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	son_n	witness_n	5,359	5	7.9501	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06513	[A methodicall preface prefixed before the epistle to the Romanes ...] Made by the right reuerend father in and faithfull seruant of Christ Iesus, Martin Luther ...; Praefatio in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos. English	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Wilkinson, William, d. 1613, attributed name.; Watkinson, William, fl. 1573-1594, attributed name.	1632 (1632)	STC 16986; ESTC S105157	20,999	82

which taketh it grievously that any good should be exacted of it which she cannot fulfill not vnlike a sickly weake man who is heavily displeased if any man requyre of him to doe those works or that maine strength which is in a sound strong man The nature of the law Wherefore Paul heere inferreth that the law the more exactly throghly it is known doth worke in vs nothing else but this that it doth the more shew our sinne and increase it by which it doth slay vs and mak vs guiltie of eternall death and of the wrath of God But of this matter no man can dispute better than he whose conscience hath felt had triall of the terrour of the Law whose conscience hath felt that shaking and quaking as it were the verie foundations of the earth and who hath well perceived it at some time or other to haue caused a great tumult in his heart Therefore we haue neede of a more effectuall and mightier force in our hearts to justifie vs than the Law is Truely they that haue not so knowne the law they are altogether blind walk in this life in a certaine bolde confidence thinking that they can fulfil the law by their works not considering at all how that the Law doeth imperiously require the whole heart and all the affection Wherfore these men behold not the end of the Lawe onely they view the covered and hid face of Moses without grace who are like perpetually to perish in their vaine works After these matters the Apostle setteth forth The strife twixt the flesh the spirit even in the regenerate how the flesh and the Spirit in one and the same man doth strive and wrestle together hee exhibiteth himself vnto vs as an example though hee was justified Wheerby we might learne this mortification of the remnants of sin Now he calleth both the Spirit and the flesh a certaine law I haue found saith he a law in my members contrarie repugnant c. For like as the law of God doth vrge and exact those things to bee done of vs which God wold haue done so the law of the members or of the flesh doth incite and compell vs to carnall things contrary to the spirit Againe on the other side the spirit doth labour mightily against the flesh moving vs to spiritual things And this conflict combat dureth so long as wee are clothed with this flesh In this man the strife is mightier and stronger in that man more remisse faint in everie man accordingly as the spirit or flesh is in him stronger or weaker notwithstanding one and the same man is that flesh spirit which so strives and wrestles with himselfe vntill Sinne being quyte abolished hee become spirituall Chap. 8. In the 8 chap. he comforteth those which fight so with their owne flesh A comfort for the afflicted conscience also hee declareth that the reliques of sin can not hurt vs that there is no condēnation to them that are in Iesus Christ which walke not after the flesh but according to the spirit Furthermore hee doeth explicate at large the nature of the flesh spirit shewing that the spirit is given to man onely by Christ He that hath not the spirit of Christ saith hee the same man is none of his Again as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For it is the Spirit alone which doth innovate renew our hearts which doeth make them spirituall which doth incourage vs with sweet and loving affects and motions lastly which doth giue testimonie beare witnes vnto our spirits that we are the very sonnes of God teaching vs that wee althogh sin doth boyle with rage within our flesh haue God for our Father may account our selves his sonnes if so bee that we doe dayly by the spirit wrestle against the flesh Now because nothing is more profitable to the mortifying of the olde Adam the flesh than the crosse tribulation affliction that is the Apostle doeth heere comfort vs in these tribulations affirming that the Spirit doth make intercession and request for vs with sighes that cannot be vttered expressed also that all the creatures being subject to vanitie abuse doe even groane travell in paine together with vs vntill this bodie of sin be abolished and the glory of the sonnes of God bee revealed Thus wee see that these three last Chapters doe vrge nothing so much as this onely and chiefe worke of our faith namely the mortification of our olde Adam which is the flesh Chap. 9. 10. 11 In the 9. 10. and 11. Chap. he handleth the matter of Predestination For all the rest depend vpon that namely who should receiue the worde and who should not who should belieue who not who shuld bee freed from sin who should bee blinded who should bee damned and who should bee justified Seing therefore that both the sending out of the preachers of the Gospell and the word it self be of God it is certaine that it lyeth in Gods hand onely to justifie vs. And surely this stable sentence and immoveable necessitie of predestination Predestination must bee taught preached is a most necessary doctrine to bee taught For we are so weake that if it were in our handes very few or rather none should bee saved For the Devill wold overcome vs. Yet now seeing this sentence decree of God is most sure certaine so that it cannot be changed or altered by any creature we haue then good hope to overcome at the length these reliques of sinne although that now they rage in our flesh But these curious men who before they haue learned Christ the vertue of his Crosse A Caveat for curious Christians doe search the profunditie depth of predestination labouring in vaine to inquire whether they are predestinat to life or death must bee rayned strained and kept back with some holy bridle For without all doubt these men by this their foolish curiositie will leade learne to cast themselves headlong into the confusion of their conscience or into the bottomles pit of desperation But thou deare Christian see that in reading learning holy things thou follow the order and methode set downe heere in this place by the Apostle Learne this godly Methode First of all learne the knowledge of Christ that thou maist acknowledg that al thy strength and power availeth to nothing but to sinning Furthermore that by faith thou mayst daily wrastle with thy flesh as hee hath taught thee in the 7. first Chapters Finally after that thou bee come to the 8. Chap. that is after that thou hast tryd the crosse and tribulation after thou hast had experience of this wholsome mortification often to bee repeated then first of all will this necessitie of predestination waxe sweet vnto them then thou shall first feele in the 9. 10. and 11. Chapters how full of comfort

it is and whom he favoureth as very well appeareth in the 5 chap. wher he distinguishes gift frō grace Althogh now we haue not th● fulnes of this gift or of the Spirit because in this life ther wil alwayes remaine in vs re●nants of sin which fight again the Spirlt as the Apostle sa yt in the 7 chap. and the 3 Galat● as also Moses sayeth in the 3 ● Gen. that there will bee a conflict betwixt the seede of th● woman and the seed of the Serpent yet grace worketh this i● vs that the reliques of sin sha● not bee imputed vnto vs bu● that we shall be reputed an● accounted before God as me● fully and perfitly just Neithe● is the grace and favour of Go● so imperfitely bestowed vpo● vs as we said the gift was Fo● God rather doth love and imbrace vs with a full favour and a right perfite goode will for Christs sake who is our mediator earnest penny and the first fruits of the Spirit Therefore though remnants of sinne dayly doe glister and shine in vs yet neverthelesse we are just before God and sin is not imputed vnto vs throgh faith which day●y striveth and wageth warre against the flesh So then you may vnderstand that place in the 7 chap. where the Apostle though he was justified in the Spirite acknow●edgeth himself yet to bee a sinner and yet notwithstanding hee saith in the 8 chap. There is now no condemnation to these which are in Christ Iesus As many therfore of vs as are justified through faith in Christ w● are both sinners and just Si●ners by reason of the imperfi● mortification of our flesh an● for that in this life the relique of sin remaining in vs we can not haue or attaine the fulnes● of the Spirit First because w● haue throgh faith the first fruit and earnest of the Spirit so tha● for our faith in Christ God fatherly favouring vs doth no impute vnto vs that sin whic● remaineth in our flesh neithe● doth judge vs vntill that sinn● by death bee quyte broken banished and abolished 5. Faith what it is But now let vs speake some what of faith Faith is not a certaine colde opinion or a wandring cogitation of a mans mynde such a one as any man hearing the historie of the ●hospell may foolishly ima●●ne himselfe to haue For certaine men hearing any things preached of faith ●●d seeing that they can dispute any things of faith and of ●hrist and yet for all that by ●at knowledge cogitation or ●igent meditation perceiue ●●emselues not to bee foorth●th incited to do gud works 〈◊〉 into that wicked and impi●s error that they stoutly de● man to be justified by faith ●n but that also works are re●yred these mē indeed hearing ●e Gospel faine to themselves ●ertaine opinion and they re●●lve in their mindes certaine ●●d cogitations of Christ thin●g then that faith is nothing 〈◊〉 the dreame of their owne ●nd and those vaine cogitations And these men now and then boult out these excellent speeches A fayned faith O say they if faith onely justifieth them I pray you what say you to this Behold I haue heard the Gospell preached I remember the history of Christ Loe I belieue and yet am not justified True it is for because this thy faith is nothing but thy owne bare and naked imagination and cogitatiō of faith which doth not innovate thy hart which doth move thee nothing at all there followeth no newnesse of life no works of faith But a true faith is the worke of God whereby wee are regenerate and borne anew by his Spirit Iohn I chap whereby also our old Adam is quelled we being wholly trans-formed wee are made as the Apostle saith new creatures to Christ the holye Ghost being the life and government of our hearts Wherfore faith is such an effectuall lively Faith is lively and not idle quick and mighty operation in our heart that it cannot bee idle but must needs breake out and shew it selfe by good works Neither doth he that hath this faith care greatly whether good works be commanded or no For though there were no law at all yet by this liuely impulsion working in his heart he is of his owne accord forced and caried to work true and godly Christian works Hee that doeth not his good works of such a lively affection of the heart is wholly in vnbeliefe a stranger and aliant from the faith as many of these be which in schooles dispute jangle much of Faith and good workes not knowing what they speake or what they hold and affirme A true definition of Faith Faith therefore is a constant trust and a sure confidence of the mercie of God towards vs which is lively and worketh mightily in our hearts whereby wee commit our selves wholly to God casting all our care vpon him leaning and trusting assuredly to this Faith wee ate not affrayde to die a thousand times For this so bold an assurance of the mercie and favour of God doth make our hearts merry glad and light doth also erect raise and even ravish vs with most sweet motions and affections towardes God yea and doth so embolden the heart of the true beleeuer that trusting to haue God on his side hee is not afrayde to oppose himself alone against all creatures But it is the Spirit of GOD which giveth vs this heroicall heart and stout stomacke through faith which working effectually in our hearts doth incyte and inflame vs to doe good Now we haue this chearefull towardnes and forwardnesse to the end that we might be most prompt and ready willingly and of our owne accorde to doe tolerate and suffer all things whereby wee may bee obedient to so gentle and favourable a father who through Christ hath inriched vs with so great aboundance of his graces It can not possiblie bee but that in whom soever this efficacy and lyfe of fayth is it should dayly worke fructifie and giue increase to God A liuely cōparison Even as it is vnpossible that a fire being kindled and flaming should not giue light and cast foorth brightnesse wherfore watch thou and take heed that thou doe not beleeue either thine owne vaine songes and sounds of faith Fancyes thine own foolish imaginations or the vayne trifling stuffe of Sophisters Blynd Pasters For these Sophisters haue neither wit nor wisdome They are belly beastes borne onely to those feasts of schooles But pray thou vnto God who cōmandeth by his worde that light should shine out of darknesse that hee would shyne brightly in thine heart that hee would create a true Faith in thee otherwise thou shall never beleeue truely though for the space of a thousand yeares thou diddest labour and study about such cogitations imaginations either of a faith heretofore gotten or heereafter to be sought for Righteousnesse This faith now is that true justice which the Apostle calleth the justice and righteousnesse of God that is