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	soul_n	spiritual_a	16,223	5	6.9968	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26059	The danger of hypocrisie a sermon preached at Guild-Hall Chappel, August 3d, 1673 / by William Asheton ...	Assheton, William, 1641-1711.	1673 (1673)	Wing A4027; ESTC R1873	12,256	37

to take good care that their hearts be right in the sight of God in this matter The Devil so he may but deceive them will easily transform himself into an Angel of Light That they are a Praying people that they are frequenters of Sermons we are so far from disliking that we tell them 't is but their Duty and commend them for it But we must withall remind them That there is something else to be done besides Preaching and Praying even the great things of the Law the Duties not only of the First but also of the Second Table which if they must neither be preached up by us nor practis'd by them lest thereby we should too much exalt a Moral state I must tell them and I do it with some dread upon my Spirits we may come to roar in Hell for not being Moral men Not every one c. For the Explication of the words I must shew First What it is to say Lord Lord. Secondly What to do the Will of his Father that is in Heaven To say Lord Lord it is to make an outward Profession by performing external acts of Worship that we are Christians that we believe in Jesus Christ that we acknowledge him for our Lord and look for Salvation by him That this may appear more plain and intelligible I must remind you that there is a twofold Worship or to speak more properly the name of Worship is consider'd two several ways 1. There is Internal Worship which denotes the exercise of those inward Graces whereby the Soul doth shew its dependence upon and Relation unto God as Faith Hope Love Patience c. 2. There is External Worship which comprehends such outward actions whereby the inward Piety and Devotion of the Soul in the exercise of the foremention'd Graces is express'd and cherish'd as Prayer hearing of Sermons Receiving the Sacraments and such outward Duties which are the Marks and Characters of a visible Church and whereby she is distinguish'd from all civil Societies So that the full meaning of this first Clause is this Not every one that saith c. Not every one that is a Member of the visible Church Not every one that is a Professor of Religion Not every one that can Preach or Pray or hear Sermons shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven No there is something more to be done and what that is the latter part of my Text informs you But he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven By the Doing of his Fathers Will is meant the Doing of those Duties of Obedience which his Father hath commanded in his Law particularly the Decalogue Which our Blessed Saviour is so far from destroying that he tells us expresly he came to fulfil it Not by the Addition of any new Precept the Socinian conceit Nor by taking off its Obligation as to the Person of a Believer the Antinomian fancy But First By fulfilling it in his own Person thus it behoveth us to fulfil all Righteousness 2. By a particular explication and wiping off the false Glosses of the Pharisees and other Jewish Doctors 3. By adding new and more spiritual Motives of Obedience to its former Obligations The words thus explain'd do afford us this Observation which I intend the subject of my present Discourse Observ An outward Profession of Religion without Obedience and amendment of Life is not sufficient to bring us to Heaven I shall give you these two Reasons for it First An outward Profession may be found R 1. in Hypocrites and Cast-aways such men as shall never come to Heaven Secondly An outward Profession of Religion R. 2. without Obedience and amendment of life is displeasing and abominable in the sight of God and therefore I argue à fortiori 't is not sufficient to bring us to Heaven The former Reason when put into Logick runs thus That which may be found in Hypocrites and Cast-aways such men as shall never come to Heaven is not sufficient to bring us to Heaven But an outward Profession of Religion without Obedience and amendment of life may be found in Hypocrites and Cast-aways such men as shall never come to Heaven Therefore 't is not sufficient to bring us to Heaven The Major Proposition stands upon this foundation That which gives us a Right and Title to Heaven must be something proper to the called and chosen of God something peculiar to his peculiar People Hence 't is that in Scripture we read of the faith of Gods Elect and amongst our Divines that we hear so often of these Distinctions Common and special Grace Gratia gratis data and gratia gratum faciens The Graces of Illumination and Sanctification The which latter being wrought by the blessed and powerful operation of the Holy Spirit of God after a most effectual but unconceivable manner regenerating and renewing seasoning and sanctifying the hearts of his Chosen though Hypocrisie may make such a semblance as that we who are oblig'd to the judgment of Charity may have probable inducements to perswade us that they are in such a man who hath nothing but their counterfeits yet the inward power and reality of them can never be found in any Hypocrite or Cast-away For such Persons being not united to Christ the Head of his Church cannot possibly have the truth of those spiritual Graces which do necessarily require such an union as the root and fountain from whence they must flow The right understanding of this is of great use in Divinity particularly for a true apprehension of our spiritual Estate and Condition and therefore before we proceed any farther I shall endeavour to make it as plain as I can Now since Spiritual Beings which are of a more abstracted nature are best known by reflecting upon things corporeal we cannot find a more easie way to understand this Spiritual union than by comparing it with the Union of the Body natural with which indeed it hath no small resemblance Every good Christian hath a twofold Life Natural and Spiritual And as his natural Life is twofold 1. Substantialis the Soul it self 2. Accidentalis the real Effects and Operations of it and in this sence it is that when we see a man stretched out in a swouning fainting fit without sense or motion we usually say The man is dead though his immediate recovery doth convince us that his Soul was still united to his Body So likewise his Spiritual life is 1. Substantialis and so the Spirit of Christ or Christ himself who is our Life Col. 3. 4. working in us by his Spirit is our vita Substantialis our essential Life the first Principle of all our Graces and Operations 2. Accidentalis and so Faith and all other Spiritual Graces are call'd our Life As therefore in Naturals unless the Soul be united to it the Body neither stirs nor moves neither sees nor hears nor walks nor performs any other Operation either of sense or motion so it is in Spirituals

mens Understandings or perverseness in their Wills that Apostolical Commission which was intended for the continuance as well as first planting of the Gospel will be still in force Go and teach all Nations When you have well consider'd this I hope you will more favourably receive those Reflections that follow I say it is not the regulated use of Preaching I inveigh against it is this superstitious doating upon Sermons I would willingly rectifie There is more of Popery in this practice would their prejudice but allow me the Reflection than the admired Proselytes of this fancy can easily apprehend 'T is no better whoever considers it than a perfect transcript of their Opus operatum For really these deluded People do talk at such a rate were it pertinent to recite their Discourses as if there were some secret Charm and hidden vertue in this constant hearing and repeating of Sermons whereby their Souls are secured and made impregnable against the Policy of Hell and the Powers of Darkness I cannot now stay to expostulate the Case with them yet I must crave leave to express my wonder that these People who are thus inspir'd with such a zeal for Sermons can yet be so cool and careless so perfectly unconcern'd for the Sacrament of the Lords Body Certainly it is as much our Duty there being as clear a Command for it as there is for Preaching and the Condition of our Souls doth as much nay more require it supposing a sound knowledge in Fundamentals than it doth the hearing of Sermons What is it therefore that makes this difference True Grace in the Heart it cannot be that you know is regular in its motions and hath an equal respect to all Gods Commands to one Duty as well as to another It must be acknowledg'd the infinite Patience and goodness of God that after all our multipli'd provocations he is yet ready to embrace us in the Arms of Love stretching out his hand all the day long intreating us to accept of Peace and Pardon which he is still ready to seal and confirm unto us in the Sacrament of his Blood And is this our requital of so glorious a Majesty thus scornfully to reject such gracious Invitations Do we thus consult our own happiness by neglecting the means of it Art thou sensible O sinner what it is thou dost when thou turn'st thy back upon the Sacred Elements If thou hast not lately consider'd it I 'le remind thee what it is When we present our selves before the Lords Table we do humbly make confession of our former breaches of his Covenant we do earnestly beg pardon for the sake of Jesus Christ the which pardon with much joy and comfort we expect to be now seal'd unto us by receiving the Sacred Elements we do faithfully promise to live better lives for the future and are now receiving strength Grace and the assistance of his holy Spirit to make good our engagements So that in short When the Table of the Lord is ready furnish'd and these Spiritual Dainties provided for you and yet you refuse to Communicate you do in effect thus reply to your Maker I am a Rebel and a Traytor and notwithstanding any Act of Pardon I will stand it out still I am filthy and I will be filthy still I am intemperate and I will be so still I am lustful and incontinent and I will be so still I am a covetous lying deceitful Person and I will be so still I have abus'd God's holy Name by cursing and swearing I have profan'd his Sabbaths and his Sacraments rejected the means of Grace and I will do so still I am proud censorious envious malicious hypocritical schismatical and I will be so still I will cast thy Counsel behind my Back I will hate to be reformed Certainly these are sad Resolutions and such as will not easily be answer'd in another world however men may think to avoid them in this I know indeed there are several Objections wherein men may hope to secure themselves The careless ignorant Person will tell you he is unprepar'd that he is fallen out with his Neighbour and is not in Charity There are others who scruple kneeling are afraid of Pollution by a mixt Communion Pitiful Fig-leaves these easily blown away did they not rather deserve especially in this Place a silent Pity than a serious Confutation Now to conclude the whole with some practical Inferences Is an outward Profession of Religion not sufficient to bring us to Heaven there is then 1. Conviction to all graceless prophane Persons Conviction who are so far from the power of Godliness that they have not so much as the form of it If the Hypocrite with all his Prayers and his Sermons and his zealous pretences for Reformation shall be thrown into Hell where shall the open sinner and ungodly appear If many of those that Prophesie in Christ's name and in his Name have cast out Devils and in his Name have done many wonderful works shall yet be sent packing with that doleful Protestation Depart from me I know you not ye workers of iniquity What may we then think of those that are so far from Prophesying in Christ's name that it is their business by Oaths and execrations daily to blaspheme it Who are so far from casting the Devil out of others that they give him a kindly welcome in their own hearts cherish and embrace all his wicked suggestions and as if they had sworn Allegiance to this Prince of Darkness by their sinful allurements do solicite his cause and make Proselytes for his Kingdom Secondly here is Direction for the trial of our 2. Direction Spiritual Estate and Condition even not to flatter our selves too much or be too jolly upon it though we find in our selves some shew of Godliness some zeal in the performance of outward Duties There 's no one part of practical Divinity of more comfortable use nor indeed any especially of late years more sadly abus'd than the Doctrine of Signs Marks and Characters of a state of Grace The great Benefit of this Doctrine whatever is insinuated to the contrary is easily establish'd by considering That our Souls are more precious than either Bodies or Estates As therefore according to the Principles of right Reason 't is the practice of mankind by the best methods we can to secure these outward concernments so doubtless 't is as highly rational to get as good evidence as the nature of the subject will permit that our Souls which are capable of the highest happiness or extreamest misery are in a secure Estate This Truth though necessary in the Doctrine is many times difficult and perplexing in the practice For though I do little doubt but by the mercy of God assurance of Salvation is attainable in this life and that without extraordinary Revelation at leastwise in such measure and degree as may sustain the Soul of an honest Christian with comfort and secure him from despair yet I do not