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	diabolical_a	opposite_a	24	3	10.1527	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12071	Reasons most humbly offered to the honourable House of Commons in Parliament, by Sr Robert Sharpeigh, Knight, and Alexander Haitley, Esquire patentees for survey of sea-coales at Newcastle, &c. by nomination of the late Duke of Richmond and Lennox, proving the grant and patent thereof to be necessary and profitable to the common-wealth, the fee to be but competent and proportionable to the charge, and no imposition but a meere wages, or quid pro quo, voluntarily, offered to be payd for the service.	Sharpeigh, Robert, Sir.; Haitley, Alexander.	1624 (1624)	STC 22379.5; ESTC S2878	274,966	3

us take heed that we defile not this flesh of ours this nature of ours What is this flesh of mine taken into unitie with the second Person Is this flesh of mine now in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God And shall I defile this flesh of mine that I professe to be a member of Christ Shall I make it the member of an harlot Shall I abuse it as intemperate persons doe Let us honor our nature which Christ hath so honoured and let us take a holy kind of state upon us to thinke our selves too good since God hath so advanced our nature to aba●e it to the service of sinne Likewise it should teach us to stoupe to any service of Christ or our brethren What did the love of God draw him into the Wombe of the Virgin Did it draw him to take my nature and flesh on him And shall I thinke much to be serviceable to my poore brethren for whom God was made flesh and not onely so but was crucified Such thoughts will take downe such proud conceits as enter into our hearts when we are about any worke of charitie for the members of Christ. Shall I have base conceits of any man whose flesh Christ hath taken especially when I see any goodnesse in him let me abase my selfe to any worke of charitie Take heed of pride God himselfe emptied himselfe and wilt thou be full of pride He became of no reputation and wilt thou stand upon termes of credit He tooke upon him the forme of a servant and wilt thou be altogether a Lord and King in thy affections not serve thy brethren Did Christ doe this that thou shouldest be a proud person He came to expiate thy pride Away with thy proud conceits If thou be too proud to follow and imitate humble men yet thinke not thy selfe too good to imitate an humble God There is no spirit more opposite to the spirit of a Christian then a spirit swelling and lift up that thinkes it selfe too good to be abased in the service of others that carries it selfe loftily A proud spirit is most opposite to the Spirit of God that became man to expiate this pride of ours and to worke our salvation in this flesh of ours Of all sinnes let us take heed of this Diabolicall Satanicall sinne let us be abased for Christ that was abased for us and as he left his Heaven to doe us good he left Heaven it selfe so let us if we have a conceited heaven and happinesse in our selves leave it and become base and low to doe any good we can Shall he stoupe and bend to us from Heaven to Earth and conceale his Majestie not to be known to be as he was and shall not wee stoupe one to another to doe good and come downe from our conceited excellencie Here we have a ground likewise not to envie the blessed Angels their greatnesse nay here we have that wherein we are above the Angels themselves for he tooke not upon him the nature of Angels but he was God manifest in our flesh Christ marryed our nature to himselfe out of his love that he might marry us to himselfe by his Spirit and now by our union with Christ we be neere● him then the very Angels are The Angels are not the Spouse of Christ but now by reason of his taking our nature we are kinne to Christ he is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and wee are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh We are the Body Christ is the Head We are neere to Christ then the very Angels No wonder then if those blessed Spirits daily prie into this Great Mysterie Lastly let us labour that Christ may be manifested in our particular flesh in our persons As he was God manifest in the flesh in regard of that blessed Masse he tooke upon him so we would every one labour to have God manifest in our flesh How is that We must have Christ as it were borne in us formed in us as the Apostle speakes Certainely the same Spirit that sanctified Christ doth sanctifie every member of Christ and Christ is in some sort begotten and conceived and manifested in every one that is a Christian. We must labour that Christ may be manifest in our understandings in our affections that he may be manifest to us and conceived as it were in us as S. Pauls phrase is That the life of Christ may be made manifest in our mortall flesh The life and Spirit of Christ must be manifest in every true Christian and their flesh must be sanctified by the same Spirit that Christs flesh was sanctified withall As Christs flesh was first sanctified and then abased and then glorious so the flesh of every Christian must be content to be abased as the flesh of Christ was to serve Christ to be conformable to Christ in our abased fl●sh And let us not make too much of this flesh of ours that shall turne to rottennesse ere long it must be gracious sanctified flesh as Christs was and then glorious flesh Christ must be manifest in our flesh as he was in his owne that when a man sees a Christian he may see Christ manifest in him But how shall I come to have Christ manifest in my flesh my heart is not fit to conceive Christ in there is nothing in it but deadnesse and darknesse and dulnesse and rebellion Even as the Virgin Mary she conceived Christ when she yeelded her as●ent When the Angell spake to her what sayth she presently Be it as thou hast sayd let it even be so she yeelded her assent to the Promise that she should conceive a Sonne So when the Promises are ●●●tered to us of the forgivenesse of sinnes of salvation by Christ as soone as ever we have a spirit of Faith to yeeld our assent Let it be so Lord as thou hast promised thou hast promised forgivenesse of sinnes Let it be so thou hast promised favour in Christ Let it be so As soone as the heart is brought to yeeld to the gracious Promise then Chr●st is conceived in the heart Even as Christ was conceived in the Wombe of the Virgin when she yeelded her assent to beleeve the Promise so Christ is in every mans heart to sanctifie it to rule it to comfort it as soone as this consent is wrought we should labour therefore to bring our hearts to this So much for this Because it is of great consequence and the leading Mysterie to all that followes I have been somewhat the longer in unfolding these words God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit These words are added to answer an objection that may rise from the former He was God manifest in the flesh he veiled himselfe he could not have suffered else when he tooke upon him to be the Mediator he must doe it in abased flesh If Christ being God had not abased himselfe he should never

have beene put to death Satan and his instruments would never have medled with him therefore God being veiled in the flesh being clouded with our flesh and infirmities thereupon the World had a misconceit of him He was not generally thought to be what hee was indeed he appeared to be nothing but a poore man a debased dejected man a persecuted slandered disgraced man in the World he was thought to be a Trespasser It is no matter what he appeared when hee was veiled with our flesh he was justified in the Spirit to be the true Messias to be God as well as man Iustified It implyes two things in the phrase of Scripture A freedome and clearing from false conceits and imputations and declared to be truly what he was to be otherwise then he was thought to be of the wicked World When a man is cleared from that that is layd to his charge hee is justified when a man is declared to be that he is then he is said to be justified in the sense of the Scriptures Wisedome is justified of her children that is cleared from the imputations that are layd upon Religion to be mopish and ●oolish Wisedome is justified that is cleared and declared to be an excellent thing of all her children So Christ was justified hee was cleared not to be as they took him and declared himselfe to be as he manifested himselfe a more excellent person the Sonne of God the true Messias and Saviour of the World In the Spirit That is in his God-head that did shew it selfe in his life death in his resurrection and ascension the beames of his God-head did sparkle out though he were God in the flesh yet he remained God stil was justified to be so in the Spirit that is in his divine Power which is called the Spirit because the spirit of any thing is the quintessence strength of it God hath the name of Spirit from his purity and power and vigour So God is a Spirit that is God is pure opposite to grosse things earth and flesh and God is powerfull and strong The Horses of the Aegyptians are flesh and not spirit that is they are weake a spirit is strong so much spirit so much strength So by the puritie and strength of the Divine Nature Christ discovered himselfe to be true God as well as true man The word Spirit is taken in three senses especially in the Gospel It is taken for the whole nature of God God is a Spirit sayth Christ to the woman of Samaria the very nature of God is a Spirit that is active and subtile opposite to meanenesse and weakenesse Then againe Spirit is taken more particularly for the Divine Nature of Christ as it is Rom. 1.4 Of the Seed of David according to the flesh but declared mightily to be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of sanctification or holinesse by the resurrection from the dead The opposition shewes that Spirit is taken there for the Divine Nature of Christ. He had spoken in the Verse before concerning his humane nature he was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh and it followes declared to be the Sonne of God according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead and so likewise in 1 Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh ●ut quickned in the spirit He was put to death in his humane nature out quickned and raysed as he was God The Spirit is taken likewise for the third Person in the Trinitie the Holy-Ghost the holy Spirit And indeed whatsoever God the Father or God the Sonne doth graciously to man it is done by the Spirit For as the holy Spirit is in the order of the Persons so he is in the order of working the Father workes from himselfe the Sonne workes from the Father the holy Spirit from them both the holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Sonne as a common Principle Therefore sometimes the Father is sayd to rayse Christs Body by his Spirit Christ is sayd to do things by the Spirit Here in this place it is especially to be understood of Christs Divine Nature not excluding the Holy-Ghost For as the Holy-Ghost in the Incarnation sanctified his flesh the second Person tooke flesh but the third Person sanctified it so in the Resurrection of Christ the second Person that raysed it selfe up but yet it was by the Holy-Ghost too So when there is mention here of Christ justified by the Spirit that is by his God-head and by the Holy-Ghost which he alway used not as an instrument for the Holy-Ghost is a common Principle with himselfe one with himselfe of equall dignitie onely differing in the order of Persons Whatsoever Christ did he did with the Spirit that must not be excluded Christ was as well justified in the Spirit as God as manifest in our nature to be man And this was in the time of his abasement in the greatest extremitie of abasement there was somewhat that came from Christ to justifie him that he was the Sonne of God the true Messias there is no part of his abasement but some beams of his God-head did breake forth in it He was made flesh but he tooke upon him the flesh of a Virgin Could that be otherwise then by the Spirit to be borne of a Virgin she remaining a Virgin When he was borne he was layd in a Manger indeed there was God in the low estate of the flesh I but the Wisemen worshipped him and the Starre directed them there he was justified in the Spirit He was tossed when he was asleepe in the Ship but he commanded the Winds and the Waves He wanted Money to pay Tribute as he was abased but to fetch it out of a Fish there he was justified the one was an argument of his povertie and meanenesse but the other was an argument that hee was another manner of person then the World tooke him for that he had all the creatures at his command He was apprehended as a Male-factor but he struck them all down with his word Whom seeke yee Come to the greatest abasement of all when he was on the Crosse he hung betweene two Theeves I but he converted the one of them When the Theefe had so much discouragement to see his Saviour hang on the Crosse yet hee shewed such power in that abasement that the very Theefe could see him to be a King and was converted by his Spirit He did hang upon the Crosse but at the same time there was an Eclipse the whole World was darkned the Earth trembled the Rocks brake the Centurion justified him Doubtlesse this was the Sonne of God He was sold for thirtie pence but he that was sold for thirty pieces did redeeme the whole World by his bloud Nay at the lowest degree of abasement of all when he struggled with the wrath of God and wat

in themselves want of grace and comfort surely they will goe out of themselves they will goe to Gods market they will attend upon the meanes He that is like to be arrested for debt and hath nothing at home it is time for him to seeke abroad for supply so when a man is poore spiritually ready to bee snared and catched in every thing for want of spirituall grace he will labour for strength in the use of all means Therefore those that are of a Laodicean stamp that thinke there is too much preaching and too much hearing and too much reading and what need all this adoe Alas they were never humbled they were never sensible of their state by nature nor are not yet in the state of grace for the soule of a true Christian is alway in the state of spirituall poverty as that it relisheth spirituall meanes and is not fed with husks A soule that is spiritually poore will d●scerne in the use of means this is flourishing this is for the eare this is conceits alas it comes for food for supply A poore soule that findes the want of grace and strength and comfort it judgeth of the meanes by what it findes there will be a use of all meanes and likewise some ability to taste where there is true poverty of spirit Againe where this inward poverty of spirit is it will make Gods children wondrous thankfull and thankful for a little grace A poore man that is sensible of his poverty will be more thankfull for a penny then another man for a pound that hath money of his owne A soule that sees the want of grace and withall sees the excellency of grace is thankfull to God that hee will worke any thing in such a poore defiled soule as hee is that hee will worke any good motions any good affections any degree of faith that he will give him any assurance of salvation Oh hee thinkes what a good God is this Hee breakes out with the Apostles Peter and Paul that had both beene sinners themselves and found grace oh they were much in thankefulnesse Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. A thankfull soule is a poore soule and a poore soule is alway a thankfull soule Hee that is poore hee knowes hee hath little and deserves little therefore knowing that hee deserves nothing he is thankfull for and content with any thing a humble man is alway thankfull and that is the reason that GOD may have his glory from him hee is forced sometimes to humble and abase him hee should have no sacrifice from him else A proud man a conceited man so dotes upon his owne worth hee forgets the giver he makes himselfe an idoll to him therefore such they are usurpers of what they have they enter upon GODS blessings not considering from whom they have them nor for what end they have them They deny God his tribute of thankfulnesse because they are proud but a man that is poore in spirit he enters upon all by title of gift and receives all from God in the forme of a poore man therefore whatsoever hee hath hee returnes thankes for it againe An unthankfull soule therefore is a proud soule a thankfull soule is an humble abased soule alway and the more humble and empty the soule is the more thankfull it is for every degree of grace and comfort Againe a soule that is thus disposed that is poore in spirit it is willing to resigne it selfe to Christs governement with selfe-denyall of any thing it is able to doe of it selfe it is ready to say Lord I have neither wit of mine owne to governe my selfe nor any strength and ability of mine own therefore I put my selfe upon thy government I desire to follow thy light and to goe on in thy strength There is alway a resignation to Christs government and that in feare and trembling for whom we resigne our selves unto surely wee will have a care not to displease them A dependant life is alway an awfull life for when a man hath resigned himselfe to the governement of another and knowes hee must depend upon him hee will have a care not to displease such an one for hee thinkes if I displease him hee will withdraw his maintenance and countenance from me and then what am I so the soule that thinkes it hath all from God and from the spirit of Christ it resignes it selfe to the spirit of Christ and withall it is wondrous fearefull not to grieve and displease the Spirit for hee thinkes with himselfe my life is but a dependant life my graces are but dependant let God but withdraw the beames of his Spirit and I sinke let him withdraw his comfort and his strength what am I nothing but darkenesse and deadnesse and confusion Those therefore that give not themselves up to Christs governement but are governed by rules of policy by the example of others and have base dependance upon others they know not what spirituall poverty is they see there is a sufficiency in themselves to rule and governe themselves as if Christs wisedome were not sufficient they are not so disposed as the Apostle requires they worke not out their salvation with feare and trembling because God gives the will and the deed The meaning is this wee should worke out our salvation with a holy feare and trembling a jealous feare a sonne-like feare lest we displease God why he gives both the will and the deed hee gives both the will to doe good and when he hath done that he gives the ability of the deed it selfe We cannot doe any thing therefore we had need to walke in an awfull condition and not displease him in any thing lest he withdraw the assistance of his Spirit and leave us to our selves and then we shall fall to his dishonour to the discredit of religion to the wasting of our own comfort and the advantage of Sathan This is the temper of a man that is poore in spirit he gives himselfe up to Christs government and depends upon it and thereupon he is wondrous fearefull to displease him in any thing There are a company that know not what belong to this that hope to be saved by Christ and yet they will grieve the Spirit they will venture into any place upon any sight into any company but if ever they had beene acquainted with the government of Christs Spirit they would know what it was to grieve the Spirit and the Spirit would grieve them too it is a signe they have not the Spirit of God because he doth not check them when they have done Therefore your adventurous carelesse persons that are indifferent for all things for all companies and places that do not watch over themselves and over their words and carriages they have not this poverty of spirit for then they would know what it were to displease God in any thing to walke and to speak loosely because hereby they grieve the spirit and

would presently finde either want in grace or comfort There is not one of many that are acquainted with the nature of this spirituall communion with Go● and therefore they doe not enjoy the happinesse that those doe who are thus qualified that are poore in spirit Againe a man that is poore in spirit is very tractable as it is in Esay A Child shall lead them The Lamb and the Lion shall feed together c. and a Child shall lead them that is such an one you shall lead him with any counsell let the person be never so meane having smarted for his sins and his owne counsell and wayes a child shall lead him that is any man shall lead and move him to that which is good he stands not upon termes And alway hee that is poore in spirit hee is no upbraider of other mens wants he is more sensible of his owne then that he sees in other men hee is not prone to upbraid and object against them their wants and conditions hee is so taken up with the sense of his owne And lastly he that is poore in spirit is humbled in himselfe for spirituall wants not so much for outward things but because he hath not a large heart to God because he findes impatience because he finds not that heavenly mindednesse and strength to goe through the duties that God requires that his flesh is so backward these things abase him and bring him on his knees and not so much outward things and answerably hee lookes for spirituall supply When a man is humble and poore in spirit he is not abased with any outward thing that that he would have is mercy and grace The Apostle when hee would pray for all happinesse to the Churches he prayes for grace mercy and peace for as they are more sensible of their spirituall wants so they are carryed in their desires after that that may give them satisfaction that way Let us labour to bring out soules to this blessed temper to bee poore in spirit the happy temper that our Saviour began his preaching withall the first thing that he fals upon is Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven But before I come to any directions for the getting this spirituall poverty we must know and premise this caution that wee must not be so poore in spirit as to deny the worke of grace in our hearts It is one thing to bee poore in spirit and to see our wants and it is another thing to bee unthankfull and unkinde to deny the worke of grace and so to gratifie Satan wee must not give false witnesse against our selves and so deny the worke of Gods Spirit in us it is not poverty but darknesse of spirit we are not acquainted with that grace that God hath enriched us with Therefore where the soule is in a right temper there is a double eye one to see the defects and the staines of those graces we have to see what we are wanting in of what we should be and to see how our graces are stained and that there is a mingling of our corruptions with them The viewing with the one eye that wee have any grace that should make us cheerfull and thankefull and comfortably goe on considering that there are some beginnings that God will perfect for hee never repents of his beginnings And then a sight of the want and of the staines of those graces that we mingle our corruptions with them that workes againe this poverty of spirit to go still out of our selves to desire grace to purge and cleanse our selves more and more Therefore I beseech you let us remember that that we doe not unthankfully deny the worke of grace and thinke that to be poverty of spirit as some do out of covetousnesse because they have not that they would have they think they have nothing at all that is a spirituall covetousnesse But let us be wise to discerne what God hath wrought in our hearts what he hath done for and in our soules A holy man you shall have him much in mourning and complaining but it is of himselfe not of God as if God were wanting to him you shall have a holy man in a perpetuall kinde of despaire but it is in himselfe he hopes in God still Remember this caution that as wee complaine so let us be sure it be of our selves alway justifie God in his mercy and if we despaire let us despaire of our selves that we can do nothing of our selves but be sure to maintaine all we can the hope of Gods rich mercy in Christ. Now having premised this caution The way to come to spirituall poverty among many others is First to bring our selves into the presence of God to the presence of greater lights then our own men that think themselves some body when they are alone yet when they consider God sees them whose eyes are a thousand times brighter then the sun then they learne to abhor themselves in dust and ashes as we see Iob did when God talked with him when he saw God and Abraham when he talked with God he accounts himselfe dust and ashes Let us bring our selves into the presence of God consider his holinesse his justice And withall let us bring our selves to greater lights then our owne that is oft come into the company of those that have greater grace then our selves The Starres give no light when the Sunne is up the Starres are somebody in the night but they are nothing in the day and those that are conceited of their owne excellencies when they come into the presence and company and converse with those that are better then themselves their spirits fall downe they are abased It is a good course therefore not to love alway to be best in the company as it is some mens vanity because they will be conceited of their owne worth but to present our selves before God in his ordinances and present our selves in communion and fellowship with others that are greater and richer in grace then our selves and so we may see our owne wants This is one direct●on to get spirituall poverty Againe that we may come to be poore in spirit let us consider what we are that we are creatu●es the terme whence creation begins is just no●hing it is so in the creatures in the world God made all of nothing and is it not so in the new creature much more Therefore if I will be anything in my selfe as of my selfe surely I must looke to be no creature of Gods making for grace is Gods creature therefore it must rise of nothing there must be a sight of our owne nothingnesse Indeed a Christian in himselfe is nothing now in the state of grace whatsoe●er he is for grace or glory it is out of himselfe hee hath nothing in himselfe as of himselfe all that he hath he hath from Christ. He is poore in himselfe

upon thee from my mothers breast forsake me not in mine old yeares in my gray haires when my strength faileth me Thus we may gathe● upon God from former experience that God will not now forsake us because we have had experience of his kindnesse in former times he hat● beene my God from my childhood therefore h● will be now This is a good argument becaus● God is as he was he is the same he is never drawn drie Where he loves he loves to the end Where he begins he will end therefore this should strengthen our faith to gather experience from forme● things Thus David alledgeth the Lion and the Beare and so S. Paul he hath delivered me therefore he will deliver me It is ordinary with the Saints of God Againe if we would trust in God labour every day to bee acquainted with God in daily prayer in hearing and reading and meditation We trust friends with whom we are much acquainted and those that are not acquainted with God in that communion that belongs to Christians that doe not often talk with God by prayer and meditation when they go to God in extremity what wil God say to them Vpon what acquaintance You are strangers to me and I will be a stranger to you and Wisdome it selfe will laugh at their dectruct●on Pro 1. when they will force acquaintance upon God when they have use of him and never care for him in the time of peace Therefore if we would trust God and go to God boldly as who is there here now that will not have need of him Wee have need of him continually but sometimes more than others therefore I say let us be acquainted with him that we may after trust him Those that have not the care to be acquainted with God either they have not the heart to go to God or if they have they have but a cold answer but indeed for the most part they have no heart to go to God for their hearts mis●give them and tell them they have beene carelesse of God they have negl●cted God therefore God will not regard them Goe ●o the gods ye have trusted as it is Iudges 10. Answerable to our care beloved in the time of peace will our comfort be when we are in trouble Therefore I beseech you let us remember this as one meanes to strengthen our trust our daily acquaintance with God and acquaint our selves so with him as to keepe him our friend not to offend him for if we offend him we shall not trust him A galled conscience is afraid of God as a sore eye is of light A comfortable conscience is from a conscience to please God This is our boldnesse and confidence saith Paul that we have laboured to keep a good conscience that we may have him our friend Againe let us labour to exercise our trust upon all occasions for things that are exercised are the brighter and the stronger Let us inure our selves to trust in God for all things and to trust him with all things with our bodies with our soules with our estates with our children with our wayes with our good name with our credit and reputation with all as I said before in the signes of trust Faith it growes in the exercise as we see Psal. 62. A Psalme expressing Davids trust in God and the conflict with his soule in trusting he begins yet my soule waits upon the Lord c. And in verse 2. I shall not be greatly moved saith he but when he had gone on and exercised his faith still then he saith in verse 6. He is my Rock and my Saviour and defence I shall not be moved He that at the beginning saith I shall not greatly be moved afterward working upon his heart and soule and exercising his faith saith I shall not be moved he is my Rock my Saviour and defence Faith it is the Engine by which wee doe all by which we prevaile with God and overcome the world and all the snares on the right hand and on the left it is that whereby we doe all therefore we had need to keepe it in exercise and inure it that we may have it to manage and use upon all occasions It is not enough ●o have faith in us but we must live by it it must not only live in us but we must live by it this is another way to strengthen this faith and assurance and trusting in God The next is to practise that I spake of in the forenoone to grow poore in spirit for they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Let us labour more and more to see our owne wants A Christian should have a double eye one to looke to himselfe and his owne wants to bee abased another eye to Gods promise to Gods nature to trust in God and thus wee should passe our dayes the more we can empty our selves the more wee shall bee filled with God We see here in the Text the way to trust in God to be poore in spirit The reason is in nature whosoever is not poore in himselfe and sees a necessity hee will never go out of himselfe for he hath some other supply Therefore if we would learne to trust in God we must learne to empty our selves of all selfe-confidence by observing our weaknesse and wants by taking notice not so much of our graces as of our w●nts When Moses came from the Mount his face shone he knew not of it all the world about him knew it besides himselfe but he observed it not saith the Scripture Lo when a Christian considers not specially in temptations to pride what he hath but what he wants how little good hee hath done how many evill thoughts and actions have passed from him how short he is in fruitfulnesse and thankfulnesse to God this is the way to trust in GOD for then wee will keepe close to GOD when wee doe see our owne weaknesse And let us labour to have a spirit of sanctification to have our soules more and more renewed to trust in God or else all other courses are nothing for when it comes to particulars if the soule be not san●tified there is no correspondencie and harmony betweene it and God How can an unsanctified soule close with a holy God Therefore we must labour to be good and to do good as the Apostle Peter saith To commit our soules to God in doing good Let us labour to bee good to get grace and then there will be a harmony a connaturalnesse betweene a holy God and a holy soule and then we shall trust and rely upon him easily Where there is not grace in the heart subduing corruptions when it comes to particulars whether to trust in God or man then the soule will rebell and scorne as it were trusting in God i● will go to wits to friends to favours and other helpes Let a man be never such a scholler of never so great parts when

have his Spirit 3 3 Put case what Christ would doe Motives to follow Christs example Gal. 2. The example of Christ doth stir up to liberality and bounty The equity of the duty on this ground 1 1 Their relation to us 2 2 The grace of God to us To imitate Christ in the manner of doing good to others 1 1 Speedily 2 2 Cheerfully 3 3 Inwardly Micah 6 4 4 That it is ours 5 5 Seasonably Comfort of works of mercy before death 1 1 An argument of faith 2 2 The benefit of others prayers 3 3 W● see it well bestowed 6 6 Constantly Caution to give with discretion Psal. 112. Quest. Answ. In necessity we must give to all But especially to the good Salvian Object Answ. Those that give not to Christians would not to Christ himself Matth 25. Object Answ. Liberality provides for posterity Psal. 112. It makes comfortable in death Negligence of duties troubles at death Contents of the prophesie Scope of the Text. Parts of the Text. Obser. There is a difference of people Observ. 3. God will have some in the worst times Reas. It is an Article of our faith Reas. 2. The world should not stand else Vse Comfort that God shall have a Church after we are gone Go●s children but few Rom. 11. Vse To examin e●f we be of those few Vse 2. Thankfulnesse Observ. God hath a speciall care of those that are his Instances of Gods care Rev. 7. Ezek. 9.4 Mal 3. Object Answ. Gods children suffer sometimes in common judgements Comfort against ●l times Quest. Answ. Promises and prophesies performed by degrees Vers. 13. Doct. Gods Church and Children afflicted in this world Act. 9. Reas. 1. To conforme us to Christ. Reas 2 We cannot bea●e prosperity Sim●le Psal. 119. Vse To justifie God in our abasement Why he joyns afflicted and Poore Phil. 4. Doct. Outward poverty sanctified helps poverty of spirit What poore here meant Reas. 1. Poverty and affliction takes away the fuell of pride Simile Afflictions bring us to God Vse 1. The poysonfull nature of man that defiles it selfe in blessings Vse 2. Abasements sanctified come from Gods love Vse 2 To examine if crosses humble us Simile Vse 3. Not despise the poore Simile Observ. Providence serves predestination Vse ●o b●esse God for taking as w●ll as for g●ving Spirituall poverty What it is not What it is 2 2 Degrees of this poverty Before we are in Christ. Instances of this poverty Adam Prodigall Evidences of this preparative poverty 1 1 Conviction of our naturall condition Iohn 16. 2 2 Sight of emptinesse in all things 3 3 Desire of grace ch●●fly 4 4 Earnestnesse 5 5 Abasing himselfe Matth. 5. Necessity of this poverty of spirit 1 1 Else we will not repaire to Christ. 2 2 Not thankfull 3 3 Not fruitfull 2 Cor. 5. 2 Cor. 15. 4 4 The want of it the ground of apostacy 5 5 It is the cause of all miscarriage 2 2 Spirituall poverty after conversion In all passages of our life 1 1 In justification Phil. 3. 2 2 In sanctification Iohn 1. 2 Cor. 15. Poverty of spirit needfull to every holy action Simile Reason of the fals of Gods children Wee cannot pray for grace of ourselves Augustin Spiritu●ll poverty needfull in actions of this life Spirituall poverty in suffering Signes of poverty of spirit 1 1 Prayer 2 2 Vse of meanes 3 3 Thankfuln●●se 4 4 Selfe-denyall Feare of offending God 5 5 Tractable 6 6 Vpbraids not others 7 7 Most humbled for spirituall wants Vse To labour for spirituall poverty Caution Not to deny the worke of grace How to come to spirituall poverty To come into Gods presence 2 2 Consider we are creatures A Christian hath all from Christ. 3 3 Present to our selves abasing considerations 1 1 For the time past 2 2 For the present 3 3 For the time to come What our profession requires Two graces alwayes requisite Observ. God is trusted as knowne Observ. God must be trusted in Faith the nature of it What means by trust here God how conceived the object of trust Evidence of trust in God 1 1 A care to please him 2 2 Vse of means 3 3 It quiets the soule Psal. 43. How faith quiets the Soule Psal. 112. Faith keepes outbase feares 5 5 A relying on God without meanes Esay 50.10 6 6 To trust God for all things 1 1 With good name 2 2 To right his cause 3 3 With poste●ity Psal 24. 4 4 With good Workes 5 5 With direction of our wayes Pro. 3.5 6 6 With our souls at the houre of death How to come to trust in God To learne to know God In his word Psal 9 In his attributes Psal. 46. Psal. 36. Experimentall k●owledge Psal. 22.4 5 Psal 71. 2 2 To be acquainted with God Pro. 1. Iudges 10. 2 Cor. 1. Heb. 13. 3 3 To exercise trust upon all occasions Psal. 62. Verse 6. 4 4 To be poo●e in spirit 5 5 Get sanctification 6 6 Prudence Ier. 17.