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	witness_n	witness_v	5,982	5	9.3102	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B06642	A sermon, preached at Edinburgh in the Parliament-House, November 17th, 1700, before his Grace, James, Duke of Queensberry, his Majesties High Commissioner; and many of the nobility, barrons, burrows, members of the High Court of Parliament, / by David Williamson minister of the Gospel, at West-Kirk.	Williamson, David, d. 1706.	1700 (1700)	Wing W2797B; ESTC R186602	30,727	24

Establishments We hope this Honourable Court will Redress it as ye would not appear to cast down with one hand what ye Build with another Positively as you would prove your understanding in these things that belong to your Peace 1st You would have a good foresight and not be wilfull in what may be dangerous Princes and Magistrates in their Resolutions and Purposes would have a Reserve to change Measures on second Thoughts especially in secular Concerns So did David when provocked by an unmannerly Clown Nabal 1 Samuel 25. But in things concerning Gods Glory Constancy is a Commendation David never changed his purpose to pay his Vows Psal 66 13 14. And to build the House of God Psal 132 4 2dly Study a right ordering of the State in Civil Affairs for it will never be well with the Church if not well with the State The wicked walk on every side when vilest Men are exalted Psalm 12 8. When the Righteous are in Authority the people rejoyce but when the wicked bear rule the people mourn Proverbs 29 2. There be four Sorts of persons dangerous to Crowned-Heads to run them on precipeces 1sl Sycophants and Flatterers as Achabs false Prophets 1 Kings 22. 2ly The Envious as Darius's Courtiers Daniel 6 3dly The selfish ambitious and covetous as Haman 4ly Heady and young Councellours like Rehoboam who occasioned the Revolt 1 Kings 12. It is peoples part to pray that Kings make a choice of Favorites as Exodus 18 21. 1st Able Men for Greatness Courage Resolution and Constancy of Mind 2dly Men fearing God 3dly Faithful Men that love the Truth 4tly Men hating Covetousness and Bribes which blows dust in the eyes of the Wise 3dly It speaks understanding in Magistrates their care that Justice be dispenced discreetly speedily expeding Causes not fretting Spirits by undue delays Impartiality universally to all resolutly couragiously righteously exactly soberly and diligently thus Judgement shall return to Righteousness and all the Upright in heart shall follow it Psal 94 15. Good Laws which are the Sinniews of Societies would be enacted the greatest perfection whereof stands 1st In their conformity to the prime and Eternal Law of God 2dly In their vigorous Execution the failing whereof is a great Grievance written Laws are for direction and the Living Law which is the Magistrate is for action to see these Laws obeyed and in your Laws it were very meet there were a provision with respect to the Sufferers of the late times Especially the most eminent of them who have suffered in their persons and posterity 〈…〉 be a redress of Wrongs and injuries they have endured But Rulers would bend their Understanding and Consideration chiefly in their care about Religious Concerns to promote Piety and Zions Wellfare Psalm 132 and 137 1st By their Commands Asa commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their Fathers and do his Law and Commandments 2 Cron. 14 24. 2dly By the Example of their Persons and Familys as David and Joshua 3dly By encourageing and maintaining a pious and faithful Ministry men according to Gods heart Jerem. 15 4ly To promote the true Worship of God and abolish false Worship Superstition and all Monuments of Idolatry there are some in Scotland presume upon an intollerable Innovation to make use of the Service-Book which hath no edge I have heard some of the hearers of it say it would be long before the hearing of it would make a sore heart for Sin This Church could never endure it nor durst Prelates in their greatest hight Adventure upon it It is known how much of it is copied out of the Popish Breviary I will not comment upon the Verdict of a great person who called that Service an ill said Mass for the ridiculous Absurdities and Falsities of it 1st They may be seen at large in Baxters Life 5tly There would be a speciall Care to visite and settle Seminaries of Learning with pious and learned men It is an old Trick of Rome to poyson these Fountains 6tly Magistrates would have a special care to preserve the true Government in Christs Church by Presbetry which differs as much from Prelacy as a stone Wall doth from a Mud-Wall We own this Government to be of Divine Right and for the Churches intrinsick Power and Priviledges we hold them of no secular power but of Jesus Christ the head of the Church and owned as such in our Confession of Faith which is ratified in Parliament This Government and the Power thereof depends not upon the Suffrages of Men which are alterable no Mans Will being a Standard in this Matter It would import Christ an imperfect King if he had left it to Mens Arbitriment to come and go upon Moses might not alter a pin from the Patern shewed in the Mount Exod 25 9. And if Moses was faithful in the House of God as a Servant much more Christ as a Son whose House we are Heb. 3.6 Christ will not deny Caesar his due nor will he want his own nor be pleased with the pairing of the Priveledges of his Church for the Liberty and Exercise of our Government we have reason to bless the Lord for the Countenance and Encouragement we have from our Gracious Christian and Protestant King and we are hopeful he will not impair but inlarge the same It is true the Church exercised their power given of God some hundreds of years before there was a Christian Magistrate to own her which power as far as we could reach we used in times of Persecution and Church-Officers must use when Magistrates are Enemies but blessed be God we are not under that Temptation I have before other Sessions of Parliament proven our Government in all respects founded on the Word of God and most answerable to the Ends of an established Ministry To hold out the wild Boar that would corrupt both Doctrine and Manners and guard best against Vice and Error and keep Ordinances best from pollution and the Church from Infection and we may venture the Tryal as the Prophet did 1 Kings 18. When the people halted between two Opinions doubting whether God was God or Baal was God the Prophet ventured the Matter upon this that God that answers by fire let him be God and he carryed it that it was acknowledged the Lord He was God that did bear Witness by fire from Hheven and Baal was found to be but a dead and a deaf God that could not answer the Expectation of his Worshipers Now if the Government which we own be not most witnessed to from Heaven by the Spirit in his Operations of Conviction Conversion and Consolation of Souls Let God and the World judge Had we not been perswaded of these things what fools had we been to have suffered one year let be so many Years severity on that Account I judge few in Scotland sober judicious and Inegnuous will spond their breath against this Interest and if any it is mostly these who indulge themselves and love to be indulged