Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	good_a	102	3	2.5652	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10995	Twelue prophetical legacies. Or Twelue sermons vpon Iacobs last will and testament recorded by Moses, in the 49. chapt. of Genesis: containing his bequests and blessings, bestowed vpon his twelue sonnes. ... Preached by Francis Rollenson, Bach: of Diuinitie, and sometimes fellow of S. Iohn the Euang: Colledge in Cambridge.	Rollenson, Francis, ca. 1565-1630.	1612 (1612)	STC 21265; ESTC S116140	213,059	329

guided by his owne reason and left to the powers of his corrupt nature the proper guise of such a one is not onely Not to vnderstand the things of the spirit of God but also Not to be able to perceiue them for there is in him a naturall impotencie and weakenesse towards God and all good things as then the strongest man is but as chaffe before the winde in respect of bodily strength so likewise in regard of spirituall power and abilitie (o) Ioh. 6.44 No man can come vnto Christ vnlesse the father drawe him (p) Ioh. ●5 5 without Christ wee can doe nothing (q) Phil. 2.13 it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed (r) Ierem. 0.23 for the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steppes [s] Aug. de lib. arbit God is the author of merit saith Augustine who applieth the will to the worke and the worke to the will seeing then that the naturall man wanteth freedome of will in the choise of that which is good it cannot otherwise be but he must needes be ouercome and be made the bond-slaue of Sathan and the seruant of sinne But our Sauiour saith (t) Ioh. 8.36 if the sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed be like then whosoeuer is regenerate hath freedome of will being redeemed by grace both from the thraldome of the diuell and sinne and consequently he Ouercommeth and is not ouercome I answere granting indeed that after a man is regenerate and borne anew of the water and the spirit he hath some freedome of will because in the new birth his will being instructed by the holy spirit doth willingly consent to Gods will and worketh with God for the attainement of saluation this is proued out of S. Pauls wordes to the Philippians saying (u) Philip. 2.12 Worke your saluation with feare and trembling but this freedome in this life is not perfect if it were as it shall be in the life to come when the whole Image of God shall be renewed in man then should our reason be euer sound our affections staid and setled and our will most iust but wee finde the contrarie for there is ciuill warre in our selues the flesh rebels and fightes against the spirit and wee are daily ouercome by the temptations of the diuell it was Saint Pauls case and it is ours who saith (x) Rom. 7 1●.19.2●.21.22.23 for I knowe that in me that is in my fl●●h dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but I finde no m●anes to performe that which is good for I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not t●at do●● now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in me I finde then by the lawe that when I would doe good euill is present with me for I delight in the law of God concerning the inward man but I see another law i● my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members hence wee may learne our weaknesse and in S. Paul as in a looking glasse behold our imperfections No man is so iust but he is forced by the rage of concupiscence or lust to be the captiue of sin sometimes yet here is our comfort that nothing done by infirmitie of concupiscence without consent of the inward man can make the regenerate man guiltie before God because the grace of GOD in IESVS CHRIST doth discharge and quitte him in Gods sight without which hee were a miserable and an vnhappie man As the Apostle confesseth of himselfe saying y] Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Secondlie as the Gadites were ouerthrowne by an Host of men so the children of God are often foyled and ouercome by the euill-spirites the enemies of our saluation this falleth out by the ordinance of GOD to humble Man and to make him confesse his owne vnworthynes If a man should neuer fall before his spirituall enemies hee would presume that his perseuerance in Righteousnes grewe from his owne inhaerent Iustice And therevpon like the Angell of the church of Laodicea boast z) Apo. 3.17 that hee was rich and increased with goods and had neede of nothing And therefore GOD in his great Wisedome permitteth the Diuell oftentimes to get the vpper-hand and to ouercome his Children that by this meanes in feeling their owne weakenesse they may be brought to humilitie and that he in raising them vp againe may declare his powerfull grace and mercie As then it was said of the Angell of Laodicea by CHRIST Thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked So it may bee saide of all Mankinde For there is no man so happie in Grace so rich in the spirite so quicke-sighted in vnderstanding and so cloathed with the rayments of Righteousnesse but that hee had neede to Buy Golde of GOD tryed by the Fire that hee may bee made Rich and white Raymentes that hee may bee cloathed and Eye-salue that hee may see It was a confident protestation of Peter saying vnto Christ (a) Mat. 26.33.34 Though all men should be offended by thee yet will I neuer be offended but yet the sequele proued the wordes of Christ to be true who replyed thus Verily I say vnto thee that this night before the cocke crow thou shalt denie me thrice (b) Mat. 26.75 for he denied our Sauiour with swearing cursing 3. times heaping sin vpon sinne drawing iniquitie with cart-ropes thus did God for a time suffer him to be ouercome of Sathan to hūble him so that afterward he should not presume vpon his own strēgth but acknowledge his weaknes and attribute the gift of Perseuerance to Gods grace alone As then the Apostle said so say I let him that standeth take heede least he fal beware of presumption though wee be now the children of God yet wee knowe not what wee shall be If wee resist Sathan and vanquish him to day yet let vs not like the proud Pharisi● say within our selues we are not like vnto other men but more holy and more righteous for if wee doe the diuell and his host shall ouercome vs to morrow that we may be humbled God reiecteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble If then we be lowly in our owne eyes God will strengthen vs with his grace thereby make vs able to withstand the aduersarie but if we iustifie our selues like insolent hypocrites and trust in our inherent righteousnes he will checke our hau●ie hearts by suffering the Tempter to ouercome vs. Thirdlie as God did not onely suffer but also ordaine that the Gadites should be ouerthrowne to teach them by prayer to craue his helpe against their aduersaries not to relie vpon

would not suffer an vngratefull person either to beare rule or remaine in their Citie because as the same Author affirmeth (e) Xenoph. Impudencie is the companion of Ingratitude which Impudencie conducteth men to all filthinesse I can compare such persons as are vnthankfull to God to nothing so fitlie as to a certaine Birde called by Catullus Caprimulgus which vseth in the Night to sucke the vdders of Goates and by her vnluckie beake to mortifie them and make the Goates blind such are all vngratefull persons that for a benefit receiued from God requite and recompence him with obliuion and neglect but so did not Leah For she as a signe of her thankfull heart calleth her sonne Iudah saying Now will I praise the Lorde Iacob hauing in his former speeches reproued Reuben for incest and cursed Symeon and Leui for crueltie now changeth his phrase and stile turning his maledictions into benedictions when hee speaketh to Iudah (f) Gen. 38.18 Iudah had committed incest with his daughter in law Thamar as well as Reuben with Bilha and Iudahs hand was in the spoyle of the Sichemites as well as Simeons and Leuies yet Iacob passeth ouer his offences maketh no mention of them the reason is because of his Confession and Charitie for though his sinne with Thamar was hainous yet he confessed it and no doubt was sorie for it (g) Gen. 38.26 for he said shee is more righteous thē I for she hath done this because I gaue her not vnto Shelah my sonne So he lay with her no more Here he acknowledgeth his vnrighteousnes which is the first steppe of repentance and abstaines from the company of Thamar as being sorrie for that which was past which is the second step to Grace his confession with his contrition caused Iacob to burie his fault in the graue of Obliuion Againe his Charitie and Compassion was shewed towardes Ioseph who being by his malicious brethren cast into a pitte there to be starued to death was saued by the aduise of Iudah who saide vnto his other brethren (h) Gen. 37.27 Come and let vs sell him to the Ismaelites and let not our hand bee vpon him for hee is our Brother and our Flesh Though it was crueltie in Iudah to sell Ioseph and make him a bond-slaue yet it is the rather to bee pardoned because it was done out of pitie and compassion to auoide a greater mischiefe The Chaldee Paraphrast in steede of these wordes Iudah thy Brethren shall praise thee readeth Thou hast confessed and wast not ashamed Now what it was that Iudah confessed I cannot coniecture vnlesse it be his sinne with Thamar and the selling of Ioseph to the Ismaelites the storie whereof it may bee hee tolde his Father (i) Gen. 45 after his returne out of Aegipt the better to perswade him that Ioseph was aliue and therefore Iocob doth not onely not vpbraid him for his sinnes but also bestoweth Commendation vpon him as a Blessing Iudah thy brethren shall praise thee or as it is in the hebrewe Iudah thou shalt be called Iudah or Praise the first blessing then that Iacob bestoweth vpon Iudah is Glorie his tribe must be more glorious then any of the other tribes of Israel first in regard of the kingdome secondly in regard of Messiah all Israel shall praise the tribe of Iudah because the two kingly Prophets were of that families Dauid and Salomon and ail the world shall honour Iudah because the light of the gentiles and the glorie of the people of Israel came from the loines of Iudah (k) 2. Cor. 10.18 Praise is a Blessing if it be from God but Praise is dangerous if it come from men that are not the instruments of God as Iacob was the first of these may be called Gods praise the second the Diuels praise Gods praise is that of which the Apostle speaketh saying (l) 1. Cor. 4. When the Lord shall come then shall euery one haue praise of God this Praise is the godly mans Cordial wherewith he is comforted when the blackemouthed world backebites him when his good name is impeached and when the things that hee hath well done are brought into slander by euill tongues this was our Sauiours Cordiall when the Iewes called him a friend of publicans and sinners this was Iohn Baptists Cordiall when the Iewes said hee had the diuell this was Peters Cordiall when the Iewes mocked him and the rest of the Apostles and said they (m) Act. 2.13 are full of new wine and this was Pauls Cordiall when the scoffing Athenians tearmed him a Babler the more righteous a man is the lesse praise hee is to expect in this world and therefore the children of God are taught onely to looke for praise from Christ and with a noble courage to contemne the praise that commeth from men which for the most part is counterfaite and vaine it is not materiall if the World be euill tongued if wee can but truely say with Saint Paul (n) 2. Cor. 1 12. Our glorie is this the testimonie of our conscience and with Iob Loe my witnesse is in the heauen and my record is on high S. Augustine saith that p all mortall men desire to be praised and no maruell seeing man is according to the Image of God and God will haue his praises to be most highly celebrated but seeing this is thus a Vertuous man when hee heareth himselfe commended and praised must vse a double remedie lest he be puffed vp with vaine glorie first let him reioyce on the behalfe of his neighbours because they be so appointed by God and inspired by his spirit as they will praise and allowe of those things which they shall thinke worthie to be praised which benefit of God is not common secondly what praise soeuer is giuen vnto him let him turne all that vpon God himselfe who is the author of all good things taking speciall heed that he be not desirous out of a vaineglorious humour to be praised of men The second kind of praise is the diuels praise who as he is a lyar from the beginning so is his praise euer fained and adulterate this is Flatterie the foode of Follie and the Spurre of vaineglorie wherewith when the eare is infected the soule is soone peruerted as it appeared in Herod Antiochus Philip the Macedonian Alexander the great Dyonisius of Sicilie Sylla Crassus Nero and diuerse others who by this (q) Psal 141.5 oilie language were inspired with arrogancie selfe-loue and vaineglorie it is reported of r Oros. lib. 6. hist cap. 22. Augustus Caesar and Tiberius that they were both deadly enemies of flatterers and contemners of this precious Balme humane praise insomuch that they would not endure to be called Lords by their owne children if they were so wise to discouer the vanitie hereof liuing in darkenesse much more ought we that are the children of light to detest this Sweet poyson against which this is the most Soueraigne Antidote If

hūter but this is not all if onely this Generall and Prince of Diuels did lie in waite to intrappe our soules the danger were not so great because wee should haue some truce and intermission of pursuite for the diuell cānot assault euery man at one time for being a Spirit hee is definitiuely in a place wherfore that mālike (e) Gen. 8. Noahs doue may find no rest for the sole of his foote the diuell hath his Lieutenants who like their maister are Roaring Lyons onely they goe not vp and downe from man to man too and fro as he doth but they haunt one man and him they seeke to deuoure these are the Mali-Genij Euill spirites that follow vs continually and attend vs from the Cradle to the graue euermore enticing and alluring vs to sinne as euery man that is Elect hath ordinarily One good Angell and extraordinarily manie by the assignement of GOD to guard and accompanie him from his natiuitie to his death So of the contrarie part as manie of the Fathers held for triall sake he hath one euill-spirite ordin●rily extraordinarilie many by the permission of God The two branches of this position growe from these rootes In the Gospell by Saint Matthewe Our Sauiour saith concerning children (f) Math. 18.10 See that you despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their Angels alwayes beholde the face of my Father which is in heauen Hereby our Sauiour meaneth nothing else but that young children and also when they be growen men haue their spirituall Tutours to teach them to defend them and to implore vengeāce from God against him that offereth them anie iniurie So doth Chrysostome Hierome and Augustine expound this place Likewise in the Actes of the Apostles when Peter being by an Angell deliuered out of prison came to the house of Marie the mother of Iohn (g] Acts. 12. whose surname was Marke and knocked a maide came forth named Rhode to hearken who it was that knocked and when she knewe Peters voice it is written that shee opened not the entrie dore for gladnesse but ranne in and told how Peter stood before the entrie but they saide vnto her Thou art madde yet shee affirmed it constantly that it was so Then said they It is his Angell Here the women spake according to the opinion of the Hebrewes at that time which was that Euery man hath his good Angell assigned vnto him for Direction and Protection And from the Hebrews as Iustine and Eusebius affirme the Gentiles learned the same Doctrine as it appeareth in h) Menand Menander saying A spirite stand●th by euery one as soone as he is borne being the good guide of his life (i) Chriso in Matth. 18. hom 60. Saint Chrysostome saith that All the Saintes haue their Angels and (k) Basil in Psalm 33. Concien 9. Saint Basile Euery one that beleeueth in the Lord hath his good Angell euer about him if wee driue him not away with our euill works Of the same opinion is l) Hiero. tom 9. in Mat. ca. 18. Saint Hierome whose words are these Great is the dignitie of our soules when as euery one of them from the natiuitie hath an Angell appointed vnto it for the preseruation and custodie thereof and of the same minde is S. Augustine who thus speaketh vnto God in his meditations m] Aug. libr. med cap. 12. I esteeme it a great benefit that from my Natiuitie thou hast assigned vnto mee an Angell of peace to k●epe mee euen vnto my ende I might alledge many other testimonies out of the Fathers but these are sufficient to shewe that euery one that is Elect hath his good Angell But the mai●e doubt is of the contrarie part whether euery one hath his euill spirit Concerning this point I finde no vniuersalitie in opinion among the Fathers Yet it is affirmed not onely by the Gentiles but also by the Christians The Platonists say that euery man hath his Euill spirite assigned vnto him and so likewise doth (n) Orig. peri. archon lib. 3. in Luc. tom 2. hom 2. Origen in two seu●rall places of his workes Euery man saith he hath two Angels The one is an Angell of Iustice the other of iniquitie If there bee good cogitations in our heart without doubt the Angell of the Lord speaketh vnto vs but if euill thoughtes arise in our mind then one of the diuels angels speaketh vnto vs. Of this opinion was o) Chry. hom 2. in Mat. ca. 4. hom 5. Mag. senten lib. 2. dist 11. Chrysostome and S. Gregorie as hee is quoted by the Maister of the sentences The Scripture telleth vs that King (p) 1. Sam. 16.14 Saul had an Euill spirit sent of the Lord to vexe him and S. Paul confesseth that he was buffeted by the spirit of Belial but it cānot be proued directly that these did follow them from their birth Certaine it is that euery man is beset cōtinually with legions of euill spirits And it is probable (q) 2. Cor. 12 7. that as God appointeth extraordinarilie many good Angels who are his ministring spirites and ordinarily one to attend and guard vs so hee permitteth ordinarily one extraordinarily manie euill spirites daily to assault vs. So that a Man hath no time wheren hee can be free from the Tempter For his life is a daily warfare As (r) Zach. 3.1 with Iehoshua so it is with euery one of Gods children euen when we stand before the Angel of the Lord either preaching or praying Sathan or some of his angels stands at our right hand to resist vs. Secondly the Fight that euery spirituall Gad or Souldier hath with the diuell and his angels is not for a Day a moneth or a yeare but all the dayes moneths and yeares of our life we must combat skirmish with them without any truce or intermission That speech in Iob mentioned before where it is saide according to the Latine translation Vita hominis est mili●ia super Terram The life of man is a warfare vpon earth is by the Septuagint Translated Peiratérion which is A Place of Pyracies and Temptations the Greeke word doth aptlie expresse the danger to which the life of man lieth opē For Sathan being both a Pyrate or a Thiefe a Tēpter by his subtle temptations seeketh continually to robbe vs of eternall life therefore it concernes our freeholde to resist him couragiouslie When the Iewes vnder Nehemiah repaired the walles of Ierusalem it is saide that (ſ) Nehem. 4.17 They which builded on the wall and they that bare burdens and they that laded did the worke with one hand and with the other helde the sworde And this they did for feare of Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite who were their enemies being euer readie both to worke and to fight So must the Christian Souldier do whatsoeuer his temporall emploiments be let him euer haue the Sword of Gods Worde in his hand