Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A30130
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Come & welcome to Jesus Christ, or, A plain and profitable discourse upon the sixth of John, 37 vers shewing the cause, truth and manner of the coming of a sinner to Jesus Christ, with his happy reception and blessed entertainment / written by J. Bunyan.
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Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing B5495; ESTC R30257
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120,042
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303
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an one that hath set up Gods Enemy in opposition to him and that continueth in such acts of defiance and what his end without a new birth will be the Scripture teacheth also But we will pass this Secondly Is it so Is coming to Christ by the gift promise and drawing of the Father then let Saints here learn to ascribe their coming to Christ to the gift promise and drawing of the Father Christian man bless God who hath given thee to Jesus Christ by promise and again bless God for that he hath drawn thee to him And why is it thee Why not another O that the glory of Electing love should rest upon thy head and that the glory of the Exceeding grace of God should take hold of thy heart and bring thee to Jesus Christ. Thirdly Is it so that coming to Christ is by the Father as aforesaid then this should teach us to set an high esteem upon them that indeed are coming to Jesus Christ I say an high esteem on Them for the sake of him by vertue of whose grace they are made to come to Jesus Christ. We see that when men by the help of humane abilities do arrive to the Knowledge of and bring to pass that which when done is a wonder to the World how he that did it is esteem'd and commended Yea how are his wits parts industry and unweariedness in all admired and yet the man as to this is but of the World and his work the effect of natural ability The things also attained by him end in vanity and vexation of Spirit Further perhaps in the pursute of this his Accheivement he sins against God wasts his time vainly and at long run loses his Soul by neglecting of better things Yet he is admired But I say if this mans parts labor diligence and the like will bring him to such applause and esteem in the World what esteem should we have of such an one that is by the Gift promise and power of God coming to Jesus Christ. First This is a man with whom God is in whom God works and walks a man whose motion is Governed Steared by the mighty hand of God and the effectual working of his power Hear 's a Man Secondly This man by the power of Gods might which worketh in him is able to cast a whole World behind him with all the lusts and pleasures of it and to Charge through all the difficulties that Men and Devils can set against him Hear 's a Man Thirdly This man is Travelling to Mount Zion the Heavenly Jerusalem The City of the living God And to an innumerable company of Angels And the Spirits of Just men made Perfect to God the Judge of all and to Jesus Hear 's a Man Fourthly This man can look upon death with comfort can laugh at destruction when it cometh and longs to hear the Sound of the last Trump And to see his Judge coming in the Clouds of Heaven Hear 's a Man indeed Let Christians then esteem each other as such I know you do it but do it more and more And that you may consider these two or three things First These are the Objects of Christs esteem Mat. 12. 48. chap. 15. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Luk. 7. 9. Secondly These are the Objects of the esteem of Angels Dan. 9. 22. chap. 10 11. chap. 12. 4. Heb. 1. 14. Thirdly These have been the Objects of the esteem of Heathens when but convinced about them Dan. 5. 10. Acts 5. 13. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. Let each of you then esteem other better than themselves Philip. 3. 2. Fourthly Again Is it so that no man comes to Jesus Christ by the will wisdom and power of man But by the Gift Promise and Drawing of the Father Then this shews us how horribly ignorant of this such are who make the man that is coming to Christ the Object of their contempt and rage These are also unreasonable and wicked men men in whom is no faith 1 Thes. 3 2. Sinners did you but know what a blessed thing it is to come to Jesus Christ and that by the help and drawing of the Father they do indeed come to him You would Hang and Burn in Hell a Thousand years before you would turn your spirit as you do against him that God is drawing to Jesus Christ and also against the God that draws him But faithless Sinners let us a little Expostulate the matter What hath this man done against thee that is coming to Jesus Christ why dost thou make him the Object of thy scorn doth his coming to Jesus Christ offend thee Doth his pursuing of his own Salvation offend thee Doth his forsaking of his sins and pleasures offend thee Poor Coming man Thou Sacrificest the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone thee Exod. 8. 26. But I say why offended at this is he ever the worse for coming to Jesus Christ or for his loving and serving of Jesus Christ Or is he ever the more a fool for flying from that which will dround thee in Hell fire and for seeking Eternal life Besides pray Sirs consider it this he doth not of himself but by the drawing of the Father Come let me tell thee in thine ear thou that will not come to him thy self and him that would thou hindrest First Thou shalt be judged for one that hath hated maligned and reproached Jesus Christ to whom this poor sinner is coming Secondly Thou shalt be judged too for one that hath hated the Father by whose powerful drawing this sinner doth come Thirdly Thou shalt be taken and judged for one that has done despite to the Spirit of Grace in him that is by its help coming to Jesus Christ. What sayst thou now Wilt thou stand by thy doings wilt thou continue to contemn and reproach the living God Thinkest thou that thou shalt weather it out well enough at the day of Judgement Can thy heart indure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee saith the Lord. Joh. 15. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. Jude 14. 14 15. 1 Thes. 4. 8. Ezek. 22. 14. Fifthly Is it so That no man comes to Jesus Christ by the will Wisdome and power of man but by the gift promise and drawing of the Father Then this sheweth us how it comes to pass that weak means is so powerful as to bring men out of their sins to a hearty pursute after Jesus Christ When God bid Moses speak to the people he said I will speak with thee Exod. 19. When God speaks when God works Who can let it None none Then the work goes on Elias threw his Mantle upon the Shoulders of Elisha and what a wonderful work followed When Jesus fell in with the crowing of a Cock what work was there O when God is in the Means then shall that Means be it never so weak and contemptible in it self work wonders 1 Kings 19. 19.
Hos. 11. 10 11. When God Roars as oft-times the Coming Soul hears him Roar what Man that is coming can do otherwise than Tremble Amos 3. 8. But Trembling he comes He sprang in and came Trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Act. 16. Should you ask him that we mentioned but now How long is it since you began to fear you should miss of this Damosel you Love so The Answer would be Ever since I began to Love her But did you not fear it before No nor should I fear it now but that I vehemently Love her Come Sinner let us apply it How long is it since thou begannest to Fear that Jesus Christ will not Receive thee Thy Answer is Ever since I began to desire that he would save my Soul I began to Fear when I began to Come And the more my Heart burns in Desires after him the more I feel my Heart fear I shall not be Saved by him See now Did not I tell thee That thy Fears were but the Consequence of strong Desires Well fear not Coming-Sinner Thousands of Coming-Souls are in thy Condition and yet they will also get safe into Christ's Bosom Say sayes Christ to them that are of a fearful Heart Be strong fear not Your God will come and Save you Isa. 35. 4. Chap. 63 1. Thirdly Thy Fear that Christ will not Receive thee May arise from a Sense of thine own Unworthyness Thou seest what a poor sorry wretched worthless Creature thou art And seeing this thou fearest Christ will not Receive thee Alas say'st thou I am the Vilest of all Men a Town-Sinner a Ring-leading Sinner I am not only a Sinner my self but have made others two-fold worse the Children of Hell also Besides Now I am under some Awakenings and Stirrings of Mind after Salvation even now I find my heart Rebellious Carnal Hard Treacherous Desperate prone to Unbelief to Despair It forgetteth the Word it wandreth it runneth to the Ends of the Earth There is not I am perswaded one in all the World that hath such a desperate wicked Heart as mine is My Soul is careless to do Good but none more earnest to do that which is Evil Can such an one as I am Live in Glory Can an Holy a Just and Righteous God once think with Honour to his Name of Saving such a Vile Creature as I am I fear it Will he shew Wonders to such a dead Dog as I am I doubt it I am cast out to the loathing of my Person yea I loath my self I stink in mine own Nostrils How can I then be accepted by an Holy and Sin-abhorring God Psal. 38. 5 6 7. Ezek. 16. Chap. 20. 42 43 44. Saved I would be and Who is there that would not were they in my Condition Indeed I wonder at the Madness and Folly of others when I see them so Merry in their Chains while I see them Leap and Skip so carelesly about the Mouth of Hell Bold Sinner How darest thou tempt God by Laughing at the Breach of his Holy Law But Alas They are not so bad one way but I am worse another I wish my Self were any Body but my Self And yet here again I know not what to wish When I see such as I believe are coming to Jesus Christ O I bless them But am confounded in my self to see how unlike as I think I am to every good Man in the World They can Hear Read Pray Remember Repent be Humble and Do every thing better than so Vile a Wretch as I. I Vile Wretch am good for nothing but to burn in Hell-Fire and when I think of that I am confounded too Thus the Sense of Unworthyness creates and heightens Fears in the Hearts of them that are coming to Jesus Christ But indeed it should not For who needs the Physitian but the Sick Or who did Christ come into the World to Save but the Chief of Sinners Mar. 1. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Wherefore the more thou feest thy Sins the faster fly thou to Jesus Christ. And let the Sense of thy own Unworthyness prevail with thee yet to go faster As it is with the Man that carrieth his broken Arm in a Sling to the Bone-setter still as he thinks of his broken Arm and as he feels the Pain and Anguish he hastens his Pace to the Man And if Satan meets thee and asketh Whether goest thou Tell him Thou art Maimed and art going to the Lord Jesus If he objects thine own Unworthiness Tell him That even as the Sick seeketh the Physitian and as he that hath broken Bones seeks him that can Set them So thou art going to Jesus Christ for Cure and Healing for thy Sin-sick-Soul But it oft times happeneth to the Coming-Soul as it happeneth to him that flies for his Life He despairs of Escaping and therefore delivers up himself into the Hand of the Purfuer But up up Sinner be of good chear Christ came to Save the Unworthy Ones Be not Faithless but Believe Come away Man the Lord Jesus calls thee saying And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Fourthly Thy Fear that Christ will not Receive thee may arise from a Sense of the exceeding Mercy of being Saved Sometime Salvation is in the Eyes of him that desires it so great so huge so wonderful a thing that the very Thoughts of the Excellency of it ingenders Unbelief about obtaining it in the Heart of those that unfeignedly desire it Seemeth it to you said David a Light thing to be a King's Son-in-Law 1 Sam. 18. 23. So the Thoughts of the Greatness and Glory of the Thing propounded as Heaven Eternal Life Eternal Glory to be with God and Christ and Angels These are great Things Things too Good saith the Soul that is little in his own Eyes Things too Rich saith the Soul that is truly poor in Spirit for me Besides the Holy Ghost hath a way to greaten Heavenly things to the understanding of the coming sinner yea and at the same time to greaten too the sin and unworthiness of that sinner Now the Soul staggeringly wonders saying What! to be made like Angels like Christ To live in Eternal bliss joy and felicity This is for Angels and for them that can walk like Angels If a Prince a Duke or Earl should send by the Hand of his Servant to some poor sorry beggarly scrub to take her for his Master to wife and the Servant should come and say My Lord and Master such an one hath sent me to thee to take thee to him to wife he is rich beautiful and of excellent qualities he is Loving Meek Humble Well-spoken c. What now would this poor sorry beggarly Creature think what would she say or how would she frame an answer When King David sent to Abigail upon this account and though she was a rich woman yet she said Behold Let thine hand maid be a Servant to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. 1 Sam.