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
A88118	The character of a true Christian: described in a sermon at the parish church of St. Botolph Bishopsgate. At the funeral of Mr. William Cade, deputy of that ward. By John Lake, D. D. late rector of that parish; and now Lord Bishop of Chichister	Lake, John, 1624-1689.	1690 (1690)	Wing L195A; ESTC R227280	20,673	64

of this Book I leave to those who love to see where they have no light and to look most upon God where he hideth himself from them My Text is a piece of plain Morality a business not of the head but of the heart Here are no Riddles unless of love and wonder that God should twist our duty with our interest and encourage the short exercise of virtue with everlasting rewards faithfulness in a little so it be unto death with a crown of life which knoweth neither measure nor end Accordingly the words present you with 1. A Precept 2. A Promise 3. The necessary connexion of both The first contains mans duty Be thou faithful The second Gods Grace I will give thee c. The third the mutual relation and dependance of the one upon the other Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life I begin with the Precept as you also must do if ever you would attain the promised crown and there are these two things in it 1. The duty it self Be thou faithful 2. The extent of that duty unto death The first thing that offers to our consideration is the duty it self which containeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole of man and consisteth in the careful and conscionable discharge of all the rest This is Vniversale Officium an Office of universal necessity and importance What is spoken to this Angel speaketh to me to you and to every one that hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Most men are apt enough if not too much to read this Lesson to the Angels of the Churches To say unto Archippus Take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfil it Col. 4.17 and it is well if they say it in such modest terms as these They are better acquainted with his duty than their own and are rigid exacters of it That burthen which even real much more these metaphorical Angels are insufficient for they aggravate upon them and weigh them out their work by the Shekel of the Sanctuary They must be Angels not in name and stile only but in all the measures of Angelical Perfection and wherein they fall or seem to fall short each man darteth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou faithful at them and doth not so much admonish as censure and upbraid them But however men may turn the edge of this exhortation another way yet it is levelled at all speaketh to as many as desire and expect the crown and none may exempt himself or plead a priviledge Christ as occasion is saith aliis alia several things to several men one thing to one and another to another according to their various necessities and capacities but this omnibus singulis to all and every one and whatever his place and state is he must adorn it with fidelity This is not a meer Evangelical Counsel for those that would be great in the Kingdom of Heaven that would have crowns more rich and radiant than their fellows or not content with crowns would have coronets added to them for their supererogatory virtue and merit It is not appropriate to Christians of the highest form in Christs School or whose place and state giveth them the advantage of singular perfection It is not confined to the Monks Cloister and Cowl to those that live out of the world whilst they are in it The Laity may not shuffle it off to the Clergy nor men of the active to men of the contemplative life But it is the duty of all Christs Disciples in common absolutely necessary to constitute them Christians and to make them capable of being Saints It saith unto the Magistrate Be thou faithful Behave thy self as one that is Gods Vicegerent upon earth that holds his place represents his person and hath the impress of his power See that thou bear neither the Scepter nor the Sword in vain but stand up like Phinehas and execute judgment lest thou fall under the stroke of it thy self See that God and his Honour to whom thou owest all thine suffer no detriment Reflect those beams of his with which thou shinest and be in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathing Image of God It saith unto the Minister Be thou faithful Take heed to thy self and to thy Doctrine Be a pattern to the Believers in word in conversation in charity 1 Tim. 4.16 Ibid. v. 12. in spirit in faith in purity Shine like a Star burn like a Seraphim and think Christ hath fixed thee in so eminent a Sphere that shouldest shed thy rays upon all about thee Watch for those Souls which God hath given thee in charge as at the peril of thine own and when thy Lord cometh let him find thee so doing It saith unto the rich and honourable Prov. 3.9 Be thou faithful Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of thy increase Thy lot is fallen to thee in a good ground only be thou careful to cultivate and improve it Know God hath given to thee that he might give to others by thee and if thou embezzle or bury thy Talents they will only aggravate thy accompt Thy opportunities and advantages set thee nearer heaven and give thee the capacities of a more orient crown if thou wilt work salvation out of them but otherwise they will add precipitation to thy ruin Thy authority and example are very influential and thou canst neither perish nor be saved but in state and therefore in respect to other mens souls be faithful to thine own It saith yet again to the poor and abject Be thou faithful Faithful though in a little And by how much less it is thy care is more concerned to use it well and to make up what is wanting in stock by a wise and faithful improvement of it like Zachaeus supplying what he lacked in stature by climbing up into a Sycamore Tree Thou maist be zealous for God though thou canst not make so great a blaze and moving in a lower and lesser Sphere thou maist the better fill it Another stands upon higher but thou upon safer ground and with smaller helps and means thou hast fewer temptations also Briefly it saith to every man of what kind degree or quality soever he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou faithful Faithful in thy general and faithful in thy special calling faithful to God to man to thine own soul faithful in all relations and conditions and in all the actions and offices both of common and christian life Give suum cuique to every one his due to God his due and to thy neighbour his Attend the place and station wherein God hath set and settled thee finish the work which he hath given thee to do and refer the wages to him who never faileth to pay his servants that which he hath promised them Thus the duty of the Text looks on every man alike and is his