Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	active_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	41	3	8.5020	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93130	The Qvakers wilde questions objected against the ministers of the Gospel, and many sacred acts and offices of religion. With brief answers thereunto. Together with A discourse of the Holy Spirit, his impressions and workings on the sovls of men. Very seasonable for these times. / By R. Sherlock, B.D.	Sherlock, R. (Richard), 1612-1689.	1654 (1654)	Wing S3254; Thomason E1495_3; ESTC R208535	67,037	174

to our own understanding or trust too much to our own wit judgment reading learning or the like as knowing full well That the Lord gives wisdome Prov. 2.6 and from him cometh knowledge and understanding But hereupon either to despise or neglect those ways and means and helps which God in his merciful providence hath afforded us for to attain wisdom c. as the study of Tongues and Languages Arts and Sciences the reading and distinctly weighing the Discourses of the learned and to depend upon immediate Revelation and Infusion of such gifts from Heaven as if they should drop upon our barren hearts as did the Manna in the Wilderness upon the Tents of Israel out of the clowds and by miracle this is a false gloss which the spirit of delusion puts upon the former truth thereby to inveigle us 1. To tempt the good Spirit of God 2. To be exposed and laid open to seducing spirits 3. To enshrine Lady Ignorance again as the Mother of Devotion which all men know but who are blinded with ignorance to be the Dame of superstitious errors and confusions 3. § 33 Rightly to believe in the Son of God as the mean of our justification here and ground of our hope of salvation hereafter this is an impression of Gods Spirit on the soul of man and in respect hereof we are said to have the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I believed therefore have I spoken faith as it is doctrinal being a spiritual gift and reckoned amongst them 1 Cdr. 12.9 1 Cor. 12.9 And as it is practical being a grace or fruit of the Spirit and reckoned amongst them also Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.22 But now to mingle and divide and as it were to cut asunder this true Evangelical Faith as it stands full and intire in all its integral parts both of doctrine and practice so as to be vainly puft up with a conceit of being engraffed into Christ and thereby to be justified here and sure of heaven hereafter whether we live according to the rule of Faith and in obedience unto the Gospel of Christ or no to define and measure our Faith not by the sacred acts thereof commanded which is called the righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.6 but by our own too too credulous fancies and apprehensions as if it were no more to be in Christ but presumptuously to pretend unto it and impudently without just ground to believe it This surely cannot be that true Evangelical Faith whereunto so many promises are annext but a false gloss which the spirit of Error hath put thereupon thereby 1. to puff up the hearts of too too credulous men with spiritual pride and presumption and make them swell with the empty conceit and airy fancy of their own happy and eminent state and condition when there is no such matter And 2. to inveigle men to neglect the use and practise of Christian graces those fruits of the Spirit which are as it is already said the very life and soul of Christianity and consequently the way to heaven if ever we mean to arrive there 4. § 34 It is an impression of Gods Spirit on the soul of man 1 King 19.14 To be zealous for the Lord of Hosts that is to be exceedingly fervent and forward earnest and desirous by all possible ways and means to advance the religious worship and service of God But to be so factious and forward so firie and furious as by any illegal extravagant and disorderly means to advance the truth it self much less to set up any private opinions in relation to Gods Service which have not been Vincent semper ubique ab omnibus The three rules of Catholick Doctrine and Worship to be generally and for the most part of the Primitive times at least of all persons at all times and in all places received and not now and then here and there by hereticks and schismaticks only introduc'd I say to be zealous for such pieces of Religion Doctrine and Worship and that per fas nefasque through just or unjust means by right or by wrong to endevour the advancement thereof this is not true zeal but a false gloss which the Devil puts thereupon even through the violence of this distempered heat 1. To divide separate and break men into sects factions and parties that they might so clash together to the ruine of each other And 2. to inveigle men into conspiracies seditions and rebellions against their Governours § 35 The like may be observed of zeal for the conversion of a sinner and bringing souls into the obedience of Christ the more zealous and active diligent and industrious any man is herein with the more fire of Gods Spirit no question he is endued But withall observe that to be active and zealous to seduce and deceive to inveigle and draw men aside into false and erroneous opinions in Religion is not a heat cast forth from the fire of Gods Spirit but it ariseth rather from the fire of hell it comes from our adversary the Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 who also continually goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour And his Disciples they be and consequently in the same woful state and condition with him who take pains to proselyte persons unto the ways of error and perdition Matth. 23.15 Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees and hypocrites for ye compass sea and land to make one Proselytes and when he is made you make him twofold more the childe of hell then your selves § 36 'T is an impression of Gods Spirit on the minde of man to be apt and ready Matth. 18.15 active and forward to counsel advise admonish and in some cases and at some times to reprove one another Prov. 12.1 and tell men of their faults and He that hateth reproof is a fool but to rail and revile censure and judge and condemn our brethren and say it 's only a telling them of their faults and telling them what they are or to meddle with other mens matters that concern us not or to reprove other mens faults whilst our selves are guilty of greater These are no true parts of Christian fraternal admonition but false glosses that the Devil puts hereupon 1. To allure men to overlook and neglect themselves and the amendment of their own faults and amisses And 2. to dissolve the sacred bonds of amity peace and unity with others which are those ligaments and sinews of the body of the Church whereby good Christians are coupled and united and join together in the sacred service of God which is the way of their own salvation § 37 And as into erroneous opinions on the one hand so into sinful actions on the other are we allured and inveigled by the same subtil wile of Satan obtruding his false counterfeit coin of wickedness under the shew and semblance of the impressions of

the cursed tares of many and strong delusions for that subtil Serpent full well knows how both easily and powerfully to insinuate his Lyes and Errors into mindes unsetled and not grounded in the knowledge of the Truth So that most truly is that complaint of the Lord by his Prophet Hosea verified of this people Hos Hos 4.6 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge even for lack of what they so much boast of That grand Enemy the Prince of Lyes hath taken them in the very Net themselves have made even in the snare of self-conceited knowledge and holiness Rom. 1.22 whilest supposing themselves wise they became fools And pretending to the Spirit of God whom they rightly know not they are intrapt by the Spirit of Error and miserably seduced to the ruine of their souls Hence it is chiefly though not only hence through ignorance intermixt with pride that the Devill hath made so great a harvest of tares overgrowing and choaking the pure wheat of Truth Matth. 13.25 No Age of the Church having ever been so fruitful in Heresies and Errors whilest the ever blessed Name of the Spirit of God is abused by persons most impudently pretending to him that yet remain ignorant of him for had they known this Lord of life it had not been possible the spirit of Delusion could have prevailed so far with them as to infix so many Lyes Impostures and Blasphemies upon his score as therefore Saint Paul directed the Athenians to the knowledge of the true God whom they ignorantly worshipped Act. 17.23 and so their pious intentions through ignorance degenerated into gross Idolatries so it cannot but be an office both seasonable and charitable as also of great benefit and present necessity plainly to set down and deliver the true Orthodoxall Doctrine of the Holy Ghost his Impressions and Workings on the soul of man that so men may have a right understanding of this ever Blessed Person of the Godhead so much mistaken and his Sacred Name to the high offence of his Majesty so much profaned by impudent and false pretences A DISCOURSE OF THE Holy Spirit § 1 THE Doctrine of the Holy Ghost in respect both of his Person and Office is by the Nicene Creed thus clearly and fully set down I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth both from the Father and the Son who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets To give you my Comment upon this Text were but to hold a candle to the Sun the Doctrine delivered is so clear and perspicuous All that can be said upon this Article of our Christian Faith is reducible to four heads 1. Of the Person of the Holy Ghost in himself 2. Of his Office or Workings on the mindes of men 3. Of the trial of the true from false spirits 4. Of the means to be made partakers of the Spirit of Truth The two first are doctrinal and speculative points for the rectifying and fitting the understanding rightly to conceive and believe aright this Article of Christian Faith The two last are practical and applicatory for the guidance of our actions and Christian performances according to this belief § 2 The more clearly to understand the Doctrine of the Spirit of God it will be necessary to use the light of some distinctions for so the naked and plain truth of any thing is most clearly and distinctly seen when namely 't is divided and distinguisht from its conjunction with other things of the same or like name and nature which is the ground of that old Maxime Qui bene distinguit bene docet The way to teach well or clearly to deliver any truth is rightly to distinguish that truth from other truths that are of near affinity thereunto either in name or nature or in the words of the Apostle which is the language of the Spirit of Truth Rightly to divide the Word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 2 Tim. 2.5 which was one of those many qualifications of the Apostles of Christ wherewithall they were immediately inspired by this Spirit of Truth for the propagation of the Gospel intimated in that he descended from Heaven upon them in cloven or divided Tongues § 3 And first that we mistake not the creature for the Creator Distinct 1 God over all blessed for ever we must remember that a spirit is either Create or Increate or more plainly sometimes the word Spirit is in holy Scripture applyed to the creature sometimes to the Creator § 4 There are several kindes of created spirits as 1. Those glorious Inhabitants of the highest Heavens the holy and blessed Angels Heb. 1.14.2 Are they not all ministring spirits c. Heb. 1.14 2. Those cursed inhabitants of the neather Hell the chained Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.11.3 the Apostles styles them Ephes 6.12 spiritual wickednesses or wicked spirits 3. The souls of men which quicken and enliven these our frail and mortal bodies every man being composed of two natures a body and a soul or flesh and spirit Gen. Get. 2.7 2.7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth meaning his body and breathed into his Nosthrils the breath of life meaning his soul and so man became a living soul or living by his soul or spirit created or infused by God into his earthly body 4. The life and animation of each sensitive creature therefore we read Psal Psal 150.6 150.6 Let every thing that hath breath or spirit prayse the Lord All these are several kindes of created spirits some more some less pure fine and spiritual § 5 But there is an increated Spirit also who being neither made or created in himself is the great Maker and Creator of all spirits and of all things who being the prime Fountain and Original of all beeings is so eminent and transcendent a Beeing that as he is in himself he only knows himself nor is it possible for us or any creatures who derive their beeing from him to attain the perfect knowledge of him and therefore is he pleased in his holy Word wherein he reveals himself unto us to describe himself by the names and properties of his excellent and most eminent kinde of creatures which are spirits so that God is tearmed a Spirit Analogically because Angels or Spirits are the purest finest quickest most active and intelligent beeings But that we may not rank God with Angels or Spirits for he hath no match or equal we must learn this one general rule in Divinity Whatsoever is spoken of God in the Scriptures and withall is applyable to any creature must be understood of God eminenter by way of eminency and transcendency as the Prototype and grand Exemplar of that perfection which is applyed to the creature As here Angels are Spirits and the souls of men are spirits but God is not a Spirit at they are spirits for he

divine and celestial graces wherewithall the Apostles were endued and whereby the souls of men are ayr'd cleans'd and purified and so sanctified to the sacred service of God and by the fire was represented the gifts they were enriched withall for the enlightning of the mindes and enflaming the affections of others § 17 The first kinde of the holy Spirits impressions are his graces represented by the winde Joh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou knowest not whence it comes nor whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the spirit As the winde being a pure fine thin subtil nature is invisible we perceive it not neither can we conceive whence it comes or whither it goes all the perception we have of the winde is by its effects and operations when it moves theayr tosses the clowds shakes the trees raises the dust of the earth c. nay so active and subtil a thing is the winde that if it act not we say it is not when nothing is moved or stirred by the winde we say there is no winde so is every one that is born of the Spirit that is every one whose soul is animated and actuated by the graces of Gods Spirit For 1. the workings of the Spirit of grace within us are quick and insensible 't is unconceiveable how and in what manner he works upon our hearts Only 2. we know him by his effects and workings as when he moves and enclines the soul to what is holy just and good or when he shakes the heart into contrition compunction and godly sorrow for sin or when he raiseth the minde out of the dust and rubbish of earthly vanities and mounts it upon the wings of heavenly desires and meditations c. And 3. as when we see no stirring no moving of the ayr but all is calm and still we say there is no winde so when there is no good motions or desires within us no inclinations to piety or charity no godly contrition for sin no rising of the minde towards heaven nor breathing after things divine and heavenly we may well say that soul is becalmed the Spirit of God is not there neither hath the heavenly winde of the Almighty breathed therein § 18 These graces of Gods Spirit represented by the winde are the very essentials the very life and beeing the very spirit and soul of true Christianity and are as necessary to the being of a good Christian in the life of graces as is the natural winde or breath of his Nosthrils to his beeing and living the life of nature therefore we are tearmed the Body of Christ Rom. 12.5 the soul that animates us being the grace of his Spirit and every man therefore that hath the name of Christ called upon him is but nominis Christiani extrinsecus superficies an empty outlide superficial christian that is not in some measure endued with his graces To all persons it necessarily belongs to be partakers of them whether Pastor or people Lay or Clergy gifted or ungifted men whether we have the gifts of the Spirit or no we must not be destitute of his graces but upon all hearts this heavenly winde must blow to purifie and cleanse to air and dry up the superfluous naughtiness of our natures that so our souls and bodies may be the temples of the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 6.16 even by the grace of Gods Spirit devoted and consecrated to the sacred service of his heavenly Majesty § 19 A Catalogue of the spiritual graces we have recorded Gal. 5.22 for they are the same which are there tearmed the fruits of the Spirit The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law These are called the fruit of the Spirit for two reasons 1. Because as material fruits grow not but upon trees neither do these graces grow in the soul but upon the tree of life Joh. 14.4 5. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing 2. As material fruits are to the body and corporal tast so are the fruits of the Spirit to the soul they are both pleasant and delightsome and also satisfie and feed the soul unto life eternal therefore it is said against such there is no Law there 's no law can condemn such as bring forth these fruits in their lives and conversations as Rom. 8.1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit § 20 The second kinde of the holy Spirits impressions on humane souls are his gifts represented by the fire Matth. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is he shall endow and sprinkle the souls of men with such gifts of the holy Ghost as are by fire represented viz. gifts which like unto fire shall be effectual and powerful to enlighten the understandings melt the hearts and enflame the affections and desires of men And as the fire burns not for it self but for the light and warmth of others so the gifts of the Spirit are imparted to the sons of men Matth. 5.15 not to be hidden like a lighted candle under a bushel not to wrapt up in a retired obscurity Luk. 19.20 with the talent of the unprofitable servant in a napkin but to be imployed to appear to shine forth and manifest themselves for the profit benefit and edification of others therefore called the manifestations of the Spirit as shewing what the end and intent of the donation from the Spirit is viz. to profit withall 1 Cor. 11.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall As the end and use of the several parts of the body is neither to be idle nor yet to be imployed for it self only as the ey is to see and yet not for it self only but for the direction of the hands feet c. the feet are to walk and yet not for themselves only but also for the eys hands c. Even so the end and use of the several gifts of Gods Spirit to several members of Christs body severally is both that they should be imploy'd and imployed too not only for private use but for the mutual benefit and edification each of other 1 Cor. 12. as Saint Paul at large in the same chapter the main subject whereof is the gifts of the Spirit a catalogue whereof you have ver 9 10 11. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another faith by the same spirit c. Note where by the way observe In that Faith is in this place reckoned amongst the gifts