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	moses_n	223	3	7.3051	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

winde himself out of his trouble by sordid flattery of or sinful compliance with the great ones of the times Some would have used any pick-lock to have opened a passage to their liberty and not scrupled so escape they might whether they got out at the door or window But this holy man was not so fond of liberty or life as to purchase them with the least hazard to the Gospel He knew too much of another world to bid so high for the enjoying of this and therefore he is at a point what his enemies can do with him well knowing he could go to heaven whether they would or no No the great care which lay upon him was for the Churches of Christ as a faithful Steward he labours to set this House of God in order before his departure We reade of no dispatches sent to Court to procure his liberty but many to the Churches to help them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free There is no such way to be even with the devil and his instruments for all their spite against us as by doing what good we can wherever we become The devil had as good have let Paul alone for he no sooner comes into prison but he falls a preaching at which the gates of Satans prison flie open and poor sinners come forth Happy for Onesimus that Paul was sent to Jaile God had an errand for Paul to do to him and others which the devil never dream't of Nay he doth not only preach in prison but that he may do the devil all the mischief he can he sends his Epistles to the Churches that tasting his Spirit in his afflictions and reading his faith now ready to be offered up they might much more be confirmed amongst which Ephesus was not least in his thoughts as you may perceive by his abode with them two yeares together Acts 19.10 as also by his sending for the Elders of this Church as far as Miletus in his last journey to Jerusalem Acts 20.17 to take his farewel of them as never to see their face in this world more And surely the sad impression which that heart-breaking departure left upon the spirits of these Elders yea the whole Church by them acquainted with this mournful newes might stir up Paul now in prison to write unto this Church that having so much of his Spirit yea of the Spirit of the Gospel left in their hands to converse with they might more patiently take the newes of his death In the former part of this Epistle he soares high in the mysteries of faith In the latter according to his usual method he descends to Application where we finde him contracting all those truths as beams together in a powerful exhortation the more to enkindle their hearts and powerfully perswade them to walk worthy of their vocation chap. 4.1 which then is done when the Christians life is transparent that the grace of the Gospel shines forth in the power of holinesse on every side and from all his relations as a candle in a Crystal glasse not in a dark Lanthorn lightsome one way and dark another and therefore he runs over the several relations of Husband Wife Parents Children Master and Servants and presseth the same in all these Now having set every one in his proper place about his particular duty as a wise General after he hath ranged his Army and drawn them forth into rank and file he makes this following speech at the head of this Ephesian Camp all in martial phrase as best suiting the Christians calling which is a continued warfare with the world and the Prince of the world The speech it self contains two parts First a short but sweet and powerful encouragement ver 10. Secondly the other part is spent in several directions for their managing this war the more succesfully with some motives here and there sprinkled among them To begin with the first 1. The word of encouragement to battel With this he begins his speech Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord the best way indeed to prepare them for the following directions A soul deeply possest with fear and disspirited with strong impressions of danger is in no posture for counsel As we see in an Army when put to the run with some sudden alarm and apprehensions of danger 't is hard rallying them into order while the scare and feare is over therefore the Apostle first raiseth up their spirits Be strong in the Lord as if he should say perhaps some drooping soules finde their hearts faile them while they see their enemies so strong and they so weak so numerous and they so few so well appointed and they so naked and unarmed so skilful and expert at armes but they green and raw souldiers Let not these or any other thoughts dismay you but with undaunted courage march on and be strong in the Lord on whose performance lies the stresse of the battel and not on your skill or strength It is not the least of a Ministers care and skill in dividing the Word so to presse the Christians duty as not to oppresse his Spirit with the weight of it by laying it on the creatures own shoulders and not on the Lords strength as here our Apostle teacheth us In this verse First here is a familiar Compellation My brethren Secondly here is the exhortation Be strong Thirdly here is a cautionary direction annexed to the exhortation In the Lord. Fourthly here is an encouraging amplification of the direction And in the power of his might or in his mighty power CHAP. I. Of Christian Courage and Resolution wherefore necessary and how obtained WE shall wave the Compellation and begin with the Exhortation Be strong that is be of good courage so commonly used in Scripture-phrase 2 Chron. 32.7 Be strong and couragious So Isa 35.4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart Be strong or unite all the powers of your souls and muster up your whole force you will have use of all you can make or get From whence the Point is this The Christian of all men needs courage and resolution Indeed there is nothing he doth as a Christian or can do but is an act of valour A cowardly spirit is beneath the lowest duty of a Christian Josh 1.7 Be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest what stand in battel against those warlike Nations No But that thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee It requires more prowesse and greatnesse of spirit to obey God faithfully then to command an Army of men to be a Christian then to be a Captain What seems lesse then for a Christian to pray yet this cannot be performed aright without a Princely Spirit As Jacob is said to behave himself like a Prince when he did but pray for which he came out of the field Gods Bannarite Indeed if you call that prayer which a carnal person performes

undertaken to beare thy losse yea to pay thee a hundred fold and thou shalt not stay for it till another world Again thou ought'st not to feare flesh Our Saviour Mat. 10. thrice in the compasse of sixe verses commands us not to feare man if thy heart quailes at him how wilt thou behave thy self in the list against Satan whose little finger is heavier then mans loines The Romanes had arma praelusoria weapons rebated or cudgels which they were tried at before they came to the sharp If thou canst not beare a bruise in thy flesh from mans cudgel and blunt weapon what wilt thou do when thou shalt have Satans sword in thy side God counts himself reproached when his children feare a sorry man therefore we are bid Sanctifie the Lord and not to feare their feare Now if thou wouldest not feare man who is but flesh Labour First to mortifie thy own flesh Flesh only feares flesh when the soule degenerates into carnal desires and delights no wonder he falls into carnal feares Have a care Christian thou bring'st not thy self into bondage perhaps thy heart feeds on the applause of men this will make thee afraid to be evil spoken of as those who shuffled with Christ John 12.42 owning him in private when they durst not confesse him openly for they loved the praise of men David saith the mouth of the wicked is an open Sepulchre and in this grave hath many a Saints name been buried but if this fleshly desire were mortified thou would'st not passe to be judg'd by man and so of all carnal affections Some meat you observe is aguish if thou settest thy heart on any thing that is carnal wife childe estate c. these will incline thee to a base feare of man who may be Gods messenger to afflict thee in these Secondly set faith against flesh Faith fixeth the heart and a fixed heart is not readily afraid Physicians tell us we are never so subject to receive infection as when the spirits are low and therefore the antidotes they give are all cordials When the spirit is low through unbelief every threatening from man makes sad impression Let thy faith take but a deep draught of the Promises and thy courage will rise Fourthly comfort thy self Christian with this that as thou art fl●sh so thy heavenly Father knows it and considers thee for it First in point of affliction Psal 103.14 He knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust Not like some unskilful Emperick who hath but one receipt for all strong or weak young or old but as a wise Physician considers his Patient and then writes his bill men and devils are but Gods Apothecaries they make not our physick but give what God prescribes Balaam loved Bal●ks see well enough but could not go an hairs breadth beyond Gods Commission Indeed God is not so choice with the wicked Isa 27.7 Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote h●m In a Saints cup the poison of the affliction is corrected not so in the wickeds and therefore what is medicine to the one is ruine to the other Secondly in duty he knows you are but flesh and therefore pities and accepts thy weak service yea he makes apologies for thee The Spirit is willing saith Christ but the flesh is weak Thirdly in temptations he considers thou art flesh and proportions the temptation to so weak a nature 't is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a temptation as is common to man a moderate temptation as in the margin fitted for so fraile a creature Whenever the Christian begins to faint under the weight of it God makes as much haste to his succour as a tender mother would to her swooning childe therefore he is said to be nigh to revive such lest their spirits should faile SECT III. The second thing follows The conjuncture of the Saints enemies We have not to do with naked man but with man led on by Satan not with flesh and blood but Principalities and Powers acting in them There are two sorts of men the Christian wrestles with good men and bad Satan strikes in with both First the Christian wrestles with good men Many a sharp conflict there hath been betwixt Saint and Saint scuffling in the dark through mis-understanding of the truth and each other Abraham and Lot at strife Aaron and Miriam justled with Moses for the wall till God interposed and ended the quarrel by his immediate stroak on Miriam The Apostles even in the presence of their Master were at high words contesting who should be greatest Now in these Civil wars among Saints Satan is the great kindle-coale though little seen because like Ahab he fights in a disguise playing first on one side and then on the other aggravating every petty injury and thereupon provoking to wrath and revenge therefore the Apostle dehorting from anger useth this argument Give no place to the devil as if he had said Fall not out among your selves except you long for the devils company who is the true souldier of fortune as the common phrase is living by his sword and therefore hastes thither where there is any hope of war Gregory compares the Saints in their sad differences to two cocks which Satan the Master of the pit sets on fighting in hope when kill'd to sup with them at night Solomon saith Prov. 18.6 The mouth of the contentious man calls for stroakes Indeed we by our mutual strifes give the devil a staffe to beat us with he cannot well work without fire and therefore blows up these coales of contention which he useth as his forge to heat our spirits into wrath and then we are malleable easily hammer'd as he pleaseth Contention puts the soul into disorder and inter arma silent leges The Law of grace acts not freely when the Spirit is in a commotion Meek Moses provok't speaks unadvisedly Me thinks this if nothing else will should sound a retreat to our unhappy differences that this Joab hath a hand in them he sets this evil spirit betwixt brethren and what folly is it for us to bite and devoure one another to make hell sport we are prone to mistake our heat for zeal whereas commonly in strifes between Saints it is a fire-ship sent in by Satan to break their unity and order wherein while they stand they are an Armado invincible and Satan knows he hath no other way but this to shatter them when the Christians language which should be one begins to be confounded they are then neare a scattering 't is time for God to part his children when they cannot live in peace together Secondly the Christian wrestles with wicked men Because you are not of the world saith Christ the world hates you The Saints nature and life are Antipodes to the world fire and water heaven and hell may assoon be reconciled as they with it The Heretick is his enemy for truths sake the prophane for holinesse to both the Christian is an abomination