Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	jesus_n	5,245	5	6.1272	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11603	Sermons experimentall: on Psalmes CXVI. & CXVII. Very vsefull for a vvounded spirit. By William Sclater D.D. sometimes rector of Limsham, and vicar of Pitmister, in Summerset-shire. Published by his son William Sclater Mr. of Arts, late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, now a priest, and preacher of the Gospel in the city of Exeter, in Devon-shire.	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1638 (1638)	STC 21844; ESTC S116824	112,358	217

Anabaptists have they not Scripture to induce them to beleeve that Children ought not to be baptized What of Brownists Have they not * 2 Cor. 6.17 Scripture for their separation Tertullian did no wrong when he said Scriptures were officina haer●sium a shop of Heresies if by Scriptures you understand the Scriptures taken after the Letter for it is true the Letter is often fairer for Hereticks then for Orthodox Christians as that passage was for Arrius Pater major est me The rather is greater then I I spare mentioning the errours of our own people onely I advise First Beware how you make scripture sound otherwise then the Inspirer of Scripture meant it and this know not every conclusion or Article that hath the Letter of Scripture fair is Gods Testimony but onely the Scripture taken in true sense after the intension of him who inspired it For my part I say as Moses would God you did all prophesie and were able to interpret But this let me tell you it is fearfull taking Gods Name in vain when men shall peremptorily say God said what never came into his heart Said God ever Infants should not be baptized It never came into his heart Said God ever that we may have no commerce with wicked men in word and Sacraments or that otherwise we could not be assured we were ever taken out of the world that is out of the state of the world He never said it nor did it once come into his heart Said God ever unto the people It shall be lawfull for you to interpret Scripture publickly or privately doubtfull Scriptures I mean or Did he ever promise ye should know what was concealed in them but by your ministers He never said it it never came into his heart to think it It was never Gods minde the people should be their own guides for if so he would never have sent Philip to guide the Eunuch Act. 8. 31. nor Saint Peter to teach Cornelius Act. 10. Think of it as you please it is not my Popery but your Pride to think or do otherwise Secondly This well helps us to dissolve the doubt Papists casts on us when we teach that the Assurance we have of Gods love in particular to us is a point of Faith They ask Where is our Word Answ To which many things might be answered First That we have a word Intentionally particular as when Saint Peter saith ●o * Act. 2.39 you were the Promises made it is all one as if he had said to thee and thee Secondly Generale applicatum ad hunc hunc is aequipollent to a particular as when they in their penetentiall Forum say absolvo te so we when by Sacraments we apply the generall promise Thirdly Gods Testimony is not all Vocall there is a reall Testimony Gods work in us 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath this witnesse in himself his very beleeving the impression of Faith on his soul is Gods Testimony wherefore such are said to be sealed by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 1.22 Follows now the fruit of Davids faith in these words Therefore have I spoken It lovs not to conceal delights rather to utter its Credulity pro loco tempore see 2 Cor. 4.13 Rom. 10.10 also Psal 40.9 10. How farre we stand bound to the performance is matter of profitable enquiry and in these times though peaceable something necessary This is the Resolution for the generall First It being a precept affirmative though it binds semper yet it binds not ad semper nor is absolutely necessary to salvation to be actually performed save only pro loco tempore suppose when it draws with it neglect of honour due to God or edification furtherance in faith to brethren The Precept touching confession is two wayes to be conceived First Consule 2 Thes pag. 71 72 73. in cap. 1. v. 11 Negatively binding not to deny Secondly Affirmatively binding to confesse Not to deny the faith at any time we are bound at all times upon pain of damnation whether this deniall be by words or deeds or signes Christ thunders speaks not Luke 9.26 Secondly The tears were bitter which Saint Peter wept after this sinne Matth. 26.75 Thirdly Church-Censures in all times severe against it admitting none to reconciliation but after tedious and longsome penance Fourthly No marvell for that is simpliciter ex se malum Now when or in what case we are bound to actuall and open confession of faith upon pain of damnation I suppose in times of persecution is matter of difficult resolution Rules herein some thus assigne Such confession is sometimes an act of religion as when without it the honour due to God and his truth should fall to the ground then a duty to confesse Secondly Of duty either by courage to win an alien or confirm a weakling or to prevent apostacie of the wavering then a duty to confesse Thirdly Of justice in respect of the person a man sustains or office he bears suppose of a Pastour or Teacher in the Church then a duty to confesse Howbeit when religion or charity or justice binde to confesse they leave us to the dictate of prudence We have a more sure word of prophesie to which we shall do well to attend That one Text in Saint Peter * 1 Pet. 3.15 as to my apprehension it sounds speaks more fully to guide us then all the voluminous writings of their Angelicall and Seraphicall Doctours Be ready alwayes c. Rules these First Secundum animi praeparationem The precept of confession binds all so that we must be ready at all times to make confession of faith when God calls thereto yea though death stand ready to deterre us see Luke 9.23 Take up the Crosse daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Die daily Secondly When actuall confession is necessary as when our confession puts on the nature of an Apologie or necessary defence and justification of truth exagitated by oppositions and calumnies of adversaries or is endangered to suppression by violence of persecution then say the Lord calls thee to confesse thy faith then think a wo belonging not onely to the denyer but even to the betrayer of the faith Thirdly Especially if there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that of authority interrogates or else of necessity begs of thee an opening of thine understanding and credulity in the mystery of faith in Christ Other questions here also fall in to be discussed as pertinent to this purpose As First Whether it may not be lawfull to conceal our faith in times of danger or whether it be lawfull to flie in times of persecution or whether it be warrantable ultroneously to offer our selves to martyrdome c. For the plenary resolution of each whereof together with their severall applications I remit the Reader to my Notes upon the 2 Thes 1.11 where these questions are purposely and upon somewhat like occasion largely discussed and resolved VERSE

made free What Paul speaks of * Rom. 6.20 Romans was true of us We were once the servants of sinne we served our lusts and divers pleasures we once were holden * 2 Tim. 2.26 captive of the Devill to do his will but God who is rich in mercy hath crucified our lusts that now we can say as Paul Rom. 7.25 Though in our flesh we serve sinne unwillingly yet in our spirit we serve the Law of God desiring to * 1 Cor. 10.5 captivate every thought and affection to the obedience of Iesus Christ Thirdly This is not all Saint Paul tells us of a spirit of bondage whose fruit is fear Rom. 8.15 and it is in every unregenerate man The nature of it conceive thus First The bent and propension to sinne remains in the unregenerate nothing but fear or sense of wrath restrains it therefore that fear or sense removed they adde drunkennesse to thirst as Pharaoh Simon Magus c. Secondly There is an aversenesse and abhorrence from all spirituall obedience nothing but fear of wrath or hope of reward excites or continues it therefore see Israelites Mal. 3.14 when they see the proud blessed say it is vain to serve God From this spirit of bondage to fear hath God freed his children Psal 51.12 Stablish me with thy free Spirit Psal 119. Set my heart at liberty I will runne the way of thy Commandments And again Oh that my wayes were made so direct Where Gods Spirit is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 see 1 Tim. 1.9 Lord that these might be so many motives to vow our selves servants for ever of the living God We are not ignorant of Satans wiles and we know what our selves and sinnes have deserved the plague that God threats to * Deut 28. Israel to be given up to serve Idolls of wood and stone that we may by experience know difference twixt the service of God and the service of Idolls but sure if that betide us miserable is our condition better we had never known the holy Commandment then knowing to turn back Secondly Like let us think whose hearts God hath enlarged and set free from the slavish subjection to our sinnes whose eyes God hath enlightened to see the filthinesse of drunkennesse of adultery c. And to whom he hath given grace heretofore to detest them if we shall now again be intangled our latter end shall be worse then our beginning see Mat. 12. Thirdly And for those amongst us to whom God hath given that spirit of ingenuity with freedome of heart to serve God let them take heed how they quench the Spirit the holy motions whereby God would bend them to freedome and chearfulnesse in his service Consider First How bitter such dulnesse of spirit is to the conscience when God awakes it no lesse to a gracious minde then grosser sinnes have been in their first entrance to Christianity Secondly Next how they loose for the time the best evidence of their being accepted with God there being no service that pleaseth him but what is offered with a willing minde see 1 Chron. 28.9 Thirdly What an aggravation to every omission it will one day be that when God gave us alacrity liberty and freedome of spirit to serve him yet we were backward Follows now in the seventeenth Verse the expression of Davids serviceablenesse unto God in two particulars First Thanksgiving Secondly Invocation In the first we have two things First The Office Secondly The Stile it hath Sacrifice Of the first Thankfulnesse implies four things First Acknowledgement of the favour of the Benefactour and our obligation in respect of the favour see 2 Tim. 1.16 Paul to Onesiphorus and Rom. 16.4 Secondly Mindfulnesse and remembrance of the favour done to us hence it is a tax upon the chief Butler Gen. 40.23 that he remembred not Ioseph but forgate him Thirdly Publishing with praise and commendation the bounty and love and goodnesse of the Benefactour as Paul to Timothy Onesiphorus his kindnesse Fourthly Compensation or recompense according to ability and opportunity given us of God see 2 Sam. 9.1 3. Is there yet any of the house of Saul to whom I may shew kindnesse for Ionathans sake so towards Barzillai 2 Sam. 19.32 33 38. And they have in a sense all their place in that thankfulnes we are to perform to our God Of the first see Lam. 3.22 when he saw the Lord preserving the remnant of his people It is of the Lords mercy that we are not confounded Iacob Gen. 32.10 I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies and all thy truth which thou hast shewen 1 Cor. 15.9 10 Not meet to be an Apostle but by grace I am what I am see also 1 Tim. 1.12 13 14. which All of obligation and debt of service we owe to God in respect of his favours Quid retribuam Domino As if he had said A debt I see wherein I stand bound to my God but how I shall render it I know not 1 Thes 3.9 What thanks can we render unto God c. Opposite unto this Branch of Thankfulnes are First Slighting of the favours of God bestowed on us without any so much as notice or acknowledgement in their fruition How many favours are renewed with every morning which yet we take no notice of As that the Lord adds this day to our time of repentance or growth in grace that his temporalls of health and use of all his good creatures are continued unto us Or secondly We discern no favour of God in them nor think our selves obliged to that endlesse Majestie for the continuance or increase of them but either think them to come of ordinary course or as it should seem for some obligation that lies upon God either in his own Nature or from our merit to conferre them The second is remembrance of the benefits bestowed on us as David to his soul Psal 103.2 Forget not all his benefits To this end tended the annuall festivities of the Jews that we read of Num. 29. to continue remembrance of the favours of God To this end the Sabbath in old Testament To this the Passeover Exod. 12. and our Sacrament of the Supper succeeding in stead thereof Hence is the charge Numb 6.12 Take heed lest thou forget not the Lord thy God and that tax of ingratitude laid upon Israel Psal 106.13 They soon forgate his works And I would to God it concerned not us nor were imputable unto us Whiles favours are new we can a little overly and for fashion say God be thanked but once year'd and day'd they scarce ever come more into our thought Oh that Davids minde were in us How should the Lord still delight to do us good See him fetching it Ab utero for his own particular from the wombe and for the people of God Psal 105 106 107. all penned to minde the people of God of his ancient benefits delivering them out of Aegypt c. We also have had our deliverances