Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	aaron_n	able_a	moses_n	38	3	6.7535	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96785	Vox pacifica a voice tending to the pacification of God's wrath; and offering those propositions, or conditions, by the acceptation, and performance whereof, in some good measure, a firme and continuing peace may be obtained. It is directed to the King, Parliaments, and people of these islands: By Geo. Wither Esquire, (a commander in this war) heretofore their unheeded remebbrancer [sic] of plagues and deliverances past; and their timely forewarner of the judgments now come. He hath disposed it into six books, or canto's, whereof foure onely are contained in this volumne; and the other deferred to be hereafter published, as there shall be cause.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1645 (1645)	Wing W3210; Thomason E1242_1; ESTC R202399	111,848	215

set Humiliation-dayes Your well-affected Brethren fast and mourn When ev'ry Congregation weeps and prayes That GOD in mercie might to them return Some as if in despight of that Decree And in contempt of GOD dance feast and sing Or drinking healths to their confusion be Who for the Publike-Weale Peace-Offrings bring And many who would seem to sacrifice A contrite-spirit and a broken-heart Come loaded with so many vanities That back unto their dwellings they depart Not onely lesse accepted then before But more despised and polluted more It is not to be thought GOD doth regard A Formall-habit so you do appear With hearts reform'd and with a soule prepar'd His holy-Word obediently to hear Yet know that he expects when you professe A sorrow for your sins you should put on That outward and that inward humblenesse By which the dutie may be truly done He doth expect that when you near shall draw Vnto his Throne you should approach thereto With so much reverence and filiall awe That to the same you no dishonour do Nor make prophane Beholders to contemne His Worship by your meane esteem of him For some would scarce believe you serv'd a GOD Who hath a power to punish or to save Or be perswaded that you fear'd his rod Or that you need of his compassion have If they observ'd how cloath'd to him you come Or heeded your behaviours in his sight Or saw you after you returned home And what your conversations were that night For many of you habited appeare Like those which to the Revells are invited And not as if you men of sorrow were Or with GOD's anger or your sins affrighted But trim'd with toyes which at that time and place Shewes either want of wit or want of grace And when you should appear with looks compos'd According to the service you pretend Your thoughts by your deportment seem dispos'd As if imployed to some other end Your voice is more imperious and more loud Then well befits a Fast you laugh and grin And often have those looks and gestures show'd Which fitter for a Theater have been Then for a Temple in a day of Fasting Which if GOD should severely look upon Your dayes of mourning would be everlasting And your afflictions never would be done For he would see not without Indignation You come but with a fain'd Humiliation And then among those errours and presumings Which make your holy-things abhominable And which you must repent are your assumings Vnto your selves what you are never able Nor warranted to practise For the Pride Which hath begot this Boldnesse doth bring on Those dreamings and o're-weenings which divide Distract and trouble you as they have done You missing his true meaning who hath said You should be Priests and Prophets to the LORD From Truth and Decencie have lately strai'd And made your Pray'rs and Preaching so abhorr'd That in the stead of what you have expected Increase of Plagues and Discords is effected And some of you this Ignorance hath brought To such presumption that you vilifie That PRAYER which by CHRIST himselfe was taught And turn'd Devotion into Blasphemie You have not only offered strange-fire But also things uncleane for you present Your Lusts unto Him and those things require Which make Him with your offrings discontent When therefore you present the Sacrifice Of Prayer know that as you are not bounded To Verball-Formes so you should not despise The Rule whereon that dutie should be grounded Lest that which might of Blisse a meanes have bin A meanes become of letting Curses in Of GOD they seeme not prudently conceited Who think that those Petitions he despiseth Which his owne Spirit hath for us indited And only likes of those which man deviseth Or that he will impute it as a Vice If in those wants which formerly you had You shall present him one Petition twice Or oftner though with true devotion made Or that at all times all men should repaire Vnto his Trone with suits extemporarie Because those few that have the gift of Pray'r Can quickly to fit words their meanings marrie For this is but a novell-imposition Arising out of Pride and Superstition As of Virginitie long since was said Let them to whom GOD gives the same receive it But let it not on any man be laid To whom it hath not pleased him to give it To speak in publike Moses was lesse able Than Aaron and yet GOD did him endow With kowledge and with gifts more honourable And from his holy-Holy-Spirit they did flow The wisest heart hath not the nimblest tongue Nor is it still the Spirits inspiration Whereby so many preach and pray so long But Memorie upon premeditation And that makes oft a fairer shew in words Than Grace with gifts more sanctifi'd affords And by this help of Nature carnall men Not only gain esteeme beyond their merit And Player-like act parts which now and then Are falsly thought out-flowings of the Spirit But by this qualitie have also brought Contempt on better men and oft thereby Into their simple hearers hearts have wrought In stead of Truth bewitching heresie Yet this their Tongue-craft now hath such esteeme That he who to himselfe assumeth not This gift doth scarce to them a Christian seeme And therefore many now the same have got Who care not though these offrings of the tongue Be wholly Non-sense so they may be long GOD values your Devotions by their strength Of Faith and by your pious inclination And not by that tautologie or length Which hath of late begun to be in fashion It was a Pharisaicall-Tradition Arising partly from hypocrisie And partly from a Jewish superstition Which fool'd their Feminine simplicitie As it doth ours And therefore though he seeme Almost a Reprobate who dares reprove That custome which those men do most esteeme Who with their owne conceptions are in love Yet many of them as your Saviour said Have only prated when they thought they pray'd Let then your Praying and your Preaching too Be such as may True-Pietie advance And not the work of your Destroyer do By pleasing Self-conceit and Ignorance In giving leave to ev'rie giddie braine To preach what ever Fancie shall invent And heaps of those false-Teachers entertaine Who bring you Tidings which were never sent A mysterie I will to you unfold Whereof if you take heedfull observation A glimmering-light you shall thereby behold To help promote both Peace and Reformation And give some hint whereby you may provide Against those Errours which do much divide There were two SIMONS in the primitive And purer times who typified that Which doth concerne you For you do derive Your Evill-being and your Good-estate From what they signifie The Name imports In English HEARING and these did fore-show That in the Church from Hearers of two sorts Great Schismes and much Heresie would flow From SIMON-PETER which is in your tongue Hearing-the-Rock the Faithfull-Hearers came From SIMON-MAGVS all those Hearers sprung Which were seduc'd according to his