Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	age_n	year_n	young_a	352	4	5.7811	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89733	Abel being dead yet speaketh; or, The life & death of that deservedly famous man of God, Mr John Cotton, late teacher of the church of Christ, at Boston in New-England. By John Norton, teacher of the same church.	Norton, John, 1606-1663.	1658 (1658)	Wing N1313; Thomason E937_6; ESTC R207763	38,553	57

to the light he had received it would be an hindrance to him in his studies which then he had addicted himself unto Therefore he was willing to silence those suggestions and callings he had from the Spirit inwardly and did wittingly defer the prosecution of that work until afterwards At length walking in the field and hearing the Bell toll for Mr Perkins who then lay dying he was secretly glad in his heart that he should now be rid of him who had as he said laid siege to and beleaguer'd his heart This became a cause of much affliction to him God keeping it upon his spirit with the aggravation of it and making it an effectual meanes of convincing and humbling him in the sight and sense of the natural enmity that is in mans nature against God Afterwards hearing Doctor Sibbs then Mr Sibbs preaching a Sermon about Regeneration where he first shewed what Regeneration was not when opening the State of a Civil man he saw his own condition fully discovered which through mercy did drive him to a stand as plainly seeing himself to have no true grace all his false hopes and grounds now failing him And so he lay a long time in an uncomfortable despairing way and of all things this was his heaviest burthen that he had wittingly withstood the meanes and offers of grace and mercy which he found had been tendred to him till it pleased God to let in some word of Faith into his heart to cause him to look unto Christ for healing which word if memory faileth not was dispensed unto him by Doctor Sibbs which begat in him a singular and constant love of Doctor Sibbs of whom he was also answerably beloved That which first made him famous in Cambridge was his His fame in the University Funeral Oration for Doctor Some Master of Peter-house so accurately performed in respect of Invention Elegancy Purity of Style Ornamens of Rhetorick Elocution and Oratorious beauty of the whole as that he was thenceforth looked at as another Xenophon or Musa Attica throughout the University Some space of time intervening he was called to Preach at St Maries where he preached an University-Sermon with high applause of Academical Wits so that the fame of his learning grew greater and greater Afterwards being called to preach in the same place as one Oration of Pericles left the hearer with an Appetite of another so the memory of his former accurate Exercises filled the Colledges especially the young Students with a fresh expectation of such Elegancies of Learning that the Curious and Corinthian Wits who prefer the Muses before Moses who taste Plato more then Paul and relish the Orator of Athens far above the Preacher of the Cross like Quintilians numerous Auditory sufficient to tempt the abilities of the Speaker flock to the Sermon with an Athenian Itch after some new thing as to the Ornaments of Rhetorick and abstruser notions of Philosophy But his Spirit now savouring of the Cross of Christ more then of Humane literature and being taught of God to distinguish between the word of wisdom and the wisdom of words his speech and preaching was not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power The disappointed expectation of the Auditory soon appeared in their countenances and the discouragement of their non-acceptance returned him unto his chamber not without some sadder thoughts of heart Where he had not been long alone but lo Doctor Preston then Master Preston knocks at his door and coming in acquaints him with his spiritual condition and how it had pleased God to speak effectually unto his heart by that Sermon After which Doctor Preston ever highly prized him and both fully and strongly closed with him Which real seal of God unto his Ministry comforted his soul far above what the present lessacceptance of the Auditory had dejected him or their former acceptance encouraged him This brings to mind that celebrated story of the Conversion of the Heathen Philosopher at Nice which God wrought by the means of an antient and pious Confessor plainly declaring unto him the doctrine of Faith after that many Christian Philosophers had by Philosophical disputations laboured in vain Christ evidently held forth is Divine Eloquence the Eloquence of Eloquence God will not have it said of Christ as Alexander said of Achilles That he was beholden to the pen of him that published his Acts. 'T is Christ that is preached not the tongue of the Preacher to whom is due all praise Such instances conclude that Paul is more learned then Plato We must distinguish between ineptness of speech Carnal Rhetorick and Eloquent Gospel-simplicity between Ignorance Ostentation and Learning The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and words of truth His Concio ad Clerum when he proceeded Bachelor of Divinity after he had been at Boston about half a year was very much admired and commended His text was Mat. 5. 13. V●s estis sal terrae quod si sal infatuarus fuerit quo salietur Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted In handling of which both the weight of the matter elegancie of phrase Rhetorical streins grave sweet and spiritual pronuntiation rendred him yet more famous The like did his answering of the Divinity-Act in the Schools having a very acute Opponent Mr William Chappell to dispute with him So that in Cambridge the name of Mr Cotton was much set by Unto this earthen vessel thus filled with heavenly treasure His remove to Boston in Lincolnshire Boston in Lincolnshire made their address saying Come and help us And in that Candlestick the Father of spirits placeth this burning and shining light To whom he removed from Cambridge about the 28. year of his age At the first he met with some obstructions from the Diocesan then Bishop Barloe who told him that he was a young man and unfit to be set over such a divided people Mr Cotton being ingenuous and undervaluing himself thought so too and purposed to return to the College again But some of his Boston-friends understanding that one Simon Biby was to be spoken with who was neer to the Bishop they presently charmed him and so the business proceeded without further trouble and Mr Cotton was admitted into the place after their manner in those days Two things are here not unworthy of observation which he would sometimes speak of to his friends First that in the beginning of his Ministery he was exercised with some inward troubles which much dejected him No sooner had Christ received his mission into his publick ministery but he is led into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Wise Heman suffered the horrors of God and was laid in the lowest pit The Doctor of the Gentiles stood in need of being buffered by Satan The Tempter is in Christs hand and an instrumental winnower of the Disciples His fiery darts through

me Though thou refuse thy scholar now I 'll be 'T is not Youth but Licentiousness in Youth that unfits for an Academical state such as Philostratus long since complained of who stain an Athenian life with wicked manners The Prince of the Peripateticks describing his Hearers distinguisheth between Youths in years and Youths in manners Such who are Old in days yet Youths in disposition he rejects Such who are Youths in age but Seniors in spirit and behaviour he admits into his Auditory Junius telleth us that his Grandfather was wont to write to his father Dionysius when a Student in the Universities of France with this Dionysio dilecto filio misso ad studendum In vita Junii sait superscription Dionysio dilecto filio misso ad studendum To Dionysius my beloved son sent to study Idleness in youth is scarcely healed without a scar in age Life is but short and our lesson is longer then admits the loss of so great an opportunity without a sensible defect afterward shewing it self Bees gather in the Spring that which they are to live upon in the Winter Therefore Fox Bishop of Winchester willed the Students of that Colledge whereof he was a Benefactor to be as so many Bees Seneca admonisheth his Lucilius that those things are to be gotten whilst we are young which we must Juveni parandum seni utenduan est make use of when we are old Accordingly God who had set apart our Student to be a Junius not a Dionysius inclined his heart unto such attractive diligence and effectual improving of opportunities whence his profiting in the Arts and Languages above his Equals so far commended him unto the Master and Fellows as that he had undoubtedly been chosen Fellow of that Colledge had not the extraordinary expence about the building of their great Hall at that time put by or at least deferred their Election until some longer time From Trinity he was removed to Emanuel that happy He removeth from Trinity to Emanuel Seminary both of Piety and Learning The occasion I cannot now learn howsoever it may call to minde that Maxim of the Herbalists Plantae translatio est plantae perfectio The transplantation of a plant is the perfection of a plant In that Society the Lord gave him favor so that in due time he was honored with a Fellowship amongst them after a diligent and strict Examen according to the Statutes of that House Wherein this is not unworthy the taking notice of That when the Poser came to examine him in the Hebrew tongue the place that he took trial of him by was that Isaiah 3. against the excessive bravery of the haughty daughters of Sion which hath more hard words in it then any place of the Bible within so short a compass and therefore though a present construction and resolution thereof might have put a good Hebrician to a stand yet such was his dexterity as made those difficult words facil and rendred him a prompt Respondent This providence is here remarkable concerning him That whereas his Father whose Calling was towards the Law had not many Clients that made use of his Advice in Law-matters before it pleased God after his Son 's going to Cambridge to bless him with great Practice so that he was very able to keep him there and to allow him liberal maintenance Insomuch that this blessed man hath been heard to say God kept me in the University He is now in the place of improvement amongst his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beset with Examples as so many objects of Better Emulation If he slacken his pace his Compeers will leave him behind and though he quicken it there are still those which are before Notwithstanding Themistocles excelleth yet the Trophies of Miltiades suffer him not to sleep Cato that Helus that Devourer of Books is at Athens Ability and Opportunity are now met together unto both which Industry actuated with a desire to know being joined bespeaks a person of high expectation The unwearied pains of ambitious and unquiet Wits are amongst the amazements of Ages Asia and Egypt can hold the Seven Wonders but the Books Works and Motions of Ambitious mindes the whole World cannot contain It was an illicit aspiring after Knowledge which helped to put forth Eve's hand unto the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 10. c. 7. forbidden fruit The less marvel if irregenerate and elevated Wits have placed their Summum bonum in Knowledge indefatigably pursuing it as a kind of Deity as a thing Numinous yea as a kind of Mortal-Immortality Diogenes Democritus and other Philosophers accounting large Estates to be an impediment to their Proficiencie in Knowledge dispossessed themselves of rich inheritances that they might be the fitter Students preferring an opportunity of Study before a large Patrimony Junius yet ignorant of Christ can want his Country necessaries and many comforts but he must excell Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom Prov. 18. 1. The elder Plinius lost his life in venturing too neer to search the cause of the irruption of the hill Vetruvius 'T is true Knowledge excelleth other created excellencies as much as light excelleth darkness yet it agreeth with them in this that neither can exempt the subject thereof from eternal misery Whilst we seek Knowledge with a selfish interest we serve the Decree and self being destroyed according to the Decree we hence become more able to serve the Command The treasure which man Irregenerate travelleth for as intending it for themselves man Regenerate expends for God As he was a lover of labor so he was communicative a diligent Tutor and full of Students committed to his care He was a Didactical man both able and apt to teach Ability to instruct youth argueth a Wise-man To guide man Nazianzen accounted the Art of Arts. To be willing to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach argueth a good man good is communitative Such was his Academical dexterity that he could impart as Scaliger speaks the felicities of wit to his hearers so accomodating and insinuating the matter in hand as his Pupils might both perceive their profiting and taste the sweetness of that wherein they profited Thus by schoole-stratagems he won the hearts of his scholars both to himself and to a desire of Mellific Historic par 1. in Historia Alcibidis learning They were as Soerates and Alcibiades or rather as the Prophets and the sons of the Prophets his pupils were honores and lovers of him He was a Tutor friend and Father unto them The manner of his Conversion take in his own words as neer as can be remembred thus During his residence in The manner of his Conversion the University God began to work upon him under the ministery of Mr Perkins of blessed memory But the motions and stirrings of his heart which then were he suppressed thinking that if he should trouble himself with matters of Religion according