Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65276
|
Autarkeia, or, The art of divine contentment by Thomas Watson.
|
Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
|
1654
(1654)
|
Wing W1102; ESTC R23954
|
98,303
|
304
|
Suavitate in sweetnesse A poisonfull weed may grow as much as the Hyssop or Rose-mary the Poppy in the field as the Corne the Crab as the Pearmaine but the one hath a harsh sowre taste the other mellows as it growes An hypocrite may grow in outward dimensions as much as a childe of God hee may pray as much professe as much but he growes onely in magnitude hee brings forth sowre grapes his duties are leavened with pride the other ripens as he growes he growes in love humility faith which do mellow and sweeten his duties and make them come off with a better relish The Beleever growes as the flower he casts a fragrancy and perfume 3. A true Christian growes Robore in strength he growes still more rooted and setled The more the tree growes the more it spreads its root in the earth A Christian who is a Plant of the heavenly Ierusulem the longer he growes the more he incorporates into Christ and sucks spirituall juice and sap from him he is a dwarfe in regard of humility but a gyant in regard of strength He is strong to do duties to beare burdens to resist tentations 4. He growes Vigore in the exercise of his grace He hath not only oile in his lamps but his lamps are burning and shining Grace is agile and dexterous Christs vines doe flourish hence wee read of a lively hope and a fervent love here is the activity of Grace Indeed sometimes grace is as a sleepy habit in the soule like sap in the vine not exerting its vigour which may be occasion'd through spiritual sloth or by reason of falling into some sin but this is only pro tempore for a while the spring of grace will come the flowers will appear and the fig tree put forth her green figs The fresh gales of the Spirit do sweetly revive and refocillate grace The Church of Christ whose heart was a garden and her graces as precious spices prayes for the heavenly breathings of the Spirit that her sacred spices might flow out 5. A true Christian growes Incremento both in the kinde and in-the degree of grace To his spirituall living he gets an augmentation hee addes to faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance c. here is grace growing in the kind and he goes on from faith to faith there is grace growing in the degree We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren because your faith groweth exceedingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it encreaseth over and above And the Apostle speaks of those spirituall plants which were laden with Gospel fruit Phil. 1. 11. A Christian is compar'd to the Vine an embleme of fruitfulnesse he must bear full clusters We are bid to perfect that which is lacking in our faith A Christian must never be so old as to bee past bearing he brings forth fruit in his old age An heaven-borne plant is ever growsing hee never thinks hee growes enough he is not content unlesse he adde every day one cubit to his spiritual stature We must not be contented just with so much grace as will keep life and soul together a dram or two must not suffice but we must be stil encreasing with the encrease of God We had need renew our strength as the Eagle our sinnes are renewed our wants are renewed our tentations are renewed and shal not our strength be renewed Oh bee not content with the first embryo of grace grace in its infancy and minority You look for degrees of glory bee you Christians of degrees Though a Beleever should be contented with a modicum in his estate yet not with a modicum in Religion A Christian of the right breed labours still to excell himselfe and come nearer unto that holinesse in God who is the originall the paterne and prototype of all holinesse CHAP. XIII USE 4. Shewing how a Christian may know whether he hath learned this divine Art Use. IV. THus having laid down these three Cautions I proceed in the next place to an use of Triall 4. How may a Christian know that he hath learned this lesson of Contentment I shall lay down some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or characters by which you shall know it 1. A contented spirit is a silent spirit He hath not one word to say against God I was dumb or silent because thou Lord didst it Ps. 39. Contentment silenceth all dispute He sitteth alone and keepeth silence There is a sinfull silence when God is dishonoured his truth wounded and men hold their peace this silence is a loud sinne and there is an holy silence when the soul sits down quiet and content with its condition When Samuel tells Eli that heavy message from God that he would judge his house and that the iniquity of his family should not bee purged away with sacrifice for ever doth Eli murmur or dispute No he hath not one word to say against God It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good A discontented spirit saith as Pharaoh Who is the Lord why should I suffer all this why should I bee brought into this low condition Who is the Lord But a gracious heart saith as Eli It is the Lord let him doe what he will with me When Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron had offered up strange fire and fire went from the Lord and devoured them is Aaron now in a passion of discontent No Aaron held his peace A contented spirit is never angry unless with himselfe for having hard thoughts of God When Ionah said I do well to be angry this was not a contented spirit it did not become a Prophet 2. A contented spirit is a chearfull spirit the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contentment is something more then Patience for Patience denotes onely submission Contentment denotes chearfulnesse A contented Christian is more then passive he doth not only bear the Cross but take up the Crosse He looks upon God as a wise God and whatever hee doth though it bee not ad voluntatem yet ad sanitatem it is in order to a cure Hence the contented Christian is chearfull and with the Apostle takes pleasure in infirmities distresses c. He doth not onely submit to Gods dealings but rejoyce in them he doth not onely say Iust is the Lord in all that is befallen me but Good is the Lord. This is to be contented A sullen melancholy is hatefull it is said God loves a chearfull giver I and God loves a chearfull liver We are bid in Scripture not to be careful but we are no where bid not to bee chearfull He that is contented with his condition doth not abate of his spirituall joy and indeed he hath that within him which is the ground of chearfulnesse hee carries a pardon sealed in his heart 3. A contented spirit is a thankfull spirit This
of Reproach that the world did shoot at Christ went deeper into his heart then the spear His suffering was so ignominious that as if the Sunne did blush to behold it withdrew its bright beams and masqued it selfe with a cloud and well it might when the Sun of Righteousnesse was in an eclipse all this contumely and reproach did the God of glory endure or rather despise for us Oh then let us be content to have our names eclipsed for Christ let not reproach lie aâ— our heart but let us binde it as a crown about our head Alas what is reproach this is but small shot how will men stand in the mouth of the Canon those who are discontented at a reproach wil be offended at a faggot 5. Is not many a man contented to suffer reproach for maintaining his lust and shall not we for maintaining the truth Some glory in that which is their shame and shall we be ashamed of that which is our glory Be not troubled at these petty things he whose heart is once divinely touched with the loadstone of Gods Spirit doth account it his honour to be dishonoured for Christ and doth as much despise the worlds censure as he doth their praise 6. We live in an Age wherein men dare reproach God himselfe The Divinity of the Son of God is blasphemously reproached by the Socinian The blessed Bible is reproached by the Antiscripturist as if it were but a legend of lies and every mans faith a fable The Iustice of God is called to the barre of Reason by the Arminian The Wisdome of God in his providentiall actings is taxed by the Atheist The Ordinances of God are decryed by the Familist as being too heavy a burden for a free-borne conscience and too low and carnall for a sublime Seraphique spirit The Wayes of God which have the Majesty of holinesse shining in them are calumniated by the Profane The mouthes of men are open against God as if he were an hard Master and the path of Religion too strict and severe If men cannot give God a good word shall we be discontented or troubled that they speak hardly of us such as labour to bury the glory of Religion shall we wonder that their throats are open sepulchres to bury our good name Oh let us be contented while we are in Gods scouring house to have our names sullied a little the blackler wee seeme to be here the brighter shall wee shine when God hath set us upon the celestiall shelfe SECT VI. The sixth Apology answered The sixth Apology that Discontent makes is disrespect in the world I have not that esteem from men as is suitable to my quality and graces And doth this trouble Consider 1. The world is an unequall Judge as it is full of change so of partiality The world gives her Respects as she doth her places of preferment more by favour often then desert Hast thou the ground of reall worth in thee that is best Worth is in him that hath it Honour is in him that gives it better deserve respect and not have it then have it and not deserve it 2. Hast thou grace God respects thee and his judgement is best worth prizing A Beleever is a person of honour being borne of God Since thou wast precious in mine eyes thou has been honourable and I have loved thee Let the world think what they will of you perhaps in their eyes you are a cast-away in Gods eyes a Dove a Spouse a Iewel others account you the dregs and off-scouring of the world but God will give whole Kingdomes for your ransome Let this content no matter with what oblique eyes I am looked upon in the world if I am rectus in curia God thinks well of me 'T is better that God approve then man applaud The world may put us in their Rubrick and God put us in his black-book What is a man the better that his fellow-prisoners commend him if his Judge condemne him Oh labour to keepe in with God prize his love let my fellow-subjects frowne I am contented being a favorite of the King of heaven 3. If we are the children of God we must look for disrespect a believer is in the world but not of the world we are here in a pilgrim-condition out of our own Countrey therefore must not looke for the respects and acclamations of the world it is sufficient that we shall have honour in our own Country T is dangerous to be the worlds favorite 4. Discontent arising from disrespect favours too much of pride an humble Christian hath a lower opinion of himselfe then others can have of him He that is taken up about the thoughts of his sins and how he hath provoked God he cryes out as Agar I am more brutish then any man and therefore is contented though he be set among the Dogs of the flock Though he be low in the thoughts of others yet hee is thankfull that he is not laid in the lowest hell A proud man sets an high value upon himselfe and is angry with others because they will not come up to his price Take heed of pride O had others a window to look into thy brest as Crates once expressed it or did thy heart stand where thy face doth thou would'st wonder to have so much respect SECT VII The seventh Apology answered The next Apology is I meet with very great sufferings for the truth Consider 1. Your sufferings are not so great as your sinnes Put these two in the balance and see which weighs heaviest where sinne lies heavie sufferings lie light A carnall spirit makes more of his sufferings and lesse of his sinnes he lookes upon one at the great end of the Perspective but upon the other at the little end of the Perspective The carnall heart cries out Take away the Frogs but a gracious heart cries Take away the iniquity The one saith never any one suffered as I have done but the other saith Never any one sinned as I have done 2. Art thou under sufferings thou hast an opportunity to shew the valour and constancy of thy minde some of Gods Saints would have accounted it a great favour to have been honoured with martyrdome One said I am in prison till I am in prison thou countest that a trouble which others would have worne as an ensigne of their glory 3. Even those who have gone onely upon morall principles have shewn much constancy and contentment in their sufferings Curtius being bravely mounted and in armour threw himselfe into a great gulfe that the City of Rome might according to the Oracle be delivered from the Pestilence and we having a Divine Oracle that they who kill the body cannot hurt the soul shall we not with much constancy and patience devote our selves to injuries for Religion and rather suffer for the truth then