Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	day_n	lord_n	word_n	7,457	5	4.1658	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04831	The marriage of the lambe Or a treatise concerning the spirituall espousing of Christ, to a beleeving soule, wherein the subject is fully handled in the nature of it, in the effects, priviledges, symptomes, with the comforts that arise to a beleever from this relation, wherein also the excellencie of Christ, and many other spirituall truths flowing from the subject are by way discovered. By Benjamin King, minister of Gods Word at Flamsteed in Hartford-shire.	King, Benjamin, b. 1611 or 12.	1640 (1640)	STC 14963; ESTC S103355	46,240	182

to Christ when nothing comes in competition with him but when pleasure profit liberty and preferment comes in the way that either a man must forsake these or the profession of his love to Christ then for to cleave unto Christ proves our love to be conjugall The young man in the Gospell made many shewes of his love to Christ but when Christ bad him goe and sell all that he had he went away sorrowfull The Rulers many of them professed faire love to Christ but yet when it came to this passe that they which confessed Christ must be cast out of the Synagogue Iohn 12.42 they would not confesse him any longer so that it is constancie in our love to Christ that proves our love to bee a true conjugall affection Thus much of the consequents of this spirituall marriage which are mutuall betwixt Christ and his spouse the consequents that are proper and peculiar follow and these are either Such as are exparte sponsi on Christs part Such as ere ex parte sponsae on a beleevers part First such as are on Christs part which are two 1. A communication of secrets 2. A communication of goods First a communication of secrets The 1. consequent on Christs part Christ will communicate those secrets to a beleeving soule espoused unto him that hee will not communicate to a stranger a man will communicate much to his friend according to the Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things amongst friends are common but much more will a man communicate to the wife of his bosome Dalilah Sampsons wife could get the meaning of the riddle out of Sampson that all the Philistines could not finde out so is the Spouse of Christ privie to those secrets that all the wise and learned being not espoused to Christ are ignorant of The secrets of the Lord are to them that feare him Psal 25.13 He revealeth his secrets to his Servants the Prophets Amos 3.7 My beloved had me into his Chambers saith the Spouse of Christ Cant. 1.4 Cant. 1.4 opened Now as Chambers are places of safety as the Prophet sheweth Isay 26.20 Come my people enter into my chamber so chambers are places of greatest secrecie hence in Scripture they are called privie chambers and secret places opposed to the house top 2 King 6.12 Luke 12.3 Mat. 6.6 for Christ then to have his Spouse into his Chambers is nothing else but to make her privie to his secrets for this priviledge our blessed Saviour broke forth into a Doxologie unto his father Mat. 11.25 I thanke thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Quest What are those secrets that Christ will communicate to his Spouse that hee will not communicate to a soule that is not married to him Solution (r) Dic nobis tu qui preparas quid preparas replebiniur bonis domus tuae sed quib●s bonis vine olco f●umento sed haec novimus videmus fastidimus id quaerimus quod oculus non vidit Bern. Serm. 11. in Caniic Such secrets as Eye hath not seene neither eare heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9.10 to instance in some particulars The first secret is the pardon of sinne the most blessed newes and most joyfull tidings that can come to the soule of a reasonable creature when the soule with Heman Psal 88.7 lyeth crying day and night under the indignation of the Lord with David roaring for very disquietnesse of Spirit with Iob the arrowes of the Lord drinking us its spirit then for Christ to whisper unto the soule in secret by his Spirit and to say unto it Spouse be of good comfort Thy sinnes are forgiven thee this is a secret Christ will communicate to none but unto his spouse But some may say how may a poore soule know whether this voyce of Christ by his spirit be not a delusion of Satan Answ It is true that the devill can suggest falsely into his owne children what Christ in truth suggests into the hearts of his owne people and that often he can counterferfeite this testimony of the Spirit concerning the pardon of sinne putting in thoughts of comfort mercy and remission of sinne and of peace to the soule when God makes himselfe ready for Warre But by this may Christs voyce comforting the soule be knowne from Sathans flatteries and false perswasions How Christs voyce is known from Sathans illusion concerning the pardon of sin from the time and condition the soule is in when these thoughts of Mercy and tidings of pardon of sinne come unto the soule if the soule as before be in a disconsolate condition by reason of the sense of the burthen of sinne and deepe apprehension of Gods wrath then for the soule to receive comfort and to entertaine thoughts of mercy lifting up the soule as it were from the gates of hell to the suburbs of heaven this is a good signe it is the work of Christ and his voyce by his Spirit communicating this secret of mercy and pardon of sinne because this is against the policy of Sathan to comfort the soule and to lift it up when it is in sinking through the sense of Gods wrath but on the contrary his ordinary course is when the soule is in heavinesse dejection and anguish and inclining to desperation to follow the soule close to drive it into the further degree of despaire till it be swallowed up of it But if the soule shal have thoughts of mercy and assurance of salvation suggested into it when it hath never felt the burden of sinne the spirit of bondage never beene truely humbled for sinne this is a signe of an illusion of Sathan to drive the soule to perish by presumption which is a more frequent Rocke against which the soule splits it selfe than desperation The second secret is the experimentall knowledge of the worke of regeneration a secret and mysterie that few are privie unto Nicodemus though a teacher in Israel yet ignorant in this point till Christ instructed him in it and at Christs first relating of it unto him it seemed a (s) What a parable is regeneration to many even old men Masters and teachers and rulers in Israel who knew no other nativity but one of Adam and Eve no progenie of God and his Church no other parents but such as beger earthly children to a naturall life c. D. Taylor on Tit. p. 65. riddle unto him till Christ shewed him how and in what manner it was wrought Iohn 3.4.5 Many can talke of the dangers of Warre of the wonders of the Sea of the Indies and remote places who yet never were in warre upon the sea or in any fore-mentioned Countries but they that have beene in hot skirmishes of warre that have gone down into the deepe and occupied ships in the great waters they that have seene the Indies and remote places have bought their

should be a divorcement of all sinne to give entertainement to himselfe alone this is expressed by the Psalmist Psal 45.11.12 Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy Fathers house So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Our Prophet v. 16. of this chapter shewes the truth of this that Christ in his love will permit no corrivall Thou shalt call me Ishi and call me no more Bauli Cornel. de Lap. in Hos 2.16 Par. in eundem locum why not Bauli as well as Ishi they signifying both the same thing sounding as much as my Lord my husband the reason was because Baal was the name of an Idoll now God doth so abhorre that an Idoll should have the least communication and corrivality with him that hee would not be called by the name of an Idoll so offensive is the very name of another lover unto him So Hosea 14.8 Ephraim being once espoused to God cryes out what have I to doe any more with Idols so the Apostle perswading the Romans to put on the Lord Iesus Christ hee bids them first to abjure surfetting and drunkennes chanbering and wantonnesse and so to put on the Lord Iesus Christ Consider the nature and essence of this spirituall marriage and the particulars wherein it doth consist which are three First in that neere and intimate conjunction that is betwixt Christ and every beleeving soule which is so great and intimate that Christ and a beleever are sayd to bee one Ephes 5.32 they two shall be one flesh this is a great mystery but I speake of Christ and his Church saith the Apostle Now this union is not a meere notionall and intellectuall union that consists only in the understanding and without the understanding is nothing nor yet a conjunction of affection onely as Ionathan and David are sayd to have one soule and heart but it is a true and reall union nor yet such a reall union as if there was an union of substance and person for so many beleevers there are so many distinct persons there are and all distinct from the person of Christ and his God-head which is incōmunicable but this union is a reall mysticall and spirituall union caused two wayes First in regard of Christ by his spirit Secondly in regard of us by a true vivificall and justifying faith First on Christs part by his Spirit for as in the members of the body they are all distinct amongst themselves and doe all differ from the head yet ab unâ eadémque formâ informante from one and the same soule informing the head and all the members all they are made one compositum So it is with Christ and beleevers beleevers are distinct persons and distinct from the person of Christ yet by one and the same Spirit abiding in Christ and beleevers they become one this the Apostle intimates 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit so Saint Iohn that Disciple that leaned on Christs breasts and thence suckt many a spiritual truth makes the participation of the Spirit an evidence of Christs abiding in beleevers and of their abiding in Christ 1 Iohn 3.24 Secondly this union is caused on beleevers part by the grace of faith so saith the Prophet I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse some would have this word faithfulnesse referred to God and so to note the truth of Gods promise of espousing himselfe unto his Church but others better take this word faithfulnesse to note the grace of justifying faith for I finde the word here used in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be referred to the saving faith of the just Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his owne faith so that the meaning of the Prophet in this place is this whereas verse 19. he saith in regard of God this espousing is in justice and mercy so on beleevers part it must bee in faith and obedience so that it is faith which is the applicatory instrument of this great benefit of this spirituall Marriage for God will so espouse himselfe in justice and mercy as that the beleever must receive this grace by faith This spirituall betrothing consists in that mutuall covenant that is made betwixt Christ and a beleever in the day of their espousalls Ezek. 16.8 I entred into covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine which covenant is that Christ will bee to the soule a loving and carefull husband and the soule must be to Christ a morigerous and an obedient spouse this mutuall covenant the Apostle expresseth fully Ephes 5.24.25 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church there is the covenant on Christs part Wives be subject to your husbands as the Church is subject unto Christ there is the covenant on the beleevers part this covenant is expressed by this Prophet verse last I will be your God and ye my people It consists in that reciprocall interest that Christ claimes in a beleever and a beleever in Christ Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his my beloved is mine there is the beleevers interest in Christ and I am his there is Christs interest in a beleever A beleever doth not by faith so lay hold on Christ as a man with his hand layes hold on a Pillar or tree for a man may lay hold on a tree and the tree never lay hold on him againe but he layes hold on Christ so by faith that by the same act of faith he is apprehended by Christ againe this the Apostle intimates Phil●p 3.13 I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an apprehending and a being apprehended of Christ and therefore this mutuall apprehending of a beleever by Christ and of Christ by a beleever is lively expressed by the metaphor of kissing and saluting Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lippes here the Church would have Christ to kisse her Psal 2. ult Kisse the Sonne here Christ desires a kisse of his Church in this saluting and kissing there is a mutuall embracing and touching of one another this expresseth the manner of the worke of faith in apprehending Christ for by faith the soule so embraceth Christ that by the same Act of faith it is embraced by Christ againe this is that mutuall interest as the beleeving soule challengeth Christ to be its Bridsgroome so it gives Christ an interest in it selfe to bee his faithfull and obedient spouse and this distinguisheth the fals spouse of Christ from the true spouse there is never an hypocrite and nominall Christian that hath no more of Christianity than the outside and title but he will be ready to claime interest in Christ crying I hope in my God my Christ my Jesus but the question is whether Christ hath interest in him if