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	truth_n	26	3	4.6662	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77593	Ton anexichniaston plouton [sic] tou Christou. The unsearchable riches of Christ. Or, Meat for strong men. Milke [for] babes. Held for th in twenty-two sermons from Ephesians 3.8. By Thomas Brookes, preacher of the Word at Margarets New-Fishstreet.; Anexichniastoi ploutoi tou Christou	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1657 (1657)	Wing B4919; Thomason E841_8	318,122	353

and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow Application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vaine in their practical inferences such Preachers are fitter for Rome then England soules may goe sleeping and dreaming to Hell before such Preaching ere such Preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger Oh that therefore the people were so wise as that when sin is reproved judgements threatned mercies promised and Christ freely and fully offered they would apply all to their owne soules This is the misery of many in our dayes they come to Sermons as Beggars come to Banquets carrying nothing but the scraps away with them Tenthly They must Preach the word Acceptably as well as rightly Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Bikkesh ni P●hil from Bakash signifies an ea●nest vehement seeking c. acceptable words or words of delight as the Hebrew ha's it and that which was written was upright even words of truth Ministers words should be Divinely delectable and desirable they should Divinely please and Divinely profit they should 'T was a fi●e commendation given by Quintiliian of Thucydides Thucydides writes thick and quick close clear he is solid s●ccint se●tentious and judicious Divinely tickle and Divinely take both ear and heart A Minister should be a weighty speaker he should cloath his Doctrine in such a comely lovely dresse as that he may by it slide insensibly into his hearers hearts Ministers should cloath their matter with decent words The leaves give some beauty to the Tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish Candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome cloaths or like a gold-ring on a Leprous hand Truth saith one loves to be plaine but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lowsie raggs like a nasty Creature Aarons bels were golden bels Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals Holy Eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost and may doubtlesse as Acts 18. 24. well as other gifts of the spirit be made prudently usefull to the setting forth of Divine truth and the catching of soules 2 Cor 12. 16. by craft as the Apostle speaks surely where it is it may be made use of as an Aegyptian Jewel to adorne the Tabernacle Lactantius hath well observed That Philosophers Orators Lib. 5. cap. 1. and Poets were therefore very pernicious in that they easily insnared incautious minds with sweetnesse of speech Therefore Basil Bucer were curt and concise full and clear in their discourses his advice is Even in delivering the truth of Christ to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ who will neither heare nor read nor value nor regard the truth except it be pollished and trimmed up in a lovely dresse In the last place and so to adde no more as they must Preach the word acceptably so they must Preach the word Constantly they must not lay downe the Bible to take up the sword as some have done for worldly advantages 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24 Acts 6. 2. they must not leave the word to serve Tables as others have done upon the same account they must not change their black Clokes for scarlet Clokes they must abide and continue in their places and imployments they must neither change their work nor their Master Acts 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to pray and to the Ministry The Shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord ●o shew that Preaching is not out of season on any day of the word They would not assigne their charge to some Surrogates or Deputies that themselves might live at ease No they were peremptorily resolv'd to hold on to continue in these two choyce duties Prayer and Ministry of the word So in Chap. 26. 22. Having therefore obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. Meditate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En toutois isihi Spend thy ●me in them upon these things give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appear to all or in all things Take heed unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 3. 14. But * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mene. Abide keep hy station ●hou wilt be put to 't thou wilt me●● with earthquakes continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Eccles 12. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs Hosea was four-score years a Prophet to Israel and yet did not convert them yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued constant and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse Chrysostome compares good Pastours to Fountaines that Ch●ysost in Mat. Hom. 15. ever send ●●rth waters or Conduites that are alwayes running though no Paile be put under Erasmus saith of Hierom Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibi nulla otio He allowed least time for sleep little for food none for idlenesse It best becomes a Minister to dye Preaching in a Pulpit Now if this be so Then by way of Use let me say That this truth lockes very sowrely and wishly upon all those that Preach any thing rather then Christ The Lord be mercifull to them how have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised to wit the bringing in of soules to Christ and the building up of soules in Christ where doe we find in all the Scripture that Christ his Prophets or Apostles did ever in their Preaching meddle with businesses of State or things of a meer civil concernment My Kingdome is not of this world Who ha's made me a Judge sayes Christ I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few Rules for such to observe that are willing to Preach Christ to poore soules I will onely propound three And the first is this If you would Preach Christ to the people according to the Rules last mentioned then You must get a Christ within you There 's nothing that makes a man indeed so able to Preach Christ to the people as the getting a Christ within him And 't is very observeable that the great Rabbies and Doctours that want a Christ within they doe but bungle in the work of the Lord in the Preaching of a crucified Jesus and were it not for the help of Austine Chrysostome Ambrose and Tertullian c. what sad dead and

holynesse-ward they received new life from the Spirit of Christ as at first conversion they did and I am confident for want of the knowledge and due consideration of this truth many professors take such libertie to themselves as to live in the neglect of many precious duties of Godlinesse for which first or last they will pay deare But remembring that 't is not a flood of words but weighty arguments that convinces and perswades the soules and consciences of men I shall give you foure reasons to demonstrate That Beleevers have a power to doe good and the first is this First Because they have life and all life is a power to act Omnis vita est propter delectationem by naturall life is a power to act by spirituall life is a power to act by eternall life is a power to act by The Philosopher sayth That a fly is more excellent then the heavens because the fly hath life which the heavens have not c. Secondly Else there is no just Ground for Christ to charge Omission of diet breeds diseases so doth omission of dutie and makes worke either for repentance hel or the physitian of souls the guilt of sins upon them as neglect of Prayer Repentance Mortification nor the guilt of Carelesnesse and Sloathfullnesse c. which he doth if they can act no further nor no longer then the Holy-Ghost acts them as at their first conversion notwithstanding their union with Christ and that spirituall principle of life that at first they received from Christ Certainly if it be so it will not stand with the unspotted Justice of God to charge the guilt of sins of omission upon Beleeving soules if they have no power to act but are as stocks and stones c. as some dreame A third Ground is this If there be not some power in Beleevers to doe good then we should not have as much benefit by the Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ips● uno bono bona sunt omnia August second Adam as we had by the first Adam The first Adam if he had stood would have Communicated a power to all his sons and daughters to have done good and being corrupted he doth communicate power to sin as all his children finde by sad and wofull experience and shall not Christ much more communicate a power to us to doe good in our measure surely he doth though few minde it and fewer improve it as they should If there be not such a power in beleevers how have they gain'd more by the second Adam then they lost by the first and wherein lyes the excellency of the second above the first c. Fourthly and lastly All those exhortations are voyd and of none effect if there be not some power in soules truly gratious to doe good as all those exhortations to watchfullnesse To stirre up the Grace of God that is in us and to worke out our owne salvation with feare and trembling and that also Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure To what purpose are all these precious exhortations if the regenerate man have no power at all to act any thing that 's good Nay then beleevers under the Covenant of Grace should be in no better a Condition then unregenerate men that are under a Covenant of workes who see their duties discovered but have no power to performe which is contrary as to other Scriptures so to that Psal 40. 7 8 9. Then said I loe I come in the volume of thy booke it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart or thy law is in the midst of my Bowells as the Hebrew reads it And to that of Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. c. A soule truly gratious can sincerely say Thy law O Lord is in the midst of my bowells and I delight to doe thy will O Lord I confesse I cannot doe it as I should nor I shall never doe it as I would till I come to heaven but this I can say in mu●h uprightnesse that Thy law is in my heart and I delight to doe thy will O father And so Paul With my minde I serve the Law of God though with my Rom. 7. ult flesh the Law of sinne And we have many promises concerning divine Assistance and if wee did but stirre up the Grace of God that is in us Isa 41. 10. Heb. 13. 5 6 c. we should finde the Assistance of God and the Glorious breakings forth of his power and love according to his promise and the worke that he requires of us Isa 26. 12. Chap. 64. 5. c. Though no beleever doth what he should doe yet doubtlesse every beleever might doe more then he doth doe in order to Gods glory and his owne and others internall and eternall good Affection without endeavour is like Rachel beautifull but barren They are blessed that doe what Bea●i sunt qui praecepta faciunt etiam si non perficiunt Aug. they can though they cannot but under-doe When Demosthenes was asked What was the first part of an Orator what the second what the third answered action the same may I say if any should aske me what is the first the second the third part of a Christian I must answer action Luther saith He had rather obey then worke Miracles obedience is better then sacrifice But Sir you will say What is the meaning of that Text that is so often in the mouths of Professors Without me you can doe nothing John 15. 5. I answer All that that Text holds forth is this That if a man ha's not union with Christ if he be not implanted into Christ he can doe nothing Without me that is separate from me or apart from me as the words may be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Secrsim a me Vide Beza C●meron and Pis●at you can doe nothing If you are not implanted into me if by the spirit and faith you art not united unto me you can doe nothing The arme may doe much it may offend an enemy and it may defend a mans life by virtue of its union with the head but if you separate the arme from the head from the body what can it doe Certainly the soule by virtue of its union with Christ may doe much though such as are separated from Christ can doe nothing at least as they should Union with Christ is that wherein the strength comfort and happinesse of the soule does consist Ah Christians if you would but put out your selves to the utmost you would find the Lord both ready and willing to assist you to meet with you and to doe for you above what you are able to aske or thinke Caesar by continuall employment overcome two constant Diseases the Head-ach and the Falling-sicknesse Oh! the spirituall Diseases that the active Christian overcomes Among the Aegyptians Idlenesse was a capitall crime Among the

will not indure sound doctrine but after their owne lusts shall they heap up to themselves teachers having itching eares This Age yea this City is full of such slight light mad soules that love nor like nothing but what 's empty and airy Jnnius confesses That in his time there was one confest that he had spent above twenty years in trying Religions pretending that Scripture Try all things and hold fast that which is good 'T is sad to see how many in our dayes under pretences of Angelicall attainments make it their businesse to inrich mens heads with high empty airy notions instead of inriching their soules with saving truths if these are not strangers to that wisedome that is from above I know nothing Prov 11. 13. He that winneth soules is wise The Hebrew Velokeahh He is the best Preacher not that tickles the ear but that breaks the heart Non qui aures ●e●ige it sed qui corpupigerit word signifies to catch soules by using all Art and industry as Fowlers doe to take Birds No wisedome to that which wins soules from sin and the world and that wins soules to Christ and holinesse no teaching to this Remember this you will never be rich in grace if you care not who you hear nor what you hear That Christ that commands you to take heed how you hear commands you also to take heed who you hear And every soule won to God is as a new Pearl added to a Ministers Crowne c. But you will say to me How should we know which is a soule-inriching Ministry that so we may waite on it Take these three Rules First Judge not of a soule-inriching Ministry by the voyce of the Minister nor by the multitude of hearers that follow him nor by his affected tone nor by his Rhetorick and flashes of wit but by the holinesse heavenlinesse and spirituallnesse of the matter Some Preachers affect Rhetoricall straines they seek abstrucities Many Ministers are like empty Orators that have a flood of words and a drop of m●tter Multa loquuntur nihil di●unt and love to hover and soare aloft in dark and cloudy expressions and so shoot their Arrowes over their hearers heads instead of bettering their hearers hearts Gay things in a Sermon are onely for men to gaze upon and admire What are high straines and flashes of wit new-minted words and phrases but like gay weeds and blew-bottles to the good Corne Truth is like Solomons Spouse All glorious within She is most beautifull when most naked as Adam was in Innocency Non quanta el●quentia sed quanta evidentia Aug. The Oracle would have Phillip of Macedon use silver Lances in winning an impregnable Fort c. but Ministers must not use golden sentences strong lines froth of wit It is Iron and not gold that killeth in the Incounter it is the steele Sword not the golden that winneth the field c. Secondly Judge of it by its revealing the whole Councell of God the whole will of God revealed in his word In Acts 20. 27. For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole Councell of God Some there be that make it Optimus text●arius est optimus Theologus their businesse onely to advance the glory of Christ and to darken the glory of the father and some cry up the glory of the Father and yet cast clouds and darknesse upon the glory of the Son and what dirt and scorne is cast upon the spirit by many vaine blasphemous persons in these times is notoriously knowne and if these men are not far from declaring Aglu●aidas never relished any dish better then wha● was distasted by others So doe serious experienced Saints relish those very truths best that such corrupt teachers distast most c. the whole Councel and will of God I know nothing Christ must be held out in all his Offices for they all tend to the inriching of poore soules to the adding of Pearls to a Christians Crowne And cleerly 't is sad to consider how many there be that cry up one Office and cry downe another Some cry up the Kingly Office of Christ but mind not his Propheticall Office and some cry up his Propheticall Office but trample upon his Kingly Office and some cry up both his Kingly and Propheticall Office and yet make slight of his Priestly Office Christians fixe your selves under his Ministry that gives the Father his due the Son his due and the Spirit his due that makes it his businesse to open the treasures and the riches both of the one and the other and to declare to you the whole will of God for many there be Rom. 1. 18. that with-hold the word in unrighteousnesse and that will onely acquaint you with some parts of the will of God and keep you ignorant of other parts whose condemnation will be great as well as just c. Melius est ut nos reprehendant gramatici quam ut non intelligunt populi Aug. in Psalm 138. Christ and his Apostles laboured to make men Christians not Criticks Thirdly and lastly You may judge of it by its coming neerest to the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles There was no Ministry so soule-inriching and soule-winning as the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles Oh the thousands that were brought in by one exercise Let men of frothy wits say what they will there are no Preachers to these that come neerest in their Ministry to Christ and his Apostles Loquamur verba Scripturae c. said that incomparable man Peter Hamus Let us speake the very words of Scripture for so did Christ the Prophets and Apostles let us make use of the Language of the Holy Ghost and for ever abominate those that prophanely disdaine at the stately plainnesse of Gods blessed Booke and that thinke to correct the Divine wisedome and eloquence with their owne infancy and Sophistry Gods holy things ought to be handled with fear and reverence rather then with wit and dalliance Spirituall nicenesse is the next degree to unfaithfullnesse No Ministry to that which comes neerest to Christ c. The Third Direction is this If ever you would be rich in grace be rich in spiritualls then keepe humble Psal 25. The humble he will teach his way and the meeke he will guide in judgement James 4. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble He sets himselfe in battell array against the proud as the Greek ha's it but he gives grace to Antitassetai the humble He poures grace into an humble soule as men doe water or wine into an empty vessel Of all soules humble soules doe most prize spirituall riches of all soules they most improve spirituall riches of all soules they are most fearfull of loosing spirituall riches In Isa 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity with him will I dwell that is of an humble and contrite spirit and that trembles