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	soul_n	word_n	7,065	5	4.2672	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08964	A serious exhortation to the necessary duties of [brace] family and personal instruction made (formerly) to the inhabitants of the parish of Tredington in the county of Wercester, and now upon request published for their use / by William Durham.	Durham, William, d. 1686.	1659 (1659)	Wing D2832A; ESTC R229159	38,436	108

A SERIOUS EXHORTATION TO THE Necessary Duties of Family and Personal Instruction Made formerly to the Inhabitants of the Parish of Tredington in the County of Worcester and now upon request published for their use By William Durham B. D. Minister of the Gospel there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 London Printed by Tho. Newcomb dwelling in Thames-street over against Baynards Castle 1659. TO The truly Religious and my much honoured the Lady Vachel of Coly neer Reding Madam IT is no mean priviledge to be born of godly Parents and such who are stedfast in the faith for although Grace be no more ex traduce by traduction from our Ancestors then our souls but both immediately from God yet besides the benefit of their prayers their Godly examples and their Religious care in the education of their children have by Gods blessing a wonderful influence in moulding their hearts towards Godliness The fairest Gem in Solomons Crown was the special care which his Parents had to teach him to know God and his Law It was Timothies great advantage that his Mother and Grandmother were so famous for Religion In this great Priviledge few persons of your rank are greater sharers then your self Sir Francis Knollys Knight of the Garter Treasurer of the houshold and Councellor to Q. Eliz. Your Grandfather an Exile with his Family for Religion in those bloody days of Queen Mary and an eminent Instrument in that happy Reformation in the time of Queen Elizabeth whose name is yet eminent in Forain parts and no less precious at home for his many good services done to the Church of God Sir Francis Knollys After him your late dear Father of whom I may say as the * Epistol lib. 2. Learned Zanchy saith of William Lantgrave of Hessen that he was Optimi parentis Optimus filius the most Religious Son of a most Religious Father who was the greatest Countenancer of Religion and cherisher of Religious men in those parts all his time whose pains and purse were never spared sor their encouragement and defence even in the worst of times as is yet very well remembred with thankful hearts by many who bless his memory The pious labors of divers eminent Ministers of Christ Dr. Twist Dr Tho. Taylor whom he cherished under his wing give the world a taste how much it owes to his memory How great his care was to instruct his children in the Faith may be seen by their carriage in the Church of God when they were grown up to riper years Witness him who whilest he lived Sir Francis Knollys your brother was deliciae humani generis for his candor sweetness courtesie and love to goodness the delight and love of all that had the happiness to know him I heartily desire that there may be the like Religious care taken for the education of that Infant upon whom that Estate is descended that he may tread in the steps of his worthy Ancestors and inherit their vertues as well as their possessions Your Ladiship might be my next great instance who have so well improved those Principles of Religion instill'd in your education that your Piety Charity and Religious Government of your Family I may call it in the Apostles Language The Church in your house may be a pattern to Posterity which will not readily be taken out I must not take in all that might be spoken but consider what your Ladiship will be willing to hear Who in this as in your whole course have proposed your Saviour for your example who when he had done any great work commanded them not to publish it It is much more delightful to your Ladiship to do good then to hear of it when you have done it What the benefits and advantages of instructing Families are I have endeavored to manifest in this following Exhortation and being importuned to communicate it to mine own charge I have taken the humble confidence to put it under your Ladiships name for which attempt I the rather hope to gain your pardon because all that is said here is but a transcript of your own practice in your Family You will finde it plain so are the people for whom it is mainly intended but I hope honest and sutable to the minde of God So God may have glory his people committed to my trust advantage and this small testimony of my thankfulness for the many real expressions of your favors may finde acceptance at your hands he hath his ends who is Madam Your Ladiships much obliged Nephew and most humble servant William Durham From my study in Tredington this 7 of December 1658. TO My well beloved Friends and Neighbours the Inhabitants of the Parish of Tredington Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ BELOVED THat which was the hearts desire of the Apostle Rom. 10.1 and prayer to God for Israel is really mine for you that you may be saved That wise God who in his Providence hath set me over you in things pertaining to your souls hath through Grace made me in some measure sensible of the weight of mine imployment and the excellency of those souls committed to my trust Were your souls like those of inferiour creatures only as salt to preserve your bodies from putrefaction and did they die together with you it were more excusable if you were less curious in the cultivating of them but since they are immortal and must live when these houses of clay are dissolved and that nothing is a proportionable price for them but that blood of God it concerns us highly to take care what will become of them when we go hence and shall be seen no more The great part of a Christians portion lies in reversion that which we enjoy here though full of inward comfort is nothing in comparison of what we expect There 's an inheritance in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 which is incorruptible undefiled c. whose worth the tongue of men and Angels cannot express for the obtainment of this glorious inheritance I daily bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ on your behalf and that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory Eph. 3.14 to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be fill'd with all the fulness of God Joh. 17.3 and in a word that your souls may prosper through the knowledg of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent because this is life eternal This is the main end and aim as of all that pains I have otherwise taken among you so of this following exhortation which was formerly made to you in publique That your hearts which seemed much warmed thereby to a ready compliance with your

beforehand instructed in the Principles of that Science you would then see the reason of what was spoken your understandings would close with the things delivered and you would reap profit by that Discourse So in this case were men better insighted into the Principles of Religion we should soon see better fruits of all our labors Sect. 10. The want of this is the unhappy ground of that unstableness in the faith which to the reproach of our Religion discovers it self so visibly amongst us at this day Ephes 4.14 That of the Apostle is too apparently manifested amongst us that many of us are like children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive which hinders their growing up into him in all things who is the head even Christ I find in story mention made of one Philetas Coûs Syms Chron. parte 5. pag. 44. an excellent Grammarian and Poet Master ●o Ptolomeus Philadelphus that great lover and promoter of Learning but of so small and thin a body that he was fain to wear soles of lead upon his shooes Non dubitamus cur tot hereses nova dogmata locum passim inveniunt causam vel maximam esse catechizationis neglectum c. Act. Syn. od sess 15. Judic Theol. Palat. or else every blast of wind would overturn and blow him down The reason why so many are so easily tossed aside by every wind of Doctrine is because they are not well bottom'd nor kept steady by the Principles of Religion This is the true ground why every new Doctrine finds so many sollowers because they were never establisht in the truth We have seen many who have made fair shew for a time readily embrace and admire any new Discoveries which have been offered to them under the specious vizor of New-light They have run thorough all those new Modes of Religion which the Father of lyes hath presented them withall 1 Joh. 2.19 always liking that best which was newest not finding where to rest their feet having once forsaken that good old way of Gospel-Truth wherein indeed they were never thoroughly instructed If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that it might be made manifest that they were not at all of us This is the cause of those many sad breaches grown in families to their utter ruine while they run into several ways with such eagerness and animosity contending to maintain their several parties when it may be few of them have any competent knowledge of the Fundamentals of Religion and fewer have any true sense of the power of godliness upon their hearts When the ship wants ballast every gust of wind will overset it When the mind is void of serious knowledge no wonder that errors creep into the judgement and looseness into the conversation Col. 2.7 8. Those who are not rooted and grounded in Christ will be easily spoiled through Philosophy and vain deceit Sect. 11. The eternal welfare of your families depends upon it Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent O that you would give your thoughts liberty to expatiate in this wide field That you would seriously lay to heart what Heaven and Hell are Vbi nec operosa actio nec requies desidiosa laus erit sine fastidio sine defectu Aug. how full of glory the one how full of horror and amazedness the other Heaven it is the throne of God the purchase of Christ the habitation of Angels the expectation of men the envy of Devils There 's the vision of God communion with all Saints and an uninterrupted enjoyment of eternal rest There 's pure pleasure without pain a continual day without night perfect holiness without sin The good things which God hath provided there for them that know and love him are so many they cannot be numbred so great they cannot be measured so precious they cannot be valued They are as far beyond our apprehension as expression 2 Cor. 12.4 Who can declare that which Gods Spirit tells us is ineffable Who can tell me how much sweetness Bern. in 11. of Cant. Omnes deliciae L●eus erit Aust ib how much happiness is wrapt up in those few words God shall be all in all your faith most make out what your reason cannot compass and what the tongue of men and Angels cannot express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nilus in sentent Tom 1. Orthodoxog p. 181 And for Hell the very name and notion of it is enough to make a mans heart ake and his sinews tremble Esa 66. ult There 's the worm that never dyeth and the fire that never goes out the worm that never dyeth is the gnawing and twinging the horror and amazedness of the conscience which shall then reproach us for our neglect of knowledge and the means of grace When conscience remembers how many fair advantages we have slipt of making our calling and election sure how many invitations we have slighted and how much means we have neglected then it will lay about it and torment the soul Conscience may be dull and sensless here and go sleeping to Hell but it comes no sooner there but it is awakened to its cost It reproaches and reviles the sinner and makes his condition so much the worse because he was the occasion of his own sufferings There 's the fire that never goes out O dismal dreadful fire Fire without light for there is utter darkness in the midst of it fire mixt with cold for while the tongue burns the teeth chatter fire without comfort mixt with stifling choaking brimstone Fire that will never want fewel to maintain it there is much wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone kindling it Esa 30.33 Who can endure to hold his finger in the fire but for a moment How do we roar and cry when we are but a little singed scorched burned And if our material fire be so irksome and intolerable what will that keener and more subtile fire be which will work upon the soul as well as upon the body What will it be to have fire accompanied with cold and darkness and brimstone What will it be to have our childrens beds made in the midst of this fire What will it be to have them lie for ever in these everlasting burnings * Vbi nec tortores deficiunt nec torti moriuntur quibus sine fine more est non posse in cruciatibus mori Aug. id where they shall be ever burning and yet never consumed always dying and yet never dead To be without ease and without hope and all this in the company and under the power of so many hideous ugly fiends † Ad solatium malevolentissimū damnationis suae c. Id. whose only refreshment under their own torments will be to