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
A86450	The valley of vision, or A clear sight of sundry sacred truths. Delivered in twenty-one sermons; by that learned and reverend divine, Richard Holsvvorth, Dr. in Divinity, sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Master of Emanuel Colledge, and late preacher at Peters Poore in London. The particular titles and texts are set downe in the next leafe.	Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649.; Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649. Peoples happinesse.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2404; Thomason E631_1; ESTC R202438	355,440	597

religion is the Vinculum unionis which makes these mutuall interests intercurrent and couples them together it follows as the upshot of all That the chief and choicest part of Nationall happinesse consists in the puritie of God's worship in the enjoying of God's ordinances in the free passage of the Gospel that is in the truth and integritie of religion In this alone there are all sweets all beauties all blisses all glories It is as the ark of God to Israel and as the golden candlestick to the Churches the elevating principle which advanceth a Christian Nation above the heathen and the reformed Churches above other Christian Nations and this Iland in which we live I may say without arrogancie above all There is no Nation in the world which hath had the condition of religion so pure and prosperous as we for almost these hundred yeares It 's true if God calls us to account we cannot say that we have answered our opportunities we find not wherein to boast of our righteousnesse for vve are a sinfull people vvhose lives for the most part of us are as much vvorse as our means and professions better then in other places It is true also that of later yeares the love of religion in most hath grovvn cold and the puritie by some hath been stained and corrupted and I vvill not novv discusse vvhere the fault hath been the rather because it is every mans endeavour to remove it from himself Onely I will adde thus much That wheresoever the fault is there is no man hath shewed himself more forward to reform it then the King himself But Princes cannot alwayes attain their ends according to their liking because they see with other eyes and execute with other hands then their own And if we should cast the faults of men upon authoritie we should do wrong I fear to those who do not deserve it for even this very yeare notwithstanding the reformation of corruptions hath been with so much zeal and diligence endeavoured yet the end is not attained Nay in some respects it is so farre set back that to my understanding the state of religion hath never been worse since the first reformation then this present yeare in respect first of the greatnesse of our distractions which have divided us all one from another then of the multitude of sects and sectaries which cry indeed as the Jews before them Templum Domini but with a worse addition ut Templum Domini diruatur Lastly in respect of the many dishonours done to the service of God with so much scorn and scandall to religion that in forein parts they question whether all this time we had any No doubt all this is come upon us for our sinnes let us remove them and then God will blesse our studie of reformation But yet in the mean time let us remember that message which the good Bishop sent to Epiphanius Domine sol ad occasum descendit Our sun-shine is but yet declining it may come to set if we now begin to disgust this greatest blessing of religion which God hath bestowed upon us Let us learn to regard it more to love it better to blesse God for it and for his government who upholds it a Prince so devout and religious in his own person that if all were like him we should have a Kingdome of Saints In this respect we may use Velleius his words of his Majestie Cùm sit imperio Maximus exemplo Major est The lustre of his pietie surpasseth the lustre of his empire If therefore that of Synesius be true That men generally affect to write after the copies which are set by their Princes it behoves us all both to take out the lesson and to blesse God for the copie And moreover as this day puts us in mind let us all send up our most affectionate prayers that his Throne may be established by Righteousnesse his Crown exalted with Honour his Scepter be for power like Moses rod for flourishing like Aaron's that his happy reigne may in himself outlive us all and in his posteritie be perpetuated to all generations that succeeding ages may confesse Surely God hath been favourable unto this land and hath not dealt so with any Nation O how happy are the people that are in such a case Yea how happy are the people which have the Lord for their God! FINIS SERMON I. Hosea 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie and receive us gratiously so will we render the calues of our lips THis Text is able to make a dumb man eloquent to set open the doore of utterance to the most illiterate tongue If there be any one among us that labours of Moses imperfection who confessed of himselfe that he was slow of Tongue and impotent for eloquence let him read this Text and it will teach him to speake If there be any among us that have put on Davids resolution to keepe silence even from good words let him read againe this Scripture only and he shall finde a way to the passage of Speech The Prophet here in this place takes on him the Office and function of a Schoole-Master having learned the Art of speaking the heavenly art of speech himselfe he labours to train up others to the knowledge of the same Art and I shal not think much to be his scholler at this time and to presse these words a little further then the Prophet intended them He gives them only as a rule of direction to the people how to pray to God but they may serve as a rule of direction to Ministers how to speak to the people and indeed if this go before the other will the better a great deale follow That you may with speed turne to God it becomes us to turne to you we must call upon you that you would please to call upon him wee must first open our mouthes to you that you would open yours before the Throne of grace And indeed I must needs confesse that I have been too long silent from this Theame of repentance considering what the times are Our dangers are great our carelesnes is as great no man goes about to labour to meet God I can hold no longer and when I look upon this Scripture methinkes I may take Elihu's speech into my mouth Behold I am full of matter and the Spirit within me constraineth me My belly is as new wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will now speake and keepe silence no longer Me thinkes I heare the Prophet behind me calling upon me as Moses to Aaron Vp hast thee get thee to the congregation the plague is begun and they are all asleepe and there is no man that spreads his Armes and no man that lifts up his voyce to God Speake to them and speake to the purpose I speake home call upon them to Take to themselves words and to returne to the Lord and

reward of every good action it must needs include every good comfort There is no number can expresse those severall blessednesses of the eight beatitudes that Christ speaks of in one place and foure in another St. Ambrose wittily moves the Question why when Matthew reckons eight Beatitudes St. Luke reckons but foure He answers thus the foure are in the eight and the eight in the foure the eight are no more then the foure and the foure are no lesse then the eight So here though it be but once named yet that one is as much as the twelve the eight and the four put together It 's the accumulation of all good therefore it is set forth in Scripture by all words that expresse not ions that are desirable Rest Joy Peace Glory and contentment and immortality all is blessednesse It is a word of that sweetnesse that the Prophets and Apostles they still had it in their mouths they seldome make mention of any duty but still blessednesse though it be the end of all is set in the beginning of those duties they enforce Moses and Christ the Apostles and Prophets they all urge it expresly and put us in mind of it though in severall expressions Take the difference Moses when he propounds it as the reward of obedience he sets it downe in the future Beatus erit if thou walk in my Commandements Blessed shalt thou be in thy Basket and in thy store in the Citty and abroad in thy going out and thy comming in On the other fide David when he mentions it he puts it indeed in the present but he sets it in the Negative Psal 1. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the Counsell of the ungodly nor stood in the way of sinners nor sat in the seat of the scornefull In the third place our blessed Saviour when he comes to mention it he hath another variation it is not in the future as Moses it is not in the negative as the Prophet David but he propounds it in the plurall Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are the meeke blessed are they that hunger and thirst and so the rest are all plurall when Christ propounds the purchase of beatitude for all that suffer Here yet it is different from them all in the pronunciation of St. James it is not in the future as Moses but in the present it is not negative as David but affirmative it is not plurall as our blessed Saviour but singular Not as if there were different publications but onely because he would raise it to the upshot and improve it to the best advantage for all the rest are in this Expression Moses spake not all when he propounded it in the future Blessed shalt thou be he doth not expresse all It is not all that is given to the Saints of God to have hope of blessednesse they are not onely blessed in hope but in act they have not onely a future heaven but a present Not in possession Yes in possession but not in full fruition but they have some possession The Harvest is not now that is at the end of the World the first fruits that is a part of that blessednesse as grace is the beginning of glory The first fruits they have here and because they have the first fruits here therefore they have not blessednesse onely in hope and expectation but in actuall possession as a part of it and not onely blessed shalt thou be but a godly man is blessed already therefore the Apostle improves the future to the present not onely blessed shall but blessed is the man that is one As Moses sayd not all in the future so next David said not all when he expresseth it in the negative Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the Counsell of the ungodly This expresseth it not to the full It is true blessing is propounded to the avoyding and shunning of sin but the greatest blessing belongs to the following and prosecution of piety not to doe evill is good but to doe good is much better it is not enough that we be not prophane nor impure nor Blasphemers nor Drunkards nor Murtherers nor Liers nor Swearers that is not enough yet there is part of the blessing in that Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the Counsell of the ungodly There is Davids beatus but it is much more that God expects of us the doing of good that we be holy and pure and beleiving fruitfull in good works and in every good work that is it that carries the greater blessing the affirmative doing and fullfilling Gods Commandements and walking in those wayes that he hath appointed that gets the greatest blessing Therefore that is the reason the Apostle corrects it here and improves it to Davids negative It is not Beatus qui non but Beatus qui sit Blessed is the man that indureth that is the second but that is not all As David sayd not all in the negative so our blessed Saviour expresseth not all in the plurall Blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are the meeke It is more to have it in the Singular that brings it home to every mans heart to every mans apprehension and application yet both put together make it full blessednesse is propounded in the Plurall to all and in the singular to every man that walks in the way of vertue What is the reason It belongs as much to every one in particular as to all in generall the thing that all expect is no more then blessednesse the thing that every man may look for is no lesse then blessednesse Blessednesse is that that will satisfie all and blessednesse is that that will inrich euery particular man Therefore the Apostle brings it lower then the plurall that every man may have a special portion of comfort for one of these two reasons One reason may be this he sets it in the singular not in the plurall blessed is the man as partly despairing that there would not be many that would embrace this doctrine of the crosse it would hardly come to a plurality Every man with-draws his necke from tribulation Though there be the Crowne set at the end of all those propositions of suffering yet we had rather hazard the losse of the Crowne then submit our necks to beare the yoake of afflictions The Apostle could not think there would be many hardly a number hee could hardly say beati but shuts it up beatus blessed is the man one of a City and two of a Tribe a few gleanings a small gathering and therefore he sets it in the singular Another reason is to let us see that in particular blessednesse is every mans comfort Though every man excell not in all graces no not the Saints of God yet each of them excells in blessednesse To one is given the gift of faith by the same spirit to another repentance hee is more eminent in that to another charity Here are severall graces and gifts as