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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	ephraim_n	hand_n	left_a	2,932	5	12.0419	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29912	Twenty five sermons. The second volume by the Right Reverend Father in God, Ralph Brownrig, late Lord Bishop of Exeter ; published by William Martyn, M.A., sometimes preacher at the Rolls.; Sermons. Selections	Brownrig, Ralph, 1592-1659.; Martyn, William.; Faithorne, William, 1616-1691.	1664 (1664)	Wing B5212; ESTC R36389	357,894	454

wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us Observe saith the Father here upon earth we have Masters and Mistrisses but in heaven Non habemus Dominum Dominam but onely our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ that must have mercy upon us Now follows Elisha's desire I pray thee let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me He answers not Elijah as Ahaz to Isaiah when he bad him ask a Sign no I will not ask Isai. vii 11 12. Elijah no sooner maks proffer but he lays hold on it 'T is good making use of Elijah while we have him with us unfold our wants to him that he may supply them Elijah must not always continue among us The times may come when we shall wish to see one of the days of the Son of man and it shall not be Oh in this thy day now the Angel is stirring the water yet Elijah is among us do as Elisha he makes haste petitions him presently Of which Petition take a double Consideration 1. Quid Supponit 2. Quid Petit. I. Quid Supponit Here are four Supposals 1. The first Supposal is Identitas Spiritus He supposes the same Spirit shall be settled upon him that rested on Elijah Here is a continuation of the same Spirit in a succession of men Elijah is taken away Yes but his Spirit shall remain The means and instruments of grace may be removed but the gifts of the Spirit shall continue still It is worth the observing God ties not himself to any personal perfections Oh we think If such a Saint dies what will become of the Church 'T is a loss but yet in diversity of men here is the same Spirit When Moses died his spirit rested upon Ioshua Aaron died Eleazar was invested and clothed with the same Spirit It must comfort us when we see glorious Instruments taken from us Paul a Luther c. yet the same spirit remains and breathes in his Church As it was said to the evil servant Tolle talentum da so of the good The Lord needs no mans person or parts he can set his Spirit upon another 2. A second Supposal is Portio Spiritus The Spirit of Elijah is apportioned out in a limited dispensation It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We receive but in part no man hath all in kind or degrees To one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word Knowledge by the same Spirit to another the gifts of Healing to another Prophecie c. 1 Cor. xii 8 9. 10. The most enriched Saint hath but what he enjoys in measure they have indeed a fulness but then it is onely 1. A fulness of Capacity 2. A fulness of Sufficiency for their use but not of absolute Perfection Aaron had the Spirit poured on him others had it but sprinkled Quantum causa exigit propter quam datur Ambros. 3. A third Supposal is Inaequalitas portionum There is a single portion and a double portion Some have one talent some two another five There is not any Saint but hath one not any that have all but some more some less Benjamin's mess was five times as much as any of the rest of his brethrens 4. A fourth Supposal is Duplicatio in juniore Elisha the successour and junior may have a double Portion more then Elijah his predecessour God can cross his hands as Iacob did and lay his right hand upon Ephraims head who was the younger and his left hand upon Manassehs head who was the first-born Gen. xlviii 14. We cannot prescribe to God 'T is neither the age of men nor the precedency of times that is any thing but the Lord may be as bountifull to this Age as unto Antiquity It is no disparagement to Elijah that Elisha exceeds him After-ages may be furnished with more eminent men in some kinds then the more Primitive and Ancient times have been We worthily reverence Antiquity and rise up at the gray head but yet God may double some gifts on their successours Augustine Hierom the rest were most reverend yet Luther Calvin others more famous in their generation There is a double Use of a double Portion 1. For Founding 2. For Repairing and Reforming of Churches And as great a measure of the Spirit is as necessary for this as that Iohn must come in Spiritu Eliae to found the Gospel After-ages have the promise of the spirit of Elias too in reforming The one to preach Christ the other to resist Antichrist How do some slight our late Worthies These Novelists Modern Yester-day-Divines But Quis contempsit diem parvulorum And let no man despise thy youth As it is said of some good Kings none like David none like Hezekiah none like to Iosiah before or after Why because each excelled in some personal grace of zeal or piety or integrity So these late-ones were eminent in some things before all other that preceded Patres tum demum vincunt cum vincuntur à filiis Ancients would have gloried in their posterity and why enviest thou for their sakes That 's for the first Quid Supponit Now follows II. Quid Petit The summ of his Desire That a double portion of thy Spirit may be upon me In it observe two things 1. The Matter of his Desire that 's Elijah's Spirit 2. The Measure of it A double portion First The Matter of his Request Had many of us such a large Offer made us to ask what we would I fear we should not have pitched upon this request of Elisha for a spiritual blessing Elijah had a power of curing and raising from the dead health and long life some would have asked Elijah could cause plenty bring famine increase oyl others would have urged a supply of riches Elijah could bring down fire to consume his enemies others would have desired victory and safety The Lord implies that naturally these are our carnal desires in his reply to Solomon 1 Kings iii. 11. Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy self long life neither hast asked riches for thy self nor hast asked the life of thine enemies c. See here is one who passes by all these and knows how to frame a Petition aright that he is sure shall speed the prayer for the Spirit Oh 't is a great advantage to know what to pray for Docet dare qui prudenter rogat The choosing of the better part prevails with God Herod offers to the Damosel to ask what she will and she asks the head of S. Iohn the Baptist the life of her enemy Piety will ask the spirk of the Baptist. But why doth Elisha pitch upon this request Why begs he the Spirit 1. He had Spirium vocantem now he begs the Spirit enabling He was called to a spiritual Function now he sues for a spiritual enablement for the discharge and execution of it If God puts us into a Calling we must beg and seek for gifts answerable to it See Moses

outward Performance nothing almost discernable that can make the difference And herein we have three things observable 1. The Authour of this different Acceptance that 's God 2. The Ground of this different Acceptance 3. The Nature of it that 's Respecting and Not-respecting First The Authour of this different Acceptance is God See here the Inversion that God makes In their approach vers 3. there Cain hath the Precedency first comes Cain then afterwards Abel is named in the second place Ey there is the order of nature and carnal precedency but see how God returns them in His estimate He gives Abel the precedency names Cain in the second place The Lord had respect unto Abel but unto Cain he had not respect Ey here is the order of Gods free Grace He crosses his hands as Iacob did with Manasses and Ephraim he layes his hand of Acceptance on Abels head his hand of Disallowance upon Cain Carnal prerogatives avail not in Gods favour in matters of Grace Nature hath no ground of prerogatives there the New-birth carries it They were in Christ before me saith S. Paul Rom. xvi That was a good ground of dignity Paul was a Post-natus Born out of due time It was a matter of debasement to the Apostle Secondly let us consider the ground of this different Acceptation Why did God regard the one reject the other We may conceive there was a double ground of difference 1. In respect of the Persons 2. In respect of their Actions I. The first is taken from their Persons 'T is Gods method he looks first to the Persons then after to their Offerings Men observe another order With men the Gift commends the Person to favour As Solomon tells us A gift out of the bosome makes way for a man it prospers where-ever it goes it makes room for him and brings him before Great men Prov. xviii 16. 'T is not so with God with him the Person must commend the Gift not the Gift the Person First God respects Abel and then his Offering dislikes Cain and then rejects his Service And in their Persons there was a double difference 1. God puts a difference betwixt them 2. He finds a difference 1. God puts a difference betwixt them that 's the main original difference his free choyce and favour Here is the higest cause Why did God respect Abel It was because he had a favour unto him Why passed he by Cain He left him where he found him in his corrupt original and so turn'd away from him It must answer the Apostles question Iohn xiv 22. How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world Here is the supreme cause that must answer and satisfie all such enquiries I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Even so Father for it was thy good pleasure 2. Gods sees and finds a difference in their Persons Abel was a just and an holy man God gave a testimony of him that he was righteous Heb. xi Cain a meer counterfeit in Religion He was of that wicked one saith S. Iohn 1 Iohn iii. Here then is the second ground of difference 't is the piety and holiness of the Person that commends the work and service unto Gods Acceptation This Solomon teaches us A good man obtains favour of the Lord Prov. xii 2. And on the contrary saith David If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal. lxvi And so again Prov. xv 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight See the wicked they have their Sacrifices they can offer the outward carkasses of Religion but 't is the prayer of the upright that is accepted their spiritual devotion And then the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord it is not onely vain or offensive or odious but 't is abominable unto God he loaths and abhorrs it but the prayer of the upright is his delight not onely accepts it but takes delight and pleasure in it But then there is II. A second ground of difference and that is in their Actions and performance of their Sacrifice 1. Some conceive there was a difference in the Matter of their Sacrifice Abel he made choyce of the best the Firstlings of the Flock and the fat thereof Cain makes no such choyce but takes any thing that comes next to hand thinks any thing good enough to offer to God O! it is matter of just provocation God takes it in high displeasure to have the meanest and vilest things tendred to him He expects a fat Sacrifice at our hands Numb xviii 12. The best of the Oyl and the best of the Wine and of the Wheat shalt thou offer unto the Lord. God complains of this base usage of him Malach. i. 13. Ye have said It is a weariness and ye have snuffed at it and ye have brought that which was torn and the lame and the sick should I accept this at your hand Cursed be the deceiver saith God He accounts it fraud and couzenage The coarsest grain the least heap the lightest sheaff must be Gods portion The Jews say Cain was a covetous man and his Sacrifice smelt of it They say he was the first that used false measures and false weights and he served his God with them Nay sure Religio de optimis Religion calls for the choysest and Gratitudo de optimis Thankfulness will be no niggard but open-handed to God Can any cost or pains be too good for him 2. Besides this difference in the Matter others conceive it in the Manner of their service and worship Abel he sacrificed to God religiously reverently devoutly Cain in meer formality without reverence and devotion Placebat in munere qui placuit in corde saith Cyprian Abels heart was devoutly affected that set the price upon his Oblation A devout heart makes a fat Sacrifice Oh! God abhorrs our loose negligent careless addresses to him God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal. lxxxix 7. Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for even our God is a consuming fire 3. But the main ground of the difference S. Paul gives Heb. xi 4. By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice then Cain That one Ingredient seasons all our Sacrifices If that be wanting God never regards them Indeed Faith is all in all in this work 1. Faith is the Priest that only sacrifices Non or at nisi fides Aug. 2. Faith that 's the Altar on which we must offer Unusquisque Sanctus Altare Domini in se habet quod est Fides saith S. Hierom. A believing heart 't is the Christians Altar that sanctifies the Offering And 3. Faith it is the Offering too Primogenita cordis fides saith Aug. Faith is the first-born Grace in the soul of a