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
A91855	A broken spirit, God's sacrifices. Or, The gratefulnesse of a broken spirit unto God. Represented in a sermon, before the right Honourable House of Peeres, in K. Henry the Seventh's chappell in the Abbey Westminster, upon Wednesday Decemb. 9. 1646. Being a day of publike humiliation for removing of the great judgment of rain and waters then upon the kingdome, &c. / By Fran. Roberts M. A. Minister of Christ, at Austins, London.	Roberts, Francis, 1609-1675.	1646 (1646)	Wing R1580; Thomason E365_14; ESTC R201252	39,320	48

of Christs righteousnesse Phil. 3. 7 8. this this is that which so singularly pleaseth God in as much as the person of Christ is most deare to God his beloved son Math. 3. 17. the son of his love Col. 1. 13. his only bogotten son Joh. 3. 16. in whom he is well pleased Math. 3. 17. yea in whom his soule delighteth Isai. 42. 1. and the passion of Christ is an odour of a sweet smell to God Eph. 5. 2. 3. no pillar of most fragrant incense or perfume is any way comparable thereunto Thus brokennesse of spirit intwisted with faith and faith fast linking it selfe to Christ become most gratefull unto God 5. Finally a broken spirit is a self-debasing spirit Can lay it self low before God is vile in its own eyes See this in severall persons The Pharisy and the Publican both of them went up into the Temple to pray but they went about the same work with farre different hearts The Pharisies was stony and unbroken therefore he only exalts himself cracks and brags of himselfe justifies himself before all others But the Publicans heart was fleshy and broken and therefore vilifies himself dejects debases and abhorres himself Luk. 18. 10. to 15. See this in the selfe-same persons comparing them with themselves being found in severall states and conditions Paul before he was broken in heart he was alive Rom. 7. 9. stood much upon his native or acquired Priviledges Phil. 3. 2 3. c. but when once he was kindly broken confesses all these things to be losse yea losse and dung and counts himselfe unworthy to be called an Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 9. lesse then the least of all Saints Eph. 3. 8. chiefe of Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. now he vailes all his topsayles sits down in the dust Thus the Prodigall when his spirit became broken debases himself exceedingly Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thine hired servants as if he had said any even the meanest of all relations to thee is farr too good for me Luk. 15. 18. 19. Thus the sinfull woman when her heart was penitentially broken for sin how she debases her self she addresses her selfe not to Christs head but to his very feet and there she fals a weeping and with her tears she washes with the hair of her head she wipes with her mouth she kisses and with her costly oyntment she annoynts his very feet thought it honour enough for her and her self exceeding happy that she might have liberty to performe the very meanest and lowest services unto Christ Luk. 7. 38. Oh an heart thoroughly broken for sin is greatly out of conceit with its selfe can lye downe in the dust at the foot of God can be as any thing can be as nothing that God in Christ may be all Now the Lord greatly prizeth a q self-despising spirit hath respect to such Isai. 66. 1 2. will dwell with such to revive them Isa. 57. 15. And how was the selfe-debasing Publican justified before the Pharisy Luk. 18. how was the selfe-debasing Prodigall entertained of his father Luk. 15. 14. yea how was the self-debasing penitentiary commended and comforted by Christ Luk. 7. 44 45 46. who from this principle of broken-heartednesse were so mean and vile in their own apprehensions Hitherto of the Doctrinall handling of this Observation Now to the Practicall Application Is a truly broken spirit such gratefull Sacrifices of God Then how usefull is this Doctrine both to Teach To Try To Exhort and to Comfort us about this mystery of a broken heart This may Teach and inform us chiefly about these two things 1. That there is a vast odds and disparity betwixt that account which God and that which the world hath of a broken spirit With God a broken and a contrite spirit as hath been shewed is most acceptable beyond all Typicall Sacrifices before all meer morall performances and Pharisaicall perfections peculiarly respected of God ranked among the choice and flower of promised blessings the speciall cure of God and the very Home and habitation of the Lord himself most high and holy But on the contrary this brokennesse of heart is with the world and the men of the world most unacceptable is looked upon as a sad mopish melancholy disconsolate distemper alwaies contrary to their genius who resolve to crown themselves with rose-buds before they be withered and to let no flower of the spring over-passe them who say with the rich foole Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many years eate drink and be merry Luc. 12. 19. c. However the Saints know the world is grossely mistaken in this matter of brokennesse of spirit for sin and while God himself counts it his Sacrifices they can say r it is an wholesome brokennesse a sweet bitternesse a joyfull sorrow and happy tears 2. That an unbroken spirit an hard flinty adamantine heart is on the contrary most hatefull and abominable to God A broken and contrite heart he cannot despise an unbroken heart consequently he cannot but despise Take a short view of 1. the nature of an hard heart and 2. of the odiousnesse of such an heart to God The nature of an heard heart which Scripture sometimes calls An heart waxing grosse or fat and so senselesse Act. 28. 27. and often elsewhere a stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. and 36. 26. Hardnesse of heart Mark 3. 5. Hardnesse Rom. 2. 5. c. may be considered as it is hardened 1. Naturally 2. Actually and accidentally 3. Habitually and 4. Judicially 1. Naturally every mans heart is an hard heart a very stone for intractablenesse and obduration This is evident by the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace wherein God first undertakes to remove the stony heart before he give a fleshy heart Ezek. 11. 19. and 36. 26 27. therefore till God by supernaturall dispensation bestow a tender heart every one by nature lyes under the curse of an heard heart And this naturall hardnesse of heart is compared not to the hardnesse of waxe or brasse or Iron or steele for though these be very hard yet they become soft and malleable by the fire but to the hardnesse of a very stone which will be sooner broken to powder then softned as s Zanchy observes so extreame is our naturall hardnesse 2. Actually and accidentally not only the hearts of naturall men but also even of regenerate persons may contract some hardnesse spirituall security and stupidity by not improving grace received and other means for maintaining and encreasing of tendernesse of heart Thus the Disciples believed not that it was Christ that walked on the Sea because they had forgot the miracles of the loaves and their hearts were hardened Mark 6. 52. This seemes to be an accidentall hardnesse discovered in that act 3. Habitually mens hearts are hardened in sin when by many acts men are so accustomed to

manner and end of all our penitentiall mournings for sinne doe we not come short of duty alas for us ipsae Lachrymae sunt Lachrymabiles c. we had need to weeep over our teares sigh over our sobs mourne over our griefes be broken for our brokennnsse and to repent over our very repentance not that these duties are performed by us but that they are performed no better when we doe our best so much flesh adheres to all We read of Davids broken bones but we read not of his merit m we read of Peters bitter teares for his sin but we read not a word of their satisfaction that must be left for ever to the blood of Christ Affirmatively a broken spirit is a most gratefull sacrifice to God because 1. A broken spirit is a spirituall sacrifice Herein not the bodies or blood of dead bruit-beasts but the spirit i● selfe of ●…g and reasonable man even his very heart and soule is sacrificed to God and the spirit of one man is better then all the beasts and earthly creatures in the whole world And the spirit of man offered is not his spirit as stony and carna●… but as broken and spiritualized with godly sorrow and repentance The spirit is the best of man a broken spirit is the best of spirits Now God insists much upon the spiritualnesse of his sacrifices and services he specially calls for the heart My son give me thine heart Pro. 23. 26. all the Gospell-sacrifices which are acceptable to God in Christ they are spirituall Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2. 5. living sacrifices I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service or your service according-to-the-Word Rom. 12. 1. God himselfe is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit Joh. 4. 24. and the more the spirit of man is spiritualized the more it becomes both like God and liked of God 2. A broken spirit is a true and sincere spirit It doth not hypocritically cover its sin like Adam Job 31 33. or spare any iniquity as Saul did Agag c. But like a broken vessell le ts all runne out ingenuously spreads open all its own vilenesses before the Lord takes the shame of all upon its own face le ts all lye loose As water myre stones heterogeneals which were inseperably congealed in a hard bound frost yet they all lye loose when there comes a kindly thaw so the heart that was once congealed in the mire and dregs of sin when with penitentiall brokennesse it is kindly thawed and dissolved sins that stuck fastest in the soule lie loose the spirit longs to be rid of them all as here broken-spirited David lamented both originalls and actualls he spares not even his foulest and shamefullest miscarriages would be thoroughly purged from all Psal. 51. 2. 7. Thus Paul after he became a man of a broken spirit freely rips up his foulest enormities confesseth he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious 1. Tim. 1. 13. elsewhere he saith I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received Authority from the chiefe Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them and I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheame and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities Act. 26. 9. 10. 11. And it is observeable how Gods promise of an heart of flesh is coupledwith the promise of sprinkling clean water upon his people of cleansing them from all their filthinesse and from all their uncleannesses Ezek. 36. 25. 26. 29. An heart of flesh and uncleannesses cannot peaceably lodge together it would sincerely abandon all n is in bitternesse for all and taketh pleasure in that bitternesse Counterfeits not trouble for sin like the Pharisies with their sower disfigured faces Math. 6. Squeezes not out a few crocodiles tears c. but his very soule bleeds and his eye trickles down with teares in secret powring out complaints into the bosome of God when no eye but his sees Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet Now God calls for uprightnesse walk before me and be thou upright Gen. 17. 1. he loves sincerity and Truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. and Nathaniel is prized and commended of Christ for a True Israelite indeed because in him there was no guile Joh. 1. 27. 3. A broken spirit is a gracious spirit It s part of the Grace promised in the Current of the New Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. c. and 36. 26 27. c. its one fruit and that a Principall one of the spirit of grace promised Zech. 12. 10. c. Consequently its part of that precious image of God consisting in true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. and a rich linke of that admirable chain of o grace about the Churches neck Cant. 4. 9. And therefore God is much taken with a truly broken heart he cannot chuse but accept and prize his own Graces in us love his own image and the reflexive rayes of his own beauty upon us Christ pathetically professeth to his Church as much Thou hast ravisht my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravisht my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck The smell of thine oyntments is better then all spices the smell of thy Garments is like the smell of Lebanon Cant. 4. 9. 10. 11. 4. A truly broken spirit is also a believing spirit Faith and repentance are inseparable twins bred together in one and the same sanctified womb of the converted Soule Faith first is in us in order of nature at least but actuall Repentance is apt first to appear as sap and life are first in the root yet buds leaves and fruit first discover themselves in the branches They shall look upon me whom they have pierced ther'e 's faith for with what other eye can they behold Christ crucifyed And they shall monrn for him c. ther 's brokennesse of spirit resulting from it Zech. 12. 10. There is an hard Question in Divinity whether Faith be not part of Repentance p Thus some Resolve If Repentance be considered largely for the whole worke of Conversion so faith is comprized in it if strictly so it is the cause thereof however they are neerly allyed Sister-graces Now faith wonderfully pleaseth God Heb. 11. 5 6. hence that we read of such a Catalogue of Faiths Triumphs and glorious atchievments in that Chap. Faith most highly honours God and God highly honours faith Faith clasps fast hold of Jesus Christ as its peculiar object and comes into the presence of God with Christ crucified in its Armes urges his person and passion as sinnes propitiation Counts all self-righteousnesse losse and dung in comparison