Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A44414
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A sermon preach'd before my lord major at Guild-Hall Chappel on the 30th of Octob., 1681 by George Hooper ...
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Hooper, George, 1640-1727.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing H2705; ESTC R4457
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20,330
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39
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scattered abroad and left to the Place the name of Confusion So that altho it is not fit to perswade to these Graces from the advantages of Commerce for they are gifts of the Holy Spirit and to desire them on any Temporal account and to make Merchandize of them would be a Crime against the Holy Ghost and truely Simony yet however their proper Intrinsick worth may be sensibly understood by their visible Consequences and their Beauty will appear by the Comparison of their opposite Vices The certain Effects of the one are Poverty Ruin and Desolation And the natural tendency of the other to Riches Honour and Prosperity With these the spiritual Graces will probably bless us but they will too make us Happy without them for they are able alone to give us the best Joy and surest Satisfaction â—here and they only can consign to us Everlasting Happiness hereafter III. We shall therefore in the third Place consider the greater Obligations we have to beg of the holy Spirit to produce this Fruit in us And 1. As Christians in general For this is the Fruit which if the Tree beareth not it will hereafter be hew'd down and cast into the Fire And indeed we take only a Name in Baptisme and begin thence to be called Christians only for distinction sake on Earth for in Heaven it will give none except a real Change is made in the Person said to be regenerate and the Holy Ghost enters into the Temple so purified by Sprinkling For by Baptisme we are cut off from the Old stock and grafted into the Body of Christ but so as to close and grow and bear Fruit. By it we are indeed dead unto all former Sin but dead too and Lifeless we continue except we are quickned by his free Spirit Man in Baptism being like Adam new form'd and as yet but Clay expecting the breath of his No 〈…〉 and this we have seen was the Method of the 〈◊〉 our Saviour received and the Apostles gave when the new planted Disciples were Watered then 〈◊〉 the Spirit and gave the Increase We therefore that have not been baptized with the Baptism of John only Act. 19. but know there is a Holy Ghost ought to know our selves for true Christians by the true distinctive Character its proper Fruit not by a search into a Baptismal Register but by what we find in our selves of these Graces by the Seal of the Spirit Our Title to the Name is not good but after this Confirmation Neither are we at our grown Age to take our selves for Believers if we stood at the Creed not only to declare our Assent but in the posture of those Warlike Christians with Swords drawn in its desence the true judgement of our Faith is not only whether it be Resolute and Obstinate for that may be from a willful Mind but whether the belief of the Divine Existence be so Lively the Representation of his Perfections so clear and distinct the Sence of his Love to us so great and engaging as to oblige our mutual Affection to Possess us with a delight no oother Joy can equal a Quiet and Satisfaction not to be interrupted here below to inflame us with a Love for all his Images the whole Race of mankind to disengage our Minds from all earthly Pleasures and meaner Satisfactions admitting no Rival with our God This is the Catholick Apostolick Faith and who ever believes so shall not perish everlastingly Such a Faith as this so well Rooted and so Fruitful if it does differ in some lesser Speculative points yet is not like to be mis-informed long Its Meekness disposes it for Instruction Philip. 3.15 and its Fidelity is ready to Confess the mistake And if in any thing he is otherwise minded yet God the giver of all good and perfect Gifts and who has given to him those other already will reveal even this unto him And however if the Error shall be suffer'd to continue it will produce no ill Effect under the Governance of Peace Long-suffering and Gentleness And this stain may be Purg'd at last by the Fire of Love as others are said to be by that of Martyrdom If then we find those Qualities bestow'd upon us happy are we for the present and secure for the Future they are Gifts in their own Value inestimable but they are too Earnests of a greater of our eternal Inheritance the Redemption of the purchas'd Possession And as the first of these Graces the Love of God is the most natural Effect the most certain Argument of a Christian Faith So that we love God intirely and solidly not in Fancy only and conceit in a holy Dream the best Proofs we can produce are its genuine results the Fruit here mentioned Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Fidelity c. And if in this age of Distinctions we would discriminate betwixt those that are Christians and those that are not Our Saviour has given us a Text St. Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another In vain shall ye pretend the love of God or of his Son St Joh. 4.20 if it be not seen on your Brethren He that says he loves God and hates his Brother is a Lyar. Says the loving and beloved Apostle A Lyar as great as he that should say he loved his Brother and yet was provoked on the next Occasion never would Pardon him the least fault and refus'd him the smallest kindness as great a Lyar as he that should pretend Meekness and Faithfulness and yet be guilty of Treason and Rebellion By that Mark the Christians of old were known Behold how they love one another said the Heathen admiring their Unanimity ignorant of the Spirit by which they were lead of the Graces which so inclin'd them but if one of those Heathen had been acquainted with their powerful principle of Love and yet had afterwards found them Discontented Mutinous Revengefull Factious Passionate he might have cryed out Behold how they hate one another with greater Admiration The Qualities of the Text are the proper disposition of a Christian Mind They are the Life and Soul of our Holy Religion all its Precepts all its Institutions tend only to produce and cherish this Fruit. For all the Revelations of the Scripture are nothing else but Discoveries of God's Love to us to create in us a Love for him and all its commands have no other intention then that this our Love to God should be exemplifi'd in Affection to our Brethren and demonstrated by our Indifference for all worldly Pleasures This is the sum the spirit of the Christian Religion into this we are baptiz'd for this the Holy Ghost descends and this Love the Blessed Supper feeds by the pledges of Christ's Love the continual remembrance of his Death to our great and endless comfort And however men may refine in their pretences and be singular in their Denominations and titles of purer Professions if
is in it's own Nature the sweetest the most delightful and most agreeable Motion of the Mind And lastly as we observ'd of Love that it's Motives from Faith and Hope were powerful enough in themselves but invincibly Prevalent when inforc'd by the blessed Spirit so is the Joy that arises from them and Love certain and sure in it's immediate Causes and necessary from their Natural influence but exalted yet more by the Concurrence of the Holy Ghost and super naturally enlarg'd by it's Operations For the Motions of the Holy Spirit within us cannot be suppos'd to be but in the most grateful Cheerful manner It is the Spirit of Comfort and Consolation and in it's Presence are fulness of Joys as the Property of the Wicked one is to torment to infuse Grief and Anguish Sadness and Despair 3. From Love and Joy springs Peace of both kinds of the Mind and Conscience within and to the World abroad In such a breast is no disorder nor trouble nothing but content and satisfaction a Quiet and Serenity as if it were in Heaven no outward accidents nor inferior cares can discompose it And if peace be preserved within it will appear in our conversation and we shall be as easy to others as to our selves In those passions of Joy and Love the Spirits move outwards and diffuse the sweetness and equality of their temper into all our Actions Here will be no Envy Anger nor Discontent we shall not be Turbulent Disorderly nor seditious 4. Thence too Long-suffering not easy to be disorder'd disturb'd or provoked by sufferings by Injuries by failing of better expectations None of these things will move Minds that are wholly set upon their God nor will their divine Joy suffer them to be sensible of the lighter momentary afflictions So far will they be from being hasty froward captious querulous and repining 5. From the same cause is Gentleness or sweetness of Temper to be ready to forgive and easy to be reconcil'd this will be done in imitation of Gods Love to us and out of Love to our Brethren for God's sake Besides that Joy of it self disposes to pardon opens our Heart and our Arms. 6. Goodness too is perfect from the same principle as we here may take it for an Universal Kindness Pitty and Compassion to be ready to do all good Offices to all the world in the most obliging manner out of Affection and with Joy 7. Faith which here follows is as I premised before sitly understood by Integrity or Fidelity and the reason of this rendering may recommend it the more to the better part of this Audience These two words Faith and Meekness as they are joyned here so are they found together in Elder Authors and probably in the same signification Eccles 1.27 As in Ecclesiasticus Faith and Meekness are Gods Delight and afterwards in the Description of Moses he sanctified him with Faithfulness and Meekness Eccles 45 9 4. where faithfulness is in the Greek the same with the Faith before And these two Qualities that make up here the Character of the greatest Magistrate and wisest Governour Moses are the same that are recorded in the Book of Numbers The first this of Fidelity God himself gives him My servant Moses who is Faithfull in all my house The other of Meekness Numb 12.3 the Holy Writer makes his peculiar commendation Now this man Moses was the meekest man in all the Earth Numb 12 3. The Faithfulness of Moses appear'd eminently in the whole course of his Ministry in the Delivery of his Messages and discharge of his Duty but most remarkably amidst the Rebellious Prevarication of the People Israel He never Connived at their Mutinies nor gave Countenance to their Ingratitude His Brother had suffered himself to be led by the People and set up a Molten Image But Moses is never found in their murmurings and discontents He kept his integrity and preserv'd his Loyalty to his God His Meekness too was as singular Not Fierce Proud and Haughty Arrogant and Imperious but Modest Humble and Affable This being that other part of the Character of that holy Governour and the Signification of the Word here translated Meek and answering to the Hebrew Notion of Lowliness and Modesty For this reason we take leave to render the word Faith by Faithfulness When God gave Moses of his Holy Spirit this was the Fruit. And in this Sense it comes here most Properly amongst the other attendants of Divine Love It being here as in Conjugal affection where Fidelity and Truth are the most Proper and most necessary Companions of that and Peace For when our Affection is once engaged to God there will follow a faithful Perseverance in all known Duties Obedience to laws Divine and Humane Loyalty to God and his Representatives But on the contrary when Love and Peace are banished and Hatred Animosity Faction and Sedition take place they presently introduce Prevarication Dissimulation and Treachery they are the constant Causes of Calumny Slander Falshood and Perjury As Satan the first Rebel is the known Father of Lyes 8. The other Grace of Meekness as oppos'd to insolence is too a Fruit that necessarily grows from Love For that disposition of mind as it is Peaceable Easie and Gentle So too does it equal and Level and respects all Mankind but as Brethren of the same House tho under differing Circumstances This causes that the Superiors stoop and Condescend are not harsh nor Supercilious are Civil Kind and Treatable And if it has that Power over Governours and makes the Character of a Magistrate it may well become Subjects and suit with those of a lower degree Humility Modesty Deference and Submission are proper to their Station as Insolence Contemptuousness Affronting of Government is both absurd in Morals and impossible in Charity and neither consists with the Spirit of God nor with Order and Policy 9. The last is Temperance Which is but an Argument of our Love to God in not preferring the Pleasures of the World before him For as the Spirit of God is Holy and cannot dwell in a Body polluted so neither can it be suppos'd that a Soul accustom'd to Divine Love and Spiritual Joys should relish any longer those sensual Satisfactions These are the Fruit of the Spirit with this Connexion and Dependance Heavenly Love is the Original of those that follow and they like the issue of the same Parent have indeed a near resemblance but so that their Natures are distinct and their difference discernable Gifts fit for the Holy Spirit to give and worthy each of a more particular description II. And now after we have known and consider'd them distinctly I shall entreat you to bestow one reflection upon them all together This Fruit how fair it is to the Eye how Lovely not forbid us as that of Paradise but given and presented of which if we have tasted We are restored to a Condition of Happiness greater then that design'd in Eden We