Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	accept_v	according_a	acknowledge_v	18	3	6.2587	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49291	Personal reprobation reprobated being a plain exposition upon the nineth chapter to the Romans, shewing, that there is neither little nor much of any such doctrine as personal election or reprobations, asserted by the apostle in that chapter : but that his great designe is to maintain justification by faith in Jesus Christ, without the works of the law / humbly offered to serious consideration, by Samuel Loveday.	Loveday, Samuel, 1619-1677.	1676 (1676)	Wing L3235; ESTC R39683	197,425	354

had another nature then that of the flesh 2. It is positively exprest that Christ was born of them it was a great priviledge to mankinde that the son of God would take our nature and a singular priviledge to that family in particular of whom he came he was born of a sister of Israel of mankinde therefore Simon might well say and sing Luke 2 32. that Christ was the glory of his people Israel and well might Mary the mother of Christ say from thenceforth all generations should call her blessed Is it not an honour to a family to have an earthly prince descend of it much more must it be a priviledge to have the son of God to descend of Israel Thus I have briefly toucht these distinct priviledges which these people had been inve●…ed with who are now so unhappy and for whom the Apostle is so deeply sorrowful but why doth the Apostle make such a particular enumeration of their birth-priviledges First that he might remove from their mindes the least suspicion of prejudice in his minde against them whilst he is not willing to obscure the least spark of their glory according to the flesh It is true where want of love is it is usual with men to slight others as to their priviledges but it was not so with the Apostle 〈◊〉 is free to own what he might Rom. 3.1.2 he saith their priviledges were much every way St. Paul was far from slighting the Jews as to their outward priviledges which commonly is a fruit of want of love 2. This enumeration of their priviledges might be to aggravate their sin the more who did not believe notwithstanding they stood upon the upper ground of all these advantages they were Christs own before as it were John 1. he came to his own and his own receiv'd him not I shall note a few things briefly from what hath been said and so passe along First Doctrine That the body of the Circumcised Jews indefinitely and universally considered were transcendently exalted dignified and distinguished with very great priviledges above all the world besides they were beloved for their fathers sakes Second Doctrine It is possible for persons invested with the highest priviledg under heaven to be enemies to Jesus Christ Third Doctrine That a person or people enjoying the highest priviledges under heaven yet short of believing in and closing with and obeying Christ are in a state and condition to be lamented Or thus that believing in accepting of and obeying Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of all priviledges It was not so great a priviledge to be Christs Mother as to be Christs disciple Fourth Doctrine It is a right gospel-Gospel-Spirit and savours of love and respect to our enemies to acknowledge what is worthy in them as they have received it from God see Act. 26.27 King Agrippa believest thou the prophets I know thou believest Rom. 10.2 the Apostle acknowledgeth their zeal though he saith it was not according to knowledge Fifth Doctrine That is good to let persons know what God hath done for them as to outward benefits and priviledges see Nathan to David so Paul to the Galathians chap. 4.15 Heb. 10.32 Revel 2.6 We now proceed to the third and last head which is the Apostles glorious Ellogam of Jesus Christ when the Apostle hath occasion to mention Jesus Christ he doth it with great honour and respect in this Ellogam we have two circumstances considerable 1. A Description of Jesus Christ as to his deity and dignity in it self 2. An acknowledgment of the glory due to him from us 1. In this discription of the Deity and dignity of Christ we have the Apostles voluntary acknowledgment of Christ to be God over all and this the Apostle doth for two ends First still to exalt the Jews priviledges 2ly To aggravate their sin in rejecting such a Saviour who is God over all That Jesus Christ is God over all things and persons in heaven and earth the Scriptures are plain in and also that the title of God appropriated to Jesus Christ is plain see Acts. 20.28 1 Timothy 3.16 God manifested in the flesh Titus 2.13 the great God therefore eternal and everlasting blessing and praise due and proper to him See Heb. 13. Rev. 1. One Point by the way Doct. That the love and respect a true believer hath and ows to Jesus Christ doth so rule in him that he cannot mention him without honour and praise who is to be blessed for ever saith our Text this is the work of Saints here and hereafter to all Eternity Rev. 5. and chap. 11. But why is this Article Amen here added It is a Greek word the English of it is commonly verily and it hath a twofold signification according as it is placed when it is placed in the beginning of a sentence either in the Old or New Testament it carries in it an attestation and asseveration See Psal 37. verily thou shalt be fed Psal 39. verily every man is vanity and it is commonly so used by Christ sometimes singly and sometimes doubly We have it by him about 50. times used singly in John only about 24. times verily verily amen amen is a word of attestation but when it is used in the end of a sentence it signifies the souls desire of the performance of the promises as see Deut. 27. twelve times all the people shall say amen or let it be so with all my soul thus it is understood 1 Cor. 14.16 how shall he that occupieth the place of the unlearned say amen at the giving of thanks so it must be understood Rev. 1. so chap. 22. let it be so I wish with my soul and it supposeth more then a bare wish but it carries in it an eccho of faith it shall be so as in this Text is read who is to be or shall be blessed for ever One Note and so I shall conclude the Preface Doct. It is not only the soul-desire but the undoubted faith of Saints that Christ shall be glorified the Saints can say amen to this truth Thus we have done with the Preface to this Chapter CHAP. III. Plainly Demonstrating That the wise and holy God in choosing to salvation Eternal and Reprobating to damnation Eternal hath a special eye to Qualifications Ver. 6. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect for they are not all Israel which are of Israel HAving now finished the Apostles Preface contained in the five first verses we now proceed to the body of matter contained in this Chapter which matter calls for our most serious consideration to the end we might attain to the true intent and meaning of the spirit therein It appeareth upon the first cast of our eye upon this Scripture that the Apostle had in good earnest to do with a stout and strong adversary with whom he is joyning issue and that with all his might and this enemy was the zealous circumcised Jew boasting of his carnal priviledges and expecting justification

3. The attribute of his righteousness is magnified in his dealings with Pharaoh that he will not always clear the guilty God shews his justice righteousness holyness in this eminent passage of Pharaoh as we have it in that song made upon that account Exo. 15.11 this is imputed to God amongst the rest to be glorious in holyness Thus I have briefly past over the 17th verse by way of explication I shall proceed to the explication of the 18th verse also and then draw up those doctrines that ariseth from both CHAP. X. Plainly explaining how and in what fence God may be said to harden mens hearts in like manner how God is said to shew mercy Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth THe Apostle having in answer to the Jews second objection been vindicating Gods rigteousness in justifying the heathen by faith and hardening and rejecting the circumcision for unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel which answer in the two branches of it he had been prosecuting of by the help of two antient sayings of God one to Moses Exo. 33.19 the other to Pharaoh chap. 9.16 he now in the verse before us proceeds to draw up the whole of both into a doctrinal result and conclusion in these words so then or therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom be will be hardneth that is to say it clearly appears from the premises that God is at liberty and hath unquestionable right to make his own terms upon which he will shew mercy or upon what terms he will reject at our first view of these words our Apostle seems to represent God in his proceedings with his creatures as an absolute monarch who proceeds and rules by an arbitrary power his own will being his law and so tyed to no law nor conditions and thus also Daniel represents God Dan. 4.35 he doth whatever he will in heaven and earth and that this is the power of an absolute Monarch appears from what is declared of that great heathen Monarch Dan. 5.19 whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive whom he would he set up and whom he would he pulled down and this is the character of that great king and Monarch the man of sin of whom we reade Dan. 11. three times over exprest vers 3. 16. and 36. he shall do according to his will thus and much more is God represented to do according to his will to shew mercy to whom he will and harden whom he will from whence some gather personal peremptory and absolute election and reprobation from his own will without any law or condition with respect to the creature but although the Apostle doth thus seem to represent God as proceeding in mercy and judgment with his creatures as an absolute Monarch yet I shall show you wherein there is an apparent difference between such an arbitrary proceeding and the proceedings of God though according to his will in five circumstances 1. God in his proceedings with men cannot will or act any thing but what in it self is righteous just and equal whereas it is very incident to men in such a capacity to err whilst they rule according to their will and therefore it hath been the endeavour of all nations to bound the wills of their Governours by laws and conditions men themselves being judges cannot impeach Gods will with any injustice or unequallity God appeals to men Ezek. 18. whether his ways were not just and equal it was Abrahams maxim that the judge of all the earth will do right to say that whatever God willeth or acteth is just is a great truth and worthy of our faith and greatly tends to Gods glory but to say of things unequal in themselves yet done or acted by God are just is a great dishonour to him Gods will cannot be swayed to injustice 2. Gods will differs from mens will because it admits of councel Ephe. 1.11 he doth all things according to the counsel of his own will 3. Gods ruling by his will differs from mens ruling by their wills for men in that capacity are understood to rule by their wills without a law but Gods will is formed into a law both as to his mercy and as to his justice therefore we finde little or no difference between Gods will Gods law they are taken one for another in Scripture to do Gods word and to do Gods will is the same thing therefore the 19th verse of this chapter by some is read instead of who hath resisted his will who hath resisted his word 4. Men commonly ruling by their will do conceal their will till the time of execution of it but Gods will is declared before-hand both to warn on the one hand and encourage on the other 5. Persons ruling according to their wills amongst men are not stedfast they may will one thing to day and another to morrow those who are the subjects of their favour or wrath are not always the same but Gods will is the same to day to morrow and for ever the subjects of Gods favour and wrath are the same yesterday to day and forever his will is that whosoever seeth the son and believeth in him should have eternal life and this is the same still and his will is that he that rejects the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and thus considered God may be said to shew mercy to whom he will yet shew mercy to none but such as believe in Jesus Christ and he may be said to harden whom he will and yet to harden none but those who first harden themselves for after the same manner doth the Apostle speak of the spirits distributions he divides to every man severally as he will yet upon conditions of coveting and seeking of it But before I proceed there is a question which I would speak a few words unto in order to clearing our passage that is why the Apostle rather choseth to declare God shewing mercy to whom he will and hardning whom he will then to declare Gods shewing mercy to believers and hardning impenitent sinners and rejecters of the gospel I answer he speaks after this manner to silence the proud atrogant Jews who would impose upon God and teach him whom or what sort of people he should accept into his favour and whom he should reject these Jews had a tincture of proud Pharaohs spirit who thought there was none above him therefore to humble them the Apostle doth assert Gods absolute supremacy and superintendency over man he doth what he will this was the occasion of this kinde of speaking at the first Exo. 33.19 to silence Moses who seems to be so pertinatiously pleading with God for Israel above all the nations of the world besides God takes him off by telling him I will have mercy on whom I will in shewing mercy I am not bound to give thee an account though thou art