Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	excellent_a	find_v	great_a	421	4	2.1545	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76232	Ēh probolē tēs alētheias or The bul-warke of truth, being a treatise of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Ghost, and of the Trinity in unity, against atheists and hereticks. / By Robert Bayfeild.	Bayfield, Robert, b. 1629.; Faithorne, William, 1616-1691, engraver.	1657 (1657)	Wing B1468; Thomason E1636_3; ESTC R209045	111,248	263

Psal 115.3 dwelling in the Heavens that none can attain unto and this the very Heathens knew full well Vide Na●●ell p. 54. Ita etiam allusit Plutarchus in Iside de theologia Aegypti●rum Vide Job c. ●2 Psal 18.9.11 when Orpheus speaking of God could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot see him because he is compassed about with darkness and Damascius the Platonist speaking of the wise men of Egypt saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they call the first beginning of all things darknesse unknown darknesse passing all our understanding answerable to that place of the Psalmist He made darknesse his secret place and all to this end to shew that he cannot be seen or comprehended by us Quia secundum essentiam in cognitus secundum Majestatem immensus because his Majesty is immeasurable and his being is unconceivable Thalas apud Paulinum Presbyt Job 28 24 saith Thalassus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he is every where and seeth every thing when as nothing can see him and as the sun is in it self most visible so is God in himselfe most intelligible Why the nature of God is not to be comprehended by the understanding of man and therefore that the sun dazeleth the eye and God the understanding it is from the abundance of glory in both in respect of our weakness to see and insufficiency to apprehend so that our defect of knowledge in the Nature of God is not so properly from the Excellency of the Object as from the deficiency of the Faculty John 1 18. our understanding being too narrow to comprehend the incomprehensible Essence of the God-head as whatsoever is finite must needs be too short either to reach or to fathom that which is infinite 1 Tim. 6.16 Wherefore God dwelling in that light of Glorious Excellency and inaccessible Glory which no eye of humane Reason can approach or enter into Psal 144 3. we not being able to comprehend him in a full Knowledge have some apprehensions of him by a divine faith for it hath pleased him in his word revealed unto us to reveale himselfe so far as our weake capacity can conceive him and that by giving himself as you have heard many Names Titles Attributes to shew what a one he is who being a most simple essence void of al composition not subject to any accident or quality useth in the Scriptures to entitle himselfe by many qualities the which we must so understand that whatsoever he is whether Good Wise Powerfull c. he is the same by Essence not by quality Now although God cannot be defined 1. Because he is immense and his Essence unknown unto us 2 Because as Aristotle saith Aristot Topicor l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the definition of any thing is the expression of what it is in its own nature and virtue and so we cannot possibly shew what he is yet some way he may be described and therefore his description according to Phylosophy is on this wise God is an eternall minde or intelligence The description of God according to Philosophy sufficient in himselfe to all felicity most good and the cause of good in nature The description of God according to the rules of Divinity But Divinity hath taught us a more full and ample description of him which is in this sort God is an Essence spirituall intelligent Eternall infinite different from all the creatures without body parts or passions incomprehensible most perfect in himself immutable Omnipotent of exceeding wisdome and goodnesse just true chast mercifull bountifull most free wroth and angry without sin Or thus God is a Spirit in and of himselfe Joh. 4.24 Exod 3.14 Exod. 24.16 1. Tim. 1.11 Mat. 5.48 Gen. 17.1 1. Tim. 1.17 Mal. 3.8 1. King 8.27 Psal 139.1 to 13. Rev. 4.8 Heb. 4.13 Rom. 16.27 Isa 6.3 Deut. 32 4. Exod. 34.6 Nancelius l. 1. infinite in being Glory Blessednesse and perfection all-sufficient Eternall Unchangeable Incomprehensible every where present Almighty knowing all things most wise most holy most just most mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth We finde three speciall wayes of expressing what he is first by way of Negation by removing from him what we find in the creatures as when we say and affirme him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immortall Invisible Incorporeall Immoveable Infinite Unchangeable and so forth And because Dionys de calest hierarch c. 2. as Dionysius the Areopagite saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negations are true in God but affirmatives are not alwayes agreeable to him therefore this is the best part of our knowledge of him as S. Augustine saith when we know rather what he is not then what he is Secondly By way of perfection by way of affirmation and perfection as when we doe analogically and in respect of certaine similitudes ascribe unto God the best and most excellent things that can be found in any of the creatures whatsoever and so we say he is Great Strong Faire Mercifull Just c. So Hermes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is an indefatigable Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest King of Kings and a most good God and Thales Milesius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient uncreated God Cicero in Tuscul 1. Lactan. lib. 2. cap. 5. And Cicero so well as he could defined him● in manner following Deus meus est vis quaedam soluta libera segregata ab omni concretione mortali omnia sentiens movens ipsaque praedita motu sempiterno God is a certain intelligence or spirit free and ready separated from all mortall mixture or concretion knowing and moving all things and having in himself an eternall motion and Plato defineth God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Phoedone a divine God-head immortall and good and wise and understanding of one and the same manner indissoluble having himself alwaies after the same way and most like unto himself And in another place he saith that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheifest good the shape or Idea of the cheifest good the King of all kinds and of that invisible and inaccessible place that none can attaine unto the maker of the Sun beyond all substance the beginning of the Universe from whom are all the beings and substances that are knowne to be But we must remember as I said before that all these Definitions and many more beside can give us no true knowledge of the Essence of God because it is wholy incomprehensible Solus Deus est altissimus S. Aug. in lib. de mor. Eccles quo altius nihil est Only God is most high above whom there is nothing higher and besides the Philosophers say that Definition may wholy specifie the Proportion of a thing or his Kind Quality Difference or some Peculiar accident all which severall things are not to be found in God which is the

reason that he cannot be defined or comprehended as very learnedly the Philosopher Symonides answered for hee being demanded concerning the Essence of God and having many dayes given him to resolve the question at last he said The more I strive to consider what God is the more difficult I find the matter to be therefore we ought to take great heed that we wade not too far into this depth but let us learne Chrysost hom 2. in heb Potius glorificare eum qui est quam investigare quid est Rather most faithfully to serve him which is then too curiously to search what he is for as S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Neque ad loquendum dignè de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praevalet our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our understandings are not sufficient to conceive of him as we ought to do therefore we should never think upon God without great reverence saith Musculus Thirdly By way of supereminency transcendent excellency as when we ascribe to God whatsoever excellencies that are or may be spoken of him far above all the excellencies of all creatures whatsoever as when we say not only in the Concrete that God is just mercifull wise strong good and such like but also in the Abstract By way of supereminency That the abstract names all excellencies are only proper to God that hee is Justice Mercy Wisedome Strength and Goodnesse it selfe which cannot be said of any of all the creatures for that all the best excellencies of the cheifest creatures are but as little sparkes in respect of a huge infinite fire or as a few drops of rain in comparison of the whole Ocean Sea if we should compare them to the excellency of God Nay we should finde their wisdomes Folly their strength Weaknesse their beauty Baldnesse and all their goodnesse to be nothing in respect of the goodness of God Job 4.18 for He chargeth his Angells with folly and the Heavens are not cleer in his sight Now according to these three waies God is described to be an Immortall A description of God by way of 1. Negation 2. Affirmation 3. Supereminency invisible incomprehensible spiritual infinite Eternall Essence the cause of all causes the author of all excellencies So here you see a boundlesse Ocean and a very large Description of God and I may sooner loose my selfe in the prosecuting of the same then find him fully as he is in any place which is fully truly in every place In a sober sence Bernard saith true Nusquam est ubique est God is every where by his Essence repletively no where inclusively he is no where because no place whether reall or imaginary can comprehend or contain him he is everywhere because no body no space or spirituall substance can exclude his presence or avoid the penetration if I may so speak of his essence He is in Christ spiritually in himself Alpha Omega In the world a Governour in Angels as Beauty in his Church as an Housholder in his Family in the Soul as a Bridegroom in his Marriage-chamber in the Righteous as an Helper in the Reprobate as fear and horror in the Godly to defend them and in the wicked to punish them There are indeed foure degrees of Gods presence Jer 23 24. Psal 19.1.6 1. An Vniversall 2. A Speciall 3. A more speciall 4. A most speciall Psal 130 7. 1. The Lord is present by his Essence in all places 1 Cor. 3.16 2. Hee is present by his Glory in Heaven Joh. 15.26 3. He is present by his Grace in his Saints 1 Pet. 3.18 4. Hee is present by his Spirit in Christ Heb. 9.14 He is every where replenishing the place with his being no where by Circumscription and locall definition So that Curiosity in this highest point of Divinity is very dangerous for God is one Deut. 6.4 Isa 44 5● 1 Cor. 8.4 Iam 2.19 Deut. 4 15 16 1 Sam. 15.29 Act. 14.15 Matt. 5 48 single pure and perfect Being single without parts pure without passions and perfect without infirmities being in measure unmeasurable in Majesty inscrutable in Nature incomprehensible in Power irresistible in Will unchangeable in Place not circumscript in Time indefinite in Love immutable 1 Joh 1.5 August Med. cap. 12. in favour unspeakable and in Promise inviolable Good without quality Great without quantity Creatour without want in Act without motion every where present without sight the First and the last without time making all things mutable without any passive mutability in himselfe So that here we must needs acknowledge it impossible that a Finite understanding should comprehend an infinite eternall spirituall Essence and therefote I desire to remember that excellent rule of Saint Augustine Aug. de Trinitate l. 5. c. 1. Cavendum est ne dum de Deo cogitamus non possumus invenire quid sit aliquid de eo sentiamus quod non sit we must take great heed least in seeking to know what God is we think him to be what he is not And in another place Quid est Deus August lib. 1. de Quaest nov vet Testam est id quod nulla attingit opinio What is God Hee is that which no opinion can reach unto That it is not safe to enquire too far into the being of God To search then too far is perverse curiosity to beleeve the word is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity Climbe not too high ●or falling Dive not too deep for drowning and soare not too high for dazeling labour to know so much as is revealed in the scriptures in which we are to search for all points much more for this and therefore that I may not err in this point I will say no more but with himselfe which knowes himselfe best that he is Jehovah whose Knowledge is infallible Rom. 11.33 Psal 107. Job 10 7. Heb. 6.17 Rom. 1.18 1 John 4.10 Rom. 15.16 Prov. 2 10. Psal 83.18 Isa 28.29 Providence inexplicable Judgements inevitable Decree immutable Wrath terrible and Love unspeakable whose Spirit doth sanctifie us Wisdome teach us Counsell guide us Favour compasse us and Power govern us the most High over all the earth wonderfull and great in Counsell mighty and excellent in works Eph. 2.4 Exod. 15.11 Ezeck 36.26 Tit. 3.5 rich in mercy glorious in Holinesse fearfull in Praises The Regeneratour of our Nature our Defence in Adversity Perseverance in the faith Eph. 1.4 the Life of them that beleeve and in the end is Eternall life it is he that elected us to salvation promising remission of sins by beleiving in Christ Joh. 3 15.16 Acts 8.37 being the first person named in order not in power nor time existing of himselfe and of no other is call●d Father Isa 63 16.

to the perfection of humane Nature or of the naturall properties of the same And therefore seeing hee was made of a woman as all other men be differing only in the manner of his conception or in the Agent and worker of his Substance it is most apparent that he assumed all our humane nature What Christ assumed because the whole nature of man that is both body and Soule was to be redeemed for that both body and Soule were captivated unto satan but the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Mat. 18.11 therefore he must consist both of body and soule for seeing the Divine pity was content to deliver all it behoved the Divine Majesty to assume all Fulgent l. 1. de mysterio redemp ad Trasim That Christ had a true humane body Gen 3.15.22.18 Luke 24.39 saith Fulgentius and more particularly that hee had a true and perfect humane body it may be easily proved for when the Apostles thought that they had seen a Phantasme or a spirit hee sayd unto them handle mee and see because a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have Besides it may be proved by the uniform consent of all Orthodox antiquity as the great Councill of Chalcedon that had in it 630 Bishops the Councill of Lateran the Councill of Toledo Fulgentius in his second booke Basil in l. de hum Christi gener Aug. de Trin. l. 13 c. 18. Beda in 11 Luc. l 4. c. 48. De persona Christi Saint Basil Saint Augustine Tertullian in his booke De carne Christi venerable Bede and diverse others whose pithy sayings and unanswerable arguments to prove this point I could here alledge But above all the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.4 used by Saint Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Evangelist which signifie to take our nature upon him and to be made flesh if they be well and truly understood do make it most apparently plaine that the Sonne of God took unto himselfe personally the true nature of man and the very substance of his Mother Luke 1.31.42 Heb. 2.14 for the Apostle doth not say factus de muliere sed factus ex muliere made in a woman but made of a woman Gorrham super Galat. as Nicolaus de Gorrham well observeth and therefore though Christ had his Principium formale his formall beginning from the Holy Ghost yet it is most certain that hee had his Principium materiale his whole matter and substance from the body of his mother And as hee had a true humane body so hee had a perfect reasonable Soule That Christ had a true reasonable soule Mat. 26 38. Luke 23.46 for the testimonies of the Scriptures are most plain herein As my Soul is heavy unto death and again Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Also the whole School of Divinity did ever teach the same truth for Nazianzen saith Quod non assumpsit non salvabit either hee had a soule or he will not save a soule and Saint Augustine saith Totum suscepit ut totum liberaret verbum Aug. de tempore Ser. 145. Christ took all upon him that is both body and soule that he might save them both And so you see that Christ had not Ideam humanae naturae An imaginary patterne of humane nature as some in these our dayes would have it but the whole nature of man In uno individuo consisting both of body and soule That Christ was subject to all our humane frailties which are without sin Moreover As Christ had all the parts of a true and perfect man so he had all the propertyes that do concern mans nature or do belong either to the soule or to the body of man as length breadth thicknesse understanding will affection c. And all other infirmities that wee have sin only excepted Why he undertook our infirmities Ambros in Luc l. 10. c. 22. And it was requisite saith Saint Ambrose Vt infirmitates nostras susciperet That he should take upon him our infirmities First To demonstrate the truth of his assumed humanity Secondly To strengthen and under-prop the weaknesse of our declining Faith and yet here wee must distinguish and understand that those infirmities which are not sinfull are either Personall or naturall Those that are Personall we say not That Christ took no personal infirmities upon him that he took for though many of us be affected with maladies infeebled with infirmities and disfigured with deformities yet the body of Christ being framed by the Holy Ghost of the purest Virgin blood was proportioned in most equall Symmetry and correspondency of parts and therefore he was speciosus forma prae filijs hominum fairer then the sons of men wholy pure more pure then the body of Absolon 2 Sam. 14.25 in whom there was no blemish so Cassiodorus saith Forma ejus lactei coloris de core illuxit Cassidor in Psa● 45. insigni statura prae-eminuit his body of the best composed stature did excell all other men Christ of a ravishing beauty and so Saint Hierom saith that his countenance carryed hidden and vayled in it a star like shining brightnesse which being but a little revealed it so ravished his Disciples hearts that at the first sight thereof Mat. 19.27 Joh. 18.6 they left all and followed him and it so astonished his enemies that they stumbled and fell to the ground But now those that are naturall or common infirmities That Christ took upon him all naturall common infirmities Heb. 2.17.4.15 Damasc de fide Orthodoxa l. 3. c. 20. Discipulus in ser de temp we affirm that he had them in all things like unto us for we confesse saith Damascen that Christ took all the naturall passions of man which are without sinne and Discipulus saith that every man was subject unto twelve naturall defects and infirmities wherof saith he our Saviour Christ hath undergon ten of them and hath suffered the same Luke 22 43. even as we do First Cold Secondly Heat Two infirmities incident to every man and denyed by no man to be in Christ Mat. 21.18 Thirdly Hunger as when he came to the fig-tree and would have eaten Joh. 4.7 c. 19. 28 Fourthly Thirst As when he asked Drink of the woman of Samaria Fifthly wearinesse Joh. 4.6 As when hee sate by the well side to rest him Sixthly Weaknesse and paine Mat. 27.32 Joh. 19.17 as when he was not able to bear his cross any further Seventhly Heavinesse and sorrow Mat. 26 38. Luke 16 41. as when his soule was heavy unto death Eighthly Shamefastnesse Mar. 6.6 and admiration as when hee marvelled at the infidelity of the Jewes Ninthly Feare Heb. 5.7 as when his Father heard him in that which hee feared Tenthly Anger Mat. 21.12 as when he drove the Buyers and sellers out of the Temple These are the ten

51 12 A Good spirit Nehem. 9 20 And he is called The finger Of God Luke 11 20 Mat 12 28 The pledge Of God 2 Cor 5 5 Joh 14 16 17 18 26 The witness Of God Rom 8 16 The seal Of God Eph 4 30 2 Cor 1 22 The kisse Of God Cant 1 2 Seed of God 1 Joh 3 9 The Intercessor c. Rom 8 29 1 Joh 2.27 Act 2.2 Mat. 3 16. Act. 2.3 He is compared unto Oyntment a mighty wind a Dove and unto cloven tongues like fire Hee is also compared unto a Cloud to seed to water fire and winde To what the holy Ghost is compared and why 1 To a cloud Exod. 13.21 1 King 18.45 First unto a cloud Because that as the cloud betokneth a shadowing from heat and a sending downe of Rain as both Philosophy and experience sheweth so the spirit of God doth overshadow us from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the Raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all goods works Secondly to seed Because that 2. To seed as in our naturall birth we are begotten by the seed of our Parents so in our new birth wee are begotten by those Graces that are sown in our hearts by the holy Ghost Thirdly to water Because that 3 To water The properties of water as water mollifieth the hard earth fructifieth the barren ground quencheth the greatest heat and cleanseth the foulest things so doth the spirit of God soften our hard hearts fructifie our barren soules quench the heat of lust and cleanse us from all our sins And so make us to become fit Temples for himself to dwell in or like the trees that are planted by the water side Psal 1.3 which bring forth their fruit in due season Fourthly to Fire 4. To fire 1 Cor. 3.13 Because he doth consume away the drosse of sin and illuminate our understanding with the light of truth and inslame our hearts with the zeale of Gods glory and with unfained love The properties of fire both towards God and man yea as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius these three speciall things That is 1. Calorem 3. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heat to warme mollifie and purifie 2. Splendor to give light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Even so the spirit of God first warmeth and heateth the hearts of the Godly with a fervent and a fiery zeal of all godlinesse hee mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and purifieth their souls from all kind of filthiness whatsoever Secondly he illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God and heavenly things Thirdly he maketh them allwayes to be in action and never idle Finally he is compared to wind and that for these five reasons 5. To wind Joh. 9.8 Exod. 33.19 Reason 1 First as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the gifts and graces of Gods spirit are given to whom soever it pleaseth him Reason 2 Secondly as the winde scattereth the dust and driveth the chaffe away from the Corne so the graces of Gods spirit doth winnow the consciences of the saints and drive away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Reason 3 Thirdly As the wind cooleth comforteth and refresheth all those that are scorched with the heat of the sun so doth the grace of Gods holy spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of troubles and afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sins Reason 4 Fourthly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine and mighty stream so will the grace of Gods holy spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination Reason 5 Fifthly As the winde will passe unresistably so will the grace of Gods blessed spirit work its own effect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore he is compared unto a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde we read of in the sacred scripture did rend the Mountaines and break the rocks before the Lord Why the holy Ghost is compared to a mighty wind 1 King 19.11 so the grace of Gods holy spirit and the word of the great Jehovah is mighty in operation able to shake the stoutest the proudest man and to break in peeces the stoniest heart The gifts of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. All these severall operations which this holy spirit worketh in the hearts of the elect and all those foregoing Titles and Appellations which the sacred scriptures do give unto the holy Ghost do certainly prove him to be the true and everlasting God Besides if wee further search the holy scriptures we shall finde that by the holy Ghost First The word of wisdome the word of Knowledge Faith Gifts of healing working of miracles Prophesie discerning of spirits diverse kindes of Tongues and the interpretation of Tongues c. is given Heb. 6.4 5. Secondly By him the godly are sanctified and the very Reprobates have a taste of heavenly gifts and of the good word of God and of the promises of the world to come Exod. 13.3 4 0. 1 Sam. 11.6 c. Thirdly By him all excellency in common gifts of Nature reason as strength courage arts and sciences Policy and government is given unto man yea unto many that never heard of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 6.63 Joh. 14.17 Fourthly Influence perpetuall effectuall and vitall of saving grace from Christ is the head of every true member is given to beleevers 1 Pet 1.2 in which sence the world cannot receive or know the same Fifthly By the holy Ghost vertues charity constancy benignity faith goodness joy longanimity mildness modesty love patience Gal. 5.22.23 and peace of conscience are gotten with seven other principall vertues to wit wisdome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge godliness Isa 11.2 and the fear of God All these gifts being given by the holy Ghost do likewise prove him to be a God Many of the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit are excellently well deciphered and set down unto us under the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the holy Ghost did appear As First he appeared like a dove when he descended upon our Saviour Christ because his dove-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent meek and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the feild the little silly lamb is in most respects best qualified therefore is Christ call'd the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world So of all the fowls of Heaven the Dove in most respects is most excellent In what respects the holy Ghost is like a Dove For shee is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace she brought the Olive Branch unto Noah