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	pray_v	19	3	5.7234	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

or his own safetie This question my Brethren put home upon Conscience it may happily come neere us We are all naturally neere unto our selves and oft-times too neere So it is when wee set up our selves our owne peace our owne outward tranquilitie as the first and maine thing which we looke at In the meane time making the glory of God subservient unto that Secondly Let it be enquired whether our providing for our owne safetie in this way of flight be not some diminution to the glory of God Whether wee might not glorifie God more by our standing then by our flying Here presse conscience to give sente●ce according to evidence and according th●reunto order we our selves for our flying or standing doing that which may conduce most to the glory of God Secondly And secondly that which may conduce most to the good of others specially the Publique good We are not borne neither should we live meerly for our selves all of us for others all of us for the publique As members doe for the good of the body so should Christians live for the good of the Communitie the good of the Church And this wee must have an eye unto as in our whole course so in this case of flying or standing in time of Persecution Now here sometimes it so falleth out that Christians cannot flye without both publique scandall and danger the case specially of publike Persons Magistrates Ministers Their flight oft-times indangers the Communitie as the flight of the shepheard doth the flock or as the flight of the Mariners in Pauls voyage would have done the passengers touching whom Paul telleth the Centurion and Souldiers Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved Now in this case they being thus engaged God biddeth them stand and therefore they may not flee Upon this ground that worthy Governour Nehemiah tooke up that Heroick Resolution Shall such a man as I flee A Magistrate in whose standing the safetie of the Communitie of the whole body of the people is bound up though others flee he may not And so Augustine in the place fore-named determines the case of Ministers Where they cannot flye without eminent danger to their flocks there God biddeth them stand A determination grounded upon that of our Saviour Ioh. 10. Where describing the good Shepheard and the Hireling he tells us the one standeth and the other fleeth The good Shepheard giveth his life for his sheepe but he that is an hireling c. He seeth the woolfe comming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth and the woolfe ●atcheth them and scattereth them The hireling fleeth c. Where the safetie and welfare of a flock is bound up in the presence of the Minister where his flight tendeth directly to their dissipation or eminently indangereth their seduction there God biddeth him stand On the other hand sometimes as private so publique persons may withdraw themselves without any detriment to the Church Nay their fleeing may be an advantage to it Thereby they may have the opportunitie off doing moregood to the Church then otherwise they could doe In this case God bids them flee and they have their Master going before them in it Our blessed Saviour as I told you being in danger by his Adversaries he often withdrew himselfe this he did for the greater advantage and benefit of his Church that he might have opportunitie for the finishing of the worke which his Father had given him to doe What himselfe therein did he orders his Apostles and Disciples to doe the like When they persecute you in oxe Citie flee into another And wherefore must they flye Why that so by that meanes they might have opportunitie to doe the worke which their Lord and Master had given them to doe viz. to publish the Gospell throughout all the Cities of Iudea This it either is or ought to be the desire and designe as of every private Christian so specially of every Minister of Jesus Christ that they may finish the worke which God hath given them to doe in doing what good they may to his Church and people Now that way which may most conduce unto that end that they must take If they may be more serviceable to the Church in their flying now God bids them flee If in their staying now Gods bids them stand This is the generall Rule which the word holdeth forth unto us God thereby making knowne his will unto us touching our flying or standing in time of Persecution Secondly For more particular and personall directions herein taking this Rule of the word along with us we must have recourse to the worke of God I meane his Providentiall worke the passages of his Providence from whence we may ordinarily learne somewhat more of his meaning and purpose towards us This worke of Providence in this case observable is two-●old viz. Inward or Outward his worke within us and his worke without us First His inward work his work upon the inwardman upon our hearts and spirits in the ordering and tempering of them This wee find God doing variously even as the Smith dealeth with his Iron which sometimes he hardens sometimes he softnes Thus dealeth God with the spirits of his owne people sometimes he hardeneth them take it in a good sense fleeleth them as it were with an Heroicall Resolution putting into their hearts a Spirit of courage and fortitude so strengthning them with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse as Paul prayeth for his Coloss●ans as that they dare looke whatever dangers or enemies in the face Thus was it with Elias when he tooke up that Resolution that whatever came he would looke his Arch-enemy Ahab in the face Notwithstanding that Ahab had vowed his death and had made a most strict and narrow search for him throughout all the bordering Kingdomes and Nations as Obadiah tells him yet for all that Eliah is resolved come what will come he will face him As the Lord liveth before whom I stand I will surely shew my selfe unto him this day so he tells Obadiah Thus was it with Paul when he went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem whatever dangers were represented to him he weighs them not his resolution was to face the worst that could come I passe not at all saith he neither is my life deare unto me so that I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God Such a motion of the Spirit others of the Martyrs of Christ in the Primitive times many in latter times some have found and felt strongly inclining and carrying them on to give testimony to the truth steeling their spirits against whatever dangers whatever sufferings Now in this case God seemeth to give the word to such bidding them stand calling them to resist though it be unto blood And