Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65385
|
A sermon before the societies for reformation of manners in Dublin preached in New-Row, April the 26th, 1698 / by Nath. Weld.
|
Weld, Nathaniel, d. 1731.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing W1261; ESTC R24608
|
16,736
|
28
|
pouring out the Spirit from on high and such a plentiful Increase of Judgement and Righteousness And this shall be the Subject of what I shall offer to you from these words Doct. That the effusion of the holy Spirit is necessary in order to an effectual and thorough Reformation Now the consideration of this Truth leads me First To Enquire what we are to understand by this pouring forth the Spirit from on high Secondly To shew what Influence this effusion of the Holy Spirit has upon an effectual and thorough Reformation And when I have made some brief Reflections on each of these I shall chiefly insist on the Application of this truth to the present Occasion First Let us consider what is to be understood by pouring the Spirit from on high and all that I shall observe to you under this head shall be in these Three Propositions First That there are real communications of the Spirit of God to Men That Divine Spirit that garnished the Heavens and moved upon the Face of the Waters in the old Creation has he no share of efficiency in the new This is most Incredible and so much the rather because the work of Application in this Oeconomy pecularly terminates in him Indeed by what display of his Divine Power he works upon the Souls of men is not easie to be expressed or conceived Doubtless 't is in a manner that is accommodated to our rational Faculties and fully consistent with that Liberty that is Essential to a free Creature But thô the nature of these Operations be secret like the Original of the Wind yet the Effects thereof are as sensible as its sound and force to which they are compared by our Saviour John 3.8 And why should it be thought Unreasonable that this Blessed Spirit should have access to ours when Wicked Spirits may and can fill the heart and do work effectually in the children of Disobedience Acts 5.3 Eph. 2.2 And even the Heathen world was wont to ascribe any extraordinary appearances in men to their having the Spirit of God as Pharaoh concerning Joseph can we find such a man as this Gen. 41.38 Dan. 5.14 one in whom the Spirit of God is And Belshazzar says to Daniel I have heard of thee that the Spirit of the Gods is in thee Let not such a Truth be doubted among Christians that extorted an acknowledgement of it self by its own Evidence from a Pagan World Secondly These communications of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 are of several kinds for there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit he is the Sacred Fountain both of common Gifts and special Grace and may be said to be poured out upon men with respect to both First In the dispensation of common Gifts In this sense many are anointed who are not truly Sanctified they have a manifestation of the Spirit given them to profit withal they are qualified for some particular service to which they were appointed 〈◊〉 45. ◠4 as Cyrus is called God's anointed thô he knew not God Thus eminent Qualifications for the Civil Magistracy such as Wisdom Integrity Justice Fortitude c. are a communication from the Spirit In this sense the Spirit of the Lord is said to come upon Saul when the Cruelty of Nahash rais'd his Courage 1 Sam. 11.6 to deliver the men of Jabesh Gilead Thus also Ministerial Gifts are a Dispensation of the Spirit in 1 Cor. 12.9 and 10 verses the Apostle enumerates several of them both ordinary and extraordinary and concludes verse 12. All these worketh one and the same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Under this head we may also consider those common Operations of the Holy Spirit by which he enlightens the Minds and awakens the Consciences of many who are not truly sanctified On this account they are said to be partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6.4 By those rational convictions which he suggests to their Minds Gen. 6.3 the Spirit of God strives with the Spirits of Men 1 Thes 5.19 Isa 63.10 and when sinners do desparately outrage their own light and Rebel against it they are said to quench and vex the Holy Spirit So that this is a way of expression familiar and frequent in the Scriptures and we may well be allowed to conform our selves thereto thô some prophane Wits have attempted to expose such kind of Language as Cant Enthusiasm or Mystical Nonsense to the great reproach of the Holy Scriptures and dishonour of the Holy Spirit who Inspired them Secondly In the communication of special Grace Thus God promises Zech. 12.10 And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications c. The Holy Spirit is poured out as a Spirit of Grace both when he Implants Grace and when he Excites it First When he Implants Grace for he it is that forms those inward dispositions that are the Seeds and Principles of Holiness and in this way of Operation he introduces a marvelous Change he disingages men from a wild purfuit of deluding happiness in sensible good and causes them to become rightly affected to God in a Redeemer as their rightful Lord and Soveraign satisfying good Herein lyes much of the Nature of true Conversion which in the Scripture dialect is to be born again and born of the Spirit See John 3.3 and 6. Secondly He is poured out as a Spirit of Grace when he excites it Holy Souls do experimentally know that there are such things as Divine Influences by which gracious affections are inlarged and their Souls do follow hard after God Psal 63.8 And why should it be thought strange that the blessed Spirit should move upon his own work and raise and strengthen those Holy dispositions which himself has formed Psal 63.12 Does not David pray that God would uphold him with his free Spirit and under Spiritual Decays and Indisposedness for intercourse with God How many vehement desires does his holy Soul breath forth for quickening Influences in that 119 Psalm I come to the Third Proposition Thirdly There are Seasons wherein these communications of the Spirit are more plenteous and abundant than at other times Sometimes they may in a great measure be suspended our sloth and misimprovement may forfeit them and then the interests of practical Godliness will lye in a languishing state and the good things that are in us be ready to dye In this frame we shall have little delight in Converses with God or Zeal for his Glory our hearts will be unready for self-denying instances of Obedience and generous designs of usefulness to others will be swallowed up by some poor low Interests which the Flesh calls our own But there are happy Seasons wherein the Spirit of Life is poured forth again and these Spiritual ruines are repaired thereby and when this Blessing becomes General the effects of it will soon be visible in the World 'T
gradually abate and at length expire and the whole Design prove abortive to the disappointment of our Prayers and Hopes and 〈…〉 Sons of Belial and Powers of Darkness But if the holy Spirit breath upon your Endeavours the Work will go on prosperously and prevail mightily till Satan fall like Lightning from Heaven before you and his Kingdom be visibly shaken Obj. But are not the communications of the holy Spirit arbitrary like the Rain that comes down from Heaven which waits not for Men and tarries not for the sons of Men Do's not that sacred Wind blow where it lists What then can we contribute towards obtaining those Heavenly Gales that flow from Soveraign Grace Answ There are Means appointed in the due use of which this Blessing may be obtained That merciful God who is the best of Beings denies not his gracious Assistances when we are not wanting to our selves in seeking them And I cannot offer any thing more serviceable to your Design than by pointing out the way how you may obtain those helps upon which the success of all depends And therefore First Implore the effusions and assistances of the holy Spirit by humble importunate prayer This is a way wherein every one of you may be useful and 't is a way you are directed to by God himself in Ezek. 26 27 verse you find this mercy promised I will says God put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and keep my Judgments and do them But then this promise is not fulfilled while we cast off the use of means and therefore God adds in 37 verse I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them To excite you so to do Consider First This is a Mercy promised and therefore we have ground and warrant for our Faith and Hope in Prayer Yea the promises of it are referred for their fullest accomplishment to the latter days Thus Acts 2.16 17 verses This is that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh c. There was a communication of the Spirit under the Old Testament but it was more sparingly like the watering of a Garden by a single hand but he is dispensed more liberally and universally under the New like the Clouds pouring down Rain upon the Earth Upon all flesh without distinction of Jew and Gentile I am sensible that the Apostle applies that Promise more eminently to extraordinary Gifts but I see no reason to confine it so as to exclude ordinary ones especially since the former were in order to the greater success of the latter I acknowledge also that the Apostle speaks of that Promise as fulfilled in the Primitive times But Judicious Expositors have well observed That such Promises as concern necessary Mercies have not their full accomplishment at once they are fulfilled agen and agen in every Age as the necessities of the Church to which in common they belong do roquire The last Days are the whole time of the Gospel ◠Cor. 3.9 and therefore the Apostle speaks of the Gospel State in general as becoming Glorious by its being the ministration of the Spirit tho' there may be some particular seasons that do more exceed in glory This then is a promised Mercy so that when we plead with God in Prayer for it we may hold up his own Word as our Warrant and bottom our hope of success on his Faithfulness as well as Mercy Secondly This is a necessary Mercy And as the former Considerration should raise our hope so this bespeaks our Importunity The growth of Irreligion and the decays of the power of Godliness are such among us that without it we shall not be healed We may try many remedies 't is our duty to do so and they may have an hopeful and promising appearance but alas all will be a dead Image if the Spirit of life breath not in it The Stream of corrupt nature will overbear and baffle all our feeble opposition if omnipotent Grace do not interpose and help Let us then lay open our Wounds before the great Physitian let us spread our necessities before the Father of Mercies who has directed us to argue from our own bowels and to expect much more from his Luke 11.13 If says our Saviour ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Let us then both in our Joint Addresses and Secret Retirements send up the earnest importunate Cries of Perishing Creatures Let our hearts cry as loudly as our wants do that God would pour down his Spirit upon this declining Generation Oh what an happy Change wou'd it make and how soon would the face of our Earth be renewed again Secondly Wait for this Mercy in a diligent attendance on your duty We must set upon Action when God calls and trust him for strength as well as success The assistance of the holy Spirit is not designed to indulge our sloth or to do the work without us but to animate our Industry and help us in it Apply your selves to this present Service therefore with all your might Vp and be doing and the Lord will be with you and let your frame and actings be such as may be likely to be thus owned from Heaven In order whereunto I shall take the liberty to offer two Directions First Labour to act from those principles in this matter that are agreeable to the word of God and may render your endeavours pleasing to him A bad End may vitiate a good Action and blast its usefulness to men as well as hinder its acceptance with God Beware that you do not cover any Lust with the Disguise of Zeal for God Let not Passion Malice or Revenge Influence you to any of your Informations or Prosecutions But let Zeal for the Honour of God Compassion to the Souls of men and generous aims at the publick good be the great Springs of your Actings First Zeal for God and the Honour of Religion All Sin has a manifest tendency to dishonour the blessed God 'T is a Reflection on his infinite Wisdom and Goodness as tho' he had burthened our Nature with an heavy Yoke an unsuitable unequal Law 'T is a Denial of his Authority as tho' he had no just right to Govern his own Creature It would cast down the glorious Jehovah from his Throne of Supremacy over the Children of Men and surely the attempt is horrible tho' it wants success and the affront is more hanious when Sin is open and notorious so that others see our contemptuous disregards of that Supream being Let your Hearts be deeply affected with this malignity of Sin in all your endeavous to suppress it and labour to revive the Power and Practice of serious Religion with this end in your eye that your