Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A09646
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The cure of hurtfull cares and fears. By master Thomas Pierson late rector of Brompton-Brian, in the county of Hereford
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Pierson, Thomas, ca. 1570-1633.
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1636
(1636)
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STC 19910; ESTC S111955
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18,628
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96
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blessings to his servants and of their deliverance from evills he retayneth and exerciseth divine liberty and soveraignty Some he maketh high others low some rich and others poore Iob 34.19 To one he giveth five talents to another two to another one Matthew 25.15 He suffered no man to doe wrong to Abraham Isaac and Iacob but rebuked Kings for their sakes Psalm 105.14 Yet he will suffer Ioseph to be sold for a servant and to be layd in irons wrongfully verse 17 18. and hee suffers his servant Iob to be robbed of his goods bereaved of his Children sore afflicted in his body and grieved by his dearest friends so as he escaped but with the Skin of his teeth Iob 19. verse 19 20. 3. Gods good pleasure to exercise his Children in affliction for their good foure wayes 1. To purge out some corruption For the third it pleaseth God many times to exercise his deere children under sore afflictions for his glory in their good sundry wayes as First to purge out some corruption and to make them white Dan. 11.35 Some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white Iob 23.10 When hee hath tryed mee I shall come forth as the gold 2. To teach them obedience Secondly to teach them obedience as well in eschewing evill Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word as also in doing good so Christ Iesus learned obedience by the things he did suffer Heb. 5.8 and the Apostles learned by afflictions to trust in God 2 Cor. 1.9 Thirdly 3. To try their faith and patience to try their faith and patience as hee did in Iob whence great afflictions are called fierie tryalls sent to try Gods Children 1 Pet. 4 12. as Hebr. 11.36 37. Others also were tryed by cruell mockings and scourgings yea by bonds and imprisonments they were stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the sword c. Fourthly 4. To further them in holines and happinesse for their furtherance in grace and holinesse here and in joy and happinesse hereafter Iames 1.3 The tryall of faith worketh patience Hebr. 12.10 God doth chasten us for our profit that we might bee partakers of his holinesse verse 11. though it bee not joyous for the present yet after it yeeldeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Affliction is Gods Schoole wherin he teacheth the soules of his Children many a sweet lesson as Psalme 119.71 It is good for me that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes This brings down their hearts and causeth them to be more frequent in humble and earnest prayer and more carefull to meditate on Gods word and works as Psalme 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord verse 3. I remembred God I complained I considered the dayes of old c. all which are notable means of growth in grace whereby no doubt their present joy future glory shall bee much increased for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 The tryall of faith shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Christ Iesus 1 Pet. 1.7 If wee suffer we shall also raigne with him 2 Tim. 2.12 All which are great benefits of afflictions and may well perswade us that in the very extremity of them Gods love in Christ is constant towards us For what shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword c. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerers through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8.35.37 38.39 God correcteth every son whom he receiveth and therein offereth himselfe unto us as to sonnes Hebr. 12.6 7. These things well understood and thought upon will much enable faith to quiet and stay the heart in any distresse whatsoever Application of the doctrine in a case of spirituall distresse through feare of damnation For to beginne with the greatest matter of all say thy soule is perplexed about thy salvation thou hast great feares of hell and little hopes of heaven what must thou now doe Answ First look thou stand rightly in covenant with God through faith in Christ Iesus in whom hee revealeth himselfe to bee the God of grace and mercy justifying the ungodly and saving sinners and believe in the Lord Iesus Secondly whether thou use the means ordained to this end Now Gods meanes for this blessing is to believe in the Lord Iesus Acts 16.31 Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life What it is to believe Now thus to beleeve is to rest and rely upon that which Iesus Christ as Redeemer and Mediator hath done and suffered for the salvation of his Church Aske then thine owne heart whether thou bee not perswaded that which God in Christ Iesus is plentifull redemption and salvation and in none other demand againe whether thou doe not unfeignedly desire to be found of God in Christ and to rest and rely upon that which hee hath done and suffered for thy justification and salvation Then consider whether thou doe use Gods Ordinances conscionably and in an holy manner to get this grace of faith and to grow therein Gods Ordinances we know GODS means for faith the Word and Prayer are the word and prayer for faith commeth by hearing the word of God preached Rom. 10.14 17. and prayer obtaines the HOLY GHOST Luke 11.13 Which is the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore did the Disciples by prayer seeke faith at Christs hands saying Lord increase our faith or put faith into us The holy manner of using the meanes of faith in 3. things 1. Breaking of the course of every knowne sinne Luk. 17.5 The conscionable and holy manner of using the foresaid Ordinances stands in three things First breaking off the course of every knowne sinne which is a worke of darkenesse wherein wee cannot live and have fellowship with Christ 1 Ioh. 1.6 Therefore Solomon saih Turne you at my correction Lo I will powre out my spirit upon you Proverbs 1.23 and Iohn Baptist prepared the way of the Lord by preaching repentance unto the people Matth. 3.1 2 3. without which there is little hope of attayning true faith in Christ Mat. 21.32 Secondly 2. Hartily desiring the grace we seeke for we must truly and hartily desire the grace we seeke for This desire is spirituall hunger and thirst whereto God
any amasement The reasons of this duty are strong Three reasons of the doctrine 1. Worldly care is needlesse to a child of God First every Child of GOD hath an heavenly Father that careth for him and so his owne worldly raking care is needlesse 1 Peter 5.7 Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you This reason our blessed Saviour urgeth strongly unto his Disciples as well from Gods prouidence over baser Creatures the Fowles of the ayre and the Lilies of the field and therefore they must not thinke he will neglect his Children that are far better Matthew 6.26 28. As also from his speciall notice of all their wants verse 32. and assured readinesse to make supply thereto upon their sober use of lawfull means when they chiefely set their hearts on heavenly things verse 33. Secondly 2. Worldly care is very disgracefull to a Christian worldly care is very disgracefull to a Christian arguing either their shamefull ignorance of Gods providence which indeed extends it selfe to the very haires of their head Mat. 10.30 Or else their great weakenesse if not their totall want of true faith in God through Christ and so is plaine heathenish as CHRIST telleth his Disciples Mat. 6. v. 32. After all these things food and rayment doe the Gentiles seeke in a worldly manner as not knowing they have a Father in heaven that careth for them For they that rest and rely upon GOD for any blessing that hee hath promised will wait for it in the sober and sanctified use of lawfull meanes and goe no further Hee that believeth will not make hast Isaiah 28.16 but will stirre up his soule to wait on GOD as David doth Psalm 42.5 11. he that is weary of this waiting shameth his beleeving like to Ioram King of Israel who in the time of famine said This evill is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 as they are said not to believe in God that trust not in his salvation that is that rest not upon his providence for their preservation Psal 78.22 Thirdly 3. Worldly care is a burden to the soule exceeding hurtfull worldly care is a great burden unto the the soule not only vaine and unprofitable but also exceeding hurtfull That it is a burthen David sheweth when speaking hereof he saith Cast thy burthen upon the LORD that is whatsoever thou art carefull for and wouldest have given thee Psalm 55.22 That it is vaine and unprofitable he plainly sheweth Psal 127.1 2. It is vaine for you to rise early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrowes meaning through carking care if the Lords blessing bee not with you Also Matthew 6.27 Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubite unto his stature If ye then bee not able to doe that thing which is least why take yee thought for the rest Luke 12.25 26. And that it is very hurtfull the notation of the word used by the Holy Ghost sheweth plainely importing a dividing or parting the mind asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This carking care is the covetous mans disease They pierce themselves through with many sorrowes 1 Tim. 6.10 And hereby many times bring upon themselves most heavy judgements What else did move Ananias and Sapphyrah to dissemble with the Apostle and to lye unto GOD about the price for which they sold their possession saying they had brought all when as indeed they kept back a part Vndoubtedly they were distrustfully carefull about their future maintenance and provision but it cost them deere even both their lives by sudden death Acts 5. verse 1 2 3. c. And are not these worldly cares the chiefe of those spirituall thornes which choake the seed of grace in the ground of mens hearts whereupon it becomes unfruitfull Matthew 13.22 and so neere unto cursing whose end is to bee burned Heb. 6.8 3. Vses of the doctrine 1. For instruction True Religion is the only way to true content Now sith whatsoever is written aforetime is written for our learning Ro. 15.4 Let us make application hereof unto our selves And first would the Spirit of God have the hearts of his Children voyd of worldly cares Then undoubtedly the sincere imbracing of true Religion is the only way to get true content and comfort in any estate for what is or can be wanting to his soule to whom the God of heaven saith be carefull for nothing Hee speaketh not this to al that have the shew of godlines but to such as have the power and truth thereof For Gods kingdome is not in word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 and in whom this power is in them is righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Even joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 such as the world can neither give to its owne Ioh. 14.27 nor take away from the godly Iohn 16.22 But me thinkes Two objections propounded and answered I. Objection I heare the men of the world call in question the truth of this point That true Religion should afford such sweet content unto the soule The exercises thereof bee wearinesse unto them Mal. 1.13 therein they can meet with no such thing Answ I answer This sweet content and comfort in Religion is a fruit of GODS holy Spirit Gala. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace c. which Spirit God gives to true beleevers Iohn 7.39 who turne from sinne Proverbs 1.23 and make conscience of obedience Acts 5.32 And therefore have the godly testified the fruition and feeling of it as David Psalm 4.7 Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more than in the time that their corn their wine increased Hee had more joy in Gods favour then worldlings had in all their abundance God was his exceeding joy Ps 43.4 his favour was better than life and therwith his soule was satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse Psalme 63.3 5. Vnto Ieremy also was Gods word the joy and rejoycing of his heart Ieremy 15.16 Paul and Silas sang prayses to GOD in the prison when their feet were made fast in the stocks and they had beene sore beaten and shamefully intreated the day before Acts 16.23 24 25. They found by experience that GOD in Christ was the father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforted them in all their tribulations as the sufferings of Christ did abound in them so their consolation also abounded by Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. But naturall men that live in sinne doe want the spirit Iude verse 19. and therefore no marvell though they have no savour nor rellish of joy in Religion The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 They are strangers from the covenants of promise Ephesi 2.12 and a stranger doth not intermedle with this joy