Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	ghost_n	holy_a	word_n	6,811	5	4.3810	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93747	The necessity of keeping still unto the ordinances of religion, prayer, hearing the word, baptism, and the Lord's Supper set forth in a sermon preached in the countrey, on Acts VI.4. : wherein is also laid open, and manifested the errour of those people (commonly call'd Quakers) who do neglect the two latter.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5126; ESTC R202451	24,791	32

furtherance of the Salvation of Mankind and what God hath Joyned together set no Man put asunder for he hath commanded them both and they may be successively used one after another So on the other hand when froward and disobedient Man would notwithstanding put them asunder and neglect the one and hold to the other then comes in Satan and strangely befools and deceives people therein As the Apostle James argues For as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also even so here it is If one should use a Course of Prayer every Evening Morning and Noon-day whether it be private Family or publick Worship without keeping the Commandments of God or having regard to them in all things and at all times This would be as Ridiculous Foolish and Nonsensical as if a Servant should as often come to thee for aid and assistance or for Tools and Instruments to do such a Work and yet never set about the doing of it So again it is a like Folly Ignorance and Deceivableness to be Hearers of the Word and not doers of it The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight Psal 5. 5. From which Scripture of undoubted Truth we are given to understand that they who are foolish in matters of Religion shall not stand in Gods sight That is they shall not go to Heaven And besides that just now here mentioned they come also among the Number of the Foolish who remember the Covenant in Baptism and yet they do not observe it or only with slight and transient Purposes and Resolutions at that present time when the words thereof are to Obediently keep Gods holy will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Life God heareth not sinners John 9. 31. And here in like manner it is alledged out of the Scriptures of Truth that God is not pleased with the Sacrifice of Fools neither will He accept thereof In the Scripture Notion and Apprehension Fools and Sinners are near the same for all Sinners are Fools and also all Fools of their own making as we commonly say who were not born Ideors of meer Natural Impotency are sinners In that they being in Honour and Vnderstanding they abide not They do not improve but rather lose that Knowledge and Reason in which God had Created them This is a sin and fault of their own in these Creatures when they do not Trade with their Talent but become unprofitable And so when they lose Good and Subject themselves to Evil as to the future State and Distribution of things this is properly folly yea and folly in the abstract and in this sence sin and folly are convertible terms All Sinners are Fools and all such Fools are Sinners So Ignorance in Worship or in the things pertaining to God this is folly For let not such an one think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord. Anothers abuse of a thing doth not take away my rightful use thereof Because another Person drinks and is drunken this is no Argument or Reason that I should not drink at all for I may drink Nevertheless to quench Thirst or refresh Nature Yea I must drink or I Perish So it is as to the Ordinances of Religion tho' some abuse them yet Nevertheless we may rightly use them yea they are as absolutely necessary to carry us through this barren and dry Wilderness of the Earth unto the Heavenly Canaan as drink is to the Body Because the Prayers of some People do become Sin Psal 109. 7. This is no Argument why we should not pray at all But rather we are thence taught not to regard Iniquity in our hearts to lift up Holy Hands to purity our hearts to sanctify our selves when we draw near to God and such like Because too many are hearers of the Word and not doers of it shall we therefore like the mixt and ungodly Multitude turn aside our foot from going to the place of hearing but rather let us hear and do it According to what our Forefathers Covenanted and Promised to God for themselves and us in Deut. 5. 27. And if we would inherit the promises we must of necessity be Children of the Covenant Because some do not know and mind much more therein then the sprinkling or dipping in Water or do it in General for customs sake or to make the child or Person a Christian as they say we may and ought nevertheless to fulfil all Righteousness and to comply with that Commandment of Jesus Christ Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Retaining the thing but withal giving most heed to the thing signified thereby The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. If one is Baptized with outward water this hinders not but he may at the very same time and afterwards also be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire by which last is denoted warmth servency and zeal in the Service of God For as Peter Answered Can any Man sorbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord. Acts 10. 47 48. This Text doth as plainly imply as two and three make Five even according to the common sence and understanding of the same Words without any forced meaning or even any Interpretation at all that the having received the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit is no sufficient reason and excuse why they should not at all use Water Baptism but it is rather a reason that they should use it For Peter and Paul and other Ministers and Servants of God of Old time who had the Spirit in more measure then any now adays Notwithstanding all Boasting and Pretensions did baptize with water I would to God this were throughly understood and considered of by those People commonly called Quakers But they also have that humour and disposition as to be stiff-necked and perverse and refuse to hear and hearken unto that part of the Word of God which make against their own Imaginations The Ordinances are a Part of the Commandments of God and they are to be used out of Obedience and Homage unto him God commands us to hear his Word to call on his Name Christ commanded his Disciples and Followers to baptize and to do this in remembrance of him These two last Baptism and the Lords Supper seem to come in the place of the two Jewish Ceremonies or Ordinances of Circumcission and the Passover both of which were of Gods immediate Command and Institution As to the first of which the Apostle Paul averreth Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. Of which

World and all things therein than God's saying Let it be so which is his Word and it was so As the Word of God did create us at first in a litteral and material sense so the same Word is to make us New Creatures to create us again in a spiritual sense to make us live unto God for ever and ever And in order to that it knows all men and knows what is in man and needs not that any one should testify of him for it knows enough of it self The Commandments Rules and Directions are given in that wise according as Man is Prone Subject and Inclinable unto There are more then a Thousand Instances of this throughout the Book of the Lord. But I will recite one or two Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently least thou forget the things which thine Eyes have seen Take heed unto your selves least ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God Deut. 4. 9 23. The Holy Ghost by giving this double caution in this Chapter doth denote and shew forth what Men are apt and subject unto even to the forgetfulness of the Works of God and of the words of his Law for themselves to live according unto and to obey it and therefore he warns them against it Now the several Acts and Parts of Worship are in a manner Visible and also they put in continual mind both of the works of God and of the words of God And for this reason besides his own Command of Enjoyning them they are to be retained and resorted unto all the days of our Life whilst we are here in the Body O Ephraim What shall I do unto thee O Judah What shall I do unto thee For thy Goodness is as the morning Cloud and as the Earthly Dew it goeth away Hos 6. 4. As it is written Jesus Christ spake thus unto Philip Proving him for he himself knew what he would do John 6. 6. Even so God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth here ask the same Question doubly over proving his People or putting them to it for he himself knoweth what he hath to do and would do herein How that when their Goodness is as the morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away He hath provided that it should be renewed and come and succeed again even by the Ordinances of Religion which himself hath ordained and instituted I have several times thought how that in the long days in the hot and sultry weather when is the scorching Sun How the wisdom of God doth then provide for the Earth For whereas at this time of the Year there is little or no Rain for several weeks together If it were not for that Dew which God doth then send every Night and Early in the Morning what would the Earth come unto The most fruitful Ground would become like the Barren Mountains and the Waste howling Wilderness The Heaven that is over our head would be Brass and the Earth that is under us would be Iron Deut. 28. 23. There would be little or no Grass to be seen But the Sun in its full might and strength would scorch and burn it up But now blessed and ever blessed be our God for it by means of the Dew which commonly tarries on the Earth until the Ninth or Tenth hour in the morning It is refreshed instead of Rain and thus it comes to pass that it is neither barren nor unfruitful The observation is common that in Cloudy weather or when it will Rain that day there is usually less or no foregoing Dew The Knowledge and Wisdom of God seeing that there will not be altogether so much need of it then and accordingly he doth so proportion it out who doth all things in Number Weight and Measure O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all And so even now Thou who upholdest all things by the Word of thy Power In wisdom dost thou govern and dispose of all things throughout the whole World O that when People walk out early in the morning and see the Dew lie as the Small Rain upon the tender Herb and as Showers upon the Grass Every little drop whereof doth more Good and therein is more valuable then so many Pearls would eye and see the Lord therein and Praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wonders unto the Children of Men. That they would further make known a Spiritual use and improvement hereof as the whole Face of the Earth unless for this Dew would be like unto a Path or Road which Man or Beast continually goes on or at least it would be barren and unfruitful Even so in like manner Mine own heart and the other hearts of the reasonable Inhabitants of this Earth unless it were for the Dew of the Word and of Prayer would become barren and unfruitful in the work of the Lord and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But on the other and better hand the constant Dew of the Word and of Prayer if we do not put them from us but have recourse thereunto for the Lord doth hold them forth and Command the Inhabitants of the Earth to use them and receive the benefit of them If these be sought and had daily If this Knowledge and Godliness which last includes both the Word and Prayer and these things be in you and abound there is Great Emphasis in that Word full measure and running over which teaches us that we should do it still more and more Every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more Fruit John 15. 2. They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 8. Who saith Herein is my Father Glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples John 15. 8. But as without the Dew or Rain there would be no Fruit or Grass so without hearing or reading the Word and Prayer there would be no Fruit brought forth unto God And if God is Glorified when his reasonable Creatures bring forth Fruit then by the Rule of Contraries he is dishonoured when they bring forth no Fruit or when he fails and is disappointed in his Expectation When I looked that it should bring forth Grapes and it brought forth Wild Grapes And what is the consequent of all Poor Creatures the greatest loss will redound to themselves at the last altho' now they do not throughly consider thereof And now go to I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard it shall be trodden down it shall not be Pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thorns I will also command the Clouds that they Rain no Rain upon it For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is

On the one hand he is wanting in no means to set us forward and then again he is not wanting in any thing to keep us on continually a-going Yea he hath ordained further that we should here on Earth live the life of Heaven before we come to Heaven Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Psal 84. 4. And he hath ordered things in that manner that we may be always a doing the work of God And whereas here some would be apt to think that this would breed Tiresomness he hath again so ordered the matter by those Ordinances of Religion and Worship which he hath instituted that they who herein wait on the Lord should renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40. 31. For whereas a scoffing Ishmael and the men of this world do imagine or say We do not like this kind of work which is never done but our God through his most gracious and bountiful Nature and Doings hath so provided that his Servants shall not be weary in his Work and have a good will therein signified by that Phrase of Running And if at any time there should be any weariness because they are here in the Body and in this Flesh then they shall renew their strength for He giveth Power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength As he doth that so where he sees any thing is wanting or necessary he makes it up and supplies it So it is in the ●forecited place of Hosea where he sees before-hand their failing and Declination that their Goodness is as the Morning Cloud and as as the Early Dew it passeth away How is this to be remedied O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee Here God asks Questions of his Creatures as if Himself were at a Loss or a stand God here speaks after the manner of men It is much Lord that thou shouldest ask such a Question for thou thy self knowest better than Ephraim or Judah or all the Reasonable Inhabitants of the Earth what thou shalt do unto them and what is proper unto them in such a case or condition Seeing that their Goodness is as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away God hath provided an help meet and Remedy for that for a Repair of that Breach even the Preaching and Hearing of his Word which is one Principal Ordinance of Religion Hereby intimating that if that will will not do nothing will do but it will do And that this was in the mind of God and that it was the very thing which he would do unto them and he thought of when he asked the foregoing Question is manifest by the words immediately following Therefore here comes the Reason and Cause for it have I hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and thy Judgments are as the Light that goeth forth Hos 6. 5. Where by the way Judgments may be understood for his Commandments according as David doth so call them in the 119th Psalm or rather for his Temporal Judgments on the Earth and then the sense is to this purpose That to help remedy and provide against their Goodness being as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away God hath adapted the Preaching of his Word signified by his hewing them by his Prophets who were the Persons and Instruments employed therein and also his Judgments abroad in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof may learn Righteousness For God would have and so would do any thing that the Goodness of his people might continue and not pass away Though here again that Goodness which is as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it goeth away is better than no Goodness at all as some Dew is better than none for this Dew if it is repeated and succeeds daily will do good Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth Here observe the manner of the Holy Ghost expressing it God hath made a thorough Work of it I have hewed I have slain For there is a manifest Diversity between that Authoritative and Powerful Preaching of those Prophets and the flat and insipid Discourses of our modern Scribes and Declaimers or of Ignorant and Unfaithful Teachers Christ taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes As to this the Rule is certain That amongst all that great deal of Preaching which is now abroad in this Nation that is the best Preaching and most from God which hath in it most Authority Power and Liveliness for his Word is a Lively Word and so it will approve it self to the Consciences of the Hearers where it is understood and managed aright In the work of Man's Conversion and Salvation the Word and the Preaching thereof are before Prayer For how shall they Pray for what they have not known or for what they have not heard Now in order to bring God and the things pertaining to his Kingdom to their Knowledge as to which hearing or reading is an outward Gate letting in thereto both the Word and the Preaching or speaking thereof is not only requisite but absolutely and simply necessary And therefore by the way it would be a good method in the Education of Children to instruct them with some Principles of the Knowledge of God and of the Doctrine of Christ and of the things contained in the Scripture according as their tender Years will bear as the small Rain upon the tender Grass Before they are taught to say Prayers meerly by rote or at least to ingraft into them some inward sense and understanding of their own what they say therein In those of Riper Years Knowledge and Understanding should go before Action or otherwise it will be blind and signify nothing or not much Some having constanly used a Course of Devotion confine themselves barely to that as such is all the Religion or more properly superstition of the Papists as also of many Formalists of the National Church Which Devotion or Prayer is but a means to somewhat more even for Grace and Strength to the keeping the Commandments of God and to confirm all the words of his Law to do them as to which Preaching doth instruct and exhort unto which they should still press forward But in no wise as the manner of them is to neglect the needful thing and principal End of that only for adhering to a parcel of outward and customary Prayers for so I phrase it not to vilify or contemn the Ordinance of Prayer in no wise far be it from me But only to express it according as it is by them used and made As also to let ye see on one hand how the Wisdom of God hath appointed these two Ordinances of Preaching and Prayer towards the help and