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	ministry_n	44	3	7.5780	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29529	Stand still: Or, A bridle for the times A discourse tending to still the murmuring, to settle the wavering, to stay the wandring, to strengthen the fainting. As it was delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, Anno 1643. By John Brinsley, Minister of the Word there, and now published as a proper antidote against the present epidemicall distempers of the times.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4729; ESTC R217245	80,497	119

Ruler of thy People Pray for them I though they should be persecutors That is the Rule Pray for them that persecute you This doe we and doe we it in the first place So the Apostle there presseth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} First of all Oh that murmurers would but take out of this lesson to pray for Superiours first of all pray for them before they let flye at them or murmur against them certainly this would take off the Edge of their murmuring The more they prayed for them the lesse they would murmur against them Sure I am They which murmur most are such as pray least To prevent the one practise the other Pray for ●●r Superiours And that as the Apostle there directs First for the King whom we acknowledge by a divine and speciall Providence set over us as a Supreme Governour in these his Dominions Be we earnest with God for him that he may be made a Moses to us having Moses his spirit put upon him and if it might be doubled upon him as Elias his spirit was upon Elisha a wise and a large spirit proportionable to the charge committed unto him that he may be wise as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said to King David able to discerne betwixt good and evill And with Moses his head beg we for him also Moses heart a heart faithfull to his God that like Moses he may be as a faithfull servant faithfull in all the house of his God A heart tender and affectionate towards his people Carrying them in his bosome lovingly tenderly carefully As a Nurse beareth her sucking child as the Lord requireth Moses to doe to his Israel So making him in truth what he is by office Patrem Patriae a Father a Nursing Father to his People Gods People Every wayes a Moses a Saviour a deliverer to the Israel of God Praying for him Pray we also for those which are in Authoritie over us under him And here in speciall for the Representative Body the great Synedrion our English Sanhedrim the supreme Court and Councell of this Kingdome now assembled together in the name of God to be unto their Prince as those seventie Elders were unto Moses a Councell of Assistance to beare the Burden of the People together with him For them beg we also that God would do for them what he there promiseth Moses to doe to his Counsellours and Assistants viz. take off the spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon them even a spirit suitable and proportionable to the Burden layed upon them Making them a Wise and faithfull Councell to their Prince and Wise and faithfull guides unto his people leading them on in such wayes as God himselfe hath layed out for them so as in due time they may conduct them through this Red-Sea this Sea of blood and this wildernesse of Confusion whereinto at the present we are cast unto a Canaan a Land of rest and peace where Righteousnesse and Peace may dwell together And remembring them forget we not the Sons of Aaron who are now called together to consult about the businesse of the Tabernacle For them also beg wee a spirit proportionable to the worke which they have in hand Even the same spirit that the Lord put upon Bezaleel and Aholiab when he called them to the worke of the Tabernacle The Spirit of wisedome and understanding and knowledge to know how to worke all manner of worke for the service of the Sanctuary according to all that the Lord hath commanded Such a Spirit beg we for them that so all things in this Tabernacle-Temple-worke may be done and performed according to the Patterne in the Mount according to the mind and will of God himselfe Begging direction and assistance for them withall beg we a blessing upon their endeavours that the Rod of Aaron may Bud and Blossome and bring forth fruit No such way to quiet the murmurings of the people as this It was the Lords owne way which he bad Moses take and make use of for this very purpose Numb. 17. The people being subject to murmuring upon all occasions and in particular about the Priesthood as you have heard for a Cure of that Disease the Lord directs Moses to take twelve Rods according to the number of the Tribes for every Tribe one laying them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony And it shall come to passe saith the Lord That the mans Rod whom I shall choose shall blossome and I will make to cease the murmurings of the children of Israel c. This was the meanes propounded What the successe was the sequell of the Chapter will shew It came to passe that Moses went into the Tabernacle and behold Arons Rod which was for the house of Levi was budded and brought forth blossomes and yleeded Almonds whereupon the Lord ordereth Moses to take that Rod and lay it up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony there to be kept for a Token against the Rebells and saith the Lord Thou shall quite take away their murmurings I shall not need to tell you that the chiefe ground of our murmuring at this day is if not the same yet not unlike to theirs about the Priesthood O that the wonder-working God would be pleased to worke the like wonder in our dayes that we might see the Rod of Aaron which at the present through the Calamitie of the times seemes to lye secure and dead to Bud and Blossome and Bring forth Almonds yeelding us not onely Hopes but Fruits Hopes of a quiet and comfortable condition to the Church with the sweet and blessed fruits of a Glorious administration in it No doubt but this would have a strong influence upon the present and future distempers of unquiet spirits either to cure and stay their murmurings or else to be a witnesse against them to all succeeding ages This we know our God is able to doe and this we hope he will yet doe In the meanetime let us and all the Lords people Stand still waiting and quietly waiting upon our God for his salvation It is good for us so to do so faith the Church Lam. 3 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord I have done with the first Branch of this Direction which I confesse hath taken more of my thoughts and your patience then at the first in my intentions I allotted it Stand still not Wavering Passe we now to the second Stand still not Wavering This men naturally are very apt to doe being all by nature ever since the first man left his standing become very unstable but some more then others It is that which the Patriarch Iacob saith to and of his sonne Ruben Gen. 49. Vnstable as water Water it is an unstable Element seldome standing still specially if there be any wind stirring then we

then have our soules stayed as at all times so in these tempestuous and troublesome times which are come downe upon us wherein almost every day presents us with new feares new dangers make we use of this Anchor Onely taking heed that it be an Anchor like that which the Apostle there describes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a sure and steadfast Anchor that will not deceive us Q. But how shall we be sure that our Faith is such and will prove such A. Not to goe from the Metaphor in hand To make an Anchor sure and firme there are two things requisite It must be Good Iron and well wrought And such must our Faith and Hope be if we would have it firme and sure First It must be first a true sound solid substantiall faith Faith not Fancy Such and no better are the Hopes which meere naturall men stay their soules with in times of danger whatever befalls others and threatens them yet they hope well But what is that Hope of theirs Nothing but Fancy A light imagination grounded upon some possibilities at best some probabilities They conceive a possibility of escaping the danger and happily they apprehend some probable wayes and meanes whereby they may secure themselves from it and hence spring their Hopes wherewith they beare up their Hearts and Heads Now alas these are but vaine and brittle hopes like spalt and brittle Iron that will never make good Anchor There is no trusting to them they are Perishing Hopes So Bildad in Iob saith of them Iob 8. The Hypocrites hope shall perish whose Hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be as the Spiders Web A Spiders Web it is spunne as you know out of the Spiders owne Bowells And such are the hopes of Hypocrites and meere carnall men they are but webs spunne out of their owne Bowells nothing but a Contexture as I may say of some probabilities and possibilities which they fancy to themselves No trusting to such Hopes Spiders threads though they were twisted never so many double yet they would never make a good Cable Had we never so many possibilities and probabilities represented to us yet trust not unto them Looke we out for better Hope then this viz. a sound solid substantiall Hope or Faith A Hope spunne as I may say out of Gods owne Bowells or to hold to the Metaphor a faith digged as I may say out of the Mine of the Word No other Mine will afford Iron to make this sure Anchor of It must be Gods owne Mine the Scriptures There we shall meet with many rich veines of precious promises these are as I may say the Mettall the matter and ground-worke out of which a true faith a sound and sure hope is drawne First Which then in the second place must be well-wrought viz. by the Spirit through the Word Even as in the forging of an Anchor there is the Smith the Fire and the Hammer so here in the working of this Faith the worke-man is the Spirit which is therefore called the Spirit of Faith being the Principall efficient of it The Fire and Hammer that is the word in the ministery of it Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer Jer. 23. Such is the Word in the mouth of Gods Ministers being accompanied by the Spirit Now it is as a fire for the so●tning of the heart and as an Hammer for the forging and fashioning of it Would we then have our Faith and Hope firme and sure see we that they be thus wrought And for that end put we our soules into the hands of this Work-man by a constant and cons●ionable attendance upon the Word which let us daily and frequently meditate upon working the promises upon our owne Hearts An Anchor it is not forged at one heate nor welded with one stroke It must into the fire againe and againe and have stroke after stroke and piece after piece A sure and sound faith it is not ordinarily wrought by one Act but many There must be an inculcating of the promises of God by frequent meditation and Application laying on one promise after another and working them on upon the soule Here is the first thing requisite to this sure Anchoring the Anchor it selfe must be sure Secondly The second requisite is that the Ground on which the Anchor is cast be Good good ground fit to Anchor in Now to make it so there are as you know two things requisite It must neither be Foule nor False Not Foule but Cleare free both from Rocks and Wrecks which are subject to chase the Cable in pieces Not false but firme so as the Anchor may not come home And even such a ground must a Christian choose for his Faith and hope that would ride it out and Stand still The ground of his Hope and Confidence must neither be Foule nor False First Not Foule Such is the Hope and Confidence that wicked men put in their ill-gotten goods got whether by Oppression or Fraud neither of them to be trusted in Trust not in oppression become not vaine in ●obbery saith the Psalmist This David there speaketh more specicially to his Souldiers as our Aynsworth observes upon it And indeed it is a Lesson very proper for men of that Profession If there be any of them here present this day let them carry it away with them carrying it both into the field and from the field to their owne Houses Trust not ye in Oppression in unjust Extortions or fradulent Injuries become not ye vaine in Robbery make not your selves vaine and vile in the eyes of others by violent and unwarrantable Plunderings and Spoylings and Robbings seeking thereby to inrich your selves Hereby as you wrong others now you will but deceive your selves in the end specially if you put any confidence any trust in goods so gotten both waies becomming vaine An Instruction very proper for them and not improper for others Let all of us this day carry it home with us Are we the owners or possessors of any ill-gotten goods goods gotten by Oppression or Fraud by Violence or Deceit Trust not to them nay take we heed of them they will be but as Rocks and Wrecks to chase in funder our Cables confidence so placed will never hold No more will that confidence which is placed in any indirect unlawfull and unwarrantable waies and meanes for the securing or delivering of our selves That of the Wiseman is exprest Prov. 12. A man shall not be established by wickednesse Would we ride Sure take wee heed that we cast not Anchor upon Foule ground Secondly No nor yet upon false ground Such are Riches though well-gotten and truely come by yet they are but false-ground Vncertaine Riches as the Apostle calleth them and therefore as he there presseth it not to be confided in Charge them that be Rich in this world that they