up to infinitenesse that they may hold proportion to the immensity of God therefore the spirit does two things First it creates an eekening in the soule which

man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. Vse 3 Are there many false gods in the world Then take heed that there bee none kept secretly in England it hath been with England as it was with Jacobs family and the Israelites in the dayes of Moses and Joshua though the true God was publikely acknowledged and worshipped in both yet there were private persons and families who kept Idols and false Gods and worshipt them and therefore when Jacob was to goe up to Bethel to build an Altar there unto God he first purges his family from Idols Gen. 35. And Joshua when he tooke his last leave of the children of Israel and caused them to enter into a Covenant that they would serve God exhorts them to put away the strange gods that were among them Josh 24.14 So how many false gods have there been still kept and worshipped in private families and houses here in England ever since the reformation Nay it hath been worse with us for the Romish superstitious nay idolatrous Crosses and Crucifixes have been upheld and deckt if not new built in the staring-Cheape in our Church-yards High-wayes and these have been worshipt and by these and some other things the Pope hath kept possession of our Kingdome Doe you cancell these cursed Evidences God lookes for it at your hands Downe with these high-places search England with Candles till you finde out all the abominations which are committed in secret and doe you in the name of England for your places will beare it say What have I to doe with Idols any more get you hence as filthy and uncleane things and instead of these send abroad those who may teach the good knowledge of the Lord may scatter the light of the Sunne of righteousnesse How many uncatechised darke corners are there in this Kingdome how many persons that know not God nor whether Christ were Man or Woman Helpe these to know their Maker 1. The greatest good that you can possibly doe this Kingdome is to helpe it yet more to the knowledge of God this is the end and the perfection of man herein his excellency above other creatures that he had a rationall soule given him fitted to sip a little of the knowledge of God this is the life and the liberty of the subject ye stand much for them and for ought I know cannot stand too much This is eternall life to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent and this estates us into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God 2. This is the greatest profit it will bring the Kingdome in more then all the Merchants of it Looke how much any doe know God and Christ so much are they theirs now a little of God is more then a great deale of the creature I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified sayes Paul if he could know him more hee should be more his 3. This would reforme the Kingdome better then all the Lawes that you can make knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men If wee can but get men to know God we may perswade them A good Minister will reforme a Parish better then a Iustice of Peace the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall yet mighty through God to cast down strong holds We spit fire into mens consciences and binde men over to the great Assizes of Quicke and Dead 4. God is the fountain of all the Mercies and Miseries that we meet withall if any should still bee sending of us kindnesses now and then a sweet child an Office change of Apparell Meat and Drinke and Sleep night and day one thing or another and sometimes should be reaching of us a smart blow a Feaver a fit of the Stone and Gout killing thousands in a weeke in our streets of the Pestilence bathing of his sword in our bloud how should we desire to know this person that we might know how to carry our selves towards him and to be at peace him Helpe England to know the God of Englands mercies and of Englands corrections Firstly We can neither goe any whither or doe any ●●ing without him In him we live and move and have our being Yea wee shall ever have to doe with him The knowledge of God would do a Man good in time of affliction when comfort will bee worth a World and what will Men doe in time of affliction if they know not God When the Soule comes to sigh it's last and to groane into eternity to goe to meet with a God it knowes not how sad a thing is this And you that know him labour to know him more for yee are not past this lesson nor ever shall It is Naturall with Men to bee peremptory for their God 3 Doct. and for their Religion All People will and wee will If a Nation consent together and chuse a King to Reign over them so long as he keepes the Paction and the agreement betweene them they will fight for him Ioh. 18.36 If my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes The God of the Nation is above the King and their Religion above their Civill Lawes and therfore men will be peremptory for them walke in them themselves and be glad of your company You cannot doe a Nation a greater kindnesse then to joyne and comply with it in its Religion and forsake your owne That temper is in all men to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselite to their God and their Religion When nothing will procure liberty to a Captive yet this will to abdicate and renounce his Religion and to joyne with them that have taken him Contrarieties yea small differences in Religion doe breed the strongest opp osition But consent in Religion is the strongest sement in all the World The persecutions therefore that have beene among us of late have beene against the Law of nations The Turke Honours those that are the most strick't observers of Mahomet The Papists Saint those that are zealous for the Pope and yet wee have beene derided scorned persecuted and Courted for walking in the name of our God for keeping his Lawes for sanctifying his Sabbaths hearing his word which not onely our God but the very Lawes of the Land doe command us But wee stay not here The Church of God hath great cause to be zealous stiffe and resolute for Her God and Her Religion All Nations will and we will Why Their Rocke is not like our Rocke Our's is Jehovah as well as God a God that nath a being theirs have none but in fancy and imagination Our's is something but theirs are nothing an Idol as nothing sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.4 All the attributes of God are the Reasons of this Point Reas 1 He is a Living God other Gods

are Laodiceans luke-warme neither through Protestants nor ranke Papists Eliah never lived in a more halting age than we doe men stand watching which side will prevayle and doe determine to close and comply with that they will bee wiser then to suffer for Christ bee sure to save one stake and to sleep in a whole skin they were for the old Elsabeth wayes and when the Popish language of Priests and Altars and the superstitious bowings and gestures vvere brought in under a pretence of Authority they could then tune their tongues and soon learne their postures and now Authority discountenances them they can forbeare and if times should turne head againe they would doe as they did So that we may complayne of this time as they did of Neroes that the World had lost his Conscience it was growne so highly wicked Men make now no conscience of things in Religion their feare towards God is taught them by the precepts of men they willingly follow the Commandement whether it be for or against God Inconstancy in any thing is naught but worst of all in Religion Vse 2 Of Exhortation that you would get keep and increase this frame of Spirit in you that you would be resolute and couragious and undaunted for your God and for your Religion looke through and over all dangers in nothing terrified by your adversaties thinke not death too great a danger to cope withall for God and his Truth How many and how weighty are the Motives I might use to perswade you to this I know that many of you have stronger in your owne bosomes and breasts yet the Ordinance of God being powerfull give mee leave to use these First Consider that your God and your Religion are the best things you have things of the highest nature of the greatest consequence of the neerest concernment things above us and not under us things that must dispose of us and we must not dispose of them wee had better lose all then lose our God and his Truth If we lose Father Mother House Land Life and all for God and his Gospell Wee shall soone finde better yee know who hath promised it if you beleeve not him you will not mee we cannot bee losers but by flying Religion is worthy of all a mans courage where can we lay it out better nay so well It is the errand that you are met about at this time and therefore I praylook to it Nay it is the errand that you are come for into the World to finde out the true God and the true Religion Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old path where is the good way and walke therein and you shall finde rest to your soules It is the businesse of a mans life to find out the true God and the true Religion Nay this is your wisedome wisedome consists in finding out truths and the greatest wisedome in finding out the most rare pleasant and profitable truths Now Religion is a mystery all her wayes are pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace And what would it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule a man is sure to loose it in a false Religion and save it in a true Nay this is your blessednes Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare what was it that made them thus blessed but seeing Christ in the flesh and hearing the Gospell Religion is an eternall good and doth a man good for ever when this life is ended Nay this is your Honour and take it from mee you shall not excell except you be resolute for your God and for your Religion The Bereans were Noble in searching out the truth of Religion And the Elders obtained a good report Heb. 11.2 and honourable Name with God and his Church by standing for his truth unto the death And t' is the most dishonourable thing in the World for a man to forsake his God and to flye from his Religion It is a shame for a boy to runne from his Master worse for a wife to runne away from her Husband but the greatest of all for a man to runne away from his God Oh! quit your selves like men contend earnestly for the faith let not the ruine of Religion be in your hands whatsoever we leave our Children let us to the utmost indeavour to leave the true God and the true Religion 2. Consider this That you have resolution and courage and why may not God have it and his Cause God hath the most right to it and to all that you can lose in this quarrell as your valour and courage comes from God so why may it not be for God All waters fall into the Sea from whence they come why not this Can you be stiffe and resolute for the world and worldly things not lose a foot of Land nor a Priviledge nor custome and have you no spirit for God shall men stand upon their punctilioes and shew their mettle for every toy draw their Swords for the Wall when 't is none of theirs And shall wee like tame fools suffer every one to wipe our noses of our God and of our Religion Wee shall find some of the Saints of God in the Scripture that were of meek and of calme spirits but onely in the Cause of their God As Moses the meekest man upon the earth but when hee saw the golden Calfe hee breaks the Tables which were the workmanship and the writings of God And see what he does more in the 32. Exod. 27. Put every man his sword by his side and goe in and out from Gate to Gate throughout the Campe and slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion and every man his Neighbour Is this your meek man that fights even up to the eares in blood but this was the Cause of God And so the three Children all the courage and resolution wee read of them was for their God Let not a contrary spirit bee found in us resolute stiffe and peremptory for every thing but for God and his Cause 3. Consider That all men are resolute for their God and for their Religion for all Nations will walke every one in the name of his God It 's naturall for men How resolute are Papists and Mahumetans for their Gods though of dirt deafe and blind neither able to heare nor to helpe them in their distresses and shall we be cold and carelesse for our living God Ier. 2.10 Pass over the Isles of Chittim and send and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing why what 's this Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods Look about where you please search the world and see if you can see such inconstancy and impiety is there any Nation that hath changed their God they have taken up although they be no Gods at all Be astonished O Heavens here