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	father_n	receive_v	8,589	5	5.7408	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

me To answer to these doubts of thine I say my right deare brother that thou must assure thy selfe that all these are but temptations of the diuell who by all meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith and assureth vs of Gods good will towards vs. He laboureth to strip our soules out of this precious garment for he knoweth that none is a true Christian except he beleeue Gods Word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes and peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel Verily I say that he which vpon these promises of God perswadeth not himselfe assuredly that God is a mercifull and louing Father vnto him nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauenly Kingdome at his hand is not faithfull in deed and maketh himselfe vtterly vnworthy of Gods Grace In respect whereof S. Paul saith that we be the Temple of God so far forth as we firmely maintaine the confidence and glory of our hope vnto the end And in another place he exhorteth that we should not giue ouer our trust which hath great reward of recompence And therefore my brethren let vs giue our whole endeauour to do the Will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neere as we can And although we fall oftentimes into sin through our owne frailty yet let vs not by and by surmize that we bee vessels of wrath or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before Gud the Father and he is the atonement-maker for our sinnes Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Austin who saith that none of the Saints is righteous and without sinne and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not to be righteous and holy so farreforth as he retaines his holinesse with affection And therefore if we haue afflictions and tribulations let vs not thinke that God sends them because he is our enemy but because he is our most louing Father The Lord saith Salomon chastiseth him whom he loueth and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receiueth Wherefore if we haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell whereby man is receiued of God for his Child we must not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. And when wee perceiue our selues to delight in Gods Word and to haue a desire to follow the life of Iesus Christ we must stedfastly beleeue that we be the children of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost for those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith and is as it were a seale of authority which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hearts the certainety whereof is printed aforehand in our minds and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same As soone as you beleeue saith the Apostle S. Paul ye be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest peny of our inheritance Behold how he sheweth vs hereby that the hearts of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seale in respect whereof he calleth the holy Ghost The Spirit of promise forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise of the Gospell the which as I haue oftentimes told you is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life to all such as beleeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ All we that beleeue in Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul are become the children of God and because we be his children he hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our heart which cryeth Father Father And to the Romanes Those saith hee that are guided by the Spirit of God are the children of God for yee haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage in feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father For certainely the same Spirit beareth our spirit record that we be the children of God Now then if we be children we be also heires And we must marke well that in these two places the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely not of any speciall reuelation but of a certaine record which the holy Ghost doth commonly yeeld to all such as receiue the grace of the Gospell Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that we be Gods children and heires why should we doubt of our predestination The same man saith in the same Epistle Whom he hath predestinated them hath he also called and whom he hath called them hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them also hath he glorified What shall we then say to all these things If God be on our side who can be against vs And therefore if I plainely perceiue that God hath called me by giuing me faith and the fruits of faith that is to wit Peace of conscience mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit whether it be in whole or in part why should I doubt that I am not predestinated And moreouer we say with S. Paul that all true Christians that is to wit all such as beleeue the Gospell receiue not the spirit of this world but the Spirit that commeth from God by the inspiration whereof they discerne the things that God hath giuen them What maruell then is it if wee know that God hath certainly giuen vs euerlasting life But there are some which say that no man ought to presume so farre as to boast himselfe to haue the Spirit of God They speake in such wise as if the Christian should glory of the hauing of it for his owne deserts and not by the onely and meere mercy of God and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe himselfe a Christian or as though a man could bee a Christian without the hauing of Christs Spirit or as though we could without flat hypocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord or call God our Father if the holy Ghost mooued not our hearts and tongues to vtter so sweet words And yet notwithstanding euen they that count vs presumptuous for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy Spirit with faith forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father but rather command vs. But I would haue them to tell mee how it is possible to separate faith and the holy Ghost asunder seeing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost If it be presumption to beleeue that the holy Ghost is in vs why doth Saint Paul bid the Corinthians try themselues whether they haue faith or no affirming them to bee reprobates if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them But in very deed it is a great blindnesse to accuse the Christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghost without which glorying there cannot bee any Christianity at all But Iesus Christ

who cannot lye saith that his Spirit is vnknowne to the world and that they onely doe know him within whom hee dwelleth Then let them begin to become good Christians and put away their Iewish minds and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospell in good earnest and then shall they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost and also acknowledge themselues to haue him But some may say to mee That the Christian cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And hee may specially alleadge these words of Salomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these words of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I feele not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet feele I not my selfe iustified for all that It seemeth to bee sufficiently declared by the texts of holy Scripture that the said opinion is false and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely that these two texts whereupon the same opinion is chiefely grounded ought not to bee taken in that sense As touching Salomons sentence although it bee scarse well and faithfully translated in the common translation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Salomons whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so hee meant that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties that happen in this life who is loued or hated of God hee laboureth in vaine considering that the selfe-same chances which light vpon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrificeth as well as vpon him that sacrificeth not and as soone vpon the good man as vpon the sinner Whereof it may bee gathered that God doth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whom hee indueth with outward prosperities and contrariwise that hee sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth Then my right deare brethren in Christ Iesus our Lord doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bee perceiued by the sundry chances that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall things A little afore Salomon saith That a man cannot discerne any difference betweene the soule of man and the life of a beast for it is seene that both man and beast dye after one manner Shall we then conclude by this outward accident that the perswasion which wee haue conceiued of the immortalitie of the soule is grounded but onely vpon coniecture No surely and it were a great folly to stand vpon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Pauls words I say that forasmuch as hee was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee meant that his heart mis-giues him not of any mis-dealing therein and yet for all that that hee is not sure hee hath done his whole duty to the full and therein obtained the praise of righteousnesse to Godward as if hee had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discreet person hee durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that hee had discharged his duty to the vttermost and satisfied his Lords will but referred all things to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Saint Paul and considereth the words going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the words that follow will not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle S. Paul say that although he knew himselfe to bee without sinne yet he knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no according as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes But these men perceiue not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnesse vpon workes but vpon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnesse to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath giuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ Also they consider not that he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in maintaining the soundnesse and purenesse of the Christian faith and that he knew well how the Crowne of that righteousnesse was laid vp for him in Heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hell was able to separate him from the Loue of God and that he longed to dye because he knew for a truth that after his death he should be with Iesus Christ All which things should be false if he had not beene well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by workes Therefore my deare beloued brethren let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle S. Paul which he neuer once thought of himselfe but fiercely fought against it continually in answering such as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But besides these two authorities of Salomon and S. Paul a man might alledge some other places of holy Scripture which whereas they warne and encourage men to feare God seeme to be contrary to the assurance of this our predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I should be ouer-long But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the Old Testament and childly loue to the New Testament according as S. Paul witnesseth when he saith to the Romanes Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father And likewise vnto Timothy he saith that God hath not giuen vs the spirit of fearefulnesse but rather of power and loue which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promise made by the mouth of the holy Prophets and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemies hands may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may plainely gather that the painefull and slauish fearefulnesse agreeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall cheerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle S. Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is to say that euery man which entereth into the Kingdome of the grace of the Gospell is become righteous through faith and afterward addeth peace of conscience which consequently breedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnesse in respect whereof the same S. Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue merrily And S. Peter saith that all they which beleeue in

all the other parts so ought wee to determine with our selues that our brother feeleth not any inconuenience which should not mooue vs to compassion With such manner of thoughts must we prepare our selues to this holy Sacrament quickning vp our spirits with a feruent loue to our neighbourward For what greater spurre can we haue to pricke vs to loue one another then to see that Iesus Christ by giuing himselfe vnto vs not only allureth vs to giue our selues one to another but also by making himselfe common to vs all maketh vs also to be all one selfe-same thing in him In respect whereof we ought to couet and procure that in all of vs there may be but one minde one heart and one tongue accorded and vnited together in thoughts words and deeds And wee must marke well that as oft as wee receiue this holy and worthy Sacrament wee bind our selues to all the duties of charitie as not to offend any of our brethren nor to leaue any thing vndone that may bee profitable and helpefull in their necessitie But if there come any to this heauenly Table of the Lord that are diuided at variance with their brethren the same must assure themselues that they eate vnworthily and are guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord and that they eate and drinke their owne damnation for that there wanted nothing on their behalfe but that the body of Iesus Christ was rent and plucked in pieces againe whilest they by hatred are diuided from their brethren that is to wit from the members of Iesus Christ and haue not any part with him and yet neuerthelesse in receiuing this holy communion pretended to beleeue that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ Then let vs goe my brethren to the receiuing of this heauenly bread to celebrate the remembrance of our Lords passion and to strengthen and fortifie the beliefe and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes with the remembrance thereof and to quicken vp our minds and tongues to praise and exalt the infinite goodnesse of our God and finally to cherrish brotherly loue and to witnesse the same one to another by the straight vnion which all of vs haue in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ Besides prayer and the remembring of Baptisme and the often resorting to the most holy communion there is one other very good remedy against distrust and fearefulnesse which is no lesse friend to Christian charity namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternall life grounded vpon the Word of God which is the Sword of the H. Ghost wherewith we may beat backe our enemies Reioyce ye in this saith the Lord that your names are written in heauen There is no greater ioy in this life nor any thing that more comforteth the Christian that is afflicted tempted or falne into any sinne then the remembrance of predestination and the assuring of our selues that we be of the number of them whose names are written in the Booke of life and which are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the Image of Iesus Christ O how vnspeakeable is the comfort of him that hath this faith and museth continually in his heart vpon this exceeding sweet predestination whereby he knoweth that although he fall often yet notwithstanding God his Father who hath fore-ordained him to euerlasting life holdeth him vp and reacheth out his hand vnto him continually And he saith continually in himselfe If God haue chosen me and predestinated me to the glory of his children who can hinder me If God bee with vs saith S. Paul who can be against vs Nay rather to the end that the Predestination may be accomplished in vs he hath sent his deare-beloued Sonne who is a most sure earnest penny and pledge vnto vs that we which haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell are Gods Children chosen to eternall life This holy Predestination maintaineth the true Christian in a continuall spirituall ioy increaseth in him the indeauour of good workes and inflameth him with the loue of God and maketh him enemy to the world and to sinne Who is so fierce and hard-hearted which knowing that God of his mercy hath made him his child from euerlasting will not by and by be inflamed to loue God Who is of so vile and base courage that hee will not esteeme all the pleasures all the honours and all the riches of the world as filthy mire when he knowes that God hath made him a Citizen of heauen yea these are they that worship God rightly in spirit and truth receiuing all things as well in prosperity as in aduersity at the hand of God their Father and euermore praising and thanking him for all as their good Father who is righteous and holy in all his workes These being inflamed with the Loue of God and armed with the knowledge of their predestination feare neither death nor sin nor the diuell nor hell neither know they what the wrath of God is for they see none other thing in God but loue and fatherly kindnesse towards them And if they fall into any troubles they accept them as tokens of Gods fauour crying out with S. Paul Who is it that shall separate vs from Gods loue shall tribulations shall anguish shall persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter But in all these things we get the vpper hand through him that hath loued vs. Wherefore it is not for nought that Saint Iohn saith how the true Christians know right well that they must be saued and glorified and that by reason of the same affiance they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy And when Saint Paul exhorteth his Disciples to a good and holy life he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the minds of the true Christians to the louing of God and to the performance of good workes And for the same cause our good Lord Iesus Christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination as one that knew of how great importance the knowledge thereof is to the edifying of his elect But perchance thou wilt say to me I know well that they whose names are written in heauen haue cause to liue in continuall ioy and glorifie God both in word and deed but I know not whether I am of that number or no and therefore I liue in continuall feare specially because I know my selfe to be an exceeding weake and fraile sinner from the violence whereof I am not able to defend my selfe but that I am ouercome of it daily And furthermore forasmuch as I see my selfe continually afflicted and troubled with diuers temptations mee thinkes I doe as it were behold with mine eyes the wrath of God scourging

Baptisme we put on Iesus Christ as the Apostle S. Paul affirmeth and consequently we be made partakers of his righteousnesse and of all his goods and vnder this precious robe the sinnes that our frailty committeth lye hidden and couered and are not imputed vnto vs. And so according as S. Paul saith the blessednesse which the Psalmist speaketh of appertaineth to vs namely Blessed are they whose misdoings are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne But it standeth a Christian in hand to take good heed that vpon these words he take no liberty to sinne for this doctrine belongeth to none such as honour themselues with the name of Christians confessing Christ with their mouth and yet deny him in their deeds But it concerneth the true Christians who though they fight manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell doe notwithstanding fall daily and are constrained to say Lord forgiue vs our offences These are they to whom we speake to comfort them and to hold them vp that they fall not into despaire as though the bloud of Christ washed vs not from all sinne and that hee were not our aduocate and the atonement-maker for his members And therefore when we be prouoked to doubt of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that our owne conscience beginneth to trouble vs then must we furnish our selues with true faith and out of hand haue recourse to the precious bloud of Iesus Christ shed for vs vpon the altar of the Crosse and distributed to his Apostles at his last Supper vnder the veile of a most holy Sacrament which was ordained by Christ to the end that we should celebrate the remembrance of his death and that by the same visible Sacrament our troubled consciences might be assured of our atonement with God The blessed Iesus Christ made his last Will when he said This is my body which is giuen for you and This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes We know that a Testament saith Saint Paul although it be but a mans Testament yet neuerthelesse if it be allowed no man despiseth it or addeth any thing to it and that no Testament is of force till the Testator be dead but hath full power after the parties decease Then did Iesus Christ make his Testament wherein he promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and the grace and good fauour of himselfe and his Father together with mercy and euerlasting life And to the intent that the said Testament should be of full force he hath confirmed it with his owne precious blood and with his owne death By reason whereof Saint Paul saith that Iesus Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament that by his dying for the redemption of those transgressions which were in the former Testament they that are called might receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance For wheresoeuer is a Testament there must also be the death of the Testator for the Testament is confirmed by the death of the party insomuch as it is of no value so long as the maker of it is aliue Wherefore we be very certaine and assured by the death of Iesus Christ that his Testament is auaileable whereby all our mis-deeds are pardoned and we made heires of eternall life And for a token and faithfull pledge hereof in stead of a Seale he hath left vs this diuine Sacrament which not onely giueth our soules assured hope of their euerlasting Saluation but also warranteth vnto vs that immortality of our flesh forasmuch as it is euen now quickned by that immortall flesh of his and in a certaine manner becommeth partaker of the immortality thereof and he that is partaker of that diuine flesh by faith shall not perish for euer But vnto him that receiueth it without the said faith it turneth to a dangerous poyson because that like as when bodily sustenance findeth the stomacke incumbred with euill humors it corrupteth likewise and worketh great annoyance euen so if this spirituall food light into a sinfull soule that is full of malice and mis-beliefe it casteth it headlong into some greater ruine not through it owne default but because that to the vncleane and vnbeleeuer all things are vncleane notwithstanding that the things bee sanctified by the Lords blessing For saith Saint Paul hee that eateth of that bread and drinketh of that cup vnworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lords Body For he maketh no difference of the Lords Body which presumeth to the Lords Supper without faith and charity And forasmuch as he beleeueth not that Body to be his life and the cleanser of all his sinnes he maketh Iesus Christ a lyer and treadeth the Sonne of God vnder foot and esteemeth the bloud of the Testament whereby hee was sanctified but as a common or worldly thing and doth great wrong to the Spirit of grace and he shall be punished very sore at Gods hand for this his vnbeliefe and wicked hypocrisie For whereas he reposeth not that trust of his iustification in the passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ yet neuerthelesse he receiueth this most holy Sacrament and maketh protestation that he putteth not his trust in any other thing Whereby he accuseth himselfe and is a witnesse of his owne iniquity and condemneth himselfe to euerlasting death by refusing the life which God promiseth him in that holy Sacrament And in this point when the Christian feeleth that his enemies are like to ouercome him that is to wit when he beginneth to doubt whether he haue receiued forgiuenesse of his sinnes by Iesus Christ and that he shall not be able to withstand the diuell and his temptations and that the accusation of his owne doubtfull conscience comes to presse him so as he beginneth to feare lest hell fire should swallow him vp and death hold him in his euerlasting bands by reason of Gods Wrath I say when the good Christian feeleth himselfe in such agony Let him get him to his holy Sacrament with a good heart and stout courage and receiue it deuoutly saying in his heart and answering his enemies thus I confesse I haue deserued a thousand hels and euerlasting death by reason of the great sinnes which I haue committed But this heauenly Sacrament which I receiue at that present assureth me of the forgiuenesse of all my misdoings and of mine atonement with God For if I haue an eye to my workes there is no doubt but I acknowledge my selfe a sinner and condemne mine owne selfe in such wise as my conscience should neuer bee quiet if I should thinke that my sinnes are pardoned me for my workes sake But when I looke to the promises and couenants of God who promiseth mee forgiuenesse of my sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ I