Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	grace_n	lord_n	6,870	5	3.6136	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96977	A collection of several passages concerning his late highnesse Oliver, Cromwell, in the time of his sickness; wherein is related many of his expressions upon his death-bed. Together with his prayer within two or three dayes before his death. Written by one that was then groom of his bed-chamber.	Walker, Henry, Ironmonger.; Harvey, Charles, 17th cent, attributed name.	1659 (1659)	Wing W370; Thomason E985_22; ESTC R207875	11,611	25

David not fearing the face of any Goliah nor the over-matching numbers and strength of Enemies Yea like those Worthies Heb. 11. did hee not by Faith suddue Kingdomes work Righteousness obtain Promises stop the mouths of Lions quench the violence of flames escape the edge of the sword out of weakness made strong wax valiant in fight and turn to flight the Armies of Aliens Although I will not say that his Faith alone had a hand in these successes yet not the least but all the people of God by Faith and Prayer had a great share therein which must vigorously bee kept up still if wee desire to prosper But this by the way being of publick concernment and better known to many others than my self And therefore to come nearer a few daies after the death of the Lady Elizabeth his Daughter at Hampton Court which toucht him nearly being then himself under bodily distempers forerunners to his sicknesse which was to death and in his Bed-chamber hee called for his Bible and desired a person honourable and godly then with others present to read unto him Phil. 4. 11. 12. 13. Not that I speak in respect of want but I have learnt in whatsoever state I am therewith to bee content I know both how to bee abased and how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to bee full and to bee hungry both to abound and to suffer need v. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Which read said hee to use his own words as near as I can remember them This Scripture did once save my life when my eldest Son died which went as a dagger to my heart indeed it did And then repeating the words of the Text himself declared his then thoughts to this purpose reading the 10th and 11th verses of Pauls Contentation and Submission to the Will of God in all conditions said hee 't is true Paul you have learnt this and attained to this measure of grace but what shall I do Ah poor creature it is a hard lesson for mee to take out I finde it so But reading on to the 13th verse where Paul saith I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Then Faith began to work and his heart to finde support and comfort saying thus to himself Hee that was Pauls Christ is my Christ too And so drew waters out of the well of salvation Christ in the Covenant of Grace But a little nearer yet after his return to White-Hall his sicknesse increasing upon him hee was observed to bee in a very spiritual frame of heart and full of holy expressions catched up by one or other fearing God that were present as a hungry man doth meat A little whereof it was my comfort to meet with the very night before the Lord took him to his everlasting rest which were to this purpose following viz. Truly God is good indeed hee is hee will not there his speech failed him but as I apprehend it it was hee will not leave mee this saying that God was good hee frequently used all along and would speak it with much chearfulnesse and fervour of spirit in the midst of his pains Again hee said I would bee willing to live to bee further serviceable to God and his People but my work is done yet God will bee with his People Hee was very restlesse most part of the night speaking often to himself And there being something to drink offered him hee was desired to take the same and endeavour to sleep unto which hee answered It is not my design to drink or to sleep but my design is to make what haste I can to bee gone Afterwards towards morning using divers holy expressions implying much inward consolation and peace among the rest hee spake some exceeding self-debasing words annihilating and judging himself And truly it was observed that a publick spirit to Gods cause did breath in him as in his life-time so now to the very last which will further appear by that Prayer hee put up to God two or three daies before his end which was as followeth LORD Although I am a miserable and wretched Creature I am in Covenant with thee through Grace And I may I will come to thee for thy people thou hast made mee though very unworthy a mean Instrument to do them some good and thee service And many of them have set too high a value upon mee though others wish and would bee glad of my Death But Lord however thou dost dispose of mee continue and go on to do good for them Give them consistency of Judgement one heart and mutual love and go on to deliver them and with the work of Reformation and make the Name of Christ glorious in the world Teach those who look too much upon thy instruments to depend more upon thy self Pardon such as desire to trample upon the dust of a poor worm for they are thy People too And pardon the folly of this short Prayer then for Jesus Christs sake and give us a good night if it be thy pleasure Some variation there is of his Prayer as to the account divers give of it and something is here omitted But this is certain that these were his Requests wherein his heart was so carried out for God and his People yea for them who had added no little sorrow to his grief and afflictions that at this time hee seems to forget even his own Family and nearest Relations And thus wee see in part something of the clearnesse and strength of his Faith in the Covenant of Grace and some tasts of the exercise thereof in a few of his experiences with the excellency of his spirit in prayer And that spiritual and publick frame of heart breathing forth in him even to the last period of his life whose name shall and will bee as ointment poured out notwithstanding the mouth of envy But further that we may see his Faith was not alone nor an idle Faith let us consider him in his other Graces and Excellencies in some observations of his Conversation in general which was worthy Imitation of the most eminent Saints And that since he arrived at that greatness unto which God raised him which caused no abatement in him considerable as usually it doth in men But rather as his power and opportunity was increased so his talents were drawn into exercise and usefulness 1 And first his Zeal for God his Cause his Truth his People and the good of men which in a manner as it was said of Christ did even eat him up Insomuch that he did not count his life dear to him nor any thing else so he might be usefull What else engaged him in and carried him through the great Work of God as a prime and choice Instrument for so many years together with so much stediness and constancy as to the true aim and scope thereof viz. Gospel liberty and Civil Right c. Notwithstanding many difficulties and

the Fatherlesse and the Distressed In which respect wee may say of him as Job of himself Chap. 31. 17. Or have eaten my morsel my self alone and the Fatherless hath not eaten thereof Hee did never eat his Morsels alone a great many living upon his allowed Benevolence who must otherwise have perished besides occasional distributions at home and abroad with his readinesse to promote by his authority and influence good works of this kind as well as by his own example for which the souls of thousands have blessed him even beyond the Seas 3 And lastly His closenesse of communion and converse with God not onely publickly keeping up and waiting on Gods Ordinances in the most solemn and set times of his worship with great Re-Reverence Attention and Intention of spirit But also on other extraordinary occasions when Gods providence called for it whereof hee was a strict observer in seeking his face with fasting and prayer and that with wonderful successe the Lord giving in visible Returns And this as I said not onely in a publick way but also in his family and especially in his secret retirements And indeed Prayer as one calls it was his daily exercise which hee never neglected notwithstanding all his weighty affairs yea the more weighty and urgent they were the more hee buckled to it and sometimes with such fervour of spirit that hee could not contain himself but with great breakings of heart send up strong cries with tears unto God heard when hee hath not known any to bee near him so that it may bee truly said of him that as hee was a man Abraham-like strong in Faith so like Jacob mighty in Prayer and as a Prince prevailing with God such as indeed in all respects this Nation was never before blest with to sit in the Throne however hee was judged and censured and lightly set by by many who were not sensible of our and their mercy and who yet in time may bee sensible if God prevent not of his Remove where his Prayers are turned into everlasting praises And thus godliness was the true rise of his greatnesse and the root out of which hee sprung into publick use and serviceableness whence as David saith of such a one Psal. 1. His leaf did not wither And whatsoever hee did in the main prospered even to the wonder and terrour of the world And the fruit he was eminently an Instrument to bring forth and designed more to do was that the cause of God and Reformation might prosper in these Nations yea as far as his head heart or hand could reach And although by the fall of this great Branch the whole at present is much clouded yet if those Branches still through Gods goodnesse remaining spring out of the same Root hee did as it is hoped and go forth in the power of that Spirit and principles in which hee was carried They shall also without doubt flourish and the Lord will make them to grow But if otherwise Faith fail the Spirit of prayer yet stirring cease and the work of Reformation run retrograde Or that Instruments fit faithful and fearing God should ever bee discountenanced and disused whom God hath hitherto owned and honoured And carnal men enemies to Gods work by fair pretences like Tobia and Sanballat creep in into their room our leaf will quickly wither yea there will bee a withering every way upon these Nations And we may fear our strength our glory and our God will leave us But our hopes are that God yet will do better for us according to his promise than at our beginning for hee can do it and continue his presence with us for our future good and the peace welfare and prosperity of these Nations if wee bee not wanting in our duty to God to those hee hath set over us and to one another And therefore O that God would put it into the hearts of all his People yea of all the People of the Land seriously sincerely and seasonably as Lam. 3. 40. to search and try our waies and turn again unto the Lord And then hee that hath torn will heal us and hee that hath smitten will binde us up and revive us again that wee may yet live in his sight Hosea 6. 1 2. And praise the Lord FINIS * Two in respect of the different Administration of the same Covenant of Grace but one as to the substance in Christ the Head and Mediatour of the Church from the beginning Behold his rejoycing Speaking to some by him * He did not mean that it was safe to sin no the laying hold of the Covenant implies Faith and Repentance which the Gospel requires with new Obedience

of the world It is holy and true it is holy and true it is holy and true Who made it holy and true who kept it holy and true the great Mediatour of the Covenant The Covenant is but one Faith in the Covenant is my onely support yet if I beleeve not hee abides faithful Is there none that will come and praise God * Whatsoever sins thou hast doest or shalt commit if you lay hold upon free Grace you are safe but if you put your self under a Covenant of works you bring your self under the Law and so under the Curse then you are gone Is there none that saies who will deliver mee from the peril man can do nothing but God can do what hee will Lord thou knowest if I do desire to live it is to shew forth thy praise and declare thy works It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10. 31. This was spoke three times his Repetitions usually being very weighty and with great vehemency of spirit All the Promises of God are in him Yea and in him A men to the glory of God by us by us in Jesus Christ The Lord hath filled mee with as much Assurance of his Pardon and his Love as my soul can hold I think I am the poorest wretch that lives But I love God or rather am beloved of God 1 John 4. 10 19. Herein is love not that wee loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins We love him because he first loved us I am a Conquerour and more than a Conquerour through Christ that strengtheneth mee Rom. 8. 37. Nay in all these things wee are more than Conquerours through him that loved us Children live like Christians and I leave you the Covenant to feed upon 1 John 2. 1 15 28 29. cap. 3. 7 18. 5. 21. My little Children these things write I unto you that yee sin not And if any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And now little Children abide in him that when hee shall appear wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his coming If yee know that hee is righteous yee know that every one which doth righteousness is born of him Little Children let no man deceive you hee that doth righteousness is righteous even as hee is righteous My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Love not this world I say unto you it is not good that you should love the world 1 John 2. 15 16 17. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but hee that doth the will of God abideth for ever Thus wee see not onely his clearness in the Covenant of Grace but the strength of his Faith even unto a high pitch of Assurance and triumph with exceeding spiritual joy and rejoycing And yet with a deep and soul-debasing sense of his own sinfulness and unworthiness thereby magnifying to much the more the Riches of Gods Grace with his deep apprehensions of the dreadful consequence of despising the same or turning it into wantonness or by drawing back from our holy profession and obedience after Conviction Illumination and some taste of the heavenly Gift so falling into the hands of the Living God which is a fearful thing But as to his Faith had it not been great considering the many trials and afflictions terrours and temptations hee was under before these times upon and after his turn to God And the difficulties and dangers hee encountred with with continual ha●●ard of life in his military employments Besides much more than ever since called to the Government of these Nations a burden of its self too heavy for any man or men to bear without a mighty power of God I say considering all this had hee not been strong in Faith hee had sunk long ago In the next place let us consider the exercise of his Faith in a few experiences of many wherein hee was Rich declared by himself and which were not ordinary But such as few I think of the choicest Saints have attained unto one whereof was as followeth Being at Edinborough in Scotland it pleased the Lord to exercise him with sore sicknesse a high and dangerous Feavor whereby hee was brought so low that his Physicians and others had little or no hopes in reason of his recovery For one fit of his distemper having lasted about twelve hours Immediately a second fit returned upon him without any intermission for as long a time and likely to have continued in that extremity until thereby hee had expired But behold this was Gods opportunity to shew his Power and to magnifie his Word a Portion whereof by the hand of the Spirit of the Lord was then given in unto him not onely to feed his Faith and revive his heart but also to rebuke his Disease which immediately left him to the astonishment of himself and others it being little less than a miracle For his Distemper returned no more upon him but the Lord raised him up intending further to use and honour him as hee hath done The Scripture is Psal. 91. 14 15 16. Because hee hath set his love upon mee therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because hee hath known my Name Vers 15. Hee shall call upon mee and I will answer him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him Vers 16. With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Which Promises as then his Relief so all along in every condition have been eminently made good unto him in his own experiences and would bee of good use to others had not his own backwardness in uttering any thing wherein hee might seem to glory for the most part concealed them But as in sickness so also in the high places of the field as at Dunbar Worcester and elsewhere when hee carried his life in his hand ready to offer up the same as a willing Sacrifice in the great Cause of God and his People Did not his Faith then work at a more than ordinary rate insomuch that successe and victory was in his eye whilst fears and despondencies did oppresse the hearts of others and some good men too when great discouragements and that not groundless as to the strongest reason did lye in the way I say was hee not like another