Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bear_v	enter_v	kingdom_n	5,396	5	6.1932	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23770	A sermon preach'd before the King, Decemb. 31, 1665, at Christ-Church in Oxford by R. Allestree ...	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1666 (1666)	Wing A1166; ESTC R17323	16,852	42

these together we may easily discover what the temper is of Christianity You see here the institution of your Order the First-born of the Sons of God born but to such an Estate And what is so Original to the Religion what was born and bred with it cannot easily be divided from it Generatio Christi generatio populi Christiani natalis Capitis natalis Corporis The body and the head have the same kind of birth and to that which Christ is born to Christianity it self is born Neither can it ever otherwise be entertain'd in the heart of any man but with poverty of spirit with neglect of all the scorns and the calamities yea and all the gaudy glories of this world with that unconcernedness for it that indifference and simple innocence that is in children He that receiveth not the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child cannot enter thereinto saith Christ True indeed when the Son of God must become a little child that he may open the Kingdom of Heaven to Believers Would you see what humility and lowliness becomes a Christian see the God of Christians on his Royal Birth-day A person of the Trinity that he may take upon him our Religion takes upon him the form of a Servant and He that was equal with God must make himself of no Reputation if he mean to settle and be the Example of our profession And then when will our high spirits those that value an huffe of Reputation more then their own souls and set it above God himself when will these become Christians Is there any more uncouth or detestable thing in the whole world then to see the great Lord of Heaven become a little one and man that 's less then nothing magnifie himself to see Divinity empty it self and him that is a worm swell and be puffed up to see the Son of God descend from Heaven and the sons of Earth climbing on heaps of wealth which they pile up as the old Gyants did hills upon hills as if they would invade that Throne which He came down from and as if they also were set for the fall of many throwing every body down that but stands near them either in their way or prospect Would you see how little value all those interests that recommend this world are of to Christians see the Founder of them choose the opposite extream not onely to discover to us these are no accessions to felicity This Child was the Son of God without them but to let us see that we must make the same choice too when ever any of those interests affront a duty or solicite a good Conscience whensoever indeed they are not reconcileable with innocence sincerity and ingenuity It was the want of this disposition and temper that did make the Jews reject our Saviour They could not endure to think of a Religion that would not promise them to fill their basket and to set them high above all Nations of the Earth and whose appearance was not great and splendid but lookt thin and maigre and whose Principles and Promises shew'd like the Curses of their Law call'd for sufferings and did promise persecution therefore they rejected him that brought it and so this Child was for the fall of many in Israel 2. This Child is for the fall of many by the holiness of his Religion while the strictness of the Doctrine which he brings by reason of mens great propensions to wickedness and their inability to resolve against their Vices will make them set themselves against it both by word and deed for they will contradict and speak ill of yea they will openly renounce and fall away from it and him 1. For that reason they will contradict speak ill of Him and of his Doctrines This is said expresly in the last words of my Text He is for a sign that shall be spoken against that is that very holiness both of his Life and Doctrine that shall make him signal it shall make him be derided and blasphem'd As if his being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an Ensigne lifted up a Standard for all Nations were not for them to betake themselves to but to level all their batteries against Accordingly we find they call'd him Beelzebub because he cast out Devils And all this was foretold for although he were fairer then the children of men Psal. 45. yet Isa. 53. It is said He hath no form nor comeliness when we shall see him there is no beauty in him that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men Surely because his holiness did cloud and darken all his graces Devotion in a countenance does writh and discompose it prints deformity upon it and eyes lifted up with ardency look as bad as eyes distorted set awry Nay Majesty when it was most severe and pious never yet could guard Religion from these scorns David that great and holy King sayes of himself I wept and chasten'd my self with fasting and that was turned to my reproof as if Repentance were among his crimes and he must be corrected for his discipline I put on Sack-cloth also and they jested upon me they that sat in the gate spake aegainst me and the Drunkards made Songs upon me Sure these jolly men are not companions to those Angels in whose presence there is joy over one sinner that repenteth that his vertue should be a rejoycing and a song to them too Certainly the penitent mans tears do not fill their chearful bowls nor his groans make those airs which they set their drunken catches to But that we may be sure it never will be otherwise St. Peter tells us That in the last days there shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts Now the men of our dayes have the luck to obey Scripture thus far as to make that Prophecy to come to pass for those scoffers are come in power and great glory The Psalmist tells us of a chair of scorners as if these were the only men that speak ex cathedra and sure scoffs and taunts at Religion are the onely things that may be talk'd with confidence a loud They imprint an Authority on what is said and conversations that are most insipied on all other scores get accompt as they come up towards this practise hence they gain degrees commence ingenious as they border on these Atheistical and irreligious blasphemies and when it is pure scorne then it is in the Chaire But it stays not there For 2. Upon the same account of strictness of Religion men will fall off from and openly renounce both Christ and his Religion This is that our Saviour himself found Light saith he is come into the world and men lov'd darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil And he said of the Pharisees They repented not that they might believe as knowing it impossible that they could venture to believe that Doctrine which condemn'd those courses