Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abate_v	body_n	decay_n	18	3	10.5027	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64966	Odos gath operbochēns the more excellent way to edifie the Church of Christ, or, A discourse concerning love : the design of which is to revive that grace (now under such decays) among Protestants of all perswasions / by Nathanael Vincent ...	Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.	1684 (1684)	Wing V415; ESTC R1364	76,586	160

his love to others He must not have persons in admiration because of advantage nor allow of any Hypocrisy which Conscience cannot chuse if tender but condemn Therefore sayes the Apostle Let love be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. Conscience observes whether our inward affection answers our speeches our shews and our pretences and should be able to bear witness of our integrity Our love to our neighbours should be for Christs sake and should make us to pursue the ends for which Christ died on their account 3. Love must flow from faith unfeigned In that fore-cited place 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned There must be a firm belief of Gods good-will towards men of Christs love to his Church so as to give himself for its Redemption and Salvation and that he much insists upon this Command that Christians should love one another and when love is the product of this belief then 't is right then 't is acceptable The Apostle gave thanks without ceasing in the behalf of the Ephesians when he heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the Saints Eph. 1. 15 16. How can he refuse to love any one Saint who unfeignedly believes that Christ died for all especially if withall he be upon good grounds perswaded that Christ loved him und gave himself for him 4. Love must be fervent 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto the unfeigned love of the Brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently 'T is ill with the Body if the natural heat abates it argues a dangerous decay in the new Creature if Love wax cold If Christians Love one towards another languish proportionably there will be also a languishing of their love to Christ himself and this is very perillous When there was not a fervency but lukewarmness in Laodicea Christ threatens to spue her out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. When Ephesus had left her first love he sayes I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 4 5. The great love of God in Christ his frequent injunctions that love may continue the excellency sweetness usefulness and even absolute necessity of love for the Churches conservation all this should be as perpetual fewel to maintain this holy fire 5. Christians Love must be Brotherly Christ sayes to his Disciples All ye are Brethren Mat. 23. 8. The whole Body of Believers is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brotherhood 1 Pet. 2. 17. Christians are all Children of the same heavenly Father who by one Spirit according to his abundant mercy has begotten them again to a lively hope all of them have Christ to be their Elder Brother and are born again of the same seed which is incorruptible how reasonable then are those injunctions Love as Brethren 1 Pet. 3. 8. And let Brotherly love continue Heb. 13. 1. Alas for woe that the sinful Defects and Passions of Brethren are to be found among Professors but not the Affection Multitudes at this day resemble the Brother spoken of by Solomon Prov. 18. 19. A Brother offended is harder to be won than a strong City and their Contentions are like the bars of a Castle 6. Love should be extended so as to become Catholick and the more extensive 't is the more it makes a Man resemble God himself 1. Love is to be extended to the whole Church to all Saints When Love is limited to a party 't is Imprisoned as it were which ought to enjoy the greatest Liberty 'T is common and needful to distinguish between Conversion to a party and Conversion to God There is a distinction likewise to be made between Love to a party and Love to the Church of God 'T is but too apparent that men place too much in being of such a party and Perswasion and therefore all Receeding though done with a clear Conscience and for the Churches Peace is nick-named Apostacy And though a man walks as closely with God lives as well as ever loves more Saints and Saints more than ever yet because he is not rigidly of such a way he is censur'd belyed reproacht and shunn'd as if he were an Heathen man or Publican Oh Love why sleepest thou awake awake wherever thou art planted revive and flourish and bring forth the fruits of kindness peaceableness tenderness and moderation All true Saints of all Perswasions are beloved of God and purchased with his blood and nothing shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus their Lord Rom. 8. ult Disaffections therefore and distances one from another are very unseemly very sinful Though God does love all his Children freely yet they are all worthy of one anothers love and this love is a just Debt which they owe one to another If Saints are loved as Saints all Saints will be loved à quatenùs ad omne valet consequentia And if we love not all 't is but too plain that we love none at all truly 2. Love is to be extended to the Jews if they are beloved for their Fathers sakes Rom. 11. 28. Christians should love them and express that love by Prayer that they may not still abide in their Unbelief but look unto Jesus whom they have pierced and obtain Mercy 3. Love is to reach unto the uncalled Gentiles The worlds blindness and wickedness should move our Compassion and since the Mercy of our God is so unconceivably large we should desire that more may partake of it and since Christ is a Propitiation sufficient for the sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. 22. We should pity the millions of Souls that never heard of him and beg that the sound of the Gospel may come to their ears and that through this Jesus they may be reconciled and saved 4. Love is to be extended even to enemies and Persecutors Christians must not render evil for evil reproach for reproach cursing for cursing but if they are reviled they are to bless if they are defamed they are to intreat and they must endeavour the Worlds benefit though they are made the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. A Saints Patience should alwayes be greater than the Passion of a Persecutor a Saints love than a Persecutors hatred 'T is an excellent Spirit and the right Spirit of Christian charity to be meek and kind to those that are most bitter against us to speak the best of those who speak the worst of us to Pray that our most spightful Enemies may be forgiven and that the injuries which are done us being Pardon'd may not do an eternal harm unto the Injurers 7. Love should never fail but more and more increase It must be a constant fire never to be extinguished nay it