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	truth_n	word_n	5,302	5	4.1809	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

God! And hast thou given thy dearest Son to suffer such a cursed and cruel d●ath for such a vile sinner as I am O sweetest Mercy O infinite goodnesse O glorious Love Then me thought I first felt my Heart that before was like a † Eze. 36.26 stone within me to melt and sensibly dissolve at once into sorrow and joy † Zac. 12.10 * Sorrow that ever I had sinned against such a good God † Luk. 2.10 Joy that ever Mercy and Salvation should be tendered to such a vile sinner And then when I cast up my Eyes to Christ and beheld him sometimes as crucifi'd on Earth sometimes as glorifi'd in heaven my heart sure spake within me much to this purpose O deare Jesus And hast thou endured such grievous sufferings for the salvation of such a miserable sinner as I am What wouldest thou leave thy Fathers * Joh. 1.18 Bosome and glory to live here on Earth and die on the † Phil. 2.8 Crosse to save the Life of a crawling Worme Hast thou poured out thy * Joh. 19 34. Hearts blood to que●●● thy Fathers dreadful wrath and to ●●●chase his glorious Love to a poysonous Toad Is it possible Can it be believed for Truth that the Sonne of God should come to save such a sinful wretch as I am Yea He hath said it and I believe it † 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Hereupon I found my heart carried out in a restlesse and insatiable longing desire after Christ yea and indeed inseparably cleaving to Christ thus manifesting himself to me in the Gospel For then I not onely saw the sinfulnesse of my sinnes but I lookt upon all my * Isa 64.6 Righteousnesses as filthy rags and so humbling my self for my sinnes and renouncing utterly my own righteousnesse I cast my self wholly upon my Saviour and resolved † Job 13.15 though he should slay me I would trust in him And now though since I have not often found such sweet and powerful workings upon my Heart yet this is the state wherein I stand I have solemnly resigned my self wholly up into the hands of Christ as my Soveraigne and Saviour to be done with and disposed of in every thing as seemes best unto him and on him only do I rest for Righteousness and Life Eternal Happy soul God hath magnified his Mercy to thee and done more for thee then for thousands God hath drawn thee t● Christ and united thy soul to him by ●●●h a Band indissoluble For thou hast in this Declaration of Gods dealings with thee laid open the very Mysterie of Faith and manifested how the Holy Ghost hath by this Heavenly Band inseparably knit thy soul unto thy Saviour Rejoyce then in thy God For thy soul is safely lockt up in the Everlasting Blessed Embraces of thy Redeemer Yea thou shalt be for ever worn as a Jewel in his bosom Fear not For in the day that God makes up his Jewels * Mal. 3.17 he will remember thy soul And though thy Faith be weak be not discouraged Thou standest not in thy own strength but in the strength of Christ who is † Isa 63.1 Mighty to save The safety of the Child in the Mothers Bosome lies not in the strength of its own weak Arms wherewith it clings about her but in the strength of the Mothers Arm and the Affectionate Tenderness of her heart towards it What though thy Faith be weak thy strength be small and thy Enemies strong thou art kept by the Power of God through Faith unto salvation * 1 Pet. 1.5 Christ is thine and so Heaven and Happiness is thine also The Lord grant I may live to his Praise that hath shewed Mercy on me For the Glory of God is I know the end of these Dispensations of his Grace For thus it is written † Eph. 1.12 13 14. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom saith the Apostle ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory But how may I know that God hath given me this Earnest of my Inheritance that I am sealed with his Holy Spirit or that he hath given his Holy Spirit to me If God hath given you Faith in Jesus Christ he hath certainly sealed you with his Holy Spirit and so given you the Earnest of your heavenly Inheritance For it is the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of Grace by which that Faith was wrought in your Heart by which you have been united to Jesus Christ The Graces of Sanctification Repentance Faith Hope Love to God Charity c. are the prints of this Privy Seal wherewith God seals Believers as his own Peculiar which in whatsoever soul they are found to that soul is the Spirit of God given as an Earnest of an eternal Inheritance in Heaven And where there is one Grace of the Spirit as that of Faith which hath already been evidenc't there are all the rest though not equally visible Though sometimes but one Star do appear in the Heavens yet we are sure all the rest are fixed there though they are clouded from our sight Moreover the Spirit of God where ever it is is a Spirit of Holiness Prayer and Comfort Now do you desire to know whether the Spirit of God be given to you and do indeed dwell in you Then search your Heart and tell me what you discover upon these Enquiries Do you find sin to be a Burden to you and are you weary of it Do you indeed hate your sweetest sins and love the strictest wayes of Holiness Do you maintain a constant Conflict against your Corruptions Can you truly say with the Apostle † Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do For * v. 21. I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Yet I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Oh do you not extremely long to be freed from this Bondage of Corruption that in the duties of Holiness you might enjoy a more glorious Freedom of Communion with God What is it which chiefly makes the world uncomfortable to you Is it Sin or Suffering Which of these two is it which you most constantly fear and most carefully decline Can you heartily bless God for Affliction when it becomes a Means to promote in your Heart the work of Grace and Holiness Is not your heart grieved for the Sin that cleaves unto you in your best performances Do you not find your heart endeared to the

the young King Antiochus in the snares of Deceit presently put him to Death and usurpt his Kingdome and so by setting the Crown upon so cursed a Head he became the cause of no small calamity upon the whole Land * 1 Mac. 13.31 32. Thus a Traitor is a Publick Plague and the proper Parent of perillous Times But seldome hath the Righteous God suffer'd such Treasons and Parricides to escape Punishment We read of a wicked Treason and a cursed Parricide which the Servants of Joash the King of Judah committed upon him pretending for the justification of so horrid a murther his guilt of Innocent blood † 2 Chron. 24 25. that so a cruel piece of private Revenge might put on some appearance of an Act of Justice But God chastis'd that bloody Crime by the hand of Amaziah his sonne who reigned in his stead For sayes the Scripture * 2 Chron. 25.3 It came to passe when the Kingdome was established to him that he slew his servants that had killed the King his Father We have another memorable Example in the Holy Scripture of the Execution of Judgement upon Traitors wherein we have many hands lifted up for the bringing down the stroke of Justice with the greater strength 'T was upon Amon King of Judah that this Treason and Murder was committed by his own Subjects For it 's said † 2 Chron. 33.24 His servants conspired against him and slew him in his own House Base Rebels Must the Royal Palace be the stage of your Princes Ruine by your wicked Parricide Bloody Butchers Must the Royal Palace become the Slaughter-house of your Sovereigne But what follow'd Had this King no Loyal Subjects in the Land that would dare to rise up for the Revenge of his Murther upon these wicked Traitors that the Throne of his Son might be established with the more security Yes he had For it 's said † ver 25. the People of the Land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon and the People of the Land made Josiah his sonne King in his stead And hereupon there is none so ignorant of the sacred story but he knows how happy the Land was under the Government of the Good King Josiah So for the Traitor Judas we all know he came to a miserable End * Mat. 27.5 with Acts 1.18 Thus we see Traitors are pernicious Persons who make the Times perillous but they shall not carry their Treasons out with Impunity nor for ever escape Gods righteous Judgements The sixteenth Character 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protervi † Vetus Praecipites * Bez. Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur temerarius inconsideratus sumpta Metaphora ab Avium pullis qui implumes dum volare conantur humi decidunt † Aretius 16. Heady Such as are inconsiderate in their undertakings froward rash and over-forward in their Attempts and Actings Who like birds that will adventure to flie before they are fledg'd run head-long upon desperate designes whereby they often hazard both their own and others Ruine These are still running forward when they hardly know whither they go nor what will follow They are such Qui non vident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who look not both forward and backward both before and behinde as a Wise and Prudent man will do before he undertakes any weighty VVork or attempts any great Designe For * Eccl. 2.14 The wise mans Eyes are in his Head but the Fool walketh in Darknesse 'T is good counsel that of the Poet † Pythag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consult before thou enterprize He that failes in this Point of VVisdome shall soon see a proof of his own Folly Wise Counsel is the soul and strength of great undertakings For says that Oracle of Wisdome Without Counsel purposes are disappointed * Prov. 19.22 but every purpose is established by counsel † Prov. 20.18 And therefore sayes he * Prov. 24.5 6. A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strength For by wise Counsel thou shalt make thy War and in multitude of Counsellors there is safety But now on the other side inconsideratenesse leads to Confusion and Rashness is the fore-runner of Ruine The seventeenth Character 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tumidi † Vetus Inflati * Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animi est Tumor Arrogantia prae se alios contemnentis dum homines amore studio sui occupati sunt † Aretius in locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non modo inflatum sed in Genere dementatum fanaticum significat * Victorin Strigel in N.T. 17. High-minded Such as are puft up with pride and even swell'd like Toades with Poyson This High-mindednesse is that Pride of Spirit and Arrogancy of an aspiring Minde whereby men do contemn all others in Comparison of themselves and centre all their Affections and Endeavours in themselves being wholly taken up and busied about their own private and personal Concernments The † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word imports such a lifting up of the Minde as unhinges Reason and opens a wide door to folly and madnesse to enter in So 't is used by Physicians to signifie Madnesse and Phrenetick Distempers High-mindedness is a kind of spiritual Phrensy and Madnesse of the Minde Ambition Pride and Self-love are the Ingredients of this strong Drink which strangely intoxicates the minde of man and if it be but mixt with some drams of Popular Applause and worldly Glory it ordinarily produces this Spiritual or if you will Moral Madnesse That famous Mutinist Masianello of Naples was not able to bear the new wine of his disproportion'd worldly Greatnesse What Phrensy what Fury possest the minds of Haman of Herod when they had drunk deep of the Worlds Golden Cup of Glory The one would sacrifice many thousand Lives to his Revenge for want of the bowing of one mans knee * Esther chap. 3. the other to outvy him in the desperate Madnesse of an audacious enterprize would plant his Engines higher and attempt to kill God himself to murder God incarnate † Matth. chap. 2. Man's head cannot beare too great heights but it s presently fill'd with giddiness and prone to Precipitation A small ship is soon overturn'd by the windes when it carries too great a Saile 'T is then an excellent admonition that of the Apostle * Rom. 11.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not High-minded but Fear High-minded men are usually very Pusillanimous and low-spirited in the most Noble undertakings They are but empty Bladders that are thus swell'd with the Wind of vanity The eighteenth Character 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elegans est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voluptatum amantes potius quam amantes Dei † Beza 18. Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God They with the busie Wasp that little Epicure are

8. silence in that time for it is an evil time This unlesse they had a Call from God as had the Prophets of the Lord to reprove these wicked ones for their sinnes and to give in their Testimony in the behalf of God against their irregular and unjust proceedings The times are unquestionably perillous when the Terrible one is in Power and the Scorner is in Favour and they that watch for iniquity are rewarded That make a man an Offendor for a † Sub Tyranno voces non sunt liberae multo minus in Tyrannum Drepan Paneg. c. 2. Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the just for a thing of nought These are perillous Times to the People of God neither can the Church according to the Scripture-Calculation expect good Dayes till * Isa 29.20 21. the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for Iniquity are cut off That make a man an offendor for a Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the Just for a thing of nought In that day † v. 18 19 shall the meek encrease their joy in the LORD and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the Holy One of Israel Then * v. 24. they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine When the Great men of the Times shall become Terrible ones to the People of God and watch for opportunities to ensnare his Prophets and seek an occasion to persecute the Preachers of his Word who reprove them for their fearful Impieties and horrid enormities whereby they pluck down Judgements upon the whole Land the Times must needs be evil and perillous But yet let such know the Judgement of God is ready to fall upon their own heads who have thus laid snares for the life of others For Judgement is toward you saith the LORD † Hos 5.1 2 O House of the King O ye State-Robbers that have turned the Kings House into a Den of Thieves because ye have been a SNARE on Mizpah and a NET spread upon Tabor i. e. You have laid snares to entrap the Innocent in their Lives and Goods as Hunters and Fowlers do upon the Hills of Mizpah and Tabor * Diod. Annot. And the REVOLTERS are profound to make SLAUGHTER q. d. they are profound in making PLOTS to murther men though I have been a REBUKER of them all who have thus villanously conspired against them who have rebuked them for their sins in my Name Thus will the Lord at length finde out and punish proud and presumptuous Persecutors of his Prophets and People yet during the time of their Prevalency and Predominancy in Church and State the Dayes must needs be evill the Times perillous When Micaiah the Prophet of the LORD is rudely interrupted by false Prophets and smitten on the cheek for prophecying the Truth † 1 King 22.24 When this Injury is protected by an ungodly Prince yea and seconded by a false Imprisonment it 's surely a perillous Time When a wicked Ruler rashly engaged in a destructive enterprize shall say concerning a Preacher of Gods Word that sought to reclaime him * ver 27. Put this fellow in the Prison and feed him with Bread of affliction and with Water of affliction until I come in Peace When if a Prophet of the Lord do but forewarne the People of following judgements some furious Captaine shall apprehend him and falsely † Accusandi frequens publica Rabies gravius togatam civitatem confecit Senec. l. 3. c. 26. de Benef. accuse him to the Princes of the people and these shall without Colour of Law or Justice smite him and cast him into prison Yea when this will not yet satisfie their malice and cruelty but they shall press hard upon him with their false Accusations saying He weakens the hands of the Souldiers and Citizens by preaching such things as these are at such a season as this is and so under these pretences seek to put him to Death these are manifestly perillous Times for the People of God and surely some great Judgement hangs over the Heads of such a Nation For just thus did the Princes of Judah deale with the Prophet Jeremy and what follow'd thereupon but the utter Ruine and Destruction of the City Jerusalem and the carrying Captive both of the Princes and of the People into Babylon as we read in the sacred Records of the Holy Scripture † See Jer. 37 38 and 39. ch Behold his usage the fore-running presage of these soon-following calamities on the Jewish Nation It came to passe says the sacred Story * Jer. 37 11-15 that when the Army of the Caldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaohs Army then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the Land of Benjamin to separate himself thence in the midst of the People And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin a CAPTAINE of the Ward was there whose name was Irijah the sonne of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah and he took Jeremiah the Prophet saying Thou fallest away to the Caldeans Then said Jeremiah It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans but he hearkened not to him so Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the Princes Wherefore the PRINCES were wroth with Jeremiah and smote him and put him in PRISON in the House of Jonathan the Scribe for they had made that the Prison But these wicked Princes are not yet satisfi'd herewith We have a further account of their injurious proceedings against him their false charge and bloody Petition prefer'd in an unjust Court with the Issue thereof suiting to their own Desires or rather though disguis'd in a Petitionary Way as appeares by the story their peremptory Demands so little Reverence did they beare to the Authority of their King For thus is it recorded † Jer. 38 1-6 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan and Gedaliah the son of Pashur and Jucal the sonne of Shelemiah and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the People saying Thus saith the LORD he that remaineth in the City shall die by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence but he that goeth forth to the Caldeans shall live for he shall have his Life for a Prey and shall live Thus saith the LORD This City shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylon's Army which shall take it Therefore the Princes said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be put to DEATH for thus he weakneth the Hands of the men of War that remain in the City and the Hands of all the People in speaking such words unto them for this man seeketh not the PEACE * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Welfare of this People but the HURT Then

the establishment of Truth and true Religion amongst us And is it not most reasonable which I plead for when those I speak to are profest Christians and that I plead for is the Cause of Christ Why may nor the Ministers of the Gospel be as well heard to plead for the Worship and Ordinances of Christ as the profest Enemies of the Gospel-ministry to plead against them by whom these Ordinances of Worship according to the order of the Gospel are to be administred Give me leave then to reason with you and plead the Cause of God Why stick you at the Establishment of the Worship of God in the Land and the punishment of such rebellious Atheists as obstinately refuse to worship him What think you is there a God or not If there be a God and but one God is he to be worshipt or no If he be to be worshipt whether are you still to seek how he is to be worshipt and still in doubt what are the Ordinances of his Worship What are not the holy Scriptures the Word of God Is not his Will therein plainly and clearly reveal'd touching the Ordinances of his Worship Well then are not the Word Sacraments and Prayer undeniably the Ordinances of his worship Have they not been so receiv'd and reverenc't by the Churches of Christ in all Ages Ought not this Worship then by the Civil Sanction of the Christian Magistrate to be establisht in the Land Ought not they that are in Gods stead for Government to see that God be worshipped Ought not then Ministers of the Gospel rightly call'd to that sacred Office according to express Gospel-Rule to be placed maintained and protected in every City Town and Parish where there is a competent number of people to attend the service of God for the administration of the Ordinances of his Worship Ought not all the People of these places to be Authoritatively enjoyn'd to give dilgent constant reverent Attendance upon the Publick Worship of God in these holy Ordinances and that under some Penalty for every Wilful Neglect which might be conveniently imploy'd for the Relief of the Poor in such places And ought not those that obstinately refuse to worship God in these his holy Ordinances and much more those that cast Reproach upon them and them that do attend them to be chastiz'd as the worst sort of * Rom. 13.3 4. Evil doers being open Rebels against the God of Heaven with some severer punishment Shall not they that neglect their Duty in this kinde be guilty of all the dishonours that are done to God by all those that neglect contemne and reproach the Ordinances of his Worship Was the Scripture silent does not the Light of Nature clearly discover an Obligation as to the substance of this duty to lie upon those who are called forth by Divine Providence to Governe for God to whom alone pertaines by original Right the Government of the World I shall leave these things to your Consideration onely minding you that you shall be call'd to account at the Judgement Day for whatsoever Power you are intrusted with how you have obtain'd imploy'd and improv'd it for God and setting before you the excellent Example of an Heathen Prince even Artaxerxes King of Persia who releast the children of Israel from their Captivity in Babylon and gave order for their return to Jerusalem and the setting up and establishment of the right Worship of the true God by the special Direction and Conduct of the Spirit of God A special passage of his Commission or Letter of Trust to Ezra the Scribe as is recorded in the holy Scripture † Ezra 7.25 26 27. we have in these words And thou Ezra after the wisdome of thy God that is in thy hand set Magistrates and Judges which may judge all the People that are beyond the River all such as know the Laws of thy God and teach ye them that know them not And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or to Banishment or to Confiscation of Goods or to Imprisonment And that this Counsel was of God it appears from the Words of Ezra hereupon Blessed be the LORD God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the Kings Heart c. Now what 's this but a branch of the Moral Law requiring the right worship of the true God explain'd in the Edict of a Heathen Prince whose hand was herein guided by the Spirit of God and his Example recorded to be approved of God and so consequently of perpetual obligation to all people and at all times as well under the New Testament as the Old But the Robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement * Pro. 21.7 It much concernes also inferiour Magistrates and Officers who are intrusted with Power for the Punishment of Offendours to be faithful in the discharge of their Duty By this means a good stop might be put to many of the spreading Abominations of the Times Drunkennesse and R●velling Swearing and Sabbath-breaking and such like vile enormities and God-provoking sins might in a great measure be restrain'd if those persons in every Town and Parish to whom it pertaines by vertue of their Office to take cognizance of these and such like Crimes were but as Vigilant and Active as they might and ought to be to bring those that are found guilty of them to condigne punishment But through the sloth and regardlesnesse of Officers such Offendours grow bold and such Crimes become common such Abominations are exceedingly multiply'd But oh that such would consider that all the sins of those Places and Persons which they have received Power to restraine or punish and exercise it not are justly chargeable upon their heads and they stand guilty of them in the sight of God For 't is a sure Rule Malum qui cum potest non prohibet facit He that may hinder an Evil and doth not is guilty of it And if according to this Rule all the Oathes Curses Drunkennesses and Profanations of the Lords day which might have been prevented or punished by Persons invested with Authority and Power for that purpose be justly chargeable upon them for their neglect of their Duty in this Case we may surely say without any slander Many of our Magistrates and Officers however they may seeme sober and religious persons are the greatest Swearers Cursers Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers in the Land And doubtlesse many shall be indicted and condemned for these sinnes at Gods Tribunal in the Day of Judgement because they have not exercised the power wherewith they were intrusted in their Places for the punishment of them in others Oh therefore stir up your selves with Zeal and Faithfulnesse to the Execution of your Office the discharge of your Duty in this kinde that you may restraine Sin in others and keep off Guilt