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	whole_a	13,673	5	5.8632	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47454	The counterfeit Christian, or, The danger of hypocrisy opened in two sermons : containing an exposition of that parabolical speech of our Blessed Saviour, Matth. XII, 43, 44, 45 ... / by Benjamin Keach ...	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1691 (1691)	Wing K55; ESTC R18720	49,835	62

Caeterum quum Spiritus impurus exierit à quopiam c. as well as unto that People who were carried away with cursed Hypocrisy When the unclean Spirit c. By the unclean Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is certainly meant the Devil called an unclean Spirit 1. Because he hath lost his own original Purity or clean and Holy Nature he being at first created an Angel of Light having like Holiness before he fell which the blessed and elect Angels of Heaven have 2. Because he is so universally filthy and abominable vile in himself and so remains and will abide for ever there being no Possibility for him to become better he being left and forsaken of God without any means afforded of being purged from his unclean and filthy Nature 3. Because he is not only unclean in himself but also defileth the Hearts and Spirits of all such Persons who receive and entertain him nay all the Pollution of our Nature yea the whole Nature of humane Race was originally from that Compliance and yeilding to him by our first Parents 't is this unclean Spirit that hath poysoned and notoriously defiled the whole Man both Body and Soul in all its Powers and Faculties and not the whole Man only but the whole World also And as this is naturally the filthy and miserable Condition of all Creatures so those who yield to his Temptations come to have farther Polution and Defilement cleave to their Hearts and Lives Sin is an unclean thing and it makes all such loathsom and abominable in the Sight of God who are overcome by it Though all naturally are vile and filthy yet there are Degrees of Uncleanness some are worse than others more wicked and so more like to the Devil in whom his very Image or Likeness clearly may be seen 4. He may also be called an unclean Spirit because he continually inticeth and strives to draw Men to Filthiness and to all manner of Uncleanness being an utter Enemy to all Purity and true Holiness envying all those who love it and strive to promote it Is gone out of a Man Not that the Man was actually possessed with the Devil as some may think though 't is very like the Lord Jesus may borrow this Parabolical Speech from a Person actually possessed but he sheweth hereby that all wicked Men are in a mystical and spiritual sense possessed with the Devil all graceless Sinners have an unclean Spirit in them Where Sin predominates and rules in the Heart there the Devil has Possession that Heart is Satan's Throne where he reigns and sways the Scepter Satan was said to enter into Judas and to fill the Heart of Ananias both these had this unclean Spirit in them the one was plagued or possessed with a treacherous Devil and the other with a lying Devil Hence 't is also said that Satan who is the Prince of the Power of the Air both worketh and ruleth in the Children of Disobedience Gone out Either by the Power and Force of the Grace of God in its common Operations he was thrown out or else through Policy he voluntarily leaves his House for a time with an Intention to return again with a stronger force Some adhere to the first sense and others to the last Gone out i.e. as a carnal prophane or black Devil for so he may be said to be in all debauched Persons and in this respect he may be said to be gone out or thrown out of the Pharisees and other false and counterfeit Professors he may not be able to keep them any longer under the Power of open and gross Prophaneness And from hence the Pharisee proudly breaks forth God I thank thee I am not as other Men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican Why may not Satan be expelled or forced out of his House in some degree by the common Influences of the Spirit All generally grant that legal Convictions and the Operation of common Grace through the Workings of natural Conscience have some considerable Power in them to reform the Life of a wicked Person Nor can I think Satan would yield to any Soul voluntarily so far as to let him become so much as civilized if he could help it therefore I rather think he was forced to give place as not being able to hold his own in some respect as formerly although whilst the Creature abides in his natural State not having a changed Heart Satan hath possession of that Soul still in a great measure and therefore he leaves no doubt a strong Guard behind him when he is said to go out though they may be said to hide themselves or retire into some lurking-holes and Corners of the House or rather of the Heart Satan cannot doubtless keep Possession always so far as to hold Men under the Power of gross and scandalous Sins or cause them to continue openly prophane such Power and Virtue is there in the common Operation of the Spirit or in legal Convictions and workings of natural Conscience together with the help of the external Ministration of God's Word and by the means of Afflictions and those severe Providences and Dispensations under which wicked Men may be exercised that it may tend to make them become other Men though it cannot change their Hearts yet it may make a great change in their Lives by which means they may look like Saints and talk like Saints and sanctified Persons and be taken for such too by the truly Godly nay and that which is worse may conclude within themselves they are converted since their former Enemy that debauched gross and unclean Spirit is gone out of them I am so far of the mind of James Arminius that Man by the means of that common Help and Power God affords to all in general may leave the gross Acts of Wickedness let Satan do what he can which has been often evinced by that Terror severe humane Laws have had on the Consciences of wicked and ungodly Persons I am perswaded were there a Law that he that swore an Oath or was Drunk or committed Adultery should have his right Hand cut off or be made a Slave all the days of his Life we should see Men would get Power over those Temptations of Satan and neither be Drunk nor commit Adultery He walketh through dry Places 1. Satan is said in that of Job To go to and fro in the Earth and to walk up and down in it Satan here speaks saith Mr. Caryl like a Prince therefore saith he Some conceive this was the Prince of Devils that is mentioned in this Text or Belzebub the chief of Devils He walketh about to view his Provinces and Territories from one place to another but he doth not walk to and fro as an idle Peripatetick but to enquire to observe and consider as a Spy to search all things and Persons as he passeth along Therefore 2. This noteth that Satan is a diligent Enemy if he hath lost a

Hair close to their Ears and so disguise themselves and censure others as guilty of great Abomination who will not imitate them as if the main Points of Religion lay in these foolish Formalities and Niceties and as if none were to be taken for Godly Christians but such who are just of their Height and Length and Breadth and conform to them in these smaller things that may be lawful notwithstanding what such say and render those odious who are better than themselves even as such who hate Instruction and cast God's Word behind them c. These Men seem to bear the exact Image of the Pharisees of old and though they thus strain at a Knat yet at the same time seem to swallow a Camel For one of this sort will be found it is to be feared guilty of horrid Lies and Slanders back-biting and reproaching his Neighbours seeming to be silled with Malice and Envy rendering a great body or multitude of godly Christians as a vile and wicked People without Exeption because they deny Babes Baptism as if they were Deceivers and cursed Impostors yet a People sound in all the Essentials of true Religion and of holy and gracious Lives our Enemies themselves being Judges and only differ from our Brethren in that one thing which no wise nor worthy Men make absolutely necessary to Salvation And 't is not unknown how many learned Persons who in the Point of Baptism differ from us have acknowledged that we have the Word of God plain for us in that matter Moreover have confessed Infants Baptism is doubtful and therefore called for Moderation and Charity But little of this appears in some censorious Zealots though God but a few Years ago made a dreadful Example of one Man for his evil envious and reproachful Pen near this City enough to make all to tremble And it ought never to be forgotten how he abused the People falsely called Anabaptists in a small Pamphlet is not unknown to many and what Terror of Conscience he soon after fell under and in Despair hanged himself in Bricklane under the sense and Aprehension of God's fearful Wrath and Displeasure crying out against himself for writing that cursed Book to the last declaring that his State was worse than Cain's Judah's or Spirah's and that he had touched the Apple of God's Eye c. This may also reprove the Churches of Christ and the Pastors of them more particularly for their Carelessness and Negligence in receiving in Persons tho I know none to charge yet I am afraid we have generally failed herein O that greater care may be taken for the time to come 't is not a great Church but a holy and good Church Christ loves I am perswaded it would be better with the Churches if many were severed from them But O how seldom have any been dealt with either for Pride or Covetousness as if we were not able to find out such Offender as well as others Moreover it sharply reproves those Preachers whose great Business 't is to bring Men into visible Profession and make them Members of Churches whose Preaching tends more to bring Persons to Baptism and to subject to external Ordiances than to shew them the necessity of Regeneration Faith or a changed Heart For the Lord's sake take heed what you do if you would be pure from the Blood of all Men. We too often see when People are got into Churches they conclude all is well and when Conversion is preached they do not think it concerns them but others who are openly prophane and thus they come to be blinded may be to their own Destruction and if their Blood do not lie at some of your Doors it will be well I am afraid some now adays like the Pharisees may be said to compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes but when made are twofold more the Children of Hell than before as our Saviour intimates It may also put us all upon a strict Examination of our own Hearts lest we should be found some of these false and counterfeit Christians And that we may clear our selves in this matter Consider 1. Were you ever throughly convinced of your sinful and lost Condition by Nature and of that horrid Evil there is in Sin Did you ever see Sin as the greatest Evil most hateful to God not only of the evil Effects of Sin but also of the evil Nature of Sin not only as it has made a Breach between God and Man but has also defaced the Image of God in Man and made us like the Devil filling our Minds with Enmity against God Godliness and good Men. 2. Is there no secret Sin lived in and favoured the evil Habit never being broke Is not the World more in your Affections Desires and Thoughts than Jesus Christ 3. Are you willing to suffer and part with all that you have rather than sin against God Do you see more evil in the least Sin than in the greatest Suffering 4. Do you as much desire to have your Sins mortified as pardoned to be made holy as well as to be made happy Do you love the Work of Holiness as well as the Reward of Holiness Do you love the Word of God for that Purity which is in it as well as the Advantage that comes by it 5. Have you seen 〈◊〉 your own Righteousness as filthy Rags and have you been made poor in Spirit 6. Have you received a whole Christ with a whole Heart A whole Christ comprehends all his Offices and a whole Heart includes all our Faculties Is not your Heart divided 7. Is Christ precious to you even the chiefest amongst ten thousand Are you the same in private as in publick Do you love Christ above Son or Daughter Do you love the Person of Christ 8. Can you bear Reproof kindly for your Faults and look upon him your best Friend that deals most plainly with you 9. Do you more pry into your own Faults than into the Miscarriages of others Are you universal in your Obedience And do you obey Christ's Word his Commands because you love him 10. Have you been the same in a day of Adversity as now you are in a day of Prosperity 11. Can you say you hate Sin as Sin Is your Mind spiritual and set upon Heavenly things Do you love the Saints all the Saints though some of them are not of your Sentiments in some Points of Religion 12. Can you go comfortably on in the ways of Christ though you meet with little esteem amongst the Saints Can you stay your Souls upon God though in Darkness having no Light Is all the stress of your Justification and Salvation built upon Jesus Christ Consider of these few Questions and do not doubt but that your Hearts are sincere when you can give a comfortable Answer to them though it be with some fear and doubts that still may arise in you A true Christian is ready to mistake his