Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A13873
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A pearle for a prince, or a princely pearle As it was deliuered in two sermons, by Iohn Traske.
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Traske, John, d. ca. 1638.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 24176; ESTC S102652
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17,706
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44
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Also such Ministers are reproued as flatter the rich and fawne vpon the mightie but scorne the weake and despise the poore These swarme in all parts where the Gospell is preached Not onely amongst those of Babels side but also euen here amongst vs. Yea those that are so conuersant about Touch not Taste not Handle not these that would bee reformers of others are herein most irreformed theÌ„selues Oh fearefull is the condition of such surely the Lord neuer sent them or if they say he did they must proue it by that they haue such a commission as Christ himselfe neuer had He professeth himselfe to be sent a Isay 61.1 to the poore and hee reioyceth that b Mat. 11.5 The poore receiued the Gospell c verse 25 that babes vnderstood that which the rich and wise were ignorant of d Io. 7.49 The people of least esteeme were his chiefe followers Here also by this are discouered the darke courses of such as dare impudently to affirme that women haue no soules and that seruants are of no esteeme with God or that children shall bee damned Albeit the very naming such things is grieuous to an honest heart yet wee will a little touch these for satisfaction of any poore ignorant soule Such might read of e 1. Pet. 3.5.6 Sara that she is termed a holy woman yea the mother of faithfull women Of Priscilla famous for knowledge and practise for f Act. 18.26 knowledge able to instruct learned Apollos for g Ro. 16.3 practise readie to lay downe her life for Paul There is also an elect Ladie and her elect Sister many other women whose names are registred in the Booke of Life For seruants besides the Apostles mentioÌ„ of seruants where he writeth to none but Saints Onesimus being a seruant Phile. 16. hath such a title giuen him as no reprobate euer had As for children it is euident also in the Gospell by our Sauiours behauiour toward them his speeches of them Mar. 9.36 Act. 2.38 his promises to them and such as they are that it is without controuersie Heb. 8.11 they are within the Couenant and the promise extends euen as farre as them also To conclude this point Paul professeth himselfe A debter both to Greekes Rom. 1.14 and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the vnwise And the Holy Ghost hath testified that in Christ there is neyther Iew Col. 3.11 nor Greeke circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scithian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Lastly this serueth for the comfort of all that eyther desire Christ or alreadie haue obtained the possession of him It is as a shield for the one and a great incouragement for the other when Satan shall labour to discourage or affright Desirest thou to come to Christ and doth Satan tell thee it belongeth not to thee and that because of thy nation age or condition Thou maist holdly tell him that God inuites all therefore thee aswell as another Art thou in Christ and would Satan cause thee to doubt of any thing that concernes the life to come or distrust for this life Thou maiest boldly say The promises runne indifferently to all beleeuers Thou art a beleeuer therefore to thee Thus hauing concluded the first point That the promiâ—es of God doe stretch to euery beleeuer as well as to any Wee see in the next place from the restraint Hee that beleeueth Doct. 2 That the Promises of God doe extend to none but those that are beleeuers So we see in the forecited Scriptures Io. 1.12 But as manie as receiued him to them gaue he the right to become the sonnes of God To them and to none but them Ro. 1.16 So also in another place The Gospell of Christ is the Power of God vnto saluation Io. 3.16 to euery one that beleeueth And So God loued the World that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting Life Whosoeuer is the extent Whosoeuer beleeueth the restraint The reason hereof is Without Faith it is impossible to please God In Christ alone Heb. 11.6 Mat. 3.17 God is well pleased Hence it was that Paul spake such excellent things of Faith and so highly prized it Phil. 3.8 Thus hee esteemed all things but doung that hee might winne Christ and bee found in him Verse 9 not hauing his owne righteousnesse which was of the Law but the righteousnesse which is of Faith And hence it is Heb. 11.101 that Faith hath so excellent titles and effects mentioned in holy Scripture Seeing then that the promises of God are restrained onely to beleeuers As thou desirest comfort by the promises of God so must thou bee diligent in this search or inquisition Neyther is it any ground of Comfort that a man say I haue Faith or I doe beleeue as many presumptuously affirme For some there are that beleeue the Scriptures to bee true Iam. 2.19 The Deuils doe this and more they tremble And it were fearefull to affirme that they haue right to the promises of God Yea it may bee these haue attained such outward reformation that they are readie to censure all that are not so forward of Profanenesse and all that are more forward of singularitie These promise to themselues that Abraham is their Father There they doe begin as did those that were taxed for it by Iohn Baptist Luc. 3.8 Of such beleeuers I doe not speake For the difference betweene such and Infidels is but this Infidels not beleeuing at all are sure of condemnation and these beleeuing as they doe Luc. 12.48 of a greater condemnation Therefore not standing on the definition of Faith we will rather consider of the ground where it is sowen and of the companions that it hath The ground wher Faith is sowen is an humbled soule a wounded spirit Isay 66.2 Iam. 4 6. or rent heart to such God giueth the grace of Faith as are so prepared for it Mat. 5.6 Zach. 12.10.13.1 such as hunger and thirst for it such as mourne for it to such and to none but such doth hee open a fountaine for sinne and for vncleannesse Hereby then thou maist examine thy selfe Hast thou sought to God with feare and trembling Act. 16.19 Act. 2.37 as the Iailor did Hast thou come with a pricked Conscience and cried What must I doe to be saued Mat. 9.12 Mat. 11.28 Hast thou felt thy soule sick with sinne Hast thou beene pressed downe with the burden thereof Hath thine heart melted within thee and thine eyes gusht out with teaâ—es for thy sinnes This wounded spirit this sicke soule this rent heart this burdened Conscience this is indeed the ground where GOD doth sow Righteousnesse Hos 10.12 Psa 126.5 this is the man that shall reape in Mercie They onely that thus sowin teares shall reape inioy Thus much of the ground where Faith is sowen
the thing signified the outward shew without the inward truth is of no value Rom. 2.28.29 So we read He is not a Iew which is a Iew without neyther is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly which Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose prayse is not of man but of God Jer. 4.4 And Ieremie willeth those that before were circumcised To circumcise themselues to the Lord. Eâ—â— 44.9 So Ezâ—chiel No stranger vncircumcised in heart nor vncircumcised in flesh shâ—ll enter into my Sanctuary So that here those that are vncircumcised in heart are excluded out of the true Sanctuarie and are accounted strangers The reason is God desireth truth in the inward parts he requireth the heart Psal 51.6 Pro. 23.26 Hee iudgeth not the affection by the action as Man but the Action by the affection 2 Cor. 8.12 as God Seeing it is so that shewes without substances will not serue turne let this teach vs to make cleane the inside first to giue our hearts vnto the Lord to labour for truth in the inward parts Let vs labor for approbation with God and prayse with him This is that which will cheere our soules and comfort our spirits and make vs truely merrie when wee can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psa 66.18 the Lord will not heare me but God hath heard mee This reprooues such as slatter themselues with the outward performance of duties If they be baptized as they say bring their children to outward Baptisme If they assemble themselues outwardly to the hearing of the word the receiuing of the Lords Supper If by their good Memories they bee able to beare in mind the Doctrines deliuered and repeate them to their Families shew much loue to Ministers kindnesse to professors such as they themselues are though in the mean while they feele no Peace with God or Ioy in the Holy Ghost yet here they rest and doe esteeme themselues of the best sort of beleeuers Albeit a man may doe all this and be damned Were there not formerly That could say The Temple of the Lord Ier. 7.4 The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord are these and others that could say Isay 65.5 Stand by thy selfe come not neere mee for I am holier then thou Were there not that appeared before the Lord Is 1.11.15 with a multitude of Sacrifices and store of long Prayers stretching out their hands euen like vnto the children of God Were there not that fasted and hung downe their heads like a Bulrush for a day Isay 58.5 Rom. 2.17 Verse 18. Were there not that did rest in the law and were called Iewes and made their boast of God Verse 19. and knew his will and approued the things that were more excellent being instructed out of the Law being also confident that they themselues were guides of the blind Verse â—0 lights of them which were in darknes instructers of the foolish teachers of babes hauing the forme of knowledge and of truth in the Law And yet these holy ones as they thought themselues were threatned vengeance for their hypocrisie They were they that trusted in lying words counterfeit shewes a smoak they were in Gods nose abhorred and accursed in all their courses They were they that caused the Name of God to bee blasphemed euen in their fasts finding their owne pleasures and exacting all their labours fasting for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse as those Scriptures do manifest Luk. 13.24 Mat. 25.11.12 Mat. 7.21.22.23 Are there not some that shall seeke to enter and not get in that shall crie earnestly and knocke aloud and bee sent away that shall be able to say they haue cast out deuils and done many great workes and yet reiected 2. Tim. 3.5 Are there not others that haue the forme of godlinesse and yet must be separated from what shal we say to this then Surely as we beganne It is not the signe but the thing signified not the shew Mat. 23.25 Luk. 11.39 but the substance not the making cleane of the outside but the inside not the forme but the power of godlines that is auaileable Now neuer could our Sauiour more iustly say in his time Woe be to Scribes Pharises Hypâ—crites then we may at this day say the like of outside Christians if I mâ—y so say I doe not meane those onely that are openly prophane whose sinnes are written in their forheads but those especially that haue a strict outside of godlinesse Col. 2.21 England doth swarme with Pharisees such as are conuâ—rsant about Touch not Tast not 2. Pet. 2. Handle noâ— Such as hauing voluntarie humilitie and pretended sinceritie doe despise gouernment and speake euill of dignities Presumptuous they are and selfe-willed and speaking euill of the things they vnderstand not they creep into houses 2. Tim. 3. and lead captiue silly women laden with sinnes ledde away with diuers lusts and as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so doe these men resist the Truth men of corrupt minds of no Iudgement concerning the Faith These are they that take aduantage of weake consciences ceazing on them as their own by cumbring them with outward things and by telling them here is Christ Mâ—â— 24.23 26. or there is Christ when if the truth were knowne they neuer yet had Christ themselues yet hereby they draw Disciples after them and therehence suck they no small aduantage Of such I dare say that notwithstanding their outward flourish Mal. 21.31 yet Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdome of GOD before them Yea that open prophane ones are sooner drawne to sinceritie Pro. 26.12 then these and apter to receiue instruction So wise are they in their owne eyes Pro. 30.12 and prudent in their own sight that there is more hope of Fooles then of them yea Ier. 5.26.27.28 that there is more humanitie and greater loue amongst those whom they terme profane then amongst themselues Here let none so forget the former Doctrine to mistake me as if I did oppose my selfe against all outward shew No far be it from me to thinke that the inside can be cleane and the outside filthie howsoeuer I say there are a multitude of such as seeme to such as themselues are to bee cleane without who are notwithstanding foule within To conclude then beginne to make cleane the inside and then all is cleane Get true faith and outward obedience will certainly follow But if thou get neuer so much of outward constitution as thou thinkest and remaine foule within Thy hatred being couered with deceit shall certainly be discouered in the whole Congregation Pro. 26.26 Job 20.5.22.27 And thus much of the first point to whom the promise is made Now wee are come to the promise it selfe Shall bee saued The