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	kingdom_n	water_n	5,792	5	6.5658	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65924	A vindication of the doctrine of Gods absolute decree and of Christs absolute and special redemption. In way of answer to those objections that are brought against them by Mr. Tho: Pierce, in his treatise, entituled, The divine philanthropy. By Tho: Whitfeld, minister of the gospel.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.	1657 (1657)	Wing W2011A; ESTC R222306	60,986	90

that are in darkness and under the power of Satan that are strangers from the life of God and are without God in the world and have no hope of salvation can these be in the state of salvation unless by the Gospel they be brought out of the darkness unto light and from the power of Satan to God can these be saved without a miracle 2. If the works of Nature were sufficient to bring men to the true knowledge of God in Christ then Nature should be a Preacher of Evangelical Grace as well as the Gospel and these two should differ onely gradu non specie in degree onely and measure and not in kinde and maner of manifestation Did ever any Orthodox Divine in any age of the Church once dream that the Sun Moon and stars the Trees and Plants the Corn and Cattel Oxen Sheep and such like should be preachers of Evangelical Grace 3. Man had this means of knowledge before the fall therefore this is not the way which God useth to bring men to the knowledge of his grace in Christ Object The Apostle saith that the bountifulness and goodness of God leads men to repentance and where there is true repentance there shall be remission and so salvation Answ Though these in their nature tend to this end yet it cannot be made to appear that these alone ever brought forth this effect and that by them onely any man was brought to repentance unto life they may be sufficient means for conviction and to render men unexcusable as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.1 but not for conversion Repentance is the gift of God Acts 11.18 which grace he conveys to men by his word as the proper means of effecting it and not by his works alone without his word The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 He commanded the Gospel to be preached to turn men from darkness to light c. Acts 26.18 Thus we see that there are many who never had sufficient outward means of salvation and it is evident that this came to pass by divine dispensation for the Psalmist saith that he gave his word unto Jacob his Statutes and Ordinances unto Israel and that he hath not dealt so with any Nation Psal 147.19 Our Savior forbade his Disciples preaching to the Gentiles and the Spirit forbade Paul and Silas to preach the word in Asia Acts 16.6 Now if either the Father had intended or Christ had purchased salvation for all upon condition that they would believe they would never have withheld the means of faith from them How can they call on him on whom they have not believed and how shall they believe as him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 3. There are many that enjoy sufficient outward means yet God doth not bestow upon them inward grace or that efficacious work of his Spirit without which all outward means will be ineffectual The Israelites that came out of Egypt wanted no outward means for besides the teaching of Moses they had seen all the miracles and wonders which God wrought in Egypt at the Red-sea and in the wilderness and yet it is said that God had not given them a heart to perceive and eyes to see even to that day Deut. 29.3 The Scribes and Pharisees and wicked Jews wanted no outward means for they heard Christs heavenly doctrine and saw his wonderful miracles and yet the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven were hid from them when they were revealed unto babes and this was done according to Gods good pleasure Mat. 11.25 which certainly he would not have done had he intended their salvation or sent his Son to purchase it our Savior saith that no man can enter into the kingdom of heaven unless he be born of water and the spirit John 3.5 and this winde blows not every where but where it listeth verse 7. Object Where ever God sends his word it is accompanied with such a work of his spirit as is sufficient for salvation if men did not resist it Answ 1. It can never be proved that where ever God sends his word it is accompanied with the work of his Spirit in every one that hears it What work had the Spirit upon those hearers whose hearts our Savior compares to the high-way side where the seed was wholly lost being either troden under foot or carried away by the fowls of the air 2. Though there may be some common work of the Spirit upon the hearts of such who are never saved yet not such a work as is fit to bring them to salvation for how can that grace be accounted sufficient for salvation which doth not remove that which hinders mens salvation and which if it be not removed it is impossible for them to be saved if the strength of that natural corruption be not removed and the power of that rebellious disposition subdued which makes us alway ready to resist the word of God and the work of his Spirit it is not possible for any man to be saved and if God should give such an efficacious grace to all men as would be superior to corruption as would subdue and conquer it then all men would be saved and if it be not sufficient to remove that which necessarily hinders salvation it is not a grace sufficient for salvation Now how can God be said seriously to intend the salvation of such from whom he withholds that without which it is impossible to be saved when it is in his power to give it yea he doth actually give it to all those who are saved Some Divines make mention of a three-fold resistance 1. There is Resistentia connata which is bred and born with a man for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh wherein there is a natural disposition to resist the Spirit as being contrary it 2. Resistentia adnata a readiness to put forth this into act when ever it meets with that which is contrary to it self 3. Resistentia vincens a conquering resistance and this effectual grace always subdues and removes in those whom God intends to save Object But God hath given every man power to believe if be will for he hath given him an understanding whereby he is able to apprehend that object which is clearly propounded to him and a will that is fit and ready to follow the dictate of his understanding Answ 1. This Objection presupposeth that a man is able to understand the things of God which is contrary to scripture that telleth us the natural man doth not understand the things of God neither can he for they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 His understanding is not onely darkned but also overspread with spiritual blindeness thou knowest not that thou art poor and blinde Rev. 3.17 the eyes of his soul are closed and he must first have them opened before he can see what is the hope of his calling c. Eph. 1.18 Let a thousand Torches be brought into a dark room where a

comes to be saved since he knows certainly that all men will resist for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.4 and it is the property of the flesh to lust against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 3 If God seriously wills and intends mans salvation mans resistance cannot hinder for he can easily remove it Who hath resisted his will saith the Apostle Rom. 9.19 Our God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever he will Psal 115.3 Whatever pleased the Lord in Heaven or Earth that did he Psal 135.6 What is the reason that when all men resist he removeth this resistance in some and of unwilling wills causeth them to have willing wills Is it not because he intends their Salvation And why doth he not the like to others is it not because he never intended to save them He can do this in one as well as another and that without offering any violence to the liberty of their wills if he intended the Salvation of all alike No man can be said seriously to desire that thing the hindrances of effecting whereof he will not remove when it is in his power to do it This conditional Decree cannot consist with the simplicity of Gods Nature Argument 4 for he being actus simplicissimus perfectissimus being one and the same most simple and perfect act decrees all things simul semel uno actu simplicissimo together and at once with one most simple act There is no priority or posteriority in Gods Decrees bu onely prioritas rationis as D. Twisse well expresseth it quando ratio unius petitur è ratione alterius a priority of reason when the reason of one thing is drawn from the reason of another as the reason of the means is drawn from the reason of the end God decrees end and means and all together but because in order of Nature the end goes before the means and we can apprehend it no other way therefore that order is usually attributed unto God in his Decrees that first he decrees the end and then the means though he decrees both with one and the self same act at the same instant Now this Hypothetical Doctrine which makes Gods Decrees to be conditional makes also a mixture and multiplicity of Decrees As first that he wills the Salvation of all men then that believers onely shall be saved then that this particular person shall be saved if he believe or damned if he will not then upon the foresight who will and who will not the certain salvation of these and damnation of the other Now the Scripture carries on these things in a far clearer and more direct way teaching that God by one and the self same act of an absolute Decree doth determine the Salvation of his Elect and to give them Faith Repentance and all other Graces that are needfull to bring them to it This conditional Decree cannot agree with the perfection of Gods Nature Argument 5 1. It supposeth a general Decree of saving all believers 2. Because this will never takes effect if it stayes here and be carried on no further it makes God in the next place to proceed to a conditional Decree of saving this or that person upon condition if he will believe and then to an absolute Decree of these particular persons upon foresight of their believing and persevering Now here is plainly progressus ab imperfectioribus ad perfectiora a progress from the less perfect to the more perfect after the manner of men which can in no sort agree to the perfect wisdom of God who knows and determines all things simul semel 3. This makes this will of God touching the Salvation of all rather to be a Velleietas then volitio a wishing rather then a willing which is proper onely to weak men who is not able to accomplish his own desires but cannot agree to the All-powerfull God who is in the Heaven and doth whatsoever he will Wishing always argues weakness and imperfection when a man truely desires any thing he would effect it if he were able therefore it must argue great impotency in God seriously to desire the Salvation of men and not to be able to effect it yea to effect it by just means If he seriously desires the Salvation of those who are never saved it follows necessarily that his will is not omnipotent and irresistable This doctrine of a conditional decree cannot agree with the certainty of Gods Decrees Argument 6 How can that be certain which hath no certain ground or foundation They make the Decrees of God to be grounded upon his foreknowledge and his foreknowledge to be grounded not upon any thing which himself determined to do but upon the mutable motion of mans will and the uncertain expectation of what he will do who hath power to frustrate the most powerfull influence that God shall put forth in the conversion of a sinner although he shall work as powerfully as he did in the conversion of Paul as Mr. J. G. teacheth 2. This conditional decree hath no certain object therefore it cannot be certain It hath not certain salvation nor certain damnation for it is equally and indifferently disposed to either of these It cannot have both these for the certain object for they being contrary cannot consist together This conditional Decree agrees not with the Apostles Doctrine Argument 7 Rom. 9.11 12 13. For 1. He tells us that Jacob was loved and Esau was hated and that before they were born or had done good or evil but this conditional Decree takes away all difference betwixt love and hatred before men are born before they have done good or evil for it makes love to depend upon their doing of good and hatred to depend upon their doing of evil and that not in regard of the effects onely of love or hatred but in regard of Gods Purpose and Decree It takes away all difference betwixt Election and Reprobation For according to this Doctrine Esau shall be loved and elected upon condition he will believe and Jacob shall be hated and rejected if he refuseth to do this 2. The Apostle saith of these that they were loved and hated before they were born but by this Doctrine no man is loved or hated till he be ready to die till he hath persevered in Faith or Unbelief till the very act of his Dissolution Object The Love which the Apostle here speaks of is understood of temporal Priviledges and Hatred of the contrary Answ Not of temporal Priviledges onely For 1 The earthly Canaan was a Type of the Heavenly Canaan as Jerusalem was a Type of the Celestial Jerusalem as not onely Calvin Beza Zanchy and others affirm but also Bellarmine himself acknowledgeth and Jacob was a Type of the elected Israel as Esau was a Type of the rejected part called therefore profane Esau who passed away all his right and hope of Heaven for something wherewith to fill his belly for the present 2. The Love and Hatred here mentioned by