Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	according_a	father_n	son_n	5,248	5	5.4119	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76157	Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1232; Thomason E2111_1; ESTC R209487	172,368	411

Scripture that the Holy Ghost is in a special manner promised to Believers over and above that measure of the Spirit which caused them to believe 3. We find that Prayer with Laying on of hands was the outward means to be used by Christs Ministers for the procuring of this blessing 4. We find that this was a fixed Ordinance to the Church and not a temporary thing Lay all this together and you will see as much as my Proposition doth affirm Let 's try the proof of it I. Though the proof of the first be not Necessary to the main point yet it somewhat strengtheneth the cause Mark 10. 16. Christ took the Children up in his armes put his hands upon them and blessed them so Math. 19. 15. This is not I confess a Confirmation upon personal Profession which I am now pleading for But this is a Benediction by laying on of hands And the subjects of it were such Children as were Members at least of the Jewish Church being before Circumcized II. But to come neerer the matter let us enquire what this Gift of the Holy Ghost was that is promised to Believers Whatsoever the Pelagians say the Scripture assureth us that Faith and Repentance which go before Baptism in the Adult are the gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet for all that the Holy Ghost is to be given afterward And though very often this after●gift is manifested by Tongues and Prophesie and Miracles yet that is not all that 's meant in the promise of the Holy Ghost Gad hath not tyed Himself by that promise to any one sort of those extraordinary Gifts no nor constantly to give any of them But he hath promised in General to give Believers the Spirit and therefore there is some other standing gift for which the Spirit is promised to all such And indeed the Spirit promised is One though the gifts are many and the many sorts of gifts make not many Spirits If any man therefore shall ask whether by the Promised Spirit be meant Sanctification or Miracles or Prophesie c. I Answer with Paul There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit as there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversities of operations but the same God 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. It is therefore no wiser a question to ask whether by the Spirit be meant this gift or that when it is only the Spirit in General that is promised then to ask whether by the Lord be meant this or that administration and whether by God be meant this or that op●ration To one is given the word of Wisdom by the Spir●t and to another the word of Knowledg by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit c. vers 8 9 10. Now I confess if any man can prove that this promise of the Spirit to the faithfull is meant only of the extraordinary gift of Miracles then he would weaken the Argument that I am about But I prove that contrary 1. Cor. 12. 12 13. It is the gift of the Spirit by which we are One body which is called Christs by which we are all baptized into this one body and such members as have a lively fellow-feeling of each others state vers 26. 27. Yea such as giveth to the Elect the excellent durable grace of Charity vers 31. and Chap. 13. Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Note here that it is not only the gift of Miracles but the Spirit of Adoption that is here mentioned and that it 's given to Believers because they are Sonnes And all the first part of Rom. 8. to vers 29. doth shew that it is the Spirit of Adoption Supplication and that by which we mortifie the flesh that is given to Believers 2 Cor. 1. 21 22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts It is not the common gifts of the Spirit only that are here spoken of nor is it the first gift of Faith but it is Confirmation or inward establishment in Christ and that Spirit which is the Fathers Seal upon us and the earnest of the Inheritance I believe not that it is outward Anointing or sealing with the signe of the Cross that is here mentioned as many Papists dreame but inward unction seal earnest and confirmation by the Spirit are here exprest So 2 Cor. 5. 5. Zach. 12. 10. It is the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that is promised to the Church And see the pattern in Christ our head on whom after Baptism the Spirit descended and to whom it is promised Matth. 12 18. Ephes 1. 13 14. In whom also after yee believed yee were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance Here it 's evident that it 's such a gift of the Spirit which is an Earnest of Heaven that is given to men after they believe Joh. 7. 39. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given them because that Jesus was not yet Glorisied Yet the Apostles had Faiththen And that it is not meant only of the Apostles extraordinary gifts of Miracles the foregoeing words shew He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow living waeters but this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive By all this it is evident that there was an Eminent gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them that had already the grace of Faith and Repentance and Love to Christ wrought in them by the Holy Ghost and that though this Eminent Gift did very much consist in gifts of Languages Prophesie and mighty works for the Confirmation of Christs Doctrine which was then to be planted in the world yet was it not only in those gifts but as some had only those common though extraordinary gifts for the good of the Church so some had an Eminent addition of Special Gifts to seal them up to the day of Redemption and be the earnest of the Inheritance to the saving of the Soul If you ask Wherein these special Eminent Gifts of the Holy Ghost do consist I Answer 1. In a clearer knowledg of Christ and the rsteries of the Gospel not an uneffectual but a powerful affecting practical Knowledge 2. In a fuller measure of Love agreeable to this Knowledg 3. In Joy and Peace and sweet Consolation 4. In establishment and corroboration and firmer resolution for Christ and everlasting Life For the understanding of which we must know that as the Doctrine is the Means of conveying the Spirit so the Spirit given is answerable to the Doctrine and Administration that men are under It 's a very great question whether Adam in Innocency had the Spirit or not But as the Administration according to the meer Light and Law of Nature is eminently in Scripture attributed to the

Father so Adam certainly may be well said to have had the Spirit of the Father to enable him with gifts that were answerable to the Law that he was under and the state that he was in But we cannot fitly say that he had that which the Scripture calleth the Spirit of the Sonne as not being under the Administration of the Sonne But after the Promise till the coming of Christ as the Administration was mixt of Law and Promise Nature and Grace as the dawning of the day before Sunne rising doth partake of darkness and of Light so the Spirit that was then given was answerable to the Administration and Doctrine And therefore as there was somewhat of the Gospel in those times though yet God hath not thought it meet to call it at least usually by that name but rather by the name of the Promises and Prophecies of Christ so there was somewhat of the Spirit of Christ though it be not usually so called but when it appeared in some eminent Servants of Christ as the Prophets were in whom the Spirit of Christ is said to have been 1 Pet. 1. 11. Now as it was part of that work ascribed to the Father to send and give the Sonne and to Give men to the Sonne so commonly those Gifts are ascrbed to Him which are cotained in these expressions and are the accomplishment of this work And that not only in the old Testament but in the New and therefore it is called the Giving and the Drawing of the Father by which we are brought to Believe in the Sonne though yet the Grace of Faith is a special Saving Grace and not common to the wicked as the Papists dreame because they find an uneffectual Assent to be common But now as Christ at his coming doth bring to the world a clearer Light and fuller Revelation of Himself and the mysteries of Redemption and bring Life and Immortality to Light in the Gospel and as the rising Sunne dispelleth the remnants of Legal darkness and his Doctrine is fully called The Gospel the Testament of Jesus Christ so answerably he doth by and with this Doctrine give out such a measure of the Spirit to the Church as is Eminently called the Spirit of Jesus Christ Which carryeth us higher then the first Grace of Faith and Repentance to those fuller degrees which were not ordinary no not to the Godly in the time of the Law And as this Spirit of Christ did extrinsecally shine in the Glory of tongues and wonderous works while those were necessary to the Church and Christs service so both then and ever after it doth work but in various degrees for the Sanctifying of believers and conforming their hearts and lives to Christ in his humiliation patience self-denial meekness contempt of the world obedience c. till at last we be conformed to him in his Glory III. I have cleared the second point that there is an Eminent Gift of the Holy Ghost to be expected after our first Believing even such as ceased not with Miracles I now come to the third point which is That Ministerial Prayer with Laying on of hands was the Scripture-way for the giving of this Eminent gift of the Spirit For the understanding of this observe these things 1. How Sacraments and Investing signes conferre Grace 2. How the Spirit is given in Baptisme 3. How far God hath as it were tyed himself to Ordinances for conferring Grace 4. What proof the Scripture yields us of the Proposition 5. What aptitude there is in Ministerial Confirmation for the attainment of these ends 1. We find in Scripture that Sacraments are not appointed nor to be used according to the intent of the instituter for the conferring of that Grace which men have not in any degree already but they are 1. Partly a Solemn Investiture in that which before we had a Fundamental Right to as the Listing of a Souldiour or the solemnization of Marriage after a firm contract the Crowning of a King the delivering possession by a Key a twig or turf the Knighting a man by a sword c. This is as to Relative benefits and Right to Phycal benefits 2. And withal they are by actual excitation of Grace to Increase the Inherent Grace received and so to give us more All this is evident in Baptism it self where we are to receive both Remission of sinnes with right to Everlasting Life and also an increase of Grace in the Adult And yet no man at age is to come to Baptism to require it that is not a Penitent Believer already and consequently that hath not the beginning of special Saving Grace and somewhat of Christ and the Holy Ghost and title to forgiveness and Everlasting Life For he is under the promise that Whoesoever believeth shall not perish but have Everlasting Life and a Papist will grant that the Votum Baptismi may serve to his Sa●vation if he die without it And the case of Infants is the same as to these Mercies which are Necessary to their state of life Their Parents must be Believers before they Dedicate them to God and consequently the Child hath the Covenant right before it is sealed And it is ridiculous in the Papists to damn all Infants for want of Baptism and not the Aged and to make the Votum to serve for the Parent and yet not for his Child when yet the Parents Faith must serve to prove his Title to Baptism it self But to leave these Corrupters and Innovatours we see now what is to be expected by Confirmation Not that men that have no signes of Corroborating Grace should come thither first to receive it but that such as appear Initially Resolved Confirmed and Corroborated may be though not by a full and proper Sacrament yet Ministerially 1. Invested into the state of the Confirmed and their Priviledges which is a higher form in the Schoole of Christ 2. And may receive yet further Confirmation and Corroboration by Gods Approbation and Ordinance 2. But hath not Baptism done all this already seeing we are Baptized into the Name of the Holy Ghost This is our second Point to be resolved I Answer It is a great errour to think that Adult Persons that have nothing of the Holy Ghost may demand Baptism and that Baptism doth not give the Holy Ghost But yet it 's one thing to give the Holy Ghost in Relation and Fundamental Right and another thing to give the Graces of the Spirit and it 's one thing to seale and increase the Initial Special Grace of the Spirit and another thing to Invest in a stablishing degree And so it is evident that Baptism as such is appointed but for the two first That is 1. As we must have some Faith and Repentance before a person at age may come to Baptism and so must have Fundamental Right by promise to Christ and pardon and life so this is sealed in Baptism and we are solemnly Invested in it and our Grace excited for increase But it

is not requisite that a man have a further degree of Grace before he come 2. In Baptism it is our very Relation to God as our Father and God to Christ as our Saviour and to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier that is sealed to us and we are Invested with which is the Foundation of all that afterward from the Spirit is given us As in Marriage the persons in Relation are given to each other for Marriage ends So in Baptism God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost one God in three persons are solemnly given to us in Relation to themselves for Christian Baptismal Ends. But as after Marriage the man takes home his wife and delivereth her a possession of his house first and after admits her to bed and board according to his Covenant so Christ doth after Baptism take home the Christian into his Church and admit him to the several Priviledges of it in the season and manner as he seeth meet So that as all the good that we do after Baptism is but the fulfilling of our Baptismal Covenant and yet we did not the good when we Covenanted to do it So all the after-Mercies that God giveth us by promise at least on his part are but the fulfilling or fruits of his Baptismal Covenant and that he did not give them in our Baptism So that Confirmation is no full and proper Gospel Sacrament as Baptism is but a particular subsequent Investiture in some of the fruits of Baptism it self in the season of them 3. But have we any certainty that this Ordinance shall prove effectually confirming to us If not it will be but an idle empty Ceremony This is our third Question To which I Answer 1. Ordinances are Duties which we must use and in which we must wait on God for his blessing if we will have it and therefore in the way of Duty we must be found 2. What if you have not a certainty that your Prayer shall be granted will you not therefore pray Or if you are not certain that a Sermon shall profit you will you not hear it Or that Reading shall profit you will you not read Or that the Lords Supper shall increase your Grace will you not use it 3. But I may say more If you come prepared you may be sure of a Blessing in some degree As it is not every one that Prayeth and heareth and Receiveth the Lords Supper that shall certainly have the blessing but the prepared Soul that is the subject of the promise which is annexed to that Ordinance so it is not every one that is externally Confirmed by Prayer and Imposition of Lands that shall be sure of the Blessing but the Soul that is prepared as aforedescribed 4. But yet the several Degrees of Blessing God hath kept in his own hand and not affixed them by promise to any person in any Ordinance He may bless the Word Prayer the Lords Supper c. to one true Christian more then to another and yet perform his promise to them all and so he may this outward Confirmation 3. But what proofe is there in Scripture of such an Ordinance or Practice That 's our fourth Question To which I Answer 1. For the main Point in question it 's already proved beyond all Controversie viz. the Necessity of a Personal Profession and Covenant before men be admitted to the Church-priviledges of the Adult and that it belongeth to the Office of Christ's Ministers to judge of and approve this Profession c. It is none of this that we have now to prove but only the Manner of Admisson hereupon whether it be to be done by Prayer with Benediction and Imposition of hands And it is not the Lawfulness of this for that 's proved before but whether this Manner and Solemnity be a thing which ordinarily we should observe And that it is so this seems to me to prove 1. As beyond Controversie it belongeth to Spiritual Superiours even the Ministers of Christ to Pray for the people and Bless them so this must be in a special manner exercised upon great and special Occasion But the Admission of the Adult upon their personal Covenanting and Profession is a great and special Occasion This is as good an Argument as we have for stated Family-prayer that I remember and it 's cleerly good for both 1. I should but trouble you to prove the General Part of the Major that it belongeth to the Pastours to Pray for and Bless the people Ministerially 2. And the application to this season is proved thus 1. All things are Sanctified by the Word and Prayer Therefore this 2. If the great and special works and changes of our lives be not thus to be Sanctified much less the smaller and so the whole Command would be void We agree that at Marriage at our Investiture in the Ministerial Office c. there must be Ministerial Prayer and Benediction usually to Sanctifie it to the faithful But here there is as great if not greater reason for it the change and blessing being in some sort greater And as this is plain for Ministerial Prayer and Benediction so it seems that the Weight and Nature of the work doth determin us to the signe of Imposition of hands seeing God hath not tyed it to any one or two particular cases but made it a signe of General use in Spiritual Benediction and Collations of authority from a Superiour or great and special Occasions 2. But we have yet a more clear proof from Scripture example Acts 8. 15 16 17. Peter and John were sent to Samaria when they heard that they believed and when they were come down they Prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen on none of them only they were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost So Acts 19. 5 6. When they herad this they were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and Prophesied And Acts 9. 17. Ananias laid his hands on Saul before Converted by a voice from Heaven though not Baptized that he might receive his sight and the Holy Ghost at once And this was the gift that Simon Magus would have bought with money And it seemeth to me most probable that this was the gift that Timothy received by Laying on of Pauls hands which being for the service of the Church 1 Cor. 12. 7. He was to stirre up and exercise in his Ministry 2 Tim. 1. 6. And that the Laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1. Tim. 4. 14. was at another time That the Holy Ghost was then given by Prayer with Imposition of hands is thus evident IV. But the last Point remaineth Whether this were not Temporary and now ceased whether I shall take in the fifth particular before named about the Aptitude