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	lord_n	soul_n	7,621	5	5.0274	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03274	The bridegroome by Samuel Hieron	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1613 (1613)	STC 13392; ESTC S115190	15,073	48

be mery lawfull to drink wine lawfull to feast lawfull to make good cheere lawfull to weare good clothes yes verily but vnder these precepts come in riot luxury intemperance pride and a floud of euils A Christian hath neuer more need to feare himselfe then when hee is to haue to doe in such things which in themselues may be vsed Hee is neuer in any thing so subiect to a fall especially in such meetings to solemne feasts lest the Table of plentie should become a snare c Psal 69.22 vnto him Iob was very iealous of his children that they blasphemed God in their hearts d Iob. 1.5 when they were at their feasts What great euils doe wee finde in Scripture to haue accompanied some great feastings where the fear of God hath not beene At Nabals drunkennes e 1 Sam. 25.36 at Abshaloms murther f 2 Sam. 13.29 at Ahashuerosh his a woful breach betwixt him and his wife g Ester 1.10 c. at Belshazzars terrible blasphemy against God h Dan. 5.3.4 at Herods killing of Iohn Baptist i Matth. 16.6 What iudgemēts read we to haue ouertaken men in their secure eatings Elah smotten and killed while he was drinking k 1 King 15.9 the Israelites whiles the flesh was yet betwixt their teeth before it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them l Num. 11.33 Iobs children the house fell vpon them at their banquet m Iob. 1.19 I say with the Apostle These things came vnto them for ensamples were written to admonish vs. n 1. Cor. 10.11 To the end therfore our reioycings and feasting at this or the like occasions may not bee vnlawfull two things are chiefely to be cared for First that there be a carefull watching to preuent excesse Gluttony and Drunkennesse are works of Darkenes o Rom. 13.13 Take heed lest at any time your harts be oppressed with them saith our Sauiour p Luk. 21.34 There is a woe to those that continue til they be inflamed q Is 5.11 It was one of the sins of the ould world eating drinking like beasts r Matth 24 38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as long as the stomacke would craue A mans eating should be for strēgth not for drunkennesse ſ Eccl 10.17 The second thing to be cared for is that God be not banished out of our thoghts but that stil his presence may be remēbred his iudgements considered The neglect heereof is called a Feeding without Feare s t Iude. 12. It is one a of the common miseries of feasting now a dayes Men as they thinke must lay aside all thoughts and speeches of God and Godlines or else they suppose they cannot be so mery as they would Truth is by such meane they should be restrained from that which is called mad mirth u Eccl. 2.2 otherwise heereby they should be much quickened to an holy reioycing And thus farre of those two things out of this Text which concerne the occasion Now it remaineth to speake of the things especially intended by our Sauiour which may concerne vs all The 5 Doct. Can the children of the Mariage chamber c Heere I will teach two doctrines The one is this That the true ground of the ioy and reioycing of Gods people is and ought to bee the presence of Christ Iesus This is that which our sauiour here maintaines that the children of God haue a kind of immunity from mouning and from these straiter exercises of humiliation when the spouse of the Church the Lord Iesus is among thē To cleere this point the maner of Christs presence must be enquired into He is either present in body as he was at the time of speaking these words with his disciples or after a spirituall maner concerning which is that promise Loe I am with you alway vntill the end of the world x Math. 28.20 He is spiritually present either by outward meanes or by inward feeling The outward meanes by which he is present are the publique ministry and preaching of the word and the free vse of the sacramentes Hence is it that Christ is sayd to bee in the mids of such assemblings y Math. 18.23 Iohn beheld him in the mids of the seauen golden candlesticks z Reu. 1.18 The Ministers of the Gospell are sayd to bee in his stead a 1. Cor 5.20 in their teaching the Wisedome of God poureth out his minde b Prou. 1.23 vnto the sons of men As for inward feeling whē the Lord vouchsafeth it he is sayd to be neere c Ps 145.18 according as when hee withdraweth it he is sayd to absent himselfe d Psal 77.7.8 So that now the meaning of the doctrine is that the maine matter of all sound reioicing vnto Gods children is the liberty of the means of grace and the euidence which they feel in their soules of Gods fauors Touching reioycing in the outward means we haue for example the ioy of the men of Bethshemesh at the restoring of the Arke e 1 Sam. 6.13 the ioy which was in Hierusalem at the reforming of religiō by Hezekia f 2 Chro. 30.21 the shouting when the foundation of the Tēple was laid after the captiuity g Ezra 2.11 the extraordinary gladnes when the publique teaching of the Law which had a long time beene discōtinued was again established h Nehe. 8.12 In the new Testamēt Samaria had great ioy for Philips ministry i Act. 8.8 Paul while he lay by the heels yet triumphed because Christ was preached k Phil. 1.18 By these we see how the Children of the mariage chāber take a kind of holy contentment when the Bridegroome is among them by the outward means Now for reioicing in the inward euidēces of his presence to the soule spirit look we vpon Dauid boasting in that ioy of heart which was giuen him by the Lords lifting vp of his countenance vpon him l Psal 4.7 vpon the Eunuch going on his way reioicing because he felt how faith in Christ was wrought in his soule m Act. 8.39 This was Maries ioy reioicing in spirit that she knew God in Christ was become her Sauiour n Luk. 1.46 This is that ioy which is called Ioy in the holy Ghost o Rom. 14.17 peace in beleeuing p Rom. 15.13 Peter termeth it glorious vnspeakable q 1. Pet. 18. and Christ saith it is such as none can take away r Ioh. 16.22 The vse This serueth very effectually to shew that they are none of the Bridegroomes Friends which in these euidences of his presence finde so little sweetnes Men reioyce in their wealth in their gettings in their health in their beauty in their honor in their belly-cheare in their gay apparrell in the pleasures of sinne in the satisfying of their wretched lusts in the ouerthrow fall of their enemies Such thinges

as these giue a kind of contentment vnto many But how scarse are they which vnfainedly reioyce in the liberty of the Gospell in the freedome of true religion in the great mercy and goodnes of God vouchsafing to reueale vnto vs the knowledge of himselfe in Christ Iesus Whose spirits are enliued whose heart leapeth like the Babe in the wombe of Elizabeth ſ Luk. 1.44 for ioy of this inestimable blessing Christ is a continuall suter to vs by the Ministry of his word he doth in it make loue to our soules he wooeth vs he beseecheth entreateth vs to entertaine him he offreth vnto vs many tokens of heauenly kindnesse many rich graces to which all the Iewels in the earth are not worthy thy to bee compared But alas how be these things regarded who generally doth not take more pleasure in an idle tale or in a scurrilous iest then in these particulars Well we see heere Christ accounts his presence in his Church whither in body or in spirit whither visibly or by meanes to be as the presence of a Bridegroome to his best beloued If we feele our selues to finde no cōfort in those things which are reported to be so full of cōfort it is a signe we are none of the children of the Wedding but of those rather which shal be shut out dismissed with that heauy voyce when yet they shall beg desire to come in Depart from me I doe not know you t Math. 25.12 The next Doctrine hence to bee obserued is That it is the wisedome and duty of gods children in the daies of their reioycing and then when they haue most comfort by the Bridegroomes presence yet to thinke vpon and to make prouision for a change Our Sauiour here saith that albeit he now vseth his disciples somewhat tenderly these being as it were the daies of his first acquaintance yet they must not thinke to liue so alwaies but know rather that there bee times of more straightnes and of greater sadnes to be looked for So that it is plaine that it is the wisedome of Gods children in the daies of their greatest ioy to be in continuall expectation of a time of morning As the Bridegroome is with them so they must remember that the Bridegroome may be taken from them For this cause Christ often told his disciples of hauing affliction in the world u Ioh. 16.33 of weeping lamenting when the world was iocund x Ioh. 16.20 of drinking in his cup y Math. 23.22 of being hated of all men z Math. 24.9 The poore Iewes were in perplexity while the King and Haman sate drinking in the palace a Este 3.15 We must resolue to passe through many stormes before we attaine to the End of our Faith the saluation of our soules b 1. Pet. 1.9 It is worth the noting how God in all ages hath kept a kind of cōtinual entercourse in his church betwixt peace and persecution betwixt quietnes and trouble It hath neither been alwaies vnder the crosse nor alwaies flourishing in an outward setlednes Sometimes in kingdōes states the gospell hath been freely preached the sacramēts ordinarily administred publique assemblies vsually frequēted without danger Sometimes againe it hath been intermitted nay it hath been banished persecuted and it hath been as much as a mans life hath been worth to be knowne to professe it And as is the state of the church in general so is it of Christians in particular Sometimes they hear the Bridegroomes voice secretly sweetly speaking peace to their soules by his spirit and this causeth much comfort sometimes they be much perplexed with doubtings sad passions and this occasioneth a great deale of sorrow Sometimes they haue the voice of ioy and deliuerance in their tabernaeles c Ps 118.15 sometimes againe bitter griefe in steed of Felicity d Is 38.17 How then can it but bee wisedome to expect affliction tribulation The expectation of it cannot hasten it nay it may preuent it at the lest it shall cause it to be the more easie when it commeth Here is a necessary aduertisement for vs. The Vse Wee now through Gods goodnes do enioy the Bridegroomes presence his voyce soundeth amongst vs in the dayly ministry Happy were wee if we reioyced in it as we should If we do yet let vs not forgette that the Bridegroome may be taken from vs that there may come daies of greater desolation Who can tell nay considering our sinnes who hath not reason to feare that God will take away from vs the meanes of grace and depriue vs of the comfortablenes of his blessed word in the commons mones thereof when we shall see a dimning of such Lights by whose bright shining many haue been cōforted when we shall behold Pulpits taken vp with such Prophets as looke out vaine foolish things for the people not labouring as they should to discouer their Iniquitie e Lam. 2.14 when we shall finde in the multitude such a grosnes of heart as was sometimes in those of Ierusalem when they did not know the things which belonged to their peace f Luk. 19.42 then let vs feare the Bridegroomes going The present condition of the times should worke somewhat with vs we see or may see what working and what plotting there is among Papists by trecherie and bloudy designes to put out the Light of the gospell to cause the voice of the Bridegr vtterly to cease And yet alas we sit still as if there were no danger It is now verified which was said of old The Lord did call vnto weeping mourning but behold ioy and gladnes eating Flesh and drinking wine h Is 22.12.13 Thus we go on in a kind of besotted course till a dart strike through our liuer as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter or as a Foole to the stockes for Correction i Pro. 7.22.23 Oh that there might be a generall humbling of our selues before the Lord teares running downe as a riuer and our Hearts crying to the Lord k Lam. 2.18 That mischiefe may returne vpon the heads of the cōtriuers that for his names sake for his truths sake for his son Christs sake the glorious gospell of his sonne the gracious voice of the Bridegroome may be cōtinued with vs to the end of the world We haue iust cause to feare the beginnings of Gods iudgemēts yet with al to admire euē his lothnes to depart like that of old when the glory of the Lord departed by degrees first from the Cherub to the doore of the house n Ezek. 10.4 then to the entry of the gate of the Lords house o Ver. 19. then from the midst of the city to the mountaine towards the east side of the city p Ch. 11.23 The Lord would as it were haue vs to entreat him he looketh to bee importuned Let vs therfore euen this day vow vnto the mighty God of Iacob q Ps 132.2 that we wil preferre Ierusalem to our chiefe ioy r Ps 132.2 and that we will euē wrastle with the Bridegroome as Iacob did with the Angel ſ Gen. 32.26 Oh if any thing may keep him yet with vs sure he shall not depart It were better to fast before to keep him with vs thē to fast whē he is gone to restore him to vs Better to weepe in Sion to preuent Babell then when we sit by the riuers of Babell to weepe for Sion t Ps 137.1 This is the maine vse Albeit the aduertisemēt may be further stretched to euery priuate Christian Dost thou now feele in thy selfe euidēces pledges of the fauor of God in Christ Iesus it is good to reioice in them it is good also to know that it is possible for them to be ouerclouded for a time that the Lord may call thee to some inward conflicts Make ready therefore for the Combat The Bridegroome goeth cometh not only by giuing and remoouing the outward meanes but by giuing remoouing inward feeling FINIS