Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A02182
|
Propositions containing answers to certaine demaunds in divers spirituall matters specially concerning the conscience oppressed with the griefe of sinne. With an epistle against hardnes of heat, made by that woorthie preacher of the Gospell of Christ, M. R. Greenham pastor of Drayton
|
Greenham, Richard.
|
1597
(1597)
|
STC 12323; ESTC S120335
|
28,959
|
82
|
curteouslie saluted and worthelie commended of a Gentlewoman who said she heard a very good report of him he answered her the like haue I heard of you but God make our after fruites of his spirite more effectuall thā the former or else we shal not answer the glory of God and good opinion of his Saintes conceiued of vs. 19 The wicked that dare not boldly professe iniquitie redeeme times secretlie to commit it so though we haue not the strength to professe Religion publictlie yet let vs redeeme times secretly to frequent the exercises of Religion 20 To a Courtier complaining of the occasions of evill he saide Though you haue occasions of sinne offered yet the cause of sinne is still in your selfe 21 Sometimes in a good action vsing good meanes with an vpright heart to a lawfull end yet our prayers be vnfrutefull and our labours want successe then let vs remember that in all these there were secret imperfections and that the Lords deferring is that wee being better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull he may grant our requests in richer manner and measure 22 Where there is an immoderate care of outward things there commonlie is little care of inwarde good things for if one haue inward good things they so content the persons that haue them that they labour not much for outwarde things if they want them desire them the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godlie neglect of outward things 23 Ministers shoulde most frequent those places where God hath made their ministerie most frutefull they shoulde heerein be like the covetous man that where they haue once found the sweetnesse of gaining of soules thither they should be most desirous to resort 24 Let their advice be a generall praescription of Phisick First the parties afflicted are to labor to haue peace of their consciences and joy of the holy Ghost through the assurance of their sinnes pardoned in Christ then carefull must they be to vse the meanes which may nourish their inward peace joy Thirdly they must rejoice and recreate themselues in wisdome and well doing with the Saints of God and holy company and lastly they must refresh themselues with Kitchin phisick and a thankfull vsing of the creatures of God 25 When one saide to him after long conference and praier Sir I haue troubled you oh my brother Not so said he I never felt it by well doing and if I may pleasure you it is as joyfull to me as ever it was to you to receiue money for for this cause I liue 26 His loue ever grewe to a man as he knewe the man to growe in godlines his loue decayed as the graces of God decayed first he was greeved and then his loue was flacked 27 Vnto one that was tempted with much vnbeliefe hee gaue this counsell When the temptation commeth either fall downe in praier and say Lord thou makest mee to possesse the sinnes of my youth and this temptation is very equitie howbeit oh Lord graunt I may by wisdome herein make this temptation an holy instruction and suffer me to possesse my soule in patience oh turne this to thy glory and my salvation I see and confesse what hath beene in mee a long time by that which now sheweth itselfe in me and that thy grace hath altogether hitherto kept vnder this corruption yet Lord I beleeue Lord yet I will beleeue helpe Lord my vnbeleefe thy name bee praised for this seale of thy loue and pledge of thy spirit that in this vnbeliefe I am grieved as in my beliefe I am wont to be comforted and though my former ould and secrete sinnes deserue that I should not onely be given over to infidelitie but also that it should be in mee without griefe remorse yet Lord forgiue my sinnes newe and ould forgiue my vnthankfulnes Lorde increase my faith and grant good Father when thou shalt restore to mee this guift of grace againe that I may vse it in feare and shew it by fruites Or if this doe not prevaile giue your selfe with all humblenes to reade the worde of God especially his promises and bee still attending vpon the meanes wayting when the Lord shall inlarge your heart Or if this do not help go to some faithfull brother confesse yourselfe to him acknowledge your weaknes to him be not ashamed to giue God the glory by shaming your selfe and opening your corruption to him that so hee may pray for you whose praier according to the promise of God made to his holy ordinance herein Iames 5. vndoubtedly shall be heard in the appointed time Thus having prayed by yourselfe and with another and vsed the meanes of reading for your recoverie though you haue not present reliefe yet in meeknes of mind and patience of your spirite go to your calling knowing that your praiers and the word of God being as seede must haue some time betweene the sowing of them and the reaping of the increase and fruite of them Aboue all reason not with your temptations dispute not with the Devill as though you could prevaile of yourselfe and as I would not you shoulde dispute with your temptation so I woulde not you shoulde despise it and make no account of it for in both are extremities If you take it toe much to heart or maruell howe you should overcome such a temptation it will make you dull or desperate If you account of it toe little and maruell howe such things should come into your head which was not woont to be so it will make you not to striue and you shall be swallowed vp before you be aware If you account of it toe fearfully Sathan will oppresse you before you beginne to fight If you account of it toe lightlie the devill needes not to wrestle with you you wil overcome yourselfe Fight boldly in Christ tremble at your owne corruption but rest and trust in Christ your salvation If stil you ar tempted and no bodye by you write your temptation and offer it to God by prayer and promise to him that you will ask counsell at his word at the mouth of his Minister when he shall giue you just occasion If all this help not comfort your selfe with this pledge of Election that you are joyed when you feele your beleefe and you are grieved lest you shuld displease God by your vnbeleefe and knowe that as there is a vicissitude of the meanes of salvation which you must vse so there is also a vicissitude of temptations whereof this is one against which you must striue 28 Vnto one that was tempted with worldly shame and thought the distemperature of his mind proceeded thereof hee saide on this sorte first knowe that Sathan hath no absolute power but a power by permission to trye vs against which we must arme our selues by faith which will assure vs that either the Lord will mitigate our temptation if our power and patience be not great or else if he enlarge the tryall hee will increase our strength
blood so vvas his prayer effectuall even to them vnder the Lawe much more vnto vs vnder grace and vvhen you can finde testimonie of your heart that when you would do well yet evil is present with you and that you do the evill you woulde not then doe not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. Much more then when Sathan worketh with all buffeting you assure your selfe that God hath pittie on you and that the vertue of his power shall bee perfect in your weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you beleeue according to your faith be it vnto you but you will say you cannot beleeue that this vile and crooked hardnes of heart can bee remitted and renewed And this was the second point within the former part of my Letter I gaue you to vnderstand what was the cause of your excessiue distresse I besech you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lye nor offer iniury to Gods spirit nor to your selfe who haue receiued it tell me what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith verely because you haue no feeling nor noe other fruites thereof as you think vvell first then agree with mee herein as you must if you will not disagree with the trueth that feeling is but an effect a fruite of faith and therefore there may be faith without feeling as the cause may bee without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sap for a season And as a man sore wounded or diseased may for a season be depriued almost of al operations of the naturall life to the outwarde shewe and his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Sathan and be diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in that the life of the spirit ts not in him Thus Peters holie faile as you haue hearde or else the prayer of our Saviour prevailed not Thus when David Psalm 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirit crooked and vnstable and verse 14. that hee had lost the ioye of his salvation and the spirit of liberty or adoption yea vers 13. hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore he was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification Heere seemeth repugnance but there is none he was depriued for a season of the graces of the sanctifying spirit but not of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded that he will vnto you yea I doubt whether you are deprived of them but onely that partlie melancholie and partly Sathan working therewith makes you do iniury to your selfe to the graces of the spirit in you which I beseech you take heede of But the Messenger cannot stay I therefore cannot write as I wold either of this or of the remedies you shuld vse which hereafter I will if God shall enable mee And I praye you let mee vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in particular somewhat more that by this bearer if you can because he is of your acquaintance and will bring it vnto me faithfullie Onely I adde nowe vnto that which I haue written of hardnesse of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring howe he had no feeling of his heart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the persone of God 57. 3. I create the fruite of the lippes to be peace as well to him that is far off as to him that is neere Therefore in Faith you may as well pray with the hope to obtaine as did David therefore saye vvith him often and vvith Gods people Esay 64. 12. O Lord thou art our Father wee indeede are clay but thou art our maker and wee are the work of thine handes c. Know you that God can cause Wolues Lyons Leopards c. wallowing with lambs calues and kyne Esay 11. 6. And that vvhich is vnpossible vnto men is possible vnto God euen to cause a cable rope to go through a needels eye that is to change the heart of the vnbeleeuing covetous and vvretched man much more yours yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth Crye then I beleeue oh Lord help mine vnbeliefe and I do promise you in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that you shall haue your desire in goodnesse Thus abruptlye I must make an end I commend you vnto God and the vvorde of his grace vvhich is able for to builde you vppe and to giue you the right of inheritance amongst them vvhich are sanctified And the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout that your vvhole spirit soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Faithfull is hee vvhich hath called you and vvill do it I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so I shall pray for you and much more Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede R. GREENHAM