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	duty_n	fervour_n	20	3	11.7580	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48758	Pneumat-apologia. Or, An apology for the power & liberty of the Spirit as at first to give a being to, so still to give a blessing by his ordinances. In three sermons preacht at Great Budworth, to some persons of honour, and several of the clergy then present to communicate in reference to the late act. By James Livesey, A.M. & vicar of Budworth.	Livesey, James, 1625-1682.	1674 (1674)	Wing L2595; ESTC R213711	65,921	192

for admitted to and shared with you in this Sacred Ordinance 3ly Here is matter of comfort for you in respect of the meanness of the men or weakness of the persons by whom it is dispensed We are not Prophets we pretend to no such inspirations or immediate calls as they had we are not Apostles we have no immediate call from Christ to preach the Gospel to all Nations we cannot do not dare not pretend to an infallible conduct of the Spirit as they had and some ignorantly and impudently now challenge to themselves No we are men men subject to like passions and perturbations temptations and infirmities as they were and perhaps to more than you are you know it we confess and lament it Guilty were we of sin before we could do any thing and ever since we could do any thing we have done nothing without sin But in this may you and we not little solace our selves Though we can do you little good very little good yet the Spirit of the Lord can do you very much All we can do is to endeavour it but the conversion of Souls is not ours but Gods work we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak what is in it self perswasive but 't is the Spirit of the Lord alone that can and must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actually perswade you The efficacy of the Word and Sacraments depends not upon the arts or parts or gifts or graces or greatness or goodness of men but upon the power institution and blessing of God Is a golden treasure ever the worse because 't is laid up in an earthen vessel or is water the less sweet because conveyed to your cisterns in leaden pipes Mark well the Text in hand and you will find the great stress laid upon your own upright walking if you expect a blessing a parallel you have in Heb. 4.2 The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it It is not said Not being mixed with faith in them that preach it but in them that heard it In short the spirit of the Lord can do great and mighty things as by poor and weak means so he can do great and mighty things by poor and weak men He imployed not at the first publication of the Gospel any mighty Monarchs or noble Lords or profound Philosophers for the Conversion of the Nations whose Majesty Authority and Wisdom might have had a powerful and prevailing influence on their inferiours No a few poor Fishermen are the men 2 Cor. 4. that the excellency of the power might be and appear to be of God alone and not in or of man at all Men and means are productive of nothing if they operate only from an inherent or natural vertue but when they have a divine stamp upon them the Spirit of the Lord can do great and mighty things by them 4ly Here is comfort for you in case of temptations to disbelieve the Godhead or Deity of the Holy Ghost other mediums are urged to evince his Divinity but the Ancients make much use of this viz. the glorious operations and most mighty and powerful works done by him as Cyril and Ch●●●ostom and Ambrose de Sp. sancto He that can quicken dead Souls subdue such strong lusts implant and increase Grace and bless the Ordinances and all this by an immediate primary underived power as the Spirit doth certainly he is more than a meer creature he is truly God for these are works for a God and for a God only O the boundless incomprehensible and infinite power of the Spirit What all the Creatures yonder above the Clouds with these on Earth cannot that he can do omnipoteutissima facilitate Aug. Epist 107. ad vitalem non procul a fine as an Ancient elegantly expresseth it when he will work who shall let him Isa 43.13 He acts omnipotenter insuperabiliter this speaks him to be God indeed He is not strained he can do his people good by his institutions 5ly Here is comfort for you too in case of mighty oppositions from the flesh when you are about any holy and religious exercises there is no one duty in the whole course of Christianity but it is sure to meet with one impediment or other The Flesh if nothing else do wil belusting against the Spirit corruption will be opposing grace so that you cannot do the things that you would and should The agency and enmity of the flesh appears both in the matter and manner of our performances Sometimes it hinders from duty from praying hearing and receiving sometimes in duty nay it ever hinders us in the manner abating the vigor and fervour or lessening the alacrity of our Souls in duty your own experience is proof sufficient but here is comfort for you in this present case the Spirit of the Lord is not shortned nor straitned he can help your infirmities subdue corruptions quicken graces and in spite of all oppositions he can bless his own Institutions He can make mountains to become plains and cut a way through the hard rock Zach 4.9 Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me Jer. 32.27 It may poor Soul be too hard for thee but not for me this is applicable to the Spirit in the personal consideration of God and it is no less comfortable than applicable A Child of God fain would do more but cannot a wicked man may do more but will not the godly mans heart is larger than the duties a wicked mans duties are larger than his heart 't is the complaint of a gracious Soul O how do my corruptions hinder in these holy duties But O says the other how do these duties hinder me in the pursuit of my lusts A godly man is griev'd because he cannot do all the good that he would and the other because he cannot do all the evil that he would 'T is the burden of a Saint the greatest trouble upon his Spirit that he can pray no more fervently hear no more profitably receive no more worthily so to bungle and baffle and trifle is his great trouble but he hath this to comfort him The good Spirit of the Lord to assist and help him in every duty and he knows that his arm is not shortned 6ly Here is comfort for you as in case of the activeness of the flesh so in case of the weakness of the Spirit i.e. of Grace you find that you are wofully and wonderfully straitned in your selves you complain of the narrowness of your Hearts the unactiveness of Grace you are not so humble and holy not so tender-hearted and enlarged your lives are nothing so blameless and harmless as you could wish and this to you is matter of saddest Lamentation and deepest Humiliation But remember pray the Spirit of the Lord is not straitned though you be he is not and this is matter of consolation though you be impotent chill and dull yet if you be sensible