Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	dead_a	life_n	live_v	7,322	5	6.0283	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25247	Prima the first things, in reference to the middle and last things: or, the doctrine of regeneration, the new birth, the very beginning of a godly life. Delivered by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire.; Prima, media, & ultima. Prima.	Ambrose, Isaac, 1604-1664.	1650 (1650)	Wing A2964; ESTC R213988	65,629	80

PRIMA THE FIRST THINGS In reference to The Middle and Last Things Or The Doctrine of REGENERATION THE NEW BIRTH The very beginning of a godly life Delivered by ISAAC AMBROSE Minister of the Gospel at PRESTON in Amounderness in Lancashire 1 COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become new LONDON Printed by J.F. for I.A. and are to be sold by Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL To the Worshipful The MAYOR ALDERMEN And other INHABITANTS IN The Town of Preston in Amounderness THe Apostle Peter knowing as he saith that shortly he was to put off that his tabernacle of the flesh 2 Pet. 1.14 15 as our Lord Jesus Christ had shewed him he therefore endeavored that Gods people after his decease might have those things he taught them always in remembrance And thus it came to pass that to this day we have that portion of holy Writ which he then left in writing If Peters practice be imitable in this kinde I suppose the same duty lies on * Si M. T. Ciceroni tanta fuit cura de sua republica ut scripsit in lib. de Amicitia Mihi autem non minori curae est qualis resp post mortem meam futura sit quàm qualis hodie est Multò magis incumbat mihi cura de animarum salute ut benè cedat illis postquam ego è vivis exiero aeque ut jam ante obitum meum me Revelation I have none but many stitches and infirmities which I take to be fore-runners of my departure hence Some things and amongst the rest these First Things I have taught you what remains now but that after my decease you might have these things always in remembrance To that purpose the same I delivered once to your ears I now present to your eyes as you were then pleased to hear them so I trust you will now peruse them Onely one thing you may please to observe through this Treatise That whereas in the Name of Christ I often Beseech Exhort Command the unregenerate to believe to be reconciled to God to pray to fall on this or that duty it is not as if they could do any thing of their own strength or power but because Jesus Christ in Exhorting Entreating Commanding puts forth his own power and his own strength to enable them While Paul exhorted the Goaler to believe in the Lord Jesus that he might be saved God enabled the Goalor to believe Life and power is conveyed to the soul in Gospel-Commands and Exhortations While Ezekiel prophesied over dead bones breath came into them and they lived so while the Prophets of the Lord do preach over sinful impenitent hearers who are like to the Prophets dry bones the breath of Heaven the Spirit of the Most High in the Ministery of the Gospel enters into them and so they are made new creatures and see the Kingdom of God I have no more to say onely I beseech God you may receive a Blessing by these poor labors upon your poor souls it is the hearty Prayer of Yours to be commanded in all Christian Services Isaac Ambrose To his worthily much esteemed Friend Mr. Isaac Ambrose SIR I Have perused your hearty Travel in this happy Birth and therein I dare say as your industry and skill so your interest and birthright your Labor either way This subject could not be so well handled if not felt he must himself be subject as well as Author that doth it so well No man can be here Eloquent unless Experient Propriety of Title can onely here give Propriety of Language How like the motion the language of a Puppet in a Play is the best Pulpit-Pageant in this Theame of the uninteressed man My Prayer is that of the Apostle That all of us Ministers may be herein able to comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 by the same comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God And what comfort like this that makes us with the woman Iohn 16.21 forget all our sorrows for joy that the childe is born What is it otherwise to be born to learn if we learn not thus to be born Eccles. 7.11 Wisdom saith Solomon is good with an Inheritance how good is this wisdom then that by this New Birth not onely preserves but intitles to that Inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 Wherein that this your birth of that Birth may be to many Generations fruitful is the Prayer of Your true Friend CHARLES HERLE THE CONTENTS of PRIMA OR The First Things THe necessity of Regeneration Page 2 The generality and subject of Regeneration Page 7 The maner of Regeneration Page 22 The issue and effects of Regeneration Page 42 An Appendix containing a more particular method of Regeneration Wherein Chap. 1. THe occasion and method of this Treatise Pag. 49. Chap. 2. Sect. 1. The first means to get into the New Birth 50 Sect. 2 c. Sins against the first Commandment to the last 51 Chap. 3. The second means to get into the New Birth 59 Chap. 4. Sect. 1. The third means to get into the New Birth 60 Sect. 2 c. The first second and third reason for sorrow 61 Chap. 5. Sect. 1. The means to be delivered out of the pangs of the New Birth 63 Sect. 2. The Promises procuring a sight of Christ 64 Sect. 3. The Promises procuring a desire after Christ 65 Sect. 4. The Promises procuring a relying on Christ 66 Sect. 5. The Promises procuring obedience to Christ 67 Sect. 6. The Promises procuring comfort in Christ 68 Sect. 7. The means to apply the said Promises 70 Sect. 8. The Conclusion 71 To the Reverend AUTHOR on his learned TREATISES Intituled Prima Media Vltima THE First Middle and Last Things THe First and Last and Middle Things What more Thus the well-furnish'd Scribe out of his store Brings new and old The First Things lay the Ground The Middle Build thereon By th' Last All 's crown'd By the First Things Christians begin to live The Middle Things a further progress give In Spiritual life by th' Last they live for ever Those things that God hath joyn'd let no man sever The First Things wrought in me Lord let me finde And to the Middle so direct my minde That when the First and Middle Things are past I may enjoy my hopes The Best at Last T.W. The new Birth JOH 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God WE read in the former Chapter John 2.23 Ioh. 2.23 Nicodemus ex his erat qui crediderant in nomine ejus videntes signa prodigia quae faciobat Aug. Tract in Ioan. Ioh. 7.48 When Jesus was at Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did Amongst those many here is one of them saith St. Austin what one of

not eodem modo after one maner For instance the works of Creation Redemption and Sanctification are the common works of God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost yet every one of these works common to all three are terminated in some one of them So the a 1 Cor. 8.6 Father is said to create the b Iohn 1.10 Son is said to create the c Iob 26.13 Holy Ghost is said to create so the Father is said to redeem the Son is said to redeem the Holy Ghost is said to redeem so the Father is said to sanctifie the Son is said to sanctifie the Holy Ghost is said to sanctifie Thus all three concur to every one of these works and yet every one of these works is terminated specified and formed as it were in the very last act by one of these three The work of the Creation is determinated immediately in God the Father the work of Redemption is determinated immediately in God the Son the work of Regeneration is determinated immediately in God the Holy Ghost And it is memorable that as the community of these works ad extra depends on the unity of Gods Essence so the diversity of their determinations depends on the diverse maners of Gods existence or subsisting the Father is of himself neither made nor begotten and therefore it best agrees with him to make all things of nothing which is the work of Creation the Son is of the Father alone by reflection of his intellect and so called the representation of his Fathers Image and therefore it best agrees with him to represent his Fathers mercies to mankinde by saving them from death and hell which is the work of Redemption the Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son proceeding and as it were breathed from them both by the act of the will and therefore it best agrees with him that bloweth where he listeth to blow on our wills and by his breath to purge and purifie us which is the work of Regeneration To sum up all in a word this work of Regeneration or Sanctification or whatever else you will call it in respect of the work it is of the Father Son and Holy Ghost but in respect of the last act it is of the Holy Ghost Iohn 3.6 8. and not of the Father nor the Son and thus our Savior concludes Joh. 3.8 That which is born of the spirit is spirit and so is every man that is born of the spirit Secondly as Gods Spirit is the principal so Gods Word is the instrumental cause of our Regeneration Ye are born again saith Saint Peter not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God 1 Pet. 1.23 1 Iohn 1.1 Rom. 10.17 Rom. 11.10 which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 this word St. John calls the word of life St. Paul the producer of faith and the power of God unto salvation yea this word is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. Heb. 4.12 4.12 they that are born again cannot but remember how quick and powerful and sharp Gods word was at their Regeneration first like an hammer it beat on their hearts till it broke them all to pieces and then like a sword by a terrible cutting piercing power it struck a shaking and trembling into the very center of their souls last of all like oyl when as the man in the Gospel Luke 10.30 they were wounded indeed it began to supple those wounds and to heal the bruises and to refresh the weak and tender heart with all the promises of God revealed in Christ And thus a man being begotten of the Spirit with the word of truth he comes at last to the birth So we read Except a man be born And this I suppose to be fuller then the other because a begetting may be and no birth follow as many that are stifled in the womb are begotten not born but if the birth be it doth presuppose a begetting Doct. and so it implyes it Except a man be born that is except a man be begotten and born he cannot see Gods kingdom If you ask of whom born I answer as God is Father so the Church is the Mother of every childe of God to this purpose saith the Apostle Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 Gal. 4.26 what is Jerusalem but the Church Psal 122.5 for as that City was the seat of David Psal 122.5 so is this Church the throne of Christ figured by the kingdom of David Rev. 3.7 Revel 3.7 and therefore of both these God thus proclaims Here shall be my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have a delight herein Psal 132.14 Psal 132.14 And rightly is the Church called our mother first because she is the spouse of our Father betroathed Hos 2.19 Cant. 6.3 Hosea 2.19 coupled and made one Cant. 6.3 I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine and secondly because we are children born of her this teacheth us to honor our mother and like little children to hang at her breasts for our sustenance Suck Isaiah 66.11 and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory It is the Church that brings forth children to God by the ministry of his word and if we are children of this mother we must feed on that milk which flows from her two breasts the Old and New Testament As new born babes saith the Apostle desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 In a word 1 Pet. 2.2 out of the Church there is no salvation who have not the Church their mother cannot have God their Father was the saying of old and good reason for out of the Church there is no means of Salvation no word to teach no sacraments to confirm but all these and all other means are in the womb of the Church it is here and here onely where the spirit of immortal seed begets grace in the heart and so a man is born again This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from heaven Doct. and so the words run Except a man be born from above From above it is that every good perfect gift cometh Aman can receive nothing Iohn 3.27 except it be given him from heaven Joh. 3.27 But how then saith our Savior of the wind to which he compareth every one that is born of the Spirit that we know not whence it cometh and whither it goeth I answer Vers 8 this whence respects more the cause then place we know the wind comes from the South or North or East or West but why so and so we cannot tell we

know the Spirit is above and the new birth or regeneration comes from the Spirit But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why it is so or what moves the Spirit to do so besides his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good pleasure of his will we cannot tell Or if we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others do Beda Erasm paraph. in loc the words then run thus Except a man be born again To this Nicodemus's reply seems more direct How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb No question he took Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely thus he mistook that the second birth should be after the maner of the first birth and therefore he saith Can a man that is old such as he himself was be born again No saith our Savior that which is born of the flesh is flesh and there is but one birth after this maner but to be born again is to be born after the Spirit and this is that second birth A man is first born of the flesh Doct. and he must be again born of the Spirit Hence appears the difference of the first and second birth the first birth is of the earth earthy the second birth is of the Lord from heaven heavenly the first birth is of nature full of sin the second is of grace full of sanctity the first birth is originally of flesh and blood the second birth is originally of the Spirit and water In a word the first birth kills the second gives life generation lost us it must be regeneration that recovers us O blessed birth without which no birth is happy in comparison of which though it were to be born heir of the whole world all is but misery Heb. 11.24 this was Moses praise that he esteemed the reproach of Christ above all the treasures in Egypt rather would he be the son of God then to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11.24 No question it is a great dignity to be called the son in Law to a King 1 Sam. 18.23 Polan Syntag. l. 6. c. 37. Act. 8.37 Acts 10.47 Acts 16.14 Titus 2.5 but nothing in comparison of being the Son of God this sonship is that degree above which there needs no aspiring and under which there is no happiness no heaven no kingdom Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Thus far of the maner of the words which containing the new birth it appears in them the father of it is God the seed of it the Word the mother of it the Church the place of it whence from Heaven the time of it when after a man is once born then he must be again born Except a man be born again Secondly as you see the maner of the words containing the new birth so now see the maner of the new birth contained in the words I know it is not wrought in all after one maner nor is the maner known to us but onely so far forth as it is sensible in us and therefore we must consider man before baptism in baptism after baptism In some is the new birth wrought before baptism as in the eunuch under Candace Queen of the Aethiopians Acts 8.37 and in the Captain Cornelius together with his kinsmen and and near friends Acts 10.47 and in Lydia Acts 16.14 and so our charity tells us that every Infant dying before baptism is renewed by the Spirit but the maner of this working we know not for it is one of the secrets of the Spirit of God In others is the new birth wrought in Baptism which indeed is the Sacrament of the new birth and seal of Regeneration but howsoever in Paedo-Baptism we see the outward seal yet we see not we feel not the maner of the inward working for this also is the secret of the * Bellar. Tom. 2. de Sacram. Baptism c 10. habent fidem habitualem See Dr. Field concerning the Author of the grounds of the old and new Religion S. 2. Fides est in infantibus potentia inclinatione Ursinus parte secunda Catechis quest 74. Spiritus operatur in potentiis animae ipsorum ut Bellar habeut spiritum fidei Zanch. in cap. 2. ad Ephes spirit of God In others is the new birth wrought after Baptism so Polanus but whether after Baptism or in Baptism we will not dispute onely as the case stands with us this I affirm That there is no manifestation of the new birth until after Baptism But when after Baptism I answer whensoever men receive Christ by faith which though it be many years after yet then do they feel the power of God regenerate them and to work all things in them which he offered in Baptism Now the maner of this feeling or of Gods Spirit working proceeds usually thus There be certain steps of degrees say Divines by which it passeth and howsoever in those whom God hath blessed with that great favor of holy and Christian education the Spirit of God dropping grace into their hearts even very betimes these steps or degrees are not so easily perceived Yet in those men who have lived long in sin whose sins have been gross and great and grievous no sooner come they to a new birth but they can feel grace work in them step after step and these steps we shall reckon to the number of eight The first is a sight of sin and this our Savior reckons for the first work of the Spirit When he is come Iohn 16.8 he will reprove the world of sin John 16.8 Of sin how why thus no sooner begins this blessed change from nature to grace but the conscience wrought on by Gods word opens its book and presents to the soul a bed-roll of those many mighty hainous sins committed against God and man there he may read in bloody burning lines the abominations of his youth the sins of all his life and to bring them into method the Commandments of God stand as a remembrancer before his eyes the first tells him of his loving somewhat above God the second of his worshipping a false God or the true God after a false maner the third of his dishonoring the great and mighty name of God the fourth of his breaking the Lords days either in doing the works of the flesh or leaving undone the works of the Spirit nor is this all as against God so against his neighbor hath he sinned the fifth tells him of his stubbornness and disobedience the sixth of his passions and desire of revenge the seventh of his lewdness and lustful courses the eighth of his robberies and covetous thefts the ninth of his lyes and and slanders back-bitings and rash judgements the tenth of his covetous thoughts and motions of the heart to all maner of evil Good Lord what a number of evils yea what innumerable swarms of lawless thoughts and words and actions doth he