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	holy_a	scripture_n	6,955	5	5.9774	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15334	A Christian and learned exposition vpon certaine verses of that eight chapter of the Epistle of that blessed Apostle Paule to the Romanes, and namely, vpon verse, 18.19.20.21.22.23. VVritten long agoe, by T.W. for a most deare friend of his in Christ, and now lately published in print, for the benefite and good of Gods people wheresoeuer.	T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608.	1587 (1587)	STC 25620.5; ESTC S106381	90,228	156

meet novv at the length to offer vnto you in print that vvhich I once vvrote for the best and dearest priuate friend next vnto my naturall parents that euer I had in this vvorld that as GOD hath stirred you vp to succeed him in kindnes tovvards me so I might make you as those vvhom I loue much in Christ partakers of those poore labors and loue that I performed tovvards him In vvhich respect also I am vvillingly content to let it come abroad to behold the light not only desiring you and euery of you to accept it as a small token of my vnfained goodvvill vvhich vvhen it can offer no better presentments that it hath but also praying the Lord to make it povverfull to aduance his ovvne vvorke of saluation in his seruants and of iudgement and confusion in all his and their obstinate enimies The 30. of October 1587. Your poore friend and wel-willer yet assured alwayes in Christ Iesus to his vttermost Th. VV. the Lordes most vnworthie seruant ¶ AN EXPOSITION VPon certaine verses of Roman 8. AMongst many euidences that the LORDE hath giuen vs for the proōfe of the certaintie and credite of hys holy word written against all the Atheists and Papistes in the world who for sundry respectes seeke to debase and deface the same namely the one sort that they might bring in all brutishnesse and sensualitie and the other that they might establishe and make equal wyth the word if not preferre before it mens traditions and vnwritten verities as they cal them those as I thinke are most excellent and substantial that are fetcht from the very worde it selfe and the vntainted testimonies of the same For though it be true that amongst earthly men in worldly matters no mans testimonie is to be allowed or receiued as sufficient proofe or witnes in his owne cause by reason of that partialitie that cleaueth vnto vs alwayes fauoring our selues in our owne affaires yet in heauenly and spirituall things the like course in deede hath no place bicause that the author and giuer of the word is free from all humane affections and therefore the word also proceeding from him must of necessitie be cleare from all parcialitie Neither is there any cause or reason why that if the credite of humane constitutions depending partly vppon the authoritie of the law-makers and partly vppon the goodnes certaintie and necessitie of the lawes themselues hauing not approbation from elsewhere the same may not yea ought not in all equity and truth to be much more forcible as in regard of the commaundements and statutes of almightie God who both in himselfe and in his laws also is altogither voide of those corruptions that sticke fast to earthly lawe-makers and their ciuill constitutions Nowe amongst the manifold testimonies which are taken euen from the worde it selfe this in my mind is not of the least importance that whether it speake of it selfe or others it alwayes proceedeth with an vpright foote free from all parcialitie and all worldly respects whatsoeuer The truth whereof that it might the better appeare euen then when it speaketh of the dearest saints seruants of God it spareth not to lay out and that without mitigation or minsing of their transgressions their seuerall sins committed against God and men both before their calling and after their calling also as Moses his murmuring Aaron his idolatrie Dauid his adultry and murther Peters denial and dissimulation Pauls persecution an infinit number of such like And when it speaketh of it selfe yet euen then also it spareth not to deliuer things touching it self that in the iudgement of flesh and bloud seeme not only to differ one of them from an other but to bee quite and cleane contrary Of this sort is it that in some places the holy scripture affirmeth Gods word to be plaine and easie Psal 19.7 8. Giuing vvisedome to the simple and light to the eies and in other places againe it plainly saith that they be obscure and darke and hard to be vnderstoode as also the Apostle Peter in the last chapter of his second epistle dooth particularly affirme the same of some things 2. Pet. 3.16 In the vvritings of saint Paule These things verily God himselfe the very author of the word affirmeth touching the same But what is his minde therein Certainly not to cast any discredit vpon it by some contradiction that seemeth to be in it sith he hath euery where giuen such excellent and large commendations of it neyther yet to discourage men in the darknes of it from drawing nigh therevnto sith he doth so often and so earnestly prouoke all sorts of men to the continual hearing reading and meditation thereof neyther yet againe on the other side in the perspicuitie plainnes of it to let men growe into contempt or carelesnes thereof sith he himselfe in many places telleth vs that we must haue better eies Matt. 16.17 than the eies of flesh and bloud or the light of reason to see into the holie mysteries contained therein nay rather God hath an other purpose therein to wit in the outward shewe of contradiction in the worde to teach vs first to take heede that wee yeelde not therein to the subtill suggestions of Sathan and his seruants who labour thereby to cause vs to cast it vtterly from vs Iohn 15.26 and then sith we know and beleeue that it was written by one spirite who is The spirit of vnitie and veritie that wee shoulde according to the measure of the grace of the spirite receiued stirre vppe our selues to reconcile and make to agree those places that seeme to iarre and yet not staie there but endeuour to conuey that light ouer vnto others also that God hath bestowed vppon vs because that the giftes of the spirite of God shoulde not be smothered or quenched in our selues or others but ought to breake forth rather to the greatest glorie of God the giuer and the greatest comfort and instruction of our selues and others that possibly may be in this life And in the obscuritie and hardnesse of holy scripture the Lorde mindeth euen mightily to meete wythall yea to humble and throwe downe to their amendment if it may be or else to breake in peeces to their vtter confusion a certaine sorte of prowde conceited men who in an ouerweening that they haue of their own wits and graces receiued suppose that they may easily and as we say wyth smal adoe perce into the wonderfull secrets of Gods holy law he meaning also thereby not onely to remoue from men that carelesnesse of heart that clingeth and cleaueth fast vnto them in the handling and hearing therof but withall to stirre them vp that be his with more reuerence attention and heede to heare and speake such things as GOD hath propounded there vnto them least otherwise they loose their labour as in respect of themselues and become vnprofitable to others as in regard of their negligent trauailes and so both the

in sense and doctrine peruerted this place and swarued from the godlie iudgement of former times Ierome I meane and Augustine whose wordes are most plaine and pithie Ierome euen vpon this place that wee haue nowe in hand saieth thus Hic vult futuram gloriam commendare vt praesentes pressuras facilius tolleremus Et reuera nihil possit homo condignum pati gloria coelesti etiamsi talis esset illa qualis modo est vita Quicquid enim passi●s fuerit a morte plus non est quam etiam peccatis suis antea moerebatur Nunc autem peccata donantur tunc vita aeterna praestabitur consortium angelorum splendor solis c. quae sanctis legimus repromissa that is to saie The apostle mindeth in this place to commend the glory that is to come that so wee might the more easily beare the present troubles and afflictions And certainely man is able to suffer nothing that is worthie of or in worthines answerable to the heuenlie glorie yea though that that were but such as this life nowe is for whatsoeuer hee shall suffer by death or at deaths hand it is no more than that which hee had euen before deserued thorowe his sinnes But nowe both our sinnes are forgiuen vs then eternal life shal be bestowed vpon vs the company of the Angels the brightnes of the sunne c. which wee read are againe promised to the saints And Augustine De verbis Apostoli sermo 15. Pro nihilo inquit saluos facies illos c. For nothing saith one thou shalt saue them what is meant by these words for nothing thou shalt saue them This is the meaning thou findest nothing in them wherefore thou shouldest saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou giuest freelie thou sauest freelie yea thou giuest altogither freely and sauest freely euen thou I say dost this which findest nothing wherfore thou shouldest saue men but findest much wherefore thou shouldest condemne them And thus farre for this point now it followeth in the Apostle vvhich shall be shevved vnto vs. Euery word here carrieth with it force to perswade the trueth propounded to wit the excellencie of the ioyes of that life that is laid vp for the sonnes and seruants of God and serueth also to teach all the faithfull in all manner of holie patience to attende and looke for that that shall in good time bee made manifest vnto them yea the full fruition and possession whereof they themselues shall haue That worde shal be instructeth all of vs with faith and patience to expect the manifestation thereof not doubting but stedfastly beleeuing that though there be some delay of the accomplishment of this yea and though our present afflictions be neuer so many great and greeuous that yet notwithstanding a time will come when they shall be vtterly remooued and taken away from vs and we our selues put into actuall and reall possession of eternall ioyes promised the faithfull performaunce whereof we did and yet do in some measure of a sound hope looke after Neither doubt I but euen in this behalfe namely touching the delay of the things promised there do and wil arise by meanes of their natural corruption many temptations in the mindes of Gods children and those also increased not onely by Satans malice who laboureth to make vs beleeue that either GOD can not or will not be as good as his word but fostred and fed by texts of scripture also not wel vnderstoode or rightly applied as when the holy ghost shal say Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the hart c. But against these we must learne in al blessed wisdome of the spirit and mightie power of the word to set such comforts as it shal please God out of the holie scriptures to manifest vnto vs. Amongst which these folowing are in my poore iudgement though not of the greatest force as some may perhaps thinke yet of some good effect doubtles to represse such assaults of diffidence In worldly matters when men deale with men yet are they not dismaied with delayes but rather raise vp their hope herein that the deferring of the things promised is not a taking away of the same or else persuade themselues that the length of time shall be recompenced either with the excellencie fulnes of the things themselues or with som one consideration or other an other waie How much more should we be cōforted not only in this that we deal not with man who is euen as the wind and weather wauering vncertaine but with God who alwayes continueth like vnto himselfe and haue from him the assured promises as of al benefits generally so of such blessings in the life to come particularly as with the least wherof al the delights and pleasures of this worlde whatsoeuer no though they were al laid togither bestowed vpon one man were anie maner of way matchable specially sith that GOD knowing our harts and state better than we do our selues doth therfore many times put off the performaunce of such excellent things that so hee might make vs the more reuerently to esteeme of them when we receiue them and the more earnestly to desire them when we want them that are so exceedingly cōfortable profitable for euerie one of vs. Neither doth god dally with vs herein as men do who wil either giue fair words do no good deeds or else many times shew vs good things a farre off that so they might seeme more faire and beautifull and by that meanes as a man woulde saye set our teeth on edge vppon them and yet notwithstanding not bestowe them vpon vs neither when they haue done or giue vs any other good thing in stead thereof that so in some testimonies of fauour we might haue our hope vpheld in obtaining of matters of greater importance in time to come but dealeth farre otherwise with vs not onely giuing vs a sight but a sensible feeling sometimes as of many outward benefits and blessings pertaining to this life so of sundrie and singular spirituall graces but specially of those incomprehensible ioyes that in heauen are hidden for vs in Christ before the foundations of the worlde were laid Whereof that we might be the better persuaded yea euen then when he letteth vs for a little while want our former comforts hee doth yet vouchsafe vs innumerable tokens and pledges of his most constant loue and that not onelie in bodily benefits as health wealth libertie c. but as was said before in spirituall blessings also as in his worde sacraments praier and a great number suche like effectuall meanes to bring vs in good time to that quiet hauen of heauen and eternall rest that wee in the midst of the manifolde tossings and turmoils of this wretched life haue often and earnestlie wished for And yet this faith may be fostered and fedde in vs by an other worde in the text namely when he saith that it shall

holie conuersation and godlines to looke for the comming of the Lorde declareth that the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt vvith heat and the earth vvith the vvorkes that are therein shall be burnt vp And though this be most true that the Apostle vnderstandeth by that worde creature heauen and earth with all creatures therein contained yet wee must notwithstanding except from that generall and that for the causes and reasons following also these particulars insuing namely the holie and elect angelles the faithfull and godlie people of the worlde the diuelles and damned spirits as also the wicked and vngodlie of the earth spirits as also the wicked and vngodlie of the earth For as for the angelles they haue already the full fruition of the thing it selfe our Sauiour himselfe affirming that they alvvayes beholde the face of God in heauen Mar 18.10 And they can not be wel saide to wish for that that they haue in continuall and most assured possession If anie man will obiect against this trueth 1. Pet. 1.12 that that Saint Peter saith to wit that the very Angelles desire to beholde the publishing of the gospell in this life and the inioyeng that vvhich the gospell promiseth in the life to come I answere that that is not spoken neither must or can be vnderstoode of their owne wants as though they wished that for themselues for as was said before they haue all fulnesse but as in regard of their zeale to the glory of GOD which shall then be perfected when the wicked shall be troden downe for euer and the godly continually exalted and as in respect of vnfained loue to vs and our saluation which is so deare and pretious vnto them that as they are alwayes readie according to the appointment and good will of God what they can to aduaunce and further the same so doubtlesse they doe much reioice therein of which our Sauiour himselfe beareth witnesse in an other place saying ●uke 15 10. that there is ioy in the presence of the angelles of God for one sinner that conuerteth And as for the elect and faithfull people seeing they are of two sorts and yet al making but one bodie that is to say some whome the Lorde hath taken to himselfe and finished the dayes of their pilgrimage heere and othersome that doe and must tarrie the Lordes good leasure for the time of their dissolution and departure hence wee feare not to affirme that either of these may iustly in a true and holie meaning and vppon very good reasons and causes also be excepted from being comprised vnder this generall terme creature for as for the first sort they being in that state and condition that the Angelles are that is alwaies beholding the face of God in heauen they can not nor doe not any more wish the same than they And if at anie time they seeme as the Angelles before are saide to doe the same and for and in regarde of the same considerations and causes they finding also now that they are in heauen that to beleeue in themselues which while they were on the earth they did as in regard of the forefathers of their faith beleeue to be true bicause the holy ghost hath spoken it That they vvithout vs can not bee perfect Hebr. 11.40 And the latter must needes be excepted likewise as who are by the spirite of God in the mouth and penne of the Apostle excepted in the 22. and 23. verses following Philip. 1.23 who daily desire euen in this life to be loosed from hence and to be vvith Christ vvhich is best of all and continually sigh and grone 2. Cor. 5.2 that they may be clothed vvith their house vvhich is from heauen As for the diuels and damned spirites which are the third in number that are excepted from this we haue also good reason to except them both bicause that in their peruersenesse against God and man they do not onelie not carry that loue toward the adauncement of Gods glorie or the accomplishment of the number of Gods elect and their saluation that the Angelles and faithful people do but rather would if they could tel how to the vttermost of their power continually deface both the one and the other and also bicause that they know that when that time commeth then there shall fall vpon them in most dreadfull maner the fulnesse and perpetuitie indeede of their endles condemnation they themselues after a sort confessing the truth of this when they saide to our Sauior Christ Art thou come to torment vs before the time Mat. 8.29 Lastly that the wicked themselues should be excepted there is a double reason likewise one is bicause they are so far off from desiring that day that they do rather prophanely scoffe scorne at as al truth vniuersally so particularly that which is deliuered touching the generall iudgement and the day of the restauration of all things Of whome S. Peter speaketh notably calling them mockers 2. Pet. 3.3 4. and men that vvill vvalke after their ovvne lusts vvhich say vvhere is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all thinges continue alike from the beginning of the creation the other bicause they labor as much as in them lieth partlie by the manifolde pleasures that they possesse in this life and partly by benummednesse of heart and growing into forgetfulnes to put far from them the euil day wishing that either it might neuer come or els that it might be de ferred as long as possibly might be That wee may say nothing of this that euen they thēselues as the diuels likewise whose slaues and seruants they are do in the sight of their sin the fear of the punishment that they know they haue deserued for it trēble quake we knowing this also to be true by cōmon experience that no malefactor wisheth the day of his arraignement much lesse the time of his execution for if he might be left to his libertie or put to his choise he woulde be glad rather to liue though it were in all miserie and that therfore neither the diuelles nor the wicked can or will desire that time that shall be vnto them not so dreadful as death only but so fearful terrible both for bodies soules and that for euer and euer world without end as cannot be either thought or expressed In these exceptions I haue freelie according to my poore measure deliuered my minde not meaning yet therein either to attribute perfection to my owne words or to barre or stop vp the way to other who in these deep points may certainly see say more than I do from adding hervnto Only in this behalfe as in all other let vs looke to vtter that we do vpon good grounds and warrants of the word onelie It followeth vvaiteth to wit as it were with a certaine kind of patience and quietnes for howsoeuer the burthen be greeuous vnto them

experience that in the holie vse of the creatures hee himselfe and other faithfull together with him had religiously obserued and so commended the same vnto all ages of the worlde in writing by authority of the holy spirite of God to serue for their instruction and comfort as all other scripture doth vpon vvhome the endes of the vvorlde shoulde come And what serueth this then for the vpholding or establishing of such doctrines as neither haue the seale of the spirite nor the warrant of the worde into the triall of truth Nay which is more besides that they are without anie suche ground or foundation as before wee shall finde them as directlye contrarie to the wholsome doctrine of the spirite and woorde as darkenesse is to light and hell is to heauen of whiche sorte indeede are those thinges whiche the heretikes abouenamed and particularlie the Papistes woulde vnder the pretext of traditions and vnwritten verities thrust vpon the vnthankefull and ignorant world Againe wee say that for as much as wee beleeue that there is most absolute perfection both for the duties of pietie to God-ward and of charitie also towards men as well for knowledge as beleefe and obedience contained in that blessed book that we call the Bible or holie scriptures of Gods and that Christ our Sauiour himselfe hath therfore appeered and come into the worlde as for manie other causes so particularly for this that he might actually performe that that God had after a sorte and in shadowes signified and set out by the lawe and the prophets and fully opened his fathers will vnto the worlde putting an ende nowe vnto al reuelations and visions whatsoeuer as the Apostle plainelie prooueth in the first chapter to the Hebrews and sith that Paule also in the holie spirit of truth telleth vs Gall. 1.8 that though he or his fellovv-ministers or an angell from heauen shoulde preach othervvise or any other doctrine vnto the church than that vvhich they had preached alreadie that they might then safely holde all such accursed that therefore we are sure it was neuer the Apostles meaning or purpose either to propound or to establish any thing that might at any hand no not in the least shew seeme to vphold the dotages of mens idle heads and hearts He addeth that euery creature I take the word to be as large as of it selfe it seemeth to import to wit that it shoulde comprehend beasts fishes foules trees plants hearbes and all other thinges which the Lord hath made for mans vse excepting and that for the reasons before alleadged in the explication of vers 19. those thinges which are there alreadie excepted not that they are not creatures for if they were not creatures they should be God bicause there is no meane thing betwixt these two a creator and a creature the name creator appertaining properly and onelie to God and creature to all other things beside whatsoeuer how excellent soeuer they are or may seem to be but bicause they are iustly and vpon very good reason excepted as may well appeare by those thinges which are aboue specified It followeth groaneth vvith vs also that is to say that as wee sighe and groane vnder the burthen of our miseries and woulde gladly be deliuered from them so doe they vnder theirs which what it is hath bin declared before as in the verse following shall be shewed God willing what the sighes and groanes of the faythfull are and trauaile in paine togither to wit with vs or as well as we He vseth a metaphore taken as it should seeme from women with childe written by S. Luke is verie plaine and pregnant Act 3.21 whē the day of iudgment is called the time vvherin all things shal be restored Which little could not truly be attributed vnto it vnles that there should be a restauration of them To the same purpose also appertayneth that which in the third chapter of the 2. Epistle of S. Peter and in other passages mo 2. Pet. 3.13 Reue. 21.1 is mentioned touching the renevving of the heauens the earth Prouided alwayes that we be wise according to sobrietie and in the sobernes of our mindes staye our selues onely vpon the trueth of the word and the euidence thereof standing onely generally vpon the renouation and restauration of the world and entringe not either curiouslie to searche what parts of the world shal be restored what place shall containe them what actions they shall haue what proprieties they shall be iudued with and such like The neglect whereof hath in time past and at this present also because men haue not bene soberlie minded cast them into beastlie errors and made men fowlie to ouershoote themselues as in manie vncertaine and dangerous points so principallie in two respectes first that they dare affirme that after this great restitution the creatures shal be durable and remaine as it were immortall The other is that at that time also there shal be vse of them Neither were the olde heretickes I meane Cerinthus and the Chiliastae ouertaken onelie which these beastlie dotages and conceits but euen some of the fathers of greatest antiquity yea other of late daies though otherwise in manie pointes of verie sound iudgement haue inclined to much that way though not in iumping altogither with them Concerning which points in truth I could say nothing had they with the length of time and continuance of ages worne awaie and perished to rottennesse as one that thinketh it better not to stire such filthe least the stincke of it might not onelye breede trouble but infect and defile manie also sauing that euen in this last age of the worlde Sathan hath stirred vp manie lewd instruments afreshe to set abroach these corruptions and amongst the rest one R. E. I spare to put downe his name wholie as yet for it maye bee that God at some one time or other maye pull him out of that great puddle of corruption into which thorow manie errors if not heresies he is deepely suncke and bring him againe into the waie of trueth and saluation from which hee hath straied But leauing the persons let vs come to the pointes Concerning the first to witte that the creatures after their restitution and reuocation at the generall resurrection shall continue and remayne for euer mee thincketh this reason should carrie some force and waight with it againste the same namelie that for as much as all men some few onlye excepted doe confidenthe and groundedlie affirme that after the generall resurrection there shal be no vse of the creatures that therefore also there should bee no eternall durablenesse or continuaunce of them For if in the first creation when GOD in his almightie and euerlasting knowledge fore-sawe that confusion thorowe sinne should enter into the worlde hee did yet notwithstanding create nothing but verie good and that to excellent vse and purpose it should seeme not onelye probable but certaine that sith nowe as then hee doth in his eternall wisedome