Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	angel_n	father_n	zion_n	48	3	8.7086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75800	The spirituall use of an orchard, or garden of fruit-trees. Set forth in divers similitudes betweene naturall and spirituall fruit-trees, in their natures, and ordering, according to Scripture and experience. The second impression; with the addition of many similitudes. By Ra: Austen, author of the first part. By Ra: Austen, author of the first part.	Austen, Ralph, d. 1676.	1657 (1657)	Wing A4236; Thomason E915_8; ESTC R208885	172,355	230

Meeke to bind up the Broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord to comfort all that mourne c. Now the reason hereof is because soules lying under apprehensions of wrath for sin their doubt is mainely of Gods willingnesse to save them they know not his Will in the thing therefore to labour to convince them of his Love of his willingnesse and readinesse to receive and save sinners that come to him by Christ is the great businesse in case of distresse and doubting Vse 1 This being so then those who goe about to direct and comfort weary soules laden and burthened with the sense of sin and wrath are to beware how they presse the duties of the Law to such in order to settlement and peace some are ready still in such Cases to tell the partie distressed in conscience you must walke strictly take heed of Sin give not way to corruptions not so much as any motions or stirrings of them within and be diligent in all duties of hearing the word reading meditation c. and so put them on the duties of the Law or Covenant of workes whereby to get peace and acceptance with God making God appeare as a hard Master and thereby lay one burthen upon another in stead of easing of them Whereas the sweete refreshing Promises of the Covenant of grace the infinite Love of God in our pretious Lord Jesus Christ should be laid open and held forth clearely to such a weary soule that such a one might see the great workes of fulfilling the Law and satisfying divine Justice done to his hand in case he lay hold upon and close with Christ by faith This is the ready way to settle such a soule to make the Graft take hold of the stock from which it may receive life This the Apostle shewes us by a plaine instance Gal. 3.2 Received ye the spirit by the worke of the Law or by the hearing of faith as if he should say ye know this course was taken with you before ye beleived The doctrine of free grace was preached to you ye heard that Justification came not by the workes of the Law but by faith in Christ even so it is now Secondly Soules thus in distresse ought to harken to and receive offers of grace when they heare them made and not to Vse 2 put them off and neglect them as very many doe They will not or dare not close with the free promises of grace because say they I wretch am not worthie I am not fitted my heart is hard my Corruptions are strong I am full of sin my whole life is nothing but sin Why thou shalt never have it otherwise so long as thou standest off and refusest to close with Christ If thou think to get thy heart into an humble melting frame and temper and to subdue Corruptions and then to close with Christ thou wilt but deceive thy selfe that 's not the way but seeing thy want of Christ and thy sinfull undone condition without him and a true desire in thee to get out of it and to be sanctified as well as justified to be saved from sin as well as wrath let it be the very first thing thou doest to venture on him and close with him accept of his love and doe but touch him by faith and thou shalt find thy selfe healed of all thy spirituall diseases but without this course notwithstanding all thy owne strictnesse and endeavours in duties thou wilt find thy selfe to be worse and worse The five and twentieth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman having laboured and taken much paines about Engrafting his Plants when in the spring he sees they begin to bud and shoote forth when he observing of them perceives they have closed with and taken hold of the stock he is glad of it this is a ground of rejoycing to him he is very well pleas'd to see the good successe of his labours about his Fruit-trees This discovers to us That A sinners Repentance and closing with Christ causeth joy both in heaven and Earth The Lord the great husbandman is alwaies at worke labouring to draw soules to Christ by all waies and meanes And his sub-husbandmen the Ministers of the Gospell and all his people one way or other do labour in the same worke they are Co-workers fellow labourers with him in this great Gospell worke Now when they see their works and labours have good successe they rejoyce and are glad 1. The people of God rejoyce when they see unregenerate persons come in to Christ because they are renewed themselves and it 's naturall for every Creature to be glad of and rejoyce in its like Secondly they rejoyce at the conversion of others because they love God The Reason and Love is alwaies glad at that which pleaseth and makes for the beloved God hath honour hereby and therefore they rejoyce Secondly the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell rejoyce at the conversion of soules not only upon these accompts but also because they are more immediately concerned in it it is their proper worke and businesse to winne soules to Christ Now when they see the successe of their Labours they say as the Apostle 3 Epistle of John 4. I have no greater joy then to heare that my Children walke in the truth So the Apostle Paul 1 Thes 2.19 what is our hope our joy our Crowne of rejoycing are not yee c v. 20. For ye are our glory joy Thirdly The good Angels also rejoyce when sinners turne to God This our Saviour tells us Luk. 15.7 I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth c. vers 10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Fourthly God the father sonne and spirit rejoyce at the Repentance of sinners The spirit to speake after the manner of men is said to be greived with sin when soules reject his motions so on the contrary when they hearken to him he is well pleased Our Saviour having taught his disciples and brought them to understand and receive the things of the kingdome of God he rejoyced Luk. 10.21 In that houre Jesus rejoyced in spirit c. Also we see how God the Father is wel pleased when sinners come in to Christ this is at large made out unto us in the Parable of the Prodigall Luk. 15.20 the father seeing his sonne returning to him how glad is he of it he ran to meete him and fell on his neck and kissed him then there was Musicke and dancing and feasting c. all this is but to let us know how welcome a soule is to God when it returnes from its wandrings Esay 65.19 I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and Zepth 3.17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy

strive one against the other so that it is the care of the husbandman and is or should be our continuall labour and businesse to strengthen the spirituall part against the fleshly part We find by Experience That while the spirituall part acts lively and strongly the Carnall part is downe While it is by the Spirit of God raised up to a high pitch and enlarged with delight and joy in God and Communion with him in Meditation and Prayer then all the while Corruptions are low and weake and as it were subdu'd The Apostle tells us what we must doe to keep downe Corruptions Gal. 5.16 This I say walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh While the soule is in a spirituall frame and hath cleare apprehensions of the love of God in Christ then it is active and lively in all the waies of God Luk. 11.21 though the flesh be as a strong man Armed yet when this spirituall man that is stronger then he riseth up and bestirs himselfe he is able to bind him and keepe him under and rules in the soule untill there be an abating and slacking of his spirituall strength and then the flesh will soone discover it selfe and stirre and act as temptations and occasions arise and then on the other side the Spirituall part acts but weakely it is downe low flat wanting life and power during such stirrings and workings of the flesh Rom. 7.23 I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive c. This should teach us often to observe and take notice of the actings of our spirits of the frame and temper of them 1 Vse whether the stock or the Graft bud the faster what shootes the soule puts forth of what kind what the motions of our soules are whether holy and spirituall or carnall and earthly cutting off these and preserving and cherishing those If we were watchfull daily and tooke paines with our spirits to keepe them up in a spirituall frame in Communion with God then by degrees the shootes and growths of the spirituall part would become strong and the shootes of the flesh weak and feeble O that this were well weighed and practised by Christians it is the very life Spirit and power of godlinesse thus to walk with God in communion with him hereby we are enabled to doe and suffer all things for God and to resist and keep under the flesh and all Enemies This is the life of our life and heaven upon Earth The twelfth Observation in Nature THe neerer the Branches of a Tree are to the Roots the faster and firmer they are and more free from tossing and shaking by the winds Such grow more fast and steady And the farther off the Branches are from the Roote the more loose and unsteadfast they are the more they are waved and tossed by the winds and motion of the Aire This is another Similitude of the state of spirituall Fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed The more closely a Christian walks with God the more steadfast he is and more free from spirituall Enemies Every Mysticall Fruit-tree that beares good fruit is Ingrafted or implanted into Jesus Christ the Roote and Stock from whence all the spirituall sap and life is drawne and derived whereby the Branches grow and beare fruit And experience shewes the neerer the Boughs and Branches are unto the Roote the closer we walke with God the more Communion we have with the father and with his sonne Jesus Christ the more fixed stable and unshaken we are When the soule is a farre off from Christ it is carried and tossed about with divers and strange conceipts and Opinions doubts feares troubles and temptations is moved this way and that way as the top branches of a Tree with the wind The Prophet David walked with God and kept close unto him Psalm 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore he saies his heart was established and would not shrinke but was enabled to insult over all Vse 1 Enemies Psalm 46.2 I will not feare though the earth be moved c. As this shewes us the happinesse of those who walke with God so also we may hence see the miserable Condition of those who are out of Christ they being a far off from Christ the whole frame of their soule is unsetled they are like the raging sea that cannot rest Esay 57.20 their Condition is as was said of Reuben Gen. 59.4 unstable as water James 1.8 They are unstable in all thoir waies because a far off from Christ Let this stirre us up to a watchfull and circumspect care in our Vse 2 Conversations to get and keep close to Christ Such as walke closely with God live in another spheare in a higher Orb than the common world though they live with them And notwithstanding there be Commotions and stirs and turning of the world upside downe yet in the spirits of these all is calme and quiet their hearts are fixed and unmoved they feare not evill tydings Psal 112.7 8. because their hearts are fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 15.5 They are as Mount Syon that cannot be removed but abideth fast for ever The thirteenth Observation in Nature IN Materiall fruit-trees the sower Nature of the wild Plants that are grafted upon does still continue in the stock or roote and is not taken away or lost by Engrafting it is only restrained and kept under by the Graft The Nature of the Graft is predominant in the Tree and overrules in bringing forth fruits according to its owne kind although with some small degree of the sower Nature of the stock mixed with it And the two Natures of the Graft and stock continue mixed together so long as the Tree lives This is another Similitude of the state of Mysticall Fruit-trees and shadowes forth unto us this Proposition That Corrupt Nature abides in believers as long as they live Proposition shadowed and is but in part subdued by grace Corruption of Nature though it be not cast out yet it is by degrees more and more subdued restrayned and kept under Rom. 6.6 The old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed it is destroyed as to the ruling power of it but not as to the being of it The spirit of God working Principles of Grace or the Divine Nature in the soule does curb restraine and as it were bind Corrupt Nature which of it selfe is as a strong man armed but when a stronger than he cometh he bindeth him and keeps him under Luk. 11.21 Not that he casteth him out as a Land-lord that turnes out an old Tenant when he puts in a new one The Apostle complaineth of it Rom. 7. I find a law in my members warring against the law of my minde c. The experience of all Believers proves this sufficiently Vse 1

of this inclosed Garden to enter into it those that did never yet feast nor banquet with Christ there nor so much as tast of any of his delicates O let them all take notice of these things and consider where they are and what they are a doing They are now in a dry and barren wildernesse where there is a dearth a scarcity and want of all profitable and pleasant things they are now with the prodigall feeding swine and grasping empty husks to satisfie themselves being ready to famish for want of foode while they might have bread enough and the fatted Calfe to feed upon if they will come into this pleasant Garden there they shall have a feast of fat things of wine on the lees wee l refined They shall have all that their hearts can desire Psal 37.5 they shall have joy and peace and full satisfactions there they shall have Christ and all his fulnesse made theirs there they shall have God for their Portion in whom they shall find infinitely more happinesse and satisfaction than in all the Creatures both in heaven and earth Therefore come into this Garden now even now while it is called to day and be partakers of the Profits and pleasures of it Vse 2 Let all those who dwell in this Garden inclosed and are partakers of all these great priviledges consider and admire the abundant love and kindnesse of God towards them and walke in some measure answerable thereunto There are some of the freinds of Christ with whom he feasts and banquets frequently letting them find the powerfull workings of his spirit establishing and refreshing their spirits in many discoveries of his love to them assurance of the pardon of sin freedome from Hell Sathan the condemning power of the Law or Covenant of workd c. discovering to them that all the waies and proceedings of his providences towards them are in Wisdome Love and Mercy to the increase of grace here and to fit them for glory hereafter his spirit witnessing and sealing unto them the unchangeable love of God in Christ in the Covenant of free grace whereby they have an habituall and well grounded assurance of their present state of happinesse and of their perseverance in it unto the end And then an exaltation unto infinite glory unto all Eternity These and such like are the dishes and dainties in the Feasts and Banquets that are found in this Garden inclosed the Church of God The sixtie fifth Observation in Nature THe husbandman does carefully fence his Orchard or Garden of fruit-trees round about he makes a Wall Pale hedg ditch or some fence or other on every side of his Garden that no Cattle nor any other enemies may anoy or hurt it This shadowes out unto as That The Church of God is encompassed Proposition shadowed and preserved by God himselfe The Prophet Esay speaking of the Lords Vineyard Chap. 5.2 saies He fenced it or as it is in the Margent he made a Wall about it that is he himselfe is about it Psal 125.2 As the hills are round about Jerusalem so is the Lord round about his people from henceforth even for ever All the Attributes of God are for the safty and preservation of his people Ps 5.12 With favour shalt thou compasse him as with a sheild so of his power wisdome faithfulnesse c. This was the hedg that Sathan saw was about Job chap. 1. ●0 Hast not thou made an hedg about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side 2 Ki. 6.17 There were Charets and horses round about Esha which were Angels for the preservation of Elisha as the Prophet hath it Psal 68.17 the Charets of God are 20000 even thousands of Angels so the Angels are still ministring spirits to all the faithfull God gives them a charge to keep his people in all their waies Psal 91.11 The Church of God is called a Garden a garden compassed and fenced Cant. 4.12 a Garden inclosed is my sister my spouse This is sound and unspeakable consolation to all that feare God The Power Wisdome Love Mercy faithfulnesse of God even Vse 1 God himselfe compasseth them round about they dwell in God Job 17.21 and 1 Joh. 4.16 who or what then can hurt them or prevaile against them Souldiers within a strong impregnable Garison neede not feare a besieging enemy if they have all things necessary and convenient for them there so the people of God dwell in God in whom is all fulnesse Esay 33.16 He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure see here the safety of such as feare God The Tower wherein they are is so high that no enemy can possibly scale it neither can they undermine it it is built upon a Rock or Rocks and they have provision enough within bread and water by which is understood all the fulnesse of God given out both in temporals and spirituals so that the Gates of hell all the powers of men and devills combining together against them shall not prevaile over them nay their enemies shall be destroyed in their attempts for God is a Wall of fire round about his people Zeck 2.5 and a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 all the enemies of God and of his people shall be consumed by it So then we seethe safety and happinesse of all the trees of Gods inclosed Garden they are implanted into Christ they are inclosed and incompassed by God himselfe they shall be preserved from all evill and shall want no manner of thing that is good All the Attributes of God even God himselfe is a Brazen Wall a Wall of fire compassing them round about so that nothing shall hurt them And although their enemies sometimes may kill them yet they cannot hurt them Though possibly they may loose their heads yet they shall not loose an haire of their head Luk 21.16 17 18. Their losse for Christ is gaine The sixty sixt Observation in Nature WHen the husbandman dresseth up his Orchard or Garden and removes such trees and plants as are barren and unfruitfull or that bear naughty fruits and plants others in their roomes that are choice and speciall trees and gathers out the stones weeds rubbish and whatsoever is offensive and bestowes much time cost and labour in preparing and ordering all things in his Garden for his profit and delight men may judg by all these things that he intends to come settle himselfe Proposition shadowed and dwell there This shadowes out unto us That When God doth purg a Nation or place from persons and things that are offensive to him and brings in his owne people and worship in stead thereof this is an evident taken that God intends to dwell there God is infinite and is not included in one place more than another The Heaven of heavens cannot containe him 2 Chro. 6.18 yet he is said to dwell in some places rather than in others