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	work_v	7,291	5	7.3947	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29526	The spirituall vertigo, or, Turning sickensse of soul-unsettlednesse in matters of religious concernment the nature of it opened, the causes assigned, the danger discovered, and remedy prescribed ... / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624.	1655 (1655)	Wing B4723; ESTC R25297	104,504	248

is put for the doctrine so also for the Habit of Grace So we find it frequently in Scripture And so both Calvin and Beza here look upon it in the Text By Grace here understanding the spiritual Worship and Service of God with the inward work of Regeneration for which they both give this Reason in as much as it is here opposed to Meates And truly to this Grace may we in a warie sense fitly apply this property of Establishing the heart This is a thing which is not done by Meates by any bodily external exercises such as were prescribed under the Law not by a Ceremonial but by a true Gospel-Worship which is as our Saviour describeth it Ioh. 4. 23. In Spirit and in Truth And by the work of Regeneration true Sanctification the inward work of the Spirit in and upon the Heart That which ballasteth the Ship must not be any thing on the outside of it but it must be within in the hold And thus that which establisheth the Heart must not be any externall observance performed by the Outward man but that Grace that is within the Inward man the Soul the Grace of Regeneration with the fruits of it as Faith Hope and Love with Humility Meeknesse of spirit and other the like gracious Habits which are freely bestowed gratiae gratis datae as fruits of Grace and wrought in the Heart by the preaching of the Doctrine of Grace And thence called by that name Grace In which sense Estius also yieldeth that the word may be here taken Q. But taking it thus how doth this Grace establish the Heart A. This it doth divers wayes All which may be reduced to two Generals Per modum Evidentiae Efficientiae By way of Evidence and by way of Efficiency 1. By way of Evidence This is that which the Apostle saith of Faith Chap. 11. of this Epistle verse 1. It is the Evidence of things not seen And the like may we say of other Graces of the Spirit in the Soul they are Evidences of that which to the Eye of sense is invisible viz. of that Grace of God in Christ assuring unto a Christian his interest in that Grace Thus is Grace within an Evidence of Grace without Sanctification an evidence a sure evidence of Iustification Which being evidenced and ascertained unto the soul now it cometh to have peace towards God as the Apostle hath it Rom. 5. 1. and so to be established But this is not all 2. In the second place Grace doth this also by way of Efficiency And that it doth two wayes Indirectly Directly 1. Indirectly and by Consequence by freeing the heart from those things which would disquiet and unsettle it Such is fear servile slavish fear Of which St. Iohn tells us that it hath torment 1 Joh. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such is fear of Gods wrath and Judgment it is as a Hell in the Soul a Rack a continual Torment to it disquieting unsettling it But now Grace ejecteth this troublesome Inmate So the former part of that verse there hath it There is no fear in Love but perfect Love casteth out fear Perfect Love sincere cordial Affection towards God and towards man it casteth out fear freeth the heart from that slavish tormenting fear Which it doth by assuring the soul of the Love of God to it So the same pen there sets it forth ver 16. And we have known and believed the Love which God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Mans Love to God being a fruit it is also an evidence of Gods love to him We love him because he loved us first so it there followeth verse 19. And by this means true Grace freeth the heart from fear And so it doth from other inordinate Lusts Affections Passions whereby it is subject to be distempered to be carried about As from Self-love Pride Ambition Vain-glory Covetousnesse Envy Malice c. All which being like so many Eddie winds in the Corners of the Heart do disquiet and unsettle it Now Grace layeth all these subdueth them and by that meanes procureth the settlement and establishment of the Heart Even as a Kingdome is settled and established by the subduing of Rebels which before disturbed the peace of it Thus doth Grace promote this work Indirectly and by Consequence 2. And this it doth in the second place directly and properly And that by setting the soul upon a sure foundation This is as in part you have already heard the proper work of the Grace of Faith which taking the soul off from all false and rotten foundations sets it upon the true foundation upon Iesus Christ and the free Grace of God in him Into which Grace by this meanes a Christian cometh to have accesse So the Apostle layeth it down Rom. 5. 2. By whom also we have accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here is a Christians standing viz. in the Grace of God And into this Grace he cometh to have accesse to have the actual enjoyment and comfort of it by Christ through faith By Christ as the meritorious cause procuring it through faith as the Instrumental cause applying that merit and so apprehending that Grace And by this meanes doth this grace of faith come to establish the heart by thus setting and settling it upon this sure foundation fixing it upon Christ. Even as it is with the Stock and the Graft though fle●●er and weak in it self yet being put into the Stock ingraffed into it and incorporated with it now it standeth firm So is it with a Christian how weak how infirm how unstable soever in himself yet being by faith ingraffed into Christ now he cometh to receive establishment from him viz. by his adhesion unto him and union with him Or as the vine though in it self infirm not able to stand alone yet by clasping about the elme or such other supporter now it standeth sure so doth the Christian by clasping of Iesus Christ imbracing him in the Armes of his faith by this meanes he cometh to be established And thus may this blessed work not amisse be attributed and ascribed to this Habit of Grace in the Soul specially to faith which hath as you see a peculiar efficiency this way Whence it is that Faith is compared by our Apostle to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. Which Hope or Faith we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast An Anchor you well know what the use of it is To stay the Ship from being carried about And of like use is Faith unto the soul a meanes to stay settle establish it Which it doth not by any worth which it hath in it self above other Graces but onely as an Instrument apprehending and uniting the soul unto that whereby it is established Thus doth the Anchor stay the Ship not by its own weight No were it in

the flintiest heart among you And surely such is the condition of many of your Brethren and Sisters at this day in this Nation who are thus tossed to and fro with divers and strange doctrines some of which are no better then Rocks and Quicksands desperate and damnable doctrines such as who ever imbraceth living and dying in the belief of them must needs split and perish upon them Now how should the consideration hereof affect the hearts of all those who truly loving God cannot but bear an hearty affection to their brethren so as to desire their everlasting welfare and happinesse But I shall not insist upon this either the further discovering of this Malady or the bewailing of it I shall rather come to that which more nearly concerneth your selves to prosecute that which I told you was my design in taking up of this Text Which is To Warn you you of this place of this Congregation To whom let me in the Name of God here hold forth a double Caveat First Be not you offended at these Secondly Be not you seduced by them Of these two severally Begin with the former 1. Be not you offended by these by what either you see or hear of in this kind so offended as to like Christ and his Religion ever the worse for them A blessed thing not to be thus offended Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me saith our Saviour Matth. 11. 6. This unstable soules are subject unto upon divers occasions like queasie stomachs which are ready to take distaste at every thing that displeaseth them But upon none sooner then this the instability and unsettlednesse of those that professe the faith of Christ when they shall see them carried about with divers and strange doctrines So much we may learn from St. Peter 2 Ep. 2. where speaking in the first verse of false Teachers such as should broach damnable Heresies and in the second verse of their followers which should not be few but many Many shall follow their pernicious wayes He subjoynes this to both By reason of whom the way of truth shall be evill spoken of The way of truth The true Christian Religion which shewes the true and onely way to true happinesse It should by this meanes be exposed to the Reproaches and Obloquies of the Adversaries of it And surely so is it with the Protestant Religion at this day which is professed and held forth as the true Religion of God in this Nation by reason of those divers and strange doctrines which are to be found in it some of them confessedly far worse then any that the Church of Rome is charged with and the strange unsettlednesse of the Professours of it who as if they had no sure bottome to stand upon are thus carried about with every wind By this meanes this way of truth is evil spoken of by the adversaries of it And that especially by our Adversaries of Rome who as they have ever been ready to cast this in the Protestants face their divisions so now questionlesse they rejoyce in them and triumph over them from hence concluding that surely this cannot be the way of Truth which hath so many windings and turnings and Crosse waies in it This cannot be the true Religion of God the Professours whereof are so far from that which God hath promised to his Church under the Gospel viz. Cor unum via una One Heart and one way Thus are others offended hereat But let not any of you be so offended No Reason why you should be so This being no other then what 1. Hath been It is no new thing No other then what hath been in all Ages of the Church even in the first and purest times of it Then were there such divers and strange doctrines set on foot and divers carried about with them And what wonder then to see the like acted over again in these dregs of time It is no other then what hath been 2. And secondly it is no other then what hath been foretold should be must be There must be Heresies saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 19. And that as in all so specially in the latter times For which most clear and expresse is that of St. Paul who writing to Timothy informs him hereof 1 Tim. 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils c. And again 2 Tim. 3. 1. This know also saith he that in the last dayes perilous times shall come For men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous boasters and so he goeth on shewing what a flood of evills should in the last times being as it were the lees and dregs the worst of times break in upon the Church spreading over the face of it and among other he reckoneth up this for one that there should be some who should creep into houses and lead captive silly women c. there should be many Seducers and many seduced by them Now wherefore is this so clearly foretold but to prevent that offence which any might be ready to take when they see these things come to passe This was our Saviours end in foretelling to his Disciples what harsh usage they should find in and from the world after his departure from them These things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Joh. 16. 1. And again These things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them v. 4. And to the very same end he elsewhere foretelleth in like manner of false Teachers that should come and the prevalencie of their seductions Matth. 24. 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. So prevalent should they be in their seducements And wherefore doth he foretell this why to prevent that offence which any might be ready to take hereat when they should see it So it followeth Behold I have told you before v. 25. given you this warning that you might not be offended or troubled at it when you shall see so many errours held forth and so many giving heed to them And of such use let these and the like predictions be unto us Now that we see what was foretold to be come to passe being thus forewarned of it be not offended at it so as to like the true Religion of God ever the worse for it Here is the former of these Caveats Passe we to the second which my eye is principally upon Not being offended take heed in the second place of being seduced Be not ye carried away with divers and strange doctrines That was the Apostles admonition to his Hebrewes and let it now be mine to you Such doctrines there are abroad and many there are who are carried about with them Now taking

just Judgment hath given them over to be deceived and seduced by them And thus I have also done with this third Direction which bids you take heed of coming in the winds way Take a fourth Would you not be thus carried about take heed of beginning to turn You know how it is with a wheel I have hinted it once and again Being set upon a declivity if once it begin to turn going down the hill now it turneth alone being carried about of it self by its own force Object True will some say so long as it is going down the Hill But that is not our case We are going up the Hill and therefore though we do begin to turn yet there is no such fear no such danger A. This is the common plea of all Sects and Secturies in the world They all think they are going up the Hill tending to an higher degree of perfection then those have attained to whom they leave behind them But we know how it fared with the Syrian Army which was sent to surprize the Prophet Elisha being smitten with blindnesse whilest they thought they were going to Dothan they march into the midst of Samaria 2 Kings 6. 19 20. And even so fareth it with those Armies of Sectaries that are in this Nation and elsewhere Being all of them Blinded blindfolded in some of the waies aforesaid they all think they are going up the Hill climbing towards perfection whilest in truth they are going downwards declining in their spirituall conditions That none of you may be taken with this not more common then dangerous fallacie let me subjoyn to this Generall direction 3. or 4. particular Caveats every of which will informe you when you are going down the Hill 1. Take heed of turning from Iesus Christ of not holding fast the head as Paul cautions his Colossians Col. 2. 19. Such is Iesus Christ the Head of the Body the mysticall Body the Church Col. 1. 18. The Head of the Corner as Saint Peter hath it 1. 2. 7. borrowing it from the Psalmist Ps. 118. 22. The Head-stone as the Foundation-stone so the Topstone And being so it necessarily followeth that whosoever turn from him which way soever they turn they are gowing downwards And this take you heed of as being at all turns most dangerous of turning from Iesus Christ to any thing else In particular of turning from Christ to Moses This was the case of many in the Apostles time who turned from the Gospell to the Law from the doctrine of free Grace in Christ to seek Justification in whole or in part by the works of the Law So did the Galatians some of them whom Paul tells that they were fallen from Grace Gal. 5. 4. from the doctrine of Gods free Grace in Christ. And so do they who ever shall seek Justification and Salvation by the works of the Low by any morall performances much more by Ceremoniall observances which was the case of those Galatians or any thing besides Christ in so doing they fall from Grace and they fall from Christ who by this meanes is made of none effect to them So unsound is that seemingly politick Maxime which is made use of by many in the Church of Rome viz. That a man standeth surer upon two boughs then upon one Not so say we if so be that by standing upon a bough that is rotten he fall from that which was sound Which is the very case of all those who trust to Christ and Moses to Gospell and Law for their Justification and Salvation By resting upon the one in part they fall wholly from the other Christ will either be a whole Saviour or no Saviour So as this is a declining a going down the Hill with a witnesse So Paul looked upon it in his Galatians and would have them so to judg of it Gala. 3. 3. where he parlies with them about it Are ye so foolish saith he having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Where by flesh we are to understand the Ceremonies of the Law which were no other but external and Carnall observances especially after that the figurative and Sacramentall use which whilest it continued was as the soul and spirit putting life into them was now ceased being taken away by the death of Christ Now they were no other but flesh flesh without spirit And being so the Apostle censureth it as no small degree of folly in them that they should fall off to them that having begun in the Spirit having imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell the commands whereof are Spirituall and having withall found the effectuall work of the Spirit in their heart working faith and Regeneration in them that they should once think of being made perfect in that way This indeed was that which the false Apostles promised them that they should by this means receive some addition of perfection Even as the Doctors of the Church of Rome at this day do to their disciples But this the Apostle justly censures as folly and that no small degree of it as in the Teachers so in the receivers of this Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are ye so foolish And be you ware of falling under the like Censure A Caveat not unneedful this being a folly which some in this Nation at this day who pretend to the highest degree of perfection to be perfect as Adam nay for holinesse such is their Blasphemy perfect as God himself do openly proclaim whilest they professe to look for Justification and Salvation not by the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them but by the Righteousnesse of Christ inherent in them which is no other then inherent holinesse Now if this be not a falling from Christ and a falling from Grace surely we must conclude the Apostle in that Text forenamed Gal. 5. 4. to have been much mistaken Let this be a first Caveat under this Head Secondly whilest you thus hold fast the Head take heed of parting with the Body of falling off from the Church by severing and separating from it And that as from any part of it any particular Church which being sound in the faith wherein the Word is rightly preached and Sacraments duly administred though possibly labouring under some other imperfections and not so accomplished in respect of Order as it ought to be and some others are yet deserveth to be called and owned as a true Church so much more from the whole Body the whole Catholick visible Church This also is a Hill a Mountain Yea a Mountain paramount a Mountain established in the top of the Mountains So the Prophet Esay describeth the Church under the Gospel Isai. 2. 2. which in respect of spiritual glory is exalted far above all secular state and power And being so well may they who fall from it be said to go down the Hill And such a Declension such a Separation take heed of Such Separatists there