Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	act_n	church_n	zion_n	19	3	8.9584	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96886	The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1642 (1642)	Wing W3484; Thomason E122_1; ESTC R18182	151,993	158

I heare the most part of it nay some say all that is properly called the Liturgie ariseth out of the corruptest sinke that is in the world the Popes Masse-book and that had it's originall spring out of mans brain 5. THAT SERVICE WHICH FLOWES NOT FROM HEAVEN IS ODIOUS TO HEAVEN Be it so then ODIOVS this Service must be for the Reason afore-said for the worst part of it flowes from the Priests mouth now and he derives it as was said from the most corrupt person and booke the ●ope and his Masse-book The Church now makes no conclusions from the premisses against some set formes of CONFESSION THANKES REQV●ST c. It being the judgement of the gravest and most learned Divines that such set-formes may be and must be Indeed the Doctours words seeme at the first view and more then seeme if they be narrowly looked into cleane against them set Formes I meane But the Church concludes nothing No she leaves all determinations and conclusions at the foot of her Lord and of His Word and under that authority she concludes her soule and she expects That all her Sonnes vvill in their consultations touching this great businesse stand like the stalke of a Ballance leaning to no side neither to the right nor left but just as the Churches Standard the MIND and WILL OF GOD expressed in the sacred Scripture shall sway them just so But for this Liturgie so distracted so mangled so like torne flesh so complying vvith the Masse-booke all along and so filling up the houre so as vvhen the Minister hath ended his Liturgie he thinkes he hath done service enough to the Church that part of the Day For this Liturgie the Church thinkes there can no sufficient reason be given for the continuance of it and therefore her Sonnes and Daughters will write this Day vvhen the weake overcame the strong and the fewest in number prevailed over the spirituall Lords even that Day the NINTH OF SEPTEMBER And that we may set a fuller marke yet upon that Day the Church would have us note two ACTS of the spirituall Lords very notable both and the consequence there-from The one bearing date from the 16. of Ianuary 1640 and issued forth by bill the ninth of September following for the feoffi●g this Liturgie by their last will and testament upon the Church her sonnes and daughters for ever wherein their spirits vvere so servent that they were consumed in their owne fire The other Act bearing date the ●9 of December 1641. whereby they would have made void ●ll that the Lords ●nd Commons more spirituall then they had done for the Church and Common-wealth Presently after their former Act so full of that we sometimes call Spirit This word SPIRITVALL was cast out of the bill we might reade it there this once and then no more for ever By the●r l●st Act ●f Subscription full of the same spirit also their LORDSHIPS were c●st out of the house and with their owne hands H●●ein the Re●aliation of the Lord was wonderfull how He meeted forth unto them the portion of their measures because they forgot Him and trusted in false hood d I●● 13. 25. But this belongs to the yeare following we are to write this day even this same Day the ninth of SEPTEMBER for then the Church put-in a Caveat That the spirituall Lords last Will and Testament might prove null and of none effect The Church must name that Day also so she can and give it a very proper name as once it was when the Lord wrought wonderfully for His people Thus we reade That the Lords of the Philistines came up against Israel presently after Israel had powred out themselves before the Lord Then Israel cryed unto the Lord and to their Seer that hee would cry for them in the eares of the Lord So he did for he knew his duty and he cryed so long till he got a great Thunder out of Heaven upon the Philistines and discomfited them So they were smitten before Israel 1 Sam 7. Where we note in passage that Samuell is the man of warre and his Lord the God of Hosts all creatures serve Him great and small high and low Fire and Haile Snow and Vapours stormy wind which execute His Word b Ps 148. 8 It was so here The Seer hee prayes offers Sacrifice and then the Lord thundred And now that the Lord had made a Breach upon the enemy Israel pursues them and smote them untill they came unto Bethcar Now the Prophet hath his mouth as wide opened in praise as before in prayer and not onely so but he sets up a Monument to keepe in mind this admirable Deliverance he tooke a stone setting it up and called the name thereof EBEN-EZAR saying HITHERTO the Lord hath helped us His glory hath been a REREWARD c Isa 58. 8. hitherto This must be the Name of the Day a good Day and a good name HITHERTO The Church commands her Sonnes and Daughters to set-up quickly this Monument to His praise while the Mercy is fresh for as the Eele out of the hand so Mercies slip out the mind Wee have still need of Remembrancers and none like this To remember this Day and that HITHERTO the Lord hath helped us But because this HITHERTO is counted by some a small Mercy the Church will reason out the case with a bruitish people at this Standard turning her selfe unto her Lord. ¶ 1. A wonderfull mercy and must have everlasting praise That the Lord hath brought his Church HITHERTO IS this the manner of Man Lord God I must answer no Kings of the Earth will not do so If they be crossed yea but a little they will rage 2 Sam. 7. 19. very much shew much wrath they will be avenged if they can seven-fold yea seventy-and seven-fold Nay vve poore men low creatures vvormes of the Earth cannot beare injury and wrong our patience is tired-out presently and we will be avenged vve will not stick to say in our haste vengeance is ours we will repay Can two Men walke together except they be agreed b Amos 3. 3● No for they will flie one in the others face presently There vvas a greate disagreement betwixt God and His people even now at this time yet behold He and they walke together HITHERTO We vv●lked most contrary He not so but most comfortably with us HITHERTO Wee maintained w●rre against God yet HITHERTO God hath helped us Wee thought He would have st●rred up all His vvrath and have consumed us utterly Hee stirred up all His bowells and so brought us HITHERTO for as we reade He is God and not Man * Hos 11 9. But to put this mercy home and to make it sinke down into our hearts The Church tels us more That as this is not the Manner of Man so nor of God neither The Lord hath wrought a new thing upon Earth amongst us in our Land It is not His Manner to use such patience

then once to quicken up His servants to more caution about themselves and their worke and the manner of performing their Masters charge But here is the point we drive unto vvhen Deliverances come-in unto His people with the seale and impression of the wisdome and power of God upon them this is ever because they are His people He delights in them there is innocency in their hearts and their hands are pure from that great evill suggested against them Such Salvations the Lord wrought for David They had the impresse of the Almighties hand upon them Saul hunted him like a Partridge God would not deliver him into his hands Hee rescued him here and there and every where It had not beene so if innocency had not beene found in his hands and integrity in his heart towards Saul his peace and dignity for he was the Lords annoynted The Text is plaine it needs not my Comment but I 'le apply it comparing the Salvations then and now together for their accusation is the same crimes objected the same their defence or apology the same and God the same in rescuing them and clearing their innocency as the Noon day The servants of the Lord are thus accused at this day they are enemies to their King they seeke his hurt they have driven him away c. These servants of the Lord answer God forbid for who can doe so against the Lords annoynted and be guiltlesse They seeke the hurt of their King their consciences beares them Record and God also they seeke God for the King and are not weary Grace Grace unto him Peace Peace unto him and that is all Peace bee both to him peace to his house and peace be to all that he hath a 1 Sam. 25. 8. peace peace unto him and peace be to his helpers for their God helpeth them b 1 Chro. 12. 18 They enemies to their King the Lords annoynted So they are to their own souls for so they pray for him They have driven him away from them As a man drives away the candle vvhen he is in the darke and must walke but would not stumble They quench the light of Israel As they would the light and influence of the Sunne vvithout vvhich they could not move the least finger As they would quench the light and motions of Gods Spirit in them without which they sit in miserable darknesse and move not or move to their owne destruction They secke his life They doe indeed heare them in the Church or in the Closet O King live for ever The eternall God be thy Refuge and underneath the EVERLASTING ARMES Deut 33. 27. They deliver their King up into his enemies hands they set him in the Front of the battell As they would set themselves at the mouth of a Cannon or thrust themselves into the mouth of a Lyon or Beare bereaved of her whelpes which will teare the Cawle of their hearts So they cleare themselves and their innocency at this point Ai but a man is not justified by the words of his own mouth Well be it so that their owne vvords cleare them not See how the Lord cleares them How They behave themselves wisely and God is with them They proceed on and doe exploits as Men made wise by the wisedome of God and mighty in the strength of His power They can strengthen their hand in God They can encourage themselves in Him He hath made an hedge about them and about their house and about all that they have on every side He hath blessed the worke of their hands and prospered the very thoughts of their hearts These were to promote Christ the Glory for He is worthy He hath constantly shin'd upon their counsels He or they that can observe and can speak by the Spirit must say concerning this people as Amasai did concerning David Thine are we thou blessed of the Lord and on thy side thou daughter of Zion Peace peace be unto thee and peace be to thine helpers for Thy God helpeth thee d 1 Chro. 12. 18. Indeed He doth and in all the peoples sight They can see the Salvations of a God comming in unto them with the seale impresse and inscription of the Wisdome Power Majesty of a God upon them These servants of the Lord can say as David did My soule was among Lyons but the Lord shut the mouth that Devourer could not swallow-up e Ps 57. 4. They did lye among them who were set on fire yet their garments did not smell of the smoake But for the wicked it shall not be so with them not so with them that seeke the hurt of their King They may triumph for a short time and joy for a moment but how oft is their candle put out how oft commeth their destruction upon them f Iob 21. 17. God distributeth sorrowes in His Anger The wicked shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away The Lord rewardeth the wicked and they shall know it Thus and thus shall it be to the wicked but thou Lord Ps 5. 12. wilt b●esse the righteous with favour wilt thou compasse him as with a shield That 's the Conclusion That the salvations of God great salvations are evermore the portio● of the Church the Israel of God who seeke the p●ace and life of their King and so they can commit their righteous cause unto a righteous God Whose eyes are upon the Truth and will blesse those that are children of blessing even according to the innocency of their hands and integrity of their hearts in this matter even so Amen ¶ 1. I shall passe-over now a chiefe thing vvhich must be concluded also from the premises and containes much I shall name it only and no more and so put a Marke upon it for observation † 1. That the Lord hath a time to bring downe H●s Adversaries When Then when they are a float when the flood of their pride riseth to the highest When they say in their hearts They will climbe up above the heights of the clouds and be like the most high d Esa 14. 14. They had an arme like God such were their proud thoughts Who changeth the times and the seasons ramoveth and setteth up a Dan. 2 21. they could sl●y whom they would and whom they would they could keep alive They could set up whom they would and whom they would they could put down b Dan. 5. 17. When their heart was thus lifted up then they came downe mightily then the Lord was above them in all wherein they dealt proudly c Exo. 18. 11. and made them know that they are but Men d Ps 9. 10. Vehementissimèag n●scant Iun. But this knowledge is too high for them they will not know in good earnest that they are but Men. For truely wee are a stubborne Generation as our fore-Fathers vvho vvhen they saw their fellowes killed vvith plagues yet they Repented not of the workes