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	heart_n	work_n	7,151	5	5.4540	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45133	An humble vindication of a free admission unto the Lords-Supper published for the ease, support, and satisfaction of tender consciences (otherwise remediless) in our mixt congregations / as it was delivered at two sermons upon the occasion of this solemnity in the weekly labours of Iohn Humfrey ...	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1652 (1652)	Wing H3682; ESTC R43272	34,741	95

miracles have been means to some of their religion and conversion wee cannot doubt but the eyes may much more splritually instruct us here in the melting objects of Christs passion redemption and tender mercies outwardly represented seeing we hope the working of the Spirit too by virtue of an ordinance As at the word Christ comes into the heart by the sense of hearing so at the supper by the sense of seeing touching and tasting Let the World Answer Pauls argument To shew forth the death of Christ is the means of Conversion The Sacrament is the shewing forth his death 1. Cor. 11.26 Therefore as it does so it is undoubtedly converting Hence I observed in the words of institution there was a Take and an Eat two words a Take for such as have not Christ a word of grace to convert those and an Eat for such as have already received him to nourish and confirm them For put case a morall man taken for a good man yet unregenerate is and cannot be refused to be admitted hither The man does his beast to prepare himself and so comes doe wee think now to such a man the Ordinance is necessarily fruitlesse and can have no work on him then God help us Shall not his examination confession prayers meditation with all the Ministers exhortations be more solemnly conducing now to work grace in his heart and to convert him this being the way of the spirits motions than the bare preaching of a sermon Especially seeing the word doth not only precede but accompany and is a very part too of the Sacrament Accedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum But put case further a poor Soul much humbled in the sight of his sinnes that cannot yet be able to believe and close with Christ comes hither hoping to meet with this favour here well the word of reconciliation is freely opened the free mercies of Christ set forth and all this while it hath not happily this effect upon his heart yet when he comes to see the truth of all this sealed with Gods own seal Christ freely offered and peculiarly received of him in the Sacrament his Soul by all these heavenly wires is catcht taken drawn and even enforced to a saving Faith the Spirit using such most powerfull methods for the work of his grace which he infuseth in us by a sweet attemperation to the will not by compulsion habitus infusi being wrought per modum acquisitorum And this we have lively represented in the two Disciples of Emmaus whose hearts did burne within them at the hearing of Christ but at the breaking of bread their eyes were fully opened to know and to believe him Luke 24.30 31. Rep. Although a Man may be converted At it is not By the Sacrament it is occasionally but not intentionally a converting Ordinance Ans This being undeniably granted of our opposites the matter is upon the point yeelded for consider sincerely this It may be Peradventure a man may be converted by it and no text expresly forbids any comming to it is not this enough An It may be granted lay it wel to heart and no place to the contrary alleged who doubts not but all It may bee's all occasions must be taken for our salvation But that I may wholly root out this subtility which I think the spirit of error has insinnuated in the hearts of many Godly men I have three things more to say which by Gods blessing will fully do it Provided if the thing serves our turn you will not be grating on the expression 1. Let us cleerly know that the Sacraments and all Ordinances are primarily and properly means of grace It is but in a remote sense they are means of conversion or confirmation For this grace we receive in the use of them is that which convert some and strengthens others Now then we come to this Sacrament as the means to receive Gods grace and this grace which he distributes as a most wise God works in every one as his state and need requires in the converted for their strength and establishment and in the unregenerate for their conversion 2. Consider what is Conversion There is an outward conversion from Heathenisme to the profession of Christ wee doe not stand to say the Sacrament is such a converting Ordinance as if Christ should bid us goe forth with this Sacrament and convert the Nations let this be imagined only of the word But there is an inward effectuall conversion of such as outwardly professe Christ to the truth of grace in their hearts Now how is the worke of grace or true conversion wrought through the word it self Not from any active power it has per se upon the Soul but per modum objecti we say and instrumentally the object is proposed or revealed that is all the word does and then it is the Spirit that by illuminating the mind and the touch upon the will brings the heart to embrace the object whereby it is converted Now is it not just thus likewise in the Sacrament This Sacrament shews forth Christ Crucified according to the Covenant who is the true object of Faith and Life upon this the Spirit of God draws the heart by illumination and conviction to embrace him upon those terms he here is offered insomuch that experience can witnesse that some are and have been hereby converted What difference is there imaginable between this conversion and at the Word what a shift is it to say it is only At and not By the Sacrament when it is instrumentall morally we mean not physically per medum objecti as the Word where I may say the same too as truly that it is more properly At than By the Word it self there being no active vertue but of the Spirit in the one or the other 3. As for this scruple of the Sacrament being occasionally not intentionally converting There may be a principall intention and subordinate more primary or secondary ends in an Ordinance Though the word be the principal converting Ordinance we cannot deny but others may be subordinately also converting as Prayer why els doth the Church pray Turn thou us and we shall be turned Convert thou us and we shall be converted Now as Prayer and other means of Grace are converting and that intentionally in being used to this end So I affirm of the Sacrament unlesse you can find in your heart to keep this pitifull shift still and say rather than this shall be you will distinguish between a converting ordinance and means of Conversion other ordinances are means of Conversion but yet the word you persist is the only intentionally that is intended converting ordinance Well goe too what then I pray To the purpose Then you wil say the word shall be held forth to all as intended to convert them but the Sacrament shall not being not so intended in the Institution Be it so It followes then there must be no Ordinance administred to those that are not converted

An humble VINDICATION Of a Free ADMISSION Unto the Lords-Supper PUBLISHED For the ease support and satisfaction of tender Consciences otherwise remediless in our mixt Congregations As it was delivered at two Sermons upon the occasion of this solemnity in the weekly labours of Iohn Humfrey Master of Arts and Minister of Froome in SOMERSETSHIRE The Second Edition A Priest is taken from among men and ordayned for men in things pertaining to God who can reasonably bear with the ignorant and them that are out of the way for that himself also is compassed with infirmity Heb. 5 1 2. London Printed for E. Blackmore at the Angel in Pauls Church-yard 1652. ERRATA Page 9. line 6. for sin read in page 24. line 26. read Let some of our other side page 74. line 20. for most read more To the Reader Courteous Reader HAving by good providence had some gleanings of this ensuing discourse as it was delivered by the worthy Author in own Congregation and conferring my notes with an honoured Christian I found such support and contentment to my own conscience in the sympathy of his approbation that made me very importunate to have them perfected and having at length obtained a compleat copy I could not but humbly think it an engagement much conducing to the glory of God to get this precious light left under a bushell in a private auditory to be set up publikely in a candlestick of the Church that the spirits of many others might be thereby disclouded from the like scruples that most sadly hinder the blessed enjoyment of this Ordinance of Christ. The worke needs not the commendation of another having in it some exquisite notions and self excellency enough to commend it and its compiler and although it must expect severall censures which is the common fate of the best works according to the variety of mens humours in these times yet I am perswaded by experience to an impartiall and disengaged judgment perusing it with a single eye it will afford aboundant comfort and satisfaction it being weighty spirituall and ingenuous and a piece wherein if I may use the word of one more learnedly able to judge of it Mr. Humfrey has comprized the most materiall things that can be said in this business as rationally and concisely as any beside him As it has pleased God therefore pious Reader to make me instrumentall that ever this came to thy sight let me beseech these two reasonable requests of the. First That thou wilt passe no censure upon the Book or Writer before thou hast read all over weighing the whole parts together and examined them seriously by the unerring rule of the word of God Secondly Having so done that thou wilt not suffer thy self to be swayed from judging according to the truth by any earthly respect whatsoever and then I doubt not but the Lord will suitably poure thee out a double blessing in the reading of establishment for thy judgment and of peace for thy conscience which is the end of publishing this worke and hearty prayer of the oc●●sioner of it I. C. An humble VINDICATION Of a Free ADMISSION Unto the Lords-Supper Marke 14.23 And the all Drank of it I Have spoken of the Institution Nature and Ends of the Sacrament I come now to the Receivers And they all drank of it In the 17 verse of the Chapter we find the twelve with Christ They were his whole Congregation in the 18th v. They were all sate at the Table as they did eat in the 22. Jesus took bread and gave it them and so likewise the Cup v. 23 Saying Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 And they did so saith the Text They all drank of it all the twelve without exception from whence I gather a free Admission to this Ordinance My Brethren this is a poynt we know troubles many and I do humbly acknowledge my self the weakest of a thousand to satisfie the difficulties of others yet whereas the apprehensions many times of a playn honest meaning Christian in its pure naturalls I mean unconfounded with the judgements of others may suit better with common understandings than a more learned and elaborate disquisition I shall Sincerely propose my very heart and thoughts in this thing being ready to lye down at the feet of any truly Godly Soul that either out of tenderness of Conscience or strength of Reason dare not or will not submit unto my judgement and practice in it For the managing the poynt I shall briefly lay down my meaning or state of the Question give my Proofs Reason and Answer Objections For my meaning it is honest and very plain without reservation The Lord Iesus has a Church in the World wherein there is a visible profession of his name In this Church God has set up his Ordinances of the Word and Sacrament Of these Ordinances some are capable and some uncapable Those that are uncapable are so either by Nature who can discerne no meaning hereof as Children and Distracted persons or by the Churches censure of Excomunication and no others For those that are capable we must rightly consider this capacity in regard of the Church or Minister in Admission of them to the Ordinances or in regard of the Communicants themselves in coming thither Now I dare not yet positively say for the peoples part that all are so capable that they may come as they list though it be a duty none is excused from because there is a solemne preparation required and many cannot seriously find in their hearts to enter or renew their Covenant with Christ whereof this is a pledge if it be not misused Yet I am humbly perswaded for the Minister and Churches part who on Gods behalf is to offer Christ freely and so to tender the Covenant to all that will receive him there is such a universall capacity for all men indefinitely that if any come in as professing themselves ready to enter Covenant with Christ desiring so to serve him in the worship of this Ordinance the former only excepted we are to encourage them saying with the Bride Revel 22.17 Whosoever is a Thirst let him come whosoever will let him come and drink freely of these waters of Life or means of Salvation In a word I do not believe that any unlesse first excommunicated ipso jure or de facto ought to be refused the participation of this Sacrament They all Drank of it For my proofs look into Ex. 12. we read of the Passover which is the same in signification with the Sacrament v. 3. Speak unto Israel let every man take his Lamb a Lamb for a house v. 47. All the Congregations shall observe it And v. 50. The whole people did so as the Lord commanded them Adde to this 2 Chron. 30.5 The Decreed to proclame through all Israel from Dan to Beersheba that they should come and keep the Passeover to the Lord. Here you see free Admission without exception Indeed in Num. 9.7 we find a legall