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	pray_v	sigh_n	19	3	10.4454	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17643	A commentarie vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes, written in Latine by M. Iohn Caluin, and newely translated into Englishe by Christopher Rosdell preacher. Whereunto is added a necessarie table for the better and more readie finding out of certayne principall matters conteyned in this worke; Commentarius in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Rosdell, Christopher, b. 1553 or 4.	1583 (1583)	STC 4399; ESTC S107213	360,940	450

mourninges and sighes we should ascend to our redemption For wee know not what to pray Aboue he spake of the testimonie of the spirite wherby we know God to be our father wherunto we trusting dare call vpon God as father nowe repeating agayne this second member of inuocation he saith we are taught of the same spirite howe he is to be called vpon and what is to be asked of him by prayers And very aptly hee hath annexed prayers to the carefull or heauie desires of the faithfull because God doeth not therefore afflict his with myseries that they shoulde inwardly deuour vp a hidden or secrete sorowe Wherfore the godly are afflicted but that by prayer they should exonerate and ease themselues and so exercise their faith And albeit I knowe there are diuers interpretations brought vpon this place yet the meaning of Paule seemeth vnto me to be simply thus that we are blinde in praying vnto God because although we feele our euils yet our mindes are more intricated and confounded then that they can rightly elect what is conuenient or expedient If any man except Obiection that there is a rule prescribed vnto vs in the word of God I answeare our affections neuerthelesse abide oppressed with darknes Answeare vntil the spirit direct them by his light But the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs. Although indeed or by the euent it appeareth not as yet that our prayers are hard of God neuerthelesse Paule gathereth that euen in the very studie of praying the presence of Gods grace already shyneth because no man of himselfe can conceiue holy and godly prayers Indeede the faithlesse babble prayers but with meere mocking of God because there is nothing in them either sincere or serious or rightly composed Wherefore the manner of praying wel must needes be caught of the spirite he therfore calleth those sighes vneuarrable wherinto we burst through the vehement motion of the spirite because they farre exceede the capacity of our wit And the spirit of God is saide to make intercession for vs not that indeed humbly kneeling it doth abase it selfe to pray or mourne How the spirits is said to make intercession for vs. but because it stirreth vp those prayers in our hearts wherewithall it is meete wee shoulde bee touched Secondly it doth so moue our hearts that with their feruencie they pearce vnto the very heauen And Paul spake so to the ende hee might more significantly attribute al that vnto the grace of the spirit Indeede we are bidden knocke but no man can of himselfe premeditate one sillable vnles by the secrete instinct of his spirite God knocke vpon vs and so open our hearts vnto him 27 But he that searcheth the heartes knoweth the cogitations This is a notable reason to confirme our faith or confidence that wee are hearde of God whiles wee praye by his spirite For hee knoweth familiarly our desires as the cogitations of his spirite And heere the proprietie of the woorde knowe is to be noted for it signifieth that God doth not consider those motions of the spirit as new and insolent or reiect them as absurde but acknowledge them and also graciously receiue them as knowen to him approued of him Therfore as Paule testified of late that God doth then helpe vs whiles hee doeth as it were bring vs into his owne bosome so now he addeth another consolation namely that our prayers whereof he is the moderatour are not in vayne The reason also is added straightwaies because in so doing he conformeth vs to his wil. Whereby it falleth out that that cannot be in vaine which is agreeing to his wil whereby althinges are gouerned Here also wee may learne that consent with the will of God is the chiefest thing in prayer which consent our owne desires holde not fast tied vnto them Wherefore if we would haue our prayers acceptable vnto God let vs beseeche him to moderate them according to his will 28 Also we know that al things work together for the best vnto them that loue God namely to them who are called Saints according to his purpose 29 For those which he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his sonne that he might bee the first borne amongst many brethren 30 And whom he hath predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom hee iustified them also he glorified 28 Also we know Out of the premisses he now concludeth that the miseries of this life are so farre from hindering our saluation that rather they further it Neither letteth it that he hath put the particle illatiue seeing it is no noualtie with him so to confound aduerbs although this conclusion doeth also conteyne a Preoccupation For here the sence of flesh exclaimeth that it appeareth not God doth heare our prayers seeing our afflictions proceed alway in the same course Therfore the Apostle preuenteth that saying although God doth not by and by helpe his yet he doeth not forsake them because by a wonderfull skill hee turneth those things to their saluation which seemed discommodities If any had rather read this sentence by it selfe as though Paule went about by a new argument to proue that aduersities which further our saluation are not heauily and grieuously to be borne I doe not gainstande it In the meane while the counsell of Paule is not bscure although the elect and reprobate are indifferently subiect to the like euils yet there is great difference because God instructing the faithfull by afflictions doth procure their saluation And wee are to remember that Paule speaketh not but of aduersities as though he sayd whatsoeuer things happen to the godly Aduersities by the prouidence of God are made commodious to the faithful● they are so tempered from aboue that that which the world thinketh to be hurtfull the issue declareth it to be profitable For albeit that is true Augustine sayeth euen sinnes through the direction of Gods prouidence are so farre from hurting the Saintes that they serue rather to their health yet it apperteyneth not vnto this place where he intreateth of the crosse And note that he hath comprehended the summe of pietie vnder the loue of God as indeede the whole studie of righteousnes dependeth thereon To those who are called according to his purpose This parcell seemeth to be added by the way of correction least any should thinke that the faithfull because they loue God doe obteyne by their desert that they receiue such fruite by aduersities For we know when the matter of saluation is in hand men woulde gladlye beginne at them selues and fayne vnto themselues preparations whereby they may preuent the grace of God Therefore Paule teacheth that those whom he called the woorshippers of God were elected before of him For it is sure the order is therefore noted that we might know whereas all thinges fall out for the health of the Godly that dependeth vpon the free adoption of

patiently expect a deliuerāce For he would that they being lift vp with the expectatiō of the blessednes to come should with stoutnes of mind ouercome al the presēt euils that they might not cōsider what they are but what they shal be Which haue the first beginnings Wheras some interprete first fruits a rare singular excellency that I like not at all therfore to auoyd doubtfulnes I choose rather to translate it first beginnings For I doe not with thē take it to be spoken of the Apostles onely but of al the faithful who in this world are only sprinckled with drops of the spirit or certainly whē they haue profited very wel being indued with a certaine measure thereof are yet farre frō the perfection thereof These therfore are vnto the Apostle the first beginnings or first fruits Wherunto the whole or entire increase is opposed For seeing wee are not yet indued with fulnes it is no maruel though we bee moued with disquietnes And wheras he repeateth we our selues addeth in our selues that he doth for the more vehemēcy that hee might expresse a more feruent desire And he doth not only name desire but a mourning for where there is a feeling of misery there is also mourning Expecting the adoption Adoption here improperly yet not without good reason Adoption put for that inheritance we are adopted vnto the fruition therof is called the fruitiō of that inheritance wherunto we are adopted For Paule meaneth that that eternall decree of God wherby he hath chosen vs for sonnes before the world were made of the which he testifieth vnto vs by the gospel the faith whereof he sealeth by his spirit in our hearts should be voyde vnlesse the promised resurrection were firme sure which is an effect therof For to what end is god our father but that this earthly pilgrimage being ended the celestiall inheritance might receiue vs Hereunto apperteyneth the redemption of our body which is straightwaies added For the price of our redemption was so paid of Christ that death neuertheles might hold vs yet bound in his bonds yea we carrie it within vs wherupon it followeth that the sacrifice of the death of Christ shoulde be in vayne and fruitles except there appeared fruite in the celestial renouation 24 For we are saued by hope Paul confirmeth his exhortatiō by an other argument Namely because our saluation cannot be separated from a kinde of death which he proueth by the nature of hope For seeing hope extendeth it selfe vnto things not yet knowen by experience and representeth vnto our mindes the image of things which are hid and farre off whatsoeuer is either openly seene or holden with the hand cannot be hoped for But Paule taketh it for a thing so graūted that it cannot be denied so long as we liue in this worlde our saluation standeth in hope whereby it followeth that it is laide vp with God farre aboue our sences Whereas he saith that is no hope which is seene it is verily a hard speeche but yet such as obserueth not the sence for he goeth about simply to teach seeing hope is of good things to come not present it can neuer be ioyned with manifest possession So then if any thinke much to mourne they must need● euert the order is set downe of God who doeth not call his vnto the triumph before he haue exercised them in the warfare of sufferance But seeing it hath pleased God to nourish our saluation as it were secretly in his bosome it is expedient for vs to labour in earth to be oppressed to mourne to be afflicted yea to lye as it were halfe dead or like vnto those are dead For they who couet a visible saluation they put them selues by it renouncing hope which is ordeyned of God to be the keeper of it 25. But if we hope for that we see not This is an argument taken from the antecedent to the consequent because patience necessarily followeth hope For if it be grieuous to wante the good thing thou desirest vnles thou support and comfort thy selfe by patience thou must fall by desperation So then hope alway draweth patience with it So it is a most fitte conclusion namely that the doth vanquish away whatsoeuer the Gospel promiseth of the glorie of the resurrection except by bearing the crosse and tribulations patiently we passe through this present life For it life be inuisible then we must haue death before our eyes if glorie be inuisible then ignominy is present Therfore if thou wilt comprise this place in fewe wordes The saluation of the godly is laid vp in hope thou maiest digest the argumentes of Paule into this forme Saluation is layde vp in hope for all the faithfull it is the propertie of hope to intēd vpon good thinges to come and which are absent therefore the saluation of the godly is hidden vp Nowe hope is not otherwise mainteyned then by patience therfore the saluation of the godly is not consummated but by patience Patience is an inseparable companion of faith Finally heere wee haue a notable place that patience is an inseparable companion of faith The reason whereof is at hande because whiles wee comforte our selues with the hope of a better estate the sence or feeling of the present miseries is mollified and mitigated that they are not so hard to be ●oure 26 Likewise the spirite also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cānot be expressed 27 But he that searcheth the heartes knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh request for the Saintes according to the will of God 26 Likewise the spirite also Least the faithful shoulde obiect that they are weaker then they are able to beare so many so hard burdens he setteth before them the helpe of the spirit whiche is aboundantly sufficient to ouercome al difficulties There is no cause then why any should complayne that the bearing of the crosse is aboue their strength seeing we are strengthened by vertue from aboue And the greeke word Sunantilambanesthai to helpe together is very significant namely that the spirit receiuing vnto it part of the burdē wherwith our infirmity is oppressed doth not only helpe vs and succour vs but doeth so ease vs as though it vndertooke some part of the burden with vs. And in the word infirmities the plural number hath his augmentation For seeing experience doeth teach vs that vnlesse we be stayed by the power of God innumerable ruines are straight waies at hand Paule therfore admonisheth that notwithstāding we are euery way weake diuers infirmities threatē falling vnto vs yet there is ayde inough in the spirit of God so that we shal neuer be moued or ouerthrown by any heape of euils Howbeit these helpes of the spirite teach vs more certainly that through the ordinaunce of God it is so brought to passe that by