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	life_n	soul_n	34,804	5	5.7811	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60130	A discourse of tempting Christ by John Shower.	Shower, John, 1657-1715.	1694 (1694)	Wing S3662; ESTC R28141	35,083	122

A DISCOURSE OF TEMPTING CHRIST By JOHN SHOWER LONDON Printed by J. D. for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey 1694. To the READER I Shall not need to urge the Vsefulness of asserting the Divinity of our Blessed Saviour from every Scripture-Medium that will prove or illustrate it to argue the first part of this Discourse to be seasonable so far as this Text may be improv'd to confirm it And the the many ways of Tempting God particularly with respect to his Providence which are afterwards mention'd may help the Conviction and Recovery of some who are guilty and prevent the Sin of others in the like kind What I preach'd on this Subject at a Time when many in this City needed it against laying great Wagers upon the future Determinations of Divine Providence as to the Success of Fleets and Armies abroad c. it offended some who had been drawn into the Snare and it may be got Money by it while others having smarted for their Rashness and Presumption thank'd me for the Warning and promised to take it wishing they had done it sooner To the Instances of Tempting God as to his Power and Providence may be added the false and lying Wonders which the Jews were addicted to Their Rabbins and their Talmud mention strange Stories of this kind They had frequent Exorcisms by Invocation of the God of Jacob. They had Amulets and Ligatures and confident Assertions that God gave Power to his Law his Name and Attributes when thus * Lightfoot Hor. Heb. in Mat. 24. Vol. 2. p. 243. applied by them to heal Diseases and work Signs and Wonders because their Law was of Divine Original A Description of a Charmer Chober among the Jews is thus given by † Maimonides de Idolat c. 11. §. 10 12. Maimonides He is a Charmer who speaks words of a strange Language and without Sense and in Foolishness thinks that these words are profitable That if one say so or so to a Serpent or a Scorpion it cannot hurt a Man and he that saith so or so unto a Man he cannot be hurt c. He that whispereth over a Wound or readeth a Verse out of the Bible likewise he that readeth over an Infant that it may not be frighted or that lays the Book of the Law or the Philacteries upon a Child that it may sleep such are not only among Enchanters or Charmers but of those that generally deny the Law of God because they make the words of the Scripture Medicine for the Body whereas they are not but for the Soul as it is written Prov. 3.22 They shall be Life unto thy Soul Many strange and undoubted Instances may be given of Evil Spirits exorcised and dispossest by the Invocation of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob even by Pagans as well as by Jews or by Christians mentioning the Name of Jesus Christ that many who did not own the Faith either of Jews or Christians yet attested upon their own Experience * See many Authors cited by Dr. Whitby in his Excellent Discourse of the Certainty of the Christian Faith in general c. 8o. 1671. Annot. on Ch. 1. §. 3. the Virtue of those Names It would yet be a Tempting of God for us to use those Names and expect the like Success because without a Warrant As to what is said of Tempting Providence by using unlawful or suspected Methods to accomplish our Desires and by rash Appeals to Heaven to decide in doubtful Cases c. I might add † P. Molinaei Vates lib. 3. c. 21 22 23. de Judicio per singulare Certamen quae vulgaris Purgatio in Jure Canonico appellatur De Purgatione per Aquam ferventem aut prunas aut ferrum candens per Aquam frigidam c. many more Examples particularly concerning Waters of Probation ‖ Dr. Whitby Ib. chap. 1. §. 5. Waters which had Virtue to discover and chastise the Sinner whilst they cleared the Innocent as Heathen Writers affirm of Olachas and other Rivers which were wont to put off their Natures and become Fire to the guilty Person of the Crateres Palichorum and the Sardinian Fountains which did strike the Thief or perjured Person blind or dead of the Indian Brachmans probatory Waters and many others of that kind And as the Jews say with much better ground of those of Jealousy which being used according to the Prescription of their Law to try the Chastity of any Woman of whom her Husband should be jealous did cause the guilty Thigh to rot and had no like Effect upon the Innocent I say with better ground for had they failed upon Trial the Jews could not have own'd that Law for Sacred which left them such a standing Lie But for us to expect God's Decision of Right and Wrong of Innocence or Guilt by such like Methods would be to Tempt him I shall only add a Passage out of a late * Mr. Freke's select Essays 8o. of Divination and Astrology p. 23 24. Author to the purpose of the tenth Section What shall I say of our common Crosses and Charms The Devil fights with us like a Parthian flying pretends himself to be vanquish'd by us that he may the better conquer us through Superstition by his Flight So what shall I say to your other set Forms of Words the Sieve and Sheers and such other Trifles and Gewgaws If Words do any thing really it must be through Faith and if Faith be once so powerful it can easily effect without a set Form like Conjuring but if Words prove powerful without Faith latet Anguis in Herba we have all the reason in the World to apprehend some Delusion from our common Enemy the Devil There is one thing which may be reducible to this Head of Tempting Christ which may be objected against some Passages in a little Book I lately printed viz. Some Account of the Holy Life and Death of Mr. Gearing c. that they may encourage People under Trouble of Mind to expect that by opening the Bible the first place they look into should by Divine Direction be suitable for their Support and Relief or it may add to their Affliction and Melancholy if they do not succeed in such an Attempt as others have done 'T is true I there relate only Matter of Fact as I found it written without intimating that I approve or disapprove of such a Practice But lest any should take occasion to expect the like and be troubled if they do not I must freely acknowledg that I know of no ground we have in that way to look for present suitable Counsel or Consolation The Holy Spirit is not limited and may sometimes direct and guide an humble doubting Christian But 't is more advisable to consider and enquire what Promises and Examples of Holy Scripture are most adapted to your Case and proper for your Support To open the Book and expect that the first Chapter and Verse you cast your