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	beard_n	love_n	18	3	5.0085	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06500	A commentarie vpon the fiftene Psalmes, called Psalmi graduum, that is, Psalmes of degrees faithfully copied out of the lectures of D. Martin Luther ; very frutefull and comfortable for all Christian afflicted consciences to reade ; translated out of Latine into Englishe by Henry Bull.	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Bull, Henry, d. 1575?	1577 (1577)	STC 16975.5; ESTC S108926	281,089	318

which went downe on the borders of his garments This is a homely and familiar phrase of the holy Ghost The place is knowne 30. of Exodus where Moses was commaunded to make a certaine precious oyntment with this inhibition that it should be made of none else but of him nor employed to any other vse then to anoynt the bearde of the high priest With this oyntment the Psalme compareth vnitie and concorde as an holy heauenly thing whiche by no power or policie of man can either be gotten or kept For although it be giuen euen to the wicked also as we may see in those kingdoms which are out of the Church yet is it the gift of God and a most holy gift which ought to serue especially vnto holy vses for the aduauncing of religion for the confirmation of matrimony for the education of children and for the maintenance and continuance of all honestie and godlines In that he saith from the head he sheweth the nature of true concord For like as the oyntment ranne downe from the heade of Aaron the high priest vpon his beard and so descended vnto the borders of his garment euen so true concord in doctrine and brotherly loue floweth as a precious oyntment by the vnitie of the spirite from Christ the high priest and head of the Church vnto all the members of the same For by the beard and extreme partes of the garment he signifieth that as farre as the church reacheth so farre spreadeth that vnitie which floweth from Christ her head Or by the beard we may vnderstand those to whome the office of teaching belongeth because the bearde is ioyned vnto the mouth which is the instrument of doctrine and by the extreme partes of the garment the rest of the church which is the garment of christ This similitude expresseth most liuely how great the vertue of the spirite of concord is wherewith all the members of Christ are anoynted For it maketh their life sweete and pleasant in so much that whatsoeuer they do it giueth a sweet odor in the sight of God. If the vnquiet spirits which trouble the Church at this day could beleue that the peace and concorde of the Church is such an holy and a pleasant ointment to the Lord separate from all profane vses they would be more sober and circumspect then they be But because they beleue it not therefore they employ this holy ointment to vnholy vses seeking therby their owne glory Yea they turne the Psalme cleane contrary and say in their harts Behold how pleasant a thing it is to trouble the brethren they would not haue them to enioy this holy oyntment that is to dwell and liue togither in this heauenly concord These we must flie to these we must in no wise be like but must learne that the vnitie of the Church is the gifte of God which we must defend and maintaine with all our power For there is nothing more pleasant in the sight of God and his Angells then when the Pastors and gouerners of the Churches doe dwell togither in godly concorde teaching and following with one consent one true sincere and vniforme doctrine Betwene the Pope and his rable there is great concorde for there is a concord euen amongest theeues as there was betwene Iudas and the Phariseis But this is not the concorde whiche the Psalme here speaketh of but the Psalme commendeth that concord which is amongst those that haue the pure and sincere worde Therefore the Prophet here vseth a similitude which onely perteineth to Aaron named to be y high priest by Gods owne mouth signifying thereby that this concord is spread by the preachers of the word throughout the whole body of the Church so that not onely the body it selfe is refreshed with this oyntment but also the sweete smel thereof is dispearsed euery where and the fame of the Church is glorious both before God men those I meane which vnderstand and acknowledge this heauenly benefite Verse 3. As the dew of Hermon which falleth vpon the mountaines of Sion for there the Lorde appoynted the blessing and life for euer Hermon is a mountaine ioyning vppon Libanus Hereof it commeth that in an other place he calleth Iudea which is compassed with mountaines the land of Hermonijm As touching this similitude I thinke the Prophet vseth the common maner of speaking For whereas the mountaines often times seme to those that beholde them a far of to reach vp euen vnto heauen the dew which commeth from heauen seemeth to fall from the high mountaines vnto the hills which are vnder them Therefore he sayth that the dewe descendeth from Hermon vnto the mount Sion because it so seemeth vnto those that doe behold it a farre of And this clause after my iudgement perteineth to ciuill concorde like as the former similitude perteineth to the Church because God through peace and concord maketh common wealthes and kingdoms to flowrish euen as seedes herbes and plants are fresh and flourish through the morning dewe The beginning of this peace commeth from the Princes Magistrates as from mount Hermon ▪ From whom it floweth vnto euery particular person and to the whole common wealth which is refreshed therwith as it were with the dewe of heauen wherby all things doe prosper and flourish For like as by the dewe all things that growe vpon the earth do spring and encrease euen so small things through peace concord do grow to great increase Contrariwise like as in the time of great heat drowth all things wither away perish so warres seditions tumults su●uert and destroy common weales kingdoms Wherfore we haue neede not onely of diligent exhortations but also of continuall hartie and faithfull prayer vnto God that he would gratiously continue this heauenly benefite of peace and concord amonges vs as the Prophet now addeth There the Lorde appointed the blessing and life or liues for so it is in the Hebrewe As much to say as There will God dwell where concord is This is in deede an excellent commendation wherewith he so bewtifieth and extolleth peace And with this commendation ought the hartes of all men to be stirred vp to the loue of peace since they heare that God wil dwel with such Princes such Pastors and such people as loue peace and defende the same It followeth then that where the enemies of peace are and such as delite in vnnecessary warres as are those monsters which are idlely and wickedly brought vp in the Courts of Princes and courtly life togither with the profane godles multitude there dwelleth the deuill with his angells and there hath God appoynted malediction death and destruction There is a certeine vehemency in this word life or liues in the plurall number For it signifieth all kindes of life as the Priests the Leuites the faithfull the Magistrates artificers citizens husbandmen c. As if he sayd All states of life shall be blessed with

they will not goe talke eate or drink togither This is a deuilish life Wherefore this exhortation must be diligently learned and exercised that through patience we may endure and ouercome all labours sorowes and vexations beeing contented with this benefite that we knowe this kinde of life to be acceptable vnto the Lord and that in it and by it he will blesse vs Thus with a merry and a cherefull conscience we shall ouercome all troubles and tentations whatsoeuer Verse 3. Thy wife shall be as the fruitefull vine on the sides of thy house thy children like the oliue plantes round about thy table We haue hearde two singular commendations of holy matrimony where the husband the wife doe liue togither in the feare of the Lord walke in his wayes namely that this life is acceptable vnto God and that he will blesse the same Therefore we are here exhorted and encouraged patiently to endure the cares and troubles which God hath allotted to this kind of life to the ende that whiles we are beaten downe humbled and kepte vnder by these troubles the corruption of the fleshe may be mortified and the infirmitie of nature may be healed For where as the idle bellied Monks taught men to sequestre them selues from all labours and trauells and from all worldly busines and to seeke a solitary life where they might liue in all ease and quietnes the Prophet here teacheth that this pleaseth not god But this is it that pleaseth God that we should be tossed with troubles and shaken with tentations knowing that God hath appoynted vs here to suffer labours sorrowes and vexations both actiue and passiue which matrimony bringeth with it He sayth not that we must liue in idlenes and eate the labour of other mens handes as the Popes holy Sainctes those Epicures and delicate Martyrs doe Moreouer I somewhat touched before that Hierome and some other also after him did dispute as touching this Psalme why Dauid commendeth the life of a godly man to be so happy if he haue a wife since that in the holy Scripture there are so many holy men which liued a single life as peraduenture Helias and Helizeus did with other like albeit of these men he can not thus certeynly affirme but Ieremy he may To this I aunswere that the Prophet here meaneth nothing els but to enstruct the godly as touching this kind of life instituted of God and goeth not about to compell all men to marry but teacheth those which are married or entend to marry to know and vnderstand what they haue when they haue wiues so that both the single life and also matrimony may haue their libertie The meaning therfore of the Prophet here is nothing else but to commend and set forth the gift of God and not to compell any man to marry For one and the same spirite hath distributed his gifts to some after one maner and to some after an other We are all in one body and we are all bewtified with one and the same spirite but not after one maner Let them therefore to whome it is giuen to receaue this abyde still in their single life and let them glory in the Lorde On the other side let those that are not so strong but knowe and feele their infirmitie that they can not liue both chast and out of matrimony let these I say consider more their owne infirmitie then the discommodities and troubles that belong vnto matrimony and let them knowe that they haue an excellent remedy created of God for their infirmitie and therefore the Scripture calleth the woman a helper vnto the man Wherefore although we be vnlike in giftes yet let euery one of vs serue God in our gift and calling shewe our selues in all godlines to be the true and faythfull familie of that great and heauenly housholder This is then as I sayde the purpose of the holy Ghost to extoll and magnifie this gift of matrimony since it is so despised in the world and the true prayses thereof are so hid and darkned partly by the corruption of the flesh which can feele nothing but present troubles and partly by the suggestions of the Deuill and sclaunders of the world and yet so notwithstanding that other giftes lose not their commendation Let widowes let virgins abide in their calling The holy Ghost here speaketh nothing of our virgins but of matrimony onely to the ende that they which liue in that state should knowe and acknowledge their gift Now whereas Hierome both vngodly and without all iudgement obiecteth that Abraham Isaac and other Patriarkes married wiues when they were of great yeares and liued many yeres also in matrimony without children and therefore were not blessed according to this Psalme I deny the consequence For Abraham Isaac others were blessed euen before they married wiues or had any children Like as also widowes and virgines which do beleue are baptised are blessed And as touching the Psalme it speaketh of the gift onely compelleth none thereunto but adorneth bewtifieth it with this singular commendation because it is so miserably defaced and contemned in the world The Pope and his Cleargie doe pretend that they eschewe mariage for the loue of chastity But that is false We must beleue S. Paule rather who foretold that they should contemne matrimony being ledde with the spirit of error and not with the loue of chastitie especially seeing they haue made a lawe whereby they forbid matrimony Therefore they speake a lye through hypocrisie when they say that the loue of chastitie is the cause why they abhorre matrimony For neither are they chast neither can they be chast as their abominable life and wicked practises do declare But this doe they that they may liue in ease and securitie and be free from all the cares and troubles of matrimony And againe that through hypocrisie they may winne vnto them selues an opinion of great holines amongst the people and be reuerenced in the worlde as spectacles and very Angells rather then men and so be counted worthy to eate the labour of other mens hands This is the holy that is to say the execrable chastitie of our Papists Munkes Frears Priestes and Nunnes They that after this maner absteyne from matrimony are very Antichristes according to the saying of Daniel who foresheweth that this is a most euident marke of Antichrist that he shall not care for the desire of women The same place doth the ordinary glose also apply vnto Antichrist with these wordes that he shal make a great shewe of chastitie to the ende he may the more easily deceaue We also adde this cause moreouer that they make this glorious pretence of chastity and holines because they would liue in ease and idlenes eschewe the cares and troubles that matrimony bringeth with it which are meete necessary for a godly man if it please God to lay them vpon him Thus ye see that matrimony is a good an