A39682:172
A Saint Indeed
A saint indeed: or The great work of a Christian, opened and pressed; from Prov. 4. 23 Being a seasonable and proper expedient for the recovery of the much decayed power of godliness, among the professors of these times. By John Flavell M. of the Gospel.
London: printed by W.R., 1668
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.
When this is done, then you may say, now World do thy worst. You will not be very solicitous about a vile body, when you are once assured it shall be well to all eternity with your precious souls. Fear not them (saith Christ) that can kill the body, and after that have no power that they can do. The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies, and say, is this the worst that you can do? what say you Christians, are you assured that your souls are safe, that within a few moments of your dissolution they shall be received by Christ into everlasting habitations? Well, if you be sure of that, never trouble your selves about the instruments and means of your dissolution.
When this is done, then you may say, now World do thy worst. You will not be very sol•citous about a vile body, when you are once assured it shall be well to all eternity with your precious souls. Fear not them (saith Christ) that can kill the body, and after that have no power that they can do. The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies, and say, is this the worst that you can do? what say you Christians, are you assured that your souls are safe, that within a few moments of your dissolution they shall be received by Christ into everlasting habitatious? Well, if you be sure of that, never trouble your selves about the instruments and means of your dissolution.
Object. O, but a violent death is terrible to Nature.
Answ. But what matter is it, w•en thy ⟨p. 86⟩soul is in Heaven; whether it were let out at thy mouth, or at thy throat? whether thy familiar friends, or barbarous enemies stand about thy dead body, and close thine eyes? alas, it is not worth the making so much ado about, nihil corpus sentit in nervo cum anima sit in coelo, thy soul shall not be sensible in Heaven how thy body is used on earth; no, it shall be swallowed up in life.