Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A08770
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The compasse of a Christian directing them that be tossed in the vvaues of this vvorlde vnto Christ Iesus.
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A. P., fl. 1582.
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1582
(1582)
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STC 19054; ESTC S102898
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60,800
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156
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the Sea and though the waters doe rage and bee troubled so that the Mountaynes doe shake at the sourges thereof yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the citie of our God euen the Sanctuarie of the Tabernacle of the most highest And what is this Ryuer which the Prophet by the spirit of prophecie speaketh off here euen Iesus Christ who by the will of his heauenlye Father is made vnto vs the fountayne and head spring of all goodnesse By the streames which flowe from him wee vnderstand the most comfortable consolations of the Spirite of God which doeth testifie vnto our spirites that we are the children of God and not children onely but also heires euen Rom. 8. 17. heires of God and heires annexed with Christ A wonderfull exaltation and beholde we haue two witnesses of the same that is the Spirite of God and our owne spirites the Spirite of God in that it pricketh vs forwardes vnto prayer not onely in publike places but also in priuate corners where none seeth but the Lorde euen with vnspeakeable groaninges which can not otherwise bee expressed In that also â—t stirreth vs vâ— vnto other exercises of Religion as the worke of mortification dyinge vnto sinne liuinge vnto righteousnesse yea and to suffer persecution when occasion is offred because that by the same spirite we know that our labour shall not be in vaine our own spirites also in that wee doe not stubborâ—ely resist these good motions of Gods spirite but striue rather by all possible meanes to make our selues tractable thereunto being vexed euen with great sorrowe at our vnwillingnesse and reioycing with all exceeding ioy when we haue gotten any streÌ„gth against the same And thus you see what a wonderfull priuiledge al those haue which doe vnfaynedly come vnto Christ for they shall neuer pearish neither shall any take them out of his hande Well then these thinges considered what greate iniurie doe they Iohn 20 28. vnto their owne soules which denye this doctrine of predestination or foreknowledge doe they any other then denie the verye strength and pride of the Gospell for what better Gospell can we haue then to heare that the children of God can neuer pearish that nether their sinnes nor the deuils shal euer bee able to pull them out of his hand that the Lord in Christ hath decreed the same from euerlastinge what a miserable case I say are they in which bee ignorant of this nay which stubburnly resist it and wil not be instructed therin How is it possiblâ— for such to praye with any hope to receyuâ— when it is done with so litle credit which way is it possible for them to receyue any comforte whose faith is incombred with so many doubtes howe vnreuerently do they thinke of God who doe imagine of him as of a mortall man which is ignorant in the beginning of those thinges that he wil doe afterwardes and whose affection is chaunged to day from that that he purposed yesterdaye Surely these are the daungers which they do dayly fall into that eyther are ignorant or haue no credit in this poynt of doctrine which is the strength and foundation of all other poyntes of our christian knowledge and without the which let our knowledge bee neuer so much otherwise yet wee are no better then those which Sainte Iames speaketh of waueringe minded and Iam. 28 therfore vncoÌ„stante in all our wayes but to leaue these vnto him who is both able and also wil teach them better in his good time if they belonge vnto his holy election and to turne to our former byase which is the vnmoueable estate and condition of Gods Children the ground and pillar of out saith the strength whereby we standâ— and the chiefest thinge wherein wee haue to reioyce as our Sauiour Christ witnesseth in the admonition that hee giueth vnto his Apostles where hâ—â— willeth them that they shoulde not reioyce in this that the deuils or wicked spirites were subiecte vnto Luke 10. 20. them but rather in this that theirâ— names were written in heaueÌ„ which is a thinge not done in tune but beyonde all times euen before the Lord was A merueylouse benefitte and vnspeakable â— I call it vnspeakable because it caÌ„ not be attayned vnto by any fleshly wisdome which is altogether beastly in this behalfe for it is a secrete which is woâ—e hid from yâ— naturall man then the iudgement day Fâ—â— yâ— remeÌ„braunce of yâ— great iudgmeÌ„t doth at some time make theÌ„ tremble when theire guyltie consciences do beginne to accuse them and wheâ— they see and heare that those figge leaâ—es â—o begin Mat 24. 32. yea and are already 〈◊〉 â—â—th which our Samour Christ spake of to declare that sommer is neare but tell theÌ„ of the assurance which Gods children haue in them selues of theire saluation in Christ and howe the same hath bâ—â—ne from euerlasting and thou shalt set how farre off they will be from giuing any credit nay they will euen laugh thée to scorne and thinke that if there be any foole in the worlde thou â—â—t hee as we see dyuers examples of it in scripture The wicked Iewes thought that the Apostles had beene drunken when they spake the great 〈◊〉 of God with new tongues Act. 2. 13 26. 24. as the spirit gaue them vtterance Festus likewise iudged Paul to be beside him selfe and madde when he began to speake once of the resurrection from death And no maruel though yâ— wicked are so farre of from receyuing this heuenly treasure because it is a newe Reuel 2. 17. name yâ— no man knoweth saue he yâ— receyueth it it is a secret which only belongeth vnto Gods children as it is writteÌ„ in yâ— Psalmes â—he secretes of yâ— Lord are reueyled vnto them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Well then it remayneth that wee bee thankfull vnto God who hath vouchsafed vs from euerlasting this priueledge to bee his Sonnes yea and hath warranted if Rom. 8. 16. by so sure a seale as can not be altered euen the earnest of his owne spirit The Apostles are very plentifull in yealdinge of thankes vnto God for this benefit as the chiefest of all other Blessed be God saith Sainte Paull Ephe. 1. 5. â— euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessings in heauenly things in Christ and aledginge this as the chiefest for he hath chosen vs in him before yâ— foundation of the worlde yâ— we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And againe in an other place we ought to be thankefull â— Thes 2. 13. alwayes vnto God for you brethren because hee hath from the beginnings chosen you vnto saluation through the sanctification of the spirit and the faith of trueth These such like places are very plentifully founde in scripture which to repeate I shoulde be tediouse therfore letting them passe and to speake more plainely vnto
cursed in our basket and store cursed in our houses and in the fruite of our â—wne bodies cursed in al yâ— we take in hand yea and that which is worst of all cursed in our selues with an euerlasting curse from the presence of God who is become vnto vs a terible and stâ—rce iudge from whose face we shall destrethe hils mountaines to fall vpoÌ„ vs and hide vs thundring out heauy feareful threatnings against vs. That Osee â—3 7. 8 he will be vnto euery sinner as a verie lyon as a leoparde in the waie of asâ—hur he wil meet theÌ„ as a she beare that is robbed of her whelpes will breake the verie gall of their hearts he Iere. â— 14. Psalm 11. 9. wil be vnto theÌ„ as a deuouring flame wil raine snares vpoÌ„ their heads fier brimstone stormy teÌ„mpest this shal be the portion of their cup. For euerie Psalm 9. 17. sinner must be cast into hel all nations that forget God head taile roote braÌ„ch not one exeÌ„pted for the reward of sin is death we are al sinners therfore by yâ— law we are al condeÌ„ned we are all vnder yâ— curse the boÌ„dstaues of satan and fire brands of hel Thus yâ— law proceedeth in plunging vs deeper déeper into yâ— pit of sorrow where we can finde no gâ—â—ud for wheÌ„ it hath shewed vnto vs our sins and yâ— vnmeasurablenes of yâ— same with the mâ—gmeÌ„ts heaueÌ„ly plagues of God to be executed vpoÌ„ theÌ„ then eÌ„tereth yâ— fourth 〈◊〉 4. office of the Law of yâ— law which is horror feare 〈◊〉 weeping wringing of haÌ„dâ— c. as it hath bene before made plaine vnto vs by a similitude very pleÌ„tifully proued also out of yâ— scriptures yâ— the children of God 〈◊〉 bene subiect vnto these passioÌ„s of yâ— minde body before they could come vnto the hope of his kingdome therfore lesse may 5. Office of the Lawe be spoken of it now wil theÌ„ the last office of the law is that it seÌ„dâ—th vs vnto christ as yâ— Apostle witnesseth Christ is the end Rom. 10. of the Law for righteousnesse vnto all that beleue and againe The law is our Calat 3. â— schole master to bring vs vnto Christ that we may be made righteous by faith So theÌ„ hereby it is plaine that yâ— last office of yâ— law is to send vs vnto Christ and marke it for a special point yâ— it is the last office therof not yâ— fiâ—st for the â—aw must of necessitie proceed vpoÌ„ vs by these steps before repeated yâ— we may be as it were killed in our selues from all hope of fleshly righteousnes before we can be prepared to receyue yâ— life which is by Christ So theÌ„ hereby you see yâ— the lord in coÌ„uerting of a soule doth eueÌ„ work a miracle â— raise them which are dead to life againe and therfore they do abuse yâ— gospel which wil presume vpoÌ„ yâ— coÌ„forts therof before such time as yâ— law hath thus huÌ„bled theÌ„ for most certaine it is that they which so deale do deceiue theÌ„ selues to yâ— eÌ„crease of pride security For as the law wtout the gospel driueth to dispaire so in like maner yâ— gospel wtout the law maketh vs to presinne therfore of necessitie both worke together but yâ— law hath the first place for vntil such time as yâ— law hath done â—is office in huÌ„bling of vs yâ— gospel caÌ„ not profit neyther yet doth the same appertaine vnto vs no more then a plaister or pleasant healing salue doth belong vnto that wound which is full of corruption and rottennesse euen to the bone for you know that vnto such a wouÌ„d there belongeth first knyues and launâ—ors to open the same and then sharpe and bitter salue to drawe out the corruption and eate out the deade fleshe thereof before there come any healing plaister neere it the nature wherof is to close vp and skinne the vpper parte of the wounde and clense all the corruption and deade flesh within which afterward breede to great inconuenience and make the wounde far more daungerous EueÌ„ so it fareth with all those which are wounded with the venemous dart of selfe loue which wound beinge choaked with the corruption and deade fleshe of couetousnesse and pride and yet will vse no other medicine for the curing thereof then that pleasante healinge salue of the Gospell which if they knewe in trueth howe litle the same did proâ—â—â—te them before such time as the sharpe launcinge knife of Gods Lawe had opened the wounde and the bitter salues of his iudgementes and sharpe threatninges eaten out the rottennesse thereof they would goe an other waye to worke and vse a more sounder dyet for the obtayninge of health although it bee verie tedious and sharpe at the first Surely it is very lamentable to behold the grosse blindnesse and securitie of our age for the most parte of vs nay almost euery one doe thinke that christianitie doth wholy rest in an outward shewe of wordes and therefore if wee canne come to the vnderstandinge of some places of the scripture whereby we may bee able to define and prooue what faith is and the obiecte vpon whome the same taketh holde we thinke it to be such a perfection as we neede goe no further and that there can be no better Christians in the worlde then we our seluâ—s are although there be no more remorse of conscience for sinne in vs then there is in a blind beast But alasse let vs thinke or knowe as much as we will or can in this sorte and let other men which be as blinde as wee our selues are praise vs for our knowledge as much as they list yet al this wil stand for no paymeÌ„t before the Lord nor bringe one sparkell of warrant vnto our soules whereby we may assure our selues to be in his fauour who onely looketh vpon a troubled soule which is humbled with the sight of his sinnes and Psal 51. Esai â—6 2 hath promised to power his Spirit vpoÌ„ those that tremble at his worde Therefore if thou wilt make a true examination of thine estate between God and thee whether thy faith towardes him be vntayned or not prooue not the foundation thereof by thy knowledge how much or whom thou doest knowe but rather by the feare howe much or whome thou doest feare For in trueth there is neyther knowledge nor faith except the beginninge thereof bee feare as it is manifest in diuers places of the prouerbes The feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisdome By wisdome in that place is meante all things that belonâ—e vnto the knowledge saluation of a Christian man and yet here you see that yâ— holy Ghost sheweth in plaine wordes that the feare of the Lord is the beginninge of â—t and who knoweth not that faith is the chiefest and onely thinge which belongeth vnto euery Christian for the attayning of saluation therefore the beginning of faith