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	law_n	zion_n	61	3	9.5563	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77219	The afflicted and retired mans meditations, concerning the excellency of the spirit With a discovery of the twofold-mind; the danger of the one, the comfort and safety of the other. First, here is observed, what it is for to be carnally minded. Secondly, means to suppress a carnal frame of spirit. Thirdly, the dreadful state of a carnal minded man. Fourthly, how the spirit is a Christians help. Fifthly, means to obtain the spirit. Sixthly, the characters of a spiritualized Christian. Seventhly, the glorious priviledges of a spiritual minded man. And a few meditations by way of observation: with a dialogue between Christ and a sinner; Christ and a Christian; Christ and the afflicted person: as also, a word to the remnant of the womans seed: with a loud call to all saints, to love one another upon the account of son-ship, and not onely upon the account of fellowship. Written by Samuel Bradley, who hath love for all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, who prayes for Zions unity.	Bradley, Samuel.	1663 (1663)	Wing B4125B; ESTC R230878	75,596	102

ingage thee to the duty is it a true sence of the want of the spirit to the end thou mayest be more Humble mor● Holy and more inlarged in thy soul to Honour God and more ingaged for to abase thy self if thou dost thus seek be incouraged to wait it will not be long ere thou attain unto the full injoyment of the spirit it is Gods free gift wait upon the Lord for it Secondly As God doth give forth his Spirit unto us by way of gift so he doth communicate it by way of promise Joel 2.28 Such is the goodness of God to us that he hath not onely promised for to give his spirit but also to pour out his spirit upon his Sons and Daughters in the latter dayes Make no doubt of it for he that hath promised will perform his word to a tittle he will cause his spirit for to flow in upon us like a mighty stream The parched soul shall not then complain for his promise is The parched ground shall become a Pool Isa 35.7 and the thirsty Land springs of Water By water here is intended the Spirit as you may see by the words of the Prophet Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thy off-springs All which comes into the Spiritual-Minded man by virtue of Gods sweet promises the spirit shall dwell and take up his aboad in us the time is at hand that he will pour upon his people a pure Language that we shall serve the Lord with one consent and one shoulder Zeph. 3 9. Oh then Zion shall be led in an even path and the Lord will establish our goings Oh! then shall we live under the pure Teachings of the Lord for his teachings will prove choice and sweet let us be incouraged for to wait for the promise of the spirit for ●od will give it to us as his gift which he hath promised Thirdly As God doth bestow his Spirit upon us as his gift in the way of Promise so the Spirit is made over unto us in the Covenant he hath made with us Oh! it is one of the Branches of the New Covenant that God hath made with his People that he will put his Law into our Hearts Jer. 31.33 Rom. 8.2 Pro. 23.26 and when the Blessed and Noble Apostle of the Gentiles comes for to explain this Law he calls it the Law of the Spirit which Law God will put into our inward parts which argues God will give it into our possessions for when once God begins to work in man he seizes upon the Heart the most Noble part of man as his Prerogative Royal and erects his Throne of Judicature within and there sits as chief Judge to pass Sentence to every thing that will not obey and condescend unto his Righteous Law and Commands and passes Death also upon every thing that doth violate his Holy Decrees Oh! then no unclean thing shall abide in his Temple the Bodies of his Saints 1 Cor. 3.17 but he will have them a fit Habitation for his Royal Presence to take up his aboad in the spirit will whip out all buyers and sellers therein John 2.14 15 16. they shall no longer Merchandize in the Temple of God This spirit that is given as a Covenant Mercy will not admit of any converse with any but what is wholesome and good Oh! it will pass the Sentence of Banishment upon all our vain thoughts and they must turn out at the command of the spirit Oh! none must come into the Temple then but God himself his Heavenly Train and Holy Attendants or that which hath the Divine Stamp upon it to wit the Choice Graces of his Holy Spirit which he hath promised to us as a new Covenant Mercy Fourthly The fourth Particular in the general is for shew what it is for to be Spiritually Minded or in a Spiritual Frame of Heart Character 1. For to be Spiritually Minded is for to have the Heart affected or setled upon the Excellent things of Heaven Oh! this Frame of Heart made David cry out Psal 73 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee The thoughts of his Treasure in Heaven is food unto his Soul while he lives on the Earth though the man may have pretious Objects presented unto him yet none so excellent as Christ which denotes to us the man truly Spiritual bring the rarest Objects you can or what the World can afford they being not spiritual Oh! he will not vouchsafe them a look he counts them not worthy the looking upon but the mans Mind and Heart is wholly taken up with Heaven Phil. 3.20 and nothing but Heaven will serve his turn By this you may see what it is to be Spiritually Minded Heaven is his Joy the Earth is his Burden Christ is his portion sin his Trouble and the Graces of the spirit Lam. 3.24 his great Joy and Comfort the Promises of God the Breast that affords him Nourishment in abundance from whence he doth gain spiritual strength so the man is where he would be when he can but hear the lovely Voice of God in his Word Cant. 2.14 and the sweet soul-comforting promises applyed unto him by the spirit and no longer then it goes well with his soul that he can thrive in the matters of Heaven is the man contented or well pleased Character 2. To be Spiritually Minded is for to have a feeling sight and sence of the vanity of all Creature Comforts short of Christ Cant. 5.10 Let the soul injoy what it will if it meet not with the presence of Christ in its present injoyments it hath no content as you cannot put off a hungry soul with the bare promise of Food but it must be really the injoyment of Bread that will give him content the soul that is ready to die with thirst or the soul that is naked nothing will satisfie the thirsty person but that which will squench his thirst nor nothing will content the naked person but that which will keep him warm in the bitter Winter season so nothing will satisfie an hungry spiritual Appetite but Christ the Bread of Life nor will any thing content a thirsting spiritual soul but Christ the Fountain of Living Water Rev. 22 17. who is the Water of Life neither will any thing content a Christian who is stripped quite naked but the Pretious Robes of Christ's own Righteousness there is no garment in the World will give him the like content as the cloathing that his dear Lord shall put upon him Phil. 3.9 Oh! that was it that did beget that choice desire in the Apostle To be found in him not having my own Righteousness which is by the Law but the Righteousness which is of God by Faith A soul that is come up unto this

The AFFLICTED and RETIRED Mans Meditations Concerning the EXCELLENCY of the SPIRIT With a Discovery of the Twofold-Mind the Danger of the one the Comfort and safety of the other First Here is observed what it is for to be Carnally minded Secondly Means to suppress a Carnal frame of Spirit Thirdly The dreadful state of a Carnal minded Man Fourthly How the Spirit is a Christians Help Fifthly Means to obtain the Spirit Sixthly The Characters of a Spiritualized Christian Seventhly The glorious Priviledges of a Spiritual minded Man And a few Meditations by way of Observation With a Dialogue between Christ and a Sinner Christ and a Christian Christ and the Afflicted Person As also a Word to the Remnant of the Womans Seed With a Loud Call to all Saints to Love one another upon the account of Son-ship and not onely upon the account of Fellowship Written by SAMUEL BRADLEY who hath Love for all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity who prayes for Zions Unity Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another Printed for the Author in the year 1663. TO THE Impartial Reader READER FOr the satisfaction of many or any who desire to follow the Lord Jesus in sincerity I am here engaged to write a small Epistle to the furtherance propagating and owning of this following Treatise wherein is contained and couched many glorious Truths which did concern all persons to look after in former Ages of the World but now more especially we that live in this last Age wherein Errors do abound and great Mistakes do arise in many whom I desire the Lord would be pleased to help to understand between Truth and Error by his own Spirit Mat. 22.29 which is the best Teacher in the world though at this day it is much slighted and little looked after by the sons of men Christian Reader my desire is that thou wouldest be pleased carefully to read and seriously consider this following Treatise with a single heart and eye 1 Chron. 12.33 Acts 2.46 and impartial affections then doubtless in the conclusion thou wilt not think thy time ill spent I do further desire that thou mayest daily search the Scripture and bring the things contained in the ensuing Treatise to the Touchstone of God's Word to the end thou mayest with the noble Bereans of old Acts 17 11. be enabled to discern between Truth and Error between Life and Death to know wherein thy Life lieth yea wherein it doth consist 1 Thes 5.21 and labour to be obedient unto that command Try all things and hold fast that which is good And also remember my dear Friend that the Bereans were counted more noble than them of Thessalonica they hearing the words of Paul which were cried up for strange Doctrine yea Heresie at that day they searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things Paul asserted and preached were truth or not Even so although many things herein contained may be counted rediculous or erroneous Yet courteous Reader let me desire thee to prove thy self a Berean in this matter Search the Scripture and see whether it be so or not Further my desire is that the Message may not be slighted by reason of the meanness of the Messenger but rather look upon him that sends this Message into the World observe when the great Men of the world have a Token to send unto a Friend they do not alwayes make use of rich great or noble Men to conveigh it but many times employ the meanest Servant of the family in that service to give out the token though it be never so rich a gift or pretious a jewel Rev. 17 14. 1 Tim. 6.15 Rev. 19 16. Heb. 12 25. So many times it is with the great God of Heaven and Earth who is the King of kings and Lord of lords he hath in this little Cabinet a token of his choice love for to present to you his friends nay further it is presented to you that are yet Enemies if you will but imbrace it the imbracing of it tends to Life the rejecting of it tends unto Death though sent by a mean servant and think it not strange if it be refused slighted or counted erroneous And you my Friend the Messenger be not discouraged in your labour for consider the best Doctrine the truest Doctrine the gloriest Tidings and rarest Sermon that ever was preached by the mouth of our dear Lord Jesus himself was by the Scribes and Pharisees rejected and also questioned where he had his Doctrine and said He had a Devil and was Mad. The blessed Apostle Paul was also counted and called a Pestilent fellow a teacher of strange Doctrines a Ringleader of Sectaries a Turner of the World upside down Acts 17 6. vers 18 Acts 24 14. and what not yet after that way which they called Heresy did this blessed Apostle worship the God of his Fathers believing all that was written Reader if in this little Treatise you meet with any thing doth not agree with the Word of God and the doctrine according to godliness after diligent search and due enquiry into the Scripture the pretious word of God renounce it as not worthy the owning or imbracing I shall speak by way of allusion to the noble Apostle in another case I do judge the Author hath the Spirit of God by which this ensuing Discource was penned I speak the truth of God I lie not Though true it is the dearest of Gods children are subject to miscarry yea many failings and temptations doth attend them and the Lord did formerly suffer the Author hereof in measure to fall yet through mercy not totally nor finally but he is recovered out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay and the Lord hath set him upon a rock Psal 40 2 3. and established his goings and put a new song into his mouth in making of him since instrumental in turning many souls to righteousness notwithstanding those foul Jer. 20.10 false and scandalous reports are gone forth concerning him yea many hard speeches thoughts have arisen not only from the world but from many who I hope Job 19.2 vers 3. vers 4. are the pretious Sons of Sion This one thing as one who doth tender the Cause of Christ and much honour the pretious Sons and Daughters of Sion do I beg of you Let no hard thoughts or evil reports any more take place in your affections without good enquiry of the same This I urge the more for that tender love I bear unto Christ and his Truths Cause Kingdom and People and I dare not speak or write more then I do know or can affirm concerning the Author Mark since

Psal 51 4. and our uneven walking before him and this spirit of God will present objects sufficient enough to us for the true humbling of us Fifthly As the Spirit of God is a Soul-Humbling so it is a sin-destroying Spirit Where the Spirit hath took up its abode in a Soul to rule every thing must be brought into subjection to it the Spirit of God must and will have the preheminence 1 Cor 1.30 God wi●l make all our corruptions bow and bend when once he hath given commission unto his Spirit to take dominion of the Soul for as Conscience is Gods Vicegerent on Earth Ps 119 59. v. 113. and speak it will for God So the Spirit will bear Rule and Sway for God and will never leave working in the Soul where it is until it hath brought the thought as well as the heart of man into subjection to our Lord Jesus The Spirit of God makes thorow work when it comes it is that which purifies the heart The Spirit begins at the root of the matter and if the root be good it is like the fruit will not be bad Acts 15.9 Rom. 6.12 Jam. 4.8 when the Spirit purifies the heart it proves death to our Sins and Life unto our Graces The Spirit of God will admit by no means sin to Rule in that Heart that God doth Reign in The old Man must be turned out and the new man must be received in the least sin must not have entertainment by the consent of the Spirit upon any terms for as much as sin is an enemy to Christ and a Christan Oh! Jer. 5.25 it is that which robs Christ of his Honour and a Christian of his Crown yea sin is that which keeps Christ and a Christian at a distance also and makes Christ and a Christian strange one to another Rom. 8.16 2 Cor. 3 17. As it is sin that breaks a Christians communion it is the Spirit that Reconsiles Christ to the Soul and makes up the breach again and produces peace unto the Soul where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty no Liberty is or can be allowed unto sin but Liberty in the Spirit for to serve Christ By this we see the Spirit of God is a Sin-destoying Spirit Sixthly As the Spirit of God is a Sin-destoying Spirit so it is a Grace-inlarging Spirit in the Soul too When the Soul lives in the injoyment of the Spirit oh then it is Graces bud forth and blossom in the Soul and bear lovely Fruit John 6.63 2 Cor. 3.6 Luk. 7.30 Rom. 5.3 Joh. 16.33 1 Cor. 3.21 Rev. 2.10 for the Spirit is that which gives life and being unto all Graces where the Spirit is wanting Graces are dying Oh! it is the Spirit of God that supplies the Soul with good things and inriches the Soul with the Glorious Treasures of Heaven with pretious Faith in the Day of straits with patience in the hour of Tryal and Temptation with Spiritual joy in the midst of worldly sorrow In a word the Spirit will furnish the Soul with the injoyments of all things in the midst of wants What shall I say of this excellent Spirit may not I say it is Gods Messenger and a Christians Friend Oh! when ever the Spirit comes into a Soul it comes with a Message from God sometimes it hath a Commission from God to comfort and encourage us and then its Language is Be faithful to Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life At another time it is like the Message of the Spirit is for to instruct and Counsel the Soul that is when it shall hint such a thing as this to us secretly to inform us to be careful that we do not grieve it least we displease it Mark Grieve not the Holy Spirit Ephes 5 30. by which we are sealed unto the Day of Redemption Oh! let the Message the Spirit comes with be royally entertained and bid it welcome sometimes the Spirit comes with a glorious promise of Grace and Love from God and then it comes with such like language as this to the Soul Jer. 33.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love and with my loving kindness have I drawn thee A Blessed Message and a Blessed Messenger See the work of the Spirit a Christians Help Secondly How the Spirit is a Christians Excellent Help The Spirit is an excellent Help unto a Christian at all times and in all places a true Christian knows not how to live without the Spirit he knows not how to love without it nor how to walk without it If we live in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 we shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh therefore we must conclude the Spirit is a Christians Help For the proof hereof observe these following observations First It is the work of the Spirit to help the Soul unto a true sight and sence of sin It was by the help of the Spirit the Noble Apostle of the Gentiles namely Paul came to a sight of sin Sin sayes he Rom. 7.13 14. that it might appear sin worketh death in me by that which is good meaning the Spirit of God is that thing that is good and thereby sin becomes exceeding sinful unto him it makes him cry out when he was sensible of his present state The Law is Spiritual but I am Carnal sold under sin Mark The Spirit of God doth declare the Rice and Race of sin James 1 15. for when lust is conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished it brings forth Death so we see it is the Spirits work to make a clear discovery of sin unto the Soul and when once the Soul comes by the help of the Spirit unto this pitch of attainment to see sin as it is in its own appearance the Soul will not onely confess sin but bewale himself for it as David did crying out in the bitterness of his Spirit when he had a true sence upon him of it Psa 51.4 Against thee and thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight In a feeling sence doth he speak it When he is awakened by the Spirit he points at the very sin the like presidence we have in the Prodigal son when the Spirit of God gave him a sight with the sence o● sin the man cries out now of going unto his Father and he is resolved to say Father I have sinned against Heaven Luk. 15 18. he falls upon sin immediately and before thee though we are prodigal yet the Spirit of God it will make such fall down upon the knee of confession of sin and help them to witness sorrow for the same Luk. 15 19. And though I am not worthy to be called thy Son let me be a Servant a Token of Humility By this you may see what Blessed Work the Spirit of God makes when it comes into a Soul that it doth not give a bare sight of sin but a