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	abound_v	holy_a	32	3	4.9371	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15579	Iacobs staffe To beare vp, the faithfull. And to beate downe, the profane. Touching the one's assured, and the others conceited title, vnto God himself, and all his precious promises. VVherin. The saints interest is justified, to be absolutely infaillible, the sinners clayme detected, to be apparantly deceivable, notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare, and infidelity in the one, or of presumption, and security in the other. Formerly preachcd [sic] at Hamburgh by Iohn VVing late pastor to the English Church there, as his farewell to the famous followship [sic] of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that city. And now published, and dedicated, to the honor and vse, of that most worthy Society, there, or wheresoever being.; Jacobs staffe to bear up, the faithful and to beate downe, the profane	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1621 (1621)	STC 25846; ESTC S120115	141,154	226

soe over loue either my self or all the wealth vnder heaven but that I coulde have accounted my harte and state incomparably more comfortable in your service then in your kinanes in your spirituall then in mine owne temporall advantage and might I have still enjoyed my libertie among you to have honoured God and done you good I had beene in full contentment to my harts desire But I see it may not be I must out of my paradice I will not say the divell either entises or enforces me out I desire to looke only vpon the hand of God in all things as I taught you all to do doe not long since the greatest heavines of my hart is this that he seeth me not worthy or fit to abide in it because I have honoured him so litle during the time I enjoyed it And soe at his pleasure that shutts and no man opēs I now passe away as I came in when he did open and no man did shutt my soules desire is and hath beene that the Lord might have his will aboue myne and that his good pleasure might ever be predominant and overule all my desires Let vs all labour to beleeue that that is and must be our best estate which come's vpon vs from him who is God to be blessed for ever who manifesteth and magnifieth himself to be only wyse and infinitely gracious in all things that come to passe vpon his children Faith will thus judge and determine though our flesh would fasten other perswasions vpon vs. And thus considered I dare not but conceit my remoouall to be better then my resting here howbeit nature doth distaste it as a thing exceeding bitter Grace can make that truly good which corruption apprehendeth to be a heavy evill And when once sanctification hoth conquered coruption and got the vpper hand and that the Lord hath taken the scales of ignorrant and erroneous judgment from myne eyes that I may see himself clearely in this thing I know I cannot but be comforted with joy vnspeakable glorious In the meane time I now beholde you with heavines whome I must beholde no more in this heavenly duty and ministration my soule overflowe's with sorrow I am vnspeakeably affucted in my spirit that I shall not thus see your faces any more nor you mine againe in this place and service But our God shall beholde vs both and all of vs in the brightnes of the face of his son Iesus Christ and if we will strive to looke vnto him as we ought the lustre and beames of his most blessed countenance will breake through all these foggs and mist of our naturall perturbations which appeare abundantly in the mournefull teares wherwith now we doe so sorrowfully salute one another which whether they doe more breake or solace my hart is hard to say I cannot but deepely symphathize with your sorrow yet can I not but joy againe to beholde your deare regard of me expressed in these affection●te significations Thus these two doe fight an eager combate within me but greife prevailes I see both in you my se●f for this our vnseasonable separation But now it is see that I must goe and according to the good pleasure of his will who here spake vnto Iacob assoone as I heare I desire to obey and to returne into my countrey and I desire nothing seing I must be gone but to depart in true peace as I signifyed to you all the last Lords day when we did all feast with the Prince of peace that it might appeare we parted as the children of peace in his blessing and love whose bread wine of blessing we did louingly eate drinke together I must leaue you but know he will not leaue you nor me nor any of his how soever it be soe that we must live a sunder in this world Stay you here in this land of Labans who receiue you to enrich themselves and affect you litle futher then they finde that you are beneficiall to them Be faithfull in your employments the Lord can send you home with his blessing in abundance though you might at first come over this Iorden but with your staffe or but some slender support portion in externall things My soule doth wish every one of you Iacobs wealth but with Iacobs faith his prosperity with his piety the Lord make you equall to him in greatnes goodnes also Yea the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob d ee you all good bestow his best benedictiōs vpō your Society that the body therof may ever inherit her ancient honors and aduantages and the members may share not only these common comforts but every one in particuler his owne welfare and benefit beside Of this one thing you must ever be ceartainly assured and perswaded that you cannot be more happy then Pagans may be but in the prosperity of soule body together if the Lord divide these and doe give abundance only to the owtward man this is his heavy justice these are your vnhappy riches Therefore am I and ever shal be a harty wellwiller to the wellbeing of both Gods law doth command your loue hath bounde me to be an vncessant suitor for this double mercy if accordingly I be not so farre as I may or can let me finde no favor in earth no felicity in heaven And soe I leave you to the love of God whose power guard you against all evill grace guide you vnto all good peace rule in your harts mercy compasse you about in all estates As the church of Christ I leave you to him that is head of the church and saviour of his body As my late flock I leaue you to the great shepheard of your soules As my louing freinds I leave you to him that is the helper of the freindles As christians I leave you to Iesus Christ both your Lord and myne he abide with you his graces abound in you his holy spirit be your comforter on earth your conductor to heaven I cannot make an end or give over the multiplication of my soules wishes of your soules and bodyes good I am full of matter and my spirit within me constraines me to goe on but dolour can keepe no decorum it is an ill orator and you see affection drowne's both matter and methode yet I must conquer my felfe and end vnwillingly and soe I endeavour spite of my longing hart to wish longer desiring only this one thing that what good this time will not permitt me to vtter the Lord of his goodnes may please to expresse vpon you all for ever That soe it may come to passe that in all respects states what soever wherin you are or may be considered you may in every of them be truly blessed that as men you may be faithfull as merchants you may be samous as christ●aens you may be gracious as saints you may be glorious More then these I cannot pray for and I doe and will pray that you

speake or breake we must have vent for our spirits would as it were rise and swell within vs we shall so travell inwardly with indignation and anguish that till we be disburdened our extreamity wil be more then can be endured the zeale of God will fire vs and cast vs into a holy fury against these prophane wretches enforce vs with a discrete violence to set vpon them in due time place to let them know that he was somebody to us whome they soe injured a freind a father yea a God of ours the honor of whose name and ordinances seruants we will redeeme with the losse of all our dearest advantages And soe soone as this affectionate feeling doth appeare in vs soe soone doth out interell shew it self and they that can be basely muzled and sit as if their mouthes were bung'd vp at the blasphemies of these cursed miscreants doe shew what strangers they are to God how litle they haue to doe with him how farre they are from any right in him We see among men how easy a thing it is to digest a discourse of the losses or miseryes of strangers but if one come to tell vs of our owne or any neare freindes of ours that are vnder them we instantly shew it by our greiuing as we should also doe by our gladnes if any report of their good come vnto vs. And every man that see 's vs either way moved can quickly imagine there is something betweene vs and them for whose sakes we are thus affected So then they that want affection doe confute themselves when they call God theirs and are apparantly convinced to be voyd of true loue to his holy majesty having only abundance of self-loue to themselves inasmuch as they never clayme any intrest in him but when they want some good they would faine have from him then can they come and faynedly speake to him and call him father but when he wants his glory and is vilefyed they are mute and speechlesse to men What is this but to fawne vpon God as our dogs doe vpon vs only to get something for themselues as being altogether sensible of their owne necessityes but not at all of our injuryes Shame and blush thou sinfull wretch soe much as once to surmize that thou hast any part or portion in him of whose glory thou art soe sencelesse know thy self to be none of his seing thou canst digest his indignity with silence Were it thy naturall father or but some base ale-bench brother words would be too litle to shew thy dislike thy knife in his belly or dagger in his bowells or some such hellish outrage as were inhumane would be his reward and thy revenge of such abuse But against him whome thou sinfully callest thy God shall all violence yea villanie be offred by him and endured by thee without the least appearance of any detestation or distaste What patience is that which can seeme to be in a dead sleepe when the Lord of heaven is wounded and yet grow mad with over-abundance of distemper when our selves or ours are wronged That wicked high preist shall condemne thee who rent his cloathes when he heard blasphemy as he conceited it beholde a Iew is sensible of supposed blasphemy can any man imagine thee to be a christian or have any part in Christ who canst heare that which is reall and re-itterated blasphemy and take no notice of it What sayd the sons of Jacob in defence of their carriage toward the Sichemites should they abuse our sister as a whoore they thought nothing too much to be done to them who had soe shamefully handled their sister And shall they abuse God thy father and Christ thy sauiour and pollute and prostitute their sacred honours thou make shew of no indignation who can conceive thee to be any thing a kyn to them in any respect that shall observe this Noe it cannot be there should more interest then there is affection and that in such sencelesse sott's is none at all Againe as when others speake of God soe when we our selves speake to God we would be affectionate if we had any interest or right in him Our prayers would be very patheticall and our mindes and mouthes would speake to gether and as feelingly would we speake to him as an infant cryeth after his mother We know there is more then a litle difference betweene our speech to a meere stranger and a most loving father soe much there is or should be as every man can quickly and easily perceive it by vs when we are to vtter our mindes vpon any occasion whether civill or naturall to the one and the other But with what colde and frozen affections doe men come to seeke the face of the Lord and to speake vnto him is too apparant when as in the service they performe vnto him there is not the least appearance of any right they have in him men bring him even millions of those men who call him theirs such leane thinne and withered sacrifises consisting of nothing but bare words and soe barren of any one propriety either of a true prayer or a true suiter that if themselves were the judges and bound to judge with a righteous judgment according to the rules of his word or of their owne workes in other kindes they must needes sentence themselves to be such as are knowne of the Lord and should be knowne to themselves to be noen of his for want of this true affection wherof we have now spoken ' and whervpon we can stand no longer because it is time that we hasten forward to the things that follow Know therefore in a word that as the Apostle saith of words soe we may say of affection in this particuler by our affection we shal be justified to be the Lords if we have it towards God and by our affection we shal be condemned if we have it not to be none of his And this is our third signe Fourthly Signe 4 our consimilitude and likenes vnto God doth also assuredly conclude we have right in him If we beare his image we are his Children are vsually soe like their parents that when we take notice of the semblance betweene them we vse to say sure this childe must needes be such a mans or womans because he is soe like him or her See he hath his fathers face countenance feature c he cannot be but his he may safely sweare the childe is his owne for he is the very picture of him Thus when we see such likenes we suppose that it is more then likely that they are neere one to another The argument is more vndoubted and demonstrative betweene God and his children then betweene men and theirs for in nature it is not vniuersally and infaillibly true that consimilitude doth argue consanguinity strangers may be exceeding like one another But in grace betweene God and his it is an absolute and vncontroelable evidence of interest Never any did beare

vs. Hence it is also that this spirit is sayd to enable vs by vncontroleable testimony to avouch Ro. ● 15 Gal 4.6 that we are the sons of God and he our father and therevpon we are bidden by vertue therof to cry boldely Abba father that is to clayme him as our father But here it may be some will say vnto me Obiectiō it is past all question and without controversy that they that haue the spirit are the Lords none doubt's of that but all the matter is to know who hath it and how any man may know whether he haue it or noe I answer it is true Solution this case of conscience is worth scanning and debating at large but it is not our purpose now to doe it further then appertaineth to the present point we haue in hand Assurances of Gods spirit in vs and such evidences of the spirit in vs as are also evidences of our interest in God we will giue you or some few of them First therfore Assuran ∣ ce 1 the spirit of God where it is effectually received soe as that by it we may know that we are Gods is that by it we are asisted to offer vp spirituall sacrifices to God to pray in the spirit or by the power therof speaking in vs vnto him who gaue this his spirit to vs. These prayers that they may be knowne to be spirituall most consist of such matter as this spirit by the light therof shyning in vs doth suggest and for their manner they must be vttered whether by voyce or other wayes with such feeling of our wants such affectiō to him who can supply vs as floweth from the life of the same spirit and concluded with such assurance of successe by faith as the joy of the same spirit doth minister to vs that whether we be heard or noe For that spirit will assure and convince every one who hath it that the euent of all our petitions is good because every answer given vnto vs is evermore the fruit of the infinite wisdome and loue of God vnto vs both which being as they are combyned in all the issues of our supplications we cannot conceive by any thing that this spirit begetteth in vs but that it is best for vs which way soeever it be if we speed it is good if we speed not it is as good saith the spirit in vs though our foolish flesh doth not think soe because God jmployeth the same wisdome and loue to deny vs now as he did at other times to give vs our desires And they that have thus received the spirit in this duty of prayer may by the presence and power of it workeing in this manner in them be assured they have right in God who himself is a spirit doth thus send his spirit into the harts of all his elect Secondly the same spirit which doth thus furnish vs to pray for any good doth also minister to vs resolution and endeavour to doe all the good we are re-required vnto by God I say resolution to be throughly perswaded that we ought and endeavour to strive to the vtmost that we may doe as much as is possible to be done The spirit of God never work 's desire of having good from God without desire of doing good before God It teacheth men how to practise as well as how to pray and make's men as willing to obey Gods precepts as they are that the Lord should answer ther prayers And when once a man ha's gotten a hart thus resolved vpon vniuersall and constant obedience to the Lord and that he had of the two rather doe the will of God then have his owne will accomplished he may assuredly know he hath right in the Lord. And herof is the spirit of God a witnesse where it saith Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may haue right to or that their right may be in the tree of life c. which tree of life is Iesus Christ the Lord of life Is it not plaine here that they who doe the commandements that is doe their vtmost to doe them have right in Iesus Christ and may truly say he is theirs and that they are his by right And this may yet more clearly appeare if we consider that the Lord doth often vse this argument of his interest in his people as a principall instigation to perswade them to obedience In the praeface to the commandements this is praemized to provoke their subjection to the whole law Exod. 20. Levi. 18.4.5 I am the Lord thy God and againe I am the Lord your God yee shall therefore doe my judgments and keepe my ordinances and this was the reason of the peoples resolution in Ioshuas time For the Lord is our God c Josh 24.17.18 therefore will we also serue the Lord for he is our God Now would God vrge it to his people or his people alledge it to the Lord in this particuler of their incitation to all conscionable walking before the Lord if it were not the bande of his spirit to bynde them thervnto He then that hath received in himself a setled resolution that he ought and a sincere desire joyned with endeavour that he might walke in all the commandements of God the same is the Lords God will graciously acknowledg him he may comfortably lay clayme to God Thirdly as to doe all good Assuran ∣ ce 3 soe to suffer all evill of punishment or persecution and to resist all evill of sin and corruption is a sure signe of the spirits residence in vs and of our interest in God by it Reu. 21.7 He that can couragiously endure the one conscionably doe the other he is one of Gods owne deare one 's God himself hath spoken it He that ouercometh shall inherit all things I wil be his God he shal be my sonne The spirit of God doth not only subdue us to it self in all good but it also subdueth all euill to us Ro 8.37 make's vs more then cōquerours in both as the holy ghost telleth vs. To withstand jmpiety resolutely to vndergoe persecution valiantly is a property of one of Gods owne When neither temptations to sin nor tiranny of men can draw a man from God it 's a sure signe such a one is fastned to God and sealed as one of his Neither of these was ever given to any vngodly person no lym of Satan hath any power in either And nothing but the spirit of God can give this power to any man He that hath it then hath the spirit he who hath the spirit of God the same is Gods as we heard before Every one will judg that ceartainly he must be very neere to a man who can neither be entised by any alurement nor constrayned by any enforcement to displease him but that scornes all aduantages beare's all jnjuries rather then he will doe any thing that maybe greivous to him

can finde a fit party for each reproffe he vtters here were for such a one and such a one say they in their vaine thoughts when they heare the minister lay it on vpon such sins as they surmize's them to be guilty off Thus they can soone dispose of all that is delivered and finde roome for it in other mens consciences and conversations as for themselves they conceive nothing to concerne them vnlesse now and then Satan prompt them to put vp something which they imagine may harten them in their prophanes or to lay theevish hands vpon some of Gods sacred promises wherby they may be in the divells and their construction therof abetted in some sinfull course Now to touch these and to teach them better what they have to doe as their duty in this particuler we neede not say much because much of that which hath beene spoken to Gods people in this case doth concerne wicked men also and doth equally presse both to doe that which the Lord requireth Howbeit we must breifely give these vngodly ones something to vnderstand from God for their owne parts in this point that if it may be they may also be brought to better practise First then let them know Motiue 1 that not to apply any thing at all to themselves is a most wofull thing and an evill of strang extent both in regard of injury to God and jmpiety in themselves The Lords injury is not litle when what he speaketh from his owne most sacred mouth and breathed into man by his owne celestiall spirit shal be all in vayne when such holy and powerfull words as his are full of divine vertue and heavenly influence shal be frustrate voyd and of none effect but goe vnregarded as some idle tale all the dayes of a wretched mans life And thine jmpiety is not lesse who as an adder goest and comest dease from the glorious voyce of the God of heaven and by applying nothing makest it to appeare that thy vngodly hart doth thinke that either the Lord hath nothing to say that is worth thy hearing or good for condition or that thou hast no neede of any of all that vnspeakable good which is spoken from him by his messengers Now how these two or either of them wil be answered to the Lord let it be well considered by every sinfull man Secondly Motive 2 it is a most apparant signe of God rejection of a man and of a mans damnation before God when he shutts vp the soule of a man that none of his word can enter and soe close's vp his eyes that he cannot see any of his truth to concerne himself This is most manifest by the expresse words of the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. ● 4 If our gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whome the God of this world hath blinded their mindes c least they light of the glorious gospell should shine vnto them see here they that lay not Gods truth to hart are only such as are lost that is cast away let goe of God into the jawes of Satan as Iudas is sayd to be the lost child of perdition Joh. 17.12 Isa 6. Mat. 13.14.15 And to the same purpose long since spake the Prophet Isaiah Christ after him where he saith that mens harts are hardened and their vnderstandings darkened that hearing they may heare and not perceiue any of Gods truth to be good for themselves and this spirituall obstruction in the judgment is an infaillible argument of Gods purpose to confound the soule and body of a man for ever and ever for soe it is added least they should convert and J should heale them And if we should goe to examples who but reprobates have heard Gods word and not applyed it to the bettering of themselves Nay which is more Note and I desire may be well marked it is impossible that any but reprobates should heare Gods word without all application For why if the Lord give not a man a hart to receiue the word of his grace it is most ceartaine that the Lord hath not a hart to receiue that man into grace Were it not easy to instance Elyes sons whose not taking home to hart their fathers counsell from God is sayd to be the evidence of their destruction note the words of the text well Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voyce of their father 1. Sam. ● 25 because the Lord would destroy them this was the signe of their destruction from God because his word did them no good Vnto these I could adde others more but wee neede not If then this be soe that we see what their state is that apply not Gods truth even a state of perdition that this not application is a most evident signe of this condition I hope it will cause any that shall consider it to cast about and to take better notice of himself in this thing Thirdly let all vngodly men know Motiue 3 that in that which they doe apply now and then to wit such promises as sometimes they snatch at when they heare any thing that doth as they corruptly conceive humor and please them I say let them know that herin they wrong both the Lord his children and themselues The Lord in medling with that which he never meant them for his promises as we have heard are the proper inheritance of his owne people now to be too bolde with that which is the Lords and to vse it amisse is an abuse offered to him His children are injured in that their bread is taken from them by these dogs The blessed promises are their bread and no meate for any that are vngodly and therefore for a wicked men to seize on them is but but the part of an vnmannerly curr who catche's that from his masters hand for himself which he meant his childe should have But the most and worst evill is their owne and that appeareth in this that these promises of God thus vsurped by them are in Gods justice poysoned to them and doe become occasions of their wofull hardening in their wicked courses The Lord doth curse this misapplication of his truth and make's his word thus abused the savour of death unto death And soe they goe on in vngodlines being smothered by the prince of darknes and see not their way to lead vnto death Fourthly Motive 4 and lastly in not applying the threatnings which the Lord hath appointed as their due portion what doe they but in like manner as before injure the Lord who hath assigned them to their soules refusing to receive what he offer 's to them and making vtterly voyd to their vtmost power all that part of the holy booke of God which doth consist of curses terrors and comminations for seing as was sayd before of the promises in reprooffe of the people of God that Gods meane's not his children should have them and vngodly men to whome they are meant by God doe not meane to