Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	life_n	sin_n	23,565	5	4.8832	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95723	Two assize sermons preached at Bridgnorth for the county of Salop in the year 1657. The first, upon Psalm 58. verse 1. Doe you indeed speak righteousnesse, o congregation? Doe ye judge uprightly, o ye sonnes of men? The second, upon Psalm 37. verse 37. Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace? / By Mich. Thomas; rector of Stockton in the same county.	Thomas, Michael, rector of Stockton.	1659 (1659)	Wing T970; Thomason E1790_1; ESTC R209682	31,232	144

concerning the reading of the Text. The LXX render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and according to the old vulgate Custodi innocentiam vide aequitatem and then we should read the Text Keep innocency and take heed to the thing that is right And although Lorinus follow these translations yet we acknowledge that other grave Authors Concretè interpretantur ex Hebraeo render it out of the Hebrew by the Concrete Observa perfectum aspice rectum and so Junius and Tremelius have translated it and so also those Divines of the reformed Churches whose opinions Marlorate hath collected And truly the difference is not great whether we read it in the Abstract or in the Concrete the one will be the Exposition of the other and so the perfect man will be He that keepeth innocency and the Upright man He that taketh heed to the thing that is right But we must behold this Object at a neerer distance and let us look upon this perfection and uprightnesse in the Root and in the Branches of it and then according to our English word we shall have three Marks by which we may know who this perfect and upright man is and so the better judge of our selves whether we are such or no. The Root of this Perfection and Uprightnesse I place in the Heart and the branches of it in the Words and Actions of men And this method answers that Distinction so common among Divines Integritas Cordis Oris Operis The Uprightnesse of the Heart of the Mouth and of the Hand and upon the consideration of these Marks we shall have the fuller and the cleerer prospect of Him And I was put into this method not so much by the common distinction as by the propriety of the termes in the Original We read of Noah that he was a perfect man Gen. 6. 9. of Jacob that he was a plain man Gen. 25. 27. of Job that He was a perfect and an upright man and in all these places there is the same word in the originall Tamim and Mercerus upon those places in Genesis and Pineda upon that place in Job interpret this perfection to be the simplicity the integrity the sincerity which was in the Hearts of Noah and Jacob and Job For the farther clearing of the word you know well there is a twofold perfection Imputata Impertita A perfection which is imputed to us and a perfection which is bestowed upon us the one is called the Perfection of Justification the other of Sanctification The former of these in a strict sense is a compleat perfection The Saints are compleat in Christ they are perfectly justified there is not any sinne left uncovered nor any guilt left unwashed in the bloud of Christ not the least spot but is taken away By one offering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified sayes St. Paul Heb. 10. 14. And then there is a Perfection of Sanctification and that is called so either in regard of the beginnings of it or in regard of our desires or aimes at it The Saints even in this life have a perfect beginning of holinesse as being sanctified in every part they are Sanctified throughout in soul and body and spirit And then their desires are high and reall towards perfection they pray and strive to subdue every corruption to abandon every known sinne to performe every duty And this is the utmost degree of perfection that any sonne of man can attaine to in this life And in this respect it was that Job had the character of a perfect man Not that he thought himselfe so in respect of an exact obedience to the whole law of God so he professes If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Job 9. 20. but in respect of his desires and endeavours towards this perfection Job was sincere he was sound at heart He did not personate religion but was really a religious person He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Lxx render that place A simple man that is plaine hearted single minded He was not a compound speaking one thing and meaning another Job's heart might be known by his tongue and his spirit by his actions And this is the first and chiefest mark of the perfect man whom David in the Text advises us to observe and behold And truly this perfection in the root as I have called it this foundnesse of heart is that perfection which is only valuable and considerable 't is that which the Lord so often calls for in the Scripture to love Him and serve Him with all our hearts that we would not suffer our hearts to be divided and carried away from God and laid out upon the vanities of the world while we pretend to be the servants of God in a more strict and purer way then others are In the second of the Kings ch 17. v. 33. we read of the Samaritans that they feared the Lord yet served gods of their own And the prophet Zephany reports it as one of the sins of Judah that they sware by the Lord and by Malcham the idol of the Ammonites And I would to God we that call our selves and would be thought Christians could purge our hearts from this guilt that our hearts were perfect and sincere and intirely devoted to the service of God Beata servitus sayes St. Ambrose si nihil possit adversarius de tuo sibi servitio vendicare That 's a blessed way of serving God when Satan can challenge no part in it How few are there of us that can come to God with Davids argument and may press Him as he did I am thine oh save me The worldly-man cannot say so to God because he hath many Masters Lust comes and sayes Thou art mine for thou makest provision for the Flesh to fulfill the desires thereof Covetousnesse comes and sayes Thou art mine thou servest not Christ but thy selfe The Gold and Silver which lyes rusting in thy coffers is the portion of the Widdow and the Fatherlesse The stone in the wall of thine house cryes out and the beame out of the timber doth answer it and the furrowes in the field joyn in the out-cry and say We were gotten by oppression and bribery Luxury comes and sayes Thou art mine thy conscience can tell thee thou hast spent more at a feast in one day then thy charity to the poor hath cost thee in a whole year that thou hast striven to pay most at a Reckoning in a Taverne but hast pretended excuses to give nothing to a Briefe in a Church Ambition comes and sayes Thou art mine thou hast affected greatnesse and power that thou mightest sinne without question or controul and then Christ will put in his charge too and say Thou considerest not that I gave thee a command over men that thou shouldst obey Me I honoured thee that thou shouldst honour Me. Now Quem tam multi competunt quàm vile mancipium est sayes that Father St. Ambrose What a vassall

to be slain And there was an end of Saul and Doeg his informer and their family The Lord by that army of the Philistines brake up the Congregation and made them know they were but the Sons of men and that they were not able to stand when he came to judge them Now the Lord help us to consider of these things and dispose our hearts to love the work of righteousnesse and in all our dealings with men to behave our selves justly and uprightly that when we shall come to dye like men we may finde the fruit of righteousnesse which is peace even Peace with God and peace with our owne consciences that we may commend our spirits into the hands of the God of our righteousness with joy and not with fear The Prayer after Sermon GReat and Glorious Lord God who art righteous in all thy wayes and holy in all thy works be good and gracious unto us thy poor Creatures who here stand guilt before thee of many acts of unrighteousnesse for having rejected and despised thy most pure and holy lawes and have chosen rather to walke after the lusts and imaginations of our owne hearts We have defaced that perfect Image of righteousnesse and Holynesse in which we were created we have defiled our selves with the pollutions of sinne so that all our righteousnesse is but as a filthy ragge and we cannot but loath and abhorre our selves for all our abhominations Blessed God we desire to return unto Thee and to seek thy face not only for thy mercy and pardon for the sins we have cōmitted but for thy Spirit and thy grace that we may be renewed restored to that state of holines whence we are faln And forasmuch as the Ministry of thy Word is the means which thou hast ordained promised to sanctifie to that end We humbly call upon thee for a blessing upon that portion of thy Word which hath bin dispensed unto us at this time Great God! our hearts are in thy hand we beseech Thee mould and fashion them according to thine own holy will Beget in us a constant purpose and resolution of giving to every one their owne and re-imprint in our hearts that excellent rule of righteousnesse Not to do any thing to our neighbour which we would not be content that he should doe to us We are met at this time O Lord about thine own worke The Execution of Justice and Judgement we beseech thee assist us in it As we begin this worke in thy Name give us grace to continue in it in thy Fear Touch the hearts of all those who are in any respects interested as parties in the administration of Justice that they may all speak righteousnesse and judge uprightly without respect to themselves or respect to their friends and without feare of the face of any man And give us all grace to consider that a congregation of men conspiring in an act of unrighteousnesse are but as a sheafe of straw not able to contest with thee who art a consuming fire Oh help us to consider that how great or mighty soever we be in this World we are yet but the sonnes of men fraile and mortall and know not how soon we may be called to thy Judgment Seat And let these meditations quicken us to an holy care to prepare our accounts and to behave ourselves so righteously toward all men here on earth as that we may cheerefully commend our Spirits to the God of Heaven Hear us O God and answer us according to thy wonted grace goodnesse supply all our defects out of the fullnesse of Christ Jesus who is the Lord our Righteousnesse to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit we desire to ascribe all honour and power and prayse now and for evermore Amen Amen A SERMON Preached at the ASSIZES Held at BRIDGNORTH For the County of Salop in the year 1657. On the Lord's Day By Mich Thomas Rector of Sockton in the same COUNTY LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley at the Prince's Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard 1659. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalme 37. verse 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright For the end of that man is peace IT may perchance raise your attention to the Doctrine of this Text when you shall consider that it is a branch of that Psalme which hath alwayes bin in very high esteem both among the Antients and our Moderne Divines Origen calls it Humanae animae Medicinam It is Physick for the soul of man forasmuch as it reproves sinne and teaches us to live according to the lawes of God Athanasius recommends it to be readd by all those who are scandalized at the prosperity of the wicked and find themselves tempted to go along with them in their wayes and to think this world to be governed by chance or fortune that God is not a God of Judgment that he makes no difference between the righteous and the wicked Calvin and Mollerus meet both in this censure of it that it containes doctrinam apprimè utilem exceeding profitable doctrine and Lorinus tells us that Fulgentius that great light of the Church in Africa by reading St. Augustines commentary upon it was converted by it The tree then being so good you may fairely presume the Text which is a branch of it may yield you the like fruit I may not unfitly call the Text Totius Psalmi Epitomen The summary or abridgement of the whole Psalm The doctrine which is dispersed in the other verses of it is collected and united in this All the defect will lye on my part by reason of my weakenesse I shall not be able to shake this so full laden branch that all the fruit of it may fall amongst you So farre as the Lord hath enabled me to understand the doctrine of it I shall humbly present it to your religious consideration and shall hope that that sleight tast of it which you will receive at this time by my service will provoke your holy appetites to make a farther enquiry in your private meditations But not to waste more either of the time or your patience be pleased to take the Text divided into these three parts Here is an Act and an Object and they are both twofold The Act is to Mark and to Behold The Object of this Act is the Perfect and the Upright man And in the third place here is the reason of the Act which is very weighty and considerable For the end of that man is Peace But I must crave leave to invert the order of these parts and consider the Object first Who this perfect and upright man is And then passe to the Act what it is to Mark and to behold Him To which act we shall be the better disposed by the weight of the reason which enforces it Mark the perfect man and behold the upright For the end of that man is peace The first part The Object I confesse I find much variety in the severall Translations

glorious St. Augustine speaking of the primitive Christians Quidam patienter vivunt delectabiliter moriuntur They live with patience and they dye with joy Their Life it seemes was a trouble Death an advantage they endured the one and desired the other That blessed Martyr Vincentius had doubtlesse a great measure of this blessed peace in his end when he could say to his executioner Dacianus Nunquam aliquis adeò benè servivit mihi ut tu No man ever did me so good service as you are about to do your torments will hasten me to my triumphs your sword will but let out that corruption of flesh and blood which cannot inherit the Kingdome of God I shall conclude and dismisse you in the comfort of that promise recorded by Holy David in the 64. Psalme All the upright in heart shall glory at the 10 verse The subject of the promise you see is Glory and the persons to whom it is due are the Upright in heart And we may admire the wisdome and goodnesse of the Holy Ghost in that expression upright in heart A man may be upright in the desires of his heart when through the suddainesse or violence of a temptation he may be over-borne into a sinne The Lord help us we cannot maintaine a perfect rectitude in the wayes of this world In every calling there are some in-evitable temptations but yet let us strive and beare up though the stream of corruption runne strong against us let us put off all disguises in religion and lay down the love of craft and false-hood and circumvention in Civill actions and then we shall secure our title to the promise Of what Of glory So we read it but translations differ some have it Laudabuntur they shall be praised Uprightnesse is such a grace as creates an Holy and Reverentiall admiration in all that behold it Even wicked Balaam could wish Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like the Israel of God But I rest not in that Take the word in another translation Laetabuntur they shall rejoyce If we could crowd Heaven into a Map we might find two Hemi-sphears the one would be Joy the other would be Glory And as of those two Hemisphears of the world the first hath been known long before The other that of America which is the richer in treasure God reserved for latter discoveries so though he reserve that Hemisphear of heaven which is the Glory thereof to the resurrection yet the other Hemisphear the Joy of heaven God opens to our discovery and delivers for our habitation even whilst we dwell in this world That which Christ shall say to our souls at the last Judgment Enter into your Master's joy He sayes to our Conscience now Enter in your Master's joy The everlastingnesse of the Joy is the blessednesse of the next Life but the entring the inchoation is afforded to the upright in this Those words of Christ Come ye blessed are words intended to them that are comming to Him that are upon their way And as here he bids us Come herafter he will bid us Welcome Let it not trouble you then what I told you out of Solomon that the upright is an abhomination to the wicked and so tribulations are to be expected But you know as a man must have some land or he cannot be in wardship so a man must have some of the love of God or else he could not fall under Gods correction And when the hand of God lies upon him either in a disease or in a persecution and presses him so that even life it selfe is expiring then he shall feel the comfort of this promise Laetabitur he shall Rejoyce And as the Lord said concerning the reducing of his people Israel out of Babylon Sibilabo populum meum I will hisse for them Zech. 10. 8. so when the upright man shall lye panting and languishing upon his bed of sicknesse The Lord shal then come to his bed-side and hisse for him and whisper gently to his departing soul Feare not Sin I am thy Righteousnesse Feare not Death I am the Resurrection Feare not the day of Judgment I am thy Advocate now and shall be thy Judge then And by these flashes of joy shall so inlighten his soul as to overcome all the cares and the feares of Nature all the Horrour of the passing Bell all the cryes and teares of a distracted and scattering family Like blessed Stephen he shall by the eye of Faith see Heaven open and his Saviour standing at the right hand of God And his joy then shall be so strong as that it shall no more extinguish or evaporate than his soul shall And it shall become a Joy that shall passe up and put on a more glorious garment above and be a Joy super-invested in Glory FINIS