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	prophet_n	zion_n	20	3	8.3798	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23717	Forty sermons whereof twenty one are now first publish'd, the greatest part preach'd before the King and on solemn occasions / by Richard Allestree ... ; to these is prefixt an account of the author's life.; Sermons. Selections	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; Fell, John, 1625-1686.	1684 (1684)	Wing A1114; ESTC R503	688,324	600

four daies together and neglected all their husbandry resolving not to till their land or to provide for life when they had once determin'd thus to die Upon this Petronius undertakes to write to Caesar and dissuade him from the enterprise but Caius answers that his letter with another which commands Petronius for the punishment of his not executing his commands to kill himself resolving also to exterminate the Nation but before his letter came to Syria to Petronius the notice of the death of Caius came Thus God did then preserve both him and them tho at that time a Nation guilty of the death of Christ yet in a cause wherein they were resolv'd to suffer any thing rather then disobey Gods Law so grossly he was pleas'd to spare them and continue to preserve them As for the Christians I might instance in the care God took soon after most expressely and miraculously to call them all out of Jerusalem when the Romans were preparing to sit down before it and destroi'd it utterly and in all the persecutions particularly that of Diocletian when that destruction that was level'd at and falling on all Christianity was in a trice return'd upon the Designers and on Heathenism It might be a more parallel instance to the genius of these later ages should I name that of the Arrians men that were the first that ever drew the sword of persecution against their fellow Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was their petition to Constantius a copy which the Church of Rome hath long writ after with the bloud of those that differ from them And indeed the Arrian persecutions were most barbarous yet when had don all he could had made the Universe saith St Jerome all Arrian by having banisht almost all the Catholic Bishops of the world then very quickly God restores them even by a Julian an Apostate and then when shortly after Valens the same again himself repenting of it did revoke them lastly Theodosius restor'd them and establisht all And tho afterwards God let the Goths continue both the heresy and somtimes the persecution for above two Ages in our western world yet since that for the last thousand years the name of Arrian hath scarce bin heard But I have said enough to shew such is the ordinary method of Gods Providential workings when Sion is in that condition provided that the Church have not deprav'd it self as 't is a Church model'd it self by worldly principles and powers and adopted rules or doctrines which are not consistent with those of Christ. There are few instances to be produc'd I think where any Church hath bin destroi'd whole constitution hath preserv'd this temper tho her wicked and ungracious members may be cut off at last as St Peter tells after it hath suffer'd a while he will strengthen stablish settle it And if we look upon the low condition of our Sion together with these instances of Gods procedure may we not take confidence to hope that the appointed time is come For is it not time for Thee to arise O Lord when thy resting place is destroying And thou O Christ who art the Rock on which the Church is built is it not time for thee to awake to rise rebuke the Tempests break the waves that break into thy Church and threaten as if they would swallow all that 's built on Thee the Rock of Ages It is most certainly provided we have those affections which the text sets down here as the diagnostics of that time of which in the last place The first is this thy servants think upon her stones with sorrow and sincere acknowledgment that their demerits call'd this state upon her and they therefore willingly receive accept of Gods dealing with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take pleasure in it It is observ'd that this was the express condition upon which God covenanted to shew mercy on his People Levit. 26. From v. 14. to the end we find that if they should arrive at that height to abhor Gods Statutes break all his Commandments merit all his curses and he should inflict them and yet they go on still to walk contrary to him and he overtake them still with plagues yea and this thro all the stages both of sin and punishment and each stage of punishment seven times multiplied v. 18 21 24 28. so as to leave no more place for access yet if then they confess their iniquity and their uncircumcized hearts be humbled if then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they accpt of willingly contentedly receive the punishment of their iniquity v. 41. I will not case them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my Covenant with them v. 44. but will remember my Covenant and I will remember the Land v. 42. and remember Sion also if we have the like sentiments for Sion if her low condition if her stones in the dust truly humble us into that dust and make us from the heart acknowledg Thou O Lord art just in all that is come upon and hovers over us for thou hast don right but we have don very wickedly for we have walkt unworthy of the opportunities thou hast afforded us have bin unfruitful under the whole latitude of all thy working methods the Kingdom of God hath had no Obedience nothing but Rebellion from us and t is just it should be taken from us be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and have our candlestic remov'd since we hate light our deeds are so evil 'T is just that we who heapt our selves Teachers according to our factions and lusts should be given up to strong delusions have a lying Spirit in the mouth of our Prophets Prophets that should daub with untemper'd mortar such as never will cement the stones of Sion or build up a Church that we who have debaucht the Reformation should quite loose it The present time does certainly suggest the practice which is set aside for great humiliation and the occasion does require it both the commands and the necessities too of the Church expect it God also calls for mourning for stricter applications to him on behalf of Sion and then they that do not answer all these calls by doing somthing more then ordinary do not think upon the stones of Sion neither does it pity them to see her in the dust 't is certainly not time for God to arise in their behalf they are sufficient to divert his preparations for her No O Lord we will put our hands upon our mouths and our mouths into the dust and acknowledg righteousness belongeth unto thee but to us confusion of face as at this day and we resolve to humble our selves under thy correcting hand how sharp soever and take pleasure in it too thus far that dost shew by thy castising us thou hast not given us over as incorrgible but hast taken us into thy care and discipline and managery and on

our Redemption paid and that effected There was wrought our Reconciliation with our God Lastly that was the consideration upon which Grace was bestowed whereby we are enabled to perform our duty With good reason therefore S. Paul calls the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word or Doctrine of the Cross so that the Enemies of the Cross of Christ are in a word the Enemies of Christianity and so the blessed Polycarpe in his Epistle to these same Philippians seems to understand it And they that walk as Enemies to it are such as do not onely hate the Duties of the Gospel those especially which the Cross directly does inforce but their course of life is order'd so as to break the very Frame and Power of Christianity they set themselves against all that Christ came to do upon and by the Cross resist and wage War with the Doctrines and by consequence oppose the mercies of it The words being thus explain'd I have no more to do but onely answer two Enquiries which they give occasion for The first is What sort of men those are that walk as Enemies to the Cross and wherein their hostility does express it self The second is What the danger and the sadness is of that condition that they should make S. Paul think it necessary frequently to warn them of it and to do it now with so much passion For many walk saith he of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping c. First for the first And here I shall not strive to give you in a perfect list of all that walk as Enemies to the Cross but shall take that which S. Paul hath made ready to my hands in the next words And first the Enemies which he brings up in the front are the Sensualists the Men whose God is their Belly Secondly They whose glory is in their shame Thirdly Who mind Earthly things to which as being their confederates and near Allyes I shall add Fourthly Those that he reckons up in the 1 Cor. i. the wise men of this World First The Sensualists That Men who diligently mind the serving of their appetite in Meats and Drinks that study and contrive its pleasure and with industry have learn'd and practise Arts of Luxury and in those have set up their delights that these should be accounted Enemies of the Cross of Christ there is but too much reason For their course of life is perfect opposition to that Cross and to the whole design of Christianity and to the very being of all Vertue For since Vertue is but moderation and restraint of Appetites and Passions and since sensuality indulges and does raise and heat them since the whole design of Christianity is to mortifie the deeds of the Body those our members upon earth that Body of Sin and Death and since Voluptuousness quickens pampers and does make them vigorous lastly since the Doctrines and the Influences of the Cross of Christ do aim at Crucifying the flesh with its Affections and Lusts and Luxuries do gorge and make them ramping sure the Enmity is too apparent to be prov'd It is the business of Religion to instruct and frame men into reasonable Creatures God himself chose to die upon the Cross that we might live like Men here and then afterwards die into Sons of God and become equal to the Angels He suffered on the Tree that we might be renewed into that constitution which the Tree of Knowledg did disorder and debauch Before Man a●e of that his lower Soul was in perfect subordination to his mind and every motion of his appetite did attend the dictates of his Reason and obey them with that resignation and ready willingness which our outward faculties do execute the Wills commands with then any thing however grateful to the senses was no otherwise desired than as it serv'd the regular and proper ends and uses of his making there was a rational harmony in all the tendencies of all his parts and that directed modulated by the rules and hand of God that made them In fine then Grace was Nature Vertue Constitution Now to reduce us to this state as near as possible is the business of Religion as it had been in some kind the attempt also of Philosophy But this it can in no degree effect but as it does again establish the subordination of the sensual to the reasonable part within us That is till by denying satisfactions to the Appetite which is now irregular and disorderly in its desires we have taught it how to want them and to be content without them and by that means have subdu'd its inclinations or by taking down the Body have abated of its powers and its provocations and where it is stubborn heady and rebellious there by cutting off provisions from the flesh and by sharp methods vanquish'd and reduc'd it into a condition of Obedience and whenever that is also necessary weakens so that insolent untam'd part of our selves that we make it lie fainting groveling at our feet these are the Doctrines of the Cross and this the method of its Discipline And withal by those rational and divine heavenly encouragements which above all Doctrines in the World our Christianity suggests and furnisheth with infinite advantage have so fortified the mind that it resumes its principality governs and carries on the lower Soul in its obedience to Duty easily without resistance as they say the higher Heaven moves the inferiour Orbs along with it although their proper tendencies are contrary At leastwise if impressions from without or inbred inclinations stir raise passions and mutinies yet the mind keeps so much power that they shall not beat it off and force it from its prosecutions of good nor shall unless by a surprize engage its consent in the pursuit of evil This is that which Religion aims at thus to make us men teach us to live according to our nature to put Reason in the Throne and vindicate the Spirit from the tyranny of its own Vassal flesh But sensuality is most perfect opposition to this whole design for it renverses that subordination without which there is no possibility of Vertue as I shew'd you and it puts that whether Lust or Passion in the Throne which either constitution conversation or whatever accident did give possession of our inclinations to And makes the strangest prodigy of Centaure where the Beast is uppermost and rides the man where the Beast is God indeed for the sensual man acknowledges no other God but his own belly so S. Paul does character him here And truly if we look on the attendances and careful services he gives it and how studiously and wholly he does consecrate himself to please it one would think it most impossible he should have any other God but if we number the drink-offerings and meat-offerings the whole Hecatombs he gives it and whereas other Deities had onely some peculiar appropriate Creatures for their Sacrifices how this Votary rifles