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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	able_a	abound_v	large_a	22	3	6.2738	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33301	A collection of the lives of ten eminent divines famous in their generations for learning, prudence, piety, and painfulness in the work of the ministry : whereunto is added the life of Gustavus Ericson, King of Sueden, who first reformed religion in that kingdome, and of some other eminent Christians / by Sa. Clarke ...	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1662 (1662)	Wing C4506; ESTC R13987	317,746	561

Ministry and Neighbourhood round about who by their concourse at her Funeral shewed plainly in what an high estimation she was amongst them and that her good Name was like a precious Oyntment powred forth The hope of Glory was that sovereign Cordial which abundantly revived and satisfied her spirits whilst she lived and now her hope is turned into fruition and her faith into vision All her sorrows and sighings are turned away and her imployment is without the least tediousness without interruption and intermission to sing Hosannahs and Allelujahs to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever more This Life was drawn up by my Reverend and worthy Friend Dr. Henry Wilkinson principal of Magdalen Hall Oxon. The Life and Death of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilkinson who dyed Anno Christi 1654. Mrs. Elizabeth Wilkinson was born of godly Parents of an ancient and well reputed Family of the Gentry in Devonshire Her Father was Mr. Anthony Gifford her Mother Mrs. Elizabeth Cottle and by them she was religiously educated during her minority After which she lived with an Aunt an old Disciple above twenty yeares together where she had many prizes put into her hands to get wisdome even many spirituall advantages for her eternall good But considering that no helps of education nor any means could prove effectuall without divine influences it pleased the Lord out of the riches of his mercy in a signall manner to vouchsafe a blessing to all those helps for the good of her soul and to crown all endeavours in order thereunto with good success She was observed from her childhood to be very docile very willing to learn industrious in reading of and swift to hear the Word of God preached She was very carefull to remember what she heard and took much pains in writing Sermons and collecting speciall Notes out of practicall Divines She had the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit with that she was eminently adorned She looked not as too many do upon gaudy and vain dresses as any ornament She neither liked them nor conformed to them but went in a grave decent and sober attire She was humble gentle tender-hearted and full of bowels of compassion remembring such as were in bonds as if she had been bound with them Heb. 13. 3. She was of so affable sweet and courteous a disposition that she gained abundance of love and respect from all those that conversed with her and by this means she was the greater gainer by all good conferences It was her usuall custome to move good discourse and ofttimes she turned the stream of other impertinent talk into something which was solid and tended unto edification and that ministred grace to the hearers She kept a Diary of Gods dealings with her soul and of other various dispensations that she met withall She was much busied in prayer meditation and self-examination She would often desire her Husband and others of her acquaintance to deal plainly and impartially with her For said she I would not be deceived with a formall profession nor with a temporary faith Perhaps through affection you may judge far better of me than I deserve wherefore I desire you to sift and search me throughly for I like such plain dealing best of all and those are my best friends which deal most plainly with me In process of time after a carefull watching over her heart and frequent addresses made unto the Throne of grace she found returns answerable to her prayers and desires God gave her a large measure both of parts and graces She was able not only to assert the truths of God but to convince gainsayers She abounded in love faith meekness humility and the rest of the graces of the Spirit insomuch as she became a Christian of the higher Form a tall Cedar of Libanus a grown solid and excellent Christian It pleased God for the triall of her graces to exercise her very much in the School of affliction Insomuch as ten years before her death she was one time reckoned with another at least half the time sick But God ordered this sickness of her body to be a medicine for her soul. For the spirit of prayer was much set on work hereby and her faith love and patience did appear and shine the more eminently Out of the Furnace she came forth as gold purified seven times so that the rod and staff correction and instruction went together and by these fatherly chastisements her soul did thrive more abundantly When she was able she neglected not the frequenting of the publick Assemblies they were her delight and she was a professed adversary to the withdrawing from the publick Congregations of the Saints Both them and the godly and Reverend Ministers of the Gospel she had in high esteem and reverenced them all her dayes And when she was not able to go to the publick Congregations she used to spend her time in reading prayer and meditating at home and imployed her friends to read to her and pray with her Such as were stable and sincere Christians were her delight Those she accounted more excellent than their neighbours She would often say that She valued no friends like to those who were friends to her soul. Concerning her deportment and carriage to her Relations for such as are reall Saints shew it in their severall capacities never was a Wife more full of sincere love and respect to an Husband whom she loved entirely and was as entirely beloved by him Her affection to her children was very tender She was carefull to Catechize instruct and to train them up in the fear of God and upon her Deathbed amongst many other excellent counsels and instructions she added this charge as from a dying Mother that they should remember that they had a Mother who would not allow them in any sin She was carefull also to instruct her servants and to teach them the fear of the Lord. Indeed she was ready and willing as opportunity was offered to do good unto all and as need required gave unto them both corporall and spirituall food She had a large heart and improved it to do a great deal of good in a little time Insomuch as the poor the sick the afflicted and the unexperienced to whom she was very mercifull and usefull whilest she lived had a very great miss of her when she was dead In brief she was one of those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy And yet to give a further Character of her I will here set down a Narrative copied exactly out of her own hand-writing of Gods gracious dealing with her soul as it follows word for word It pleased the Lord out of the riches of his grace to remove me from an ignorant place where I was born and to bring me very young into a Religious Family And when I was about twelve years of age upon the reading in the Practice of Piety concerning the happy estate of

is given to those who in their life-time were Governours of the Hospital of Bridewell one of which number this worthy Doctor was yea and a Benefactor too to that House As also that he should not affixe any Escocheons to his Herse though he was a Gentleman of an ancient Descent as if he had thought that the poverty of Christ was his Patrimony and Coat of Arms and his interest in him his greatest and best atchievement or as if both living and dead he would be as the Apostle speaks cloathed with Humility He was much in Communion with God and contented not himself only with his constant daily and ordinary holy duties but was also frequent in extraordinary exercises In the Bishops times when it was not permitted to keep Fasts in the publick Congregations he was one of those Ministers who frequently holp private Christians in their more retired Humiliations In times of fears and dangers he with divers others had sometimes monthly yea sometimes weekly Fasts whereof many were kept in his own house and others of them in his Vestry which he was observed to perform with extraordinary reverence awfulness of spirit His Confessions were accompanied with much sense of and sorrow for sin brokenness of heart self-abhorrency judging of the creature and justifying of God His petitions were pertinent judicious spiritual seasonable accompanied with faith and fervency like a true son of Jacob he wrestled with supplications and tears as resolving not to depart out of Gods presence without a blessing But there was none like him in Thanksgiving when a man would have thought that he had spent the last drop of his spirits and strength in Confession and Prayer O! how would he recollect is spirits when he came to the work of Thanksgiving wherein he would be so large particular warm and vigorous that in the end of the day when mens affections grew flat he would so revive and quicken them as if the work had been then but newly begun and as if that had been the onely work of the day and herein indeed he may be a pattern to all his surviving Brethren in the Ministry He was very inquisitive after the state and condition of the Church of Christ both at home and abroad that he might accordingly order his prayers in their behalf of whom he was never unmindful in his addresses unto God And when he heard that it went ill with the Church of God in any place like another Nehemiah he sate him down and wept and mourned and fasted and prayed unto the God of Heaven in their behalf His study was as great to advance Christ as to debase himself He used frequently to say When I look upon my self I see nothing but emptiness and weakness but when I look upon Christ I see nothing but fulness and sufficiency When the hand of his body was weak and shaking that of his soul his faith was strong and steddy When he could not hold the Cup at the Sacrament nor scarce carry it to his own mouth by reason of his Palsie hand yet then with a firme an● fixed affiance did he lay hold upon Christ and with a strong and eager appetite applied his blood to his soul and his manner was sweetly to breathe forth joyful Thanksgivings for his refreshment by the blood of Christ when he was returned to his house after the Lords Supper yea when he could hardly creep with his body to the place where it was celebrated and was forced many times to make use of the help of others to support him in his passage thither even then did his faith run swiftly and was upon the wing to carry him to Christ. When worldly suports failed him when health and strength forsook him he made Jesus Christ the staff of his old age often professing as his great misery and impotency without him so his holy and humble recumbency upon him Great was his patience under the visiting hand of God especially in his old age when God exercised him with painful maladies Though by reason of the sharpness and bitterness of his pains occasioned by the stone and acuteness of his urine and that Lethalis arundo as he oft called it that deadly arrow in his side which he knew could never be plucked out but by death I mean his Asthma which he got by an excessive cold in attending upon publick imployments Notwithstanding I say by reason of these he was often heard to groan yet never did he once grumble against the dispensations of God Never did he complain of God for his sufferings though oft of himself for sinning He never cryed out A great sufferer but oft A great sinner and yet he would overtake that expression again with the discoursing of and comforting himself in A great Saviour and in the depth of his torments he would say Well yet in all these there is nothing of Hell or of Gods wrath His sufferings were never so deep but he could see the bottome of them and would say Soul be silent soul be patient It is thy God and Father that thus ordereth thy estate Thou art his clay he may tread and trample on thee as pleaseth him Thou hast deserved much more It is enough that thou art kept out of Hell Though thy pain be grievous yet it is tollerable Thy God affords some intermissions he will turn it to thy good and at length put an end to all none of these can be expected in Hell He used often to make mention of the extent of obedience which he said was not onely to endeavour to do what God requireth but also patiently to bear what Gods will is to lay upon his creature as Christ himself though he were the Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In his greatest pangs he oft used this speech of holy Job Shall we receive good from the hands of God and not evil He often commended his soul unto Christ and used to say I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day When any of his Friends went about to comfort him in those gifts which God had bestowed on him and works which he had wrought by him he would answer I dare not think of any such thing for comfort Jesus Christ and what he hath done and endured is the only ground of my sure comfort Many that came to visit him in his weakness professed that they went away better than they came by reason of those savoury and gracious speeches and expressions that proceeded from him Though towards his latter end his fits of the stone were frequent and sharp having sometimes four or five of them in an hour yet such was his desire to finish that his so much desired Commentary upon the Epistle to the Hebrews that so soon as the bitter pain of his fit was over he still returned to his work making some further progress therein And thus he

be too much taken up with quaint and Historicall flourishes there is a sensible decay of the power of God amongst us An Exotick or strange tongue in the publick Congregation whatever men think of it is set out as a sign of Gods displeasure 1 Cor. 14. 21 22. It feeds such humors as should rather be purged out It had no good effect in the Church of Corinth Mens wits will waxe wanton when they be not over-awed by the plain power of Gods Word When Preachers keep not close to the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6. 3. and to the Doctrine that is according to godliness but love to be tampering with another Doctrine though not with another in the main but even in the manner of delivery only as when it savours too much of the pomp of humane eloquence saith Calvin when it differs from the stile of the Holy Ghost saith Danaeus the people be in danger of turning aside to vain jangling to perverse disputings desiring to be teachers and such like matters The Gold upon the Pill may please the eye but it profits not the patient The Paint upon the Glass may feed the fancy but the room is the darker for it The Sword of Gods Spirit can never wound so deep as when it 's plucked out of these gaudy Scabbards Nakedness deforms too too many in these dayes but it is the best garnishing and Ornament the truth can have A sober dress best becomes a grave Matron There be words as well as things which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Arrows fetched out of Gods own Quiver will pierce the deepest and make the people fall the soonest under Christ. The weakness of God is stronger than men Pauls weapons were mighty The sincere milk of Gods Word will make Christs Babes to grow best This curious age is too too much given to the affectation of words and phrases and cadencies and holy Dr. Sibs was wont to say that great affectation and good affections seldome goe together The swelling words of vanity may tickle the ear tip the tongue and please in matters of discourse but when it comes to push of Pike they afford but little comfort Mr. Capel had another manner of wisdome than that of words He was an able Minister of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit that hath given doth give and will give life 2 Cor. 3. 6. Having this hope then he used great plainness of speech and by the manifestation of the truth he commended himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God and thereby hath so well seasoned the Country where he lived that the fruit of it without doubt will remain and be seen many years after His Prayers were lively and fervent He was a man that had a very large measure of that Spirit of grace which is a Spirit of Supplication He was so well fitted with abilities to open his mind to God as if with blessed Bradford he had been almost ever upon his knees He could tell his own errand or any other mans at the Throne of grace with as good freedome and to as good purpose as any man living He would not be rash with his mouth when he came before God nor set out what he had to say there with painted eloquence or Court-like complement but his mouth used to be filled with such savoury Arguments as very well became an humble Suppliant He was far from those battologies and miserable extravagancies that too many prayers are stuffed with He would pour out his soul to God at all manner of times upon all manner of occasions with all manner of Prayer and Supplication and with that admirable variety of all sorts of quickening and feeling meditations that it would even ravish the hearts of those who had the happiness to be partakers with him therein Yet for all this he was clear in his opinion for the lawfulness of the use of set Forms of Prayer according to the tenet of all our best and most judicious Divines and according to the practice of all Churches even the best reformed saith Mr. Rogers now and in all former ages So saith Mr. Hildersam yea and Mr. Smith himself saith upon the Lords Prayer though as then he was warping and afterwards wandred far in the wayes of Separation that it was the practice of the ancient Church and of all the Reformed Churches in Christendome of the Churches immediately after the Apostles nay saith he of the Church in the time of the Apostles as may probably be gathered out of 1 Cor. 14. 26. This hath also been the practice of the best lights that ever were set up in the Churches of Christ. It is very well known that the flower of our own Divines went on in this way when they might have done otherwise if they had pleased in their Prayers before their Sermons Nay Mr. Dod himself would seldome end his devotions in his own Family but with the use of the Lords Prayer Nay yet more Mr. Cartwright Hist. Christ. p. 3. p. 535. thinks it very probable that Christ his own self made use of a set Form at meales It is not good to cast stones of offence in the way of our weak Brethren who being of meaner parts want ability memory and audacity to conceive Prayer especially before others that they be not taken off from nor disheartened in this so comfortable and necessary a service of God nor may we lay a trap or snare for our own feet Who knoweth what times may pass over him If God should plunge us into the Ditch and leave us labouring in the noose the loftiest of us all may be faign to take relief from and to make use of these poor contemptible props and crutches as some deem and call them When the soul is so troubled that it cannot speak but Chatter only like a Crane and Swallow Psal. 77. 4. When it is so full of grief that it can do no more than sigh and groan and make a confused noise as Psal. 55. 2. it will then be glad to catch at any thing to give it self vent by Dr. Harris tells us of a second Bradford that in time of his distress was fain to adopt Mr. Bradfords words and to spread them before God as his own because he had said more for him as he thought than he could say for himself I knew saith mine Author a rare and eminent Divine indeed that would be as often upon his knees as any man that ever I conversed with that would sometimes be in such damps that had no more to set before God to give his heart ease by than the words of David in the one and fiftieth Psalm Well might then this knowing Divine of ours that had been so tossed with tempests be tender of that that might be so usefull for poor trembling hearts in a stormy day Get to God therefore as thou canst Sad judgements be upon our people Spirituall