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	apostle_n	great_a	25	3	2.7167	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30703	A warning-piece for the unruly in two sermons at the metropolitical visitation of the most reverend father in God, Richard Lord Archbishop of York, held at Preston in Amondernes in Lancashire, and there preached, the former on that day, the latter the day following / by Seth Bushell.	Bushell, Seth, 1621-1684.	1673 (1673)	Wing B6238; ESTC R24244	23,200	54

the careless neglect and breach whereof in the Apostle's sence denominates a man unruly The Precepts of the Lord Christ do set before us a rule of Holiness so does his practice too in whom we have a most perfect pattern and exemplar of all righteousness He told St. John Baptist that it became him to fulfil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all righteousness whatever had a shew or appearance of goodness So Grotius vox haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè sumitur ita ut significet non modò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed quicquid ullam aequi atque boni habet rationem In him we may learn our duty towards God our way with men and our demeanour in reference to our selves His Precepts are full and so is his Pattern too for as Blosius well hath it Lud. Blos Speculum spirituale cap. 10. Etiamsi codices omnes qui toto orbe habentur intercidissent vita passio Christi abundè Christianis omnibus sufficeret ad virtutem omnem veritatem perdiscendam Now they who will not attend to the voice of Christ by his Precepts teaching Holiness nor to the way of Christ by his Pattern leading to it what else can be said of them than that they are unruly Of these 't is to be feared there are too many and this charge does justly reach some both Priest and People And herein first the charge is against those who pretend to the Priesthood and are not duely called These are intruders into that Sacred Office and invade those bounds which they ought not to come within Psal 50.16 What have such to do to declare Gods statutes or Ministerially to take his Covenant in their mouths 2 Cor. 5.19 seeing the word of reconciliation was never committed to them Such climb up over the wall into the sheepfold Joh. 10.1 enter not by the door That order and polity which God hath set in his Church these what in them lies are the subverters of How presumptuously self-confident are these men who dare to adventure upon those things with such unadvised rashness for which the blessed Apostle apprehended in Mortals such an insufficiency and upon a sober and mature consideration crys out 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things 'T is not gifts will authorize a person to step up into Moses chair neither because he 's excellently qualified with tongues and knowledge is he therefore a Minister of Christ These may perhaps puff up and make a man swell so as to appear something in his own eyes yea and in the eyes of others too but he travails with froth and wind and brings forth vanity who upon this ground dares to approach Gods Altar Methinks this piece of unruliness and enormity in the Church of God might be repressed and regulated by the countermands of sobriety modesty humility and self-denyal and other the like Christian graces were such gifted men but subjects of them but if these be not as 't is to be feared such spirits are too empty of soul seasoning graces yet surely the sad instances upon record of persons usurping the Priestly Office and the fatal issues thereupon should not only awaken but so terrifie as to reduce all such pretenders and affright them from the like usurpations for the future when 't is considered how God dealt with Korah and his complices for rising up against Moses and against Aaron but chiefly their design was to invade the Priesthood for this they did not die the common death of all men Numb 16.10 30 31. but the Lord made a new thing and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up a sign of sore and sad displeasure So we read the men of Bethshemesh were smitten with a great slaughter 1 Sam. 6.19 because they had looked into the Ark which was not for them but only for the Priests and Levites to have intermedled about The case of Vzzah may not be forgotten who was smitten to death by Gods immediate hand because he put forth his hand to hold the ark when the oxen shook it 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Doubtless his intent was good to secure the Ark from harm and to that purpose put forth a helping hand but a good intention will not acquit from the guilt of error when the act is cross to Gods command or the Agent not warranted by a due call unto it And who dares draw nigh to the office of Priesthood without a Call if the matter of Vzziah be considered 'T is said when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction 2 Chron. 26.17 18 19. Ambition transported him to invade the Priesthood for which fact the signal mark of Gods high displeasure was notorious in his forehead and he became a leper unto the day of his death and dwelt in a several house and was separated from the society and communion of Gods people and this in Scripture phrase was accounted as destruction for so Menochius glosseth Lepra instar mortis erat quia ab hominum consuetudine tanquam mortuum separat Now all this as it evidenceth Gods special care of the Priestly Function not suffering it to be polluted by common hands so it shews his mindfulness of what he spake to Aaron and to his sons Behold I have given your priests office unto you as a service of gift and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death Numb 18.7 Those must needs be accounted irregular in their courses who walk cross to Apostolical rules and practice Were not the Ministers of Christ in the Primitive times separated unto the Gospel of God Act. 13.2 Did not St. Paul put his hands upon Timothy Rom. 1.1 and did not he enjoyn Timothy carefulness in the laying on of his hands and in the commitment of a Gospel trust to faithful men 2 Tim. 1.6 who should be able to teach others also 1 Tim. 5.22 that so there might be a good succession Mar. 3.14 None were then to preach but those that were ordained and sent No man took this honour unto himself Rom. 10.15 but he that was called of God as Aaron was Heb. 5.4 God gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists Eph. 4.11 and some Pastors not all And therefore to check as 't were this spirit of giddiness 1 Cor. 12.29 and unruly humour the question was fitly put by the Apostle viz. are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Now from the first times to our days there has been a succession downwards and the work of the Ministery has been committed to distinct persons and they are and have been distinctly and severally enjoyned to wait upon their office Therefore as to Ecclesiastick Order and the outward Polity of the Church we may conclude that confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every mans turning Priest or Preacher as it will in that State where every one affects to rule as King

acknowledgement of his sin And david said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. How thoroughly home was the return of Elijah unto Ahabs rash and injurious charge telling him 1 King 18.18 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Fathers house So closely in like manner did the man of the sons of the Prophets come up to him though under a disguise and charged his fault upon him in letting Benhadad escape 1 King 20.40 So as he passed judgement upon himself in his decision of the parable And the like did Elijah 1 King 21.27 pressing his guilt and judgement so far home as forc'd him into a course of humiliation he rent his cloathes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly Slight superficial warnings are but of small avail with an unruly temper they return without effect And therefore in giving warning do it thoroughly so as it may take impression upon the heart and draw out the consideration to it The Preacher tells us that the words of the wise are as goads and nails fastned by the masters of assemblies Eccles 12.11 Fourthly Affectionately The unruly are affectionately to be warned As love will hide a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4.8 under the candidness of its nature in passing by what 's done amiss and clothing actions with the best construction so it will hide a multitude of sins by the energie of its working in turning sinners from the errour of their ways In both regards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.20 When reproofs are imbittered with self and passion though for the matter they be true and 't were wisdom to accept them yet we frequently see such reproofs prove ineffectual and are with regret retorted upon the giver Nay sometimes those that are given in love find but slender entertainment Exod. 2.13 as in Moses his warning the Hebrew who wrong'd his fellow much less shall such be kindly accepted wherein the pride passion or envy of the giver shall appear Therefore it should be our care if we intend our giving warning to be effectual therein to shew the reality of our affection and to evidence the truth and simplicity of our love Let it appear that what you say is out of love to the transgressors soul to recover him out of Sathan's snare that 't is because you desire his present and eternal good that you so entreat him that your own concern is not so much therein but 't is his own interest the promotion whereof you desire as your own that is imbarqued Endeavour to make it evident that you pray for desire and seek his good The Apostle charged the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.8 11 as a father doth his children and was affectionately desirous of them He travel'd in birth again for the Galatians until Christ was formed in them Gal. 4.19 Do you shew the like tenderness of affection in your addresses for the recovery of transgressors This is the most probable way to win them St. Paul reminds the Elders of the Church of Ephesus of his former course with them while he was amongst them that by the space of three years Act. 20.31 he ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears His warnings were affectionate and therefore in all probability the more effectual He warn'd those that stood to take heed of staggering those that staggered to beware of falling the fallen he warn'd against disobedience and the disobedient of their danger and all this from deep affection that he might confirm those that stood strengthen those that staggered recover the fallen and reclaim the disobedient And the like Precept according to his own pattern he gives us in reference to the management of our admonitions towards the unruly not to deal with him as an enemy from whom our affections may be twin'd but to admonish him as a brother towards whom our affection is intended 2 Thess 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where we have not only the self-same word used with this in the Text but the modus utendi also given us viz. as a brother Arguing an endearedness of affection to be expressed in such admonitions Fifthly It is to be done in meekness Reproofs given in a spirit of meekness will encline the ear and be as an excellent oyl Psal 141.5 which shall not break the head These will sink down into the heart and lodge there when warnings given in wrath or heat of passion will recoil finding no room of acceptance The wise man tells us that a soft tongue breaketh the bone Prov. 25.15 Oratio mollis c. as Mercer Placidum responsum ubi omnis abest asperitas convictum cavillum c. Ge●●rus A quiet and meek speech will pierce a stony heart The flint is easily broken on a soft pillow and the parts kept together which will not abide a blow when lying on a harder substance but flies away and the parts are scattered A bony hardness will yield to a soft tongue when as grievous words do but stir up anger Prov. 15.1 St. James tells us that it is a great part of spiritual wisdom even that which is from above to shew out of a good conversation our works with meekness Jam. 3.13 14 15. joyning peaceableness with purity and a gentle frame with a pious disposition and that not only in accepting the word of exhortation as being easie to be entreated but in the giving of it too as being void of bitter envying and strife in our hearts If a man be overtaken in a fault he is to be restor'd in the spirit of meekness Gal. 6.1 Your addresses for his recovery are not to be rough and tart for this instead of joynting may break the bone but they are to be sweet and gentle and thus you may put him in joynt again So the Apostle St. Paul hints it in that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.1 And shewing the qualifications and duty of teachers in reference to the unruly and those that oppose themselves his direction is express that in meekness they are to instruct those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2.24 as if meekness fitted instruction for its end and that the servant of the Lord must be gentle unto all men apt to teach as if the main part of an aptitude to teach did lye in a gentle frame of spirit and this is to be shewn to all men whether friends or others relations or those at a further distance all are gently to be treated Such is the excellency of a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3.4 that it is not only an ornament to those that have it and in the sight of God of great price but beneficial to opposers who are treated with it as a means by which God gives them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2. Tim. 2.24 25. Sixthly Without partiality Warning is inpartially to be given none