Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	add_v	affliction_n	zion_n	20	3	7.5990	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91431	A farewel sermon preached in VVake-Field, January 1, 1655 By Thomas Parker, Master of Arts, late minister of that church.	Parker, Thomas, Minister of Wake-Field.	1656 (1656)	Wing P476; ESTC R229920	24,920	28

experience having acquainted him with the vanity and his miseries with the vexation of it In another perhaps a contempt or wearinesse of his life like a discontented Jonah Take I beseech thee my life from me or Elias under the Juniper Tree it is enough c. and this is sometimes accounted a special piece of piety and mortification A third falls to his prayers oftner then usual and is importunate in the duty as the tempest in Jonah cast the Heathen Mariners upon their knees A fourth making some progress towards reformation wishings and wouldings that he were a better man but all these make not up this breach of divine fear this true waiting upon God and submission to his wisdom I shall now desire for your future good to commend these Instructions to you 1. Be sure to eye God in all his dispensations whether of mercy or judgement for all mercies spiritual and temporal return thanks to him from whom every good and perfect gift cometh as a Present both to humblenesse and thankfulnesse but that which I would now commend to you is the eying of God in the several dispensations of his judgements whosoever be the instrument look upon him as the author of the punishment there is the hand and counsel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 4.28 All the sin and furies guilt and damnation of Hell may be in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doing or executing Gods Will Satan alone having the Patent of persecution and every Persecutor intrenching upon Hell for his Commission but then all the mercy and all wisedom sometimes the redeeming of a World in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing being done Paul calls his suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brands or prints of Christ not only the transcripts of his suffering but the works of his hands also I dare commend this to you from my own experience I have found it a strong support to me under my sad persecutions and I have cause to blesse God this day that he made me a sufferer and punished me immediately for my sins a faire step to future Salvation and not a Persecutor whereby adding affliction to Gods anger my own hellish spirit had wrapped me up to eternal destruction Secondly That you may rightly wait on him you must not only look upon these dispensations as Gods hand but as his right hand the hand of love look upon your afflictions as caustick Plaisters preparatory to the incarnative the Knife and the Lance reckoned by Hypocrates among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mollifying Preparations which the Physitian must ever carry about with him as your new Artists tels us of a Feaver it is not properly a disease but an indeavour or strife of nature to cure her self ever look upon your afflictions as designed for your good for the humiliation of your untamed spirits to bring you to a neerer sight of your God a neerer sight of your selves a stricter inquiry into your own hearts to deal neer to God to make your Peace with him and the like Look not upon them as things from chance or malice those two heathen principles of Theology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as sent on purpose from love and pondering from judgement and bowels sent not as a curse to you for sin that is already satisfied to and for the elect in Christ but as tryals and fatherly chastizements to bring you to himself Secondly as we are to wait upon God in his ways so it is a part of his fear to wait upon him in his times It is recorded as an errour of Gods own people that they limited the holy one of Israel Psalm 78.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would sign design circumscribe God write or determine for or instead of God bring him down and confine him to their own times and their own wayes a folly we are all naturally inclined to whether in case of judgement inflicted or mercies promised and expected we are all for the present time but Gods times are not our times My times are in thy hands says David Psal 31.15 as well the time of removing as aying on the burthen we have met with evil times God fit us for the worst and we are prone to murmur both at the weight and continuance of our Pressures and to expostulare with God and charge his ways as unequal and unreasonable let me therefore commend this to you wait Gods times in all events learn to stand still and you will see the salvation of the Lord you will reap in due season if you faint not Gal. 6.9 though it be troublesome you will find it comfortable and usefull to your spirits when your rebellious hearts shall put you on to murmuring and impatience remember this God hath his time to have mercy upon Sion and he will assuredly come when the sins of his enemies are come to maturity become impudent and incorrigible when our own spirits are throughly humbled and all hopes and helps in man so far removed that we have neither hope nor help but in God then may we look for him in the mean time I will wait Thus he that feareth the Lord waits contentedly and calmly for his return he beleeveth in the Lord and his feet stand fast This is that time I would intreat you to wait for and it is the second precious stone in the ring to wait God in his ways and in his times The third is to walk with him which is here in the Text called Keeping his Commandments The word Schamar signifies not only to Keep but to lay up and hide or treasure in the heart as Jacob is said to have observed or laid up in his heart the saying of Joseph It is translated to take heed 1 King 2.4 to observe or keep their ways Psal 105.45 A comparison taken from a Watchman in a City or the Garison in a Fortress all these expressing that care diligence and solicitude which all those that fear God have in and about their obedience This is that yoke of Christ I have often commended to you an easie yoke Matth. 11.30 all pleasure and profit made up in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a yoke not like that of the Law a weight and burthen but fitted and smoothed by Christ to be an instrument of advantage and make the burthen more easie and supportable a yoke wherein Christ himself draws with and for us that we may the better undergo it I know this part of the fear of God will rellish harshly with such spirits as are unaccustomed to this yoke unacquainted with the sweetnesse of it To take leave of our old acquaintance to carry out the whole body of our lusts to their Funeral it goes heavie with a heart under the power of sin to spiritualize the flesh rack it fetch it from the lees to put on the yoke enter the traces and harnesse for the future race these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the child-birth pangs of dying