Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	corruption_n	flesh_n	reap_v	5,289	5	10.9811	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15144	The vvay to the celestiall paradise Declaring how a sinner may be saued, and come to life euerlasting. Contained in three bookes.The first second third sheweth that a sinner may be saued, & come to life euerlasting. By faith, apprehending Christ for his iustification, & applying to himselfe the promises of the Gospell made in Iesus Christ. Repentance, hauing his sins washed away in the bloud of the lambe Iesus Christ. Prayer, calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ. By Robert Whittell, minister of the Gospell.	Whittle, Robert, d. 1638.	1620 (1620)	STC 25441; ESTC S120396	338,769	458

it selfe maketh intercession for vs with gronings which cannot bee vttered This is also that which S. Paul hath to the Galatians g Cal. 4. 6. And because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father By all which it is manifest that it is a sure and certaine signe of true faith if the Spirit of God worke this grace in vs to stirre vp our hearts by deuout prayer and supplication to seeke vnto God to runne vnto our Heauenly Father and to cry Abba Father A childe in time of sicknesse paine and griefe or being in any perill and danger whither doth he run or to whom doth he cry but to his father he hopes his father will helpe him and therefore calls and cryes to his father complaines and makes his mone to his father Like as the Shunamites sonne when he was sore grieued with a paine in his head came to his father and sayd h Luk. 4. 19. My head my head So the sonnes and children of God in time of their heauinesse of soule when they are sicke with sinne diseased in soule and troubled in conscience with the burthen of their sinnes or whether they bee in any outward affliction or trouble whither doe they run but to their Heauenly Father and as the Shunamites childe sayd to his father My head my head so they euery one cry My soule my soule My conscience my conscience my soule is in heauinesse my conscience is sore troubled and burdened with the heauy waight of my sinnes And then in hope of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ they humbly confesse their sinnes they hide not their iniquities they earnestly craue mercy and sue for the pardon of their sinnes aboue all things they seeke ease to their afflicted soule and comfort to their distressed conscience building vpon those gracious word of our Sauiour i Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will giue you rest And thus to call vpon the name of the Lord is a signe of saith The fist is an inward conflict betweene the Flesh and 5 Conflict between the flesh and the spirit Two-fold the Spirit and that is two-fold The one is a striuing against sinne The other a striuing against doubtings Touching the first no man in this life is perfectly 1 A struing against sinne sanctified but hath neede to pray more and more for the Spirit of sanctification that he may bee wholly sanctified Hence it is that though a naturall and vnregenerate man bee wholly carnall yet a regenerate man is not all spirituall but partly carnall and partly spirituall For although a Christian regenerate and sanctified hath his heart purified by faith yet naturall corruption is not altogether purged out of the heart that remaines in vs k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exercise vs. This in the children of God now regenerate and sanctified is called flesh and the sanctified part in them is called spirit And in the regenerate there is a great combat a spirituall fight and great striuing betweene these two the flesh and the spirit which shall get the victory The manner of which combat and inward fight S. Paul describes thus l Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would A Christian regenerate and sanctified is in the way to Heauen and the spirit that is the sanctified part drawes him on to God-ward and hastens him forward towards the Kingdome of Heauen but the flesh that is the corruption of nature rebels and labours to draw him backwards to the world and would if it were possible draw him downe to hell Hence it is that a Christian findes in himselfe pride of heart lust of the flesh filthy desires vncleane thoughts couetous desires anger hatred enuy malice grudgings and desire of reuenge c. haling and pulling him one way and against these he feeles humility temperance loue patience meeknesse and other graces drawing him another way Now if a man doe finde grace striuing against corruption good motions of the good Spirit fighting against bad motions of the euill Spirit and if a man doe indeede and in truth finde that he doth earnestly striue against sinne that he labours to mortifie his affections to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts to subdue sinne and wickednesse this is a signe of grace and a sure marke that faith is in the heart at least in some measure According to that saying of the Apostle m Vers 24. They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts As n Gen. 25. 22 23. Rebecca knew her selfe to bee quicke with childe by the struggling and striuing of the twins in her wombe so a Christian may know whether he be quickned by grace and liue by faith in the Sonne of God by the inward conflict and striuing betweene the Flesh and the Spirit The second kinde of inward conflict betweene the 2 A striuing against doubtings flesh and the spirit is an inward striuing against doubtings and distrusts in Gods mercy It is the Deuils policy either to cause men whiles they remaine in their naturall state without true faith and repentance to presume on Gods mercy or else hauing faith and repentance to set before them their sinnes and to suggest into their hearts doubtings of the remission of their sins doubtings concerning their faith and repentance and doubtings concerning their vocation and sanctification And thereby would if it were poss●ble extinguish their faith and bring them to despaire of Gods mercy But against all these difficulties true iustifying faith if it be in the heart will shew it selfe though perhaps in these temptations but weakely yet truely to striue against temptations and to fight against all these doubtings It is true I confesse the children of God may be troubled with doubtings but not ouercome of doubtings Dauid is driuen to this expostulation o Psal 77. 7 8. Will the Lord cast off for euer And will he be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Heere are great doubtings in Dauid a seruant of the Lord but he ouercame his doubtings for neither Dauid nor any of the children of God continue still in their doubtings They are neuer with Cain and Iudas brought to such desperate doubtings a● vtterly and finally to despaire of the mercy of God They may for a time haue distrustfull thoughts and doubtfull speeches but faith in the end gets the vpper hand Windes and flouds may beat vpon the house grounded vpon the rocke aswell as vpon the house built vpon the sand but cannot make it fall And many p Dubitationes fidem in nobis oppugnant non tamen expugnant Polan distrustfull doubtings may beat against the faith of a Christian but cannot beat it downe they may fight against

is Saluation of which saith S. Paul d Ephe. 2. 8. by grace are ye saued through faith The promise of saluation is made to them that haue true faith and beleeue in the Sonne of God as saith S. Iohn e Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This was the comfortable saying of the Apostles Paul and Silas to the keeper of the Prison he said f Act. 16. 30. 31. What must I doe to besaued and they said beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house These are the benefites of true faith Now seeing that the benefit of true sauing faith is so Vse great seeing that such are the excellent dignities and exceeding Vse all meanes to obtaine the true faith great priuiledges thereof seeing that through true faith we are iustified and made sonnes of God by Adoption and grace seeing faith purifieth our hearts and we liue by faith seeing faith helps vs to get the victorie ouer the enticements of the flesh the allurements of the world and the temptations of the Deuill and lastly seeing true faith saues the soule from perishing and brings euerlasting life if we desire to be thus happie and blessed if of sinners we desire to be accepted iust and righteous if of sonnes of men and children of wrath we desire to be sonnes and children of God if we would haue our corrupt hearts purged and cleansed if we would so liue as to depend and waite vpon God for a blessing vpon our labours and enterprises if we would ouercome our spirituall aduersaries the flesh the world and the Deuill finally if we would saue our soules from perishing euerlastingly then let vs euery one labour for the obtaining of true sauing Faith We know that a man will labour hard and euen straine himselfe to obtaine that thing which he knowes to be of great price of great value and singular worth Such a thing is Faith it is very excellent and precious for by Faith in Iesus Christ we are g Act. 13. 39. iustified from all things from which we could not be iustified by the law of Moses And h Rom. 5. 1. being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By true faith we are made sonnes of God which is a great priuiledge for if it be an honourable thing to be the sonnes of Nobles and Princes on earth how honourable a thing is it to be the sonnes of God yea heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ By faith we liue by faith we accomplish great victories by faith we fight against our spirituall enemies the flesh the world and the Deuill and ouercome them and by faith in Iesus Christ we saue our soules from perishing Who is he then that hath any feeling of his spiritual state who is he that hath any hope of the inheritance of the life to come that will not earnestly desire and diligently seeke so precious a lewell the rare gift of faith And if any be enflamed with a loue of this excellent grace and haue a longing desire to obtaine it the means how true sauing faith may be obtained shall be shewed in the next place CHAP. XIIII Shewing how and by what meanes true sauing Faith may be procured THe eyght generall point in the Treatise of Faith is how true sauing Faith may be procured 8 How true faith may be obtained By two meanes and obtained The meanes of obtaining true sauing Faith are two The one is the Efficient the other the Instrumentall cause of Faith Touching the first The Efficient or working cause of Faith is God who by his holy Spirit worketh that 1 The efficient cause of faith The Spirit of God grace in the heart to beleeue As witnesseth St Paul to the Philippians saying a Phil. 1. 29. vnto you it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake To beleeue in Christ is the gift of God It is God that giues grace to beleeue When S. Peter made that heauenly confession of Christ b Mat. 16. 16. 17. Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered and said vnto him Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in heaaen It was not of himselfe that S. Peter made that heauenly confession but of God c Ioh. 6. 44. No man can come to me saith our Sauiour except the Father which hath sent me draw him he saith d Traxerit non duxerit draw him not lead him least we should attribute any thing to mans owne power and will in his first conuersion for when God worketh this sauing grace of faith in any one at the same time he mooueth the will of man with a holy desire of faith which before was vnwilling yea God by his holy Spirit doth inlighten the mindes of men with the knowledge of Iesus Christ and prepares their hearts to receiue the gift of faith So that in the working of this grace of faith in the heart not onely the gift it selfe is of God but the verie preparation of the heart to receiue faith is of God also According to that saying of the Apostle to the Philippians e Phil. 2. 13. it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Where then is mans free will in spirituall good things Vse it is excluded For man yet remaining in his naturall Against mans free will in spirituall good things state of corruption before his conuersion is not onely like to that man in the Gospell wounded and f Luk. 10. 30. halfe dead but euen g Ephe. 2. 1. dead in trespasses and sinnes And therefore as it is impossible for a dead man to raise himselfe except the breath of life be breathed into him so it is impossible for a sinner yet being in his naturall state of ignorance and vnbeliefe of sinfulnesse and corruption to quicken and raise himselfe except God by his holy Spirit breath into his soule the life of grace and so quicken him and raise him vp It is true I confesse the Lord saith to sinners h Io●l 2. 12. turne Obiect ye to me the Prophets exhort sinners to i Hos 14. 1. Ioel 2. 13. returne vnto the Lord. Iohn Baptist saith k Mat. 3. 2. Repent yee and Christ sayth l Marc. 1. 15. Repent ye and beleeue the Gospell But from hence it cannot be gathered that sinners and vnbeleeuers haue of themselues a naturall power to Answ turne to God to beleeue and repent But in these sayings the Lord sheweth rather m Non quid homines p●ssint prastare sed quid praestare debeant What men ought to doe then what they can doe When the Lord saith

sinne but sinne being brought forth is very foule and vglie to looke vpon a mishapen thing a filthie leper there 's nothing in the world so foule to looke vpon as this childe of wickednesse Consider it in some particulars murther is a bloody sinne the murtherer's hands are full of blood Fornication adulterie are filthy sinns called t Eph 5. 3. v●cleannes Drunkennes is a very beast like swinish sinne what a filthy sight is it to see a man made in the Image of God vomiting like a dogge tumbling in the dirt and wallowing in the mire like a swine we finde in the law that there were diuerse washings and purifiings to wash and cleanse the offenders signifiing thereby that sinne is a most filthie thing and that the soule stained with sinne hath neede of much washing Secondly our sinnes are great and that in a twofold 2 Great respect first comparing one sinne with another secondly in their owne nature for they are committed against God who is great in power and infinite Thirdly our sinnes are many they exceede in multitude 3 Manie they are innumerable Insomuch that Dauid saith u Psal 19. 12. who can vnderstand his errours and againe x Psal 40. 12. they are mothen the haires of my head Manasseh in his praier counting the number of his sinnes findes them so greatly to exceede that he saith They are aboue the number of the sands of the sea Hereby it may appeare what manner of knowledge of sinne is required of euery penitent sinner The Second thing concerning the knowledge of sin How a sinner may come to the knowledge of his sinnes Namely by the law is how a sinner may come to the knowledge of his sins S. Paul sheweth that the knowledge of sinne is by the Law y Rom. 3. 20. By the law is the knowledge of sinne The law of God euen the Morall law written in the two tables of ston● is the meanes to finde out our sinnes the law of God wi●l let vs see our originall sinne by making vs see and know our corruption of nature our euill inclinations and euill dispositions against the law of God Of which S. Paul speakes thus z Rom. 7. 7. I had not knowne sinne but by the law for I had not knowne lust except the law had said thou shalt not couet The law also will let vs see and know our actuall transgressions whether they be committed by thought word or deede against any commandement by the law of God we may see and know our euill thoughts against God and against our neighbour our lustfull thoughts our couetous thoughts our carnall and worldly thoughts our blasphemous words and slanderous speeches and all our sinfull and wicked deedes Yea what euill we haue committed or what good we haue omitted For this cause the Law of God is compared to a looking-glasse for as a man beholding his face in a glasse may see and perceiue the spots and blemishes that are therein so a sinner looking into the law of God and diligently perusing the Commaundements may find out and euidently perceiue the spots and blemishe● of his soule Thus a sinner commeth to the knowledge of his sinnes Now whereas there is necessarily required such a particular Vse 1 knowledge of sinne and that the knowledge of To know our selues sinne comes by the law the consideration hereof is first profitable for instruction to teach vs to know our selues This hath beene alwayes held a good precept amongst wise men know thy selfe It s good and profitable for euery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one to know himselfe to search and try his own heart and by diligent inquirie to find out his owne particular sinnes to know his owne weakenesse and wickednesse his sinnes and his miserie Dauids exhorta●ion is a Psal 4 4. commune with your owne heart vpon your bed Enter into your closet yea into the secret chamber of your owne heart there beginne to thinke with your selues there speake vnto your selues there conferre and reason about the spirituall state not of others but of your owne selues And for the better knowledge of our selues we are to How to know our selues consider and search diligently both what we were by Creation and also what we are by corruption through the fall of Adam By Creation man was in a happie and blessed state created in the b Gen. 1. 27. image of God expounded by S. Paul to be c Ephe. 4. 24. righteousnesse and true holinesse But since the fall of Adam man is brought into a farre worse state by reason of sinne so that if a man could d Si bene inspexeris teipsum inuenies materiam contemnend● teipsum Stell d● contemp●● Mundi well looke into himselfe he might finde matter enough to humble yea to contemne himselfe in regard of any goodnesse or worthinesse that is in himselfe and that whether we regard the bodie or the soule of man In regard of the body what is man but earth a vessell of corruption dust and ashes wormes-meat yea a sinfull polluted bodie And for the soule now in the corrupt state infected and polluted with sinne till we be renewed by the Spirit of God till God come vnto vs to cleanse and purifie and sanctifie vs with his renewing grace what are we but as the Scripture calleth vs e Rom. 5. Ver. 6. 8. 10. vngodly sinners enemies of God f Ephe. 2. 13. dead in trespasses and sinnes children of wrath and g Ephe. 5. 6. children of disobedience Yea by nature and of our selues without Christ we are h R●u 3. 17. wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Besides all this in danger of the i Gal. 3. 10. malediction and curse of God in danger of hell and condemnation and that which augmenteth our miserie and wretched state is that we are the cause of our owne miserie and are no way able to helpe our selues out of our miserie either to purge our selues from our sinnes or to free our selues from the danger o● condemnation and eternall death so that a sinner comming to this humble acknowledgement of himselfe in regard of his owne spirituall state and considering seriously what he hath beene what he is may crie out and say with St Paul k Rom 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me This knowledge of a mans selfe to know his owne sinnes and his miserie to know how wretched and miserable The knowledg of our selues necessarie he is by reason of sinne is ve●ie necessarie for First vnlesse a man know himsel●e to be sinfull and 1 For our Humiliation wretched and miserable he will neuer be brought to true l Zanch. de Natur Dei l. 3. c. 3. humiliation but will thinke too well of himselfe trust too much in his owne righteousnesse and boast too much of his owne goodnesse and say with the proud Pharisie

t Heb 5. 7. In the deyes of his flesh he offered vp praiers supplications with strong crying and teares u F●entem illum frequenter ●nue nias nu●quam verò ●identem Chrys in Math. 2. Hom. 6. we may often finde him weeping as a Father saith but seldome or neuer laughing Yet he wept not for himselfe and for his owne sinnes for x 1. Pet. 2. 22. he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth But for vs and for our sinnes to teach vs to weepe and mourne for our selues and for our owne sinnes Thirdly to consider the necessity of outward sorrowing 3 The necessity of mourning for sinne and mourning for sinne First our sinns haue bene the cause of crucifying Christ as saith the Prophet Esay y Isa 53. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions 1 In rega●d of our sinnes which were the cause of crucifying Christ he was bruised for our iniquities The serious consideration of this should moue vs to lament mourne this should cause vs to sheede abundance of teares to consider the grieuousnesse of our sinnes how by them we haue crucified and pierced Christ and certaine it is the remembrance hereof will so worke with true penitent sinners that they will breake forth into mourning as saith the Prophet Zacharie z Zach. 12. 10. I will poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon and the land shall mourne euery family apart c. Secondly our eyes conuey much euill to the heart 2 Our eies conuay much euill to the heart and therefore must weepe much as they let in sinne so they must as much as they can let it out In worldly griefe the heart is eased by weeping so by teares shedde for sinne the soule is eased Thirdly Sinne is the cause of affliction and miserie 3 Sinne is the cause of misery the cause of trouble and calamitie that befals vs in the course of our life Wherefore as we mourne and weepe for the paine and miserie so ought we much more to mourne to lament and weepe for sinne which is the cause of our miserie Fourthly consider that now euen in this present life 4 Either now we must mourne weepe or we shall hereafter we must mourne and weepe for our sinnes least we be constrained to mourne and weepe in that dolefull and heauie place of mourning where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And they that will not now weepe and mourne for their sinnes sha●l hereafter As our Sauiour saith a Luk 6. 25. Woe to you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe And yet more to perswade vs to this godly sorrow to 4 Benefits of mourning and weeping for sinne weepe and mourne for our sinnes consider the Benefits that come thereby Weeping and mourning may weaken and hurt the bodie but it strengthens and helpes the soule it may harme the bodie for a time but it doth the soule good for euer And the Benefits thereof are these First outward sorrow for sinne arising from the inward 1 Mourning weeping for sinne is a meanes to obtaine mercy sorrow of the heart is a meanes to obtaine mercie with God It is said of Hezekiah that b Isa 38. 3. he wept sore But his sore weeping was a meanes of obtaining mercie and fauour with the Lord. For praysing the Lord he saith c ver 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backs Marie Magdalene weepes and sheeds teares in abundance but this her mourning and weeping for her sinnes is a meanes of obtaining mercy with the Lord for the Lord saith vnto her d Luk. 7 38. 48. thy sinnes are forgiuen Secondly * Mitig●nt●ram Dei lachrymae Teares of grace are a meanes to pacifie Gods 2 A meanes to pacifie Gods anger anger against vs for our sinnes and to turne away his wrath from vs. The Lord by the Prophet Ioel sayth turne ye euen to m● with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for e Ioel 2. 12. 13. he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill As if he should haue said If you will be sorrie for your sinnes after a godly sort and if you will turne to the Lord by renting the heart and with fasting and weeping and mourning then the Lord will turne away ●is wrath from you then the Lord will be gracious and mercifull vnto you Thirdly teares shed for sinne are not shed in vaine 3 Teares shed for sinne are pleasing to God delightfull to the Angels but they are respected of the Lord they are well pleasing both to God and Angels they are acceptable and well pleasing to God God maketh reckoning and account of them for though they be shed yet they are not lost f Psal 56. 8. Put thou my teares into thy bottle saith Dauid Teares of grace and not as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe but the Lord hath a vessell to receiue the teares that we sheede for our sins not one of them i● lost This heauenly dew of deuotion neuer fals but the Sunne of righteousnesse drawes it vp And the teare of penitent sinners are delightfull to the Angels who reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Insomuch that the deuout Father cals the g L●chrym● p●●nitentium Angel●rum vinum Bern. teares of penitent sinners the Angels wine Fourthly they that mourne and weepe for sinne though they haue sorrow and heauinesse for a time in the end shall be comforted their sorrow shall be turned 4 They that mourne shall be comforted into ioy Christ is sent as saith the Prophet Esay to h Isa 61. 2. 3. comfort all that mourne to giue vnto them beautie for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse And Christ when he was come sayth i M●● 5. ● Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted k 〈◊〉 ● 6. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy saith the Psalmist They that now weepe and sheede teares for sinne shall hereafter be truly comforted For l Re● 21. 4. God shall wipe away a●l teares from their eyes As after much raine and great stormes the heauens wa●e cleare the ayre is more milde and the Sunne breakes forth comfortably to refresh the things that are vpon the earth so after much weeping mourning