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
A49758	Parents groans over their wicked children several sermons on Prov. XVII, 25, published for the benefit of all, but especially of good parents and their children / by Edward Lawrence ...	Lawrence, Edward, 1623-1695.	1681 (1681)	Wing L654; ESTC R5524	46,723	144

bow themselves and their children who should be a staff and support to them do break their hearts and cause their grey-hairs to go with sorrow to the grave I now come to make application of this discourse Vse 1. Let such parents praise and honour God whom God hath bless'd with wise and holy and obedient children whether by those words in Psal 144.12 David means children accomplish'd with natural or spiritual endowments or both I shall not determine but to apply them to the case in hand I say it 's the great mercy of God to you that when so many children are as noisome weeds your sons should be as hopeful plants grown up in their youth and when so many make themselves ugly and deform'd with sin your daughters should be as corner-stones in which is seen the beauty of the building and the art and skill of the workman polished after the similitude of a palace Do not hence conclude that you are better parents than others or have had more care in the education of your children than others but ascribe all to the free grace of God who will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy 2. Let none presume to censure godly parents for their wicked children To him that is afflicted saith Job pity should be shew'd him from his friend Have they not trouble enough already but will you add to their affliction They have not hereby forfeited the good thoughts and esteem which you should have of them and if you judge them for this ye must judge as wise and holy Saints of God as ever were in the world though God herein doth sharply correct them yet he will not allow you to sit in judgment and to pass sentence upon them I say to you as Job to his friends Hold your peace let them alone and leave them to stand or fall to their own Master 3. This should fill the hearts of these holy parents with revenge upon Sin and Satan which have so debauch'd and defiled and destroy'd their dear children If a man should murder your child a spirit of revenge would rise in you and you would say to such a one I will have thy life and blood for the life and blood of my child but Sin and Satan have destroy'd both the precious soul and body of the child therefore labour as for other reasons so for this also to be reveng'd of them Labour to do as David did by the Lyon and the Bear which took a Lamb out of his flock he slew both the Lyon and the Bear and delivered the Lamb so do all ye can to reseue your poor lambs out of the jaws of Satan however labour to hate Sin and Satan more to promote Gods honour and kingdom and the salvation of souls more and this is the way to be reveng'd on Sin and Satan for the ruine of your children 4. I do hence exhort all holy and obedient children to acknowledge the grace of God to them that they are or have been the joy and crown of their parents It is his distinguishing grace that made you to differ from all wicked children and perhaps from some that came out of the same womb and sucked the same mothers breasts as you did Consider four things which are great matter of praise 1. That ye are the children of holy parents that ye may comfortably come to God in prayer and say we are the children of thy servant our father we are thy servants and the children of thy handmaid our mother bless God for your parents good counsels and examples and for a great part of an age of prayers which ye are daily receiving the benefit of if your parents are dead and in heaven it may put you into a holy and spiritual frame to think of the graces of God that did shine in them 2. That the same graces which dwelt in your good parents are in you Paul speaks of it as matter of praise to God that the same faith was in Timothy which dwelt first in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice and the Apostle John rejoyced greatly that he found the children of the elect Lady walking in truth 3. That thou art freed from those stings of conscience which graceless children shall one day feel for their disobedience to their parents thou mayest joyfully reflect that thou wast the joy of thy holy parents and that their lives have been made sweeter and their crosses easier by thee that thou art the honour and seal of their holy education when wicked children are the shame and reproach of their parents 4. That thou hast a right to that rich and precious promise annext to the fifth Commandment and mention'd Ephes 6.2 3. So that thou may'st be assur'd that it shall go well with thee both in this world and in the world to come I do seriously profess I had rather have a right to that one promise made to obedient children than to the best estate and inheritance under the Sun I shall finish this discourse 1. In prescribing some means to be us'd by those that may be or are parents to prevent this calamity 2. I shall direct those parents that groan under this calamity how to bear it 3. I shall give a serious exhortation to such children who are the grief and bitterness of their parents First I shall prescribe means to be us'd to prevent this calamity 1. Use all holy prudence and care in your choice of a yoke-fellow for if ye make your selves the husbands or wives of fools ye are like in time to become the fathers or mothers of fools when before the flood the members of Gods Church married with a wicked generation Genes 6.2 they brought forth a wicked posterity but to have a holy yoke-fellow is the way to have a holy seed and therefore what ye would most desire to have for your selves that labour to find in the person who is to be one flesh with you thou wouldst have thy self born of God thou wouldst have the Image of God and the life of Christ in thy self Labour that these things be in the person whom thou chusest for thy yoke-fellow but never make choice of one for thy husband or wife whom thou shouldst not chuse for thy companion 2. Be faithful and upright with God Prov. 20.7 The just man walketh in his integrity and his children are blessed after him If you would have grace and mercy for your children love and please the God of all grace and mercy whatever secret sins are in thee kill those sins for thy poor childrens sake lest the sins you too much harbour in your own hearts do break out in your childrens lives Parents may often see their own sins against their heavenly father in their childrens disobedience to them when your children despise you remember your want of honour and fear and reverence of God when they vex and trouble you remember how ye have griev'd and provoked him when they decline your company remember how