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	mind_n	30	3	4.8496	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91899	Safe conduct, or The saints guidance to glory. Opened in a sermon preached at Dunstans in the East London. November the second, MDCLIV. At the funerall of the vertuous and religious gentlewoman, Mris. Thomasin Barnardiston, late wife of Mr. Samuel Barnardiston, merchant. / By Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Wolnoth, Lumbardstreet, London.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing R1711; Thomason E823_7; ESTC R203376	61,656	101

Heresies of destruction as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 1. The Lord will by his counsel so guide all his Saints that they shall not live and dye in any of these Heresies As there are Devilish Works so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devilish Doctrins or doctrins of Devils as the Scripture calls them 2 Tim. 4. 1. God will by the conduct of his grace guide his Elect that they shall not embrace these Doctrins VVant of truth will shut men out of Heaven as well as want of grace Heresie is a fruit of the Flesh as well as Drunkenness or VVitchcraft Gal. 5. 19 20 Truth is a piece of Gods Image as well as Holiness The grace of faith unites us to God but the Doctrin of faith strengthens this union so farre as any swerves from the truth hee swerves from God If that which yee have heard from the beginning shall remain in you yee also shall continue in 1 Joh. 2. 24. the Son and in the Father Eximia laus sanae Doctrinae saith Calvin VVe may from this text learn what an excellent thing sound Doctrin is in it we finde whatsoever appertains to the true injoyment of God and by it we are united both to the Father and the Son That Man of Sin is become the Antichrist not only because of false worship which he maintains but also because of the Corruption of the faith Truth is a piece of the furniture and riches of the Soul as well as Holiness A gospel-Gospel-spirit is a Spirit of a sound minde as well as a spirit of faith and love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Diseases in the head are mortal as well as Diseases in the heart Now when God promiseth to guide his people hee hath respect to this he will ingrave the truth in their mindes he will lead them in the way of truth and if at any time they turn aside to the error of the wicked his grace and his power shall recover them Secondly God will guide his people in matters 2 In matters of practise of practise his Eye shall be upon them to conduct them in the paths of righteousnesse As hee will teach them what to beleeve so hee will direct them what to practise He shall keep the feet of his Saints so Hannah 1 Sam. 2. 9. in her song of thanksgiving This promise as it refers to new obedience comprizeth these four particulars First God will let them see what is sinne and 1 God will make them know his will what is duty hee will shew them his way and make his paths plain before their face When others are in the dark they shall have the light of God upon their Tabernacles The secret of the Lord saith David is with them that fear him and hee will shew them his Covenant Psa 25. 14. God will cause them to understand and know the meaning of his Law his statutes shall not be to them a riddle or a sealed book but they shall be so plain that hee that runs may read them God will interpret the holy Commandement that they shall be able in all things necessary to salvation to understand the sense and meaning of it this is that which God promiseth 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you God will so inlighten their minds by his Spirit that when they read the word or hear it preached they shall be able to say this is the mind of God Secondly God will give them a heart and a will 2 God will give them an heart to obey to embrace his Commandements to reject sinne and close with duty When others find their hearts rebelling against the Law they shall find their hearts ready to comply and yeeld obedience universally to it David often praies that God would incline his heart to his testimonies This God doth for every Saint he doth sweetly and yet powerfully bow the soul to a free spontaneous and ready obedience so that it chuseth the way of Gods statutes and cleaves to his testimonies This is the meaning of that gracious promise I Ezek. 36. 26 27 will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and yee shall keep my judgements and do them God doth not only lay his Commandements before a Beleevers face but writes them in his heart and then Jer. 31. 33. the Soul resolves never to depart from the obedience of them Gods Commandements at least some of them are grievous to an unbeleever but to one whom God guides every Commandement is sweet and precious he reads no Commandement but hee entertains it with that prayer of the Psalmist O that my Psal 119. 5. ways were directed to keep thy statutes This prayer God answers to every Soul that is led by him hee heals the Gangren of the corrupt will by removing the sowrnes that is upon it and by his enlarging grace enables it willingly to run the way of his Commandements so that the Beleever can say I delight to do thy Will O God yea thy Law is within my heart God bores the Ear and the Soul is no longer rebellious God orders the steps of his Saints and causeth them to delight in his way Thirdly God doth recover them from all their 3 God raiseth them when they fall falls The best of Beleevers have a spice of the Spiritual Falling-sickness they stumble and fall This promise of Divine guidance gives security of timely resurrection from such lapses It is upon Record in Scripture for the comfort of Beleevers that though Psal 37. 24. they fall they shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth them with his hand When they sink into misery God will lift them up and when they slip into sin God will restore them He will put the bones into their places when they are disjoynted and when iniquities prevail over them he will purge them away David fell through the power of temptation but God restored him Peter sunk down through his heedlesness but God lifted him up again Noah and Lot were overtaken and ensnared but God cut the cords of the Net and set them both free As oft as Corruption casts the Saints down so often doth the grace of God set them on their feet again Beleevers have as many Spiritual resurrections as they have Spiritual deaths they have as many Spiritual awakenings as they have Spiritual sleeps Fourthly God will give them perseverance to 4 God gives them perseverance hold out to the end This promise of guidance implyes perseverance Gods guidance would be insufficient if it did not comprehend this grace It is promised to the righteous That they shall hold on their Job 17. 9. way and to them that have clean hands that they shall grow stronger and stronger God furnisheth beleevers with daily supplies of strength for their daily journyings He gives

a guide to lead them in the way to true happinesse The Spirit of God Lorinus in Loc. Calvin in Loc. Isa 59. 21. Secondly The Spirit of God So some expound it of the spirit of Counsell and judgement The Spirit and the word must not be separated in this work of guiding These two are usually put together My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth They do not speak as the Oracles of God who divide between the Spirit of God and the word Those that boast of the Spirit and reject the word they set up their own vain imaginations instead of the Spirit of God By the word of God wee know the mind of the Spirit and by the work of the Spirit wee feel the efficacy of the word The word of God shews us the way and the Spirit of God leads us in that way which the word points out The Holy Ghost is called the Mind of God or which is the same the Mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 16. because hee is the Churches interpreter to declare unto it the meaning of God in the word The work of divine guidance is attributed to the Spirit therefore Isa 63. 11. 12. 13 14. as well as to the word Where is hee that put his holy spirit within him That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm That led them through the deep as an horse in the Wildernesse that they should not stumble As a beast goeth down into the valley the spirit of the Lord caused him to rest God made Moses a guide to Israel but it was the Spirit of God that guided Moses It was the holy Ghost that instructed Moses to lead the people and it was the divine power of the Holy Ghost that over-ruled the people and made them willing to submit to his guidance The Apostle ascribes this Office to the Spirit As many as are led Rom. 8. 14. by the Spirit of God they are the sonns of God Jesus Christ purchased the Holy Ghost and sent him down from heaven after his own ascension to be the eternall guide of his Church and therefore he tels his sorrowing Disciples that when hee was come hee would lead them into all Truth The word is Gods Counsell Joh. 16. 13. to discover the path in which wee are to walk the Spirit is the Counsell of God that teacheth us how to walk in that path The Scripture is a Rule before Isa 30. 21. us to shew us where wee must go the Spirit is a word behind us to enable us to go according to the direction of that word The word of God is the compass by which wee are to shape our course the Spirit is the great Pilot that steers us in that course Wee have no eyes to see the word till the Spirit inlighten them wee have no ears to hear the word till the Spirit open them we have no hearts to obey the word till the Spirit bow and incline them Thirdly The wise providence of God I find 3 The providence of God some Expositors that do so understand the Text of that directing providence whereby the people of God are conducted while they are on earth The providence of God is often called the Eye of God or in the plurall number the Eyes of God because of the manifold workings of it By these watchfull eyes are the servants of God guided in all the revolutions and turnings of this world I will guide thee with my eye Psa 32. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word which is there translated guide is from the very same root with that which is in the Text rendred counsel The guidance of Gods counsel and the guidance of his providence are one and the same thing This Eye of God is never withdrawn from the righteous but is continually fixed upon them for their preservation and defence These eyes of providence run to and fro throughout the whole earth to take care of and to make speciall provision for all Gods Psa 34. 15. Elect. The actings of divine providence are not only for the supplying of the Saints in their necessities but for the preserving of them from wandrings and for the reducing of them when they do wander The Starre of providence is usefull for the guiding of the saints feet as well as the Starre of Scripture Thus I have opened the first particular what is comprehended in this expression Gods Counsel it refers to the word of God to the Spirit of God to the Providence of God Secondly Why the people of God do so passionately desire this divine guidance These prayers are Why the godly desire this guidance grounded upon very solid reasons I shall reduce them briefly to these three First They know they are lyable to wander and therefore want a guide It s said of the wicked that 1 They are apt to winder they love to wander Jer. 14. 10. they are never better pleased with themselves than when they walk in some path that is displeasing to God To provoke God is a pastime and sport to a gracelesse heart when they do evil then they rejoyce they have such a setled Jer. 11. 15. enmity in their hearts against the holy commandement that they delight in their walking contrary to it This cannot be spoken of any godly man Every true saint can heartily say Amen to that holy breathing of Psa 119. 10. David O let mee not wander from thy Commandements Godly men do with their minds serve the law of God even when with their flesh they serve the law of sin Rom. 7. ult But though they do not take pleasure in their wandrings yet they are apt to wander and that both in point of judgement and in point of practise The Psalmist doth ingenuously acknowledg that his feet Vers 2. were almost gone his steps had well nigh slipt Had not God come in to his assistance hee had both stumbled and fallen Beleevers have flesh in them as well as Rom. 7. 23. spirit they have a law in their members warring against the law of their Minds though they have sincerity of grace yet they have not perfection of grace though their hearts are set heavenward yet they have a clog of corruption that weighs them down towards the earth unruly and unbridled affections by their violent motions turn them too often out of the way It was the sad complaint of one which may be the complaint of every good man Libenter bonus esse vellem sed cogitationes meae non patiuntur The Apostle tels us the English of it by his own experience I find that when I would do good evil is present with mee Rom 7. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1. 21. Our affections which are the wings of the soul are so blinded with that superfluity of naughtinesse which is in us that

into vulgar Languages it is not only useful but of absolute necessity How can men follow the guidance of Gods counsel in the Scripture if they do not understand the Language of the Scripture All the Counsels of God in his Word will be Riddles and Parables to me if I do not understand the Language in which they are delivered If the Trumpat give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the 1 Cor. 14. 7 8. battel It is an Argument which the Apostle brings to prove the absurdity of worshipping God in a strange Tongue I may urge it with the same strength to the Point in hand Things without life giving sound whether Pipe or Harp except they give a distinction in the sounds how shall it be known what is piped or harped We are doubly engaged to God in that through the abilities he hath given to men the Divine guide does speak to us in a Language that wee can understand Fourthly What a happiness is it to Beleevers that the Spirit of God dwels in them It is one of the 4 The indwelling of the Spirit a rich privilege great privileges of the Saints that they are made an habitation of God through the Spirit When Jesus Christ left his Church in regard of his bodily presence hee promised to send the Spirit who should abide with it Joh. 14. 16 17. for ever He had purchased the Spirit as a Guide to his Church and he promiseth to pray the Father to make his purchase good The blessedness of this privilege appears in this amongst many other things because the Spirit with the Word is that heavenly Counsellor by which we are guided The direction of the Word would not be effectual without the teachings of the Spirit The Word shews us the way and the Spirit guides our feet in the way The Word is a Chrystal Glass which shews us our duty the Spirit gives us sight to see our duty and hearts to perform it The Word is the Christians Compass to instruct him which way to shape his course the Spirit is his Pilot which steers him in that course If God had not put his Spirit in our hearts as well as his VVord in our mouth wee should never have arrived at the fair havens of peace Fifthly It teacheth us that beleevers are very dear to God they are exceeding precious in his sight 5 True Beleevers are precious to God Severall Arguments may be given to confirm this conclusion All hee hath laid up for them all that hee laies out upon them testifieth how much the Lord delights in them This privilege of which I am speaking is a sufficient testimony of it Hee would not be so ready to guide them if hee did not respect them his Eye is upon them because his heart is upon them Because they have the affection of his soul therefore they have the protection of his hand They have been Elected in his eternall Counsells and therefore they are guided by his revealed Counsells Saith David know that the Lordhath separated him that is godly for himself Psa 4. 3. he speaks I conceive chiefly of Gods setting him a part for the Kingdome but yet there is a truth in it if wee carry it higher Beleevers are Jedidiahs they are Hephzibah's they are Gods darlings Gods delights upon all the glory shall be a defence Isa 4. 5. because they are glorious God becomes their guide Therefore doth hee guide them because hee loves them A ragged Saint is dearer to God than a glittring Emperour that wants grace Sixthly Observe from hence the safety and security 6 The safe estate of beleevers of true Beleevers They have many enemies but they have one guide that hath more strength than all their enemies He that is a guide to the Saints is a destroyer to them that would crush the saints The same Exo. 14. 19. 20. Pillar of Cloud which was a guide to Israel to shew them the way was a protection to them against the Egyptians It was both a guiding Pillar and a defensive Pillar It was a Pillar of fire to the Israelites but a cloud of darknesse to the Egyptians Gods guiding of his Saints speaks his protection Saints are better guarded and guided than the Princes of the earth they have hosts of men for their defence but the beleevers have the Lord of hosts for their Salvation Hee that meddles with Gods Saints assaults God himself He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye Zech. 2. 8. The apple of Gods Eye is the beleevers guide and the beleevers guard hee that toucheth him with an intention to hurt him smites at Gods Eye which is upon him And he that lifts up his hand against God shall find Gods destroying hand stretched out against him I will lye down in peace saith David and sleep quietly because Psa 4. 8. thou Lord only makest mee dwell in safety T is not a rich bed nor a band of Souldiers that causeth sweet sleep A galled conscience will work disturbance through all such fences The guard without the door will not quiet fightings within But he that can say God is my guide my guard may sleep quietly upon the top of a Mast It is the Beleevers portion to have God for his guide and because of this portion hee is secure whatever stirs are in the world God will either lead him through the storm or hee will guide him some other way to avoyd the storm or else if hee fall under it God will by the storm lead him to that place where neither storms nor tempests are nor shall be ingendred to eternity which is indeed the best guidance of all Thus I have dispatched the first use which was Information I go to the Second which is for Reproof Secondly These points which have been handle 2 Use Reprehension to those that make other guides minister occasion of sharp reprehension and sad mourning Is it the desire of the godly that God would guide them Is it the portion of the godly that God will guide them by his Counsell may wee not then sigh even to the breaking of our Loyns that there are so many that forsake this heavenly Pillar and create other guides and other Counsellors to themselves There are very few that desire to be guided by Gods Counsell there are very few indeed but they do reject Gods Counsell and that both in matters of Faith and matters of practise this is and shall be for a lamentation There are divers guides which men create to themselves First Some there are who make their own reason 1 Those that set up Reason for a guide their guide they will march under no other conduct than reason either in matters of faith or matters of practise they will beleeve nothing but what reason dictates they will not receive the gold of the Sanctuary unlesse it be touched by the blind Assay-master of reason All the mysteries of Religion must be

Heaven do him service with all the gladnesse of their hearts and cheerfull service is the best service Lift up therefore the hands which hang down and revive the Spirits that are overwhelmed Powre out no more tears for your deceased friends who are removed from a sea of trouble to a haven of rest where they are gloryfied with God and where they do actually glorify God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the highest perfection Comfort your selves and comfort one another with these words Having finished the Scripture Text I shall say something to the providentiall Text. The sad providence which hath occasioned this mournfull meeting preacheth many spirituall lessons to us all First God hath by death carried a young gentlewoman out of the world Strength and Beauty Youth and flourishing daies cannot priviledge any from the Grave This providence repeats in our ears that serious Counsell of the wiseman Remember thy Creator i● the daies of thy Youth Eccle. 12. 1. If wee look into the Tombs wee shall find many cloysted up there whose bones were moystned with marrow and whose breasts were full of Milk The beauty of Rachel will not keep her from the dust The strength of Sampson will not preserve him from death The budding Flower falls to the earth as well as that which is withered The green Ear of Corn is nipt off as well as that which is ripe for the Sickle You that have your veins full of bloud must come to Golgotha as well as those whose Natural moysture decrepid Old Age hath dried up Secondly God hath removed a Gentlewoman of good rank and quality as to outward things It is not natural Parentage or Wealth that can put Death out of Commission Riches avail not in the day of death VVealthy Abraham is gone to the place of rottenness as well as Lazarus the Begger If a man would give a Coffin full of Gold to ransome himself from the Grave it would not be accepted There is neither Redemption nor Exchange of Prisoners in this VVar The rich mans Wealth is his strong City Prov. 10. 15. Death will storm this City and carry a way the Owner notwithstanding all his riches Neither the Guards of Princes nor the Revenues of their Crowns can keep off Death for one moment Death can enter the Kings Court as easily as the Beggars Cottage When God sends Death to attatch a Mortal Creature it esteems not Riches no not Gold nor all the forces of strength Thirdly God hath taken away a religious Gentlewoman Holiness and Piety do not deliver any from the Grave The first of Mortals that dyed was a righteous man The bloud of the righteous Abel Righteousness preserves from eternal Death not from the Temporal Grace in the Saints never dyes but the Saints dye notwithstanding all their graces Beleevers must be wrapt in the Winding-sheet as well as unbeleevers The godly must lye under the Hears-cloth as well as the wicked Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead There is cause of mourning over dead Saints no cause of wondring Saints never live till they dye then they live for ever These are general Meditations More particularly In reference to this Gentlewoman I shall speak somewhat concerning her Life and something concerning her Death and that not so much for her sake as the benefit of others Concerning her Life these things are remarkable God vouchsafed her the blessing of godly and The Worshipful Joseph Brand Esq and Mrs. Thomasin Brand his religious Consort religious education Her worthy Parents were studious not only to provide wealth for her but their greatest care was that Christ might be formed in her And this did much redound to their comfort for she was as both of them have often expressed a dutiful and obedient Childe The care of Parents for the religious Education of their Children doth ordinarily return to a good account in this life When Parents teach Children to obey him that is the Father of Spirits God usually bows their hearts to be dutiful to their earthly Parents Shee was a respective and loving Wife to her Husband which made her deservedly accounted by him The desire of his eyes Shee was a helpe meet for him a suitable Yoke-fellow who walked with him hand in hand in the ways of God The contentment he had in the enjoyment of such a Companion doth much increase the sorrow of his heart for the loss of her Shee was of an humble and meek spirit The enjoyment of the things of this Life did not swell her heart Those that were acquainted with her can truly give this testimony of her That shee did not inordinately minde high things but could condescend to them of low estate A full Purse and an humble Heart do not always meet together Shee was no follower of the vain fashions of the VVorld Her Apparrel was decent and modest not gairish The Apostle gives this advice to VVomen To adorn themselves in modest apparrel with shamefastness and sobriety as becometh women professing godliness 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. This Gentlewoman did dress her self in this Scripture-glass Spotted faces and naked breasts are Arguments of light spirits and unmortified hearts God was pleased by his Grace to preserve this Gentlewoman in a wanton Age from these vanities Shee did labour to keep fast the faith that was once delivered to the Saints Though shee was but young having not fully compleated the twentieth year of her age yet was shee not one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks silly Women that are drawn away by the cunning craftiness of those that creep into Houses and lead many captive Shee was a lover of all the Ordinances of God and a frequenter of that instituted Ministry which God hath given testimony unto by the conversion of many souls God kept her by his Grace that shee did not tread upon the threshold of those infectious places where Errours and Blasphemies are usually broached Concerning her death I have not much to speak A good Life cannot but end in a blessed Death Her Sickness was not very long but it was very sharp Many tormenting pains were in her head which could not be removed till the last medicine of Death took them away In her Sickness shee was very frequent in Prayer for her self and did importunately desire help from the prayers of others I was daily praying with her by her own desire for divers days together and sometimes twice a day which gave me more opportunity to be acquainted with her estate Shee was for some time fearful of Death as not having that full Assurance shee longed for but at last God gave her the victory over those fears About two or three days before the Soul took its leave of the Body God was graciously pleased to give her in plenty of comfort Her sorrowful Husband and Parents coming into the Chamber shee brake forth into these expressions or to this effect Now hath God abundantly manifested his love to my Soul in Jesus Christ you are not able to conceive the joy I feel nor am I able to express it I am now sure that Jesus Christ is mine I know that my sins are forgiven me for his sake I am now both willing and desirous to dye that I may be with Christ This consolation cannot but be judged to be from the blessed Spirit of God because it was the fruit of Prayer and because it was given in after deep humblings and Spiritual Conflicts as also because it was followed with many self-abhorrings which are the genuine effects of Gospel-comfort VVhen shee mentioned these comforts shee did usually adde some such expression as this I am a very unworthy Creature but I hope I am not deceived One very considerable passage I cannot but acquaint you with Some days before her death her gracious Mother seeing the means used for her recovery to be in-effectual retired her self into her closet to pray for her Amongst other Petitions she was very importunate that God would give her pardon and peace Soon after returning into the room where shee lay shee found those very words in her mouth Pardon and Peace God hath sealed up to my Soul pardon and peace through Jesus Christ This was a very signal testimony that God had answered her request Thus she continued sometimes bewayling her sins with much sorrow sometimes sending up holy ejaculations to God as she was able That God would never fail her nor forsake her sometimes expressing her confidence of the love of God in such words as these I have the whole Armour of God upon me God hath given me the shield of faith the breast-plate of Righteousness the helmet of Salvation I have now overcome the fiery darts of Satan I do not in the least fear him or death Amongst other Petitions shee had frequently this in her mouth Guide mee Lord by thy counsel until thou bring me to glory That which now remains is To intreat all of us that are here present to resolve and endeavour to be guided both in matters of faith and obedience by the powerful counsel of Gods blessed VVord and Spirit that when our eyes are closed up by death we may be received in eternal glory FINIS