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
A79883	Ministers dues and peoples duty; or A bill of accounts between ministers and people: shewing vvhat people owe unto their ministers; which may also serve to mind ministers, what they are to expect from their people. By Sam. Clark M.A. sometimes fellow of Pembroke-Hall in Cambridg, and now minister of Grendon Under-wood in Buckinghamshire.	Clark, Samuel, 1626-1701.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1661 (1661)	Wing C4494; Thomason E1057_4; ESTC R204352	37,580	60

how to behave your selves better and as becomes Christians The words thus opened and anatomized shew you something that concerns the Ministry and something that concerns the People or Populary Division That which concerns Ministers is A description of them both by their dignity that they are over their people in the Lord and by their duty more generally they labour among you and more especially they admonish you or instruct you That which concerns the People is their Duty towards their Ministers viz. to know them and this earnestly pressed upon them by a most friendly and patheticall supplication We beseech you Brethren manifesting both the weightiness and concernment of this duty as also the necessity of performing it Hence many Doctrines might easily be raised but I shall only take up that point that lies uppermost next my hand and which is the principall intendment of the words viz. Observation God expects and requires of people that they should carry and behave themselves towards their Ministers as is befitting such a relation that they should diligently perform all those duties towards their Ministers that he hath commanded them The 5th Commandment enjoyns the duties of all relations now there being a neer and necessary relation between Pastor and people the duties of each and therefore of people to their Pastor as well as of Pastors to their people are there commanded But you will find the full proof of the Point in those severall particular duties which people owe to their Ministers which are as follow High Estimation Singular Affection Diligent Attendance Ready Obedience Patient Submission Humble Meekness Holy Imitation Carefull preservation of their Credit Cheerfull Maintenance Fervent Prayer and Gratefull Memoriall Where by the way pray you take notice that I lay upon you no other or greater burden than these necessary things plainly held forth in Scripture The first duty that people owe to their Ministers for I begin with those which are next neighbours to the Text is 1. A high Esteem and Account of them High Estimation Esteem them very highly ver 13. Marke An ordinary Esteem will not serve the turn He contents not himself with the bare word of Esteem but adds two other words to set forth the wonderfull high esteem you should have of them 'T is not enough to esteem them after an ordinary manner as you do other men but you must esteem them Highly or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundantly nor is that yet enough but you must do it b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over and above abundantly or beyond measure as a phrase c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very neer of kin to it is rendred Mar. 6.21 The like expression is not used concerning any other sort of men what ever 'T is but d 1 Pet 1.17 Honour the King and c Exod. 9.12 Honour thy Father and Mother Honour barely without any more adoe but here 't is Esteem them very highly This is elsewhere called Double-Honour 1 Tim. 5.17 A single is not sufficient They must have a double portion of Honour to other men not only a Child's portion but a First-borns portion into whose place they are adopted f Numb 3 12. People are commanded also to Hold them in reputation Phil. 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esteem them precious g So the word is rendred 1 Pet. 2.4 6. your Jewels and treasures or Honourable h accounting their very feet much more their other parts beautifull Rom. 10.15 Thus the Galatians prized and rated Paul h So Luk 14.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4 14. Acts 10.25 a more honourable man then thou when they counted him as an Angel of God yea even as Jesus Christ and Cornelius Peter when he gave him such extraordinary reverence and respect and indeed a little too much as appears by Peters words ver 26. And the people of Antioch Chrysostom when they cried out upon his silencing satius est ut Sol non luceat quam Chrysostomus non doceat better that the Sun should be eclipsed then Chrysostome silenced Yea thus did Joash an Idolater value and respect the Prophet Elisha when he cried out upon Elisha's being sick O my father my father the charet of Is●ael and the horsemen thereof Nay the very Heathens who therefore will rise up in judgment against many Christians set such a high price upon their diabolicall Votaries 2 King 12.14 that one of the Romane Consuls riding in his chariot and seeing a Priest and some vestall Virgins going on foot descended and would not go into it again till they were first placed Yet mistake me not in this point I would not be understood to speak so much of outward respect we do not stand so much upon that I do not say the Honour you owe to us is such as is due to Magistrates and the great men of the world we do not challenge to our selves either that civill authority or those titles or that outward pomp and state or that wealth and abundance that is due to them No our message is spirituall our Master is heavenly and his Kingdom is not of this world and therefore his Officers must not gape after worldly Honour But as in his servants he looks principally to the heart and will be worshipt in spirit so that honour that belongs to us is chiefly inward and spirituall consisting especially in a high esteem of the Excellency Necessity and Utility of our calling and emplyment And yet withall as we must serve God with our bodies as well as our souls 1 Cor. 6.20 and it is as impossible there should be true inward devotion without some outward expressions some time or other as for an opacous body to be in the light of the Sun without casting a shadow so let me tell you that where there is an inward Honour and respect it is impossible but that that man that understands himself should make fome outward manifestation thereof in a civill way which particularly in this case must be done partly in words 1 Tim. 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder but entreat him as a Father Rebuke not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerke him not lash him not chastise him not with the scourge of the tongue handle him not roughly box him not about the ears with any uncivill disrespectfull language by prating to him as Diotrephes did 3d Ep. Joh. v. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prating with evill words You must not talke to them saucily malepertly impudently insolently sharply roughly slightingly or any way unhandsomely but entreat them as Fathers speak reverently submissively humbly respectfully to them as children to their Parents If you find any thing rebukeable in them you must tell them of it in an humble manner and entreat them to be more cautious for the time to come and partly in gesture by a respectfull carriage towards them as Obadiah the Governour of King Ahab's house meeting with Elijah fell on his face before him

first moved me to preach on this Subject so want of sufficient meanes thorowly to know their duty prevailed with me to print it Oportet eum qui instruit rudes animos talem esse qui pro ing●ni● auditorum possit se aptare Gratian. And as you see it is set out in a plain garb and familiar style as being calculated for the Meridian of Country-capacities which usually for the generality are not of any great latitude And therefore some of the particulars here published were omitted in the Preaching because in all probability they would have flown over the heads of most if not of all of my hearers and I desire to shoot just breast-high and to aim especially at the hearts or however never above the heads of my Auditors Again other passages may seem to some abominable truths which they are unwilling to hear and take notice of and yet they cannot tell how to gainsay but if truths they must not be alwayes thrown aside and disregarded they must neither be alwayes concealed by Ministers nor neglected by people and what more fitting season for the declaring of them then such an opportunity And lastly some things may be disputable which all do not agree in concerning which if any one shall vouchsafe nostras esse aliquid putare nugas and so far inhance the price of them as to render them considerable by a publick refutation yet I do not take my self bound to enter the lists with any one in their defence and to engage in such a quarrel for my design as hath been said was only to acquaint people with their much neglected duty wherein I have given them my judgement of what came in my way if any be otherwise minded in any of the particulars I shall not quarrel with them There are too many differences in the Church already de larâ caprinâ about these extra essential points which have made it very * Litigandi pruritus est Ecclesiae scabies Wotton scabbed I had rather stroke than scratch it be a peace-maker than a peace marrer My aim is to quicken those that are remiss to practise not to provoke the learned to contend And if this Discourse may be any way usefull to thee in this way give God the glory and pray for a further blessing upon his endeavours who is Thine in the Lord S. C. 1 Thessal 5.12 And we beseech you Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you THe subject of these words though Introduction it may be not so toothsome and acceptable to some palates yet I am sure it is both wholsome and profitable yea and necessary too there being no way to Heaven but by Christ a Joh. 14.6 no way to Christ but by Faith b Joh. 1.12 no way to faith but by Hearing c Ro. 10.14 no way to hear but by a Preacher d Ro. 10.14 no likelihood of profiting by what he preaches without some esteem of and affection to both his doctrine and person e Mar. 6.4 5. and a competent performance of the other duties hereafter to be mentioned And therefore consulting rather how to profit then to please people I have made choice of these words to be handled at this time which I may call The peoples directory how to carry themselves toward their Ministers I gloss them thus Explication And or But. i. e. Though private charitative edification mentioned in the words immediately preceding the Text be to be endeavoured yet not to the prejudice and disadvantage of publike and authoritative Duties must not starv eat up or justle out one another No God will have mercy and sacrifice both in this sense we The Ministers and Messengers of Christ authorized by him to bind and loose See Dr Lightf Harm of N.T. Sect. 52. i. e. according to the common use of that phrase among Jewish writers to teach you what is lawfull what unlawfull what you ought to do and what to forbear And more particularly and especially I Paul who am guided by the unerring Spirit of God in what I now write to you and require of you beseech Though we might be much bold in Christ i. e. in his Name and by vertue of that authority he hath given us to enjoyn you that which is fitting and convenient and require your obedience thereto yet for loves sake to shew our affection and love to you and our gentleness and mildness towards you we beseech and entreat as if it were some great courtesie and kindness to our selves whenas it is your own greatest concernment you The private members of the Church of Thessalonica and in you all Christians of your rank and place to the end of the world Brethren Though 't is true you be our younger Brethren as I may so say for we are Elders and so ought to be guided by us yet because you are our brethren and children of the same Father and Mother therefore we deal thus gently lovingly and respectfully with you to know Which is not meant of a bare personall but of a practicall knowledge for verba sensus c. i. e. so to carry your selves as befits the relation you stand in them that labour among you i. e. your Ministers whose calling is a painfull laborious imployment how sleight soever some make of it for Solomon saith Much study or reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Luther renders predigon preaching is a weariness to the flesh ay and to the spirits too spending them more then any bodily exercise whatsoever as appears by those consumptions apoplexies and such like diseases which Ministers are more subject to then others and are over you in the Lord Whom God hath set to be your spirituall Parents to beget you unto God and Nurses to feed you with the sincere milk of the word and Guides to direct you in your way to Heaven and Physicians to counsell you for your souls good And therefore though you be never so high and much above them in other respects yet in these respects they are above you yea above the highest For as Ministers are no where in Scripture exempted from the secular power so nor * I grant that Cleries both may and ought to display their colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violate their publike and solemn Oath do raise make open warre against Jesus Christ King ●ames's defence of right of Kings against Card. Petron. p. 113. Edit in 4o. Magistrates from the Ecclesiasticall but if there be an a Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers omnis anima that reaches Ministers so there 's a b Joh. 20.23 Whosesoever sins ye remit c. cujuscunque that includes Magistrates and admonish you or instruct you Where you are faulty they must deal plainly and truly with you and reprove you for your miscarriages and teach you

their Ministers with sufficient abilities for discharge of their place Ephes 6.18 19. Col 4.3 4. 2 Thes 3.1 that he would deliver them from wicked and unreasonable men ver 2. and all other dangers and calamities and direct them to speak fitly to the peoples capacities understandings affections temptations and suitably and seasonably to all their occasions And truly great need have people to pray for their Ministers 1. Because it is of all callings the most difficult which made the Apostle cry out Gouge Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 The Ministers office is to quicken such as are dead in sins raise up and restore such as are fallen comfort the troubled in conscience strengthen the weak encourage the faint-hearted confound the obstinate stand against all adverse power with many other the like all which are very difficult things 2. Because faithfull Ministers are more opposed by Satan and his instruments than any other sort of men whatsoever Zach. 3.1 When Joshua stood before the Angell of the Lord to receive his Commission Satan stood at his right hand to resist him As soone as Christ was pubickely set apart to performe his Ministeriall function Satan set upon him in the wildernesse Mat. 4. begin And ever after the Scribes Pharisees and Sadduces and other limbes of the Divell persecuted him from time to time And in our own times we see the storm of the fury of the Quakers and other Sectaries as also of profane loose and ungodly persons falls especially upon the Ministers 3. Because their failing in duty is most dangerous for if they perish many perish with them they are like the Admirall Ship that caries the lanthorn whereby the whole fleet is guided if that miscarry all the rest are at a losse As when Peter slipt aside out of the way many Jewes and Barnabas also was carried away with them Gal. 2.13 O therefore let your Ministers never be forgotten in your prayers A gratefull memoriall A gratfull memoriall of them when dead and gon or removed to some other place Heb. 13.7 Remember those your Rulers so it should be translated who have spoken to you the word of God Let their memory be blessed as Solomons phraise is Prov. 10.7 So as to blesse and praise God for them and for the benifit you reaped from their labours while you did enjoy them as also to praise them and speake well of them as the LXX render that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember them also so as to take all occasions of manifesting your respects unto them if they be yet alive and only removed from you by desiring and rejoycing to see them againe Thus it was with the Thessalonians concernning Paul 1 Thes 3.6 When Timothy came from you to us he brought us glad tidings of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us alwayes desiring greatly to see us Or if they be dead by shewing the kindnesse of the Lord to their posterity Such a remembrance of them as it is the greatest honour that living people can do to their deceased or departed Pastors so it wil be an excellent means to keep them free from the infection and seduction of false teachers to establish them in the truth they received from those Ministers and to keep them steady in the way of righteousnesse wherein those Ministers walked before them Well you have now heard what duties you owe unto your Ministers Now is there any of you that can or dare deny these things to be the word of God If so stand forth and speake that we may know Christians from Heathens But if you cannot but acknowledg this that I have spoken for the substance of every duty to be the expresse word and will of God then consider how you will ever be able to answeare it another day to God and your own consciences if being informed of your duty you do not practise it but remaine disobedient and rebellious against the Law of God But I hope better things of you c. But more particularly Vse 1 Be carefull to render to all and therefore to your Ministers their dues as you are required to do Rom. 13.7 You use to call their tithes their dues but you have seen there are many more dues belong to Ministers from their people besides them and which you should make as much conscience of paying and be every whit as carfull to com out of their debt for as for them And therefore I say be carefull to render as to Cesar the things that are Cesars to the Civill Magistrate what belongs to him so to God the things that are Gods and to his Embassadors Ecclesiasticall Magistrats the things that belong to them I shall steele and strengthen this Exhortation by backing it onely with this one consideration taken from The Interest you have in them for the benifit and behoofe of your Soules All that we Ministers have or are is yours Paul Apollos and Cephas are yours 1 Cor. 3.22 We are your servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 Our a A Ministers gifts are the Town-stock given for the good of the soules both of rich and poore Gurn. Abilities are for your Edification Ephe. 4.11 12. he gave some Pastors and Teachers for the Edifying the body of Christ Our Authority also is for the same end viz. for your Edification not your destruction 2 Cor. 10.8 Whence there arises a great and necessary dependance of people upon their Ministers for their Soules good insomuch that it 's impossible in any ordinary way that ever you should come to Heaven but by there help For 1. From us you receive the meanes which God hath ordained for the bringing you to Salvation To us is committed the word of reconciliation Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.17 And we are his Embassadours sent with Commission and authority about the weightiest businesse that ever was taken in hand even the treating and concluding a peace between God and your Soules To us also is committed the Administration of the Sacraments and we are the Keepers of Gods Seales so as that you cannot have them but from our hands 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the stewards of the mysteries of God Yea to us are committed the Keies of the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 16.19 We have that authority from God to assure you in his name according to Scripture-rules of the pardon of such sins as trouble your consciences as no man in the world hath besides Yea 2. You do not onely receive the outward meanes of your salvation from us but which is far more by us God gives you his Spirit and saving grace also and conveies it into your hearts God saith the Apostle hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 Insomuch that where there is any truth of grace some Minister or other was the Spirituall Father to beget it or