Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	holy_a	scripture_n	6,970	5	5.7262	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07286	Grieving of Gods spirit Contayning the summe of a sermon preached at Saint Maries in Oxford. The chiefe points intreated on are, Viz. I. Of grieuing of Gods Spirit. II. Of resisting of Gods Spirit. III. Of blaspheming of Gods Spirit, in the highest degree commonly called, the sinne against the Holy Ghost. By Radford Mauericke, minister in Devon. Reade iudiciously, but iudge charitably.	Mavericke, Radford, b. 1560 or 61.	1620 (1620)	STC 17681; ESTC S102313	17,741	30

GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT Contayning the summe of a Sermon preached at Saint MARIES in OXFORD The chiefe points intreated on are Viz. I. Of grieuing of Gods Spirit II. Of resisting of Gods Spirit III. Of blaspheming of Gods Spirit in the highest degree commonly called The sinne against the Holy Ghost By Radford Mauericke Minister in DEVON Reade iudiciously but iudge charitably MATTH 7.2 For with what Iudgement ye iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe LONDON Printed by William Stansby 1620. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane And one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell All sauing graces wished in this life and all during Glorie in the life to come MOST REVEREND HOw much the Ministers of the Gospell within your Graces Prouince haue and doe continually reioyce of your preferment to this place and how many zealous Prayers are made vnto God for your Graces long and happie continuance therein I the least and one of the lowest among them can partly report But my purpose is not to prayse but in all humilitie to pray your Grace so farre to bee pleased as to permit with your accustomed fauour This poore Mite of a Ministers good meaning to be cast into the rich Treasurie of our English Church And with more speciall regard to suffer these two first Sermons preached long sithence in your Graces presence to passe vnder the wings of your fauourable protection being not onely imboldned hereunto by your Graces late remembrance of them but euen incouraged to publish them in print which the importunitie of some this long time could hardly gaine at my hands But now old age hauing taken hold on mee and my selfe hauing no children by naturall generation I haue thought it meet to collect together into one Countrey or Continent my little Babes or Bookes which yet wander abroad in the wide World single by themselues with such other as my little leisure and lesse learning could bring forth to keepe them companie hoping they may yeeld me some comfort in the shutting up of my dayes aswell as profit others if please God so long as this day of saluation lasteth Thus commending my poore endeuours to Gods rich blessing and your worthy Grace to Gods gracious protection with bended knees I most humbly take my leaue and euer remaine Your Graces in all humble dutie at command RAFFORD MAVERICKE THE GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT EPHES. 4.30 Grieue not the holy Spirit of God FOr as much Men Exordium Brethren and Fathers as this sentence is allowed off Verbum sapienti sat est I should much forget my selfe If I did not well consider as before whom I speake the supremest Maiestie so vnto whom as graue learned and iudcious Auditorie as England or all Europe yeeldeth The consideration whereof I thanke God doth much comfort but not discourage me at all for speaking before God his diuine Grace being implored shall I trust guide and direct mee to speake as of the Word of God And speaking vnto iudicious but charitable hearers they will rather conceiue what I meane if desire of breuitie cause any obscuritie in my speech rather then rashly condemne any thing that shall be spoken so that it be not against the grounds of Learning or Religion Leauing therefore to hinder your attention from the matter intended we will God-willing proceed on with our Text Contayning a very graue dehortation of a matter of some great consequence or importance which may be dilated on without any diuision at all Consisting as it were but of one particular branch or member howbeit for orders sake and for the better helpe of memorie for Confusio est intelligeutiae Three parts of this Sermon memoriae inimica I haue purposed to pursue this Text in this manner First by shewing what is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit and who they are that properly may bee sayd to grieue the holy Spirit of God Secondly seeing resisting of Gods Spirit is a greater sinne then grieuing of Gods Spirit we will God assisting speake of that point in the next place Thirdly for as much as blaspheming of Gods Spirit is a sinne reuealed vnto vs in the Scripture farre greater then either of the two former we will endeuour by Gods grace and with your learned patience to speake thereof in the third place Grieue not the holy Spirit of God TO grieue the Spirit of God The first part What is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit is a figuratiue phrase or speech humanitus dictum spoken for mans capacity for truly and indeed the Spirit of God as God himselfe can be no more grieued then hee can be either wounded or killed but this phrase of speech is here vsed by our Apostle to aggrauate the greatnesse of sinne seeing by sinning we doe as much as in vs lyeth euen grieue the holy Spirit of God that is grieuously offend Gods Spirit whose speciall office is to worke sanctification in the harts of Gods Children This speech therefore is not vsed as one very well obserueth Quod vllam perturbationem sentiat diuinitas sed vt indignitatem prophana vitae magis intelligamus It is not spoken I say to make vs imagine That the diuine Essence is or can bee subiect to any perturbation but to make vs the more and more to conceiue the indignitie and vilenesse of sinne and how odious sinne is in the sight of God The similitude of this speech A Simile may seeme to bee borrowed from a honest Oast that hath receiued a good Chest into his house to whome for a while he hath giuen very good entertainment but soone after forgetting both his owne credit and his Chests comfort suffereth wittingly and willingly many disorders to be committed in his house to the great griefe and discontent of that Chest which at the first was so courteously intertained by meanes whereof the good Ghest doth seeme to make offer that he will forsake his lodge and seeke a new Oast sauing that his gentle nature is such that hee euery day hopeth and expecteth as he is oftentimes promised reformation and amendment of all that is amisse Right so it falleth out betweene Gods Spirit and a Christian man 1. Cor. 6.19 who in the Scripture is called The Temple of the Holy Ghost This holy and blessed Spirit as the good Ghest doth with the Hammer of Gods Word knock at the doore of our hearts to seeke entertainment Behold I stand saith the Spirit at the doore and knock Renel 3.20 If any man heare my voyce and open the doore for there be many that heare his voice who will not open the doore I will come into him and sup with him Now when any faithfull Christian hath thus receiued this good Ghest and giuen him entertainment to his content soone after forgetting both himselfe and this his Chest he suffers

other vnruly Ghests which were in that house before this good Ghest came thither the lusts and affections of the flesh I meane to beare rule and to keepe a stirre in that house to commit many shamefull and vngodly prankes by meanes whereof the good Ghest the good Spirit of God is not onely disquieted and troubled but letted and hindred from doing that good which he came to doe being woarie as it ware to tanie any longer in that House or Iune and therefore sometimes doth hide himselfe close in some corner of that House like fire couered in the Embers or ashes not making any comfortable meale with his Oast in many dayes and weekes together ● Sam. 11.12 And if the disorders be verie great such as the Adulterie and Murther of Dauid were he will hardly be found out in a whole yeere together so greatly is this good Ghest this holy Spirit of God offended and displeased with sinne or at least so odious and offensiue is sinne in his sight Nay which more is many times he will not be found out at all before euery corner of our hearts soules and consciences bee cleane washed with bitter teares of Repentance and these vnruly affections which made all the former disorders be in some sort tamed and subdued yea and vntill the Oast himselfe who suffered these parts to be played be seuerely punished in the House of GODS correction Psal 6.6 Luke 7.38 where hee must daily wash his wounds with the water of contrition As Dauid washed his Couch with teares as Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ Mat. 26.75 What it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God and as Peter went out and wept bitterly By this similitude so opened and explayned the verie simpliest I suppose may soone perceiue what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God namely after that by the preaching of Gods Word wee haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God and haue entertained him with ioy and gladnesse yet notwithstanding many times and often through to too much securitie carelesnesse and negligence and sometimes through bold presumption and wilfull wickednesse we suffer the vnruly lusts of the flesh to sway and to beare rule in vs so long till as length we breake out into grosse sinnes and enormities whereby wee doe euen grieue the holy Spirit of God or as our Apostle seemes to expound himselfe in another place 1. Thes 5. ●● Wee doe quench the Spirit of God and as much as in vs lyeth labour to extinguish and cleane put one the fire of Gods Grace with the cold water of sinne and vngodlinesse which water of wickednesse if it bee not in time dryed vp againe by Faith and true Repentance as it is euermore in the elect Children of God it would needs drowne our soules in that bottomlesse pit of destruction The vse then that we should make hereof is this Vse That learning hereby the detestation that God hath against sinne we should alwaies feare to commit it and therefore should make a conscience of euery sinne such sinnes as we account common sinnes and the Papists call veniall sinnes neuer weighing sinne in the ballance of our sinfull conceit but with the true waights of the Lords Sanctuarie and according to the account that God makes of it assuring our selues that euery sinne in its owne nature though neuer so small in our sense being committed against an infinite God doth iustly deserue an infinite punishment the ignorance whereof causeth so little conscience of sinning and so great prophanenesse to be in common Christians as is now to bee seene euery-where by meanes whereof they doe as our Apostle saith Constritare spiritum Grieue the holy Spirit and as one well noteth vpon that place quasi ex suo hospitio eum eijcimus euen cast him out of his owne habitation Contrariwise wee are here taught Vse how sweete and pleasing a thing it is to the holy Spirit of God that dwelleth in vs and to his holy Angels that watch and ward round about vs to liue and leade a holy life and godly conuersation For if sinne and vngodlinesse doe so grieue and offend the Spirit of God as surely it doth though we cannot conceiue the manner how then doubtlesse vertuous and holy liuing are most pleasing to the same Spirit And as the holy Spirit of God will not dwell in a soule subiected to sin so hee dwelleth with great delight and content in that soule which is sanctified by grace Therefore it is well said of one Oportet nos operam dare vt spiritus sanctus libenter in nobis habitet vt in domicilio laeto ac iucundo nec vlla tristitiae materia illi detur That it behooueth all Christians to giue all diligence so to liue as the holy Spirit of God may take delight for to dwell and remaine in vs as in a most pleasant Pauilion and that no cause of griefe be giuen vnto him through our carelesnesse and continuall custome of sinning So should it come to passe that as God takes delight in vs so should we haue comfort in him he through our holy obedience and wee through peace of conscience to our endlesse ioy and consolation Thus we see what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God in our selues or to quench the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit within vs which sinne I take to bee proper to Gods Saints and Children and therefore thinke it good to distinguish the three sinnes before named that is Grieuing Resisting and Blaspheming of God Spirit in this manner First I say to grieue the holy Spirit of God or to quench the Spirit is a sinne of Gods Children who by the preaching of Gods Word and inward working of Gods Grace haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God before which Spirit of Sanctification is giuen to none in that manner or measure but only to Gods Elect nor neuer taken vtterly from any to whom it is once giuen For those whom God once loueth to the end he loueth them Iohn 13.1 Rom. 11.29 And the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Therefore it is obserued in King Dauid after his fearefull falls That he prayes to haue this holy spirit renewed within him Psal 51.10 hauing layen still as it were a while without any comfortable motion but was neuer vtterly taken from him And this note I giue by the way the rather lest any of Gods Children that are to too much cast downe alreadie with the feeling of their sinnes shoul be ouer-whelmed with too much heauinesse as also to teach that they may bee daily renewed by Repentance for their daily relictions contrarie to that old Heresie of the Nouatians The Nouatian Heresie which held the contrarie For though to grieue the Spirit of God by sinning bee a great aggrauating of sinne yet being many times the sinne of Gods Elect Children it is pardoned and forgiuen in

Holy Ghost though they bee very fearefull sinnes seeing they haue been committed by GODS owne Seruants and also pardoned vnto them Example we haue of the one in Peter Luke 22.61 1. Tim. 1.13 of the other in Paul both great Apostles of Iesus Christ By this negation or opposition What sinnes are not that sinne against the Holy Ghost we shall I trust the better consider and sooner find out what this peculiar sin against the Holy Ghost is whereof we are now God assisting vs punctually to intreate Two causes why the sinne against the Holy Ghost should bee made knowne And seeing it is so great a sinne yea the greatest sinne and such a sinne as shall not be forgiuen it is most necessarie that it should be distinguished and made knowne from all other sinnes and that for two causes especially The one to this end that we knowing the danger therof should euermore most carefully flye farre off from so deepe Pit of perdition The other which in my opinion is the best vse that may be made now in this time of peace and fun-shine of the Gospell to make knowne vnto Gods people yea euen vnto them which are more simple lest Satan should make any to beleeue or thinke who being fallen or slyding into some other Pit of sinne neere or somewhat like vnto this That they are plunged in this deepe Gulfe of perdition neuer more to be recouered For as we must not be ignorant of Satans slights as the Apostle saith so must Christ his Ministers aboue all other bee as carefull and readie to preuent him and to instruct Gods Children in all such points of sound doctrine as are required either for comfort or instruction Wherefore in my poore vnderstanding they are worthy in this particular to be blamed who though they will not speake against preaching in generall yet will they by no meanes allow all the Doctrine reuealed in the Word of God to bee taught and preached vnto the people of God Some say that Predestination being a chiefe if not the chiefest point in all Diuinitie ought rather to be concealed then publikely to bee taught and preached vnto the people Others hold and these are Papists specially that many sentences of Scripture which indeed are most sweete to repentant and sorrowfull sinners as At what time soeuer a Sinner doth repent and the like are vnfit to be either read or preached to the people for feare forsooth lest some will take thereupon the more libertie of sinning as though because Grace doth abound therefore sin should abound which is onely the fault of gracelesse persons but neuer of any of Gods Children Last of all many are of opinion that this sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at all to bee defined at least not to be declared or spoken of in publike I grant Reuerend Fathers that these as all other points of Diuinitie and some of these aboue many other points of Diuinitie ought very religiously and discreetly to be taught and preached vnto the people but to hold opinion or to labour to maintayne it which is worse that any of these or other like points of Doctrine must bee concealed which God of purpose hath declared in his Word to be opened and reuealed is sarre from all Diuinitie to speake the best of it and nothing agreeing with the rule and practice of Saint Paul Acts 20.35 that great Doctor of vs Gentiles Who boasted and tooke exceeding comfort thereby vnto himselfe that he had reuealed to his Auditorie at times All the Councell of God that is not all that God hath or doth keepe secret to himselfe but all that God hath or had reuealed vnto the Apostle either openly in his Word or by any secret Reuelation from Heauen which points so reuealed vnto that holy Apostle as likewise vnto all the rest of Gods Prophets and Apostles they haue publikely preached and plainly left them in writing vnto posteritie to be seene read and knowne of all not onely for their sakes which are learned but also for their sakes which are more ignorant to bee openly taught and preached vnto them by the succeeding Ministers of Iesus Christ Wherefore if we the Ministers of Christ wil exspect to haue the same comfort in our Callings that Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles had we must take the same course in teaching which they haue done namely to publish the secrees of the Gospell that is all which God hath reuealed in his Word so farre as our knowledge may attayne vnto And truly the confideration of the premises did partly induce my minde at the first to determine vpon this Text and to speake of this finne against the Holy Ghost for my Text directing mee to speake of leffer sinnes against the holy Spirit of God me thought and God I trust directed my thoughts it should be to some purpose to speake of the greater or greatest of all Obseruing this not by the way worthy to be remembred that though the sinne against the Holy Ghost may be knowne and is reuealed in the Scripture yet the Sinner is not easily rather not at all to be pointed at nor to bee iudged of men but to bee left to the iust Iudgement of God one reason hereof may be because finall impenitencie must accompany this sinne which cannot easily bee discerned of men One note more before we enter into the description of this sinne would bee obserued which a learned man hath well noted and therefore I will vse his owne words Blasphemia in Spiritum Sanctum non referri debet ad Spiritus essentiam simpliciter sed ad gratiam qua donati sumus which is That this Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost is not simply to bee referred to the Essence of Gods Spirit nor to his person for so in sinning against the Holy Ghost wee sinne in like manner against the Father and the Sonne but it is to bee vnderstood that in so blaspheming wee sinne against the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit wherewith wee haue formerly beene inlightned Now come wee in Godsfeare to speake of the sinne it selfe What the sinne against the Holy Ghost is not wee haue alreadie partly noted to wit That it is not properly not onely blasphemie against God the Father not against the Sonne nor euery Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost as grieuing of Gods Spirit nor refisting of Gods Spirit nor back-sliding or falling from God and his Truth through feare or any other infirmitie nor persecuting of Gods Church and Children through ignorance neither is it any particular fin committed against the first or second Table neither is it final impenitencie as some of the Fathers haue affirmed for there be thousands which neuer tru ly repent which neuer yet commit this sinne Therefore if one saith well Qui impenitentiam esse definiunt nullo n●g●tio refelli possunt But rather it may bee said to be such a sinne which contayneth in some sort all these sinnes and more too