Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abide_v	able_a	earth_n	23	3	5.0288	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29709	A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse about the favorable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers : with the resolution of several questions, concerning the divine presence, as also the reasons and improvements of this great and glorious truth ... / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing B4970; ESTC R11759	200,185	248

benefits which flow 1 Cor. 6. 17. from Christ but to the Person of Christ to Christ himself all the powers on Earth and all the powers in John 1. 16. Rom. 8. 32. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Hell can never separate Christ from the Believer nor the Believer from Christ when all other unions are dissolved this union holds good I readily grant that the sense and apprehension of this union may in this life be much interrupted and many times greatly darkned but the substance of the union still remains And I readily grant that a Believer may be much assaulted and tempted to doubt of his union with Christ and to question his union with Christ and yet nevertheless a Believers union with Christ continues and abides for ever And I readily grant that the influences of it for some time may be suspended but yet the union it self is not nay cannot be dissolved As it was in the Hypostatical union for a time there was a suspending of the comforting influences of the Divine nature in the humane in so much that our Saviour cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet for all this the union between the two natures was not Matth. 27. 46. in the least abolished so here in the Mystical union the sensible effects comforts and benefits of our union with Christ may sometimes be kept in and not appear but yet the union it self abides and shall abide firm and inviolable for ever 't is an inseparable and insuperable union Look as no power on earth is sufficient to over-power the Spirit of Christ which on Christs part makes John 10. 27. 31. 1 John 4. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Luke 22. 31 32. the union so no power on earth shall be able to conquer Faith which on our part also makes the union Satan and the world may make attempts upon this union but they will never be able to break this union to dissolve this union yea though death be the bane of all natural unions yet death can never be the bane of this Mystical union though death puts a period to all other unions yet death can never put a period to this union when the Believer is in his grave his union with Christ holds good But Fifteenthly If God be with us who can be against us I answer None so as to deprive us of our crowns there is no power nor policy on Earth or in hell that can deprive a Christian First Of his crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing 'T is a Metaphor say several from the Estius Scultetus c. custom in war who used to crown the Conquerors with honour c. It is a similitude taken from fighters or Combatants who for a prize received a Crown when they had contended lawfully The reward of Eternal life here is called a Crown of righteousness 1. Because 't is purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ by his perfect and compleat righteousness obedience dear Jesus hath merited this for us and so in Christ it is due to us by way of merit though in respect of us 't is of meer grace of rich grace of soveraign grace of infinite grace of glorious grace 2. Because he is righteous that hath promised Rev. 2. 10. Rev. 3. 21. 1 John 2. 25. 2 Thess 1. 5 6 7 10. this Crown Though every promise that God makes is of free and rich grace yet when once they are made the truth and justice of God obligeth him to keep touch with his People for as he cannot deny himself so he cannot do any thing unworthy of himself Men say and unsay they promise one thing and mean another men many times eat their words as soon as they have spoke them but thus God can never thus God will never do God can never ●epent of his promises he can never waver he can never go back from his word God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said Num. 23. 19. and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good All the promises that refer to this life and a better are sure firm Faithful unchangeable immutable All the promises are the word of a God and given upon the honour of a God that they shall be made good O my Friends the all-sufficiency of God the Promissa haec tua sunt Demi●e saith Austin quis falli timet cum promittit ips● veri●as omniscience of God the omnipotency of God the loving kindness and faithfulness of God yea and the Oath of God may fully yea abundantly satisfie us and socure us that God will certainly make good all his precious promises to us We commonly say when an honest man passeth his word for a little money O it is as sure as if it were in our purse but Gods word of promise is abundantly more sure for as his Nature is Eternal so his word of promise is unchangeable the promises are a firm foundation Hab. 2. 3. Je● 32. 41. Psalm 89. 3● to build our hopes and happiness upon they are an Anchor both sure and st●dfast Memorable is that saying of David Psalm 138. 2. For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy Name Which words are to be understood as David Ki●hi saith Hysteron proteron that thou hast by thy word that is by performing thy word and promises magnified thy Name above all things 3. Because it is a just and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at last who have been crowned with shame reproach and dishonour for his Name and interest in this world so that Eternal life is a Crown of righteousness ex parte Dei God hath promised it to such as overcome and ex parte rei 't is just with God to give unto his suffering Servants rest and peace 4. Because it is given only to righteous men all that wear this crown come to it in a way of righteousness a righteous Crown cannot be had but in the use of righteous means The Chaldean the Persian the Grecian and the Roman Princes commonly gained their Crowns by fraud flattery policy blood c. so that their Crowns were bloody Crowns and not righteous Crowns 5. and lastly The Apostle calls it a Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give him the more fitly to follow the Metaphor taken from Runners and Wrestlers for prizes at their solemn e●●ercises or games in Greece in which there were certain Judges appointed to observe those that proved masters and give just Sentence on the Conquerors side if he strove lawfully and fairly won the prize Now this Crown is laid up the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importes

out of the hand of the terrible God engages himself to protect him against all the might malice of his most terrible enemies and though he should fall into their hands yet he would deliver him out of their hands Psalm 33. 3. They have consulted against thy hidden ones The Saints are 1. Hid in Gods decree 2. Hid in Christs wounds 3. Hid in the chambers of Divine providence 4. Hid in common dangers as Noah was hid in his Ark and as Lot was hid in Zoar Isa 26. 20. and as Daniel was hid in the Lyons den and as the three Children were hid in the fiery Furnace and as Jonah was hid in the Whales belly 5. Hid with Christ in God in Colos 3. 3. times of greatest trouble the Saints are hid under the hollow of Gods hand under the shadow of Gods wing Psalm 27. 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in Psal 91. 1 4. his Pavilion The Hebrew Succoh is written with a little Samech to shew say some that a little pavilion or cottage where God is shall be sufficient to save-guard the Saints in the day of adversity He shall hide me in his hut as a Shepherd doth his sheep in a stormy day In the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me I shall be as safe as if I were shut up in his holy Ark Tabernacle or Temple whither they use to flee for shelter to the horns of the Altar yea as if a man were hid in the most holy Place where none might enter but only the High-Priest once a year which is therefore called Gods secret place A Ezeck 7. 22. Shepherd should not be more careful to shelter his sheep in a Tent or Tabernacle from the heat of the Sun nor a King should not be more ready to protect a Favorite in his pavilion whence none durst venture to take him than God would be careful and ready to shroud and shelter his People from the rage madness and malice of their enemies How did God hide his Church in Aegypt Exod. 3. 2 3. the Bush was still burning and yet was not consumed and how did he hide seven thousand in Eliah's 1 Kings 19. 18. time that had not bowed their knees to Baal Though the Woman the Church be driven to flee into the wilderness Rev. 12. 6. yet there she is hid and there she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three-score dayes Let our Enemies do their worst they shall not hinder us of Divine protection no power nor policy can hinder our being preserved and secured by God in the greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers that can attend us But Fourteenthly If God be with us who can be against us I answer None so as to deprive us of our union with Christ as to dissolve that blessed union that is between Joh. 15. 1 2 3 4 5. Christ and our souls When Men and Divels have done their worst our Mariage union with Christ holds good this union is indissoluble this union between Christ Believers is not capable of any separation they are so one that all the violence of the world nor all the power of darkness can never be able to make them two again Hence the Apostle's triumphant challenge Who shall separate us from the love of Christ If the question Rom. 8. 35. did not imply a strong Negation the Apostle himself doth give us a negation in words at length Neither death Verse 38 39. nor life nor Angels nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us c. Here you have a long Catalogue consisting of a large induction of various particulars But none of all these can dissolve the union between Christ and Believers None can untie that knot that is tied by the Spirit on Christs part and by Faith on ours Christ and Believers are so firmly joyned together that all the powers on earth and all the united strength of Hell shall never be able to put them asunder or to separate them one from another look as no distance of place can hinder this union so no force or violence from Devils or Men shall ever be able to dissolve this union and herein lies the peculiar transcendent blessedness of this union above all other unions they all may cease be broken and come to nothing every one of them is soluble The head may be separated from the members and the members from the head the Husband must be separated from the Wife and the Wife from the Husband the Parents must be separated from the Children and the Children from the Parents and bosom friends must be separated one from another The foundation and the house may be separated and the branches may be cut off from the vine yea the soul and body may be disunited by death but the mystical union stands fast for ever Christ and a gracious soul can Matth. 19. 6. never be separated God hath joyned them together and no mortal shall ever be able to put them asunder there is not only a continuation of it all our life but also in death it self Our very bodies sleeping in the dust are even then in union with Christ There are two abiding things in the Saints their unction and their union their unction abides But the anointing 1 John 2. 27. which ye have received of him abideth in you and their union abides for it follows and ye shall abide in him Christ earnestly prayes that we might be one as he John 17. 20 21 22 23. and his Father are one not essentially nor personally but spiritually so as no other Creature is united to Christ There can be no Divorce between Christ and Malach. 2. 19. the believing Soul Christ hates putting away Sin may for a time seemingly separate between Christ and the Believer but it can never finally separate between Christ and the Believer Look as it is impossible for the leaven that is in the dough to be separated from the dough after it is once mixed for it turneth the nature of the dough into it self so it is impossible for the Saints ever to be separated from Christ for Christ is in the Saints as Rom. 8. 10. Coloss 1. 27. 1 John 3. 21. John 17. 23. nearly and as really as the leaven is in the dough Christ and Believers are so incorporated as if Christ and they were one lump Our nature is now joyned to God by the indissolvible tye of the Hypostatical union in the second Person and we in our persons are joyned to God by the mystical indissolvible bond of the Spirit the third Person Our union with the Lord Jesus is so near so close and so glorious that it makes us one spirit with him In this blessed union the Saints are not only joyned to the graces and

of their sufferings their bonds their burdens their oppressions their dangers c. he presently runs to their relief and succour Psalm 33. Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield Psalm 49. 17. Thou art my deliverer God is the Lord of Hosts with him alone is strength and power to deliver Israel out of all his troubles He may do it he can do it he will do it he is wise in Psalm 9. 7 8. Esay 43. 11. Psalm 5. 12. Psalm 22. 12. 2 Kings 6. 26 27 heart and mighty in strength besides him there is no Saviour no deliverer he is a shield to the righteous strength to the weak a refuge to the oppressed he is Instar omnium All in all who is like him in all the world to help his People at a dead lift when Friends can't help when power can't help when policy can't help when riches can't help when Princes can't help when Parliaments can't help yet then God can and will help his People when all humane help fails For the Lord shall judge his People and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their power or hand is Deut. 32. 36. gone and there is none shut up or left When Gods People are at the very brink of ruin then God wil● come in seasonably to their help their extremity shall be his opportunity to succour his People and to judge their Enemies no men no divels no power no policy can hinder God from helping aiding assisting and succouring of his People when they are at a dead lift But. Tenthly If God be with us who can be against us I 10. answer None so as to hinder the springs of joy and comfort from rising and flowing in their Souls Psalm 71. 20. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Verse 21. Thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort me on every side The Psalmist was in those desperate dangers that he seemed to be as a man that was dead and buried and yet he had faith enough to believe that God would surround him with cordials and supply him with comforts from all sides there is no true comfort to be drawn out of the standing pools of outward sufficiences but out of the living fountains of the all-sufficiences of the Lord Almighty Thou shalt comfort me on every side Psalm 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me or of my careful troubled perplexed thoughts as the word properly signifies thy comforts delight my soul As the Psalmist alwayes found God a present help so he alwayes found him a present comfort in the day of troubles God never did nor never will want a cordial to revive and keep up the Spirits of his people from fainting and sinking in an evil day when the Psalmist was under many griefs cares fears and perplexities of Spirit God came in with those comforts that did delight his soul and chear up his Spirits The word of the Lord is never Psal 119. 49 50. more a word of comfort nor the Spirit of the Lord is never more a Spirit of comfort than when the Saints are in their deepest distresses and sorest perplexities John 14. 16. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Verse 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name Hudson the Martyr being at the stake he went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly he was so comforted and refreshed by the Holy Spirit that he suffered valiantly and cheerfully The Holy Ghost is called again and again the Comforter because his office is to work consolation in the hearts of Gods People in all their troubles and distresses Spiritual comfort is therefore called joy in the Holy Ghost because the Holy Ghost doth Rom. 14. 17. create it in the soul When a man suffers for righteousness sake God comes with his cordials in the very nick of time 1 Pet. 4. 13. when a mans suffering is upon the account of Christ God seldom fails to send the Comforter for the refreshing and relieving of his Spirit When a man is under bodily confinement Isa 12. 3. cap. 66 11. for the cause of Christ God will never fail to be a Spring of life a Well of Salvation and breasts of consolation to him When a Christian is brought to a piece of bread then is the season for God to feed him with heavenly Mann I have told you of Mr. Glover who found no comfort in the time of his imprisonment but when he was going to the stake he cried out to his Friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter Hab. 3. 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls Vers 18. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation In these words you have these two parts 1. A sad supposition Although the fig-tree shall not blossom c. 2. A noble and comfortable resolution yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Let me first hint a little at the sad supposition Although the fig-tree should not blossom c. First though there should be a famin in that Land that of all Lands was the most plentiful fruitful Land yet Habakkuk would rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation The Land of Canaan of all Lands was the fruitfullest 't was as the garden of God 't was a Land that flowed with milk and honey a Land of vineyards the best of all Lands as Moses describes it A Land that brought forth to Isaac no less than a hundred fold It was so rich a Land that it was the granary of other Dent. 8. 7 8 9. cap. 32. 13 14 Gen 26. 12. 1 King 5. 11. Acts 12. 20. neighbouring Cities and Countries it had not only plenty for it self but bounty for others Yet now when God shall turn a Paradise into a Wilderness Habakkuk will rejoyce in the Lord and ●oy in the God of his salvation But Secondly when the anger and wrath of God shall cause a dearth in those fruits that naturally are most yielding and pleasant yet then Habakkuk would rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation The fig-tree of all trees is most fruitful bringing forth of its own accord with the least care and culture fructifying in the most barren and stony places bearing twice a year soonest ripening and rarely failing So the vine that 's a fruitful plant 't is made the emblem of plenty and fruitfulness Now when there shall be a dearth upon these

deadly dangers then in all your troubles and distresses c. maintain uprightness and integrity of spirit Psal 5. 12. with God 2 Chron. 16. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Psalm 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly This is the largest promise we find in the whole Book of God The Creature stands in need of two things Provision and Protection for the first the Lord is a Sun as full of goodness as the Sun is of light He is a Sun in that he doth enlighten and enliven his Church when as all the world besides lye under darkness and the shadow of death and in that he doth chear and warm and comfort the hearts of his People by his presence and lightsome countenance and is the fountain from whence all external internal and eternal blessings are derived to them For the second a Shield Among all inanimate Creatures the Sun Psal 18. 2. is the most excellent and among all artificial Creatures a Shield is chiefest and was of greatest use in those dayes The Sun notes all manner of excellency and prosperity and the Shield notes all manner of protection whatsoever Isa 60. ●0 Psal 3. 4. under the name of grace all spiritual good things are to be understood and under the name of glory all eternal good things are to be understood and under that phrase of No good thing will he withhold all temporal good things are to be understood so far as they make for his glory and his Peoples real good Now this choice this sweet this full this large promise is made over only to the upright therefore as you would have any share in it maintain your uprightness Psalm 11. 7. His countenance doth behold the upright Heb. His faces Every gracious discovery of God to the upright is his face God will all manner of wayes make gracious discoveries of his love and delight to upright ones No Father can so much delight to behold the countenance of his child as God delights to behold the countenance of the upright Psalm 112. 4. Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness Light commonly signifies joy Job 30. 26. Esth 8. 16. 2 Cor. 6. 10. comfort peace help deliverance The upright man shall have joy in tribulation plenty in penury liberty in bonds life in death as the Martyrs have frequently and gloriously experienced Sometimes God turnes the upright mans adversity into prosperity his sickness into health his weakness into strength his night into day his stormes into calmes his long Winter-nights into pleasant Summer-days Sometimes God hides his upright ones in the hollow of his hand in his pavilion in his presence-chamber when his judgments are abroad Isa 26. 9 20. Mal. 3. 17. in the earth he takes special care of his Jewels and many times when the upright are in darkness and in great Psal 94. 19. Psal 71. 20 21. distress God chears their hearts with the consolations of his Spirit and the light of his countenance By all which it is most evident that Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness O Sirs do but maintain your uprightness in all your troubles and distresses and then you will be sure of the gracious presence of God with you in all your troubles and distresses God values an upright Job Job 1. 8. Cap. 2. 3 7 8 9. Luke 16. upon a Dunghil before a deceitful Jehu upon his Royal Throne he sets a higher price upon an upright Lazarus in rags than upon a rich Dives in his purple robes And therefore when an upright man is in troubles and distresses God will be sure to keep him company The upright mans Motto is semper idem he is like the Philosophers Dye cast him which way you will and into what condition you will he is still upright and therefore of all persons God loves to grace the upright man with his gracious presence But Sixthly If you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in all your troubles deep distresses and most deadly dangers then you must be very earnest and importunate with God not to leave you but to stay with you to abide with you and to dwell in the midst of you Psalm 148. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him but to prevent mistakes I mean to all that call upon him in truth There are many that call upon Prov. 1. 28 Isa 1. 11. to 17. Deut. 4. 4. 2 Joh. 4. God but not in truth from these God stands at a distance There are others that call upon God in truth in plainness and singleness of heart and these God are near not only in regard of his essence which is every where but also in regard of the effects of his power and the readiness of his will in granting their requests Abijah prays and finds an admirable presence of God with him giving him a mighty victory over his most powerful enemy 2 Chron. 13. 3 10 11 17 18. Asa prays finds such a singular presence of God with him as made him victorious over an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred Chariots a huger host than that of Xerxes J●sephus saith it consisted of nine hundred thousand foot and one hundred thousand horse 2 Chron. 14. 9. to the end Jehoshaphat prayes and had such a signal presence of God with him that those numerous forces that were combined against him fall by their own swords 2 Chron. 20. 1. to the 11. Verse with Ver. 22. They were carried by such a spirit of rage and fury that no man spared his Neighbou● but each one destroyed him that w●s next him 23 24 25. The wrath of God wrought their ruin as by an ambuscado unexpectedly and irresistibly Some understand this ambushment of the holy Angels sent suddenly in upon them to slay them whereupon they mistaking the matter and supposing it had been their own Companions flew upon them and so sheathed their swords in one anothers bowels Others say that the Lord did suddenly and unexpectedly cut them off as when men are cut off by enemies that lye in ambush against them and that by sending some unexpected strife among those Nations whereupon they fell out among themselves and slew one another and so accomplished that which the Levite had foretold Verse 17. Ye shall not need to fight in this Battel set your selves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you O Judah and Jerusalem fear not nor be dismayed to morrow go out against them for the Lord will be with you It was the presence of God with his People that was their preservation and their enemies destruction there is no power no force no strength no combinations that can