Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A62911
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The preaching of Christ and the prison of God, as the certain portion of them that reject Christ's word opened in several sermons on 1 Peter III. 19 / by Samuel Tomlyns ...
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Tomlyns, Samuel, 1632 or 3-1700.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing T1862; ESTC R9741
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60,054
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138
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it must not be a doubtful Opinion but a rooted Perswasion God is wronged by wicked Men and he must right himself they have pressed him with their Iniquities as a Cart is pressld under the sheaves and he must ease himself Isa 1.24 Ah I will ease me of my Enemies and avenge me of my Adversaries Sinners rise up proudly against God Psal 138.21 Am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee and God must humble and abase them Psal 73.29 Thou settest them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction Ungodly men break God's Yoak Jer. 5.5 and therefore must be broken with that Rod of Iron that is in Christ's hand Psal 2.9 God will draw near to them in Justice Mal. 3.5 I will come near to you to Judgment that are gone far from God as to Obedience Psal 73.27 Lo those that are far from thee shall perish 2. Acknowledge that you have deserved to be thrown into this Prison Have you not lived without God in the World Eph. 2.12 and and so have you not begun your Hell on Earth have you not executed a great and grievous part of the Eternal Punishment on your selves by neglecting Converse with God and cutting your selves off from Communion with him Have you not contentedly been without God in Time and is it not righteous that you should be without him to Eternity 3. Submit to the Spirit of God when it becomes a Spirit of Bondage to your Souls Rom. 5.15 It is then a Spirit of Bondage when it arrests the Conscience with a deep heavy sense of Sin when it sets home the Threatnings and Curse of the Law when it seals to a Sinner a Sentence of Condemnation and fills the Soul with the Terrors of God Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under Sin the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might as well be rendred shut up The Scripture hath shut up all men and all the Acts of the Natural man under sin it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that appertain and belong to the Natural man and flow from him For they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 The Sacrifice of the Wicked that is his best Religious Service is an Abomination to the Lord And the Prayer of the Wicked that is all his common Actions are also an Abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 9. If the Sacrifice and the Way of the Wicked be an Abomination then the Scripture may well conclude his All under Sin Ungodly men seem to walk at Liberty to be secure merry and unconcerned at Sin the Wrath of God and an Eternal State but the Spirit of God comes and arrests secure Sinners and shuts them up under the bitterness of Sin and the dreadful sense of the Wrath of God in this Case it is dangerous for Persons to shake off the Terrors of God to despsse his Threatnnings and to break God's Prison Those that quench Convictions and return to a loose and licentious Life are in great danger of undoing themselves to Eternity Be therefore perswaded that the Spirit and the Scripture do mercifully shut up Unregenerate Men and all their Actions under sin it is not that they may sink under their Guilt languish under their Disease and perish everlastingly but all this is to humble their proud Minds and break their hard Hearts that they may sue to Free Grace to remit their Debt break their Chains heal their Disease and save their Souls The Scripture shuts up all under sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The Spirit of Bondage prepares Persons for the Spirit of Adoption that Men may act Faith on Jesus Christ lay hold of the free Promise and so have Justification and Salvation as an Alms of Mercy 4. Listen to Christs Voice that calls you out of the spiritual Prison Isa 49.9 That thou mayst say to the Prisoners Go forth and to them that are in darkness Shew your selves O desire and cry to Jesus Christ to speak this effectually to your Soul You need he should speak with a strong hand Isa 8.11 Look to Jesus Christ to open the door of Gods Prison Isa 61.1 and also to open the door of your hard heart Acts 16.14 God opened the Heart of Lydia O desire Jesus Christ to speak so that your Chains may fall off your Doors fly open and you be brought out of darkness and the Prison-house Isa 42.7 You need to be sprinkled with the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep destroying Justice out The Blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on the Door-posts of the Israelites was a Sign to the destroying Angel that he was not to break into that House or kill any there Exod. 12.22.23 It is the Blood of Jesus Christ the True Paschal Lamb 1 Cor. 5.7.8 that must be our Guard Security Protection and where this is sprinkled God sets a Sign on those Souls that they shall not perish but escape that they are not appointed to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ God saith in Isa 66.19 that he would set a Sign among the Jews Calvin on the Place thinks that there is an allusion to the Blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on the Israelities Doors that was a Sign they should be safe So Christs Blood applyed to us and sprinkled on us is a sure Sign and Token of our Salvation that we shall not come into Condemnation but find Mercy with the Lord O therefore apply your selves by Faith to Jesus Christ as a Redeemer Isa 59.20 that you may be Ransomed by the Blood he hath shed by the Price he hath paid address your selves to Jesus Christ as a Deliverer Rom. 11.26 that you may be Rescued by that Power he can put forth Jesus Christ is a Redeemer by Price and a Deliverer by Power these two conjoyned do render him a Compleat and perfect Saviour If Jesus Christ be a refining Fire to you in this World Mal. 3.2 3 4. God will not be a Consuming Fire to you in the world to come Heb. 12. last 5. Repent unfeignedly of and truly break off from your Sins Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospel O wash your Hearts from Wickedness put away the evil of your doings escape that Corruption that is in the World through Lust Jer. 4.14 Isa 1.16 17. 2 Pet. 1.4 Break and shake off the bond of Iniquity Acts 8.23 Get out of the Snare of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. last and you need not dread the Eternal Prison God will not condemn those that bear his Image live his Life wage War with his Enemies As you seek to Jesus Christ to quench the Fire of God's Wrath by putting his Blood on it so do you pluck away the Fuel of this Fire by Repentance and continual Mortification suffer in your Flesh in your corrupt Nature here 1 Pet. 4.1 that you may not suffer in your Soul for ever hereafter dye to sin that you may not dye for sin If your Lusts do still find Favour with you how can you hope to find Mercy with God Curb your Flesh restrain your selves from Carnal Liberty and you shall be safe and secured from eternal Bondage Make a Covenant with your Eyes Job 31.1 restrain them from wandring and gazing on tempting and enticing Objects Cry to God Lord turn away mine Eyes from beholding Vanity Psal 119.37 Keep your Hearts with all diligence Prov. 4.23 suppress vain thoughts that spring up quash sensual desires that are ready to sprout forth The old man is a stock still budding In-dwelling sin is still tempting this Womb would still conceive and bring forth Fruit to death there is a Law in us Rom. 7.21 that Satan hath enacted Members that he hath made Col. 3.5 Lusts that he hath kindled 1 Joh. 2.15 16. Our daily Work therefore must be to contend with our corrupt Wills and vile Affections to fight against sin to conflict with and overcome our selves He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second Death Rev. 2.11 You must restrain your Tongues and set a Watch before the door of your Lips the Psalmist said he would take heed to his ways that he did not sin with his Tongue he would keep his Mouth with a Bridle Psal 39.1 Much sin would be prevented if we did watch over our Words Christs great silence when he was falsly accused points at Sinners great sin in abusing their Tongues in rash and evil speaking We must also refrain our Feet from the ways of Sin and Death Psal 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy Word By the Word of thy Lips I have kept my self from the Path of the destroyer Psal 17.4 Wicked men take Liberty to themselves to say or do what they please Jer. 14.10 They love to wander they have not refrained their Feet It is dangerous for you to affect a Liberty for your corrupt Hearts roving Senses and wandring Feet If you give Liberty to your Lusts God will proclaim Liberty to the Sword Jer. 34.17 Would you have Gods punishing hand at Liberty to destroy you would you have his Glistering Sword at Liberty to cut you off shall all banks be cut and the Flood of the Wrath of God be at Liberty to overwhelm and swallow you up for ever Abridge your selves deny carnal Liberty to your Flesh and it's Lusts If you walk in the Narrow Way of the Law-giver you shall not fall into the strait Prison of the Judge FINIS
not listen to the Son of God as opening promulgating and declaring his own Testament and the Riches and Fulness of it Other Men's Testaments do make Heirs but they cannot make Children But in the Testament of Christ a new Heart a new Spirit and the Holy Ghost to sanctifie and quicken are bequeathed Ezek. 36.26 27. Those that are savingly renewed are regenerated by vertue of this Promise and so are styled The Children of Promise Gal. 4.28 We Brethren as Isaac was are Children of Promise as Isaac was born by vertue of God's Promise Rom. 9.9 At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a Son So Saints now are Children of Promise they are born again by vertue of this Promise A new Heart will I give to them a new Spirit will I put into them Ezek. 36.26 And as all the Grace we have is from the Womb of the Promise so all the Glory we hope for is by the Promise and therefore Believers are also styled The Heirs of Promise Heb. 6.17 18. O how is Christ's Testament ordered first to make us Children and then to make us Heirs First to make us Holy and then to make us Happy And will you not believe on and submit to the Son of God that Preacheth his own Testament First to impart to us a Divine Nature and then to communicate to us an Eternal Kingdom an Everlasting Glory I shall proceed to Propose a few Directions and so conclude my Discourse on the first Doctrine 1. If the Son of God Preaches as well and as truly by Instruments as in his own Person immediately then believe it is the Voice of the Son of God that sounds in your Ears and believe soundly and deeply what he Preacheth 1. Believe it is the Voice of the Son of God that you hear Heb. 3.7 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts There is not only the Voice of Ministers and Ambassadors but also the Voice of the King of Glory Christ draws near and comes with them Ephes 2.17 He came and preached Peace to you that were afar off And Jesus Christ speaks in them 2 Cor. 13.3 2. Believe soundly and sincerely what Christ Preacheth Rom. 10.10 With the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Acts 8.37 If thou believest with all thy heart You should believe so as to be sure and fully perswaded in your own Minds John 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the Living God Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 We may confidently relye on the Word and we may boldly lean on the Arm of the Son of God This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 It is a Faithful Saying the Understanding may acquiesce in it and it is worthy of all Acceptation therefore the Will may embrace it 2. Make Particular Application of Christ's Word and Doctrine to your own Souls Account that Christ as truly Addresseth himself to you as if he did from Heaven call you by Name and apply himself to you John 10.3 He calleth his own Sheep by Name Jesus Christ with an effectual Call makes Persons to know that he speaks as expresly to them as if he did from Heaven mention their very Names Do not divert or turn off the Word to others Do not think that a Portion is divided to them but not to thee that their Conditions are pointed at their Sins reproved but not thine As Pictures in a Room do seem to look on every Person whose Eye is fixed on them So we should Account that the Word of the Son of God hath a particular Aspect on us that it directs our Hearts into the Love of God that it guides our Feet into the ways of Peace it speaks to all that hear it We should account that what is written is written for our Learning and what is spoken is spoken for our Practice 3. Obey the Son of God hear his voice presently Heb. 3.7 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your Hearts excuses delays will harden the Heart Audience and Obedience should be presently yeilded and rendred Jesus Christ we must not put off adjourn our Obedience to a longer day or to years hereafter to come David saith He considered his ways and turned his Feet to God's Testimonies he made hast and delayed not to keep his Commandments Psal 119.59 60. The Gentiles when they were Enlightned Convinced Converted they Exhort they Incourage one another Zech. 8.21 the Inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to Pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also those that are sensible of their Duty and Danger cannot defer or put off the great concernment of their Souls any longer Isa 49.17 it is said to Zion Thy Children shall make hast that is to joyn themselves to Christ and his Church This hast is set down by many Similitudes in Scripture it is said The Gentiles should as waters Flow to the Mountain of the Lords House Isa 2.23 Tho Waters they do run downwards naturally yet the Nature and motion of the Heathen Nations should be so chang'd that they should run upwards ascend the holy Hill of God the Nations should flow unto it 2. It is said The Gentiles should run to Jesus Christ Isa 5.55 Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the Holy one of Israel for he hath Glorified thee 3. It is said that the Converted Gentiles should fly to the Church Isa 60.8 Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves to their Windows How swiftly do the Clouds move when driven by the Wind How swiftly do the Doves fly when pursued by the Hawk or any other Bird of prey so convinced and awakened Spirits will fly from the wrath that is to come and will fly for refuge to take hold of the hope set before them Matt. 3.7 Heb. 6.18 Are your Souls sick Are your wounds bleeding Are your Consciences burdened Are your Hearts broken And can you delay turning to Jesus Christ presently O! consider how great that Person is that speaks to you it is the Prince of Life the King of Glory and is he to be shut out or put off till a longer time O! think how great matters Jesus Christ speaks and treats about is Reconciliation to God espousals to Christ cutting off the Entail of the Curse reversing the Sentence of Death and setling upon you an eternal Inheritance small matters Are they unnecessary or inconsiderable things that you should delay to mind them till hereafter Is it not great mercy that the Son of God will open his Mouth He might have kept silence towards us as he doth to many Nations of the World at this day Why should we