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
A62632	Several discourses viz. Of the great duties of natural religion. Instituted religion not intended to undermine natural. Christianity not destructive; but perfective of the law of Moses. The nature and necessity of regeneration. The danger of all known sin. Knowledge and practice necessary in religion. The sins of men not chargeable on God. By the most reverend Dr. John Tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of Canterbury. Being the fourth volume; published from the originals, by Ralph Barker, D.D. chaplain to his Grace.	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.; White, Robert, 1600-1690, engraver.	1697 (1697)	Wing T1261A; ESTC R221745	169,748	495

the Gospel by Reason of this mighty advantage is call'd a state of Adoption and Liberty ver 15. for ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father and 2 Cor. 3. 17. where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty And to this very thing St. Paul appeals as that whereby Men might judge whether the Law or the Gospel were the more excellent and powerful Dispensation Gal. 3. 2. This only would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith As if he had said let this one thing determine that whole Matter were ye made Pertakers of this great Priviledge and Blessing of the Spirit while ye were of the Jewish Religion or since ye became Christians And ver 14. he calls it the blessing of Abraham that is the blessing promised to all Nations by Abraham's Seed namely the M●ssias that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ● that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith And then for the supporting us under afflictions the Gospel promise●h an extraordinary assistance of God●s holy Spirit to us 1 Pet. 4. 14. if ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God res●eth upon you But were the●e no good Men unde● the dispensation of the Law Yes certainly there were and they were so by the grace and assistance of God's Holy Spirit but ●hen this was an effect of the Divine goodness but not of any special Promise contained in that Covenant of Divine grace and assistance to be conferred on all those that were admitted into it But thus it is in the New Covenant of the Gospel and therefore the Law is call●d a dead letter the oldness of the letter and the ministration of the letter in opposition to the Gosp●l which is call'd the Ministration of the Spirit And this the Apostle lays special weight upon as a main difference between these two Covenants that the first gave an external Law but the new Covenant offers inward grace and assistance to enable Men to Obedience and hath an inward and powerful efficacy upon the Minds of Men accompanying the Ministration of it Heb. 8. 7 8 9 10. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers c. For this is the Covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts And of this inward Grace and assistance we are further secured by the powerful and prevalent and perpetual intercession of our High-Priest for Sinners at the right hand of God not like the intercession of the Priests under the Law who being Sinners themselves were less fit to intercede for others but we have an High-Priest that is holy harmless undefiled and seperate from Sinners who by the Eternal Spirit offer'd himself without spot to God to purchase for us those Blessings which he intercedes for The Priests under the Law were Intercessors upon Earth but Christ is entered into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. The Priests under the Law were removed from this Office by Death but Christ because he continues for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood and is an everlasting Advocate and Intercessor for us in the virtue of his most meritorious Sacrifice continually presented to his Father where he is always at the right hand of God to present our Prayers to him and to obtain pardon of our Sins and grace to help in time of need and by his intercession in Heaven to procure all those Blessings to be actually con●er'd upon us which he purchased for us by his blood upon Earth wherefore he is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them as the same Apostle speaks Heb. 7. 25. And thus I have as briefly as well I could shewed how the Christian Religion doth supply all the weaknesses and defects and imperfections of the Jewish Religion and consequently does in no wise contradict or interfeer with the great Design of the Law and the Prophets but hath perfected and made up whatever was weak or wanting in that Institution to make Men truly good or as the Expression is in the Prophet Daniel to bring in everlasting Righteousness that is to clear and confirm those Laws of Holiness and Righteousness which are of indispensible and eternal obligation And if this be the great Design of our Saviour's coming and the Christian Doctrine be every way fitted to advance Righteousness and true Holiness and to make us as excellently good as this imperfect state of Mortality will admit since it hath many advantages incomparably beyond any Religion or Institution that ever was in the World both in respect of the perfection of its Laws and the force of its Motives and Arguments to Repentance and a Holy Life and in respect of the Encouragements which it gives and the Examples which it sets before us and the powerful assistance which it offers to us to enable us to clean●e our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God What a shame is this to us who are under the power of this excellent Institution if the temper of our Minds and the tenour of our Conversation be not in some measure answerable to the Gospel of Christ The greater helps and advantages we have of being good the greater things may justly be expected from us for to whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required Christianity is the fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law by walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit by mortifying the deeds of the Flesh and by bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit which are Love Joy Peace Long-Suffering Gentleness Goodness Fidelity Meekness and Temperance The Righteousness of Faith doth not consist in a barren and ineffectual belief of the Gospel in a meer embracing of the Promises of it and relying upon Christ for Salvation in a Faith without works which is dead but in a Faith which worketh by Love in becoming new Creatures and in keeping the Commandments of God The Righteousness of Faith speaketh on this wise This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment 1 John 3. 23. and this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also 1 John 4. 21. That we approve the things that are

passage and was wa●ted over by a gentle Wind and could tell no Stories of Storms and Tempests And thus I have fully and faithfully endeavour'd to open to you the just importance of this Phrase or Expression in the Text of the new Creature or the new Creation I proceed to the Second Particular I propounded namely that the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives is according to the terms of the Gospel and the Christian Religion the great Condition of our justification and acceptance with God and that this is the same in sense and substance with those Phrases in the parallel Texts to this of Faith perfected by Charity and of keeping the Commandments of God That according to the terms of the Gospel the great Condition of our justification and acceptance with God is the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives is plain not only from this Text which affirms that in th● Christian Religion nothing will avail us but the new Creature but likewise from many other clear Texts of Scripture and this whether by Justification be meant our first Justification upon our Faith and Repentance or our continuance in this state or our final Justification by our solemn Acquital and Absolution at the Great Day which in Scripture is called Salvation and Eternal Life That this is the Condition of our first Justification that is of the Forgiveness of our Sins and our being received into the grace and favour of God is plain from all those Texts where this Change is exprest by our Repentance and Conversion by our Regeneration and Renovation by our Purification and Sanctification or by any other terms of the like importance For under every one of these Notions this Change is made the Condition of the forgiveness of our Sins and acceptance to the favour of God Under the Notion of Repentance and Conversion Acts 2. 38. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Acts 3. 19. Repent and be Converted that your sins may be blotted out Upon the same account a penitent acknowledgement of our Sins which is an essential part of Repentance is made a Condition of the forgiveness of them 1 John 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Under the notion of Regeneration and Renovation 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any Man be in Christ that is become a true Christian which is all one with being in a justified state he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are became new Tit. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. where the Apostle declares at large what Change is requir'd to put us into a justified state and to entitle us to the inheritance of Eternal Life For we our selves were also sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by works of Righteousness which we have done that is not for any precedent Righteousness of ours for we were great Sinners but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life So that the Change of our former Temper and Conversion and Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost is antecedently necessary to our Justification that is to the pardon of our Sins and our restitution to the favour of God and the hope of Eternal Life So likewise under the notion of Purification and Sanctification 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. where the Apostle enumerates several Sins and Vices which will certainly exclude Men from the Favour and Kingdom of God from which we must be cleansed before we can be justified or saved Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. where the Apostle likewise makes our purification a Condition of our being received into the favour of God and reckon'd into the number of his Children Touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty And that by not touching the unclean thing is here certainly meant our Sanctification and Purification from Sin is evident from what immediately follows in the beginning of the next Chapter Having therefore these promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God that is having this Encouragement that upon this Condition we shall be received to the favour of God let us purifie our selves that we may be capable of this great Blessing And our continuance in this state of grace and favour with God depends upon our perseverance in Holiness for if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him And Lastly this is also the Condition of our final Justification and Absolution by the Sentence of the great Day Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Joh. 3. 3. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Heb. 12. 14. Follow Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3. 3. The Apostle there speaking of the blessed sight and enjoyment of God tells us what we must do if ever we hope to be Partakers of it Every Man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And this Condition here mentioned in the Text of our being New Creatures is the same in sense and substance with those Expressions which we find in the two parallel Texts to this where Faith which is perfected by Charity and keeping the Commandments of God are made the Condition of our justification and acceptance with God Gal. 5. 6. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which is consummate or made perfect by Charity and 1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God It is evident that the Design and Meaning of these three Texts is the same and therefore these three Expressions of the new Creature and of Faith perfected by Charity and of keeping the Commandments of God do certainly signifie the same thing That the New Creature signifies ●he change of our state from a state of Disobedience and Sin to a state of Obedience and

Fact is committed our Conscience is strangely disquieted at the thoughts of it When a Man does but design to do a bad thing he is guilty to himself as if he had committed it Of this we have a considerable instance in the first violence that was offered to Nature Gen. 4. 6. The Lord said unto Cain why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen The very thought of that Wickedness which he did but then design did disorder his Mind and make a change in his very Countenance Guilt is the natural Concomitant of heinous Crimes which so soon as ever a Man commits his Spirit receives a secret wound which causeth a great deal of smart and anguish For guilt is restless an● puts the Mind of Man into an unnatural working and fermentation never to be settled again but by Repentance The Wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest which plainly shews that the Mind of Man hath a kind of Natural sense of Good and Evil because when ever we offend against Nature our Consciences are touched to the quick and we receive a sting into our Soul which shoots and pains us when ever we reflect upon what we have done I appeal to that witness which every Man carries in his breast whether this be not true 2. Men are naturally full of hopes and fears according as they follow or go against these natural Dictates A good Conscience is apt to fill Men with confidence and good hopes It does not only give ease but security to the Mind of Man against the dread of Invisible Powers and the fearful apprehensions of a future Judgment Whereas guilt fills Men with dismal apprehensions of danger and continual misgivings concerning their own safety Thus it was with Cain after he had slain his Brother It shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall s●ay me Nay when a Man hath done a secret fault which none can accuse him of yet then is he haunted with the terrors of his own Mind and cannot be secure in his own apprehensions which plainly shews that Men are conscious to themselves when they do well and when they do amiss and that the same Natural Instinct which prompts Men to their Duty fills them with good hopes when they have done it and with secret fears and apprehensions of danger when they have done contrary to it Secondly God shews Men what is good by Natural Reason and that two ways By the convenience of things to our Nature and by their tendency to our Happiness and Interest First Reason shews us the convenience of things to our Nature and whatever is agreeable to the Primitive design and intention of Nature that we call good whatever is contrary thereto we call evil For Example to honour and love God It is natural to honour great power and perfection and to love goodness wherever it is So likewise gratitude is natural to acknowledge benefits received and to be ready to requite them and the contrary is monstrous and universally abhorred and there is no greater sign that any thing is contrary to Nature than if it be detested by the whole kind It is agreeable also to Nature to be just and to do to others as we would have them do to us for this is to make our own natural inclinations and desires the rule of our dealing with others and to be merciful for no Man that hath not devested himself of humanity can be cruel and hard-hearted to others without feeling a pain in himself Secondly Reason shews us the Tendency of these Things to our Happiness and Interest And indeed the notion of good and evil does commonly refer to the Consequences of things and we call that good which will bring some Benefit and Advantage to us and that evil which is likely to produce some Mischief and Inconvenience and by this rule Reason discovers to us that these Duties are good To begin with Piety towards God Nothing can more evidently tend to our Interest than to make him our Friend upon whose Favour our Happiness depends So likewise for Gratitude it is a Virtue to which if Nature did not prompt us our Interest would direct us for every Man is ready to place Benefits there where he may hope for a thankful Return Temperance does apparently conduce to our Health which next to a good Conscience is the most pleasant and valuable thing in the World whereas the intemperate Man is an open Enemy to himself and continually making Assaults upon his own Life Mercy and Pity are not more welcome to others than they are delightful and beneficial to our selves for we do not only gratifie our own Nature and Bowels by relieving those who are in misery but we provoke Mankind by our Example to the like Tenderness and do prudently bespeak the Commiseration of others towards us when it shall be our Turn to stand in need of it And if we be wise enough our Reason will likewise direct us to be just as the surest Art of thriving in this World It gives a Man a Reputation which is a powerful Advantage in all the Affairs of this World It is the shortest and easiest way of dispatching Business the plainest and least entangled and though it be not so sudden a way of growing rich as Fraud and Oppression yet it is much surer and more lasting and not liable to those terrible Back-blows and after-reckonings to which Estates got by Injustice are And natural Reason does not only shew us that these things are good but that the Lord requires them of us that is that they have the Force and Obligation of Laws For there needs nothing more to make any thing a Law than a sufficient declaration that it is the Will of God and this God hath sufficiently signified to Mankind by the very Frame of our Natures and of those principles and faculties which he hath endued us withall so that whenever we act contrary to these we plainly disobey the Will of him that made us and violate those Laws which he hath Enacted in our Natures and written upon our Hearts And this is all the Law that the greatest part of Mankind were under before the Revelation of the Gospel From Adam to Moses the World was almost solely governed by the Natural Law which seems to be the meaning of that hard Text Rom. 5. 13. For until the Law Sin was in the World that is before the Law of Moses was given Men were capable of offending against some other Law for otherwise Sin could not have been imputed to them for Sin is not imputed wh●re there is no Law And then it follows Nevertheless Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's Transgression that is during that space from Adam to Moses Men sinned against the natural Law and were liable to Death upon that account though they had not offended against an express Revelation from God as Adam had