Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A51436
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Religious meditations on Ecclesiastes, Chap. 12. vers. 13, 14
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Mosse, John.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing M2857A; ESTC R221919
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20,870
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69
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know their duty and more than so they will not be slack to render it in all respects both to God by living to his Glory and to their Neighbours by dwelling in Love and Charity with them For as nothing less than such a Life will bespeak them the servants of God so nothing more is wanting 't is their whole duty comprehensive of Faith Righteousness Charity and all good works the Fruits of the Spirit the fulfilling of the Law one tittle of which shall not pass away or be made void the loving of God with all the heart and their Neighbours as themselves and the effect and product of the Ministry of Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 which proposes a conversion from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God and from a corrupt and repugnant to a clean and regenerate mind as its principal scope whereby the Gospel the Power and Cross of Jesus will be embraced effectual and easie to be bore and the consequence glad tydings reformation and Peace to the Soul witnessed and enjoyed which is the end of all and the crown of all I have fought a good fight saith the Holy Man 2 Tim. 4.8 I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness Oh the comfort the joy and cause of rejoycing has that Man which so lives in this world as to answer his end He that offereth Praise glorifieth me Psal 50.23 and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God Oh that Men would be perswaded to consider that God shall bring into Judgment every Work with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil surely then there would be something of a concern after this manner If it be so as 't is most certain that the great Judge of the World takes such a strict observance of all my Actions be they never so Secret nay of all my most hidden thoughts as that he will one day cause me to give an account of them all For every Idle word shall Men give an account in the day of Judgment How am I engag'd to be circumspect and watchful in all things not only in actions that have reference to Men and in my words but also in my thoughts and cogitations which none but an al-seeing God can charge with matter of evil In a sense of his al-knowing Power and of my own impotency I 'le beg of him to give me Grace so to Live in this world as that I may not by reason of my neglect be debar'd of those joys in the world to come and further I am sensible upon a most serious and retired examination that 't is by and through the illumination of a Divine Light that I see the evil of my ways and the misery ensuing such an unlimited course of Life I am therefore willing to deny my self and take up a Dayly Cross that I may know the work of Reformation and Regeneration the way to the Kingdom wrought Joh. 3.3 Vnless a Man be Born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven And in the first Place the Fountain of all Defilements and Corruptions being in my Heart Mat. 15.18.20 I 'le cry with the Psalmist Creat in me a new Heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me for unless the inside be clean the outside will not be so whilst the principle of hatred and envy is predominant in me 't is impossible I should bring forth works of Love and Charity and whilst I am under the power of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. doing his works I can by no means be the servant of God I cannot serve two Masters if the power of Satan bear rule in me I can be no subject of Jesus I cannot have right to call him Lord Luke 6.46 for I begin to be sensible that not he who says Lord Lord but that does his will is a Servant to him and of the Justice of that rebuke why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I command ye And when I feel the visitation of the love of God to my Soul 2 Cor. 4.6 opening the Eyes of my understanding then shall I see how wretched and miserable I am as also the exclency of the Glory of God who hath for that end caused his Light to appear now and not till now do I perceive the vanity of all Created things and my Soul is effused with breathings to the Lord to give me a further revelation of his will and to create a conformity in my depraved Heart to the same whereby I shall see an absolute necessity of sober and serious consideration of all my doings and the power of Jesus prevailing in my Soul I doubt not of ability to resist all temptations and to walk not as a Fool in my former vicious lewdness but as one that is awaken'd from the sleep of Sin and raised from the grave of Iniquity to redeem the time which I have spent in such an enormous manner as declares I neither endeavour'd to answer the end of my coming into the World nor was sensible of the necessity of the same When such thoughts and considerations have possessed the Hearts of Men they 'l remember that as there is no way to avoid or escape the Judgment of God so also that he will execute his Just and righteous decrees upon all without partiallity or respect of Persons Rom. 2.6.11 as 't is said God will render to every Man according to his works to those that by a patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortallity Eternal Life but to those that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil upon the Jew first and also upon the Gentile but Glory Honour and Peace to every Soul of Man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of Persons with God Then none should presume to think that by vertue of any Personal predestination they shall if evil doers be exempted from the Sentence of go ye cursed For 't is apparent that as the Lord is no respecter of Persons so will he bring into Judgment the works of every Man And in vain will it be for any to plead at the Judgment Day after this manner Lord let me into thy Kingdom whom thou Elected'st before the foundation of the World not by my foreseen Holiness but in thy meer pleasure alone as thou didst for the same reason reject the greatest number in the World and as 't was thy pleasure and mercy to make me one of thy Elect so wholly confiding therein I look'd to be taken for a faithful Servant because thou art a faithful Master and so took no care to perform any thing of Service unto thee as believing that the Blood of thy Son being