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	sin_n	soul_n	13,963	5	5.3517	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02184	Two learned and godly sermons, preached by that reuerende and zelous man M. Richard Greenham: on these partes of scripture folowing. The first sermon on this text. A good name is to be desired aboue great riches, and louing fauour aboue siluer and golde. Pro. 22, I. The second sermon on this text. Quench not the spirit. I. Thessa. 5, 19	Greenham, Richard.	1595 (1595)	STC 12325; ESTC S115658	28,254	92

or of our redemption iustification by him yea speake of that high and waighty heauens of glory wherewith the elect shalbe crowned all this moueth not we are litle affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of this good spirite to profite by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many causes are to lysten vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs and so we depriue our selues of all the fruites Now whereas the Apostle sayth Quench not the spirit it may appeare he speaketh to those that had already receyued it For as the fire can not be sayd to be quenched where it is not so they can not be sayde to quench or loose the spirit which haue not as yet receyued the spirit Then know that this precept doth properly belong to them that haue receyued the spirit of God and they especially are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it can not profite them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the grounde a long time doth afterwarde budde and become fruitefull so they continue in their myndes tyll they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breede in them some carefulnes that they do not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and founde the spirite of God in them to them sayth S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirite Of this if we do somewhat seriously consider these questions will offer them selues and soone arise in our mindes First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost or no which if they be well and sufficiently considered wil doubtlesse giue great force to this precept For the first yf we will know whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth that he hath lyfe which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him If we will further know by the peculiar working and effectes of the spirite then let vs marke these First of all if there be nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be obteyned by the nature and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the worlde when he saith We haue receiued the spirite not of the worlde but of God Beside the spirit of God is eternal and endureth for euer but all the doinges and deuises of men they perish and in time haue an ende Therefore though a man haue wysedome with great knowledge though in wit and skill he passe and excell the common sort of men yet if from aboue he haue not bin inlyghtned if from heauen his wysedome be not sanctified his knowledge shall decay his wysedome wyther like grasse and as yet he hath not tasted of the spirite of God that endureth for euer And therefore sayth S. Paul We teach the mysteries of God which none no not the Princes and the men of this worlde which are aboue others most excellent are not able to vnderstande Secondly consider whether there be in thee any alteration or change for the wyse men that were expert in nature coulde say That in euery generation there is a corruption so that as seede in the grounde so sinne in our natural body should decay that the new man might be raysed vp the spirit of God taking possession in our soules Therefore the Euangelist Iohn doth make this the first worke of the spirit that it shall rebuke the worlde of sinne and this so needefull that without it there is not the spirite of God neyther yet can Christ come and enter into that man Hereof it was that Christ compared the Iewes to Chyldren in the market place who woulde not daunce though they were piped vnto and the reason was because they had not first learned with Iohn to mourne for they that by the preaching of Iohn learned to lament their sinnes for their sinnes were pensiue nay rather their owne soules they receyued Christ they daunced and reioyced to heare the ioyfull tydinges of the Gospel Therefore Christ saith That the Whores and Harlots entred into the kingdome of heauen seeing they lamented their sinnes before the proude Pharisees which with no remorce were touched for their sinnes And for the same cause it is that Christ calleth vnto him them onely that laboure and are heauie loden teaching them that yf they finde not sinne a heauy loade and burthen to them they haue not the spirit of God neyther are they fitte to receiue Christ. Then to be rebuked of sinne is the first worke of the spirit which the spirit worketh in vs by these degrees First it rayseth vppon vs a great and generall astonishment because of all these great and greeuous sinnes that we haue committed and this doth strike vs downe it doth terrifie vs and holde vs amazed woonderfully then it dealeth with vs more perticularly and besides that it bringeth vs vnto a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes doth bereaue vs of our chiefe desires and bringeth vs out of conceite of the best thinges that are in vs for then it doth display vnto vs the vanitie and darkenesse of our vnderstanding how vnfit and vnmeete we are to vnderstande and conceaue the thynges that do aboue all others especially concerne vs then doth it let vs see the peruerse corruption of our iudgement that before God and in thynges belongyng to God we be bruite beastes not able to discerne thinges that differ nor to put a sounde difference betweene good and euyll then doth it let vs see that our reason is vnreasonable nay that it is hurtfull vnto vs a great enemie to fayth and a great patrone of infidelitie and vnbeliefe When it commeth to our affections it turneth thē vpside downe it turneth our myrth into mourning and pleasure into paynefulnesse and our great delyght into most bitter griefe If it proceede further and come once to the hart and to the stomacke and courage that is in vs then it cutteth vs to the quicke then doth it at once throw vs downe in humility vnder the hand of God for whyle we had to deale with men we were as stoute as any and would not start for the best We had reason to see for our selues and courage to defende our selues agaynst all them that dyd deale with vs but now the spirite draweth vs into the presence of God it letteth vs see that we haue to do with God and that our strength is weakenesse in respect of him Then our hartes begin to fayle vs then do we lay our handes on our mouthes and dare not answere then do we quickly take vp our crosse because the Lord himselfe hath done it

and doth as it were withall put lyfe into those thynges which are capable of lyfe for whilest a man is frozen and starued for colde he is numbde and as it were without lyfe but being brought to the fire he is hot he is reuiued he is cheared and then become actiue and nimble these are the properties of fire and these do in some maner part resemble vnto vs the workes of the spirite for when the spirite of God seaseth vpon a man and then entreth into his soule then it beginneth to wast and consume in him those noysome lustes and other stubble which is in him Secondly it doth purge vs from grosse sinnes and dayly more and more fume vs that we may be a cleane and holy Temple for him to dwell in Thirdly it is a shynyng lyght euer burning and continually giuing light vnto vs in that way which we haue to walke And lastly heateth and inflameth in vs zeale of Gods glorie with a care of our duetie and with a loue of all mankinde yea withall it putteth lyfe and lust into vs to walke in that good way in which it doth leade vs and do all those good workes by the which we may glorifie God and be commodious to men Thus we see what lykelihood there is betweene the spirite and fire nay it is called fire for Iohn sayth That Christ should baptise with the holy ghost and with fire that is with the holy ghost which is lyke fire Therefore as truely as we may say there is fire where we see strawe and such lyke thynges consumed or gold and siluer finely purged or great lyght in darke places or great heate in bodyes that were nummed before euen so certainely we may perswade our selues that the spirit of God is in vs when we see the corruption that is in vs consumed our soules purged from the drosse of sinne our harts inlyghtned and made hot in walking and working according to the lyght The seconde question to be considered is whether that man which hath once tasted of the spirite may loose it and haue it quenched in him To this it may be sayd that because the spirite of God commeth to worketh in diuers men diuesly in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the working of the spirite and frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lyghter and a lesser working of the spirite which may be quenched in them that haue it and that this inferiour or lesser kinde of working may be taken away appeareth playnely by the parable of the seede which our sauiour Christ propoundeth for that besides them that receaue the worde into good grounde and bring foorth fruites some an hundreth some thirtie some sixtie folde he doth also make mention of some others that receaued the worde and yet continued not and what had not these the spirite of God in them yes doubtles for they receaued the worde yea they receaued it gladly and that which is more they beleeued it when as they had receaued it Beholde then three fruites of good spirites in these men and yet they continue not for they beleeued in deede but their fayth was temperacie it lasted but for a tyme and after a tyme it vanished away and the spirit departed from them for eyther the pleasures or the profites of this lyfe did draw out the graces of God and dry them vp or els the fierie heate of persecution did quite consume them More plaine notable for this purpose is that in that other to the Hebrewes for there the Apostle sayth That some may taste of the holy ghost and thereby be made to taste of the good worde of God to be inlightned to receaue heauenly giftes yea and the taste of the lyfe to come and what then surely the Apostle sayth That if such fall it is impossible they shoulde be renewed geuing vs to vnderstande that euen they that haue bin inlyghtned and that haue receaued heauenly gyftes and haue tasted of the power of the lyfe to come euen such may fall away and haue the spirite quenched in them There is a seconde kinde of working of the spirite which is a more effectuall working which is neuer taken from them that haue receaued it this the Apostle describeth when he sayth That the chosen of God are begotten agayne of the immortall seede of the worde that is not a bare receauing or lyght tasting of the worde but it is the deepe tasting of the same whereby we are begotten and borne agayne The Apostle Iohn setteth downe an other note of that saying That they that are thus borne agayne can not sinne that is can not make an occupation of sinne they can not fall flat away by sinne and why Because the seede of Gods worde abydeth in them euen that seede wherwith they were begotten to a lyuely hope of life euen that seede doth abyde and will abyde euen to the ende Who so is begotten agayne by this seede and hath it abyding in him that the spirite hath wrought in him which shall not be taken from him for that the father is mightier then all and therefore our sauiour Christ sayd The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe Therefore in an other place he sayth It is impossible that the elect shoulde be seduced Then we see the question is answered namely that there is an inferiour working which may be lost and a more effectuall working which can not be taken from them that haue it And this must not seeme strange to vs neyther must we be offended that the Lord doth take some and leaue some or that he should begin in some and not bryng his worke to perfection For he dealeth with them as with Corne. Some Corne is sowen neuer ryseth some springeth and yet shortly wythereth some groweth vp in the eare and yet is striken and blasted and other some at his good pleasure come to a timely ripenesse In lyke maner some trees are planted and neuer take roote some take roote and yet not blossome some blossome neuer bring foorth fruite and other some through his goodnesse do bring foorth fruite in good season If the Lorde deale so with the plant and hearbe of the fielde why may he not deale so with vs the sonnes of men If we can not conceaue the reason of this we must holde our peace for all the workes of God are done in righteousnesse and all our knowledge is vnperfect and therefore we must accuse our selues rather of ignorance then the Lord of vnrighteousnesse nay our selues do deale in lyke sort with those thynges which are vnder our handes In Colledges Fellowes are first chosen to be probationers and if they be then approued they be made Fellowes otherwyse not If a man being chyldlesse do take vnto him some friendes chylde to make him heyre of all his goodes he wyll keepe him vpon lyking if his manners be honest he shalbe preferred he may be set ouer all his familie and yet afterward for some