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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	heart_n	soul_n	10,548	5	4.6528	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93878	The spirits conviction of sinne. Opened in a sermon before the Honorable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament upon the solemne day of their monethly fast, Novemb. 26, 1645. / By Peter Sterry, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge. And now preacher of the Gospel in London. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Sterry, Peter, 1613-1672.	1645 (1645)	Wing S5485; Thomason E310_4; ESTC R200442	20,427	47

this sight of Christ and of this sin that he had ever liv'd on any other sight Gal. 1. chap. 16. vers when it pleased the Father to reveale his Son in mee I consulted not with flesh and blood You may see by Paul's Conversion what his Conviction was He had consulted with flesh and blood that is with Principles of Reason with the Spirit of man what should hee have consulted with or whom with the Word the immortall Word with the Wisdome of God with the discoveries of Jesus Christ in him Is this the Sin you chiefly mourn for this day By this judge of your convictions Do you grieve to think that the glory of God hath shined so long so sweetly from the face of Christ filling all things round about you while you have been sitting under the shadow of humane wit and reason as in the shadow of death That so bright a Day hath dawn'd from the Person of the Lord Jesus and yet you sit spinning out your Counsels and Courses by the candle-light of man's spirit and policy as in the night Do your hearts sigh forth this fense Lord we have sate in counsell concerning the great affairs of many Kingdomes Churches Common-wealths but not by thy Wisdome by the shining forth of thy Son in us Many Principles of State Reason Policy have raigned over us but the sight of thee O Jesus in our hearts hath not ruled us When the Spirit convinceth of sin hee makes this the great sin and folly that the appearances of Christ have not been our Sun and shield No such shield is there to defend us from the strifes contentions conspiracies of men and things as to be hid in the light of our Saviour's looks No such advantage is there as to gain this Sun to have the beamings sorth of our Husband-king on our side How do the glorious dartings of his presence from among us dazle the spirits of our enemies trouble their order and make them unable to sight against us or hurt us When the Spirit convinceth of sin hee shews us that the story of things in the Wildernesse was a Figure for us under the Gospel 1 Cor. 10. c. 4. ver When the Jews were to passe over the river Jordan the Ark went before them so they passed through dry-shod When they travelled through the Desart the Cloud the Glory went before them as that moved they marched on when that rested they stood still Your Ark now is the spirituall presence of Jesus Christ in your hearts the Cloud the Glory now is the appearance of your Saviour resting upon your spirits You have waded through many rivers of blood have you seen the discoveries of your Jesus going before you and followed these You have made many Marches many Rests hath the wel-pleased face of your Jesus as your Leading-starre been still in your eye Have you march't as this hath moved Where this hath stood still have you stay'd The Jews sung of old What ailed you ye waters that ye fled ye seas that ye were driven backwards The waters saw thee O God and fled before thee If these things be thus with you you may go forth and say in your songs What ailed you ye mighty armies at Keinton Newbury York Naseby that ye fled and were driven backwards What ailed you ye strong treasons close conspiracies that ye trembled and fell and your foundations were discovered before you could take effect They saw thee O Jesus they saw thee appearing in the midst of us so they fled so they fell before thee If things have not been thus with you behold the sin over which you are principally to powre out your tears Behold the sin which troubles you Assure your selves all your acts in Counsell and Camp will be Null till the Lord Jesus be as the shout of a King in the midst of you Vain are all our hopes sweet dreams of Peace till our Deare Saviour shew himself among you as once among his Disciples Saying Peace be with you treathing Peace upon you These are the Perswasives in which Rationall and Spirituall convictions for sin differ not all but some sew which I have chosen for you from among the rest Now remains the difference between these Convictions in the Principles themselves Principles The Principles themselves are the Spirit of Man or Reason the Spirit of God But I can no more convey a sense of this difference into any soule that hath not seen these two Lights shining in it self than I can convey the difference between Salt and Sugar to him who hath never tasted sweet or sharp These things are discerned only by exercise of senses and are too hard for those who have not their own senses exercised in them as St. Paul speaks Hebr. 5. chap. 14. ver When you shall see the Sea of Truth the Spirit then you will know that the Great River of Reason was not the Sea I can tell you that as much as the complexion of a face the colour of a cloth or lace seen by Moon-light and Sun-shine differ So and farre more do the convictions or discoveries by Reason and the Spirit But still this is the difference in the Effects not in the Principles themselves To give you as I may some shadowie description of this I will commend to your most constant and serious meditations that place 1 Cor. 15. chap. 45. v. The first man was a living soule the last man a quickening spirit Vers 46. The naturall is first and then the spirituall Vers 48. As the earthy so are they that are earthy as is the heavenly so are they that are heavenly Vers 49. As we have born the Image of the earthly man so shall we beare the Image of the heavenly From these places you may draw these Architectonick or commanding Conclusions 1. A Living soule in her full glory as she was in the first man in innocencie in Paradise is not the Principle of the second man the new birth but the All-quickening the Eternall Spirit 2. A Living soule with the highest improvements raised to the noblest actings of Wit Reason Worth is naturall not spirituall the Image of the first Adam not the Image of the Lord Jesus 3. The naturall and spirituall man differ as much as earth and heaven corruption and immortality flesh and spirit You see the difference between these two sorts of convictions as I have been able to set it before you I will now conclude this Use with an Admonition as I begun it An earthly Root may bring forth earthly fruit nothing can reach up to Heaven and immortalitie but that which first comes from heaven and that immortall Spirit If you see your sins this day and weep for them though it be only by the Owle-light of your own reason as the Philosopher himself styles it you shall not lose your reward though you may lose your soules But what will it profit you to save three Kingdomes by your sorrows and in the mean time to carry

in your own bosomes dying perishing soules of which every single one is more worth than all the world 'T is dreadfull to expresse but I will speak it for your sakes If God should please to put the choice into my hands I had much rather that all these three Kingdomes should be consum'd at once in this very moment with fire from heaven by an outward destruction then that any one the meanest most miserable soule in them should perish everlastingly Draw then water out of that well of salvation the Spirit and powre it forth before the Lord. If the Spirit be the Spring your tears will quench both flames those that burn outwardly and inwardly so you shall at once save these nations and your own soules Vse 2 A Caution If it be the work of the Spirit to convince of sin then it is his work more especially to convince of spirituall Duties and spirituall Truths Take heed of measuring divine things by the modell of Reason Take heed of rejecting what Reason cannot receive St. Paul gives you a full account of the Jews case and ruine in a few words Rom. 10.3 while they sought after righteousnesse by the Law they fell short because they were ignorant of the righteousnesse of God Feare lest you also fall after the same example of unbelief lest you fall short of the knowledge of spirituall things because you seek it by Reason and know not the Spirit of God It is true all grant that some some say that all truths which come by revelation of the Spirit may also be demonstrated by Reason But if they be they are then no more Divine but humane truths They lose their certainty beauty efficacy they become like the Name of Jesus in the mouth of those counterfeit Exorcists which made them not the Devil's Masters but his scorne Spirituall truths discovered by demonstrations of Reason are like the Mistresse in her Cook-maid's clothes They differ from themselves in their own true shape as those little plump boyes with wings the pictures of Angels in Churches differ from the Angels in Heaven Spirituall things are foolishnesse to the naturall man 1 Cor. 2. chap. No visible shape is so lovely so full of Majesty as that of Man No shape is so deformed ridiculous as the resemblance of man in a beast in the Ape So heavenly things lose their majestie become weak and contemptible when they are represented by Reason only For they are not the things themselves but an apish mimicall imitation of them The Philosopher gives us this rule that wee should seek for sutable demonstrations in every sort of truths and not leape from one kinde to another The Apostle gives us this rule to compare spirituall things with spirituall Spirituall Conclusions 1 Cor. 2.13 with spirituall Principles You will reap both pleasure and profit from this Observation that the true Procestant differs from all sorts of men and Religions by making the three Persons in Trinity according to their severall properties the foundation of all truth 1. He distinguisheth himself from the Atheists by worshipping the Father as the Fountain of truth 2. He dissents from Mahumetans Indians Insidels while he sets up Christ in himself for the only Image of truth 3. By seeking and imbracing the discovery of truth in the Spirit hee differs from all sorts of Christians especially three 1. The Papists a Faction of policy These perswade us to receive the testimony not of the Spirit but of the Church for a Touchstone of truth And this Church is the Popes private Consistory or Generall Councel Thus the Church's Authority not the Demonstration of the Holy Ghost shall be the light of Faith to Truth Thus not content with an Antichrist they set up their Consistory or Councel for an Anti-spirit But wee need no visible Judge on earth to determine upon our consciences What is Scripture what is the sense of Scripture We have an invisible Judge and Witnesse in our own breasts He that believeth hath the testimony in himself 1 Joh. 5. chap. 10. v. for he hath the Spirit 2. The Arminians a Sect of Moralists who give the over-perswading power of the Spirit to strength of Rhetorick and Reason inward or outward 3. A Party of wit and worth so farre as the wit and worth of man can go if they would submit the wit and worth of man to the Power and Wisdome of God The Socinians the Principles of Reason are the pillars of Religion and truth to these men But Reason is a pillar of a Cloud the Spirit only is the pillar of Fire which hath light in it Reason is that Gladius versatilis that sword in that hand of the Cherubim that kept Paradise a sword that turns every way It may keep men from the tree of Life but can never bring them to it Our faith is not in the wisdome of man but power of God 1 Cor. 2. chap. 5. verse Now Worthy Senators give me leave to make my particular addresses to your selves You have commanded me to speak before you how farre so ever I finde my self below a sufficiencie for it I must speak I would not seek to work upon you by art or cunning if I had any skill in these things My earnest desire is with all humilitie and lowlinesse to speak the things of God as a man on whom the earliest glimmerings of the Spirit have scarce yet dawned I have believed so I will speak to you those things on which I fasten the immortalitie of mine own deare soule Pardon mee Honourable Patriots if I speake twice to you once as private Christians a second time as publike persons and Magistrates First As Private Christians If the words of a weak worthlesse man may have place in your large hearts I beseech you to lay up within you and to ponder frequently upon this short word which I am now about to speak Remember Remember not to trust to the strength and wisdome of that Living soule which dwels in the Breast of Man But Have all your dependance upon that Spirit of the Immortall God which comes forth from our Lord Jesus Christ I speak this to You who are Princes of Reason in whom the Spirit of Man is at a High pitch Your Saviour died that he might send you this Spirit He left you in his fleshly presence that you might have this Spirit with you O wait for him constantly till he come Wait upon him diligently when he is come Saint Hierom thought hee ever heard the last Trumpet sounding in his eares How well should I think my selfe rewarded for all the pains of this day if I could fix upon your spirits the constant sound of two onely Sentences as two blasts of the last Trumpet The Sentences are Esa 2. vers ult Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils wherein is he to be esteemed of VERS 17. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day The great God make That day This day to every one of your

soules Thus much to Private Christians Secondly As Publick Persons Christ tells the Jewes If any one sin against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him But if any one sin against the holy Ghost it never shall bee forgiven him You will allow it if I shall make a little change in these words and so return them to you If a State sin against the Sonne of Man it shall be forgiven But if a State sin against the holy Ghost it shall never be forgiven Remember Hierusalem Christ came in the flesh and was crucified yet Hierusalem stood The Spirit of Christ came in the persons of the Disciples in the power of the Gospel and was cast out then Hierusalem fell Divided into three Factions within beleaguer'd with a fourth enemy without Hierusalem miserably fell O England London Remember Hierusalem You have had the first day of your Peace and passed it Christ hath been preach'd among you but as in the Flesh clouded with carnall rites and ceremonies Christ hath been pierc'd among us that is not beleeved on yet we live though we bleed You have had the first day of your Peace and pass'd it Be carefull Be carefull to know the last day of your Peace the comming of the Spirit among you You have set me on your Watch-Tower and made me your Watchman for the few sands of these glasses If you ask mee now Watchman what of the Night My humble answer is The Night is almost past the Day is at hand if you will receive the Spirit when he comes If you shall refuse to heare you will look for day but I feare I feare it will be Blacknesse of Darknesse and Desolation But I hend my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus who hath hither to made you tender in a very great measure that he would send the Spirit of his Son into your hearts that you may know him that he may be in you that all this people may honour the Spirit as they honour Jesus Christ Vse 3 A Vindication of the Spirit from those Who 1. Pretend it to Profanenesse Who 2. Profane it under Pretences 1. From those who Pretend the Spirit to Profanenesse Can any think they have the Spirit of Grace in them and yet sin and yet not mourn for sin Can any man make that Spirit whose work is to Convince of fin a Colour for sin Can any man paint his foule lusts with the specious name of this holy Spirit whose property it is to paint out lusts in their True deformities their Hellish shapes I read in Ecclesiastick Writers that in the Primitive times there were those that deserv'd the name of Borboristae or Coenosi The Dirty Sect and yet a Branch of the Gnostiques But I might perhaps feare this to be the Malice or Mistake of some in those ages if I did not read in the holy Scriptures of a Jude 8. Filthy Dreamers Spirituall Discoveries are either Waking Sights or Dreames Dreames are False Visions of sleeping men without connexion full of absurdities inconsistencies It is not strange for a filthy vile Person to have fair Glorious Dreames It is monstrous that Glorious Discourses Notions and Apprehensions should be set upon vile Affections Actions and conversations as the Head of an Angel upon the body of a Beast But All is a Dream If any man indeed have the Spirit he hath a Trde Dove in his Breast The Dove's eyes are the Emblem of Chastity The Dove's song is in Grones Who so mourn for sin who so moane day and night after their God as those who live with this Spirit This is the first Part of the Vindication Secondly from those that Profane the Spirit under Pretences of Fancy Profanenesse 1. Under Pretences of Fancy Why should Joseph be despised as a Dreamer among his brethren Paul as a Babler among the Athenians The Spirit as a Fancy by men onely Rationall That scurrilous Comoedian in his Greek play call'd the Frogs reproach'd Socrates as a Worshipper of Clouds and the Aire because he neglected their Idols and convers'd with the Invisible God So the workings and Discoveries of the Spirit often seem to Men of Mighty Reason Cloudy Airy Yet the Spirit is Truth the onely Solid and Weighty Truth carrying the power of God for a demonstration along with it 1 Cor. 2.4 Some learned men beare such a modest respect to Nature that they affirm it Probable Some Beasts may have a Sense more then we have which wee can neither judge of or guesse at because we have it not O! that the most Rationall Men were so modest towards their Maker as to suspect that there may be in him a Divine Sense a Spirit of Light above the Compasse and Conjectures of their Reason which he may communicate to whom he pleaseth 2. Under Pretences of Profanenesse The Heathens mingled with Christians of old charg'd their secret Meetings with the Beds of Oedipus unnaturall Incests the Feasts of Thyestes monstrous cruelties The Late Protestants at large cloath'd the best men with the name of Puritan as with a Cap of Paper then they painted that Cap with Devils they loaded that name with all the foule things of all Sects or Persons as before them the Papist did the Protestant God grant that the Father of lies may not still live between the Lips of Men by the same Art of Names representing the most spirituall men like Christ on the Crosse under the most carnall Titles of Ambition Lust Falshood The Spirit is Holy so are they that are His. This Spirit cannot encourage to sin comfort in sin for his work is to convince sin Beleeve it 'T is true as Gospel No man that is led by the law of the Spirit of Life can walk contrary to any Law of Nature Common Honesty Civill Policy or whatsoever is of good Report Praise-worthy If any man walk by any other rule an evill Spirit hath deceived him only let not the reproach of such fall upon them who with humble and panting hearts call upon the Name of this Holy Spirit Use 4 A Consolation This Spirit which convinceth of sin is the Comforter If you have this day receiv'd his conviction you shall now go away full of his comforts with bosomes full of All comforts of peace and joy in your selves of peace and love one towards another Where the Spirit convinceth of sin he communicates all contents in these two bundles of comforts Righteousnesse and Peace 1. Righteousnesse Have you seen your sins by the light of the Spirit by the same light you shall see your righteousnesse Humble your selves before this Spirit let him cover your faces with shame and he shall cloath your persons with glory He shall make you precious in the eyes of your God honourable in all the world Nations round about shall say This is a wise and righteous people for the Spirit of the Eternall God is come down among them 2. Peace Naturalists say A wound is a separation of parts in the whole How full are all of wounds Alas do we not begin to have wounds upon our breasts neer our hearts And still we strive to make that good in Civilitie which is true only in Nature that the best Balsome for a wound is its own blood Ne would make up our divisions by making them more Who now shall restore Peace to our mourners This Spirit will restore peace to his mourners This Dove though he come groaning yet he brings an Olive branch in his mouth O ye every one of you in particular give this Spirit your single hearts to breake in pieces and he will make them all one heart How happy should we live if God would do this If the Lord would powre forth his Spirit upon our souls and melt them how sweetly would they run all into one piece like gold Then should Righteousnesse and Peace kisse each other in these Lands and these three kingdomes should mutually kisse and imbrace in this union The Lambs England and Scotland Presbyterians and Independents shall feed together in fat pastures The Lambs and the Lion shall live lovingly and converse one with another Then shall your Cattell go forth again in Herds and Flocks Your children in dances Your Saints in their assemblies and the Lord Jesus shall be known for a God in the midst of them Then shall after-ages call this Age this Parliament The blessed of the Lord and make it your Motto for ever Blessed are the Peace-makers in divided Common-wealths Blessed are the Peace-makers in divided Consciences Thus if the Holy Spirit set a crown of thorns by conviction on your hearts he shall crown you with Righteousnesse and Peace For a Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of God is Righteousnesse Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost FINIS