A29369:452
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons ... by that learned and judicious divine, Mr. William Bridge ...
London : Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior ..., 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermons › Sermon 7: Soul-Resignation, Into the hands of God.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, When a man dyes then, if his soul goes to Heaven, it is to pass through the Enemies Country; for Satan is the Prince of the air. The Air is full of Devils; the soul therefore hath need of a good Convoy to pass through this Enemies Country. And how should a man get this Convoy, but by resigning and giving up his soul into the hands of God.
Secondly, When a man dyes then, if his soul goes to Heaven, it is to pass through the Enemies Countrey; for Satan is the Prince of the air. The Air is full of Devils; the soul therefore hath need of a good Convoy to pass through this Enemies Countrey. And how should a man get this Convoy, but by resigning and giving up his soul into the hands of God.
Thirdly, When a man dyes, Then he launches forth into the Ocean of Eternity; And as God is the disposer of our times for the present, so of our Eternity also. Fit it is that we should acknowledge his Sovereignty over us, in reference to our Eternity: And therefore when a man comes to dye, he is in a special manner to resign and give up himself unto God, to be laid out and disposed of to all Eternity.
Fourthly, And when a man comes to dye, Then there is a great parting between the soul and the body; Then I part with that which is most dear to me. Now when a man parts with his Children, or those things that are dear to him, he will put them into the safest hands that he can; But when we come to dye, then is the great parting-time: And therefore then and then especially we are to resign and give up our selves and our souls unto God. Thus Christ did; Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.