Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A32867
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A word to Israel in the wilderness, or, An arraignment of unbelief shewing the evil of distrust ... / by John Chishul.
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Chishull, John.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing C3906; ESTC R23704
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35,060
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116
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A WORD TO ISRAEL In the WILDERNESs. Or the Arraignment of UNBELIEF Shewing The evil of Distrurst though in time of the greatest Streights Wherein Unbelief is tried and found guilty of great Provocation By John Chishul Minister of the Gospel Psal 78.19 They spake against God they said Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness London Printed for Francis Eglesfield Bookseller in S. Pauls Church-yard 1668. TO THE MOURNERS IN ZION Dearly Beloved I Am not Insensible that there are many who Sympathize with you and have been ready to pour in Balm into Bleeding Wounds to comfort you in the midst of your sorrows and blessed be the Lord the God of all Consolation who hath stirred up any to this Work But it hath been matter of wonder to me that amongst the many Tracts that have been written to the Afflicted so little hath been done to Obviate that sin which most in that condition fall into and few lament It being taken for granted with most that Streights and Troubles will if not justifie yet greatly extenuate the evil of Distrust Having made a serious and narrow inquiry into the Scripture I find that this Sin is otherwise spoken of then the most yea and I fear the best think of it We deem it such a failing as God will easily wink at and pass over but after due search I perceive there is nothing that God sticks more at then this We reckon it among the common infirmities of the Saints but the Lord sets it in the highest ranck of Provocations Considering how prone we are to run in this evil and how greatly provoking it is and what dangerous consequences of it are I judged a word of Caution might be as seasonable as needful and a few things suggested might through Grace prove an Antidote against this Contagion And until some other person be awakned to speak more fully to so useful a Subject I hope a plain Proposal and serious Consideration of what is here offered may prevent much sin and sorrow I judge it a more noble task to indeavour the preventing of trouble that it come not then to remove it when it hath taken hold of us The onely sure and safe way to keep off sorrow is to lay a Bar in the way of sin As sin is the Womb out of which all troubles do proceed so Vnbelief is especially both Mother and Nurse of all the sorrows of the Godly not onely as it procures but improves them The sins of Gods people have been very great in former times which have provoked the Lord to inflict many sore evils upon us But if to all our other sins we should add a sin of our afflicted condition more provoking than all those of former times what can we expect but that God should swear that we should not enter into his rest and that the Lord should bury at least all this Generation in the Wilderness I know many are the fears if not the settled thoughts of some wise and good men that this present Generation will not see the good which hath been earnestly pray'd for and is affectionately expected I do not pretend to know the reasons that many have for this conjecture but I think I may without presumption conclude that if the Lord cause us to fall in our wilderness as he aid that Generation whâ—ch come out of Egypt it is because we have been too like them in that which was their Provocation I must confess I am not satisfied how this kind of Vnbelief which denies or strongly disputes against the Providence of God over his people in time of distress came to be so favourably thought of as to be reckoned amongst the infirmities and weakness of Saints since it was of old counted The Provocation I cannot apprehend that the accession of more Light and the addition of new Experience can lessen that which was so great before Let those who will not tâ—ke pains to read this little Tract purposely written to discover the provoking nature of unbelief yet be intreated to behold it as in a Glass in the History of the Children of Israel whom the Lord slew in the Wilderness for this sin can you think for a small thing for which God cut off above six hundred thousand men But especially consider and wonder at the Lords proceedings against Moses and that but for one offence of this kind He was not admitted to go into Canaan though he did affectionately desire it and pleaded earnestly with God Num. 20.12 And the Lord spâ—ke unto Moses Because you believed me not to sanctifie me in the Eyes of the Children of Israel ye shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I have given them Though Moses is taxt but this once of unbelief and doubtless his unbelief did not shew it self as theirs did in murmuring all that seems in the Story to be charged upon him was his not expressing his faith and confidence in God and indeavouring to vindicate his Providence and stay the murmurings of the people His omitting to sanctifie God before the people and to profess his dependence upon him is here condemned as a not believing him And for this kind of unbelief once charged upon him Is there such a â— r laid in his way to Canaan that all his Interest could not remove He that could obtain any thing of God in other â—ases could prevail for a whole Nation at once Exod. 33. could not be heard speak for himself in this case Deut. 3.26 The Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me and the Lord said unto mâ— let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter And can we hope that we shall fare better than these Surely no. Our unbelief cannot but be much more provoâ—ing in as much as it is much more inâ—xcusable It is indeed a day of many fears and they are not groundless if we consider the subtile and unwearied attempts of Enemies or the incorrigibleness of this Nation under unusual judgments But though we may fear sore evils both from God and men yet let us banish sinful fears and remove far from us all distrustful thoughts of Gods Providential care over his people in all the evils that may come upon them Let us never fear that God will leave his Children in the Wilderness into which he hath led them and out of which they might find a way if they could leave him But rather conclude that God hâ—â—h brought us under a sentence of Death th t we might not trust in our selves but in him that raised Jesus Christ from the dead He that raised him will raise his Witnesses whose dead bodies have layn in the open Streetâ— and if the Spirit of the Lord enter into them and they stand upon their feet Deliverance will hasten If any thing suggested prove an Antidote against unbelieving fear and do any way contribute to the begetting â—f a Sp rit of Courage and Fai h to keep clâ—sâ— to God to