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	strong_a	21	3	5.4833	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15013	Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the [brace] good and bad things [brace] they did and had practically applied to our information and reformation / by that faithfull and painefull preacher of Gods word William Whately ... ; together with Mr. Whatelyes life and death ; published by Mr. Edward Leigh and Mr. Henry Scudder, who were appointed by the authour to peruse his manuscripts, and printed by his owne coppy.	Whately, William, 1583-1639.; Leigh, Edward, 1602-1671.; Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?	1640 (1640)	STC 25317.5; ESTC S4965	513,587	514

and our wonder at him but such was our pride he gained our envy of him His Father whether because he was not resolved what calling to breed him to or for what other cause I know not after that hee had with credit proceeded Bachelour of Arts hee took him home where he abode some good time yet applying himselfe unto his studies While hee remained at home with his Father hee married the Daughter of one Master George Hunt the sonne of that tryed and prepared Martyr Iohn Hunt mentioned in the Book of Martyrs who was condemned to be burnt for Religion but was saved from the execution thereof by the death of Queene Mary This Master George Hunt was bred up in the Famous f●ee Schoole of the Marchant-Taylers in London and afterward by the incouragement of Master D. Humfry by occasion of a visit of that Schoole and by the furtherance of M George and Mr. Iohn Kingsmells and by the exhibitions of Bishop Pilkinton all which for their honour sake I name he was called unto and mainetained in that worthy Foundation of good Learning Magdalen Colledge in Oxford till hee was Fellow of that House where hee continued till hee had borne the offices of Deane of Arts and Deane of Divinity Afterwards by the meanes of those worthy Master Kingsmells hee was preferred to the Church of Collingborn-ducis in the County of Wiles where for the space of fifty and one yeares and five moneths he lived a sound and constant Preacher of the Word and was of an unblameable and holy life even untill the oyle of his radicall moysture was spent and the candle of his life of it selfe went out in a full and good old-age after a long and joyous expectation and longing for his blessed change which was in the eighty and third yeare and fift moneth of his age This Master George Hunt after that by importunity hee had got this his sonne in law to make tryall of his ability to preach he overperswaded him to intend the ministery And thereupon he entred himselfe into Edmund Hall in the famous Vniversity of Oxford and tooke his Degree of Master of Arts. Not long after hee entred into the Ministery and hee was presently called to be a Lecturer at Banbury which he commendably performed above the space of foure yeares and then was called to be Vicar of the same Church which office hee faithfully discharged neare thirty years till he died The abilities wherewith God had indued him for his work of the Ministery were more then ordinary For hee was of a quicke understanding of a cleare and deepe Iudgement of a most firme memory and of a lively spirit Hee was naturally eloquent a master of his words having words at will Hee had a most able body and sound lunges and till some yeares before his death he had a most strong and audible voice And according as his matter in hand and his auditory needed he was both a terrible Boanerges a sonne of Thunder and also a Barnabas a sonne of sweet consolation And which was the crowne of all God gave him an heart to seek him and to aime at the saving of the soules of all that heard him His speech and preaching was not with entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power He was an Apollos not onely eloquent but withall mighty in the Scriptures He like some of the Ancient Fathers was as occasions fell out sometimes an every dayes Preacher He preached ordinarily in his owne Church twise each Lords-Day and catechized for above halfe an houre before evening Prayer examining and instructing the youth and once a weeke he preached the ordinary Lecture Hee was much against all such preaching as was light vaine scenicall impertinent raw and indigested His preaching was plaine but as much according to the Scripture and also to the rules of Art and of right Reason as any that ever I heard or have heard of In conference he hath told me what hee aimed at and what use he made of the Arts and what rules hee set to himselfe in the studying of his Sermons which was as followeth That he might better understand his Text hee made use of his Grammer learning in Greeke and Hebrew in which tongues the Scripture is written Also hee would use the helpe of Rhetoricke to discover to him what formes of speech in his Text was to be taken in their primary and proper signification and what was elegantly cloathed and wrapped up in tropes and figures that hee might unfold them and see their naked meaning Then well weighing and considering the context hee would by the helpe of Logicke finde out the scope of the Holy Ghost in that Scripture Hee would endeavour when he began to enter upon the preaching of any Chapter to Analise and take the Chapter into its severall branches and parts Then he would if it were a doctrinall Text note the Doctrine as it lay in the Text and so prosecute it Or if the Text consisted of illustrations or circumstances of some principall truth there prosecuted hee would then gather from some notable part or branch of his Text an apt Doctrine or Divine Truth which should so immediately follow that the Truth observed in the Text should be the argument or middle terme wherby in a simple Sillogisme he could conclude his Doctrine Next hee would seeke for apt proofes out of Scripture to confirme it Fewer or more as hee thought best which done because other arguments according to Scripture and right Reason are forcible to convince and confirme reasonable men in any truth hee would find out Reasons of his Doctrine but he aimed that they should bee strong Arguments or middle termes by which hee might likewise Sillogistially conclude his said Doctrine Then according to the nature of the Doctrine and the need and aptnesse of his Auditory hee would as from an infallible consequent of his Doctrine by way of Application confirme some profitable Truth which yet by some might happily bee questioned or else convince men of some errour or reproove some vice or exhort to some Dutie or resolve some doubt or case of conscience or comfort such as needed Consolation In all which sorts of Applications hee did make use of more or fewer of them as there might bee cause and hee would bee carefull that his Doctrine should bee the Argument or middle terme whereby hee might sillogistically conclude the maine Proposition of any of his said uses And if the reproofe or exhortation did need pressing home upon the conscience then hee would study to enlarge his Speech shewing motives to induce to such a duty and allso disswasives from such a vice taking his Arguments from dutie to God decency or shamefullnesse pleasure or paine gaine or losse And here again he would use the help of Rhetorick but all for the most part in a concealed way without all affectation And sometimes he would shew the effectuall meanes of attaining of the Grace and

and of all that die in the Faith of our Lord Jesus to whom bee ascribed all Might Majestie Dominion and Glorie both now and for ever more Amen This Man of God and faithfull Minister of Christ departed this life upon Friday the 10. of May Anno Domini 1639. neare the end of the six and fiftieth yeare of his age Feb. 25. 1639. Imprimatur THOMAS WYKES Banburies Funerall teares powred forth upon the Death of her late pious and painefull Pastour Mr. William Whately deciphered in this Sympathizing Elogy I am that Orbin which of late did shine An heav'n enlightned starre with raies divine Which did arise within mee and dispence Light life heate Heav'n-infusing influence And went before me steering right mine Eye Vnto the very place where CHRIST did lye He was a Cynosura in my motion To Heaven's bright haven on this worlds vast Ocean Or as the Aegyptian Pharos to descrie The rockes of sinne and errour to mine Eye Hee was my Glorie Beautie Consolation My very soule I but the Corporation I would goe on with bleedings to recite His and mine owne sad fall but I can't write Throbs shake mine hand and griefe my sight destroyes And when I speake ah teares doe drowne my voice Yet will I sigh and give my sorrowes pent Within my breast by mournefull breathings vent Come then speake sighs write teares and sadly storie The dark Ecclipse that hath befell my glorie My Starre is falne and Heavens did so dispose That there he fell where he at first arose The Starres above us thus their races runne Returning thither whence they first begunne But did I say hee 's fallen Stay me there He is translated to an higher spheare Where though to th' world he is obscur'd he may Shine forth unvailed in a purer ray Fixt to an endlesse rest in heavens bright throne Above all starry Constellation But ah alas Death hath dispos'd it so That his rise prooves my fall his weale my woe His weale my woe strange what a change is this My welfare was but now in wrapt in his But thus Death innovates and did he not Tell me that he Commission hath got And warrant for his fact from heavens great King I would have brought him into questioning Ah death what hast thou done Dost thou not care To make a breach which ages can't repaire So rare a Frame in peeces for to take VVhich Heav'n and nature did combine to make A Master-peece For who did ere behold So sound a spirit in so strong a mold Heaven's treasure which within his breast abode VVas by his liberall tongue disperst abroad All Graces gave a meeting in him even To make his breast a little map of Heav'n His lips distilled Manna and he stood Not so for Church-goods as the Churches good His voice it was a trump whose sound was made VVith breath divine which it from Heaven had His life a dayly Sermon which alas Methinkes was measur'd by too short a glasse Ah Death though Painters give thee holes for eyes Yet thou canst see to take the richest prize To hit the fairest mark yet I suspect It was my sinne which did thine hand direct My light had I improov'd it well for gaine VVould have remaind els lights sha'nt burn in vain Yet sure he is not dead for why I find Him still surviving in my breast enshrin'd And who can say that he 's of life bereaven That lives in 's works inpious hearts in Heaven He 's but a sleepe by death undrest not dead Or hath but changd his dresse for he in stead Of these sin-staind ragges of mortality VVeares a pure robe whose length's eternity M. B. EXAMPLE I. OF Adam and Eve AS all other knowledges are conveniently taught by Precepts and Examples so is that best of knowledges the art of living holily Hence it is that as I have instructed you to my poore ability in the Law and the precepts of good life so I doe now intend to set before your eyes the Examples recorded in Scripture of Men both good and bad that by observing the swervings of the one and the right walking of others you may better keepe your owne feete in the streightest paths Onely concerning Examples you must know this thing in generall that no Example at all hath the force of a precept either to binde the consciences of men to any thing as a duty or to restraine from any thing as a sinne because the knowledge of sinne is from the Law and where there is no Law there is no transgression and our care must be to walke in Gods waies not in the waies of any man whatsoever But Example prevaileth alone to perswade the will as a fit argument of Exhortation or Dehortation not as an argument to proove a thing needfull or sinfull Seeing then my duty is to perswade you to all goodnesse and to disswade you from all evill and the Examples of Scripture are undoubted and certaine and they offer themselves as it were unto the sences and so more worke on the will to allure or deterre I thinke it a convenient meanes of helping you in all righteousnesse and against the contrary to make a collection of those Examples of good or bad things which are left us upon record by a divine pen and I will range these Examples according to the order of time wherein they lived so farre as I can informe my selfe thereof by the Word of God And I will begin with Adam and Eve and put them both together because their good and evill was put togeher in practise thereof The Method I intend to take in each person is this I will consider his Birth Life and Death and in his Life I will looke to his carriage and behaviour in respect of the deeds he did good bad indifferent and doubtfull and the things that befell him either prosperously or adversely in benefits or afflictions Now for Adam and Eve because they were the first fountaines of mankind and therefore could not be borne in the same manner as others be for he that is borne must have a Parent and he that hath a Parent was not the first man or woman because his Parent was before him therefore I cannot tell you any thing of their Birth but of their entring into the world by another way which was to them the same in effect that our begetting and birth is to us I will informe you according to the Scriptures for it much concernes us to understand our originall and to know certainely how mankinde came into the world Know then in summe That God made Man of the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soule Here is in briefe the Creation of Adam now Adam signifieth red Earth because his body was made of such kinde of Earth and concerning Woman it is noted that God caused a deepe sleepe to fall upon Adam and then tooke one of his ribbes

used due speede in fulfilling his oath for without more then necessary deferring hee addressed himselfe to the performance of his oath having thoroughly understood it for knowing his Masters will to be that he should fetch the woman and not bring Isaac backe againe thither and that if they would not give him a wife for Isaac without his owne comming then he should be free from the oath and withall being incouraged by Abrahams words that God would send his Angell before him and prosper his journey he made all good speede to take his journey about that weighty service and went unto Mesopotamia to dispatch it taking to that end ten Camells with all other things necessary seeing all his Masters estate was at his command Here learne that when you have sworne you must not delay the performance of it but so soone as shall be convenient and as you have power must settle to doe the thing sworne to All you that have sworne any lawfull and possible thing looke on Abrahams godly servant and be mindfull of your oathes consider the greatnesse of God to whom you are tied and put not off the worke from time to time seeke not needlesse delayes make not fearefull or sloathfull excuses but free your faith and pull your selves out of the danger of Gods displeasure by a conscionable fulfilling of your oathes The Pharisees could say thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but fulfill thine oathes to God Let us shew our selves at least as wise and conscionable as a Pharisee could teach us to be But what if we perceive the oath to have beene of an unlawfull thing I answer then we must repent of our naughtinesse in taking it and so forbeare to add a second sinne in doing that which is unlawfull For it is impossible that an oath should be of more force to binde a man to a thing then Gods Commandement is to restraine him from it Nothing can have more force to binde conscience then Gods Commandement But what if it proove impossible I answer if that impossibility might have beene foreseene our rashnesse in not foreseeing it must be repented of but if it could not have beene foreseene we must rest our selves satisfied in this that our minde was faithfully to have fulfilled it if God had not cast in our way such an impediment but no hazard no cost no labour must stand betwixt us and the accomplishing of our oathes for David saith that a good man sweares to his hinderance and yet fulfills 'T were better for a man to be undone in the world or to loose this naturall life then to breake his oath for feare of losse or death So much of this mans conscionablenesse in regard of taking and keeping an oath Now see his vertuous carriage in the thing 1. His great diligence in the maine worke 2. His discretion 3. His piety and religiousnesse To begin with the last he served his Master religiously First he thanked God for his good successe 2. He prayed to God for good successe His prayer is Gen. 24.12 13 14. Wherein he besought God to cause him to meete with a fit wife for Isaac We must all learne specially servants for of such a one we speake now to commend our Masters businesses to God praying him to prosper us A good and godly servant when he imployeth himselfe in his Masters worke must shew himselfe to be Gods servant and to have faith in his providence trusting in his goodnesse and blessing more then in his owne ability Indeed such a particular begging of such and such occurrents to shew us Gods minde was peculiar to him and is not required of us for he did it by the peculiar inspiration of Gods Spirit but in generall to beg Gods assistacce that belongs to all good Servants You that would be counted godly servants have you thus sanctified your indeavours by prayer have you thus called on his name to guide and speed you if you have you have done well take comfort in it it is a testimony that you serve for conscience sake not as men-pleasers and that you serve the Lord in serving your Masters if you have not be humbled and lament it as a matter of prophanesse and a cause of many crosses and a meanes to make you proud of your selves if good successe attend you And now tread hereafter in the steps of this godly Servant Pray pray to him for his assistance and blessing upon your selves and the workes you take in hand for your Masters that so it may appeare you doe all in faith and obedience to God Againe this man finding that God did answer his requests blesseth God verse 26 27. Where is his reverent behaviour outwardly hee bowed and then the matter of his thankes he said blessed be the Lord you must learne with all humble behaviour of body and consequently of mind and with all sincerity and heartinesse to praise God for your good successe and so it will appeare that you ascribe all to God and not to your selves If you have beene thus thankfull it is an excellent thing in which you must take comfort nothing is a truer proofe of true goodnesse then a constant care to blesse and praise God for his perpetuall goodnesse in prospering us if not lament the want of it as a manifest proofe of pride and want of faith And now let us all learne to be particularly thankfull to God for particular benefits yea even such outward benefits much more for inward This is the way to continue to sanctifie and increase benefits God loveth thankfullnesse as men also doe If we improove his benefits to so good a purpose we shall not want them in due time onely see that your thankes be not alone verball You have seene his piety now his discretion shewes it selfe first in setting downe what a woman he would have for Isaac viz. a courteous and laborious woman one that came out to draw water and one that would respect a stranger and give him to drinke and his Camels also truly a woman courteous of disposition and of body strong and healthy and painefull is a fit woman to make a wife Againe he proceeds discreetly in his carriage to winne her and her Parents he gives her gifts and them also and truly relates the prosperous estate of his Master all which tend to perswade them to yeeld her and her selfe to give her selfe to Isaac for a wife So must every servant use discretion and prudence in his Masters affaires taking the best course he can to make them sort well in the end Another part of his good behaviour is care of his Camels to which he lookes to give water and provender in due time So should a good servant and every good man in his travells have a due care of his beasts and looke that they have things fit for them Yea first should hee looke to them unlesse necessity compell otherwise and then to himselfe not like to them