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	love_n	work_n	5,713	5	5.4124	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90497	A sermon of Mr. Benjamin Perkins, at the funeral of Mrs. Martha Robient, who deceased September the 15th, at Colchester, 1700 enlarged into a discourse on the excellent life and glorious death of a Christian, from 2 Tim. 4. 7,8 : with an enquiry into the reasons of the grand prohibition on the servants of God to continue here in his service, signify'd to them by death, from Heb. 7. 23 / by T. Beverley.	Perkins, Benjamin.; Beverley, Thomas.	1700 (1700)	Wing P1542aA; ESTC R43716	24,091	54

of a Christian State in its own Motion Action Conversation from the Time of Conversion unto the very Hour of Death This was one thing the Apostle understood by his course for God having drawn out the Line of Life as he hath seen fit for every one of his Servants Their course of Christian Action is by him drawn out proportionable So that there is no part to be unadorn'd Something of Publick Private Secret ●nholy Action is to be applyed to every part of it There must be a Running to obtain It is called therefore Running the Race that is set before us Looking to Jesus to shew in whose strength the whole Race is run So It is expressed concerning David by his serving his Generation according to the will of God and of Johns fulfilling his course as a Servant of God in a Holy Conversation besides his Ministerial service How many great concernments hath every Christian to look to His Implantation into Christ Renovation New Creation The In-dwelling of the Spirit the Graces and Fruits of it His Living walking in the Spirit The work of Faith with Power Sorrow after God working Repentance to Salvation never to be Repented of The constraining Love of Christ the living to him the dying Dayly Converse with the Word of God Hearing Reading Meditation Holy Discourse Prayer Thanksgiving Self-denyal Sufferings being made meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light All these with much more set before us in Scripture shew us what the Race of a Christan is what his course is Now to find our Heart engag'd herein with all earnestness Pressing forward to reach the mark by the utmost stretch and extending our selves to it is what the Apostle speaks of himself He had run on in this Christian course on this Line to very near the End of his Line of Life and it is a Glorious Review of a sincere much more of an Eminent Christian while he can behold Christ the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and End of All All the Haltings the Falls False-steps the many Lingerings made up Answered and Attoned for by the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy sett before Him ran the whole course the Father Lin'd out to Him Doing always the things pleasing in his sight Who set every step according to his Obediential Love to the Father and thefore went forth to his Death with highest Resolution Let us Arise saith he and John 14.31 Go hence He endured the Cross despised the shame and is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on High And thus his servants follow his steps and so we have reason to hope of this his Servant that she was swift she Finished her course she Finished the course she was sett in though a more private and retired one before she was Prohibited as the true sense of that word we Translate Not suffered signifies Heb. 7.21 To continue any longer therein 2. There is yet a higher and more exalted sense of the Apostle Finishing his course not a more substantial or Fundamental sense For that is indeed the Fundamental All the redeemed of Christ in and by him running their course and so entring into their Masters Joy but there was also in all times a more Publick and high sphere of Action Into which God hath been pleased to raise some of his servants and there hath not been a higher then the Ministry of the Gospel and most particularly the Apostolick and t● this undoubtedly the Apostle had regard when he here saith I have Finished my course For herein the Apostle had a Line given to him and a measure the measure of the Line which he would not stretch himself nor into other Mens Labours but according the Rule or Line prescribed him by God 2 Cor. 10.13 c. And this was so abundant that he Laboured more abundantly then any other 1 Cor. 15.10 He was the Apostle of the Gentiles Ministring the Gospel of God so to them that the offering up of the Gentiles might be a Sacrifice Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ being sanctified by the Holy Spirit which was indeed a high sphere of Christian Gospel-Activity and whereof he saith He might Glory And the Line was so every way enlarged that he Preached the Gospel round about from Jerusalem to Wyricum Rom. 15.16 c. He did fully or Fulfil to Preach the Gospel of Christ and He strived to Preach where Christ had not been Named And all this was made efficacious by Mighty Signs and Wonders by the Power of the Spirit of God So that it was best for the Churches and more needful he should continue though to his loss Phil. 1.21 In all this Notwithstanding He was most mindful to ascribe all to Grace 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God he was All that He was and after all his Discourse of his Line and measure He concludes He that Glorieth Let him Glory in the Lord 2 Cor. 10.17 The Apostle Finished this course under and by the High Priest and Apostle of our Profession whose the fupreme Glory in all is Inasmuch as He who Built the House hath more Honour then the House whose House with all Prophets Apostles and Saints Heb. 3.1 The Apostle was For He who Built All Things in his Church is God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Head 3. I come now to the third Head or Character the Apostle gives of himself I have kept the Faith This Completes the whole Herein the Apostle speaks again as a mighty Champion that retain'd the Riches of Faith Much more precious then of Gold that Perisheth The Faith he retain'd with such a Might and would by no means suffer it to be forced out of his Hand 1. That Great Principal and most essential Faith the Apostle kept or held fast is Jesus Christ Himself and his Righteousness who is pleased because he himself is indeed the All of Faith ●o be styled Faith it self Gal. 3.23 2. It is the whole Truth of the Gospel as the Apostle Jude gives it the Honourable Title of the Faith once at once once for All Delivered to the Saints Jude 3. Comprizing the Righteousness of Faith by which the Just Live and receive even full assurance of understanding The Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith The Faith embracing the truth that is after Godliness which whoever walks contrary to denies the Faith The Faith that looks to the Eternal State and Condition which Hymeneus and Philetus denying by saying The Resurrection was past already overthrew the Faith of some This the Apostle held fast in all the senses of it now given and would by no means part with or betray to any Seducers or Adversaries of one sort or other as was before asserted under the first Character of Fighting a good Fight 3. The inward Grace of Faith in the Heart and Holy confession of which the Apostle saith Rom. 10. With the Heart Man believes unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession

is made to salvation The Life he liv'd by the Faith of the Son of God who loved him and gave himself for him The Faith even the Plerophory of it sprinckling the Heart from an Evil Conscience by the Blood of Jesus the Faith by which we have Peace with God the faith that embraces the Promises by which we cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit the sheild of faith The Apostle Exhorts above all to take to quench the fiery Darts of the Devil The faith by which the Elders obtained so Honourable a Testimony and Memory Heb. 11. In all those their great Acts The faith that passes through all afflictions temptations and tryals till those Pillars are set up with this Inscription Rev. 13. Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints here are they who keep the Commandments of God and hold the Testimony of Jesus Lastly the faith the very presence of things hoped for raises to that Plerophory of hope that enters within the Veil All Saints with the Apostle who by faith have dyed and slept in and by Jesus and are entred into rest with him even as this servant of the Lord hath lone by the same faith and whom God even our Lord Jesus will bring with him the Living remaining Saints shall not Anticipate The Lord my God will come and all his Saints with him But in all this faith our whole subsistence is in and by the Author and Finisher of Faith And so we are come to the second part of the Text Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness This is the Prize of the High Calling of God in Jesus Christ Eternal Glory the Eternal Inheritance Eternal Redemption the whole Excellency Glory and Blessedness of the Eternal State is the Inheritance of the Saints in Light which is alone by Jesus Christ in us the Hope of Glory reserved in Heaven This the Lord as a Righteous Judge gives and he gives as a Crown of Righteousness Because Jesus Christ hath purchased it with his own Blood and Obedience And in him it i● that Saints are able to subsist in this Eterna● Glory Being made like him by seeing hi● as he is but most Glorious herein is tha● State He in the Father the Father in Him and Saints hereby in Christ and in the F●ther and the Love wherewith the Fathe● Loved Him even before the Foundation 〈◊〉 the World is in them because He is in them and in all this the Son Intercedes with th● Father as a Righteous Father John 17 2● c. To open this part of the Text accordin● to the Tenor of the present Discourse 〈◊〉 far as we have proceeded 1. That expression of the Apostle Hen●● forth or as the word in the Greek signifie● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which remaineth is there 〈◊〉 laid up for me c. An expression suitab●● to this is that Heb. 4.9 There remaineth rest for the People of God This hath 〈◊〉 Immutable certainty If the Judgment wicked Men be laid up in store with Go● and Sealed among his treasures Deut. 〈◊〉 34. How much more the Salvation 〈◊〉 Glory and Blessedness of his Saints It as cerrain and much more certain the● in themselves the precedent Fighting 〈◊〉 good Fight c. For their assurance is not themselves They would fail and come 〈◊〉 hind as Combatants not obtaining the Pri●● If all the certainty were in themselves the Angels not Elect and Adam fail'd or f● short But the Prize it self to be given to them who do Fight and Run is in the nature of the thing out of themselves and in God alone and is assur'd by his Righteousness and Veracity that cannot fail This remainder is so Connexed as not possible to be separated from what went before and more Impossible by far to fail then what went before as in us but as all is sure in the Great surety It is to be fulfilled in all his Even as the Debt He paid for them is set far above all doubts 2. In this assurance of the Prize the Apostle speaks so triumphingly of he says The Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me He Styles the Lord the Judge and the Righteous Judge in agreement with the custom of those Games In which there was a Person solemnly constituted who should adjudge the Prizes and Determine the Lawfulness of the striving as the Apostle says a Man is not Crowned except he strive Lawfully And it was expected from such a Person in that State of Honour that he should be Fair Equal and Just in all his Judgment and Determination and it assures the Judgment of the Lord to be in all things admirable for its greatest Equity Righteousness and Judgment For the Righ●eous Lord Loveth Righteousness Psal 11.7 And thus in allusion to this in that so known Seat of allusion to these Games the Apostle says I keep under my Body and with the Austerest methods Bring it into subjection Least while I Preach to others I my self should become one Rejected to whom the Prize is not Judg'd one unworthy the Prize Because he who Determines is a Righteous Judge and will not be Imposed upon with outsides or Formalities But here the great doubt is where is the Saint to be found who can stand before a Judge a Righteous Judge such a Righteous Judge as the Lord is And the alone Answer is according to what hath been said already That it depends wholly upon what hath been done by the Captain of their salvation His Obedience and his Sacrifice the Author and Finisher of Faith What he hath done without them That in which he was wholly alone and none of his with him and that which he works in all his as their Head of Life and Influences making them strong in the Grace that Resides supremely and vitally in Himself and flows continually into them and that by way of inward Residence and Possession by his Dwelling in them John 6.57 And they in him Even as the Living Father sent him and he Lives by the Father so all Believers live by Him and in Him This then being the Fundamental Meritorious Account Christ All and in All there is a Glorious Resplendent Justice and Equity in Gods Adjudication of the Prize to all Saints in Him Because there is an exact Ballance between what is Christs and the Glory of the Crown and of the Prize So that Scripture delights in the use of the Word Just Righteous Righteousness in the Admensuration to all in Christ at that Day Just and the Justifier of Him that believes in Jesus He is Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousuess by way of Acquitance and Judiciary discharge because The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son hath by satisfaction and Sacrifice for sin first cleansed from all unrighteousness 1 John 1.10 And there is an Illustrious Ensign of Justice and Righteousness in the Judgment of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a Flag of Defyance

must be therefore a Seed of the Second Adam Servants of God in every Generation who shall Fight Finish their course Hold the Faith of the Seed of the Woman the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit the Saviour to the uttermost who Lives for ever to make Intercession and so sustains all the Servants of God coming to God by Him He Bears them up in their State of Preisthood as the Preist for ever Constituted after the Power of an Endless Life consecrated by the word of the Oath for evermore the High Preist and Apostle of our Profession the Captain of our salvation This supports the whole State of the Servants of God in all the Service here recounted here by the Apostle Fighting Running Finishing their course in order to the Receiving the Crown And thus the Line of the succession of the Servants of God hath been continued from Adam through all Ages From Adam by the Patriarks to Moses Joshuah the Judges Kings Prophets Zerubbabel and Ezra so to the Great Lord appearing in his Temple Malach. 3.1 Then the Apostles and successive Ministers of the Gospel and the Witnesses Revel 11.3 in the Time of the Apostacy who being the Last course of the Servants of God There is an express mention of that First Representation of things the Serpent early appearing as a Dragon in the Slaying Abel and the Seed of the Woman He endeavoured to devour by making War with them by the Beast Who kills them and they Lye Dead in the street of the Great City Till the Spirit of Life from God enter into them And then the course of things goes on to the Binding the Dragon Sathan the Old Serpent Chaining and Sealing up in the Abyss in his own Hell and Chains of Darkness and then after a short Loosing to shew his ever remaining Diabolick Spirit we have with all his Dead His Final Casting into the Lake which is the Second Death And thus we have the First Point cleared How comes there to be such a Line and Succession of the Preists or Servants of the Most High God in so Degenerate a Humane Nature And how Long Even till they come into the Glorious State of being Preists of God and Christ and Reigning with Him a Thousand Years seeing His Face as His Servants serving Him with His Name on their Foreheads and at Last deliver'd up with the Kingdom to God All in All which is the State of pure and perfect Eternity Eternal Life in its Highest Orb. Point 2. I come therefore now to the second Point How comes it to pass there is such a strict Limitation of the Servants of God First under such an Honourable Limitation as Fighting the Good Fight even unto Victory their Finishing their eourse even unto obtaining the Prize and their Keeping the Faith without betraying Basely surrendring or having made Shipwrack of it and so presenting it before the Righteous Judge and receiving the Crown at that Day All these are Honourable and yet Limitations Their Fight Course Keeping the Faith are not Lengthen'd out to that very Day Now of this there are very Great Reasons 1. The Great Lord of Time hath drawn the whole time with such exactness of Wisdom and Holiness That every thing is in its own Place Season and Time and as it fills that up and nothing is wanting so it cannot exceed nor reach beyond it And thus Every thing is Beautiful in its season Thus from the very Beginning Abel the First Martyr Finished his Course though short Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob theirs In the midst of whom appeared Melchisedec made like to the Son of God without Beginning of Days or End of Life Abridgeth a Preist continually He was not a Type of the Son of God in some particular excellency but He was made like to the Son of God througout And thus is the Line of every Saints service drawn out nothing can crowd into it and this Line can by no Violence be cut shorter nor can any Zeal for Service draw it out longer The only Elect Servant is He whose Service hath no Limitation but as was said The Son Consecrated by the Word of the Oath for evermore and constituted after the Power of an Endless Life Melchisedec therefore who was made like Him was under no Limitation of Service in the History we have of Him Jacohs Patriarchal Line reach'd even to Moses and there ceased Moses Faithful in All his House Run that whole and very Great Line of Service in the Wilderness but was so Limited He must by no means enter into Canaan but must Dye in the Borders And Joshuah must enter upon his Course and having settled the People of Israel in Canaan and after the Lord had given them rest round about He Finished his course Then came on the Days of the Judges and their course with Samuel reached with the Intervention of Saul unto David who served his Generation according to the Will of God And so the Line came down to John Baptist Fulfilfilling his course as a Forerunner and so to our Lord Jesus who walked as He said in his course here on Earth though as the Son an Eternal Preist this Day and to Morrow and the Third Day should be perfected Then the course of the Apostles and the Witnesses under a most Definitive Line as hath been said This therefore gives great satisfaction in the Term of Life Calls for Great self-Resignation and to have our Eye Fixed on the Great End of Life the Line of Faith and Service It is true There is a Line allowed to Evil Men in their Wickedness and in their Enjoyments of their Lusts and Pleasures of this World and they cannot exceed it But this is not of the present consideration But it is most necessary here to remember That the Lowest and Meanest even the Infant Servants of God have their Line and Service and the Just Times of it Fixed by God even as their Reward because it is wholly the Reward of Free Grace It is in the essence of the Reward equal as hath been argued 2. The Time of the Servants of God is therefore Defined and Limited That it may be seen God hath no need of this or that Servant or Generation of Servants but that He hath successive Servants or Generations of Servants and He is so Far off being in want of them That He can allow them no longer Time how Eminent how Excellent soever then He hath appointed and resolved with Himself and of Free Grace as their Honour and Priviledge chosen them unto 3. The Servants of God are many That they may reach through and unto the Time of his Kingdom And each must have His Time and each must therefore of those who go before give way to those who are to follow after and so every one is Limited to his own Time For though it may be thought They might be together The Wise God having appointed Times more Dark and more Glorious How many