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	speak_v	word_n	9,283	5	4.1967	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57066	The saints submission to the will of God. Or, A sermon preached at the funerall of a vertuous young gentleman, Mr. William Elmes the only son and heir of Thomas Elmes, of Warmington in the county of Northampton, Esquire. By Richard Resbury, minister of Oundle.	Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.	1654 (1654)	Wing R1135A; ESTC R219670	5,698	17

know him and observed him can witnesse of him free from pride modest and sober in his attire above most his equals in estate and birth Nay as I am informed would upon occasion declare his great dislike of pride and vanity that way and utterly refuse for himselfe that which in this proud and vaine age passeth for currant with many others Free from excesse and riot free from vanity in his speech above most hating all immodest and corruption therein his conversation and deporture affable and lovely not onely inoffensive but obliging these things might appeare to all that knew but his outside but they that knew him more inwardly knew much more And that which speaks him not onely a vertuous morralist but very hopefully a gracious Christian a diligent attender upon publique Ordinances in love diligent in duties of private converse with God of tender and humble affections in those duties often observed to rise from his knees in family prayer with teares in his eyes diligent in the holy observation of the Sabbath ever against detaining any the meanest servant at home more then needs must for making ready provision for the body looking upon it as a wrong to their soules who had as great a right to the publique ordinances as the greatest in the family But these things by the way partly for caution against those misconstructions which the blinde world are apt to make of such remarkable providences befalling the Saints partly to minde those upon whose spirits this providence sits heaviest how much it behooves them with all clearnesse of spirit to submit to the will of God herein it being farre short of that sad inport which is found in many cases wherein yet it is highly our duty to submit to the will of God and particularly of this in my Text wherein we finde so cleare a submission The hopefull piety of the person deceased as likewise of the family takes away the sting of this present griefe and trouble and renders it much more light We now return to the Doctrine In all our saddest changes whatsoever as they are disposed to us by the hand of God so it is our duty freely to submit unto his will Another instance or two Job 1.21 2 Sam. 15.25 26. the highest of all Matth. 26.39 42. one thing prayed for in that petition is Thy will be done Reasons The Will of God 1. It is a most soveraigne will God hath absolute and unaccountable dominion over man over all creatures because Creator Dominion amongst men according to the eminency of the Superior and the dependency of the inferiour God infinitely eminent the creature wholy dependent Upon this account the Apostle answers that great objection against Gods arbitrarinesse in his decrees of election and reprobation at which the Jesuiticall and Arminian generation so endlesly quarrell Rom. 9.20 21. with 11 12 13 18 verses Austin speaks high here If mankind which was as it is evident at first created of nothing should be born without the originall debt of death and sin and yet of those the Almighty Creator should will to condemn some to everlasting destruction who might say to the Almighty Creator why hast thou done thus for he who when they were not had given them to be had it in his own power to what their end should be Neither might the rest say why when their merits are alike is the divine judgements so unlike because the Potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one verssel indeed to honour another to dishonour it is an uncreature-like temper to maintain reluctancy against the will of God 2. It is a most righteous will the Lord never wils any thing nor accordingly doth any thing wherein he swerves one haire from the rule of righteousnesse or wrongs the creature in the least Psalm 145. vers 17. eminent in righteousnesse Psalm 36. vers 6. in his most obscure administrations where his righteousnesse is least visible to us yet the Saint alwaies lay down this as a sure conclusion Jerem. 12.1 2. And here We deserve greater sufferings then what in this world befalls us needs then must non-subjection to Gods will be a very unrighteous thing Apply two streight things together they close all along that which closeth not with what is streight must needs be crooked 3. It s a most holy will The Lord wils nothing but in greatest holinesse and accordingly doth nothing wherein he swerves from the rule of holiness in the least measure he is holy in al his works the holy one of Israel cellebrated by the blessed Angels Holy Holy Holy Lord God so pure that the Heavens are impure in his sight Hence the Saints when they make their addresses to God about those his providences wherein they can discern least of his holiness yet this acknowledgment they hold fast that he is most Holy 1. Chap. Habakkuk 13 14. The Sun and his beames remaine pure though shining through a thick glass the resistings then of the most holy will of God must needs it self be unholy 4. ' Its a will in conjunction with greatest wisdome proceeding in all things according to wisest counsels doing all things in truest order manner season and beauty The Lord in wisdome made all things 3. Chap. Proverbs 19 20. In wisdom doth he order all things who works all after the counsels of his own will Ephes 1.11 Makes every thing beautiful in its time Eccles 3.11 A set time and appointed season there is for every event known to him and ordered by him exactly and is made truly beautiful though to us it appears ortherwise we shall know hereafter the beauty of his Providences in all cases whatsoever therefore ' its great and perverse folly to repine against his will Upon these accounts ' its the duty of all men to submit without all murmering and disputing to his will but further as to the Saints to them it is 5. A most gracious will whatsoever the outside of any providence may be mercy is the inside to them mercy is the Soul whatsoever the Body of it may be Psal 25.10 Some of his paths are rough and thorny too some of them are dreadful to the eye but all mercy and all truth to such mercy in faithfulness having Covenanted to shew mercy to them in all his dealings with them all providences work together for good to those that love him Oh! the blessed condition of the Saints nothing befalls them but in mercy nothing but for their good The wicked are scourged they are scourged with one and the same rod the stroaks in outward appearance equal Yet the wicked in wrath they in mercy The wicked as slaves they as Children The wicked for their ruin they for their advantage The wicked for their destruction they for instruction This mercy added to the rest of excellent properties of Gods will makes it lovely indeed It laies it in fair colours puts the varnish upon it whosoever have reason to submit they have ' its perversness unthankfulness absurdity of spirits not to submit to the will of God disposing mercie to us 6. It is a perfect will what the Apostle speaks of his revealed will or his word according to his will Rom. 12.2 is true of his whole will whither revealed or secret whether exprest in word or work perfect as he is perfect Now perfection comprehends and shuts up in it all that is good all that is obliging soveraignity righteousnesse holinesse wisdome mercy faithfulness beauty majesty whatsoever is excellent all is contained in perfection it is great imperfection then in man and manifold to harbour displeasure in his breast against the will of God whatsoever sufferings or troubles it disposeth to us 1. To meditate these excellencies of the divine Will in all crosse providences that befal us Vse for calming our spirit and bringing us to clear and free subjection to it expostulating with our own soules against all their unquietness and tumultuousness Two things here to be warnd of all harsh thoughts of the Lord and his works that may any way lessen our love to him and our trust in him Would we have worse thoughts of our Physitian because the Physick is distastful to the palate See Isaiah 40.27 Tumultuous disputing the works and wayes of God questioning the worthinesse of his proceedings the Saints themselves apt through infirmities to run into this Job 10.2 3. Psal 73.2.13 14. This is unwarrantable God taketh Job for such excursions and extravagances of spirit and speech The Psalmist confesseth of himselfe therein verse 22. it is malepertnes in the creature thus to do 2. To take comfort in the saddest events that all is in mercy to the Saints Vse what though yet thou seest it not if Sea-sick in a storme at Sea thou for the present findes but little good but thou shalt have the fruit of it All his paths are mercy Those of greatest weight and most remarkable accordingly of greatest mercy Course vessels but fraught with richest treasure 3. To labour to find out and to lay hold on the good that such a providence is fraught with Vse and for which it is sent Labour to find first what sin especially it is sent to correct Consider thy heart and wayes hereupon Secondly what grace or what duties it is sent to quicken for thus it becomes a path of mercy to the Saints that they make use of it for these ends FINIS

THE SAINTS SUBMISSION TO THE WILL of GOD. OR A Sermon preached at the Funerall of a vertuous young Gentleman Mr. WILLIAM ELMES The only Son and Heir of THOMAS ELMES of Warmington in the County of Northampton Esquire BY RICHARD RESBURY Minister of Oundle LONDON Printed by T. C. for J. Wright at the Kings Head in the Old-baily 1654. TO THE READER Reader A Few words in way of preface to the short discourse ensuing The Argument is submission to the Will of God in cases of sorest tryall The occasion the sudden and untimely death of a very hopefull Gentleman the Top-branch of a very worthy family who was found fallen from his horse and ready to expire which in a very short time he did against all endeavours to have preserved so precious a treasure as his life Circumstances brought in to the Jury made it appeare to them that the cause of his death and fall in order thereto was an inward imposthume Was it not too far below him to question it I would against all ungrounded surmises of whomsoever give this cleare testimony upon full enquiry and satisfaction that as in his constant course so at this time too he was free from all distemper and excesse I have but one word more It was my desire since it was thought fit this little piece should passe the presse to have put it into a better form and set forth the discourse more full but multitude of emergent and unexpected occasions have wholy ravisht my time from me that as an Embryo it comes forth rather then as a timely birth If it might be of any use unto thy soul according to the end intended I shall rejoyce resting Thy true friend in the Lord R. RESBURY The Saints submission to the Will of God 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good TImes of sad trials are even to the Saints themselves times of great perplexity and discomposure an hard thing then to finde the true path of duty towards God and walk in it with an even foot dark times and stormy times the spirits of the Saints like a vessell in a troubled sea by night a difficult thing to steere a right course like wayfarers benighted in a Wildernesse hard to finde their paths The Word of God is a light in a dark place richly furnished for direction in all cases The pole Star appearing to guide our nightly course in the most tumultuous seas it is as the pillar of the cloud and of fire to Israel in the Wildernesse That the neer relations of this deseased Gentleman are under a sad triall needs must we all be sensible Nay who amongst us to whom he was known is not touched with it A Gentleman the hopes of his family an onely sonne to so worthy parents singularly vertuous of lovely demeanour cut off in the flower of his age and that by such a sudden stroak Ravisht from the dear embraces of all his friends by an unexpected surprisall O it is a dark time now for a light to shew unto poore benighted wanderers their way that they may not lose themselves Now for a word of sure direction how to order our spirits towards god in such a time as this Oh blessed be our wise God who hath here given us his good word to be a light to our feet a lanthorn to our steps at this time and in this Wildernesse in this portion of Scripture now read unto you It is the answer of good old Eli unto Samuel upon a most severe and terrible message delivered him from God The message from the 11. to the 15. v. referring to the 2. chap. 31. to the end This Samuel delivers to the full in the 18 verse Elies answer and answer of clear and ready submission without either the least murmuring or disputing unto the will of God And here now from an excellent president we may conclude this Doctrine In all our saddest changes whatsoever Doct. as they are disposed to us by the hand of God so it is our duty freely to submit unto his will 1. We are to take notice of them as from him whose providence reacheth to the numbring of our haires to the fall of a Sparrow to the ground much more doth he determine our daies number our months and appoint our bounds that we cannot passe in whom we live and move and have our being in whose hands is our breath and all our waies We are freely to submit to his will to resigne our selves to his whole pleasure The former of these we shall passe over and insist onely upon this Now a cleare and full confirmation of this we have here in my Text and the History to which it relates Here is a most sad change threatned in due time and that very shortly too to be fulfilled the whole posterity of Eli both for the present and for ensuing generations were to be cut off untimely 2. chap. 31 32 33. This stroak upon them should be accompanied with publique judgement upon the whole Nation through their sinne vers 32. Such should be the misery of his posterity whilst alive that should he live to see it it should be a most horrible vexation to him vers 33. His two sonnes I think all hee had should in and for their sins as farre as appeares be cut off by the hand of an enemy at once vers 34. From the whole race and family the Priesthood to be removed vers 35. to utmost beggery and basenesse should his off-spring be reduced vers 36. all this most certainly to be accomplished with evidence of greatest wrath upon his posterity chap. 3. vers 11. to 15. and that in way of judgement for his sinne vers 13. Now when he hath heard all this what answer makes he doth he exclaime Oh who is able to beare so great severity from the Lord doth he dispute and why for the children that are yet unborn shall the wrath of the Lord reach unto them none of these things but it is the Lord. This will conclude then the saddest cases and much more sad then this before us 1. This providence is shut up in one here is nothing threatned for the future 2. In this providence is no character of wrath of unaccountable dominion and arbitrary pleasure there is but not of wrath For 1. Here is no singular provocation declared against in recompence whereof this stroake should be by way of judgement from the Lord. 2. It is such a stroak as may befall Gods children Ecclesiastes chap. 9. vers 1 2. as hath befallen such Jobs children nothing appeares but they all died the children of God not imaginable that none of them died so yet their stroak far greater 3. The life of this Gentleman who fell under it gives very hopefull testimony against wrath in this stroak that he was of a blamelesse and untoucht conversation so free from the vanities and evils of youth as it will be hard to finde his match all that