Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bondage_n	fear_n	work_a	44	3	17.2801	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30582	Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.]	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1668 (1668)	Wing B6081; ESTC R4316	194,926	239

the Word which before terrified my Conscience yet now my sin being pardoned my soul is reconciled and the Word of God speaks nothing but good unto me and all those fears that before so terrified me are dispell'd But may not a pardoned man have these fears or somewhat of the nature of them resting on his spirit after he is pardoned Yea he may but the ground of them is dispel'd and gone it is not the work of Gods Spirit that causes these fears as it did before Rom. 8.15 You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father may be you may have some fears but being justified by faith you have not again received the spirit of bondage if hereafter you have any fears of Gods judgments and wrath against you it is not the spirit of bondage the Spirit of God that causes these fears your own selves may mistake the matter for those that once receive the spirit of bondage never after receive it you may have fears through your own mistakes but not by the Spirit of God as the spirit of bondage shewing us our bondage by our sins and working terrors on the soul for it these fears are dispell'd for in our peace with God in the pardon of sin the matter of enemity between God and the soul is taken away there is this in it which might have been added in the mysteries When a Prince pardons a malefactor he gives him his life and he is glad goes away but the Prince regards him not any more and possibly he may yet have enmity in his heart against the Prince still But God when he pardons a sinner not only is the enmity taken away but forthwith that soul is brought into the state of infinite friendship he receives the soul into his very heart so that there shall be a greater and more intimate love and friendship between his Majesty and that Soul than ever was between the greatest and dearest friends in the world this is wonderful and yet this is so for as when God comes to pardon sin there is not only taking away the guilt of sin but the soul is made actually righteous in Justification so also there is not only a taking away of the enmity between God and the soul that was there before but he receives the soul into infinite love and takes him into infinite friendship with himself Oh the sweetness and blessedness of that mans state whose sins are pardoned Reconciliation with God follows thereupon and he takes the soul into his bosome-love Further upon this there follows two things Peace in Conscience and with the Creatures being justified by faith he hath peace with God and as the immediate consequence thereof peace in Conscience and with all the Creatures 1. Peace in Conscience those fears and grating terrors that arose on guilt of Conscience are gone those dismal accusations of Conscience are still'd though 't is true a mans Conscience may trouble him after Pardon and Justification but it is through mistake the ground of all those troubles of Conscience are gone 't is with trouble of Conscience after pardon of sin as with the Sea you that are Marriners may see the wind at Sea raising the boisterous waves on high yet after the wind is quite down 't is a great while before they be still and quiet so in mens souls it is guilt of sin that causes woful disturbances but when God pardons sin he comes into the Soul as Christ in the Ship and bids all be still and though through our weakness after the sting and guilt is removed Conscience is troubled yet is God pleased to help the weakness of his People sooner or later not only to pardon sin in the Court of Heaven but in the Court of Conscience too and then all fears and troubles are gone certainly those that know what the burnings throbbings and ailings of an accusing Conscience means they know what a blessing it is to have Peace of Conscience a great blessing to have all well there because the Soul hath much to do with Conscience and Conscience hath much to do with God yea only to do with God and if all be well with that which hath so much to do with the Almighty it is a great blessedness blessed is the man that is thus pardoned 2. There follows this also Peace with the Creatures If I should meet with these in a full Text each of them might require a Sermon themselves to shew the excellency of a quiet Conscience and peace with the Creatures But I must but touch it here God is Lord of Hoasts and all the creatures stand armed ready to avenge Gods quarrel and not only do they stand in readiness but there is a kind of cry in the creatures to God to make them the Executioners of his wrath Shall I go and strike this Drunkard says one and shall I strike this Blasphemer says another All the creatures in heaven earth cry against thee every day But when God pardons thy sin all the creatures presently become thy friends when the Judge hath quitted a Malelefactor the under-Officers have nothing to do with him Conscience and the Creatures they are under-Officers and when God is at peace they are at peace too When Joab came and stab'd Absalom the ten young men that were his Armour-bearers did so too so if God come to a sinner unpardoned and give him a stab all the Creatures will be ready to stab him too but when God comes and pardons thy sin He makes a league with thee and the stones of the field as the Scripture speaks that is the first great mercy that flows in to the Soul upon pardon of sin and peace with God Of Gods Revealing his Secrets to those whom he Pardons 2. This follows upon pardon of sin God comes in a wonderful gracious way to reveal himself to that soul he comes to reveal his secrets to that soul he pardons and pardon of sin is the very ground of the Revelation of the Secrets and Mysteries of God by the Spirit to that Soul Jer. 31.33 among other particulars in the New Covenant God promiseth they shall be all taught of God in Heb. 8. that Text is quoted something more fully than in the Prophet vers 10 11. They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Mark For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Pardon of sin is made the ground of Gods teaching them his Covenant They shall know me from the least to the greatest you little ones and young ones if God please to bring you to Christ and pardon your sin a glorious light shall come into your souls God will shew himself in a glorious manner to you there shall be another manner of light

you my sons to do thus and thus against me I remember 't is reported of Caesar when many with their Poinyards came about him and stab'd him in the Senate-House at length comes Brutus whom he had done much good for he comes and gives him a blow he look't upon him and cries out What thou my son Brutus wilt thou give me a blow and stab It went nearer to the heart of Caesar to have Brutus come and give him a wound and stab than for all the other that came round about and stab'd him so Christ may look upon thee for whom he has purchas 't pardon shed his blood and laid down his life for What thou my son wilt thou sin against me for wicked wretches that are strangers to him no marvel if they sin against him but for you that are his sons his redeemed ones that have received such pardoning grace and mercy for you to sin this goes to the heart of Christ more than the sins of the ungodlyest wretch in all the Parish And would you not be loath to do more against Christ than the vilest wretch in the Parish you that have received so much mercy from Christ Further other mens sins anger God but no mens sins grieve the Spirit of God so as the sins of those that have received pardon they go to the heart of God and greive the Spirit by which they are sealed the Spirit of God that hath sealed to your souls the pardon of your sins let not that Spirit be grieved 't is a greater sin to grieve the blessed Spirit of God than you are aware of Further yet once more you bring a disgrace upon the Doctrine of Assurance of Pardon We preach that a man may not only have some good hopes that his sins are pardoned but we say God hath revealed such a fulness of riches of grace in the Gospel that a man may have certain and full assurance of the pardon of his sin as if he heard a voyce from Heaven speaking to him by name thy sins are pardoned or as if when Christ in the days of his flesh said to any one son go in peace thy sins are pardoned certainly there may be as full assurance of pardon of sin by the witness of the Spirit of God as if such a voyce came from Heaven But our Adversaries say open but that gap and 't is an open way for men to take liberty to commit any sin What need men care what sins they commit when they know they are pardoned that has been objected against us but now we say there is such a vertue in the grace of God going along with pardoning of sin that heals the soul as well as comforts the soul we answer it thus but you take away our answer and digrace that blessed Doctrine of Pardon of Sin for wherein does it appear there is such a healing power in the assurance of the pardon of sin if it be so then you would walk more strictly than any man in the world can do in the time of the greatest horror of Conscience that possible can be and this would bring an honour to the Doctrine of Assurance but you by sinning after pardon How do you disgrace this blessed Doctrine and take away the answer out of our mouths So much for the present to be spoken to those that dishonour the pardoning mercy of God by sinning after pardon CHAP. XV. Of the Dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it 2. Of the Evil of it THere is one sort more that are great dishonourers of the pardoning grace of God and they are those that think they honour him and yet dishonour him exceedingly such as being apprehensive of the greatness of their sins the vileness of them and their own misery by reason whereof lie down in a sullen desperate discouraging mood under the wait and burden of them and are ready to turn against themselves saying certainly my condition is such as I must expect no other but to lie for ever under the burden of my sins and bear for ever the punishment of them I have heard much indeed of the riches of the pardoning grace of God but for my part my condition is such that little expectation I have of being made partaker of it certainly this kind of sullen discouragement in lying under our sins is a mighty aggravation of our sin and exceedingly dishonourable to the pardoning grace of God many that are thus let them hear never so much opened of the riches of the Gospel and the infiniteness of the grace of God all is nothing to them it raises them not from the sullenness of their hearts and the dicouragement of spirit that hangs upon them they are like to those in Exod. 6.9 that Moses spake unto but they hearkened not for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage God sent Moses to shew them the grace of God to deliver them from their bondage but says the Text they hearkened not to Moses only for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage so many People when God comes to awaken their Consciences there is so much anguish in the sense of their sin that they hearken not to what is said let them hear never so much in private or in publick they are just where they were the same complaints sullenness and objections as before you may answer all their objections against the grace of God that they know not what to say but go away for half an hour and they will have the same objections as if never any thing had been said unto them certainly there is more evil in this then you are aware of this limiting and determining of Gods grace t is true there is reason to judge your selves unworthy and that God may deny you but that God will deny you is another thing there is a great deal of difference in these some when they are put upon the use of means will confess they ought to attend upon them and that they will do it but yet when I have done all I have little hopes that God will deliver me but I shall dye and perish in my sins as that woman 1 Kings 12.17 saies she I am a poor Woman I have but a handful of meal in the barrel and a little Oyl in a Cruse and am gathering two sticks that I may eat it and dye so much as I have I am preparing and when I have eaten this I must dye thus saies many a soul I may go hear the word and pray but to little purpose But I will go and do them and then I must dye It is but little that I can make of Prayer when I have spoken two or three words I am presently distracted with wandring thoughts Two or three sticks I may lay together but when I have done that I must dye Now know and consider this day what from God shall be said unto you thou much dishonourest the pardoning grace of God First Know it is

thy soul Do not I now find the work of God in me do not I find him now drawing of my heart out of the world unto himself and does not my heart listen unto this call for the call of God is not only at first conversion but God is alwayes calling and drawing the heart from the world unto himself if thou can'st not make use of the work of God heretofore make use of his present work upon thee Again those whom God justifies they enter into Covenant with God for it was by way of Covenant as I told you they give up themselves to God in an everlasting Covenant But when did I come into Covenant with God I am afraid I am not the man or woman in Covenant with God I cannot remember any such work perhaps thy heart sinks down within thee because thou can'st not clear up this work of entring into Covenant with God heretofore Now the time that thou spendest in seeking after this work spend it in entring now into Covenant with God at this present time it will be no hinderance to thee that thou can'st not find what was heretofore if now at this present thou can'st surrender up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant this is enough do it Now if you can find your hearts now come in and yield up your selves into Covenant with God you may have the comfort of this Evidence as fully as if you clearly remembred all the former transactions and the work of God upon you in your first entring into Covenant with God Again those that had their sins pardoned I told you were brought into the Kingdom of Christ but you will say I cannot remember how I was translated Take now upon you the Scepter of Jesus Christ many trouble themselves saying I never found such humiliations and troubles for sin as you speak of or as others have found How is it now with your souls Do you find sin now a burden to your souls Is it not the greatest affliction If you were put to your choice had you not rather suffer any thing in the world than sin against God and not only out of Convictions of Conscience but because you find a frame of spirit in your hearts suitable thereunto for an Hypocrite he may have Convictions of Conscience but the frame of his spirit is not suited thereunto in you there is a frame of spirit suitable to the convictions of Conscience within you though you cannot remember you have had such sorrows and troubles in convictions for sin as others have had while they were under the spirit of bondage yet you may be comforted by the present frame of spirit that you have and so in the like cases if you cannot find your old Evidences fall to work to renew your Evidences and do not spend time in lying down under the discouragements of your own hearts The sixth Rule is this When you examine your selves to find out your Evidences carry this thought along with you that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and this will be of marvellous use unto you perhaps to some these are very dry things and they see but little in them and scarce know what they be but I hope there be many others that have knowledge of an eternal state to be between God and their souls I hope I speak things will be very precious to them yea I say unto many of you for while I am in this argument I am speaking to such as have had the fear of God faln upon their hearts and they have made it the great business of their lives above all things in this world to know how tearms are between God and their souls to know how it stands with them for their everlasting estates I know abundance of people scarce ever call these things in question to whom these Rules will be of little or no use at all but if I speak to some or any one troubled soul to help and direct them though I do no good to others I shall think my time well spent wherefore then in your examinations ever carry this with you that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and not in a Covenant of works Certainly that many are so troubled in their Consciences about their eternal estates it is on this ground because they look upon God in the way of the Covenant of works if they find any corruptions stirring and breaking forth and temptations strong upon them they think presently all is naught and that God will never accept of them What is the reason If we had to deal with God in a Covenant of works the least stirring of corruption it is enough to cast the soul down into eternal horrour as Adam though he had never so much goodness before by the Image of God upon him yet one sin eternally cast him if there had not come in a Covenant of grace Now though people will acknowledge there is a Covenant of grace yet upon the stirring of their corruption they carry it as that it serves for no other use than if they had to deal with God in a Covenant of works and as if there were no Covenant of grace at all Now what a dishonour is this to the riches of Gods goodness in the Covenant of grace that tells us We are not to be judged for our eternal estate by the Covenant of works and tells us that he that must be our Judge for our eternal condition is our Advocate with the Father and tells us also that God accepts of the uprightness and the sincerity of the heart and that the want of perfection shall never damn thy soul He that stands before the Lord to make atonement and to be our Advocate to plead with the Father for us he it is that must be the Judge of our eternal estate and therefore when I set my self before the Lord I consider that I have to deal with him in a Covenant of grace Suppose I find and feel such and such corruptions and weaknesses in me Is it not possible that my estate is happy by the Covenant of grace Collect your selves and say Why do I determine of my everlasting condition Have I to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and cannot these imperfections stand with it Why do I make such conclusions that my state is naught because of the stirrings of such and such corruptions The doubts and fears of most Christians arise from hence because they have not a clear understanding of the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works there is nothing in the world would so satisfie the Consciences of men and women so as a clear understanding of the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works Many people cry out of the Preachers that they disquiet and trouble the hearts of people by their Preaching the truth is no Preachers occasion so much the trouble and perplexity of Consciences as those that