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	person_n	20	3	4.3662	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30703	A warning-piece for the unruly in two sermons at the metropolitical visitation of the most reverend father in God, Richard Lord Archbishop of York, held at Preston in Amondernes in Lancashire, and there preached, the former on that day, the latter the day following / by Seth Bushell.	Bushell, Seth, 1621-1684.	1673 (1673)	Wing B6238; ESTC R24244	23,200	54

the careless neglect and breach whereof in the Apostle's sence denominates a man unruly The Precepts of the Lord Christ do set before us a rule of Holiness so does his practice too in whom we have a most perfect pattern and exemplar of all righteousness He told St. John Baptist that it became him to fulfil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all righteousness whatever had a shew or appearance of goodness So Grotius vox haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè sumitur ita ut significet non modò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed quicquid ullam aequi atque boni habet rationem In him we may learn our duty towards God our way with men and our demeanour in reference to our selves His Precepts are full and so is his Pattern too for as Blosius well hath it Lud. Blos Speculum spirituale cap. 10. Etiamsi codices omnes qui toto orbe habentur intercidissent vita passio Christi abundè Christianis omnibus sufficeret ad virtutem omnem veritatem perdiscendam Now they who will not attend to the voice of Christ by his Precepts teaching Holiness nor to the way of Christ by his Pattern leading to it what else can be said of them than that they are unruly Of these 't is to be feared there are too many and this charge does justly reach some both Priest and People And herein first the charge is against those who pretend to the Priesthood and are not duely called These are intruders into that Sacred Office and invade those bounds which they ought not to come within Psal 50.16 What have such to do to declare Gods statutes or Ministerially to take his Covenant in their mouths 2 Cor. 5.19 seeing the word of reconciliation was never committed to them Such climb up over the wall into the sheepfold Joh. 10.1 enter not by the door That order and polity which God hath set in his Church these what in them lies are the subverters of How presumptuously self-confident are these men who dare to adventure upon those things with such unadvised rashness for which the blessed Apostle apprehended in Mortals such an insufficiency and upon a sober and mature consideration crys out 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things 'T is not gifts will authorize a person to step up into Moses chair neither because he 's excellently qualified with tongues and knowledge is he therefore a Minister of Christ These may perhaps puff up and make a man swell so as to appear something in his own eyes yea and in the eyes of others too but he travails with froth and wind and brings forth vanity who upon this ground dares to approach Gods Altar Methinks this piece of unruliness and enormity in the Church of God might be repressed and regulated by the countermands of sobriety modesty humility and self-denyal and other the like Christian graces were such gifted men but subjects of them but if these be not as 't is to be feared such spirits are too empty of soul seasoning graces yet surely the sad instances upon record of persons usurping the Priestly Office and the fatal issues thereupon should not only awaken but so terrifie as to reduce all such pretenders and affright them from the like usurpations for the future when 't is considered how God dealt with Korah and his complices for rising up against Moses and against Aaron but chiefly their design was to invade the Priesthood for this they did not die the common death of all men Numb 16.10 30 31. but the Lord made a new thing and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up a sign of sore and sad displeasure So we read the men of Bethshemesh were smitten with a great slaughter 1 Sam. 6.19 because they had looked into the Ark which was not for them but only for the Priests and Levites to have intermedled about The case of Vzzah may not be forgotten who was smitten to death by Gods immediate hand because he put forth his hand to hold the ark when the oxen shook it 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Doubtless his intent was good to secure the Ark from harm and to that purpose put forth a helping hand but a good intention will not acquit from the guilt of error when the act is cross to Gods command or the Agent not warranted by a due call unto it And who dares draw nigh to the office of Priesthood without a Call if the matter of Vzziah be considered 'T is said when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction 2 Chron. 26.17 18 19. Ambition transported him to invade the Priesthood for which fact the signal mark of Gods high displeasure was notorious in his forehead and he became a leper unto the day of his death and dwelt in a several house and was separated from the society and communion of Gods people and this in Scripture phrase was accounted as destruction for so Menochius glosseth Lepra instar mortis erat quia ab hominum consuetudine tanquam mortuum separat Now all this as it evidenceth Gods special care of the Priestly Function not suffering it to be polluted by common hands so it shews his mindfulness of what he spake to Aaron and to his sons Behold I have given your priests office unto you as a service of gift and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death Numb 18.7 Those must needs be accounted irregular in their courses who walk cross to Apostolical rules and practice Were not the Ministers of Christ in the Primitive times separated unto the Gospel of God Act. 13.2 Did not St. Paul put his hands upon Timothy Rom. 1.1 and did not he enjoyn Timothy carefulness in the laying on of his hands and in the commitment of a Gospel trust to faithful men 2 Tim. 1.6 who should be able to teach others also 1 Tim. 5.22 that so there might be a good succession Mar. 3.14 None were then to preach but those that were ordained and sent No man took this honour unto himself Rom. 10.15 but he that was called of God as Aaron was Heb. 5.4 God gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists Eph. 4.11 and some Pastors not all And therefore to check as 't were this spirit of giddiness 1 Cor. 12.29 and unruly humour the question was fitly put by the Apostle viz. are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Now from the first times to our days there has been a succession downwards and the work of the Ministery has been committed to distinct persons and they are and have been distinctly and severally enjoyned to wait upon their office Therefore as to Ecclesiastick Order and the outward Polity of the Church we may conclude that confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every mans turning Priest or Preacher as it will in that State where every one affects to rule as King

Secondly Those also fall under this charge who though duely called into the Ministerial Office yet Psal 50.23 do not order their conversation aright Their owning the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church and acknowledging obedience to their Superiours will not acquit them from this charge if there be enormity in their lives The messengers of Christ are to be exemplary unto others in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity 1 Tim. 4.12 and their light should in an especial manner so shine before men that they may see their good works Mat. 5.16 The examples of some are greatly influential and their influence if bad of a most prejudicial nature Persons eminent in Church or State if of scandalous and evil lives do not only prejudice themselves by irregular courses but are occasions of harm to others by their evil conduct which as it renders their sin more hainous so doubtless their punishment will be proportionate when it falls as having a just God to deal withal before whom as they must give up their account so from him they must receive their pay How does it therefore concern leaders to look about them and to set a watch upon their ways with what diligence should they mark their steps lest they should lay a stumbling block before others Now the Ministers of Christ above all others do lye under special obligations to take heed to their ways Numb 16.10 The Lord hath brought them near unto himself Joh. 15.16 and ordained them that they should bring forth fruit They are the salt of the earth Mat. 5.13 14. the light of the world a city set on a hill Ezek. 33.7 They are called God's watchmen Christ's shepherds 1 Pet. 5.2 Act. 20.28 the holy Ghost's overseers and the like Now these titles as they point at their honour and office so they express their personal and relative duties If holiness becometh Gods house Psal 93.5 then surely it becomes those who are taken near unto him in his house Their lives as well as doctrine are to be fruit-bearing They are to season by their gracious lives as well as lighten others by their radiant doctrines To watch feed and oversee the flock of God are works of such a nature as to the execution of them there 's necessarily required temperance judgement and sobriety Thus to shine in the mids of a crooked and perverse nation Phil. 2.15 holding forth the word of life is the undoubted duty of every Minister of the Gospel But now when he that teacheth another Rom. 2.21 teacheth not himself but sets a bad example before the flock is he not irregular The salt that hath lost his savour our Saviour tells us is good for nothing 1 Pet. 5.3 Mat. 5.13 but to be troden under foot of men And no way so direct to the losing of all savour both of the truth in a mans own heart and of esteem and relish with good men as is loosness and scandal in the conversation I know the livid Viper envy is still alive and none can so converse as utterly to exempt himself from all the darts of calumny cast by the tongues and pens of perverse and ungodly men but my brethren let 's give no occasion for these to stick but let our innocence blunt the edge of malice so as the blast of our reproachers may be but as a storm against the wall Isa 25.4 But sad it is that the Ministers of Christ should lay themselves naked by their loosness to the just retorsions of the wicked that what they reprove in others as matter of blame should be recharged upon themselves Turpe est doctori cùm culpa redarguit 'T is for a lamentation to see gravity in the Pulpit countercheck'd by wantonness in the Market-place and the weightiness of Sermons fly away in the lightness of behaviour and the lustre of sound Doctrine blemished with the spots of a sullied life The affectionate expressions of the Apostle with tears in his eyes to the Philippians concerning unruly walkers should by such be again and again remembred Phil. 3.18 19. They are saith he enemies to the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame And that sharp correption of the holy Ghost given to such which sometimes happened to be Origen's fit text then with great trouble upon his mind should not be forgotten viz. What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and casteth my words behind thee Psal 50.15 17. Therefore a word to you my brethren set a watch over your feet as well as over your lips Study to shew the power of godliness in your lives as well as the flower of eloquence in your lines You are not without your observers And as there are some who do pray for you and would willingly and are ready to draw a charitable veil over your infirmities so there are many squint eyes upon you that watch for your halting Jer. 20.20 magnifying eyes that turn motes into beams cursed eyes of Cham's kind which glory in the shame of others and are pleased most with your nakedness as a delightful object Therefore do you endeavour to cut off occasion from them 2 Cor. 11.12 which desire occasion that when you rebuke the unruliness and disorder that is in others you your selves may not be judged as transgressors Thirdly This charge doth justly reach most of people Who sees not how irregular the lives of men now are Most are not only strangers to Holiness and the Paths of Piety but have given themselves over to work all uncleanness with greediness The sins that now abound are of a crimson colour and scarlet hue Eph. 4.19 They over-pass the deeds of the wicked It may be said of our times Jer. 5.28 as it was of Judah in the days of Jeremiah chap. 17.1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond it is graven upon the table of their heart and upon the horns of their altars or as of those in Ezekiel's days chap. 9.9 The iniquity of the house of Israel and Juda is exceeding great the land is full of blood and the city full of perversness for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not Do not men live now as if there were no law to regulate no God to judge no heaven to reward nor hell to punish as if sin were a privilege and wickedness their proper work As if our natural pravity were not enough to render us miserable but we must make our selves ten times more the children of wrath by the witting and willing choice of many great and abominable sins and the actual commitment of them The enormities that now abound notwithstanding the good Laws of God and man bespeak an