Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abase_v	abound_v	instruct_v	18	3	8.2999	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26784	The danger of prosperity discovered in several sermons upon Prov. I. 27 / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1685 (1685)	Wing B1103; ESTC R15611	66,480	256

of the Rod to adore his Majesty obey his Laws imitate his Holiness and humbly to accept of his Mercy By Afflictions the sensual Appetites are sudu'd and brought into order a low state is a protection from many strong and destructive Temptations Sickness that brings near the Grave and makes us feel how frail we are renders the World despicable that by their Lusts so powerfully infatuates Men to their ruin Sanctified Affliction is a happy preparative for the fulness of Joy in the blessed presence of God The first to whom our Saviour promis'd the Rest and Joy of Paradise was the Companion of his Cross. Let us therefore with free Judgments and sincere Affections make an estimate of all sensible things not judg our selves to be in the favour of God by the good Things received here nor under his Wrath by Evil Let us not be surpris'd at the Prosperity of the Wicked nor shaken at the Afflictions of the Godly but regulate our Thoughts by the unerring Wisdom of God so clearly revealed in his Word He is propitious when he denies or takes from us those temporal Enjoyments that we are apt to abuse and severe when he bestows them and seems to indulge Mens carnal Affections It is but a little while and the Pleasures of Sinners and the Afflictions of the Saints will end in a state directly contrary to what is enjoyed or suffered here With God a thousand Years are but as one day the World is not of a weeks standing in the Divine Account he measures all things by Eternity the Vessels of Mercy are by sanctified Afflictions made fit for Eternal Glory The Vessels of Wrath are by the abuse of his Bounty and Patience fitted for eternal destruction In the last place from hence we should be warned to be always circumspect to avoid the Evils that usually attend Prosperity to improve it to our eternal Advantage Prosperity is not like an infected Garment that transfuses a contagious Malignity into every one that wears it A Person that is rich and honourable and in Power may not only be a Saint but the more a Saint by his dedicating and employing the Gifts of God to his Glory and the Publick Good 'T is a Point of high and holy Wisdom and only taught in the School of Heaven how to manage the opposite states of the present Life so as not to be vainly swelling in Prosperity nor broken and flagging in Adversity but to preserve an aequanimity a constant composed mind the blessed imitation of the divine Unchangeableness St. Paul saith without vain arrogance I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need 'T was a secret of Spirit not learn'd from Men but from the holy Spirit of God In some respects 't is a more difficult exercise to manage Prosperity than Adversity Many are like Hannibal victorious in Arms whilst conflicting with Adversity and vanquisht by enticing Pleasures 'T is observed of the Lamps in some of the Roman Tombs that have burnt for many Ages and are bright whilst kept close that as soon as they are open'd to the Air a breath of Wind extinguishes them Thus the Vertues of some shine in a low retired Condition when there are no Temptations no occasion of quenching them but when brought forth into the open World and should appear in conspicuous Operations their Vertues are of so weak and consumptive a Spirit that the Light expires and dies Even the Piety of David was chill'd by Prosperity 'T is said with an emphasis concerning Jehosaphat that he walk'd in the first Ways of his Father David Intimating that his Religion was not so exact when he was in the Throne as in his Banishment 'T is equally excellent as difficult To be holy and heavenly in the midst of sensual tempting Objects is the clearest discovery of the Truth and Power of Divine Grace of the piety ingenuity and generosity of the Christian Spirit Humility and Modesty in a low Condition are not so praise worthy as the absence of them is odious but Humility in a state of Honour is more illustrious than the Splendor of external Dignity Temperance in a Cottage where are only supplies of hunger and thirst seems rather the effect of Necessity than of wise Choice but to be temperate when abundance and variety tempt the sensual Appetites when the sparkling colour and delicious relish of the purest Wines tempt the Fancy and the Pallate is Vertue in a height and excellency To be pious and weaned from the World in Afflictions is no wonder but in Prosperity and Power to be serious in Religion and despise the splendid Vanities of the World is Vertue of a superior Order What is observed of the perfuming Gums of Arabia the Happy is applicable in this matter those that distil freely from the Tree excel in purity in fragrancy and value what comes from it when the Bark of it is cut Thus Obedience that comes from the heart in love with God for his Benefits is more valuable and precious than what is the effect of Compulsion that comes from the heart wounded with terrors in adversity I shall add farther The using Prosperity aright is most comfortable The Love of God can sweeten Afflictions and make a Dinner of green Herbs as savory as if they grew in Paradise and it gives a quick and high taste to all our temporal Blessings When his Love is conveyed and sealed to us by the Gifts of his Providence we have the purest enjoyment of them Now when Prosperity is made subservient to his Glory when it endears Obedience to us we have an infallible testimony 't is from his special Favour to us The Rules how to manage Prosperity for our everlasting Good are 1. Let us preserve an humble sense of our original meanness continual frailty and sinful unworthiness in the midst of Prosperity Men are apt to be high-minded and to cherish undue Conceptions of their worth when rais'd in the World as if they were not as inferior to the Majesty of God and as liable to his impartial Justice as others they lose the knowledg of themselves in a Mist of Vanity This provokes the high and holy One that inhabits Eternity to blast them in their most fluorishing and secure state and convince them how deceitful and insufficient the grounds of their pride are He puts them in fear that they may know themselves to be but Men. There are such great and just Allays of the vain Mind such Correctives of Pride that it is strange that any temporal Prosperity should occasion swelling Arrogance The Psalmist considering the Glory of God shining in the Heavens is in an extasy at his condescending Goodness What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou regardest him His Original is from the Earth the lowest