Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A73706
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Three profitable sermons. 1. A pastorall charge. 2. Christs Larum-bell. 3. The soules sentinell Preached at seuerall times vpon sundry occasions, by Richard Carpenter pastor of Sherwill in Devon.
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Carpenter, Richard, 1575-1627.
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1617
(1617)
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STC 4683.5; ESTC S125294
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87,026
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278
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is patient bountifull not puffed vp that it disdaineth not seeketh not her owne thinketh not euill reioyceth not iniquity but in the truth hopeth all things beleeueth all things endureth all things and so forth Was loue then neither malicious nor disdainfull nor suspitious NemineÌ„ enim suspicit Bern. in Cant. Serm. 59. amor nec dispicit quidem as Bern. speaketh Was it liberall then and not auaritious humble not ambitious surely then is loue chang'd much since the Apostles time or else terâ—as astrea reliquit Loue with Iustice is fled from the earth or couched in a narrow corner thereof so that it is most rare to find being vtterly exiled from the coÌ„mon society of men as appeareth euen at this day For otherwise how coÌ„meth it to passe tbat in buying and selling mutuall marchandizing men vse so many false weights false lights and craftie sleights Mille actus veâ—itos mille piacula tentant to deceiue one another and to hurt their brethren whom they are bound to helpe is it not for lacke of the holy sparke of spirituall loue Whence is it that the swallowers of the poore and those yron hearts against whom the Prophet Amos lifteth vp his siluer Amoâ—â— 5. trumpet doe waite when opportunitie will buzz into their eares the desirous newes of a new moone or Sabbath that they may set forth their wheat and make the Ephah small and the shekle great and falsifie the weights by deceit and buy the poore for siluer and the needy for shooes is it not because their hard hearts are not softned by the holy fire of true christian loue And that I may lead you along as the Prophet Ezekiel was Ezek 8. 13. by the spirit from abhomination to abhomination and each greater than other Whence is it that subtilty setteth on fire the tongue of the crafty buyer so that as the Wiseman speaketh he cryeth out It is naught it is naught but when Prou 20. 14. he is gone boasteth of his bargaine and giueth his tongue the lye Whence is this dissimulation and diuision betwixt the tongue and the thought and breaking forth euen for a little red or white earth into lying swearing and forswearing too is it not for want of a dram of spirituall-vpright-dealing loue Whence doe these corrupt streames of extortion vsury oppression bribery mercilesnes and cruelty and the like crying sinnes noysome in quality haynous in degree dangerous in effects proceede and flow is it not from the fountaine or rather the dead sea of an vnlouing vncharitable frozen heart In a word hence it is that some I feare too many of this place rightly termed Latrones puluinarij gracious theeues doe fill their coffers and enrich their treasury by the Diuells Alchymistry by Iewish vsury little better than Achans the euery Iosh 7. Iosh 7. Hence it is that others iustly called griping Extortioners and mercilesse oppressors doe enlarge their liuings and possessions by damnable designments as bad as Ahabs cruelty 1. King 21. Hence it is that the Rulers say with shame 1. King 21. Bring yee Hosea 4. 15. and not onely Hosea 4. 15. superiours but inferiours too maintaine their estate by vniust dealing cogging collusion and Trades more sinfull and shamefull than Gehezies bribery 2. Kin 5. To conclude hence it is that Monopolites 2. King 5. 7. ingrossers regraters forestallers transporters and cormorant like corne hoorders qui in loculis includunt salutem inopuÌ„ Stella in Luc. in tumulis sepeliunt vitam pauperuÌ„ doe secretly laugh at the publique want and penury and make an exceeding benefit of the times extremity and sacrifice to their yarne nets of policie Hab 2. 16. and Habac 2. 16. grind the faces of the poore without measure without mercy sowing in hardnes of heart now and I feare hereafter reaping in horror of conscience for iudgement mercilesse shall be to those which shew no mercy Iam 2. 13. euen Iames 2. 13. because their corrupt hearts are not seasoned with the soueraigne sauory salt of Christian loue and charity The hauing whereof as it is an Antidote and preseruatiue to keep vs from running into mischeife and impiety so the want thereof is the originall of all vngodlines and villany Witnes this that without exception most horrid and diuelish powder-treason plot and damnable proiect of our Antichristian aduersaries quibus nulla fides nullus amor nisi quantum expedit according to the rule of the Parthians with whom no conscience no religion no band of nature consanguinity alleageance alliance affinitie oath or Sacrament standeth good so it withstand their mischiefe plotting purpose Witnes this I say that their barbarous bloudy purpose and designement of cutting of all the heads of our Land as it were vpon one and the same shoulder by one Catholique blow of blowing vp the Parliament house and so Iudas like purchasing a field of bloud with no lesse price then the life of King Queene Prince and the cheife State of this Land Alas had they beene possessed but with one graine of that truely Catholique Christian charitie whereof they doe so fondly boast they would neuer haue harboured the thought much lesse haue set forward the practise of so vnheard of a villanie of a sinne so exceeding sinfull that no pretence of religion can excuse it no shadow of good intention extenuate it God and the heauens condemne it men and the earth detest it But certaine it is they had set apart all bowells of compassion and naturall affection all thoughts of humanitie pricks of conscience sparks of reason and barres of religion all feare of God and reuerence of men in being authors of so execrable a worke of darknes and desolation which to heare would make a mans eares to tingle and his heart-strings to tremble and in steed of the spirit of loue they were possessed with the Angell of the bottomles pit the spirit Abadon the spirit Apoc 9. 11. of destruction and devastation I would to God this spirit did not raigne and reuell so much now adaies also in the middest of them and euen in their desperate hopes make them to beare deadly hatred to this our Sion so that they cry downe with it downe with it to the ground but so it is that notwithstanding the discouery and defeysance of their manifold mischieuous designments and our miraculous deliuerance for which the Almighties mercy be euer magnified amongst vs they continue still our irreconcilable enemies in their erronious bitter crosbiting books they professe it by their daily machinations and practises they shew it God grant wee doe not hereafter to our greater wrack and woe feele and finde it Howsoeuer let vs be confident and commending the protections of our persons and the defence of our cause to the God of truth who hath hitherto gratiously deliuered and defended vs from those massacring bloudy-minded vnderminers of his truth and gospell Let vs follow the truth in loue as
it is that I must now depart from you without hope of euer visiting you againe and I protest before you such is my confidence to God-wards and the clearenes of my conscience witnessing for me that I haue opened to you the whole will of God concerning the saluation of mankind and the true way to life euerlasting and haue beene wanting to you in nothing oh that all Prelates and Pastors could truly say the like I haue with sinceritie and sedulitie done with meeknes and humilitie suffred whatsoeuer to the vttermost of my power and patience and grace giuen to mee might be suffred or done to publish the puritie and to promote the peace and prosperity of the pretious gospell preached amongst you And now sith I can be no longer present to instruct counsell comfort and encourage you therefore in the bowells of Christ Iesus I earnestly beseech you to supply by your owne extraordinary care and diligence whatsoeuer may bee wanting through my absence Watch stand 1. Cor. 16. 13. 1. Pet. 1. 13. fast in the faith gird vp the loynes of your minde quit your selues like men bee zealous in the way and worke of the Lord and iealous ouer your selues with a godly iealousie Take heed to your selues make sure worke for your owne soules that yee be not corrupted or seduced and take the like care and thought with an equall bent and extent of good-will and affection for the flocke the whole flocke wherof not the authority of man or power of Angels or any priuate spirit of your owne but the Holy Spirit of God hath made you ouerseers suffer not this flocke or any part thereof to pine for want of spirituall prouision to be wandring wounded wearied wronged but see that it be fed refreshed cherished preserued For herevnto are yee called not to be loyterers but labourers not to be idle speculators but painfull Pastors to feede with wholesome foode in due season the family of God Gods Church Gods chosen Gods people a precious people bought and redeemed with a price a rich price a price of infinite value euen with bloud with Gods bloud with Gods owne bloud for so by reason of the hypostaticall vnion of two natures in Christ that which is proper to the one is attributed to the other per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we speake in schooles Take heede therefore to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers c. Suffer not the sheepe of Christs pasture his peculiar his cheife treasure so much set by and so dearely purchased by the vnvaluable price of his most precious bloud to perish or miscarry through your default or negligence For if you doe I call heauen and earth to record against you that both the bloud of Christ shall bee charged on your heads and the bloud of his people perishing required at your hands O terrible blast like the sudden sound of a mighty thunderclap or the roaring of many waters able to make the two eares to tingle and the heart-stringes to tremble of all euill and idle Pastors which either cannot so great is their ignorance or doe not so little is their conscience or will not so graceles is their negligence feed the flocke of Christ and take heed therevnto And thus hauing somwhat fully and freely by way of paraphrase opened and enlarged the coherence sense and substance of this parcell of Scripture for my more orderly proceding therein let me intreat you to obserue with me by way of diuision two principall parts thereof Diuision 1 The first a strict charge and iniunction what to do actuated and enforced by this illatiue particle Therefore h. v. Take heede therefore to your selues and to all the stocke The second an important cause and consideration why it is to be done in the words following because the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers to feede the Church of God purchased with his owne bloud Subdivision 1 The charge it selfe to omit the ordinarie circumstances of the person giuing it and the parties to whom it is giuen containes a twofold substantiall caveat or caution the one intrinsecall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take heed to your selues neglect not the care of your owne saluation for sibi nequam cui bonus hardly will he doe good to others extensiue that is not good for himselfe intensiue The other extrinsecall take heed to the flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the flocke and euery part thereof strengthen the weake reduce the wandring raise those that are falne confirme those that stand For this and all this and more then this vnder this allegory and comparison of a minister to a shep heard is comprehended As for the cause and consideration that consisteth of a threefold reason The first drawen from the author of their sacred function viz the Holy Ghost which had made them Over-seers importing their calling to be not an humane inuention but a diuine institution wherein they were assisted by the presence protected by the power directed by the wisdome of Gods Spirit The second from the end and burden of their office in that they were made overseers non ad deglubendum sed ad pascendum and as the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare it Reu. 2. 17. ad regendum not to fleece but to feede the flocke of Christ pabulo coelestis doctrinae orationis not to greiue but to gouerne the Church of God pedo disciplinae exemplo conversationis The third and last sharp-pointed reason from the dignity of the Church and the qualitie of the flocke which is to be fed namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Peter calls it a peculiar people purchased as it 1. Pet. 2. 9. is in my text with Christs owne bloud hee hath paide full dearely for them hee hath best right vnto them he sets highly by them and therefore will call those to a strict account which take the charge of them Take heed therefore to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost c. These right Reuerend and worthily regarded are the seuerall branches of my text and the bounds and limits of my intended meditations by the very surueigh whereof though I doubt not but you Fathers and brethren may readily apprehend and praeconceiue before I speake the summe and effect of all that I haue to say yet sith it is no disparagement to learning to heare what we know againe confirmed no preiudice to a well ordered priuate life and publique gouernment to heare and see what we doe and ought to doe often preached pressed and approued I will now by Gods assistance and your continued patience descend from the superficiall pointing of them out vnto your view for obseruation vnto a more substantiall prosecuting of them in their order for your better vse and application And first of the first viz the charge or iniunction and therein of the first intrinsecall caueat or caution contained h. v. Take heed