Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A08770
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The compasse of a Christian directing them that be tossed in the vvaues of this vvorlde vnto Christ Iesus.
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A. P., fl. 1582.
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1582
(1582)
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STC 19054; ESTC S102898
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60,800
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156
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as wee be humbled and brought lowe in our owne eyes by making euery crooked path straight which is the crooked inuentions of mans braine contrarie to the will of God which must bee made straight plaine by yâ— light of his word and the rough waies playne by rough wayes is meant not onely stubbornesse and obstinacie but also all other sinnes and vices whatsoeuer Which may bee verie well compared vnto stones and stumbling blockes which are as hinderances in the Lords way that he can not haue free passage vnto vs vntill such time as the delight will vnto them be cleane pared and swept away out of our heartes The forerunner which was sent to prepare this way was Iohn Baptist and the onely meane which he vsed to prepare the same was by preachinge repentance Repent for the kingdome of Mat. 3. â— 3. God is at hand This was the generall doctrine which he preached for the accomplishing of this worke not vnto one sorte of people but vnto all that euer came vnto him And in token of the necessitie therof he would receyue none vnto his baptisme before they had made open confession of all theire Mar. 1. â— sinnes ensigne that as a chiefe meane whereby their own consciences might witnesse vnto them selues howe needfully it was requyred in euery one to repent seeinge theire owne mouthes did confesse such matter to be in them as is worthie of repentance Furthermore wheÌ„ any came vnto him whom he perceyued by some inwarde moâ—â—â— or outward token not to haue theire heartes aright as the malitious Pharises and Saduces he manessed thâ—m sharpely with the iudgmentes of God calling them a Generation of vipers Mâ—t. 3. 7. 8. Charginge them straightly to bringe forth the fruit worthy of amendment of life before they could be fitte to receyue that seale of the newe couenant And after Iohn was beheaded our Sauiour Christ also continued this doctrine of repentaÌ„ce vnto the Iewes saying Amende your liues for the Mâ—â— 4 17. kingdome of God is at hand And againe The time is fulfilled the Mâ—r. 1. 15. kingdome of God is at hand repeÌ„t beleue the Gospel For this cause he came into the world not to call righteous Mâ—â— 9. 13. but sinners to repeÌ„tance which precept belongeth not onely vnto the Iewes but we GeÌ„tiles also are vnder yâ— same condition in like sorte as it is witnessed in yâ— Actes God hath giueÌ„ Act. 11. 18. vnto the Gentiles repentance vnto life also True it is that it had his beginning at the Iewes and so from theÌ„ vnto vs Gentils for to this end Christ dyed was buried and rose againe that repentance remission of sinnes â—uke 21. 46. â— verses might be preached vnto all natioÌ„s beginning at Ierusalem So then hereby it is plaine that as there is noe other meane to prepare yâ— Lords way but by repentance so in like sorte this office of preparing belongeth not vnto Iohn and our sauiour Christ alone but vnto all the Apostles and ministers of God euen to the worldes â—nd Neyther is it a duetie yâ— is simply requyâ—ed of the Iewes thus to be prepared but we Gentils also as many as wil giue any entertainemeÌ„t vnto yâ— Lord must put our neckes vnder yâ— yoke and submit our selues vnto the same order of discipline in the bettering of our manners before our earthly tabernacles can fitly be prepared to receyue him Saint Paule who was appoynted of yâ— Lord as a chiefe minister for yâ— conuersion of yâ— Gentiles who also was so carefull in his office that he laboured â— 20. 20. 21. â—erses night day euen with teares for the conuersion of theÌ„ teaching openly and in euey house the repeÌ„tance towards God the faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ The saâ—e S. Paul I say telleth vs plainly Titus 3. 8 9. yâ— they which haue beleued God must be careful to shew forth good workes charging Titus his SoÌ„ne as Titus 14. touching the new birth who was theÌ„ minister of Creta yâ— he should earnestly exhort his auditory vnto yâ— same for this saith he is good profitable vnto all men high low rich poore bond free euery one that beleueth in Christ this must be yâ— sâ—â—nt of it a care to shew forth good workes circuÌ„spection of life towards them yâ— doe not yet beleue a sham 〈…〉 nes for our former negliâ—eÌ„ce S. Iames compareth yâ— saith Iames. 2. 2â— which is without these effectes vnto a body wtout a spirit which in yâ— eyes of man is not onely deade but also very lothsome noysome EueÌ„ so is our faith yâ— is voyd of good workes in yâ— eyes of God as our sauiour Christ maketh it Marâ— 11. 14 plain to vs by cursing yâ—â—ig tree because it was fruitlesse By casting yâ— wicked guest into vtter darkenesse because he Mat. 22. 12. presumed vnto the mariage without a wedding garment And by reiectinge Mat. 25. 3. 12. those foolish virgines because they had no oyle in theire lampes Which examples doe very well shew vnto vs that faith and workes must goe together how be it not in the matter of iustification before God yet in our conuersation before men or els neither of both can be accepted For as these foolish virgines could not be receyued for theire emptie Lampes nor the fruitlesse tree spared for his leaues nor yet the wicked guest accompted of for his resorting vnto the heauenly banquet seing he wanted his mariage garment euen so we in like sorte shal be as litle accompted of for our outward knowledge and profession so longe as the sanâ—e is without those effects fruites that belonge vnto true repentance For whilest our religion or christianitie standeth in a bare profession what are wee anie better then emptie Lampes without oyle trées bearinge leaues but noe fruite wicked guestes which eythor â—or custome or companie resorte often vnto the Lordes table but neuer put on the wedding garment And therfore wheÌ„ the Lord shal come to vs his guestes Mat. 22. â—1 alas what shal then become of vs but cursednes reiection into vtter darcknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth I will not say but that now for a time we may haue a name that we liue but then it shall be founde out that we are dead it may seeme nowe vnto meÌ„ that we haue some what but then shall be taken from vs euen that which in trueth we neuer had Knowe you not what is written There is no Luke 12 â— thing couered that shal not bee reueiled neither hid that shall not be made knowen Let vs not therefore anye longer so securelye satisfie our selues in the shadowe of Christianitie when the true substance is away for if a bare outward professioÌ„ may stand for payment before the Lord why theÌ„ shoulde not the deuils be iustifyed as well as we for they professe openlye that Iesus is the Sonne of God Nay
the Sea and though the waters doe rage and bee troubled so that the Mountaynes doe shake at the sourges thereof yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the citie of our God euen the Sanctuarie of the Tabernacle of the most highest And what is this Ryuer which the Prophet by the spirit of prophecie speaketh off here euen Iesus Christ who by the will of his heauenlye Father is made vnto vs the fountayne and head spring of all goodnesse By the streames which flowe from him wee vnderstand the most comfortable consolations of the Spirite of God which doeth testifie vnto our spirites that we are the children of God and not children onely but also heires euen Rom. 8. 17. heires of God and heires annexed with Christ A wonderfull exaltation and beholde we haue two witnesses of the same that is the Spirite of God and our owne spirites the Spirite of God in that it pricketh vs forwardes vnto prayer not onely in publike places but also in priuate corners where none seeth but the Lorde euen with vnspeakeable groaninges which can not otherwise bee expressed In that also â—t stirreth vs vâ— vnto other exercises of Religion as the worke of mortification dyinge vnto sinne liuinge vnto righteousnesse yea and to suffer persecution when occasion is offred because that by the same spirite we know that our labour shall not be in vaine our own spirites also in that wee doe not stubborâ—ely resist these good motions of Gods spirite but striue rather by all possible meanes to make our selues tractable thereunto being vexed euen with great sorrowe at our vnwillingnesse and reioycing with all exceeding ioy when we haue gotten any streÌ„gth against the same And thus you see what a wonderfull priuiledge al those haue which doe vnfaynedly come vnto Christ for they shall neuer pearish neither shall any take them out of his hande Well then these thinges considered what greate iniurie doe they Iohn 20 28. vnto their owne soules which denye this doctrine of predestination or foreknowledge doe they any other then denie the verye strength and pride of the Gospell for what better Gospell can we haue then to heare that the children of God can neuer pearish that nether their sinnes nor the deuils shal euer bee able to pull them out of his hand that the Lord in Christ hath decreed the same from euerlastinge what a miserable case I say are they in which bee ignorant of this nay which stubburnly resist it and wil not be instructed therin How is it possiblâ— for such to praye with any hope to receyuâ— when it is done with so litle credit which way is it possible for them to receyue any comforte whose faith is incombred with so many doubtes howe vnreuerently do they thinke of God who doe imagine of him as of a mortall man which is ignorant in the beginning of those thinges that he wil doe afterwardes and whose affection is chaunged to day from that that he purposed yesterdaye Surely these are the daungers which they do dayly fall into that eyther are ignorant or haue no credit in this poynt of doctrine which is the strength and foundation of all other poyntes of our christian knowledge and without the which let our knowledge bee neuer so much otherwise yet wee are no better then those which Sainte Iames speaketh of waueringe minded and Iam. 28 therfore vncoÌ„stante in all our wayes but to leaue these vnto him who is both able and also wil teach them better in his good time if they belonge vnto his holy election and to turne to our former byase which is the vnmoueable estate and condition of Gods Children the ground and pillar of out saith the strength whereby we standâ— and the chiefest thinge wherein wee haue to reioyce as our Sauiour Christ witnesseth in the admonition that hee giueth vnto his Apostles where hâ—â— willeth them that they shoulde not reioyce in this that the deuils or wicked spirites were subiecte vnto Luke 10. 20. them but rather in this that theirâ— names were written in heaueÌ„ which is a thinge not done in tune but beyonde all times euen before the Lord was A merueylouse benefitte and vnspeakable â— I call it vnspeakable because it caÌ„ not be attayned vnto by any fleshly wisdome which is altogether beastly in this behalfe for it is a secrete which is woâ—e hid from yâ— naturall man then the iudgement day Fâ—â— yâ— remeÌ„braunce of yâ— great iudgmeÌ„t doth at some time make theÌ„ tremble when theire guyltie consciences do beginne to accuse them and wheâ— they see and heare that those figge leaâ—es â—o begin Mat 24. 32. yea and are already 〈◊〉 â—â—th which our Samour Christ spake of to declare that sommer is neare but tell theÌ„ of the assurance which Gods children haue in them selues of theire saluation in Christ and howe the same hath bâ—â—ne from euerlasting and thou shalt set how farre off they will be from giuing any credit nay they will euen laugh thée to scorne and thinke that if there be any foole in the worlde thou â—â—t hee as we see dyuers examples of it in scripture The wicked Iewes thought that the Apostles had beene drunken when they spake the great 〈◊〉 of God with new tongues Act. 2. 13 26. 24. as the spirit gaue them vtterance Festus likewise iudged Paul to be beside him selfe and madde when he began to speake once of the resurrection from death And no maruel though yâ— wicked are so farre of from receyuing this heuenly treasure because it is a newe Reuel 2. 17. name yâ— no man knoweth saue he yâ— receyueth it it is a secret which only belongeth vnto Gods children as it is writteÌ„ in yâ— Psalmes â—he secretes of yâ— Lord are reueyled vnto them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Well then it remayneth that wee bee thankfull vnto God who hath vouchsafed vs from euerlasting this priueledge to bee his Sonnes yea and hath warranted if Rom. 8. 16. by so sure a seale as can not be altered euen the earnest of his owne spirit The Apostles are very plentifull in yealdinge of thankes vnto God for this benefit as the chiefest of all other Blessed be God saith Sainte Paull Ephe. 1. 5. â— euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessings in heauenly things in Christ and aledginge this as the chiefest for he hath chosen vs in him before yâ— foundation of the worlde yâ— we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And againe in an other place we ought to be thankefull â— Thes 2. 13. alwayes vnto God for you brethren because hee hath from the beginnings chosen you vnto saluation through the sanctification of the spirit and the faith of trueth These such like places are very plentifully founde in scripture which to repeate I shoulde be tediouse therfore letting them passe and to speake more plainely vnto