Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	cry_v	father_n	receive_v	7,843	5	5.5639	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90965	Honey out of the rock, or, Gods method in giving the sweetest comforts in sharpest combates. Chiefly intended, as spirituall plunder for plundered beleevers.	Price, John, Citizen of London.	1644 (1644)	Wing P3343; Thomason E46_14; ESTC R22911	32,070	38

of their trouble When Jesus Christ was to leave the world whose absence was the sorrow of the hearts of his Disciples Joh. 14.1 he comforts them by telling them that he was going to his Father and their Father to his God and their God And Philip lookt upon this as a sufficient means to stay the heart Lord saith he shew us the Father and it sufficeth ver 8. it cannot suffice that God is a Father except he be a revealed Father shew us the Father And as no man cometh unto the Father but by Christ so no man hath seen the Father but the Son and he unto whom he will reveal him Therefore saith he Lord shew us the Father and this he doth by the witnesse of his Spirit Rom 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God and this he doth chiefly in a suffering condition for so the next verse sheweth If so be we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him The bowels of parents yearn towards their sick children and the sweetest language and most tender expressions of their affections are then little enough Luke 15. The Prodigall had more serious thoughts of his father when all was gone then it seems he had when he first received his portion and so the Saints have the sweetest thoughts of their heavenly Father in the saddest times When Abraham had bound Isaac and was readie to slay him Gen. 22. yet the child could look him in the face and cry out my father ver 7. And his father could as tenderly and with as yearning bowels as ever he spake with all in all his life reply Here am I my son v. 8. So when the Saints of God seems as it were to be bound to be sacrificed unto the good will of God in suffering yet they can look in the face of God and cry out Father and hear the voice of God by his Spirit answering here am I my children The Spirit of God worketh a threefold conviction in the hearts of his people in the times of their suffering from this dear and sweet relation First that he will correct in measure Jer. 30.11 What ever I do saith God to other Nations I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure the Lord poureth forth his furie upon the heathen but corrects his people in judgement and not in anger Jer. 10.24 25. he corrects in measure in respect of the matter of the afflictions he will visit the transgressions of his people with the rod of a father and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.32 but he will break the wicked with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell Psal 2.9 Secondly he corrects in measure in respect of time O my people that dwellest in Sion saith God be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of Egypt for yet a little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger even in their destruction viz. of the Assyrian Isa 10.24.25 Heavinesse may endure for a night but joy shall come in the morning Psal 30.5 His anger endureth but for a moment in his favour is life even in the perfection both of happinesse and duration the Spirit of God convinceth the soul that yet but a little while he that shall come will come and will not carrie Hebr. 10.37 that what God doth in afflicting he will do it in measure that God is faithfull who will not suffer his to be tempted above what they are able to bear that is in respect of the matter of their suffering but will with the temptation make a way to escape there is measure of time 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly the Spirit convinceth that God as a Father doth afflict them in love not in passion for their good not simply his owne will the Apostle calls for submission unto the will of God in chastising us from that consideration Heb. 12.9.10 c. Our naturall fathers chastened us after their owne pleasure but God for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse c. Wherefore lift up the hands that hang downe and the feeble knees verse 12. the Spirit convinceth Rom. 8.28 that all things shall worke together for the best that out of the eater shall come meat and out of the strong shall come sweet that God will smite this rock viz. of hardship and trouble and sweet waters shall issue there from and that he will make this wildernesse viz. barren conditions in respect of ontward comforts like the garden of Eden in respect of divine and spirituall Consolations that blessed is the man whom he chasteneth Psal 94.12 that it is good for him that he is afflicted and that God will make it a mercy unto him in the latter end and that hee shall cordially and not complementally blesse the Lord for that suffering condition and the sweet experiments of his love therein that bowels of love directs the rod and infinite goodnesse guides the hand Thirdly the Spirit of God perswadeth that God as a father will but discipline him by afflictions and thereby make him meet for his inheritance an ingenuous beleever is not satisfied that glory is purchased for him by the sufferings of Christ but is willing also to be made meet for that inheritance by his owne sufferings forasmuch as it is the will of God that through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heaven the Lord Jesus himselfe sanctifying that road by his own sufferings for this cause the Apostle Paul with the rest of the suffering Saints did not faint because though the outward man did perish yet the inner man is renued day by day 2 Corinth 4.16 What a beleever is in estate he is in spirituals And he reckons himself to rise and fall as is the condition not of his outward but inner man and herein is the difference between a formall and reall Christian Let the formalist abound in the outward man he hath his will but a beleever rejoyceth in his increase and thriving in the inner man although it be gained by the perishing of the outward man and therefore they will rejoyce even in affliction knowing that their affliction worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts This kindly working of their afflictions caufing them to thrive in the inner man and thereby fitting them for glory makes them sweetly submit to the will of God herein it makes them say with sweet submission of heart Shall I not drinke of my Fathers cup and ought I not first to suffer and then to enter into glory as Christ did the soul looks upon these outward afflictions which are but for a season as working for them a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.18 See here

God my high tower God gives unto the soule the wings of a Dove as David hath it Psalme 55.6 viz. of his Spirit whereby he flies away and is at rest Tell me you experienced holy ones did you ever feele the strength of faith more glorious in you then since these troubles came upon you have you not found your faith a great deale weaker under lesser troubles then now when happily you are plundered of all you have Fourthly as the Spirit of God shewes the soule where his sccuritie is and the doore hereunto and gives legs and spirit to run unto it it shewes God and Jesus Christ and brings the soule unto God through Christ So in the fourth place it enables the souleta treat with God in prayer and to prevaile with him to be his securitie his rocke his defence c. The Spirit of Christ moves the soule towards God through Christ and then suggests and dictates its request unto him Gal. 4.6 Because you are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts whereby you cry Abba Father the Saints of God are sons of God Ye are sons saith the Text the free grace of God maketh them so by adoption the Spirit of God makes them so by the infusion of the Divine Nature viz. so farr as communicable the sons of God have the Spirit of Christ because you are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts where hee gives the priviledges of his Sonne he gives the Spirit of his Sonne into their hearts not onely the knowledge of his Sonne into their heads and the confession of his Sonne into their tongues but the Spirit of his Sonne into their hearts whereby ye cry the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of prayer and of fervency in prayer ye cry Abba Father the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of adoption and that to the Greeks as well as to the Jewes and the Spirit perswades that now the sonnes of God are not onely of the Jewes but the Gentiles and that hee is a Father to all that call upon him in Truth whether Jewes or Greekes and therefore the Apostle here speaketh in the language both of the Jewes and Greekes viz. the whole world Abba Father the maine that we note here to our purpose is that the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of prayer and it cheares the soule in time of trouble by enabling it to powre out it selfe unto the Lord in prayer which is a sweet supporting exercise God commands in nothing to be carefull but in every thing to let our requests be made knowne unto him in giving of thankes Philip. 4.6 God would have his people live in quietnesse not in anxious troubles and solicitous cares of the minde be so carefull for nothing turne not your troubles into cares but into prayers in every thing by prayer and supplication let every thing occasion prayer and supplication and let your prayers be alwayes dasht with thanks-giving your present wants may move your prayers and earnest requests your supplications and your present enjoyments calls for your thanks-giving This God commands in many places in the holy Scriptures Open thy mouth wide I will fill it Psal 81.10 we cannot out pray Gods power and goodnesse No he is able and therefore willing to doe abundantly above all that we are able to aske or thinke Ephes 3.20 I might bring in many more places as that in the Canticles 2.14 Let me see thy face let me heare thy voice and againe Call upon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and turne thy prayer into prayses thou shalt praise me Psal 50.15 The Spirit puts the soule into an improvement of these incouragements in this duty And here againe let me appeale unto you Oh ye afflicted and persecuted Saints did you ever feele the Spirit of prayer so swectly breathing in your souls as since your troubles Have you not found that freenesse and inlargednesse of spirit which you neuer found in all the dayes of your pilgrimage cannot many a secret corner witnesse such pantings such movings such powring forth of prayers and teares and holy and heavenly affections as you never knew before and hath not this been a most sweet strengthning ordinance unto you though God hath touched you as it were in the hollow of your thigh I mean your estate your friends and outward comforts that perhaps you may halt all the dayes of your life in respect thereof yet have you not had such a blessing through your wrastling with God as that you would not want it for all your former wonted comforts That is the fourth particuler Fiftly as the Spirit of God doth minde the soule of God his tower of Jesus Christ the doore into it gives strength to come unto it enables to pray and prevaile with God for protection and supplies so in the last place the spirit proves in the soule grace sufficient to support to uphold during the trouble it lies under 2. Cor. 12.9 The Apostle Paul lying under some great pressure of spirit what it was is the different judgement of many godly learned yet it drove him unto God in Christ and his answere was that the grace of God was sufficient for him the grace of God that is the favour of God is sufficient to appease and satisfie his conscience from guilt and the grace of God that is the Spirit of grace is sufficient to support and keepe up the heart notwithstanding the power of the affliction This Spirit of Christ convaies as it were the influence of Gods attributes his power goodnesse and mercy and the influence of Christs Offices and Merits and applyes and brings home the sweet and luscious promises and the strength of supporting ordinances in that experimentall and sutable manner unto the condition of the soule that no man knowes the meaning hereof but spirituall Christians indeed And tell me againe O ye afflicted of the Lord have you not felt the secret workings of the attributes of God Offices Blood and Merits of Christ the Promises of the Gospel and Ordinances of Gods Worship like the still dew of heaven dropping upon your soules and making you fruitfull in all peace and joy in beleeving filling you with patience meekenesse and all other graces of the Spirit to the praise of his grace And have not you beene in respect of your inward and spirituall security like God himselfe a bove all storms and troubles belowe able to laugh them to scorne have you not felt such refreshings to come from the presence of the Lord which have been as waters out of a rock in a thirsty land Have you not been hereby able to see all things beneath you and your selves like God in securitie when clouds and darknesse have beene round about you solacing your selves in your God pertaking of that fulnesse of joy and drinking from those rivers of pleasure which are in his presence for evermore And that is the fourth generall

I Have perused this Discourse entituled Honey out of the Rock and find it answerable to the Title full both of strength and sweetnesse and therefore do approve the publishing of it in Print April 19. 1644. Joseph Caryl HONEY OUT OF THE ROCK OR GODS METHOD IN GIVING THE SWEETEST Comforts in sharpest Combates Chiefly intended As Spirituall Plunder for Plundered Beleevers Judges 14.14 Out of the eater came forth meat Hebr. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance LONDON Printed by Francis Neile for Henry Overton in Popes-Head Alley 1644. TO ALL THE PERSECVTED Members of Iesus Christ especially the Exiles and Plundered of Bristol Exeter Westchester Oxford and elsewhere in these bleeding Kingdoms of England and Ireland Right precious in the Lord IT is hard to say whether would first have devoured the persecuted Saints in the Primitive times either the depth of their miserie or the weight of their glorie had not the Almightie enlarged their capacity to bear the one as well as the other and therefore not doubting the Father of mercies continued dispensations towards you afflicted for his sake in a way of like abounding consolations your poore brethren not yet honoured as your selves to suffer for Christ do look upon you they know not whether with more compassion or holy emulation t is true your outward condition hath a sad aspect to the eye of reason you are driven from the creature but it is to the Creator from the lower to the upper springs from the streame to the fountain is this miserie before your troubles you had your ordinarie commons with your fellow-beleevers but now your daily food is choice morsels your ordinarie liquids waters of life and superlative refections Benjamins messe your daily share the love of God the power of Christ the Spirit of glorie the care of Angels the prayers of Saints are all upon the wing for your present welfare is this miserie the Summum bonum the great inquirie of this blind world searching for it in all aboundancie of outward glorie is found by you and you by it sitting in sackcloth and ashes is this miserie your earth is dissolved before your bodies and your heaven prevents you before your time your joyes are immediate you reap without sowing you feed on the kernels and break not the shels you rest from your labours the vision of God the blood of Christ the joy of the spirit the food of Angels are not these your daily repast is this miserie dearest brethren it is my ambition to be your unworthy servitor in your present supports whereby if I can but help on your joy and insinuate my self among the number of your benefactors and share with them in your daily requests at the throne of grace it will be a double reward unto him who is unworthy to be mentioned with the meanest of you all J. P. Hony out of the Rock HOlinesse is the object of mans hatred and Gods love and in what subject soever it be found it produceth the contrary effects of love and hatred from God and man there is not one thing wherein wretched man more contends with his maker then about the peace and trouble joy and sorrow life and death of the Saints of God this the Apostle speaks of 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are troubled on every side but not distressed perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed And Christ expresly affirmeth that in the world they should have trouble but in him peace Joh. 16.33 The great contention between Michael and the Devil is not now about the body of Moses as of old Jude vers 9. but the body of Christ viz. his Church Revel 12.6 whose habitation though it be in the wildernesse and mountains of Lebanon and Amana Shenir and Hermon the Lions dens and mountains of the Leopards Song 4.8 yet even there is she leaning upon her beloved Chap. 8.5 and there hath God prepared a place for her where she is fed and supported Revel 12.16 where he maketh peace her borders and filleth her with the finest of the wheat Psal 147.14 and with honey out of the rock Psal 81.16 Extracts of spirits are most vigorous how much more the Spirit of spirits which is a beleevers recoverie in fainting fits and therefore the subject matter of our present discourse shall be this The Spirit of Christ is unto beleevers the sweetest comforts in their sharpest combates In which Proposition two things are considerable First that God hath given unto his Saints the Spirit of his Son Secondly that this Spirit yeelds forth the sweetest comforts in the sharpest trials The ●oynt confirmation prosecution and application whereof shall be endeavoured in the solution of these Questions First why God gives unto his people the Spirit of Christ Secondly how the Spirit of Christ doth comfort beleevers in evill times Thirdly how the Spirit of Christ may be discerned from the Spirit of delusion First why God gives unto his people the Spirit of his Son Answ First God gives the Spirit of his Son unto Beleevers that so they may be made like unto his Son Christ is the expresse image of God and the Saints are the expresse image of Christ if you will know what God is study Christ there you may read his infinite justice mercy love truth and goodnesse if you will know what Christ was here in the world study the Saints viz. Quatenus Saints there you may read the holinesse meeknesse humilitie patience love gentlenesse● with the like glorious perfection of Jesus Christ Psal 45.7 God is said to anoint Christ with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows This is spoken of the Spirit which in many places of Scripture is compared to oyle 1. John 2.27 and else-where and the anointing oyle under the Law consisting of many sweet spices Exodus 35.8 did tipifie the powring out of the Spirit under the Gospel consisting of many sweet and precious graces and fruits therof and this is called the oyle of gladnesse to denote the chearing property of the Spirit of Christ which is as ointment Pro. 27.8 to rejoyce the heart and with this was Christ anointed above his fellows that is in respect of measure 3. John 34. but not in respect of kinde the Saints having received it of his fulnes Joh. 1.16 it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell 1. Col. 19. but yet that this fulnesse powred forth upon the head should reach even unto the skirts of his garments Psal 133.2 the Saints are called Christs fellows God hath given them fellowship with Christ in the same inheritance Rom. 8.17 and therefore in the same Spirit Gal. 4.6 Gods designe was to make his Elect like his Son and in him like himselfe we shall be like unto Christ in glory John 3.2 and we must be made like him in grace even pure as he is pure verse 3. the