Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	church_n	gift_n	operation_n	494	5	9.1844	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51412	The spirit of man, or, Some meditations (by way of essay) on the sense of that scripture, 1 Thes. 1:23 ... by Charles Morton ...	Morton, Charles, 1627-1698.; Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1692 (1692)	Wing M2825; ESTC R31044	42,571	116

whe●●e the word for signifies either as much as or Instead of and then it Imports that a Spirit of Judgment is fit for Judges as Strength and Courage is for Souldiers or else it signifies the same with that ch 1. 26. I will Restore thy Iudges as at first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning that is by Raising up either in Providential Dispensations or special Qualifications men that should b● Repairers of their Breaches and Restorers of paths to dwell in ch 58. 12. from all which it appears that this Moderate Spirit is not only apt to be Governed but also it is fit to Rule and Govern in the World because of the Wisdom and Discretion that is used to accompany it especi●lly when it is Sanctified and Over-ruled by God As to that General Vertue in respect to the Will or Volitive Faculty to which it is Adapted as the Philosophers faelix temperies happy temperament by Sanctification these Moral Vertues become True Graces In Heathens where is no Sanctification yet if God Excites their Spirits they become eminently Serviceable So Cyrus who was of a Generous Noble Temper in himself yet how much did he act above himself when God stirred up his Spirit 2 Cor. 36. 22. The Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus King of Persia upon which he Issues forth a Noble Proclamation v. 23. It was Cyrus his Spirit tho' stirred by God and Inclined to this special Service But where Sanctification Renews the whole man and gives New Principles and Ends in all their Actions The whole Nature of their Laudible Atchievements is also changed so that their Natural Spirit of Candour becomes the Character of a Blessed man in whose Spirit there is no Guile Psal. 32. 2. Their Fidelity comes from that Faithful Spirit which on just occasion Concealeth the matter and is commended for it Prov. 11. 13. Their Moderation of Affections is also from a principle that not only Restrains as Heathen Morals do but Mortifyes the Affections and Lusts. Gal. 5. 24. Col. 3. 5 Their Firmness is farther fortifyed by Might in the Inner-man Eph. 3. 16. whereby they are stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. 1 Cor. 15. 18. for if their well-considered Reasons do fix their purposes Much more will their well-grounded Faith establish them In a word it s own Nature is Lovely But Grace super-induced renders it most Exemplary Amiable and Useful in the World And thus we have done with the Diversity of Spirits that are in men The Hot the Cold and the Moderate How they Differ in Themselves and how they are farther Differenced by Natural Corruption or Sanctifying Grace We shall now Reflect upon what has been said and with some few practical Inferences conclude the present Discourse INFERENCE 1. And by considering well the many Scriptures that have been alledged we may fairly see That 't is no strained Notion which is the Design of this present Treatise It must indeed be acknowledged that in many of those Scriptures the word Spirit may be taken in some of the common Senses put upon it As for Instance it may be taken for the Soul in general and in some for the Inward Part as an Expression of Sincerity But to take it for the Higher Faculties of Intellect and Will as the Rational part contradistinct from the Soul or from the Liver This tho' it be the most common and approved Interpretation of this Text I must confess I do not see sufficient Reason to allow it I do not find to my Understanding the word so taken in any other Scripture And therefore I take it to be but a strained Sense and thought of only for this particular place because of some Difficulty that appeared therein 'T is true indeed there is one Scripture usually alledged Heb. 4. 12. wherein Soul and Spirit are Distinguished one from the other of which place Dr. Smith in his Portraiture of Old Age hath Discoursed and Laboured to Evince That Spiri● there signifies the Superiour Faculties of man And Soul the Inferiour This Discourse of the Doctor 's was Considered in a former Draught on this Subject which now because that Ingenious Gen●leman is some Years since gone to his Rest I think fit to omit only he that has Leisure may compare what is there said with what we have said of the same Scripture in the beginning of this Discourse and then judge as he sees meet And as for the many other places quoted wherein Mans Spirit is mentioned on which I now Desire you to Reflect I suppose you will judg with me That they may for the most part be very genuinely understood in our sense and that the Interpretation of those Scriptures will according to our proposed sense be very Currant 2. We may also hence In●err That 't is Unjust and Unchristian to Cen●●re a●d Cond●mn men for their Humane Spirits To blame the Diversity of them is to quarrel Gods Work of Creation or Providence Why hast thou made me or him thus Rom. 9. 20. for Natural Temper and Modification of it by Outward Circumstan●es is more Dependent on his Will then our Industry We should rather observe how all this variety of Spiri●s may be made Eminently Servi●●●ble for that every Spirit has its particular Natural Excellency Tho' all have not that wherein thou perhaps mayst peculinly Excel One Servant of God is Chearful and Sings at his work Another goes sadly and carefully about it for fear of miscarriage yet both may be good and Faithful Servants and neither shall Lose his Reward but Enter into his Masters Joy Surely the Manifold Wisdom of God would not be so well made known by the Church in many Respects as Eph. 3. 10. Nor the Manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. If every man having Diversity of Gifts Did not so Minister even as he hath Received the Gift In the 1 Cor. 12. is a Large Discourse of Diversities of Gifts v. 4. Administrations v. 5. Operations v. 6. All by the same Spirit and all Tending to the same holy Ends Gods Glory and the Churches good The following verses set forth the Church under the Parable of a Humane Body wherein every Member has its peculiar Ability and Use so as the Eye cannot say to the Hands or the Head to the Feet I have no need of you v. 21. But all are Servicea●le in their place and kind This he says he wrote that there should be no Schism But the Members should have the same care or regard one for another v. 25. If this were well considered and a Charitable Estimate made of every mans several Spirit or Genius it would much advance Love Unity and Mutual Honour among Christians Remove that Censorious Offensive and Froward Temper in many that doth so much Disturb Peace and Tranquility both in Church and State and incline every man to think and say if I Excel any man in some things He may Excel me in many more USE 3. We may hence