Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	flesh_n	soul_n	20,045	5	5.6682	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86502	The peasants price of spirituall liberty. VVherein is represented the complexion of the times, and considerations to cure it. In three sermons. By Nathaniel Homes, D.D.	Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1642 (1642)	Wing H2571; Thomason E151_1; ESTC R15127	49,057	90

or clay for the businesse of the King And also belonging to the sordid or drudgery imployment of the King and the Princes Those dwellers among plants were those that were imployed in the plantations of the King 1. Dirty Potters 2. Dunghill Planters 3. Dusty Wallers I set them forth thus not but that the callings are to be respected but their preferring these before liberty is to be disgraced according to the intent of the Holy Ghost 2. Place With the King of Babylon Yea in Babylon Yea Labouring there Yea most sordid works there in the mire Merchandising may transport a man beyond the Sea yet not alwayes to Heathen Kingdomes if to a heathen Kingdome not to the worke or to any relation to or dependance on a King opposite to true Religion if so yet not in businesses of the most sordid nature But these descend to the lowest step of basenesse of spirit and that with all aggravations choosing and preferring rather to be the King of Babylons dirty day-laborers then to enjoy their civill liberty of body and state and their spirituall liberty of ordinances of soule Neither longing after their native soyle nor listening after their spirituall Temple nor hoaning after their kindred and nation in the flesh nor harkning after the Priests and Prophets indued with the spirit In a word nor the good of Iudeah nor the bad of Babylon can make them desire a change of condition though to the better 3. Project All these meane imployments in this meane place are by them projected and chosen Voluntarily Sordidly 1. Voluntarily this is strongly touched in the word dwell for though for seventy yeeres they were carryed away captive so 2 Chron. 36. and seventy yeeres captivity were to be fulfilled as Ierem. and Dan. prophesied yet now they are inhabitants and there they dwell For both these n●ed of these potters c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They tooke houses leases or purchased they might and should but would not goe up they accepted not of liberty 2. Sordidly The best of the project could be but for worke and a meane worke too neither handsome nor wholesome To tread clay dwell in poore Cottages see what ropes of sand what cords of grasse draw carnall men from salvation both of body and soule Was there no worke in Iudeah to be had that might intice them thither 4. The Prorogation the time they had thus degenerated had used these poore plots and meanes for a maintenance set forth in three degrees 1. Dwelling which is more then sojourning 2. Dwelt with the King therefore more then seventy yeeres there for seventy yeeres they had been captivated there 3. These are ancient things they so long had degenerated and used these meane imployments that all things preceding these imployments are very ancient and obsolet so as not to be mentioned scarcely So that this custome of their sordid imployment prescribed against imitation of any better things imitable in their ancestors Thus of the Matter of the Text. Next of the Forme or Manner used by the Penman Ezra out of all doubt with all modesty to dive into the scope sets downe these things at least some of them by way of disgracing the men here mentioned 1. Because speaking the best of them he puts it off But those are ancient things as if not to be looked at in their behalfe that had so imbased themselves As a naturall man in his naturall Dialect or Phrase of speech would say Etgenus proavos quae nonfecimus ipsi Vix ea nostro voco 2. Because Ezra tells every circumstance of their basenesse of spirit without any mitigation or helping the matter afterwards viz. In what place of the land Among Plants and Hedges And what was the cause Even for worke for no better or greater preferment Lay all these together and they will compose this one point The Lord records with disgrace and discards as gracelesse men of such unworthy spirits who prescribe antiquity to preferre a sordid condition before a God-given libertie The illation or deduction of this point is evident For it containes or is made up of all the limbs joynts and parts of the Text. So that take the Doctrine asunder and presently it is resolved into all the parts In the explication of the point let us goe according to the order of the nature of things in the Doctrine And so to resolve every Quaere 1. Q. What is a God-given liberty Res I call it so because it proceedeth from Gods gift by proclamation and containes two liberties first Personall of body state and condition secondly Spirituall of soule and worship See Ezra Chap 1 v 1 2 3. the King proclaimes not only liberty for them to goe up from Babylon but also to build Gods house at Ierusalem All these put together are a right platforme of Christians purchased liberty viz. The partition wall is downe all are subjects to Christs Kingdome all brethren no longer slaves so much as civilly And Ecclesiastically all needlesse Ceremonies * Some derive the word Ceremonie à Ce●tibis ●s a people of Hetrutia that carefully observed the Heathenish Superstitions of the vestall Nuns belonging to Vesta when Heathen Rome was taken of the Galli To whom I thus farre assent that Abundance of the Ceremonies now in use in Christendome are Heathenish in their forme and also in their originall as may be seen at full in Papatus seu Depravate religionis origine et incremento per Thom. Mor●sinum Others derive Ceremon●ea Carends To which Etymon I must needs assent For even the Iewish Ceremonies intimated a want or absence of the Antitype as not yet come in the flesh But I think not unfitly are they derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time or occasion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide Because they were to indure the best of them at most but for a time superstitions and humane inventions are put dawne And so Christians are no longer subject to those rudiments of the world of which Saint Paul speakes Colos 2. longer to live in subjection to such ordinances as these Tou●h not taste not handle not after the commandements and doctrines of men which things have a shew of humility in will-worship and neglect of the body For saith he yee a e com●leat in him i. e in Christ both for salvation * Co●● penul● as also for matter and form of worship doctrine and discipline (a) Heb. 3.6 7. and therefore in all to heare his voyce (b) Heb. 5. v. 2. lastly spiritually sin is put downe Rom. 6 2.14 2. Q What is that sordid condition which some preferre in opposition to a God-given liberty R. These in the Text preferre first sordidnesse in civill things if they could as yet to this day weave or spin linnen it seemes by all circumstances they would rather doe it for the King of Babylon then for the Temple If they had yet left in

9.2 The Iewes lose much time of comfort by saying the time to build the house of the Lord was not yet come whiles they deferred Hag. 1 1. comp chap. 2.15 18. they had famine want whiles they built and went on they prospered What a losse had they in the wildernesse that in forty yeeres could not know their time Psal 85. and how irrecoverably undone was Hierusalem for not knowing her day even that her day Luk. 19 4● The foolish Virgins also by losse of opportunity lost Christ and heaven Matth. 25. I need not multiply places the case is too cleare that such spirited men will easily lose the opportunity of obtaining of that spirituall thing what ever it be that is offered them and consequently of that spirituall liberty for they care not Some let slip those occasions which God hath appointed to be in the present Tense and these men are constantly in the Future The Lord cries to day if you will heare Heb. 3. And now it is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 But this negligent spirit as once Augustine cries cras Domine to morrow Lord his repentance is adjourned to the day of his death And all his good deeds exist and have their being onely in the purpose his will and his testament are alike they both take force at last at last hee hath a will to doe good if hee had time And at last hee bequeath'd his good deeds by testament because he cennot live to doe evill any longer yea although God offers him some more speciall present time opportunities apples of gold with pictures of silver Diamonds pointed with gold striped with Ophir yet he cannot be enamoured with them Some such God offers him for himselfe Heart knocking time Revel 3.20 If a man did but entertaine these he may be made for ever so Psa 27.8 Cant 5. Acts 16.14 Math. 13.15 But these men shut the heart dry their tears as Saul and scalded in their greas The blushing once for sin hath woaded an impudency in their faces Acts 7. and they are as good at resisting the holy Ghost as ever their Fathers were Other some such opportunities God offers such men as these wherein they might advantage the Church for ever These Potters c. might have gone and helped in the repaire of Hierusalem the Pharisees might have helped forward reformation whiles under John and Christs Ministry the Kingdome of God suffered violence And now in these active stirrings of Parliaments men in publique place especially might put on for the Churches reformation but as the Potters were dull and stucke in their dirt and the Pharisees violent in a contrary way So the moderne Pharisees of these times are opposite and others like the Potters are dull And generally men at best hearken after good newes yet send neither good prayers nor good indeavours in their errand to bring them any such tidings the most like Atalanta by stouping for the golden balls of the world spend time and lose the Goale they come in a day after the faire and say Si putaram O if I had thought it would have beene so what would not I have done On the contrary the spirituall liberty-lover is a time observer not server A time catcher as Benhadads servants catch'd at the King of Israel words of mercy 1 Kings 2● 33 Godly men of that temper of which Eccles 9.10 What they have to doe whiles time serves to doe it with all their might whether for themselves or for the Church For themselves Saint Paul describes the manner to be as conquering in battel 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold of eternall life In battel the opportunity must be taken no use of after-wit in warre their hearts catch at opportunities of good as the eccho catcheth the voyce Psal 27. For the Church as Nehemiah and Ezza and Saint Paul Gal. 2.5 Hester tooke the nicke of time And thus you have the second note of the liberty-loathers spirit Hee is of a negligent spirit of an opportunity losing spirit hee is the greatest time-server but the least time observer hee lookes at the worlds time not at Gods time Pro. 17. ●6 the price of wisedome is put into his hand but being a foole hee hath no heart hee will take none of Gods great penyworth if hee be invited to Christs wedding hee will not come Math. 22. if a Kingdome or Church lie at stake he is wholly taken up with his fiddles and his feasts A'mos 6. his fillings and foolings he doth not for Church or State or himselfe serve his generation Act. 13.36 as good men are wont In all such things hee is an Epimetheus a Post-master an after wit Pro. 5.11 For evill he mournes as his later end as spirituall fooles doe and for good he hath no mind to doe it Pro. 1.28 till hee hath no time to doe it Hee comes saith Hierome when the gates are shut therefore no peevish novell position much unlike to the liberty-lover that is a Prometheus a fore-wit a fore-man a forward man For all spirituall good for himselfe hee is as a waiter at Bethesda And for the Church how doth he like Moses Psal 85.8 stand in the gap to prevent a danger How doth hee wait as a Petitioner to expect an answer of peace for the Churches good rather then to lose speaking with God for the common good ●s 27 they will dwell in the house of God all the daies of their lives they will amidst all thoughts Gen 49.18 sorrowes sicknesse c. wait for Gods salvation 3. This liberty-slighter is of a secure spirit Security is a groundlesse tranquility in a dangerous condition these Potters and Planters sit and sing at their worke in Babylon never dreaming of any danger to themselves or soules now or for time to come One would have thought that the very name Babylon being Hebrew might have minded them of confusion Gen. 11.9 and how it had beene their confusion by captivating them and might be their eternall confusion of soule if they should continue there when the Church and Ordinances were removed as now they were removed And it might be the Churches confusion so farre as the want of their helpe might cause it by withdrawing or staying behind them in Babylon So then the footing of this third note is broad enough to beare the grounding of generall security in this mans spirit That this mans spirit is carnally secure and feares no danger to the Church or his owne soule Fooles make a mocke of sinne P●● 14 9. and for the generall state the cry of such men usually is Peace peace and things were never better 1 Thess 5. till sudden destruction be ready to come upon them As the Philosophers say that before a Snow the ayre will be warmish when the wind lyes the great raine falls and the ayre is most quiet when suddenly there will be an