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	prophecy_n	20	3	8.7280	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

there should be no need of their fighting Yee shall not need to fight in this Battell set your selves stand yee still Consistite State stand still stand saith he therein no question having an eye to the words of Moses here in the Text In both which places this word of Command stand still being so understood it is to be taken not for a generall Rule but for a particular Direction not shewing what others are to doe or not to doe in the like condition but onely what they were to doe at that time The generall Rule doth not allow Christians any such stupid or carelesse securitie as that being in danger they should stand still casting themselves upon a naked and immediate Providence without the use of any meanes for their deliverance and safetie This they may not doe without an immediate warrant and direction from God So had Moses no question here at the Red Sea So Calvin interprets those words which wee meet with in the 15 vers. of this chapter where it is said that the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto me Speake unto the children of Israel c. Here the question may be when it was that the Lord spake this to Moses Whether before Moses gave this incouragement to the people or after Calvin inclines to the former rendring the word to avoid ambiguity as he saith in the Preterperfect tence Dixerat autem Jehovah And the Lord had said viz. before that Moses spake this to the people Otherwise saith he How could Moses have made them such a Promise given them such an Assurance This he could not have done had he not first received a promise from God And upon that it was that he grounded this his Direction bidding them to stand still And so for Iehaziel there the Text is expresse God had made his mind knowne unto him by immediate Revelation The Spirit of the Lord came upon him saith the Text i. e. the spirit of Prophesie And this it was which warranted and required this Consistencie this standing still in the people at those times which at other times is neither commendable nor allowable At other times where wee have no such immediate Direction the Rule is up and be doing wait upon God in the use of meanes serving his Providence by making use of such meanes such instruments as God is pleased to afford which unlesse wee doe wee cannot properly be said to trust God but to tempt him So then Moses his aime herein bidding the people to stand still and not to fight is not either to informe them what they might not doe or what others in a like condition ought not to doe but what they at that time should not need to doe they should not need to fight So Calvin as I told you here interprets it Verbo standi vult quietos manere in bidding them stand saith he He would have them to rest themselves quiet As if he had said saith he There shall be no need for any of you to move a finger in this service God himselfe will undertake and effect it He will fight for you as it followeth in the next verse working your salvation and deliverance in an immediate way without any aide or assistance of yours This God can doe and this sometimes he doth worke immediate salvation and deliverance for his people He can doe it God who tyeth us to the use of means hath left himselfe free Being Lord of the creature he can worke with it or without it Such is the absolutenesse of his power that he standeth not in need of instruments to worke by An evidence hereof we see in the first of his workes his worke of Creation which was the immediate efflux of a Divine Power the issuing out of a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a power or vertue from God like that which issued out from our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh whereby he wrought those miraculous Cures causing things to exist which before were not In this worke God had none to co-operate with him no means no instrumēts to work by What he did he did it alone He alone spreadeth out the heavens saith Iob Job 9. I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe Isa. 44. Onely he spake and it was done what he did in the Creation of the world the like he can doe in the Government of it Create Providences Command deliverances that is the Psalmists expression Psal. 44. Thou art my King O God command deliverance command salvations for Iacob This God can doe procure full salvation absolute deliverance for his Church and people and that onely by his word Q. Why then doth he make use of instruments and secondary causes A. This he doth not out of any need he hath of them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} It is Pauls speech to the Athenians concerning the true God He is not worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing he needeth neither us nor our services being in himselfe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} selfe-sufficient That hee doth make use of meanes and instruments in conveying mercy to his Church and people he doth it First Out of the libertie of his owne will God we know is Agens liberrimus the most free Agent working all things as the Apostle tells us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the counsell of his owne will Not being tyed to any const●nt tenour or manner of working as naturall Agents are which ever worke one and the same way True it is God hath set down an order for the creatures to observe and worke according to which wee call Nature And this is a law to them as Paul saith of the Gentiles They are a law to themselves viz. in regard of the law of Nature written in their hearts the Rules and Dictates whereof they follow but not so to God the Law-giver who being above his Law so is every absolute Law-giver may dispence with it working above Nature or against Nature as it pleaseth him having herein no Rule but his owne Will Secondly This he doth for the good and benefit of the Vniverse of the whole Making use of meanes and instruments in conveighing of mercy that so therby he might as it were engage the creatures one to another by making them beholding one to another The Heavens shall heare the Earth and the Earth shall h●are the Corne and Wine and Oyle and they shall heare Iezreel Hos. 2. One creature beholding to another as members in the naturall body all for the good of the whole Thirdly Againe thirdly this hee doth sometimes that he may put some speciall honour upon some instruments Thus hee maketh use of Moses in this great expedition in bringing his people out of Egypt and dividing the Red Sea not