Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	able_a	according_a	act_n	65	3	5.2692	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89716	Gods great care of his good people in bad times discovered in several sermons / preached by Mr. James Nalton (late minister of St. Leonards Foster-Lane) immediately upon his return from Holland, about twelve years since ; published by J.F., teacher of short- writing, who took them in characters from the said Mr. J. Nalton.	Nalton, James, 1600-1662.	1655 (1655)	Wing N122A; ESTC R42508	60,551	169

his providences intend our good then there are four duties that I desire to propound to you and I will but propound them for I cannot press them the time being gone 1. Believe this truth 2. Apply this truth 3. Act according to this truth 4. Draw out the sweetness of this truth First I would have you believe this truth that God in all his dispensations though they seem never so strange and harsh to you yet intends your spirituall good Believe it may some say what do you think we are atheists do you think we do not believe the Scripture when God saies all things work for good I it may be you believe it but it is one thing to believe with a notional faith and another thing to believe with a practicall faith You read of the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 there are many it may be that believe this truth with a notional faith I but few that believe it with a practicall faith for example there are none of us but believe we are mortall that we are poor frail creatures that must die and drop down to the dust we know not how soon we believe this doctrine with a notionall faith I but how few believe it with a practical faith so as to prepare for their latter end to make their whole life a preparation for their dying day the devils they believe too they believe that God is a holy and a just God and will render to them according to their deserts at that great day when they must be judged before all the Angels and before all the Saints I but for all this they do not repent they have a notional faith I but they have not a practicall faith so it may be you believe this Doctrine but do you believe it practically so as to make use of it that you are able to say certainly this providence this affliction though sharp yet tendeth to my spirituall good But Secondly As I would have you to believe this truth so I would have you apply it unto your own souls that when afflictions come or troubles come or sickness comes when the loss of a dear husband or wife or the loss of a hopefull child or the loss of an estate comes when pangs and pains and fears and streights come upon you you may say to every one of them you are welcome you come with your commission do the work that God ets you about I know that though for the present you are very painfull yet at the laft you will be very beneficiall as I have heard the story of a boy in a Ship when there was such a storm that threatned the sinking of the Ship presently hesat still and was not at all troubled and being asked why he was not troubled when he saw they were in jeopardy of death every minute O saies he I know my Father sits at the stern I know my God hath the disposing of all and he will order all for good And O that we could do so this is to apply this Doctrine and not only to believe it Thirdly I would have you act according to your faith and therefore let the utmost endeavour of your souls be in this that you may find a spirituall advantage by every passage of providence and that every condition may draw you nearer to your God I confess this is a hard lesson to be learnt but yet there are these five means that may help you I will but name hem First If you would act so that every condition may drawy on nearer to God you must live not by sight and sense but by saith for if you look upon Afflictions with an eye of sence you will see no good in them at all but if you look upon them with an eye of faith then you will say sanctified Affliction is better than unsanctified prosperity sanctified sickness better than unsanctified health and sanctified poverty better than unsanctified riches For our light affliction saith the Apostle which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of Glory How did he know this he tels you in the next words While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2 Cor. 4.17 18. as if he should say look not with as eye of flesh but with an eye of Faith And then secondly As a great deal of faith so a great deal of patience is required also you must not look that the good of affliction should come presently as I told you in one of the limitations No affliction for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 As you must exercise faith so you must be contented to wait also Thirdly There must be a great deal of self-denial too so that you can be content to be crost of your own wills that Gods will may be fulfilled Fourthly You must resolve you will not part with your integrity though to avoid any affliction you must not choose iniquity rather than affliction but you must choose the greatest affliction rather than you will commit the least sin If you keep your integrity than this is certain every affliction will work for your good and you shall find every providence will tend to your spirituall advantage in your worst condition but on the contrary if you part with your integrity you shall meet with a curse in the best of your outward conditions here below And then in the Fift and last place If you would have all thingswork for good you must be much in prayer Phil. 1.19 saies the Apostle speaking of afflictions I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and this is the third Duty And then Fourthly And so I have done Do not onely believe and apply and act according to but labour to draw out the sweetness of this truth that you may be able to rejoyce in the time of temptation My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Jam. 1.2 What to rejoyce in temptations may some say if the Apostle had said my brethren count it all sorrow when you fall into divers temptations he had said something but count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations yes and the Apostle knew very well what he said for he knew that they that sow most in tears shall reap most of all in joy and they that can bear afflictions and temptations with most quiet calm and serene spirits they shall have the blessed fruit of righteousness though for the present they are exercised thereby and God will do them a great deal of good and will at length bring them to heaven though by the gates of hell and 't is a great deal better to be brought to heaven by the gates of hell than to be brought to hell by the gates of heaven and it is better to have our hell here than to have our hell hereafter to have a hell of misery to all eternity the Lord write every one of these things in our hearts that we may be able to speak by experience that every one of these providences shall be for our good And so much shall suffice for this Text and for this time FINIS ERRATA PAge 10. line 15. r. deserts us p. 20. l. 18. r. hear p 25. l. 7. r. of whom p. 34. l. 12. r. others p. 41. l. 8. r. it self p. 50. l 9. in some Copies r. had Judah