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	lord_n	noah_n	18	3	10.1934	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91739	Divine efficacy without humane power. Opened in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Church in Westminster before the Right Honourable the House of Commons, June 28. 1660. Being the day of solemne thanksgiving for the happy return of the Kings Majesty. / By Edward Reynolds D.D. and chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing R1246; Thomason E988_27; ESTC R203408	21,066	55

worship of God Moses did every thing as the Lord commanded Moses for so he had received his instructions Exod. 25. 9. And in like manner David gave unto Solomon his son the pattern of all that he had by the spirit 1 Chron. 28. 11 12. So runs the Apostles commission from Christ teaching them to observe al things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 28. 20. Non ex Arbitrio Deo serviendum sed ex Imperio saith Tertullian Even Heathens would have their superstitious services done by rule Semper Agatne Rogat nec nisi jussus agit If men who may erre and mistake in their commands are offended with such as disobey them though thereby they do them better service judging it a corrupting and despising of commands when they be not obeyed though they be mended How much more must the most wise God be offended with us when we do his work not according unto his will but our own thereby presuming to see what is meet and convenient better then God himself thereby taking upon us to be controlers of his wisdome as learned Hooker speaks It was a very pious proposal which Sigismond the Emperour made to the Councel of Trent as we read in the learned review of that Counsel That they would conforme their constitutions to the obligation of the Law of God Certainly the more Religion and the Church of God is setled by the Rule of the VVord the lesse matter of meere dispute and discrimination is admitted the less of divided ends and meere humane interest and partial designe is attended the more men seek the Glory of God the Salvation of men the Peace of the Church the more they do in simplicity and godly sincerity consider what is intrinsecally and in natura rei necessary what hic nunc expedient for edification what course will be most healing most uniting most likely to establish truth peace and holinesse in the Church to close up the divided mindes of men and cement them in that wherein they may all agree or draw as neer as may be to an agreement the more certainly will God be pleased and honoured and the more will the Churches of God abroad be joyed and comforted with whom it is doubtlesse our Religious Interest to procure as firm an union as we can We have seen the encouragement the means of it a Word the Vehicula of that word Christ and the Prophet the subject to be incouraged Zerubbabel the Magistrate who is to build the Church by the help of the Word and Prophet There onely remaineth the matter of the comfort set forth 1. Negatively Not by Might nor by Power 2. Positively But by my Spirit saith the Lord Might and Power is here denyed not generally and in Thesi as if God did prohibite humane power from looking after the interest of the Church for the Magistrate is the Churches Guardian The same Lord did by the victories and spoiles of David make provisions for Solomons Temple who would use no such helps for the glory of Zerubbabels But it is excluded Hypothetically in this particular case and condition Though they had potent enemies though they were destitute of Might and Power in themselves yet God will not have them desert their station or despond of successe Because 1. He can blast every Sword that is formed against them Isa. 54. 17. 2. He can convert to the good of the Church that very power which doth oppose it and make Hamans tongue the Petitioner for Mordecai's honour Esther 6. 6 7. 3. He can build the Church upon the sufferings of his servants as seed in the ground first dles and then multiplies the more the adversaries of Paul the wider the door of his Ministry 1 Cor. 16. 9. It matters not how weak the Instrument when God is the Agent The Church and worship of God is reared and restored by the vertue of Gods Spirit alone In the present case the Lord by his immediate providence ordered various intercurrent means unto the finishing of the Temple which of themselves had no natural influence or tendency thereunto It was the spirit of the Lord that by the Ministry of Moses and Aaron brought Israel out of an Egyptian bondage It was the Spirit of the Lord that in the wildernesse preserved them by miracles with bread from heaven and water out of the rock It was the Spirit of the Lord that over-ruled the heart and tongue of Balaam to blesse when he was hired to curse them It was the Spirit of the Lord that divided the waters of Jordan and demolished the wall of Jerico by the sound of Rams-horns It was the Spirit of the Lord that stirred up Saviours for his oppressed people and by them wrought deliverance for them It was the Spirit of the Lord that brought the Ark from the Philistines into its place by the conduct of kine contrary to their nature It was the Spirit of the Lord that rescued the Jews from the malice of Haman by a chain of events which had no cognation one with another nor any natural suitableness to such an end It was the Spirit of the Lord that when they were as fast in Babylon as dry bones in a grave stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus to give them a resurrection This divine power may be observed both in the Head and in the mystical body of the Church For Christ the Head 1. His Incarnation spiritual A stone cut without hands a Tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not by man fashioned in the Virgins womb by the overshadowing of the holy Ghost 2. His Oeconomie in the work of Redemption wholly spiritual borrowing nothing of humane power by the eternal spirit he offered himself to God Heb. 9. 14. 3. His Resurrection spiritual made the chief corner-stone after he had been rejected by men Thus the foundation of the building was laid not by Might nor by Power but by the Spirit of God Psal. 118. 22 23. 2. The Church or Mystical Body of Christ hath nothing either in its original or propagation from the power of man but all from the Spirit of God 1. The original alone heavenly and from the Spirit born not of the will of man but of God John 1. 13. 3. 5 6. A Kingdom not of this world Joh. 18. 36. Made by an heavenly Calling Heb. 3. 1. As dew which doth not stay for man Psal. 110. 3. Mic. 5. 7. 2. The propagation wholly from the Spirit when mountains of opposition and persecution the gates of Hell and powers of darknesse combin'd against it Now for a doctrine which taught men to deny themselves to renounce the world to take up a Cross to suffer Afflictions and follow Christ without the camp bearing his reproach for such a doctrine to prevaile over the world by twelve weak and naked men upon the promise of things not seen and the hopes of reward in another world cannot be ascribed to the wisdom of man but onely to the

do it Isa. 46. 11. The Lord hath ordered all duty to have some difficulty in it And the same word which is the Rule of the duty is also the comfort against the difficulty We have therein the comfort of his Authority requiring it of us It is the work which he hath given us to do we have not rushed upon it presumptuously our selves We have the comfort of his promises quickning us unto it for every word of command hath a word of promise with it 2 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 10. 36. We have the comfort of his grace working together with the Word facilitating the duties required and proportioning the soul to the service giving an heart to do the word Ezek. 11. 19 20. And therefore by faith and hope we may improve every word unto comfort and courage in duty Faith giving a kinde of Being unto the things promised Heb. 11. 1. and hope waiting with joy for the accomplishment of them do powerfully work the heart above difficulties unto cheerful obedience Faith quencheth temptation overcometh the world purifieth the heart worketh by love removeth fear the discourager and obstructer of duty 1 Iohn 4. 18. Hope causeth us to purifie our selves 1 Iohn 3. 3. To serve the Lord instantly day and night Acts 26. 7. To deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11 12 13. To wait on the Lord and to keep his Way Psal. 37. 34. To renew our strength to run and not be weary to walk and not faint Isa. 40. 31. When the soul of a man is in such straights and perplexities that all the world is not able to comfort him one sentence out of the word wisely managed by the hand of faith is able to bear up the heart and to make it victorious above all the powers of darkness Wit wealth power policy youth strength security sensuality worldly imployments will peradventure serve a while to fence against fear and discouragement but these are but like a bush in a storme which shelters a while and after annoys with its own dropping Nothing will minister durable and final comfort against all doubts and fears but a word from God seasonably brought unto the conscience this alone can hold up the heart against the roarings of Satan and all the powers of darkness You may haply have before you many knotty and difficult debates and be at a stand which way to steere your judgement and to dispose your suffrage men may like Carneades dispute plausibly probably on either side and the substantial merits of a question may lie hidden under the Oratory which hath pro con been spent upon upon it In such cases attend not only to what you have heard spoken but with David make the word of God your Counsellers Psal. 119. 24. Let not frowns dismay you let not interests biass you let not paralogismes dazle you but seriously weigh what is most consonant to the Will of God what is most likely to promote the great Ends which that calls for the Glory of God the Salvation of men the Cause of Religion the Simplicity of the Gospel the Spirituality of worship the peace unity and integrity of the Church the healing and setting in joynt the dislocated and divided affections of men the impartial setling of judgement and righteousnesse in the Land And when you hear a word behinde you saying this is the way then walk in it turn not to the right hand or to the left Isa. 30. 21. We have seen how the Lord encourageth his servants in difficulties and by what means he doth it by the Word of his own mouth now this word is brought by the Prophet to Zerubbabel and by the Angel 1. By Christ unto the Prophet The Angel in the former Chapter spake immediately to Iosua here mediately by the Prophet Zachariah unto Zerubbabel 1. The first Revealer of the counsel of God unto the Church is the Angel of the Covenant It was his Spirit which spake in the Prophet 1 Pet. 1. 11. He by his Spirit preached in the dayes of Noah to the spirits which are now in prison 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. for so Andradius a learned Pontifician as well as Beza and other Protestants have expounded that place No man hath seen the Father but by the revelation of the Sonne Joh. 1. 18. Mat. 11. 27. He was the Angel that spake unto Moses Act. 7. 30. 38. and unto Isaiah John 12. 40 41. He instructed his Apostles in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. They must deliver nothing to the Church but what they had first received from him 1 Cor. 11. 23. Greatly do the profane the Ministry of the Word and betray the Trust which Christ hath put upon them as his Ambassadours who preach the vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord and a woful curse they incurre by so high a presumption Deut. 18. 20. The lesse there is of Christ in a Sermon and of the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit how full soever it may otherwise be of Exotick learning of heaped allegations of strains of wit or luxuriancies of fancy and language it hath so much the lesse of the power of God to the salvation of the souls of men For we are not to preach our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. And as they are the best Ministers who so preach so they are the best hearers who savour and relish nothing so well in a Sermon as the gracious and powerful manifestations of Christ to the conscience and evidences of the commission which the preacher hath received from him 2. When the Prophet brings no other then the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel It is his duty to heare it Princes and Magistrates men of highest place and authority must receive Gods counsel from the mouth of his Messengers and be contented to be directed comforted encouraged by their Ministry David though himself a Prophet was not without his Seers Gad Heman Asaph Jeduthan Nathan to admonish reprove comfort him as his condition required So we finde Shemaiah a Prophet sent to reprove Rehoboam Oded and Azariab to encourge Asa Jehu and Jahaziel to threaten and comfort Jehoshaphat We read of the writing of Eliah to Jehoram of the threatning of Zachariah to Joash of the Prophet Isaiah counselling and rebuking Ahaz comforting and encouraging Hezezekiah Jeremy and Ezekiel denouncing judgements against Zedekiah Hosea and Amos against Jeroboam Jonah sent to the King of Nineveh and John Baptist to Herod And though great difference is to be used in the manner of our application to great and to ordinary persons yet the same fidelity is due unto all Cum eadem omnibus debeatur Charitas non eadem omnibus adhibenda medicina as Saint Austin speaks If a Minister must shew all meeknesse to all men much more must he deliver his message with all Reverence and humility with all awe and tenderness with all honour and prudence unto those