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	kingdom_n	priesthood_n	32	3	10.2863	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86708	Gods appearing for the tribe of Levi: improved in a sermon preached at St. Paul's, Nov. 8. to the sons of ministers, then solemnly assembled. / By Geo: Hall, minster at St. Botolph Aldersgate.	Hall, George, 1612?-1668.	1655 (1655)	Wing H336; Thomason E859_1; ESTC R202510	19,055	39

Aarons Rod did not onely bloom Blossoms but also yeilded Almonds not onely gave hopes and promises and Earnest of Fruit but the fruit expected and that not overhastned but kindly and come to due maturation This was the height of the wonder Buds Blossomes ripe Fruits and all within so little a time as a night who sees not in these severall productions both satisfaction given to that present age in the Fruit a sure proofe of Aarons Calling to the Priesthood and security given to Posterity for constant succession in the Buds and Blossoms which did tell what fruit should come in after times from the same Stock Of these Almonds much good use may be made many wayes we content our selves now with this There is no such good and sure proofe of the calling of God as Fruitfulnesse Some more weak and scrupulous sheep of Christs Flock do stand looking upon their Pastor and question his Calling to take the care of them when they should be feeding they scruple whether their Ministers be lawfully called to the oversight of them though never so duly ordained when they might find it by their owne Improvement let that scruple cease If with right Ordination and the continued practice of the Church determines what that is there be fruitfulnesse in their Ministry if there be on their part laboriousnesse watchfulnesse desire to approve themselves to the consciences of men endeavour to gaine soules unto God if they be Doctrinall men as Doctor Donns word was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Living Lawes their lives sound Commentaries upon their Doctrine these be evidences enough here be Almonds upon Aarons Rod And in this will we make our free appeals to God to judge between us the legally ordained Ministers of the Church of England and whosoever our opposers If we have not fruit to shew of our Callings which Gifted pretenders shall vainely boast of if there be not in all places where we have been setled some seals of our Ministry Epistles and Letters of Commendation of it to be produced if men have not thrived happily under our labours and been fitted for Heaven if Christs Kingdom be not more advanced by us then it can be by any of those Invaders of our Ministry then let Heaven and Earth be witnesses against us let us be razed out of the land of the living yea we may boldly make the imprecation Let the earth do by us as it did by Corah Dathan and Abiram even swallow us up quick But stay Fruits so extempore so soon ripe as these Almonds on Aarons Rod might perhaps as soon wither not so they were kindly and lasting by this good token That for perpetuall memory both the Rod and Fruit were kept in the Arke of God And in this if it be fit to make comparisons between them saith a Reverend Auther This Rod of Aaron had the pre-eminence above that of Moses though that did very great Miracles yet the wonders which it did passed away But this carried still the Miracle in it self and so was a most precious Relique And that the Fruit should continue upon it and that be continued in the Ark was also most necessary for a signe of the perpetually succession of the Priesthood By the way If we had then lived and should have seen the Ark rifled the Buds Blossoms and Almonds all the good Ornaments of the Rod pluckt off and the Rod it self broken would we not have shaked our heads at it If any of Levi especially should have been accessary to the mischief would we not have cryed shame upon them It is well considered by a Master of Contemplation who spends good thoughts upon this Subject what comfort Aaron must needs take to see his Rod among all the rest thus flourishing and fruitful what a good Assurance he saw in this of Gods gracious Election and Approbation of him And what a satisfaction is it to us also whom God hath called neerer to himself to knows what ample Testimony he hath given to our sacred Calling And who shall make my Glorying vaine If I now take a fit occasion {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the Apostle to magnifie and speak big words of our holy Office After so much Dirt and Contempt as hath been cast upon our Coat let none call what I shall bring for the honour of it swelling words of vanity but a just vindication and Apology To the stopping of the mouthes of all our Vilifiers and Contemners We will plead the high dignity of our Office and to the Conviction of all such as do suggest our uselesnesse the high necessity and importance of it 1. For the Dignity of it first who can deny that in the beginning of the World for many hundreds of years the Kingdome and Priesthood did concur in the same person and when they were severed were divided between two brethren Moses and Aaron To Minister before the Lord was the Prerogative of the First-born And how observable is it that the Spirit of God supposes Royalty annexed unto the Priesthood Yee are a Royall Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and so the Sept. renders that Exod. 19.6 Yee shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests As if to be Royall without the Priesthood were not Dignity enough {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. To Raigne as a Monarch and to Officiate as a Priest these are properly inherent in the same person saith Aristotle And that even among Heathens the Priests were in the highest Esteem and Veneration is a State Truth Among the Egyptians {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Grace with the precious Crown of Priesthood Is Isid. pelusiots of them And that they were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Next to the Prince in dignity and Authority Di. Siculus assures us That they were so among the Greeks known by the several names of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} their Authors give us full account In what high strains the Greek Fathers speake of this Function is obvious to all that read them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the excelling Priesthood is St. Chrysostomes language of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the greatest of all Ornaments Nazianzen calls it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is S Cyrills a thing honourable and great in Gods esteem And those who are in this Office to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} venerable and to be lookt upon with most respect nay a Counsell gives it this Elogy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The name of Priesthood to be Divine and in the first place to be reverenced Hath our Profession been set so high and have we lived to see it in a Christian reformed Nation scorn'd and layd as low as the dust The name of Priest cast as a reproach this is not more the Atheisme then the Folly and weaknesse of

second him no lesse then two hundred and fifty Captains of Israel they together take stomack roundly to tell their Leaders that they took too much upon them that they acknowledged no such difference to be made between them and others If they were annointed yet the people also had an Unction of Holinesse and would allow no such discrimination as their arrogance made Thus early did the humour of striving with the Priest begin that we may not wonder at it now no small discouragement was this to Aaron especially when he considered who they were that maligned him even of his own Tribe of Levi for so I find them to have been associated with some Reubenites indeed the Levites did rise against Aaron and the Reubenites against Moses The Quarrel grew hot and the Issue was easily foreseen to be the worst confusion and reasoning the matter with unreasonable men would not compose and end it some extraordinary Expedient was necessary to stop the Train before it went far It was time for Moses to consult God yea for God also to lay to his hand to arise and shew himself when thus his Priesthood was invaded and such an Issue is devised to which the matter should be put as the Mutiniers could not but confess just reasonable and should find most convictive of their Insolency Censers to be taken by both and so the Controversie to be decided from Heaven by a Glory resting upon that part which God should owne so it was But the conviction of such Wretches was not enough Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right It was fit that the Honour of God which now suffered should be magnified in their exemplary punishment and that by his immediate hand a discrimination should be made between those whom he had called neer unto himself and others who would not own any And behold that the World might take notice they were judg'd un worthy to tread upon Gods earth who had no more regard to his Sacred Institution the earth cleaves under them becomes an open Sepulcher and swallowes them up alive with no intention to cover their Fault when it covered their persons Their personall punishment was not enough neither after-times might forget any such judgment or mis-report it Corahs Spirit might rise again in others and raise new disturbances to prevent that danger God would give the people a visible and lasting sign in what particular Tribe the Priesthood should rest a Rod must be brought for every Tribe and the name of the chief of every Tribe written upon it and that Rod of the twelve all being layd up together in the Tabernacle which should be found to blossome and flourish that should give a cleer evidence and put it out of all dispute for succeeding times out of which Tribe and what particular man was designed and pitched upon by God for his Priest It was done accordingly and then the Text comes in And it came to passe c. Now that this Text may be to us according to the subject of it a Rod budding and bringing forth not Blossoms only but Fruit also let us make the best improvement of it we may and let your thoughts be exercised upon the History the Mystery of it The History what more remarkable passages are in that The Mystery how usefull pertinent and applicable with us What then are the more remarkable things of the Story 1. Aarons Rod budds consider the several Rods when layd up they were all alike one as little promising as another the Characters as fairly written of the names of the rest as of Aarons and yet behold as visible a difference appears between them as between a living growing Fruitfull Branch and a bundle of dry sear sticks Do we look into nature for a reason of this that was quite non-plust It could not work beyond the Sphear of its activity and did as much forbid one Rod to flourish as another Can a Rush grow without Mire A Branch that is cut off grow except it abide in the Vine In the naturall imposibility of this lies the strength of our Saviours Argument and Application But we easily over-look nature in this that God who at first made all things to have a being out of nothing could well make this Rod to budd without earth Or moisture or other helps and advantages It is not now so ingenious to ask How could this thing be As why and that is as easily answered All Israel were representatively in these twelve Rods and it was necessary a difference should be made the other twelve Princes standing in competition and thinking themselves as well qualified for the Priesthood as he who was invested with it Now surely those Princes believed the Priesthood to be the greatest honour who made this the height of their emulous ambition and were in good hopes they should have carried it they would not else have had their names put into this Divine Lottery written in severall Rods And necessary it was in that juncture of time that some one Rod should keep life in it self and how vainly should they be Competitors any longer against whom God did thus manifestly appear 2. Aarons Rod doth not only bud but blossome putting forth it self and giving proof of its germination Nature is slow and leasurely in its productions the most lively branches which continue in the Tree cannot make Buds and Blossomes at once how much lesse a twig cut off from the sap that nourished it We must therfore conclude the finger of God was here there was something more then ordinary in Aarons Blossoming Rod It was of an Almond Tree according to that in the Prophet Jeremies Vision I see the Rod of an Almond Tree The Originall word comes from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vigilare and Festinare to a wake and to make hast because the Almond Tree is the first in the Spring that awakes and hastens to put forth it self And most elegantly doth the Royall Preacher set forth the gray haires of venerable old Age by the Blossomes of the Almond Tree The Almond Tree shall flourish the Blossomes of that being white and coming out soonest But the Story here shewes us a production too quick for the Almond Tree also though the quickest of all justly marvelous in our eyes Buds and Blossomes in one night what a quick Spring was this Here I would give a hint to our suddainly gifted and illuminated Bretheren if they would be pleased to take it Though Aarons Rod did bud and blossome in a night his Qualifications for his Office did not come so suddenly both his inward acquired and not infused Abilities and his outward Calling and solemn Annointing and Consecration for seven daies together do all shew too much hast may be made into the Priesthood And what can I say to those Novices against whose admittance the Apostle entred his Caveat who will needs be in Aarons Office before their Buds be come forth 3.