Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bring_v	young_a	youth_n	83	3	7.6717	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17927	A sermon preached in Oxford-shire; by Nicholas Cantrel, Master in Arts. Published at the request of Sir Richard Blunt	Cantrell, Nicholas.	1624 (1624)	STC 4588; ESTC S118531	21,341	42

A SERMON PREACHED IN OXFORD-SHIRE BY NICHOLAS CANTREL Master in Arts. Published at the request of Sir RICHARD BLVNT LONDON Printed by H. L. for MATTHEVV LOWNES 1624. IOSH. 24.15 But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. THE best cognizance that saving grace hath is Perseverance and a continuall increase in grace according unto that of David Such as be planted in the house of God shall flourish in the Courts of the house of the Lord they also shall bring forth more fruit in their age Psal 92.12 Manie men indeed begin well but in continuance of time they are wearie of well-doing and their end is not answerable they begin in the spirit but they end in the flesh Oh it passeth in their yonger yeers how zealous they are for Gods cause how deare his testimonies are unto them but as if the heat of their devotion depended upon their youth it abates by degrees and the older they growe the colder they are to Godwards like the foolish Virgins in the Gospel towards the time that the Bridegrome is comming they are sleeping without oile in their lampes and so doe lose their reward We find by experience that that parable which our Saviour tells us of the Sower is too true and there be temporarie beleevers who at first receive the seed of the word with gladnesse but the cares of this world the deceitfulnes of riches choake the word and in the harvest-time of their life they are made unfruitfull Manie that like David have bin as starres in Israel to lead the people into the house of God have growne dimme at last and lost their glorie Now as if with Saul the good Spirit had forsaken them and the evill Spirit had taken possession of them they are not the same they were they are changed from their first love and by transgressing the commandements of God do lose that hold which they had of grace Their neglect of good duties their conversation with the wicked of this world their reposing themselves upon worldly vanities are signes whereby it is to be feared lest God doe glorifie himselfe upon them by his iudgements since they doe leave off to glorifie God by their godly life and example Therefore it is not enough for a man to begin well but he must proceed more and more in goodnesse and in grace and everie day take-out a new lesson in pietie and set forth unto the world a fairer copie of his life The unprofitable servant was not condemned for not keeping but for not encreasing his talent Even reprobates have gon very farre in grace and by their fearfull falling away have left us examples to take heed how wee stand secure of the judgements of God Hee was never truely good who had not alwaies a desire to proove better for if wee look into the examples of the Saints and servants of God this propertie wee may generallie observe in them and we shall find them ever to have bin best at the last To the end that I may shew that to bee true in part which I have spoken in generall I have brought before your eyes the example of zealous Ioshuah that renowned servant of God in whose mouth the praises of his God like a Swan-like song are now sweetest towards his latter end The flourishing yeares of his life he had spent in the service of Moses behaving himselfe valiantly in fighting against the enemies of the Lord and now that Moses was dead he was chosen by God to succeed in the same place and charge namely to be the Leader of the Israelites It is well worth your noting to behold how faithfully and carefully this good servant of God behaved himselfe in so weightie an office For when the Lord by his hand had brought his people into the land which he sware unto their fathers that hee would give them and had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about so that now they had a settled policie government both in Church and Common-wealth Ioshuah did not thus thinke with himselfe I have done enough for my time from henceforth I will disburthen my selfe of all cares and troubles the rest of my life I will spend with as much delight as I can and betake my selfe wholly unto my ease Such imaginations as these were farre from Ioshuah hee knew so high a Calling as his did require othergesse resolutions and therefore his thoughts were wholly taken up in well-mannaging the affaires of the Common-wealth in providing that the Commandements of his God might be put in execution that true Religion might everie where be established idolatrie banished and that God might be glorified all in all as you may perceive by the 22.23 and 24. chapters of this booke As for his own private house familie the well ordering guiding of it must needs challenge the highest praise and admiration of godlie and vertuous minds No loosenesse was suffered to raigne here no impietie to infect here no busie Sycophants were sufferd to nest themselves here being the onelie instruments which the unhappie world in these last and dangerous times cherisheth to its owne confusion None must live with Ioshuah but such as would live after Ioshuahs patterne and prescription None must serve Ioshuah but such as would serve Ioshuahs God in uprightnesse and sinceritie Such was his godlie resolution such his care such his zeale Nor was this affection in him by fitts bred of a sudden and vanishing humour but it was firme and fixed in his heart even to the last minute of his life yea and did then appeare in its greatest excellencie unto the world when as he himselfe was ready to leave the world For now his dying day drawing neere apace this good servant of God as if his soule had no other care to possesse it but the wellfare of the Church and the continuance of true Religion for this end and purpose assembles the Israelites to Sichem their Elders their Heads their Iudges and Officers who accordingly presented themselves before God Here Ioshuah begins with a Commemoration of the benefits which God had done for the people and puts them in mind of the manifold deliverances which hee wrought for them namely by delivering them from the furie of so manie fierce dreadfull nations that fought against them and by casting them out before them then by giving them a land wherein they did not labour and cities which they built not and vineyards and olive-trees which they planted not For such and so great benefits of Almightie God hee onelie requires that they for their parts would expresse their thankfulnesse by serving the Lord in sinceritie and uprightnesse and by having nothing to doe with those false gods which their fathers served beyond the floud and in Aegypt Oh how inflamed is that zeale how indefatigable is that diligence which neither the coldnesse of age can extinguish nor the feeblenesse of decayed nature can diminish Ioshuah like a good Steward being to

of their enemies but will be readie to assist them and to comfort them at all assaies Yea let them not be discouraged nor dismaied with the manifold offences which they finde in this world God will shorten these wretched times for his Elects sake when it shall be unto everie man according to his faith Onely in the meane time let them possesse their soules in patience and resolve with Ioshuah to be constant in the service of God how-ever the world varies for if they continue to the end undoubtedly they shall obtaine that promised crowne of glorie Thus much for the connexion of my text the words themselves doe now crave your attention in which being as they are a Protestation you have these two circumstances First the partie protesting whose qualitie and condition you are to consider Secondly the extent of his Protestation Hee that protesteth here is Ioshuah the Governor of the Israelites famous amongst them for his Conquests in the warres and no lesse renowned for his Counsailes in the times of peace in a word the chief man among them both in power dignitie and authortie from which ariseth this point of instruction God requires of the greatest men the greatest zeale for his glorie A point which you may see notably proved 2. Sam. 12.7 where Nathan the Prophet being sent to reproove David for those heinous sinnes of murther and adulterie which hee had committed enforceth the arguments of his reproofe from the promotion and dignitie which God had raised David unto and from the benefits which were conferred upon him Thou art the man saith Nathan having made David to pronounce the sentence of death upon himselfe by a parable which he told him thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee king over Israel and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and gave thee thy Lords house and thy Lords wives into thy bosome and gave thee the house of Israel and of Iudah and would moreover if that had bin too little have given thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to do evill in his sight And indeed there is good reason why the Lord should require the sincerest and greatest service of them whom he hath exalted unto the highest places and upon whom he hath bestowed his benefits more abundantly than upon others For first of all by a like reason Doth not the husbandman expect the goodliest croppe from that ground upon which hee hath bestowed the greatest cost and labour Doe not parents also expect the greatest duetie and affection from that childe towards whom they have bin most indulgent and carefull in his education So likewise it is with the Master towards his servant If his bountie have bin extraordinary towards him hee may justly looke for extraordinarie respect and service at his hands And shall not Almightie God require of them the sincerest service and greatest zeale for his glorie whom hee hath raised unto the greatest dignitie Againe secondly if wee looke about in the verie course of nature that will teach us another sufficient reason of this point The highest Spheares are not they the swiftest in motion and doe they not carrie about with them the inferiour orbes by their celeritie The biggest starres in the firmament are they not evermore the brightest and doe they not give lustre unto the lesser starres Now tell mee If God doe prescribe such order to his dumbe creatures how much more will hee require that the same order should be kept in his reasonable creature in his more noble creature man Thus then wee may conclude by a like reason Men that beare authoritie that are eminent in power and dignitie that excell in riches and Command are placed in the highest Spheares of humane societie to this end that like sonnes of God they might shine brightly unto their inferiours by their godly life and example Such arguments as these it were fit that they should alwaies beare in their minds lest being great in this world they forget the hand that raised them that befall them which David complaines of Man being in honour saith he hath no understanding but is compared unto the beasts that perish For the divell is well seene in subtile sophistrie hee useth to frame a preposterous argument and to inferre à positione beneficij depositionem of ficij from the position of dignitie the deposition of duetie Let poore men saith hee and such as be of a lowly and humble spirit tremble at the word of God Let them be dejected and groane at the sight of their sinnes who want the good things of this world to comfort them Great resolutions become them that bee in great places Wilt thou goe with the multitude and bring them forth into the house of God This is the way to make thee lesse than thou art Doe not trouble thy selfe with frequenting religious exercises nor with mortifying contemplations which enter thorow even to the dividing asunder of the soule and the Spirit Learne to have the advantage of thy great fortune one houre in a Sabbath is enough to spend in devotion the rest thou maist bestow upon thy selfe Thus doth Satan goe about to delude man and make the blessings of God become snares in his way perswading him that by how much he is above others he hath by so much more liberty than others Where on the contrarie God is no accepter of persons nor regards heeanie man the more for that which he hath but in as much as he hath received all from him hee lookes for the greater feare and obedience at his hands The more talents a man hath received the greater account hath hee to make for them The use therefore of this point serves for instruction unto all them whom God hath advanced in this world upon whom he hath bestowed his outward favours and blessings to teach them to be alwaies mindfull what and of whom they have received them and to be carefull to walke worthie of their high calling These outward graces which make men to be esteemed and admired in the world riches honours power and preeminence they are not borne with men men are not borne unto them they have them not by nature But they are the gifts of God he bestowes them where he pleaseth and where he bestowes them there he expects that like good stewards men should faithfully dispose of them Act. 17.21 to his glory God saith the Apostle hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world with righteousnesse then shall all men rise to give an account of their doings Not the poorest man that lives but hath manie waies tasted of the benefits and bountie of God and therefore stands accountable for his service for his thankefulnesse He that hath bin unfaithfull in a little shall be beaten with the fewer stripes but the mightie saith the wise man shall he mightily tormented Wis 6.6 For why Great and publicke examples have this condition annexed unto them