Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	exhort_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	39	3	10.1422	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97021	None but Christ, or A plain and familiar treatise of the knowledge of Christ, exciting all men to study to know Jesus Christ and him crucified, with a particular, applicatory, and saving knowledge, in diverse sermons upon I Cor. 2. 2. / By John Wall B.D. preacher of the word of God at Mich. Cornhill London.	Wall, John, 1588-1666.	1648 (1648)	Wing W469; Thomason E1139_1; ESTC R210079	152,329	343

children 1 Thes 2. 7. 11. Zeale and love may stand together for zeal is nothing but the blood and spirits of love as Moses loved the people and prayed for them and wished to be rased out of the book of life for their good yet so zealous was he that he made them drinke the powder of the calfe that they had made Exod. 32. But take heed of that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter zeal complained of in Iames 3. 14. when strange fire is mingled with Gods fire Caution Yet its good not only to come with love in our hearts but to use expressions of love in our speeches as bees that carry honey in their mo●thes as well as a sting about them and pils are wrapt in sugar Thus our blessed Saviour wept over them in Ierusalem when he said O that thou hadst known in this thy Luk. 19. 41. day the things that belongs to thy peace weeping tears are the blood and spirits of love By this he shewed how he was affected with their misery His eyes were glazed with tears that they might be as looking glasses to view the bowels of compassions that lay at his heart as when he wept for Lazarus they said behold how he loveth him So likewise Paul I tell you it weeping whiles my pen is going mine eyes are weeping yet I tell you it their end is damnation and Ieremy if you will not heare my soule shall weep in secret for your pride Jer. 13. 17. Ministers are indeed the salt of the earth but we do not use to set on nothing but salt upon the table though we sprinkle every dish with salt One reports of Pharaohs daughter that she had a fistula in her brest and would admit none to touch it the Chirurgeon got leave to coole it washing it with a cloth c. and so having a penknife secretly hid he opened it so he cured the disease Its love that edisieth 7. Ministers must preach the Gospel wisely I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement saith Micah I catcht you by craft saith Paul b This wisedome must appeare in three particulars 1. To put difference between persons and persons for though we may reprove all great as small yet not after the same manner reproofe is a degree of punishment or correction and therefore not to be given to all in the same manner rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a father c 1 Tim. 5. 1. Is it fit to say to a king thou art wicked or to Princes ye are ungodly saith Iob d Iohn 34. 18. And yet Ministers may reprove kings for their ungodlinesse as Nathan did David But it must be done with great reverence and respect to their persons as Nathan bowed himselfe to David and Ioah also in his reproof of David 2 Sam. 24. 3. 2. We must difference between sinners Some sin of weaknesse and some of wilfulnesse those that sin of weaknesse we must restore with a spirit of meeknesse Iude 23. we must not break a bruised reed Our Lord Christ bare with Peter in his weaknes when he deserved to have bin left to himselfe a●d took him by the hand saying O Thou of little faith c. Matth. 14. 13. and when the disciples slept Matth. 26. 41. The spirit saith he is willing but the flesh is weak Those 1 Cor. 9. 19. c. Gal. 6. 12. Rom. 15. 1. that are bold proud and obstinate sinners those we must rebuke sharply a Tit. 1. 13. Act. 13. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly some are like nettles the gentler they are handled the more they sting or like lime the more water you throw on them the more they burn Again some sins are secret which we must reprove them of secretly Tell him between him and thee b Matth. 18. 15. Iohn 4. 16. But some are more open which may be rebuked more openly yet so as if we can to hide the c 1 Tim. 5. 20. person and discover only his sin aiming at his reformation not his defamation It is great wisedome to know when to mourn and when to dance when to use oyle and when vinegar when to use a searing-iron and when a sear-cloth 3. In a readinesse to acknowledge what is good in them the more easily to win upon them though never to flatter them 1 Cor. 9. 20. thou art not farre from the Kingdome of heaven saith our Lord Christ to the young man And Paul to Agrippa Beleevest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleevest c Act. 26. 27 28. 8. We must preach Christ sincerely aiming onely at his glory and not our Sincerely own applause to advance our own credit As Ioab when he was ready to take Rabba sent to David saying Come thou and take it least the glory should have been attributed to himselfe We are the friends of the bridegroom we must not sue for our selves as Sampsons spokes-man wooed for a wife for him and took her to him selfe Iudg. 14. 20. but for the bridegroom we preach not our selvs saith Paul but Iesus Christ and our selves your servant for Christs sake 2 Cor. 4. 5 He must increase but I must decrease and in this I rejoyce saith Iohn Ioh. 3. 29. 30. This sin sticks very close to the best of us Paul himselfe was subject to be exalted above measure you may easily empty a vessell of water but not of aire This serpent will creep into paradise amidst the trees of pleasure Corn though never so well ●and when sown will come up with chaffe the envious man though we sow good seed will be sowing tares Nay the better our parts and gifts are and the better our performances come off we are the more subject to be proud of them Rarum est in multis praecellere multum de● spicere It is rare to be eminent in gifts and humble as the finest cloth is most subject to moths and men are soonest poysoned with sweet flowers Gaetera vitia in malefactis sunt cavenda superbia vero in bonis Aug. Other sins are to be taken heed of in things that are evill but pride in those that are good But remember no honey was offered Levit. 2. 11. in sacrifice because though it was sweet yet it would bubble up were thy duties as sweet as honey yet if they bubble up with pride they are not acceptable Nay ●he better the sermon and the more pains thou hast taken if proud of it the greater is thy sin because thou robbest God of the more glory and it proves but great paines to purchase great misery It was a noble and excellent saying Melior est humilitas in malis quàm superbia in bonis that is a man were better fall into a sin and be humbled after it then to do a good action and be proud of it If we could trust God with our credit name c. and seek his glory he would honour us

prayer Daniel three times a day prayed in his closet when he was in danger of his life Nazianzen reports of his sister Gorgonis that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by her often praying and Gregory of his Aunt Trucilla her elbow was as hard as a horn by often leaning upon a desk when she prayed Eusebius reports of James that his knees were as hard as Camels knees bereaved of sense by often praying And one reportes of Ioachim the father of the Virgin Mary that he would often say Cibus potus mihi erit oratio Prayer is my meat and drink whereas naturall men have no ability or gift of prayer they cannot pray many a wise man that can speak eloquently yea before a king yet is not able to speak five wise words to God in prayer whereas many a poore simple man that is scarce able to speak five wise words to a man especially if he be some great man yet can speak to God by prayer even to admiration To say we have no gift of prayer is to say we have not received the spirit of grace for the spirit of grace and supplication are put together Zach. 12. 10. Nor that we have received the spirit of Adoption for that would make us cry Ab●a father Rom. 8. 15. It may be such cannot pray eloquently nor so as their words will well hang together yet they can weep sigh and groan which are the strongest prayers Rom 8. 26. 27. Others there are that have no list to this duty they cry what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13 and never pray for conscience sake out of love to the duty but only out of custome for fashion sake or in distresse as the Mariners in the ship with Ionah when they were in a storme Jonah 1. 5. then they cryed every man to his god but yet he delighteth not himselfe in the Almighty he will not alwayes call upon God as Iob speaks of the hypocrite Iob. 27. 10. Now these and such like are so farre from having any faith in Christ that they may rather be called Atheists who think there is no God nor do they beleeve his providence The fool hath said in his heart there is no God saith the Prophet David Psal 14. 1. hence it followes v. 4. He calleth not upon the Lord. 2. Secondly by the spirit of prayer the heart is not only excited and enabled to pray but to pray spiritually to make a spirituall prayer as the Apostle exhorts that we pray with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit a Eph. 6. 18. and to pray in the Holy-Ghost b Jude 20. and the Apostle Paul tels us the spirit helpeth our infirmities though we know not what nor how to ask yet the spirit makes intercession for us with groanings c. c Rom. 8. 25 26. which assistance of the spirit consists not in orderly invention or composure of words and eloquent phrases for some godly people may want this and it is but a common gift and the common not the speciall help of the spirit promised in Rom. 8. 27. But the spirit of prayer consists in three things First in enabling us to pray in faith with a childlike spirit that can go to God as a father and not as to a stranger d Rom. 8. 15. Esa 63. 16. Lords prayer Wicked men pray but they have not the spirit of prayer because they pray not in faith but shoot their arrows at randome never regarding nor looking after them Now these are but bold narratious or orations not humble petitions It is true a man in Christ may have risings of infidelity but they are overcome by faith 2. Secondly The spirit of prayer consists in enabling us to pray fervently the spirit helpes us saith the Apostle to c Rom. 8. 26. pray with sighs and gronings which cannot be expressed the affections are as it were set on fire by the Holy-Ghost Thus Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 15. So Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept sore Esa 38. 1. and Jacob wrestled with God in prayer Gen. 32. 24. Wherefore cryest thou to me saith God to Moses Exod. 14. 15. and Abraham strove with God from fifty to ten Gen. 18. 23. especially our Lord Christ who prayed with strong crying and tears Invention may make us speak but Non semper opus est clamore quia deus suspiria audit Non vox sed votum non musica c. the spirit will make us cry which yet consists not so much in strength of words as of affections naturall men may have externall elocution but want inward affection they are dead and cold prayers they usually pray as though they cared not whether God heard them or no like cold Suitors that care not whether they Ludit deum qui ore petit quod corde negligit speed or no they want the aspiration of the spirit to pronounce Shibboleth Caut. Not that a Christian is alwayes alike in prayer but as the spirit pleaseth to help with his adjuvant cooperating grace without me ye can do nothing the spirit must inspirare or we cannot exspirare The wind must blow that the spices may flow Cant. 4. 16. we are like a ship at sea if the wind blow it goes amain or else it creeps upon the ground sometimes like Pharaohs chariots onr wheeles are taken off and we drive heavily and sometimes like Josephs chariots we drive chearfully 3. Thirdly and lastly to pray with the spirit is to pray with spirituall desires when we pray for spirituall things or for temporall blessings with spirituall affections and spirituall ends to honour God by them as Christs petitions were John 17. and as we are taught in the Lords prayer A naturall man may be very earnest in his prayer yet it is not a spirituall prayer because his desires have only reference to self-love and naturall ends but not to God and his glory They have not cryed unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds saith the Prophet e Hos 7. 14. where the Prophet esteems of their prayers no better then howlings like the howlings of Baals Priests who cryed aloud O Baal hear us and they cut themselves till the blood gushed out upon them f 1 King 18. 28. Therefore such prayers God sometimes sends away with a mock rather then an answer Prov. 1. 28. 29. when distresse and anguish shall come upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me CHAP. XX. The eighth ninth and tenth Sign of the saving knowledge of Christ Sign 8 THe eighth sign that we have attained to the saving knowledge of Christ is universall obedience when we make conscience of all our wayes and have respect to all Gods commandements which consisteth in a setled resolution and indeavour against all sin and a setled purpose

bono whether thy paines be profitable for the people for a man may preach painfully and yet very unprofitably and then as he that sweareth vainly taketh Gods name in vain so he that preacheth unprofitably taketh Gods word in vain And yet sometimes a minister may take comfort and shall have his reward though his people be not gathered I have laboured in vain c. saith Isaiah yet my reward is with the Lord and Es 44. 4. my worke with my God sometim●s we are sent to be the savour of death unto death Es 6. 21. and to make the heart of a people fat c. but this is not when the people perish through our negligence Aug. makes this resemblance suppose a Blackamore and another comes to a Barbers shop to be washed he takes equall paines with both the one is made whiter the other Blacker yet the Barber is equally payd There is cura offi●ii that belongs to us and cura eventus that belongs to God Weams Cert Law Alas it s not our work to convert soules but Gods we may sow the seed but God must give successe Rebecca may cook the meat but Isa●c must give the blessing Moses may hew the tables but God must write the law we may carry the bottle but its God that gives the wine we may speak words but its God that gives grace in Caelo cathedram habet qui corda movet Si non sit intus quidocet inanis strepitus noster Paul is nothing Apollos is nothing but God must give the increase 4. Ministers must preach Christ faithfully 4. Faithfully he that hath my word let him preach my word faithfully Jer. 23. 8. a 1 Cor. 4. 2. as stewards and ambassadours must do their masters message 1. Not to call evill good nor good evill making the heart of the righteous sad and strengthning the hands of the wicked b Ezek. 13. 22. 2. Not to suppresse or omit any needfull truths or reproo●es out of feare or ●avour as c Ezek. 2. 7. Ier. 1. 7. 8. Nathan was faithfull to David Iohn to Herod Elias to Ahab yea Balaam himselfe said the word that God putteth into my mouth that will I speake d Num. 22. 38. 3. Not to preach pleasing things out of flattery and desire to get ●avour e Ier. 6. 14. Ier. 13. 17. Ezek. 13. 19. 11. when like false glasses they represent not a true face f As those that told Dionysius his spittle was as sweet as honey and those that flattered Caesar that told him his freckles in his face were like the stars in the firmament flattery undid Ahab Nero Herod Alexander c. These are the undoers of the soules of the people like evill Chirurgions that skin over the e Ier. 6. 14. Lam. 2. 14. Ier. 23. 17. wound but never heale it g Especially at their deaths O then especially take heed of daubing them over with untempered mortar and so the poor man is in hell when he thought to have been in Abrahams bosome This sin will lie heavy upon a ministers conscience when he lies a dying Will you lie for God or talke deceitfully for his cause saith God Iob. 13. 7. 5. Ministers must preach Christ zealously with intention of affection and 5. Zealously speech Cry aloud spare not c. Es 58. 1. though we need not boare bellow out Es 40. 8. Tit. 1. 5. Act. 7. 5 yet we must acriter urgere and cloath the matter with suitable expressions as apparell to fit the body and the season when the Holy Ghost came upon the Disciples in Acts 2. 3. 4. fire sate upon their tongues And the Angel touched Isaiahs tongue with a cole of fire it was not dipt Es 6. 6. 7. in water and the two witnesses fire came out of their mouthes Rev. 11. 5. Elias was a man made up of heavenly fire and for his zeal was carried up in a fiery chariot into heaven And Jeremy professeth that the word was like a fire within his bones Jer. 20. 7. Gods word is compared to fire a hammer and a sword Ier. 23. 29. Heb. 4. 12. and therefore we must so use it as it may heat the coldest heart break the stony heart and cut and fetch bloud from the hardest hearts Acts 2. 37. Alas naturall men are in a dead sleep and many godly are in Eph. 5. 14. Es 6. 9. a lethargy and in asnorting sleep as the wise virgins and had need be awakened with a loud voice especially considering our message is of so great importance But this is a fault of Ministers now a dayes who love not to have their tongues tipt with fire but dipt in water not to be a hammer or a sword but a reed shaken with the wind they love not to be the salt but the sugar and honey of the word the salt hath lost its savour and the reason is because men will not endure it but are ready to gnash their Act. 7. 51. teeth at such preaching and call it malice c. when as indeed it is the greatestlove that can be As if a mans house be set on fire we must not speak softly as loth to awaken him Sir your house is on fire c. Cry aloud spare not save them with feare pulling them out of the fire he is the Iude 23. Zach. 3. 2. best Chirurgion or Physitian not that puts his Patient to least pain but that cures and heales Not he that is most pleasing but most profitable Yet alas men cry out of such preachers as fiery fellows like the fiery disciples that said command fire from heaven the man is mad now he railes and vents his malice And their best language is it s his passion the man is angry like the widdow while her oyle increased the Prophet was a good man but when shee thought hee slew her sonne then shee cryes out art thou come to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son 1 Kings 17. 18. What have I to do with thee Indeed anger may be a sin when it is against the person of another but not when against his sin keeping bounds so it is our duty to be angry as Pauls spirit was whetted sharpened c. Act. 17. 16. and c. 13. 10. And Iohns spirit Matth. 3. 7. And our blessed Saviour Matth. 23. 33. Yea serpents generation of vipers c. 6. Ministers must preach Christ lovingly 6. Lovingly take heed our own passions mingle not with our zeale that we vent not them to disgrace others or ease our own venemous spirits excellent is the speech of Bullinger in his preface before his Decades Ab●it fel amaritud●nis petulantia Sit objurgatio prudens potius quam audax Ardeat non ira sed spirit us ve●ementia scelus potius quam scelerati person im-persequi We were gentle among you saith Paul as a nurse cherisheth her children and we exhorted you as a father doth his