Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	deed_n	flesh_n	mortify_v	5,880	5	10.8136	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22481	A commentarie vpon the epistle of Saint Paule to Philemon VVherein, the Apostle handling a meane and low subiect, intreating for a fraudulent and fugitiue seruant, mounteth aloft vnto God, and deliuereth sundry high misteries of true religion, and the practise of duties œconomicall. Politicall. Ecclesiasticall. As of persecution for righteousnesse sake. ... And of the force and fruit of the ministery. Mouing all the ministers of the Gospell, to a diligent labouring in the spirituall haruest ... Written by William Attersoll, minister of the word of God, at Isfield in Suffex.	Attersoll, William, d. 1640.	1612 (1612)	STC 890; ESTC S106848	821,054	582

die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shal liue for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And in another place Å¿ 2 Cor. 5 15. Thus we iudge that if one be dead and he died for all that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose againe Sanctification goeth alwayes before glorification Euerie one would be glorified but euery one wil not be sanctified euerie one would liue with God but euery one will not dye to sinne euery one would receiue the victory but euery one will not fight the battel But let vs not be deceiued God is not mocked If we would attaine to saluation we must first haue sanctification we must be Saints in this life if we look to be Saints in glory heerafter we must be Saints vpon the earth if we would be Saints in heauen wee must first make a beginning before we can come to the ending We must take paines wee must labour hard and sweate much before we can come to our iourneyes end Let vs therefore take heed we do not make a mocke of the Saints least we mocke at our owne sanctification and consequently neglect nay despise our owne saluation If we make any account of holinesse of life let vs not cast it out as a reproch to bee holy Let vs consider that this is the will of God euen our sanctification it is not therefore his will that wee should delight in prophanesse and vngodlinesse And as for those that are scorned and abused or rather not they indeede or their persons flouted and contemned but their Faith their Religion their Sanctification let them not hang downe their heads and be discouraged but walke boldly through good report and euill report and be so farre from shrinking back for these taunts reuilings that rather we should prepare our selues for an harder battell an hotter encounter We haue not yet resisted vnto blood Remember what our Lorde and Maister hath endured the reproach of the world the slaunders of the vngodly the mockings of the malicious the shame of the crosse and what not We must not looke to fare better then he we must not thinke to be entertained otherwise then he was If this be the worst that they can say by vs if this be the greatest fault they can report of vs that we are Saintes and holy persons let vs not be discomforted but rather comforted heerein that God is glorified in vs his name is honoured and the mouth of Iniquity is stopped hauing nothing to detect vs off nothing to obiect against vs. The enemies of Daniell howsoeuer they watched all occasions and sought all opportunities to betray him and destroy him yet the greatest crime they had to charge him withall t Dan 6. 11. and 3. 12. was that he prayed to his God three times a day and made supplication vnto him The Caldeans had no other fault to charge the Iewes to haue committed then that they would not bow downe vnto an Idol If they could haue found any other matter to accuse them of as Malefactors their malice was so great to their profession and to their persons for their professions sake that they would not haue spared and held their peace But this was the glory of these seruants of God that they suffered not for their sinnes and deseruings but for their faith and a good conscience This was it wherin the Church and faithfull comforted themselues Psal 44. If we haue u Psal 44. 20 21 22. forgotten the name of our God and holden vp our handes to a strange God shall not God search this out For he knoweth the secrets of the heart Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter This is that place which the Apostle alludeth vnto Rom. 8. Whereby he comforteth the people of God in their afflictions whereby we see what is the portion and condition of the Saintes in this life they are sheepe not wolues they are afflicted they doe not afflict they are killed they do not kill they are killed not because they haue forsaken and renounced God but because they would not forsake him and renounce him They are slaine not for their owne sinne but because they would not commit sinne against God If this be our case and condition that we are reproached for our righteousnesse and religion and if we x 1 Pet 4 13. 14. be railed vpon for the name of Christ we haue cause to reioyce in asmuch as we are partakers of his sufferinges and shall be partakers of his glory yea blessed are we for the spirit of glory and of God resteth vpon vs which on their part is euill spoken off but on our part is glorified Let vs comfort our selues and our bretheren with these thinges Vse 2. Secondly seeing all the faithfull liuing in the world are Saintes this serueth to conuince the Church of Rome who appropriate the word Saintes to those that are dead and honour none with this title that liue vpon the earth but such as are departed out of this life and being famous for miracles are Canonized by the Pope whom they account as a God vpon the earth Hence it is that they adde farther that our Church cannot be an holy Church because there was neuer yet any Saint or holy man of it approued to be such by miracle or any other euident token They renounce our Church because it is no holy Church and they conclude it is not holy because we haue no Saints that are in it or euer were of it First lct vs speake of our Saintes and then somewhat touching their Saintes whereof they boast so much and in whom they glory so greatly Touching the former the Prophets Apostles and holy men of the first Churches were professors of the same faith that wee beleeue as appeareth by the Scriptures by which we offer to be tried in al controuersies but our Aduersaries will not deny these to be Saintes and such Saintes as haue beene approued by miracles Againe we haue in our Churches true beleeuers iustified by the bloud of Christ and sanctified by the spirit of God and therefore are Saintes by calling as we haue shewed before We haue the fruites of sanctification as necessary effects of a liuing faith we profit daily in repentance from dead workes we labour more and more for y Col 2 2. 5. Rom 8 16. the full assurance of vnderstanding and stedfast faith in Christ for our redemption But such as liue in sin and walk in the flesh haue not the spirit of Christ they are not of our church they are no true Saints they may bee among vs but they are not of vs. As for the popish Saints which are found in their Golden Legend so called and stand in redde letters in their Kalenders it is no maruell if we do not account

Children of God c Psal 123 3. Haue mercy vpon vs ô Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we haue suffered to much contempt This is the direction that the Apostle Iames giueth d Iames 5 5. If any of you want wisedome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him This is that which the Apostle both teacheth and craueth The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all The like we see vsed by the Apostle Iohn Reuel 1. 4. All which testimonies serue directly to teach vs that what blessings soeuer we want we must beg them of God and of him onely Reason 1. Let vs see the Reasons to confirme vs in this truth First God is the fountaine of all good thinges and the Well-spring of all graces whatsoeuer Hee is a most bountifull and liberall Giuer none can helpe vs but he alone If hee shut his handes who can open them If hee stoppe his eares who can heare If hee turne awaie his eye from vs who can see our wantes If hee close vp his heart who can shew mercie Hence it is that the Apostle saith e Rom 11 36. For of him and through him and for him are all thinges to him bee glory for euer Amen And Iames in the first Chapter of his Epistle Iam. 1. 17. f Iames 1 17. Euery good giuing and euery perfect guift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse neither shaddow of turning Reason 2. Secondly the three persons in Trinity doe worke ioyntly together euen from the first beginning of our creation to the last finishing of our saluation It is said all things were made by the Sonne g Iohn 1 3. and that without him nothing was made that was made the Spirit also did sustaine and vphold that confused Lumpe which was the matter of the vniuersall so that they are said and set downe to be Creators as well as the Father In the worke of our saluation the Father willeth it and electeth vs the Sonne meriteth and deserueth it the Holy Ghost applyeth and appropriateth it This is it which Christ himselfe h Iohn 5 17. 16 13. saith Ioh. 5. My Father worketh hitherto and I worke And Chap. 16. When he commeth which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth So we might say the like touching the guifts of Sanctification and Iustification the Father forgiueth and washeth away sinne by the blood of Christ through the sprinkling of the Spirit he mortifieth sinne by the power of the death of Christ through the working of the Holy Ghost he raiseth vnto newnesse of life by the power of Christes Resurrection applyed by the Spirit hee iustifieth vs by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed and appropriated vnto vs by the Spirit Seeing therefore that God is a most munificent and liberall giuer rich vnto all and niggardly to none and seeing these three persons beeing one God doe worke ioyntly together in all things touching the creation of the World and the saluation of man and the redemption of our Soules it followeth whensoeuer we want any guifts needefull for Soule or body for this life or the life to come we must aske the supply of them at the handes of God onely the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost Vse 1. Now let vs handle the Vses breefely that arise from hence First we see that it is necessary for all that would pray aright and would obtaine that which they desire to be well instructed in the Vnity of the Godhead and the Trinity of the persons and to know the distinct properties of the persons without the vnderstanding whereof wee worship not the true God but an Idoll Our Sauiour in his conference with the Woman of Samaria chargeth the i Iohn 4 12. Samaritans to worship they know not what so doe many in our dayes both Heretiques and ignorant persons they call vppon God confusedlie but they haue no particular knowledge of God at all We must conceiue no otherwise of God in our minde then he hath expressed in his word The scripture teacheth to knowledge to beleeue to worship one God and him onely If we conceiue or imagine or receiue a multiplicity of Gods wee turne the truth of God into a lie and we erect vnto our selues so many Idols Againe the same Scripture setteth before vs three persons in that Godhead the Father which is the first person in the Trinity of himselfe the Son which is the second person begotten of the Father the holy Ghost which is the third person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne The Father is God the Sonne is God the holy Ghost is God and yet these three persons are not three Gods but one onely God And heere we haue in this place a notable Testimony of the God-head of the Sonne where the Apostle desireth and prayeth for grace and peace to be giuen to Philemon and his Wife to Archippus and the Church not onely from God the Father but from the Lord Iesus Christ This had bin monstrous horrible Idolatry and blasphemy Lastly if Christ had not bin in Nature Maiesty and glory equal with the Father hee of whom and from whom we craue spirituall and eternall gifts k Iohn 1 16. And of whose fulnesse we receiue and grace for grace must be confessed and beleeued to be God but such is Christ Iesus and therefore let this be an article of our Faith written in our hearts acknowledged with our mouth and confessed in the Church for euer that Christ is true God Vse 2. Secondly all good things are to be craued of God whether it be the supplying of his graces or the remoouing of our troubles we are taught to goe immediatly to God by Christ whensoeuer he blesseth vs and to returne vnto himselfe the praise of his owne worke This duty being required it serueth to meete with many corruptions that are too common in the world It conuinceth such Heathnish minded men as are of dead harts and haue no spark of the life of Gods Spirite in them that receiue and swallow vp daily diuers blessinges yet neuer looke to GOD that blesseth them but wee are like vnto the Swine that goe groueling to the ground like the Horse and Mule that haue no vnderstanding at all and so vse all the profites and pleasures of this life without any acknowledgement and consideration from whence they come and of whom they haue receiued them l Ezek. 32 6. or like vnto the Israelites when they had forsaken God They sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play or as c Gen. 25 34. Esau He did eate and drinke he rose vp and went his way he filled his paunch and such was his prophanenesse that hee was touched with nothing These men doe daily deuour infinite

chalenge the name of Saints Reason 2. Secondly the seruants of God must be Saintes to the end there may be a conformity and likenesse vnto him that hath had mercy vpon vs. It is requisite that there should be a resemblance betweene God and his people God is holy it is one of his names he is called the holy one Christ is holy and he is called the holy one of God Seeing therefore God is holy that hath called vs it followeth that holinesse belongeth vnto vs. The sonne beareth the Image of his father and thereby is easily knowne whose sonne he is If we be the sonnes of God we must expresse his Image in holines and true righteousnes This is it which Moses declareth and repeateth Leuit. 11. i Leuit 11. 44. I am the Lord your God be sanctified therefore and be holy for I am holy and defile not your selues with any creeping thing that creepeth vpon the earth Heereunto accordeth the saying of the Apostle Peter k 1 Pet 1. 14. 15. As obedient Children fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy If then he that is the God of all the Saintes be holy if it be one of his essentiall attributes so that he can no more cease to be holy then he can cease to be God the Saintes themselues must be Saintes not onely in name but in deed they must be transformd into a likenes of him they must shew the fruites of holines and be partakers of the diuine nature in that they flee the corruption which is in the world through lust Reason 3. Thirdly the faithfull are called by the name of Saintes that there might be a difference betweene that which we haue of our selues and that which wee receiue from God betweene the old man and the new man betweene our first birth and our second birth betweene nature and grace No man is a Saint by nature we haue not holines from our selues but we are strangers to it and that is a stranger to vs nay we are enemies to holines who loue nothing else but prophanenesse and desire to be any thing else then to be Saintes and holy The Apostle putting vs in mind of our first birth that we might so much the more magnify the grace of God which is marueilous and glorious in his Saintes saith l Ephe 2. 12. 13. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh and called vncircumcision of them which were called Circumcision in the flesh made with handes that ye were at that time without Christ and were Alians from the common wealth of Israell and were strangers from the Couenants of peomise and had no hope and were without God in the world but now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the bloud of Christ And to the same purpose he speaketh in the Epistle to the Colossians m Col 1. 21. 22. You which were in times past strangers and enemies hath he now reconciled in that body of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight Seeing then that we are called to holines seeing we must as Children resemble our father and seeing God will haue a difference betweene our naturall condition and the estate wherein we stand by grace we may conclude that all such as are in the number of true beleeuers are also Registred in the number of true Saintes sanctified inwardly by the spirit of God Vse 1. Let vs now make vse and application of this Doctrine vnto our selues First wee see plainely heereby that there are Saintes vpon the earth that is men and woemen regenerate and sanctified The prophet Dauid saith n Psal 16. 3. All my delight is in the Saintes that are vpon the earth whereby it appeareth that there are two sorts of Saintes one in heauen the other on the earth one sort is the spirits of iust and perfect men the other such as are clothed with flesh who haue a righteousnes begun in them but are yet farre from perfection some that haue already receiued their Crownes that are already glorified not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing others that are yet in warfare against sinne the world and the deuill and carry about with them the remnants of naturall corruption Therefore we professe to beleeue in the Articles of our Faith the Cōmunion of Saints So the Apostle saith o 1 Cor. 6 1 2 11. Dare any of you hauing businesse against another be iudged vnder the vniust and not vnder the Saints Do ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world And afterward Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God This serueth to reprooue all those which in scorne and derision mock the seruants of God and vpbraide them with their profession saying O you are a Saint you are of the little flocke you are an holy man A yong Saint an old deuil Thus is Religion made a Prouerbe and common by-word and thus are men come to sit downe in the seate of Scorners but heare this O ye contemners of God! and know that whosoeuer is not holye is prophane he that is not pure is impure he that is not a Saint of God is a bond-slaue of the Deuill there is no meane betweene the one and the other He that is not of the little flocke of Sheepe is of the great Heard of Goats and of the multitude of vnbeleeuers that shall be condemned He that entreth not in at the straite gate that leadeth to life walketh in the broad way and entereth at the wide gate that leadeth to destruction He that is not a Saint before hee dieth is a Deuill incarnate before his death This is that which our Sauiour speaketh concerning Iudas p Iohn 6 70. Haue I not chosen twelue and one of you is a Deuill Now he spake of Iudas Iscariot the sonne of Simon for he it was that should betray him This Iudas was not a Saint and he is pronounced to be a Deuill Now choose whether thou wilt be a Saint or be accounted a Iudas a Deuill a member of the deuill For he that is not in some sort changed renewed regenerated and sanctified in the inner man shall neuer see life If we begin not the way to saluation in this world we shall neuer be receiued into glory in the world to come This is the Doctrine which Christ preacheth to Nichodemus q Iohn 3 5. Verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God So the Apostle saith r Ro. 8 13 14 If ye liue after the flesh ye shall

Paule mentioning sundry iudgements that fell vpon the Israelites for their sinnes and offences gathereth this Exhortation wherefore c 1 Cor. 10 12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede least he fall They had the vse of the Sacraments and other pledges of Gods fauour yet they could not priuiledge them or defend them from the punishments that God brought vpon them Let no man therefore trust too much to the zeale of one or two yeaers but perseuer to the end and know he must be faithfull vnto the last gasp God hath not hired vs for a season to labour in his seruice for a day or a month or a yeare neither giueth vs leaue to depart at a time appointed nor maketh vs a Certificat vnder his hand that wee are at libertie to serue another but wee must all know that there is one condition of worshipping him to wit that wee dedicate both our Soule and Body both our life and death both our beginning and ending vnto him What did it profit d Gene. 19 25. Lots Wife to go out of Sodome commaunded by the Angell and accompanied by her Husband in as much as she looked backe and was turned into a piller of Salt What profit was it e Iude 5. to the Israelites to depart out of Aegipt and to passe ouer the Red Sea seeing afterward they fell to murmuring in the Wildernesse and were destroyed of the Destroyer What gaine or what good was f 2 Kin. 9. 10 it to Iehu to slay the Priests of Baall with the sword and to be zealous for the execution of the iudgements of the Lord to deface the Image and to throw downe the house of Baal and to make a Iakes of it for euer seeing he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam and regarded not to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel but worshipped the Golden Calues that were in Dan and Bethel It were as good neuer to begin as not to continue vnto the end When we haue once giuen our Names to Christ and tasted of the good worde of God and see many men come farre behinde vs we flatter our selues in an opinion of our sure standing we are ready to say If all the world should turne to be back-sliders and Apostataes yet we would neuer slide away But let vs take heed we be not deceiued for God will not be mocked It is a woorthy saying of the Prophet Ezechiell Chap. 18 24. If a Righteous Man turne away from his righteousnesse commit iniquity and do according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shall he liue All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die It is not enough to purpose well it is not enough to beginne well it is not enough to proceede well it is required of vs to perseuer well and to continue in a constant and setled course vnto the end If a man continue vnto his latter dayes and then giue ouer all is gone al is lost all is in vaine If a Childe that is set to Schoole do go lustily forward in his Learning a long time and afterward prooue an ydle boy and one that will take no paines he will neuer proue Learned nor is euer like to come to any preferment If a man beginne to builde an house and haue laide a good foundation it is neuer the better vnlesse the worke bee brought to an end and perfection He that runneth in a race though he set out neuer so swiftly and haue passed a great part of the way neuer so resolutely yet if hee stay in his course and hold not on to the end h 1 Cor. 9 24. hee receiueth not the prize hee obtaineth not the reward Hee that is Valiant and Couragious in the beginning of the fight neuer winneth the fielde nor getteth the Victory vnlesse he continue to the end of the battell We are taught and trained vp in Gods Schoole wee are partes of the building of his house and as liuely stones fitted to make an holie Temple vnto him we all runne in a Race and prooue Maisteries We are the Lords Soldiers to fight hand to hand against Sinne the World and the Deuill let vs therefore hold out till wee come to the marke and receiue the ende of our Faith euen the Saluation of our soules Saule beganne well but he declined and in the end became an open persecuter Ioash i 2 Chr. 24 17. behaued himselfe vprightly all the dayes of Iehoiadah and repaired the house of the Lord but after his death he fell to Idolatry he left the house of the Lord God of his Fathers and he serued Groues and Idols so that wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem because of this trespasse The Israelites that would haue returned into Egypt dyed in the Wildernesse It shall not be needful to heape vp mo examples we haue too many such stumbling blockes lying in our way and set before our eyes let vs take heede by their falles and learne Wisedome by their foolishnesse and constancy by their inconstancy Vse 6. Lastly seeing many slide backe that haue seemed forward men and of great and eminent note aboue others it is our duty in regarde of the small strength and the little power of our owne Nature to pray heartily and earnestly vnto God not to lead vs into tentation nor to take away his holy spirit from vs but that he would stay vs vp by his grace We must entreat at the hands of God for our continuance as well as for our first conuersion For as the opening of the hart and the beginning of our regeneration and new birth is of Grace so we proceede in the midde way and perseuer vnto the end not by our selues or any thing in vs but by the same grace and goodnesse of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede Hence it is that the k Psal 51 12. Prophet prayeth vnto God To restore vnto him the ioy of his saluation and to establish him with his free Spirit And in another place he praieth to the Lord who had kept him in his youth that he also would be his keeper in his old age when his head was hoare and haires gray l Psal 71 9 17 18. Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth ô God thou hast taught me from my youth euen vntill now therefore will I tell of thy wondrous workes yea euen vnto mine old age and gray head ô God forsake me not vntill I haue declared thine Arme vnto this Generation c. The Prophet knew well enough his pronenesse and inclination to goe backe and that it is at easie to fall through dotage as noneage and by the weakenesse and coldnesse of old age as by the lustes and frailty of youth Yea we see many that haue held a