Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A35578
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The excellent woman a sermon preached at the funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Scott ... on the 16 of Decemb. 1658 / by Tho. Case ...
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Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.
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1659
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Wing C829; ESTC R36276
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61,914
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from vain roving thoughts and to fill my heart daily with heavenly meditations and that I may still breath forth sweet ejaculations God gave me Christ and I desire to believe and wait This Sacrament I received Christ by faith and desire to live on him but my errand was for a broken heart and sence of sinne aright and I had sweet meltings This Sacrament I had some hatred of sinne and God brought me home with resolutions in his strength to honour him and act for him in the places where I were going and improve all I am and have for his use and honour and to be more meek to them without This Sacrament God freely gave me Christ and all his purchase and offices and as I went for more faith and wisdome so I came away believeving I should have them God did assist me This Sacrament God gave me Christ and sent me comfortably home This Sacrament I received Christ according to his promise and desire a Law of thankfulnesse should by the hand of the Spirit and in the bloud of Christ be written in my heart and a law of obedience in my whole life and all my conversation This Sacrament though I was failing every way yet God freely gave me Christ his body broken and his precious bloud the seal of the Covenant of Grace and in the afternoon God told me out of his word he would give me a new heart which was that I went for as one end and I desire to wait and believe These are what as yet are only come to hand which Mrs. Scot had with her at Holbourn where she died probably she may have many more in the Country whence she newly came Out of these may be made many usefull Observations for our own Instruction in our going forth by the footsteps of this member of Christs flock As Though not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 yet some are Act. 17.12 Many of them believed also of honuorable women which were Greeks and of men not a few Mar. 15.43 Joseph an honourable Counceller which also waited for the Kingdom of God Though vanity be never so much yet grace can overpower all 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed c. Titus 3.3 And we our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. When we are making our pursuit to gratify our carnall senses God can bring us to better enjoyments Rom. 10.20 I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me The Lord took her at her hunting pleasures to bring her to the comforts of his own spirit Any meanes when sanctified can bring us to the Word and so to God as the hurting of her leg did her and the crowing of the Cock did Peter to remember the word Christ spake and to return to him Mat. 26.74 75. The Lord makes some great in the world great in grace also rich in earthly blessings rich in spiritual likewise that they have all things given them for this life and a better richly to enjoy Job the greatest of all the men of the East Job 1.3 And there was none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil vers 8. Those workings that come from God carry all to him againe She endeavoured to act all for him that had done so much for her the waters that come out of the sea return thither again Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen She was brought home the usuall way of Gods people by the Spirit of bondage to the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Ye have not rcoeived the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Gods grace works irresistably she would fain have run away from God he would not let her go but carried her through and suffered her to have no power to leave seeking of him Psal 68 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Such as are most cast down in conversion are usually most lifted up afterward She had great troubles of conscience then and grievous pangs c. And afterward full assurance all her sins were pardoned by the bloud of Christ and great rejoycings The Father made merry with the Son when he returned Luk. 15.23 24. that was driven to husks and ready to perish vers 16 17. The Jailour that came trembling Acts 16.29 afterwards rejoyced believing in God vers 34. The way to make our Election in God sure is by the work of grace in our selves I know it certainly saith she that God did chuse me from all eternity because he had made me to give up my self to Jesus Christ for those ends that Jesus Christ gave himself for me 1 Thes 1.4 5. knowing brethren beloved your election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son Some believers are very high and eminent in the workings and waies of God 2 Thes 1.3 Your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth 1 Cor. 1.5 In every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge vers 7. so that ye come behind in no gift 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in much assurance 1 Pet. 1.8 Ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Act. 13.52 The disciples were filled with joy and with the holy Ghost Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord and the in comfort of the holy Ghost Ps 32.8 I will instruct thee teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guid thee with mine eye Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Psal 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble Gen. 22.14 In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen 2 Chron. 17.6 His heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord. Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments She was a believer of the highest form a star of the first magnitude one that had not onely the graces of the Spirit but the sealings and joyes of the Spirit in abundance
breaking of our loines Ezek. 21.6 One choice Jewel among the rest God has of late gathered to his Cabinet namely pious precious Mistresse Scott Concerning whom because you desired my concurrent Testimony as being one so well known to me having been a member of my Congregation for divers years together till she came to be under your charge I have this to say She was a Gentlewoman of a choice spirit of a marvelous sweet temper and disposition of an amiable winning carriage and of a truly pious and Religious conversation She was one that made Religion her businesse her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She made it her constant course vigorously to drive a Trade for heaven and to be pressing towards the mark even the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus She was not like those that Austin speaks of qui utuntur Deo ut fruantur mundo But she made use of the world but as a foot-stool to raise up her soul to the enjoyment of God as her portion for ever She was not weary of Gods service like those hypocrites that said what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1.13 but duty was her delight and sin her greatest burden The world did not make her weary of duty but duty made her weary of the world Her constant frequenting of Ordi ances wherein she was both eminent and exemplary her closest retirements wherein she saw often a glimpse of that glory which she now enjoys in the bosom of Jesus Christ made her long earnestly to be at her fathers house and to breath out her Cupio desolvi Oh that I might be with him whom my soul loveth In brief she made haste to heaven lived much in a little time holding forth the Word of life by a holy and undaunted profession holding fast the Word of Truth by a constant and undaunted Resolution and so finished her course with joy Therefore I conceive that this Text which you sweetly opened at her Funeral was rightly and suitably applied to her Many daughters have done virtuously c. This Testimony I have given not for her sake that is dead but for the sake of those that are living The dead praise not the Lord saith David Psal 115.17 Look as the dead return no praises to the living God so neither do they regard any praises from living men Our commendations cannot help them our discōmendations cannot hurt them as our prayers cannot reach them so neither can our praises profit them But happy surely are they that can tread in the Steps of those blessed Saints that have gone before us whose faith follow saith the Apostle considering the end of their conversation Heb. 13.7 If we do as they did we shall speed as they sped The Lord of his infinite mercy help us to serve our generation faithfully as this eminent godly Gentlewoman did that we may do every days duty with Christian chearfulnesse and bear every days burden with Christian patience and in the midst of all changes straites and stormes hold out with Christian perseverance that in the end of our dayes we may receive the end of our hopes even the salvation of our souls It is and shall be the hearty prayer of Your affectionate loving Friend and Brother in the Lords Work JA. NALTON Mrs. SCOTS own writings which she hath left under her own hand A Little before her death she began to write in a book her experiences of Gods goodness to her and intended to have filled it up but she was taken away before she had done many leaves of it onely she had written before divers things in some papers In the Book she beginneth and proceedeth thus SOme notes to keep speciall things in my remembrance that I may be quickned to answer Gods ends in all his gracious dealings to me to whom all his ways have been mercy and truth and I desire my ways towards him may be constrained obedience from faith and love wrought by his spirit in my heart in all things How God did effectually call me at first to himself I was born a child of wrath and an heir of hell and in my youth was very vile and vain Yet I did duties in a formal way and was very confident God did love me and of my good estate Between sixteen and seventeen I was married and about nineteen year old as I was riding it being hunting time I fell down and put my leg out of joynt which was a great misery to me but in that affliction God did work on me with some convictions and resolutions if I were well again to walk in Gods wayes afterward inquiring his Providence brought Mr. Byfields Book to me the Marrow of Divinity and in reading of it God did convince me of my abundant abominable sins I made a catalogue of them I could remember and was in much trouble for them under the spirit of bondage I think some moneths but I have forgotten how long but God made sinne very bitter to me and broke my heart for my sinne and from my sinne and I know God broke my heart because his love did it many a tear of Love did I shed in the bosom of my God When the spirit of Adoption was come to me then how did I mourn for sinning against the Lord and dishonouring of his dear Name But when I was in the pangs of the Spirit of bondage and new birth I had great troubles of Conscience and grievous pangs and after that dreadfull basphemous thoughts and fain would I have run away from God looked upon his wayes as grievous and had hard thoughts of him but yet the Lord would not let me go but carried me through that I had no power to leave seeking of him and did unhook me and brought me to keep Fasts by my self and to humble my soul before him and shewed me how vile I was in a great measure and made me confesse my sinnes with shame and sorrow Then after this he made me close with Jesus Christ in a promise and gave me full assurance that all my sins were pardoned by the bloud of Jesus Christ fully and I gave up my self in Covenant to him and by his sweet influence and shining of his face and comforts of his spirit and grace he hath made me hate the most sweet and secret sin and my hatred of all sin appears because I desire the death of it and desire to be freed from the enjoyment of the sweetest pleasure of the most secret sin that I may enjoy communion with my God whose love is farre better than life and I desire so to esteem it God hath brought me to Christ and hath made me put on his righteousnesse and hath given me to Christ and given Christ to me and I know it certainly that God did choose me from all eternity because he hath made me to give up my self to Jesus Christ for these ends that Jesus Christ gave himself for me That by believing