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	pray_v	prayer_n	7,073	5	6.7309	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04251	The good mans refuge in affliction. Or A most profitable and comfortable sermon, preached by Iohn Barlovv. And now published especially for the good of them that bee, or haue been afflicted inwardly in minde, or outwardly in body	Barlow, John, b. 1580 or 81.	1618 (1618)	STC 1437; ESTC S114145	26,781	52

thee out of the confused multitude enriched thee with the graces of saluation and borne thee againe whereas the whole world lyeth in wickednesse VVill not these former fauours prouoke thee to gratefulnesse yet let the benefit by it for the present and future time bee forcible to vrge thee to the practice of this dutie for others of Gods seruants haue done the same vpon no other ground Paul when hee considered that The Lord had assisted him when all men for spoke him and was perswaded that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome breakes forth into these words To whom be praise for euer and euer Amen And is not this paterne worthie of our best imitation and this constant affection on the Lords part a continuall gratuitie on ours VVhy then let it be daily put in practise for either this loue or nothing deserues it and is thanksworthie Vse 2 And as this point in the first place should work in vs loue autogratefulnesse to God so in the second it may comfort vs for the present and future troubles Hast thou vexations without and terrors within seemes it to thee that the Lord hath forsaken thee Why it is not so thou art deceiued Think on the dayes of old and if euer thou canst proue that he did loue thee this point will proue he doth so still What should more comfort a Christians heart then this and encourage him to go on through good report and euill report with resolution Acts 20.38 VVhat made the people weepe so bitterly and fall on Pauls necke was it not in that they must see his face no more And what did Christ promise to his disciples for their comfort and resolution in their greatest troubles and vexations Any thing but this Mat. 28.20 I will bee with you to the end of the world You then that haue chosen the better part giuen vp your names to serue God and bee in the vast wildernes of this world be not faint or weary in the way for though hunger pinch you Pharaoh pursue you and the fierie Serpents sting you yet the Lord shall neuer leaue you or forsake you Obiect 1 But some may obiect to me as Gedeon did to the Angell Iudges 6.13 Ah my Lord if the Lord loue vs and be with vs why then is all this euill come vpon vs Sol. Art thou sicke in body the Lord doth it for to make it a fitter habitation for thy soule VVhat if thou seeme to be brokē in pieces yet he can easily restore thee to thy former conditiō Shal you not see a Carpenter set vp a house in a comely order yet anon he wil strike one ioynt frō another lay it flat on the ground hath he a purpose to destroy it No rather to amend what he saw amisse in it And so be we in our owne iudgements builded in a decent manner but God is wise in heart and seeth that our bodies are not fit Temples for his Spirit therefore we must downe againe for a time at the least in our owne feeling present apprehensiō Obiect 2 But thou wilt say The spirit is departed from thee and not to be found within thee Thou art to know this Sol. that in a Christian soule there be many mansions as of loue ioy faith zeale repentance and humility If therefore the spirit be not present in one place seeke to finde him in another for be thou assured hee is not in truth departed Doest thou want ioy or faith canst thou pray for either why thou hast the spirit Canst thou not pray for sometimes this is a good mans condition yet canst thou sigh and grone why that commeth from the Spirit Canst thou not repent as in times past art thou notwithstanding sensible of this and strikest thy hand vpon thy breast this is a motion of the Spirit And be thou of good comfort for when thy case spirituall is most miserable yet thou maiest discerne some pulse though weake of the Spirit beating He that comes to see his friend will bee glad to finde him in any roome of his house and if he be not in the dining chamber or parlour hee peraduenture shall haue him in some other priuate corner so if the Spirit be absent from the mansions of faith loue and the like then thou must finde him out in the close and darke roome called The dislike of thy present condition or in the secret corner of Humiliation These two be the furthest places of his absence Obiect 3 But I was vsed to haue him present in all Solution To speake with reuerence Euery grace in our hearts may bee compared to so many candles in a house Now the Master will not light aboue one or two at the most except hee haue great vse of them so the Holy Ghost is the keeper of our soules he worketh with these graces in vs and hee will but employ them as there is iust occasion If there bee need all shall bee enlightened made strong And what man being an old Disciple that hath not experience in these things Obiect 4 Why how can the Lord be with vs for they that worke wickednesse are set vp Ma● 3.15 and such as tempt God they are deliuered And are not all things within vs and without vs out of order Solution We must not iudge things by the appearance or present condition for then we may condemne the generation of the iust and the Lords owne building He that would haue comfort in the remembrance of his house must not conceiue of it in parts as of the wood in the Forrests vnsquared the stone in the rockes vnpolished the brick in the clay vnburned and lime in the sand vntempered but in the patterne or frame as it will bee when it is perfected So wee are to looke at the end of the righteous and the restauration of all things not as they bee for the present and then shall we see the full beauty of the Lords workes and our owne blessednesse He that doth these things shall neuer fall finally and for euer Therefore Watch ye stand ye fast quit you like men and be strong for the Lords affection to all the faithfull neuer faileth in affliction Vse 3 And doth not the Lord separate his affection from his children in affliction Let vs then tread in the same steps and imitate our heauenly Father Oh that this were the custome of our Countrey but it is not we rather practice the contrary adding affliction to Pauls bands For to him that hath not need of comfort shall bee giuen but from him that hath shall be taken away that hee hath Iob renders the reason Because Men haue forsaken the feare of the Lord. How many haue the faith in respect of persons forsake iust Iob if tumbling on the dunghill and be ashamed of Pauls chaine Is this to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called thee to imitate the

furrowes of thy heart little pleasure canst thou haue in death at death And because we dreame but deceiue our selues and that too too often in thinking we are in the Lords fauour highly principally in prosperitie be thou the more carefull to attaine to this thing Wee haue a common Prouerb that A good thing cannot be made too sure and what better then this in all the world And for the better triall of thy selfe in the matter take these rules in the meane while till thou haue learned better First if the Lord loue thee then thou doest reflect thy affection againe vpon him He sheds his loue first abroad in thy heart Rom. 5.5 and then thou art enflamed with the loue of him P●al 73 27. For as I first giue heate to my bed and then it giues me warmth the night after so the Lords loue heateth my heart and then I thence forward affect him certainely he that loues the Lord is loued of him Againe if the Lord loue thee then he will reueale himselfe vnto thee Psal 6.8.9 c. especially in prayer and that familiarly When thou hast called on his Name hath hee giuen thee a gracious and comfortable answere Hast thou felt a secret voice of the spirit speaking to the eare of thy soule Thy prayer is heard Acts 10.4 and thy request come before the Lord for God like man giueth the greatest gifts and manifesteth himself to his children the most in secret Then be thou of good cōfort for the Lord thinkes on thee Besides canst thou speake by experience Iosh 21.45 that hee hath kept couenant with thee and performed his promise for his promises are Yea and Amen to all he loueth 2. Cor. 1.20 then maist thou haue hope Isaiah 27 3. VVhat peace hast thou found wrought in thy soule Psal 30.9 How hath he watered thee euery morning humbled thee in prosperitie and comforted thee in aduersitie Hast thou an experimentall knowledge of his proceedings feare not then he will doe thee good and no euill 2. Cor. 1.4 and he is neuer weary for that were to crosse his owne command in weldoing And doest thou reiect the Arme of flesh and bloud denie thy owne power and onely rely vpon the Lord I then dare giue thee my word Psal 60.11.12 that he shall neuer faile thee or in the greatest danger forsake thee Be thou assured once that these things are in thee and the like done for thee and thou shalt be as secure and safe from all dangers in life and death as the least drop of water in the bottome of the deepe Ocean sea is from the exhalation of the Summers Sun or that graine of sand which possesseth the very center of the Globe is from motion or the footes trampling scattering One thing more may yet bee obserued out of the words thinketh on me which is that Doct. 4 The Lord will deliuer the faithfull from all dangers free them in a conuenient season from all afflictions Psal 91. Psal 27.14 For this is the true exposition of the phrase as the words following doe declare euidently plainly Noah shall not be drowned in the old world Gen. 8.1 c. but be freed from all dangers Gen. 19. Let shall come safe to little Zoar. Moses flee to and returne in health Acts 7. from the land of Madian Ioseph may be sold Gen. 45. yet God can preserue him safe Gen. 33. and Esau expect the time of mourning to be reuenged on his brother Iacob yet shall he come againe and find fauour in his eyes Psal 11.1 c. Let Dauid be hunted like a Partridge the rauening Kite shall neuer catch him Ier. 45.5 and Baruch shall haue his life though many perish for a prey Peter may be in prison Acts 5.19.20 12 7.8 yet shall the gates be cast off their hinges his bolts be loosed and hee set at libertie 2. Tim 4.17.18 And though Paul be forsaken of all men yet God shall assist him free him out of the mouth of the Lyon and preserue him to his heauenly kingdome Yea Phil 1.21 this is most certain that either in life he shal let them loose Reuel 14.13 2. King 22 20. to runne at libertie or by death free them from the euill to come And reason may be rendred why it shall be so Reason 1 For the Lord hath so promised and purposed and shall not his counsell stand Prov. 19.21 and his word abide for euer Did he euer faile in keeping couenant or haue his promises at any time been preuented No Mat● 5.18 no Let Heauen and Earth passe away one iot of his word shall not moue but be verified certainely accomplished Tit. 1.2 For shall God proue a lyer breake promise Away with this he cannot he will not God is not like man promising what he neuer intends to performe 2. Cor. 1.20 for all the promises made by him are Yea and Amen in Christ Iesus Reason 2 And this will hee doe of loue to his children and hatred to the wicked God will not haue the vncircumcised Philistims to reioyce in the ouerthrow of little Dauid his Annointed Deut. 32.26.27 or the cursed Canaanites to tread vnder-foot the sanctified seede of old Israel Psal 89.10.11 c. Exod. 1.12 Pharaoh may lay great burdens on the Iewes yet the more he doth vex them they shall multiply grow and vex him This hath been a reason of force in former time and may continue still to confirme this doctrine Vse 1 And from this point the faithfull must learne patience and not to make haste 1. Thes 4.13 or mourne as men without hope for it 's but a very little while and then He that shall come will come and will not tarrie Heb. 10.37 The Husbandman must patiently expect the time of haruest Iames 5 7. the Mariner waite with content for wind and tide and the VVatchman for the dawning of the day wee must also tarrie the Lords leisure bee strong and he in the fittest season will comfort our soules Dauid being assured that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing did not faint Psal 27.13 but expect with patience the time appointed and his patterne must be our practise seeing it was grounded and sprang from the point we haue in hand Vse 2 Againe as by this point we are taught for the present to be patient so to confirme our faith for time future And what can more strengthen it then certaintie of full freedome and a totall deliuerie from all the euill that shall befall them 2. Cor. 4.16.17 But we thinke not seriously of this thing and that 's the cause we hang downe the loynes of our mindes and that which is halting is readie Heb. 12.12.13 vpon the least rub to be turned out of the way Wherefore let vs consider how he hath in former