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_v	lord_n	zion_n	24	3	8.6852	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77987	Habakkuks prayer applyed to the churches present occasions, on Hab. 3. 2. And Christs counsel to the church of Philadelphia, on Rev. 3. 11. / Preached before the provincial assembly of London. By that late reverend and faithful minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Samuel Balmford, pastor of Albons Woodstreet.	Balmford, Samuel, d. 1659?	1659 (1659)	Wing B608; Thomason E1910_2; ESTC R209972	36,857	123

8. used or was used for them in respect of their Land Isa 63. 17 18. The people of thy holinesse have enjoyed it but a while and in a small scantling c. But to draw to a conclusion 3. Would we have God revive this work for his people Then we must pray also that God would revive his work in his people and with it his people themselves and each of us is to look that it be revived in himself What work is this First The life of Faith in the main Remember The just shall live by Faith Chap. 2. 4. that is Faith shall be a principle of life exercising many lively acts in them and they shall attain to the life of Restauration and Comfort by believing Gods promises And therefore we are not to lie down in any dejections or despondences of mind through distrust of Gods power or promises in any case that may conduce most to his glory in his peoples good Secondly The Spirit of prayer for the reparation of Zion the spiritual restorement of the Church for when the Lord shall stir up his servants more generally and heartily to pray with melting compassionate affections toward the spiritual dilapidations deformities of his Churches it will be a good sign that the set time to favor his Zion is come See Psal 102 13 14. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof 3ly Resolutions for best endeavours in behalf of the work of Reformation This concerns you all beloved in your several places and therefore to be far from being obstructors of it through worldly and carnal ends instead of being its promoters and advancers and they that have pretended to build with Gods people when they have intended to hinder as they in Ezra 4. 2 3. God will discover them But more especially this concerns you my reverend and much respected Brethren of the Provincial Assembly to look that you put forth revived spirits toward this work If that were true sano sensu Jupiter quos servare vult suscitat then 't is as true eos per quos servare vult c. If God quicken up those whom he will save then those by whom he will save others instrumentally O let us therefore through grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stir up the gifts and graces of God in us let us quicken up our selves to use all counsels and endeavours for the furtherance of Gods Church-work and joyntly attend upon and prosecute all those good means according to our trust undertaken whereby it may be carried on forward waiting on God for the issues of all our prayers and all our endeavours which shall seem best to his heavenly wisdom However events shall fall out to us in our time resolve as our Prophet doth infer ver 17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation FINIS Christs counsel to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown THese are a parcel of the words of Christ immediately directed unto the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia but mediately to that whole Church and every Member of it yea intended for the good of other Churches also and therefore of ours For he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches It is the common Epiphonema which our Lord subjoyns to all his Epistles unto those Asian Churches written according to the dictate of his spirit by the pen of his Apostle John in the second and third Chapters of this Book He would have every one that hath an hearing ear to lend his attention to that which is spoken by his spirit to what Church soever in that such is the general nature of all Churches and Church-Members as either they do or may stand in need of all such divine admonitions as are addressed occasionally to any of them Now whether those seven particular Churches written unto by our Lord in this Context were Types of several Churches of several constitutions and temperaments and conditions to follow in after-times by divine providence I will forbear to assert positively though I cannot but say what I think that the invention of one of our own Worthies was very bright and clear in finding out those suitable correspondencies between these seven and others succeeding down to this present age respectively Now for that Church in Philadelphia to which my Text is part of that which was written this is remarkable concerning it that it that of Smyrna were the only Churches of all the seven which our Lord Christ openly reproved not at all wheras he found something reproveable in all the rest as on the other side it is remarkable concerning that of the Laodiceans that it was the only Church of the seven which Christ commended not at all whereas he took notice of something commendable in all the rest and why this not because there was nothing faulty or imperfect in those of Smyrna and Philadelphia but to shew how much the Lord favoureth humble modesty nor because there was nothing good in that of Leodicea but to shew how much the Lord disliketh proud vain-glory But I wave such general Observations I draw nigh to the words read unto Sect. you And not to take up any of our time with an exact Analysis of Christ his Epistle to Philadelphia because I shall go near to draw all the lines from the utmost circūstance of it into the center of my Text know only that after he had given testimony to the present good that was in her ver 8. and assurance of after goodness he would shew to her ver 9 10. both in subduing disguised Adversaries and in preserving her under temptations he comes in the words I have hinted upon to exhort her unto duty upon a double motive The duty is To to hold fast that which she had Brevis est hortatio sed Emphatica valde Pareus The first motive which is placed in the front is taken from the speedinesse of Christ his coming behold I come quickly The second which follows in the rear is from the possibility of danger upon neglect of that duty that no man take thy Crown First of the duty Touching which take up this Observation that It concerns the best of Gods Obser Churches and people to hold fast that which they have I purpose to handle this Point which is the principal in the Use so as ye shall perceive it reacheth not only Church-Officers but also Church-members and those of what condition soever this duty being of universal concernment to

die out of the snuffe so is it in Spiritual cases unlesse we be somewhat fervent for truth and holinesse for Church-Ordinances and Discipline we shall quickly leave acting for them and be at a losse of them Therefore be fervent in Spirit And to direct our aimes and intentions in it know lastly according to that Scripture that we must look at the Lords service as serving the Lord we must be fervent in Spirit and not sloathful in businesse The Apostle bids ordinary servants do their Masters service not as looking to them onely but to the Lord Ephes 6. 7. Col. 3. 23. How much more then should they approve themselves to the Lord with all fervency of Spirit whose service and businesse is about the matters of God and his house These considerations surely may be helpful to Church-Officers and Members to hold fast what they have 5. If we be resolved for constancy in holding fast what good we have then let us shew our selves lovers and observers of all good Orders Enemies to Order are Enemies to Constancy Both together availe much for great issues and atchievements But pervert or disturb the former and you subvert or breake the latter cryers down of all Forms are monstra informia unshapen Monsters as opposite to God in their endeavours as may be for whereas God brought a bountiful Creation out of a Chao's They would reduce all into a Chao's again might they have their will or wishes for ought appears by their words Plainly therefore would we retaine either soundnesse of Doctrine or holinesse of life we must pray and endeavour to keep good order in all Church-Administrations Marke that of the Apostle in Colos 2. 5. Rejoycing saith he and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ He joynes Order with stedfastnesse and puts Order though the less before stedfastnesse of faith though the greater because Order conduceth much unto stedfastness And wherefore is there so much unstedfastnesse this day among our people even about the most important points of Faith but because they are all out of Order No Rule held over them their Traces cut the Reins cast upon their necks and the communalty of them unskilful to rule themselves I speak in reference to Spirituals They wander from one Church unto another now they are in one Conventicle or Assembly and then in another In one place they meet with some good Principles it may be but in another with bad and gather matter of corruption of minde and practice one piece after another and how then should they hold fast what good they had How much then doth it concern us all in our several places to keep Order and Rules of Government And would to God our Rulers at length would powerfully help us all to keep such as may be sound undoubtedly approveable 6 Exercise patience as this Church did ver 10. keeping the word of Christs patience not only the rule prescribing patience but patience it self prescribed by that rule For patience is necessary unto perseverance in a good profession in a good practice whether publickly or privately The impatient person doth not possess his own soul see Luk. 21. 19. he hath not an hold fast of him self and therefore what else can he hold fast If we would like good plants retain our moisture our sustenance and bring forth fruit to perfection it must be with patience Luke 8. 15. If we would do the will of God according to our places throughly and constantly so as to receive the promises we have need of patience Hebr. 10. 36. Wherefore do so many depart from God and turn from his truth and will and way but because they are impatient and will not wait Gods leisure till he vindicate his own cause or means effectually for the clearing up of Controversies and reforming of things amiss and so falling a mourning that things are carried crosse unto their former Principles and perswasions they fling out and are carried headily any way that may give them most present contentment whatever it may do afterward But not to tire your patience too long 7. Approve we our selves right Philadelphians that is according to the Etymon of the word Brotherly lovers and lovers of the Brethren See 1 Thes 4. 9. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Heb. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue Without this we cannot keep long in any good order nor keep in patience long c. Nor which is the main keep long in the possession and practice of truth and holiness Mark that Context Ephes 12 3. Forbearing one another in love Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace If we break in point of love we quickly break the bond of peace and love being broken we cannot long keep the unity of the Spirit what is that Unity in the disposition of our spirits in judgements and affections But there must be more then that viz. 2. Unity of our spirits in assent and adherence to Gods Spirit his Doctrines his Principles his Ordinances that so our unity may be evidenced to be 3. Unitiy wrought by the Holy Spirit of God knitting us together as Members of one Mystical body after a Spiritual and Mystical manner To the keeping of this I say brotherly love is requisite No marvel therefore if we hold not fast what we had I speak of the common hold fast since there is such want of brotherly love among us since our people are fallen into so many Divisions and breaches A condition with tears of blood to be lamented And O that all Sardenses and Laodiceans about us would transire in castra or rather in tentoria Philadelphensium Then might we see happy times and God can bring them on when he pleaseth Mean while let us Beloved shew our selves right Philadelphians of an humble meek loving gentle yet a couragious and tenacious spirit to hold fast true Doctrine and Discipline holinesse of life and conversation Our love one toward another will strengthen the hearts and hands one of another and the failing of it as much weaken us c. Let Angels and Officers of Churches think of this in the first place who are to be Lights and Guides to others in the wayes of Love and Peace But then all the Members of our Churches in their several places And to close all Let us shew our selves Philadelphians in our sympathetical affections in love towards our Brethren of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas and of neighbouring Nations because we all profess to hold the same good things of God both for Doctrine and Discipline for the main substance of it More specially sympathize with them who are now in an hour of temptation to try them Pray that though they could not hold fast what they had in Houses Lands and other outward possessions nor Ministers nor Churches nor their nearest relations many of them yet they may hold fast true faith and good consciences to the end as many of those that have been massacred already did to the end as divers of their Ancestors also did see many foregoing Generations And contribute also toward them in love for the relief of their necessities as we shall be shortly called upon to do in our respective places Now who so in the use of such meanes shall hold fast that which he hath of Truth and Grace and persevering overcome Christ promiseth him in the verse following that he will make him pillar in the Temple of his God and he shall goe no more out A verse very well worthy our attendance unto a further explanation of it but the time now cuts me off c. FINIS