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	call_v	israel_n	35	3	6.4997	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85783	The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.	Gurnall, William, 1617-1679.	1655 (1655)	Wing G2251; Thomason E824_1; ESTC R207679	343,381	430

without it and much ado to go with it If the flesh be kept high and lusty then 't is wanton and will not obey if low then it 's weak and soon tires Thus the Christian rids but little ground because he must go his weak bodies pace He wrestles with a body of sin as well as of flesh this mutters and murmures when the soule is taking up any duty Sometimes it keeps the Christian from duty so that he cannot do what he would As Paul said I would have come once and again but Satan hindred me I would have prayed may the Christian say at such a time and meditated on the Word I heard the mercies I received at another but this enemy hindred 'T is true indeed grace swayes the Scepter in such a soule yet as School-boyes taking their time when their Master is abroad do shut him out and for a while lord it in misrule though they are whip't for it afterwards thus the unregenerate part takes advantage when grace is not on its watch to disturb its government and shut it out from duty though this at last makes the soul more severe in mortifying yet it costs some scuffle before it can recover its throne and when it cannot shut from duty yet then is the Christian wofully yok't with it in duty it cannot do what it doth as it would many a letter in its copy doth this enemy spoil while he joggs him with impertinent thoughts when the Christian is a praying then Satan and the flesh are a prating he cries and they louder to put him out or drown his cry Thus we see the Christian is assail'd on every side by his enemy and how can it be other when the seeds of war are laid deep in the natures of both which can never be rooted up till the devil cease to be a devil sin to be sin and the Saint to be a Saint Though wolves may snarle at one another yet soon are quiet again because the quarrel is not in their nature but the Wolfe and the Lamb can never be made friends Sin will lust against grace and grace draw upon sin whenever they meet SECT III. Vse 1 First this may reprove such as wrestle but against whom against God not against sin and Satan These are bold men indeed who dare try a fall with the Almighty yet such there are and a Wo pronounced against them Isa 45.9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker 'T is easie to tell which of these will be worsted What can he do but break his shins that dasheth them against a rock A goodly battel there is like to be when thorns contest with fire and stubble with flame But where live those giants that dare enter the list with the great God what are their names that we may know them and brand them for creatures above all other unworthy to live Take heed O thou who askest that the wretched man whom thou seemest so to defie be not found in thy own clothes it self Iudas was the Traitour though he would not answer to his name but put it off with a Master is it I and so mayest thou be the fighter against God The heart is deceitful Even holy David for all his anger was so hot against the rich man that took away the poor mans ewe-Lamb that he bound it with an oath the man should not live who had done it yet proves at last to be himself the man as the Prophet told him 2 Sam. 12. Now there are two wayes wherein men wrestle against God First when they wrestle against his Spirit Secondly when they wrestle against his Providence First when they wrestle against his Spirit We reade of the Spirits striving with the creature Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Where the striving is not in anger and wrath to destroy them that God could do without any stir or scuffle but a loving strife and contest with man The old world was running with such a cariere headlong into their ruine he sends his Spirit to interpose and by his counsels and reproofes to offer as it were to stop them and reclaim them As if one seeing another ready to offer violence on himself should strive to get the knife out of his hand with which he would do the mischief Or one that hath a purse of gold in his hand to give should follow another by all manner of entreaties striving with him to accept and take it Such a kinde of strife is this of the Spirits with men They are the lusts of men those bloody instruments of death with which sinners are mischieving themselves that the holy Spirit strives by his sweet counsels and entreaties to get out of our hands They are Christs his grace and eternal life he strives to make us accept at the hands of Gods mercy and for repulsing the Spirit thus striving with them sinners are justly counted fighters against God Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Now there is a twofold striving of the Spirit and so of our wrestling against it First the Spirit strives in his messengers with sinners They coming on his errand and not their owne he voucheth the faithful counsels reproofs and exhortations which they give as his own act Noah that Preacher of righteousnesse what he said to the old world is call'd the Preaching of the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.19 The pains that Moses Aaron and other servants of God took in instructing Israel is call'd the instruction of the Spirit Nehem. 9.20 so that when the Word which Gods Ministers bring in his Name is rejected the faithful counsels they give are thrown at sinners heels and made light of then do they strive with the Spirit and wrestle against Christ as really as if he visibly in his own person had been in the Pulpit and preached the same Sermon to them When God comes to reckon with sinners it will prove so then God will rub up your memories and minde you of his striving with you and your unkinde resisting him They whether they will heare or whether they will forbear shall know they had a Prophet among them Now men soon forget whom and what they hear ask them what was prest upon their conscience in such a Sermon they have forgot what were the precious truthes laid out in another and they are lost well were it for them if their memories were no better in another world it would ease their torments more then a little But then they shall know they had a Prophet among them and what a price they had with him in their hands though it was in fooles keeping They shall know what he was and what he said though a thousand years past as fresh as if it were done but last night The more zealous and compassionate the more painful and powerful he was in his place the greater shall their sin be found to break from such holy violence offered

Ezek. 36.31 ye shall remember your wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight c. And when shall this be but when God would save them from all their uncleannesses as appears v. 25. yet notwithstanding this there remain such dregs of corruption unpurged out of the best that Satan findes it not impossible to make the manifestations of Gods love an occasion of pride to the Christian and truly God lets us see our pronenesse to this sin in the short stay he makes when he comes with any greater discoveries of his love The Comforter 't is true abides for ever in the Saints bosome but his joyes they come and are gone again quickly They are as exceedings with which he feasts the believer but the cloth is soon drawn and why so but because we cannot bear them for our every day food A short interview of heaven and a vision of love now and then upon the mount of an ordinance or affliction cheeres the spirits of drooping Christians who might they have leave to build Tabernacles there and dwell under a constant shine of such manifestations would be prone to forget themselves and think they were Lords of their own comforts If holy Paul was in danger of falling into this distemper of pride from his short rapture to prevent which God saw it needful to let him blood with a thorne in the flesh would not our blood much more grow too rank and we too crank and wanton if we should feed long on such luscious food And therefore if ever Christian thou hadst need to watch then is the time when comforts abound and God dandles thee most on the knee of his love when his face shines with clearest manifestations lest this sin of pride as a thief in the candle should swaile out thy joy To prevent which thou shouldest do well First to look that thou measurest not thy grace by thy comfort lest so thou beest led into a false opinion that thy grace is strong because thy comforts are so Satan will be ready to help forward such thoughts as a fit medium to life thee up and slacken thy care in duty for the future Such discoveries do indeed bear witnesse to the truth of thy grace but not to the decree and measure of it the weak childe may be yea is oftner in the lap then the strong Secondly do not so much applaud thy self in thy present comfort as labour to improve it for the glory of God Vp and eate saith the Angel to the Prophet because the journey is too great for thee The manifestations of Gods love are to fit us for our work It is one thing to rejoyce in the light of our comfort and another to go forth in the power of the Spirit comforting us as Giants refreshed with this wine to run our race of duty and obedience with more strength and alacrity He shews his pride that spends his time in telling his money meerly to see how rich he is but he his wisdom that layes out his money and trades with it The boaster of his comforts will lose what he hath when he that improves his comforts in a fuller trade of duty shall adde more to what he hath Thirdly remember thou dependest on God for the continuance of thy comfort They are not the smiles thou hadst yesterday can make thee joyous to day any more then the bread thou didst then eate can make thee strong without more thou needest new discoveries for new comforts let God hide his face and thou wilt soon lose the sight and forget the taste of what thou even now hadst It is beyond our skill or power to preserve those impressions of joy and comfortable apprehensions of Gods favour on our spirits which sometimes we finde as Gods presence brings those so when he goes he carries them away with him as the setting-Sun doth the day We would laugh heartily at him who when the Sun shines in at his window should think by shutting that to imprison the Sun-beams in his chamber and doest thou not shew as much folly who thinkest because thou now hast comfort thou therefore shalt never be in darknesse of Spirit more The believers comfort is like Israels Manna 't is not like our ordinary bread and provision we buy at market and lock up in our Cupboards where we can go to it when we will no it is rained as that was from heaven Indeed God provided for them after this sort to humble them Deut. 8.16 Who fed thee in the wildernesse with Manna which thy fathers knew not that he might humble thee It was not because such mean food that God is said to humble them for it was delicious food therefore call'd Angels food Psal 78.25 Such as if Angels did eate might serve them But the manner of the dispensing it from hand to mouth every day their portion and no more so that God kept the key of their Cupboard they stood to his immediate allowance and thus God communicates our spiritual comforts for the same end to humble us So much for this second sort of spiritual wickednesse I had thought to have instanced in some other as hypocrisie unbelief formality but possibly the subject being general what I have already said may be thought but a digression and that too long I shall therefore conclude this branch of spiritual wickednesse in a word to those who are yet in a natural and unsanctified state which is to stir them up from what I have said concerning Satans assaulting beleevers with such temptations to consider seriously how that Satans chief designe against them also lies in the same sins These are the wickednesses he labours to ingulph you in above all others If ever you perish it will be by the hand of these sins 'T is your feared conscience blinde minde and dedolent impenitent heart will be your undoing if you miscarry finally Other sins the devil knowes are preparatory to these and therefore he drawes thee into them to bring thee into these Two wayes they prepare a way to spiritual sins First as they naturally dispose the sinner to them 't is the nature of sin to blinde the minde stupifie the conscience harden the heart as is implied Heb. 3.13 Lest your heart be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin As the feet of Travellers beat the high way hard so does walking in carnal grosse sins the heart they benumbe the conscience so that in time the sinner loses his feeling and can carry his lusts in his heart as Bedlams their pins in their very flesh without pain and remorse Secondly as they do provoke God by a judiciary act to give them up to these sins Lam. 3.65 Give them obstinacy of heart so 't is in your margin thy curse unto them and when the devil hath got sinners at this passe then he hath them under lock and key They are the fore-runners of damnation if God leave thy heart hard and unbroken

up 't is a sad signe he means not to sowe the seed of grace there O sinners pray as he did request Peter for him that none of these things may come upon you which that they may not take heed thou rejectest not the offers he makes to soften thee Gods hardening is a consequent of and a punishment for our hardening our own hearts 'T is most true what Prosper saith Potest homo invitus amittere temporalia non nisi volens amittere spiritualia A man may lose temporals against hia will but not spirituals God will harden none damn none against their will CHAP. XII Sheweth what the Prize is which believers wrestle against these Principalities Powers and Spiritual wickednesses for In High Places SECT I. THese words contain the last Branch in the description of our grand enemy which have in them some ambiguity the Adjective being only exprest in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in heavenlies the phrase being defective our Translatours read it in high or heavenly places as if the Apostle intended to set out the advantage of place which this our enemy by being above us hath of us Indeed this way most Interpreters go yet some both ancient and modern reade the words not in heavenly places but in heavenly things interpreting the Apostles mind to set out the matter about which or prize for which we wrestle with Principalities and Powers to be heavenly things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecumenius is as much as if the Apostle had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We wrestle not for small and trivial things but for yea for heaven it self and our Adoption as he goes on The same way Chrysostome carries it in coelestibus id est pro coelestibus Dei And after him Musculus and other modern Writers The Reasons which are given for this Interpretation are weighty First the word elsewhere indefinitely set down is taken for things not places Heb. 8.5 nay one observes this word to be used almost twenty times in the New Testament and never for any aërial place but alwayes for things truly heavenly and spiritual the word indeed properly signifies supercelestial and if applied to places would signifie that where the devil never came since his fall Lastly there seems no great argument to render Satan formidable by his being above us in place 't is some advantage indeed to men togain the hill or be above their enemies in some place of strength but none at all to spirits but now take it of things and then it addes weight to all the other branches of the description We wrestle with Principalities and Powers and Spiritual wickednesse and against all these not for such toyes and trifles as the earth affords which are inconsiderable whether to keep or lose but for such as heaven holds forth such an enemy and such a prize makes it a matter of our greatest care how to manage the combate The word thus opened the note will be this SECT II. The chief prize for which we wrestle against Satan is heavenly Or thus Satans main designe is to spoil and plunder the Christian of all that is heavenly Indeed all the Christian hath or desires as a Christian is heavenly the world is extrinsecal both to his being and happinesse it is a stranger to the Christian and intermeddles not with his joy nor grief Heap all the riches and honours of the world upon a man they will not make him a Christian heap them on a Christian they will not make him a better Christian Again take them all away let every bird have his feather when stript and naked he will still be a Christian and may be a better Christian It was a notable speech of Erasmus if spoken in earnest and his wit were not too quick for his conscience Nihilo magìs ambio opes dignitates quàm elumbis equus graves sarcinas He said he desired wealth and honour no more then a feeble horse doth a heavy cloak-bag And I think every Christian in his right temper would be of his minde Satan should do the Saint little hurt if he did bend his forces only or chiefly against his outward enjoyments alas the Christian doth not value them or himself by them this were as if one should think to hurt a man by beating of his clothes when he hath put them off So far as the Spirit of grace prevails in the heart of a Saint he hath put off the world in the desire of it and joy in it so that these blowes are not much felt and therefore they are his heavenly treasures which are the booty Satan waits for SECT III. First the Christians nature is heavenly borne from above As Christ is the Lord from heaven so all his off-spring are heavenly and holy now Satans design is to debase and deflower this 't is the precious life of this new creature that he hunts for he hath lost that beauty of holinesse which once shone so gloriously on his Angelical nature and now like a true Apostate he endeavours to ruine that in the Christian which he hath lost himself The seeds of this warre are sowen in the Christians nature you are holy that he cannot endure Milet feri faciem was Caesars speech when to fight with the Romane Citizens he bade his souldiers strike at their face these Citizens said he love their beauty marre that and marre all The soul is the face whereon Gods image is stamp't holinesse is the beauty of this face which makes us indeed like God this Satan knowes God loves and the Saint is chary of and therefore he labours to wound and disfigure this that he may at once glory in the Christians shame and poure contempt upon God in breaking his image and is it not worth engaging limbe and life in battel against this enemy who would rob us of that which makes us like God himself Have you forgot the bloody Articles of peace that Nahash offered to the men of Jabesh-Gilead no peace to be had except they would let him thrust out their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel which how it was entertained reade 1 Sam 11.6 The face is not so deformed that hath lost its eye as the soule is that loseth its holinesse and no peace to be expected at Satans hands except he may deprive us of this Me thinks at the thought of this the Spirit of the Lord should come upon the Christian and his anger should be kindled much more against this cursed spirit then Sauls and the men of Israels was against Nahash Secondly the Christians trade is heavenly the merchandize he deals for is of the growth of that heavenly Countrey Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven Every mans conversation is suitable to his calling he whose trade lies in the earth minds earthly things and he whose trade is heavenly followes that close Every man mindes his own businesse the Apostle tells us You may possibly finde

of Saints falling from grace gives a sad dash to the sweet wine of the Promises the soul-reviving comfort that sparkles in them ariseth from the sure conveyance with which they are in Christ made over to believers to have and to hold for ever Hence called the sure mercies of David Acts 13.34 mercies that shall never faile This this indeed is wine that makes glad the heart of a Saint though he may be whipt in the house when he sins yet he shall not be turned out of doores As God promised in the type to Davids seed Psal 89.33 Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile and v. 36. His seed shall endure for ever Could any thing separate the believer from the love of God in Christ this would be as a hole at the bottome of his cup to leak out all his joy he might then feare every temptation or affliction he meets would slay him and so the wickeds curse would be the Saints portion His life would ever hang in doubt before him and the fearful expectation of his final miscarriage which he sees may befall him would eat up the joy of his present hope Now how contrary such a frame of heart is to the spirit of adoption and full assurance of hope which the grace of the new Covenant gives he that runs may reade in the Word Vse 2 This truth prepares a sovereign cordial to restore the fainting spirits of weak believers who are surprised with many feares concerning their persevering and holding out to the end of their warfare Be of good cheer poor soule God hath given Christ the life of every soule within the Ark of his Covenant Your eternal safety is provided for Whom he loves he loves to the end J●h 13.1 Hath he made thee willing in the day of his power to march under his banner and espouse his quarrel against sin and hell the same power that overcame thy rebellious heart to himself will overcome all thy enemies within and without for thee say not thou art a bruised reed with this he will break Satans head and not cease till he hath brought forth judgement into compleat victory in thy soule He that can make a few wounded men rise up and take a strong city can make a wounded spirit triumph over sin and devils The Ark stood in the midst of Jordan till the whole Camp of Israel was safely got over into Canaan Josh 3. And so doth the Covenant which the Ark did but typifie yea Christ Covenant and all stand to secure the Saints a safe passage to Heaven If but one believer drownes the Covenant must drown with him Christ and the Saint are put together as co-heires of the same inheritance Rom. 8.17 If children then heires heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ. We cannot dispute against one but we question the firmnesse of the others title When you heare Christ is turn'd out of heaven or himself to be willing to sell his inheritance there then poore Christian feare thy coming thither and not till then Co-heires cannot sell the inheritance except both give up their right which Christ will never do nor suffer thee Vse 3 Thirdly this truth calls for a word or two of caution Though there is no feare of a Saints salling from grace yet there is great danger of others falling from the top of this comfortable doctrine into a carelesse security and presumptuous boldnesse and therefore a battlement is very necessary that from it we may with safety to our soules stand and view the pleasant prospect this truth presents to our eye That flower from which the Bee sucks honey the spider draws poison That which is a restorative to the Saints grace proves an incentive to the lust of a wicked man What Paul said of the Law we may truly of the Gospel Sin taking occasion from the grace of the Gospel and the sweet promises thereof deceives the carnal heart and works in him all manner of wickednesse Indeed sin seldome grows so rank any where as in those who water its roots with the grace of the Gospel Two wayes this doctrine may be abused First into a neglect of duty Secondly into a liberty to sin Take heed of both First beware of falling into a neglect of duty upon this score if a Christian thou canst not fall away from grace Take for an antidote against this three particulars First there are other arguments to invite yea that will constrain thee to a constant vigourous performing of duty though the feare of falling away should not come in or else thou art not a Christian what nothing make the childe diligent about his fathers businesse but feare of being disinherited and turned out of doors There is sure some better motive to duty in a Saints heart or else Religion is a melancholy work Speak for your selves O ye Saints is self-preservation all you pray for and heare for should a messenger come from Heaven and tell you Heaven were yours would this make you give over your spiritual trade and not care whether you had any more acquaintance with God till you came thither O how harsh doth this sound in your eares There are such principles engraven in the Christians bosome that will not suffer a strangenesse long to grow betwixt God and him He is under the Law of a new life which carries him naturally to desire communion with God as the childe doth to see the face of his deare father and every duty is a Mount wherein God presents himself to be seen and enjoyed by the Christian Secondly to neglect duty upon such a perswasion is contrary to Christs practice and counsel First his practice Though Christ never doubted of his Fathers love nor questioned the happy issue of all his temptations agonies and sufferings yet he prayes and prayes again more earnestly Luke 22.44 Secondly his counsel and command He told Peter that Satan had begg'd leave to have them to sift them But withal he comforts him who was to be hardest put to it with this But I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Sure our Saviour by this provision made for him and the rest means to save them a labour that they need not watch or pray No such matter after this as you may see v. 40. He calls them up to duty Pray that ye enter not into temptation Christs praying for them was to strengthen their faith when they should themselves pray for the same mercy not to nourish their sloth that they needed not to pray Christs prayers in Heaven for his Saints are all heard already but the returne of them is reserved to be enclosed in the answer God sends to their own prayers The Christian cannot in faith expect to receive the mercies Christ prayes for in Heaven so long as he lives in the neglect of his duty on earth They stand ready against he shall call for them by the prayer of faith and