Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	adoption_n	cry_v	father_n	9,732	5	5.0154	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80742	Gospel-libertie in the extensions limitations of it. Wherein is laid down an exact way to end the present dissentions, and to preserve future peace among the Saints. VVhereunto is added good newes from heaven; to the worst of sinners on earth. The former in nine sermons on 1 Cor. 10. 23. All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expeaient. The latter in three sermons on Luke 2. 10. Feare not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. By Walter Cradock late preacher at All-Hallows Great in London;	Cradock, Walter, 1606?-1659.; Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1648 (1648)	Wing C6762A; ESTC R204983	178,682	290

hearted sinners or mortified sinners as soone as ever temptation tells you that you are not humbled enough you will be gone againe the bone will be out of joynt againe and so you will be as a reed tossed of the winde you will never be fastened to Christ whosoever holds Christ upon any qualifications on his side must let him goe one time or other As for instance if he thinke the Gospel be directed to broken heartednes and he can weep at a sermon to morrow his heart may be hard and then hee thinks he is a devill that was but now a Saint Therefore many Christians after many yeares Profession of Religion never felt their souls knit till God rightly and truly taught them this lesson but then they were knit to Christ and their soules were never in and out they were never loose more because they were able in all temptations to retreat to this truth as a refuge For let the devil tell a man he is no Saint the soule can say I am a sinner if the devill say thou art an hypocrite I but an hypocrite is but a sinner I am a sinner still though I be not a broken hearted sinner so let the devill and hell say what they will they shall never beat him from that refuge And saith the soul being a sinner I am the proper object of grace and life and salvation in the Gospel and though I have no comfort as a Saint that I am in the Kingdome of Heaven yet at least I have comfort that I am a sinner and I may be there though I have no comfort that I am in yet I have comfort that I am neare and the doore is open though I be not a Siant I am a sinner and if I have no reall interest in Christ as a Saint yet I have interest in the promises of Christ as a sinner and though I cannot serve God chearfully as a Saint yet I will serve God as comfortably as I can as one that may be a Saint In Matth. 13. It is said of the Merchant man he found the feild wherein was the treasure he rejoiced I remember a worthy man of this countrie he saith hee rejoyced not that he had found the pearle the treasure but he rejoyced that he was come neare a good bargaine he was come to the feild where it was so though I be not assured that I am a Saint yet a sinner may rightly receive this truth with joy as a sinner because he is neare a good bargaine Many doe little for God why This is the reason that you have many Professors that mislearne the first principles of religion of which this is the greatest they will never doe any thing for God but when they are assured of their salvation if there be the least doubt that the work of grace is not right they mope and will doe nothing for God but vex and fret and tug and when their qualifications are gone that they builded on then they think they are hypocrites and damned creatures and God shall have no service from them when other people that it may be have not fully assurance they are Saints not one day of three in the whole yeare yet there is a current and streame of obedience and love and delight in God in some measure and they goe on constantly though not so strongly doing and suffering his holy will Why because they have learned the Gospel aright they obey God in the notion of sinners saith the soule I see a great deale of love in God to poore sinners and the Gospel containes nothing but glad tidings to sinners and though I have nothing in me that may make me the childe of Christ yet the way is open therefore I will goe on with the work let him doe what he will Thus the soule is knit to Christ that come what will it will never be beaten off from Christ I never knew my owne soule knit to Christ till God had taught me this but it was off and on as a bone in and out a Saint to day and an Hypocrite to morrow to call God Father to day and Enemy to morrow The Gospel is directed to a sinner quasi a sinner not as this or that sinner but as a sinner there is the object of salvation This makes a Saint I say go with constancie if I cannot goe to Christ as a Saint yet I can as a sinner so he hath something that k●epes him that he is not as many Professors that are ready to kill and hang and drowne themselves because they see the Gospel is made to Saints and they see they are not Saints then they are in a worse condition than sinners Learne this you that are Professors of Religion that are in and out that have spent ten or twentie or thirtie yeares and your soules are not knit to Christ begg of the Lord to teach you this lesson The next Lesson that I would teach you from the Lord is Use 2 To labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that this being so that in the administration of the New Testament or the Ministery of the Gospel there is nothing but glad tidings no object but what is amiable and good then all you that have received Jesus Christ let me exhort you to this labour to get up in you a perfect spirit of adoption my meaning is this you know there is a spirit of adoption and a spirit of bondage the spirit of adoption is a frame of heart a temper of spirit like that of a childe to his father And you know it is ordinary with the Saints that they have a little adoption they can cry Abba father a little and low and at sometimes but there is a great deale of the spirit of bondage mingled with it there are sometimes feares secret whisperings in the heart O thou art not right Christ is not in thee if he were it is impossible thou shouldest be so weak and so easily overcome and there will be some flaw in the heart and soakings in of guilt that w● eat out a mans peace that sometimes he shall call God father another while he will look strangely upon God and be afraid to come to God and be loath to goe upon his knees before him and be glad when he is got out of his presence there is a spirit of bondage mingled with the spirit of adoption Now in the New Testament wee should labour for a full spirit of adoption Full spirit of adoption what What is that that is that there may be nothing in my heart towards God but pure love because in his dealing to me there is not a sillable but love and grace and glad tidings to me and my heart and life should be answerable Feares horrours whence For the reason of all the horrour that you finde in your hearts and all your feares and troubles that arise there they are from this error in your mindes this opinion that is

Apostle bids them doe all things decently and in order They had before in prophes●ing spoken three or foure at once so they missed of the end the Church was not edified Secondly they made the gifts of some vaine they justled and put out one another So when you in the worship of God or any thing that God hath not determined doe so as that you attaine the end and when things suit that one is not justled out and undervalued by another then it is done orderly So this is the sence there are many things that are lawfull but are not expedient That is many lawfull things if I doe them at such a time I shall doe them disorderly As it is lawfull for you to speake but if you speake while I am a preaching it is disorderly for we shall not attaine the end of preaching you will put me out and make but a squabling so put these foure generall rules together you understand the doctrine that all things that are lawfull are not expedient If I were not desirous to make an end of this I could prove the doctrine though it need not much proofe by scripture and by parallelling it with other things with naturall things As in the Civill law many things are lawfull that are not convenient it is lawful for me to keep my child barer in apparrell than my servant but it is not convenient It is lawfull to keep my servant better than my wife but it is not convenient It is lawfull for a man to sleepe all day and to work all night I meane by the lawes of England but it is not convenient There are abundance of things that are lawfull for the saints that are no way expedient for them to doe But I passe that and hasten to the use and application briefely a word at this time Use To eye what is expedient and leave the rest for another time From this that hath been said learne this use which is the Third doctrine but for brevitie I make it the use or the application Of all that this being so that every thing that is lawfull is not expedient then it is the dutie of Christians to eye and observe not only I had almost said not so much but certainly not only to eye what is lawfull but in all their waies to looke what is expedient that is to see that it be orderly convenient laudable lovely of good report else though it be lawfull meddle not with it Therefore you shall see that the Apostle in all these questions from the seaventh Chapter to the middle of the eleaventh as you have many questions and in all or most of those the Apostle diverts the question They aske him if it were lawfull to marrie and being married if it were lawfull to put away their wives and if it were lawfull to eat meat offered to Idoles The Apostle doth not punctually answer to one of them whether it were lawfull or no but shewes what was convenient As if he should have said in all these and whatsoever else eye what is convenient and expedient as much and sometimes more than what is lawfull Reproofe of those that only regard what is lawfull Therefore this being so this points out clearly a generall fault among you That there are many professors among us this is the rule of their walking they only eye what is lawfull and what is unlawfull they goe about and trouble every minister and make endlesse questions Is this lawful and is that is it lawfull to play at Tables and at Cards and to weare long haire and naked breasts I will not dispute the lawfullnesse but I pray thee eye if it be seemly and of good report among the Saints whether it be convenient whether it advance any bodies good eye this There is a profession among you and a multitude of professors this is their religion they put their wayes under the new Testament in eye only what is absolutely lawfull or unlawfull good or evill and their questions are is it lawfull to doe this and that Sir They will goe as neare hell as one saith as the halter will reach as farr as they have law thy will goe to the brink of the pit as far as it is lawful though it may be they offend others and harden others that they will not come into God and breake the peace betweene them and their brethren and yet care not it is no matter is it not lawfull O wretched unhappie people that eye only the rule of lawfullnes and unlawfullnes What shall I say to them I have three words to say 1. It is a signe of an hypocrite First I say to such people that usually it is the signe of an hypocrit though it be not a certaine signe it is a very shrewd one it is a signe of a hollow heart that was never right to God that eyes only what is lawfull to doe it and unlawfull to avoid it it is a signe of a base heart that will do no more than needs must Why It is a signe that there is no love to God he will doe so much as God flatly commands and avoid that that God forbids or else he knowes he shall be damned but a heart full of love will alway be asking what is pleasing and seemly A drudg or servant in the house hates her master and had as live be hanged as to serve him if shee knew how but shee must but a wife that loves her husband dearely will shee doe every thing that shee may shee may goe to bed and lie til noone if she will he will not be angrie with her and though her husband bid her doe nothing yet shee will studie what is lovely and decent and comely pleasing and will not he take it kindly when he comes home O there is no love in thee a thousand to one but thou hast an hypocriticall heart for if there were love to God thou wouldest never stand so much upon lawfull and unlawfull as what is decent and comely c. hypocrites will goe as neare hell as they can that is their designe and the readie way thither is to goe to lawfull things only and not things expedient Well Secondly 2. It is a signe of an old Testament spirrit if it be not the signe of an hypocrit for I canōt say certainly it is yet it is a signe of an old Testament spirit divers of you rightly understand not that word it sounds harsh to you if you be strangers I wonder not at it but if you be those that continually heare me open the old Testament how our fathers were saved by the same Christ and by the same Covenant that we are c. I wonder that you should stumble for as you understand the book of God in reading it you cōpare one thing with another so you must understand mens preaching comparing one Sermon with another Now when I say an old Testament spirit I mean not another

not quite rooted out that there is in the Gospel administration some ill and bad tidings there is some love and some hatred some mercy and some wrath you think that it may be God is your father and it may be he is your enemie and that because you have sinned he will damne you to hell This is naturall and ordinary Now if you were convinced that there were nothing in the Gospel since our Lord Jesus is gone to heaven and is at the right hand of his Father there is nothing in his dispensation but love and mercy and no wrath hell and damnation and sin c. are all thrown away and if I be perfectly righteous and perfectly justified from all my sins if I have the spirit of Christ given me and am one with God for ever by an everlasting Covenant and shall have life and a Crowne of glory for ever and my sins shall not be laid to my charge O what a cleare and sweet spirit should I have in Gods service and not a muddie and dogged and froward spirit that ariseth from guilt soaking into the soule When I view this truth over and pull it by peice-meale and see that there is no gall nothing in the Gospel first or last but what is amiable and beautifull and blessed newes to sinners then there should follow this consideration why should there be any thing in my heart and spirit towards God but amiable thoughts and love c why should there be any of those coares of unbeliefe and distruct and feare and horrour Those mixtures of adoption and bondage Why should there be hellish feares or guilt in me since there is no wrath not anger at all in God Why should not the carriage of my heart be clear towards him as his is in his Sonne by the administration of the Gospel towards me Labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that you may not have any of those bublings of bondage in your spirits that now over take you and are twisted and woven with that little adoption that you have For who is there among us to this houre but when he comes before the Lord and hath a little smiling in his soule to see his favour and a little joy and delight to come at him and yet there is some feare and trembling as Peter when he was on the waves and what if God will not receive me c. Therefore studie to keep up the spirit of adoption It is a hard thing to keep up the temper of a childe in the soule especially when God lets a man fall into temptations and folly and weaknesse c. But though it be hard labour to keep up that temper at least thus much that thou never come to so low a condition which was the prayer of one that was a good man wherein thou canst not with a full mouth and with a cleare heart call God father and thee his childe though the unhappiest and unworthiest childe If thou come below this if thou call on God with feare and canst not cry abba abba that is as much as daddie daddie as our babes use to say if thou doe not come so high thou art spoiled and undone desire God to teach you this Lesson also The damnation of them that refuse the Gospel just Thirdly if this be so that the Ministery of the Gospel is all glad tidings to the worst of sinners then I appeale to you all and let every man put his hand upon his owne breast and if this be a truth as I hope it hath been cleared you shall all be your own judges how just will the damnation of that sinner be that will not receive the Gospel If there were in the Gospel ridged tidings sad newes as people are apt to fancie to themselves then it were no wonder if one persecuted it and another despised it and another neglected it and another turned it into wantoness But when it comes in such a ●reame that there is nothing but love and light and salvation and grace and all freely laid down at the feet of a sinner for his receiving nay he shall have power and grace to receive it he shall have salvation and a vessell to carry it in judge how justly thy damnation will be in the last day man or woman whosoever thou art that settest thy selfe against the Gospel and wilt not receive salvation Damnation mentioned frequently in the new-Testament why This is the reason why damnation comes out so rife in the new Testament it is scars ever mentioned in the old Testament that I know of damnation is not mentioned in the old Testament nor hell but as it is taken for the grave c. But when grace and the Gospel and life comes damnation comes at the heeles of it How can yee escape the damnation of hell Then comes the worme that never dieth and the fire that never goeth out The reason is because then damnation is proper Then when a man will not receive salvation not because he cannot no man is damned because he cannot receive Christ but because he will not receive this salvation and grace Therefore saith Christ Mat. 28. Goe preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned That is saith that godly Dr Preston go tell every wicked man this good newes that Christ hath brought salvation But it may be they will not believe what we say to them there is no more in the long and short but in a word tell them they shall be damned That is the reason in Mat. 22. where the Ministery of the Gospel is compared to a feast of dainties and one slights it and another despiseth it and another rejecteth it and when the Master of the feast came it is said he found one without a wedding garment and that the man was speechlesse he was as a man saith Beza with a halter about his neck saith hee goe Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth He was speechlesse he had nothing to say and truly I have had more experience lately than ever I had in my life I saw a man that was accounted all his life a professed Athiest and I was with him in the roome when one in the company opened the Gospel from one end to the other as I have endeavoured in my poore abilitie to doe now and all the riches and the salvation of it how free it is how there is no core nor nothing but what is amiable Saith the man when he had done judge yee will yee not think it just if yee be damned if ye will not receive and obey this Saith he it is so I deserve to be damned without mercy Consider this you will say so too you will be made to confesse how just your damnation will be for refusing it If there were any thing in all this that were harsh and cruell and rough

it should be mixed and mingled with the Gospel As to instance in a few many ministers undoe the soules of people I know this by experience that a Gospel-heart that is but weake in Gospel light and grace had rather lie a yeare in close prison than to be a yeare under a ministerie jumbling old and new together the Law and the Gospel for it routs and onfounds a poore soule As to preach terrour and damnation to a sinner qua a sinner properly as a sinner though we be called ministers of the Gospell yet this is a part of the ministerie of the Law for the Law brings curses for a sinner and blessings for him that doth well now when we quatinus as a sinner damme him 2. It is legall to do good or abstain from evill for fear of judgment and curse him we harden him and make him run further from God then before Secondly when men have drawen men to good or driven men from evil with judgments either spirituall or temporall this was the way of the ministery of the old testament When people shall take all the judgments of the old testament and perswade a man to do this or to take heed of that or else thou shalt have judgment fall upon thee and thou wilt bring judgment upon the Land Beloved this was the way of God certainly and the way of the ministery of the old testament but I never knew a saint a void evil or doe good for feare of such judgments Therfore looke to thy owne experience men may play at dice with the word of God that way if a mans wayes like them not they may say they will bring judgment upon the Land as Independants or as such and such men but these are but bug-beares why because in the Gospel the saints are dilivered from the hands of their enemies that they may serve God with out feare they know that in God there is no cloud God may chasten and correct them out of love but there is no danger otherwise And then againe they are delivered from men they are not the servants of men Cause of divisions I doe think for my part constantly that the mayne cause of all the divisions and stirrs and contentions among us is because there 's so much of the old testament in our ministery especially and our profession must be accordingly for our strength will be according to our meat And truly a man may be a Godly man and yet may be a minister of the old testament and if you take a man let him be a Godly man if his grace be bred in him by the ministery of the old testament and nourished in him by that and take another saint that hath grace planted and bred by the ministery of the Gospel and nourished by that the former man though he be godly must of necesity persecute the latter I pitty them when ministers rale against this man and against that and they know not why yet they may be Godly men Ishmael might be a Godly man for ought I know he was a type not of wicked men but of men under the old Covenant If ever you will have peace and comfort in the Land beg of God to remove an old testament spirit from our preachers from our prayers and our principals and to set up the new testament Jesus Christ in the Gospel and then certainly the promise shall be fulfilled we shall be all of one heart and one way and one mind but it will never be otherwise as long as some reach to the ministery of the new testament and others goe in the old as Ishmael and Isaak could not be reconciled no more will these I will conclude all only with this last word Vse 9 To receive the Gospel seeing it is cleare out of the word and so truly I hope you apprehend it through Gods grace that the whole Gospel is Good it is nothing but sweet and glad tidings to the worst of sinners much more to saints then I exhort you in the name of Jesus Christ that you receive this Gospel O there is no reason why thou shouldest be so shie of Christ when we speake faire and offer faire to your soules and beseech you earnestly and give you reasons why you should receive Christ you harken but a little and you goe away so shy there are some sinners still beloved there is no reason for it God deads plainly there is no tittle in the Gospel but it is really good and glad tidings to the worst of sinners therefore receive it What is that Indeavour to beleive it 1. To beleve it for the Lord Jesus that is the faithfull witnesse hath sayd it and children heretofore used to say it is as true as Gospel and though it be Gospel and truth yet you will not beleive it Then indeavour to imbrace it with joy 2. Embrace 〈◊〉 with joy and affection as in 1. Thess 1. see how they received the Gospel in joy with much affliction What if it bring a little affliction with it that thou be jeared receive it with joy it is joyfull and glad tidings And then resigne thy self give thy self wholy up to walk according to this blessed Gospel 3. To give up our selves to it and not to turne it into wantonnes or abuse it but that thou maiest give thy self bodie and soule as a living sacrifice to Jesus Christ that since he died for thee and hath given thee aboundant righteousnes and everlasting salvation and all blessed and glad tidings in it that thou maiest give thy self and all that thou hast and art freely to live to that Jesus Christ and to obey his blessed commands These are the uses that you and I should indeavour to make that this truth may remaine and abide with us that there is nothing in the whole ministery of the new testament but good tydings and glad newes to the worst of sinners FINIS An alphabeticall Table of the principall Heads contained in the foregoing SERMONS A ABuse see Liberty Accident Part. Page How men come to doe good by accident Part. 1. Page 148 Adoption Spirit of adoption to be laboured for Part. 2. Page 40 Full spirit of adoption wha Part. 2. Page 41 Affliction see moderated Age Decency in regard of age Part. 1. Page 82 All what meant by it Part. 1. Page 4. Angels Angels waite on the Saints Part. 2. Page 18 Ascended Christ ascended into heaven Part. 2. Page 16 B Backsliders Backsliders their course Part. 1. Page 156 Baptisme Baptisme how appointed Part. 1. Page 1● Baptisme the substance of it only set downe Part. 1. Page 23 Baptisme the way to peace about it Part. 1. Page 100 Manner of baptisme determined by the Magistrate Part. 1. Page 108 Baptisme doubted of by some Part. 1. Page 141 Believed Believing Believing in Christ what Part. 1. Page 36 Gospel to be believed Part. 2. Page 54 Binde Not to binde others where Christ hath nor bound them