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	see_v	5,205	5	3.8267	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90512	Gospell courage, or Christian resolution for God, and his truth. In a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at Margarets in Westminster, at a publique fast, the 31. of May, 1643. / By Andrew Perne Master of Arts, sometimes fellow of Katherine Hall in Cambridge: now minister of Wilby in Northampton-Shire.	Perne, Andrew, 1594-1654.	1643 (1643)	Wing P1577; Thomason E55_12; ESTC R16176	18,919	39

is Faith helping of it to believe what it cannot apprehend He that commeth unto God must believe hee 'll never reach him else The understanding and knowledge cannot be stretched out to conceive high enough of God and therfore the spirit creates an addition which is Faith helping of the soule to believe what it cannot conceive As when the Virgin Mary was told that she should conceive and be are a Sonne how can this be saith she seeing I know nor a man her reason could not reach it and therfore she laid her Faith to it Be it unto me according to thy word 2. As the Spirit doth inlarge and adde to the soule so it doth in a manner lessen God God humbling of himselfe in being willing to be described after the manner that man can take him and reach him And oh what a condescention and stoope is this in the Almighty that he should be willing to be set out as having hands and feet and eyes that so men may sippe a little of him Man cannot goe up to God and therfore God will meet him halfe way and come down to him And before the Spirit doth thus worke in the soule none know the true God few Nations or people yea few persons have this worke in them and therfore few doe know the true God and from hence so many false gods in the world 3. The heart of man is inrag'd and vext that God doth hide himselfe from his senses God keeps himselfe in secret and will not be seene and therefore man will have other gods who shall Make us gods that may goe before us say the Israelites to Aaron such as we may see Hence are your Idols among the Heathen Pictures and Crucifixes among your Papists and with men of carnall and corrupt mindes amongst our selves Men will have something before their eyes to direct their worship and service unto Men are vext that God should keepe himselfe or any thing else secret from them How faine would men be fingring of Election and Reprobation How angry were our desperate Divines of late because they could not finde out the bottome of them See the reason There 's none unlesse they can see the depth and Cause We are very prone to be too sawcy with divine things which dwel in darknes and God wil not bear it Bounds and limits were set the people when God gave the Law they must not gaze lest they die And as men are angry with this retirednesse of God that he will not make himselfe familiar to their senses So are they vext and fretted with his monopolizing and reserving all the wayes and manner of his worship to himselfe men are mad upon Will-worship Something they will have of their owne invention to be mingled with the worship of God he shall not have altogether his owne way and will They will out of their wisdome which is their folly adde some Ceremonies at the least to beautifie the slovenly worship of God as some of them have more then prophanely spoken And from hence were your golden Copes gorgious Altars shining Candlestickes decent Ceremonies the more to decorate and adorn the service of God Thus man will be corrupting the spirituall service of God with his base carnall beggerly inventions And for this cause God gives men over to extreame folly even to worship the things that they have made so beautifull to bow downe to their Altars that they have deckt and all their wisdome Scholership learning and distinctions are not able to deliver them from it The 1. Rom. 21. Because when they knew God they worshipped him not as God therefore God gave them over laid them fast in their owne dung and filth And who were these Such as profest themselves to be wise the great Scholars of the world In the 1 Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the disputer not in Christ as Paul was he was foolishnesse So with us Where were our great learned Rabbins their distinctions had carried them downe to Rome they could break the Sabbath with distinctions and bow downe to Name and Altar with distinctions and therefore God befooles them and gives them over to worship the workes of their own hands their owne babies And therefore wonder not my Brethren that you have lately seene great Scholars to be sortish in their bowing downe to name and places for God committed them to superstition and Idolatry and who could baile them These Reasons may suffice though many more may bee given Vse 1 Consider this and learne to pitty pray for and help the nations and people who are without the knowledge of the true God Survey the world in your thoughts and consider how great a part of it sits in the dark groping after a God and taking hold of the Creatures some of Stocks and Stones yea some of them if we may beleeve Historians of the very Devill himselfe and worshipping of him in stead of God and God as yet withholding of himselfe from them and that so farre as we know for Adams sin Rom. 11.33 Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgements and his wayes past finding out Private men may pray for them but it must be the power of some such Soveraigne Assembly as this is of yours to send unto them the knowledge of the true God and who knows but for this also you are met together at this time that when you have repaired our breaches and done the will of God for us you may be a blessing and a healing to other nations Vse 2 If many false Gods in the world then let us bee thankfull for the knowledge of the true God Rejoyce in Gods name lift up your banners Let England rejoyce in him that made it Esa 33.12 for blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his owne this makes them Gods owne This is the greatest kindnesse the most distinguishing speciall favour of God this mercy of knowing God comes out of the very heart of Jesus Christ for in him and none else God reveales himself unto men God lookes to be praised and thankt for this The knowledge of God lifts a nation up to heaven Capernaum was lifted up to heaven by preaching of the Gospel Matth. 11.23 and when God thus exalts a nation he looks to be exalted by it Ioh. 14 22. Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy selfe unto us and not unto the world So who is England Lord that thou shouldst reveale thy selfe to it and not to other nations Man is a bragging creature and God takes notice of it If his face be fairer his backe or armes stronger or his head wiser his purse fuller then others he will bee ready to boast of it and glory in it but God would have all this laid out upon himselfe Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty

would not have them pin their Religion upon his sleeve It must therefore be a supernaturall light that must thus convince the soule and make the wayes of God thus unquestionable the 2 Cor. 1.4 5. And my Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticeing words of mans wi●edome I preach not in the straines of humane eloquence in filed phrases and quaint expressions which the wisedome of the World thinkes the fittest way to winne men to their side and opinions but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that is hee used plainnesse of Speech homely expressions which gods spirit doth accompany with power to what end did the Apostle this Vers 5. That your faith might not stand in the Wisdome of Men that is that you might not belive this to be the truth because it came in abundance of earthly Wisedome for then if another come with finer words and more wit you will goe to him and forsake this Or others Preaching the same Gospell but not with the like Worldly wisedome and eloquence you would not believe it to be the same So that you would believe no longer then you are fed with Worldly wit and fine words but that your faith might stand in the power of God that is that you might believe it upon such grounds upon such a powerfull conviction of the spirit that all the World should not be able to turn you from it a stedfast unconquerable resolution proceeds from a powerfull and thorough conviction of the truth of God and his wayes That is the first Reason 2. It proceeds from an apprehension and feare of danger if a man forsake those wayes of GOD. Feare and danger doe excite courage and resolution when a man apprehends that the greatest danger is a falling into the hands of God as Ioseph if he had yielded to his Mistresse for feare of her anger had fallen into the wrath of GOD How can I doe this evill and sin against God And so Moses Heb. 11.27 He forsooke Aegypt not fearing the Kings displeasure who would he then feare a greater seeing him who was invinsible one that could have made Aegypt too hot for him if hee had stayed still The three children feared a hotter furnace if they should worship the golden Image Full to this purpose was the speech which one uttered when he was before some that threatned him with prison fire and faggot if he would not forsake the truth who answered to a friend that stood by they have not threatned Hell yet So when a man apprehends Hell the worst of Prisons and everlasting destruction the King of terrours to awaite him if he forsake GOD and his wayes this will make him resolute for GOD. 3. It proceeds from hope hope of gaine and preferment makes men bold puts courage and resolution into them hope of preferment hath made many a man resolute and even past shame in an evill and Idolatrous course hope of white sleeves hath made many a man bloody his fingers Well Gods children they have hope too which does exceedingly much strengthen their resolutions The Crowne of righteousnesse the weight of glory the Kingdome prepared from the beginning these were Pauls hopes these are and were ours and these beare our charges in all our sufferings Feare not Abraham saith GOD I am thy Buckler and thy exceeding great reward I 'le see thee payd that thou shalt be no looser and now Abraham would lackey it at the stirrup and goe from his Fathers house whether GOD would have him So when a man apprehends that God carries the purse and that the keyes of preferment hangs at his girdle and he can trust God for all this will make him valiant and resolute for the wayes of God 4. It proceeds from Love love to the party for whom we are thus resolute and therefore it must needs please God Love lookes through all dangers and difficulties weakens all opposition strengthens it selfe makes it apprehend any thing feasable your resolution will tell you what you are and whom you love Ruth 1.14 There are two pretend love but Orpha is soon taken off when Naomi tells her that she had no preferment for her yet see the resolution of Ruth ver 16. Intreat mee not to leave thee where thou goest I will goe where thou lodgest I will lodge nothing shall part thee and mee but death Here 's love and here was resolution 5. And lastly It proceeds from Experience the soule hath tasted of the sweetnesse comfort peace and joy of the wayes of God and therefore is it so resolute for them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth And see what followes upon this v. 106. I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements The soule cleaves to that that bids most pleasure for pleasure is the food of the soule the body can as well live without food as the soule can without pleasure when the soule hath tasted how transcendently sweet the wayes of God are what sweet hopes what blessed peace what joy unspeakable and glorious the word and wayes of God doe breed in the soule it pitches it's tent sets up it's rest there it will dwell and with them it will remove The Godlesse Courtiers and Flatterers without all question thought Daniell to be a foole That he would hazard all his Court-preferment and his life too but he would be praying and he must have his window opened too So many thinke those to be farre from wisedome that doe too farre ingage themselves in the cause of God if you doe not heare so I am sure they doe in the Country for of late we have heard them thus say what you must bee running to Sermons though the Court catch you and you will not bow downe to the name of Jesus though you be undone But wee may give you that Answere that was given for the Martyrs in the Primitive Church Videtis punctiones sed non unctiones they then and so you now can see their smart and sufferings but not their refreshings the peace love and joy unspeakable comfort which the Saints of God then and now have met withall in these wayes of God You which powre out your selves in Hawkes and Houndes and other pastimes and thinke that the Saints of God doe live a mopish life and their soules dwell in too narrow a lane yet could you but meet with those heates of heart and hints of love and mercy that they meet withall from their God you would be ready not onely to doe but to suffer with them Hee that hath once tasted of the savour of Christs oyntments will never leave him We might give you more of these Reasons but these may suffice Vse 1 The first Use might bee a booke of Lamentation for the want of this Christian valour and resolution May not we well complaine as Jer. 9.3 They are not valiant for the truth upon Earth How many amongst us

are Laodiceans luke-warme neither through Protestants nor ranke Papists Eliah never lived in a more halting age than we doe men stand watching which side will prevayle and doe determine to close and comply with that they will bee wiser then to suffer for Christ bee sure to save one stake and to sleep in a whole skin they were for the old Elsabeth wayes and when the Popish language of Priests and Altars and the superstitious bowings and gestures vvere brought in under a pretence of Authority they could then tune their tongues and soon learne their postures and now Authority discountenances them they can forbeare and if times should turne head againe they would doe as they did So that we may complayne of this time as they did of Neroes that the World had lost his Conscience it was growne so highly wicked Men make now no conscience of things in Religion their feare towards God is taught them by the precepts of men they willingly follow the Commandement whether it be for or against God Inconstancy in any thing is naught but worst of all in Religion Vse 2 Of Exhortation that you would get keep and increase this frame of Spirit in you that you would be resolute and couragious and undaunted for your God and for your Religion looke through and over all dangers in nothing terrified by your adversaties thinke not death too great a danger to cope withall for God and his Truth How many and how weighty are the Motives I might use to perswade you to this I know that many of you have stronger in your owne bosomes and breasts yet the Ordinance of God being powerfull give mee leave to use these First Consider that your God and your Religion are the best things you have things of the highest nature of the greatest consequence of the neerest concernment things above us and not under us things that must dispose of us and we must not dispose of them wee had better lose all then lose our God and his Truth If we lose Father Mother House Land Life and all for God and his Gospell Wee shall soone finde better yee know who hath promised it if you beleeve not him you will not mee we cannot bee losers but by flying Religion is worthy of all a mans courage where can we lay it out better nay so well It is the errand that you are met about at this time and therefore I praylook to it Nay it is the errand that you are come for into the World to finde out the true God and the true Religion Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old path where is the good way and walke therein and you shall finde rest to your soules It is the businesse of a mans life to find out the true God and the true Religion Nay this is your wisedome wisedome consists in finding out truths and the greatest wisedome in finding out the most rare pleasant and profitable truths Now Religion is a mystery all her wayes are pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace And what would it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule a man is sure to loose it in a false Religion and save it in a true Nay this is your blessednes Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare what was it that made them thus blessed but seeing Christ in the flesh and hearing the Gospell Religion is an eternall good and doth a man good for ever when this life is ended Nay this is your Honour and take it from mee you shall not excell except you be resolute for your God and for your Religion The Bereans were Noble in searching out the truth of Religion And the Elders obtained a good report Heb. 11.2 and honourable Name with God and his Church by standing for his truth unto the death And t' is the most dishonourable thing in the World for a man to forsake his God and to flye from his Religion It is a shame for a boy to runne from his Master worse for a wife to runne away from her Husband but the greatest of all for a man to runne away from his God Oh! quit your selves like men contend earnestly for the faith let not the ruine of Religion be in your hands whatsoever we leave our Children let us to the utmost indeavour to leave the true God and the true Religion 2. Consider this That you have resolution and courage and why may not God have it and his Cause God hath the most right to it and to all that you can lose in this quarrell as your valour and courage comes from God so why may it not be for God All waters fall into the Sea from whence they come why not this Can you be stiffe and resolute for the world and worldly things not lose a foot of Land nor a Priviledge nor custome and have you no spirit for God shall men stand upon their punctilioes and shew their mettle for every toy draw their Swords for the Wall when 't is none of theirs And shall wee like tame fools suffer every one to wipe our noses of our God and of our Religion Wee shall find some of the Saints of God in the Scripture that were of meek and of calme spirits but onely in the Cause of their God As Moses the meekest man upon the earth but when hee saw the golden Calfe hee breaks the Tables which were the workmanship and the writings of God And see what he does more in the 32. Exod. 27. Put every man his sword by his side and goe in and out from Gate to Gate throughout the Campe and slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion and every man his Neighbour Is this your meek man that fights even up to the eares in blood but this was the Cause of God And so the three Children all the courage and resolution wee read of them was for their God Let not a contrary spirit bee found in us resolute stiffe and peremptory for every thing but for God and his Cause 3. Consider That all men are resolute for their God and for their Religion for all Nations will walke every one in the name of his God It 's naturall for men How resolute are Papists and Mahumetans for their Gods though of dirt deafe and blind neither able to heare nor to helpe them in their distresses and shall we be cold and carelesse for our living God Ier. 2.10 Pass over the Isles of Chittim and send and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing why what 's this Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods Look about where you please search the world and see if you can see such inconstancy and impiety is there any Nation that hath changed their God they have taken up although they be no Gods at all Be astonished O Heavens here