Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	ghost_n	son_n	36,902	5	6.3305	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97294	Some prison meditations and directions on several subjects viz. on [brace] the fall of man, the sufferings of Christ, repentance and faith, reproof and counsel, the holy Scriptures, prayer, love to mankind, sincerity, the vanity of the world, the benefit of affliction, heaven and hell / by Samuel Young, minister of the Gospel.	Trepidantium Malleus.	1684 (1684)	Wing Y88A; ESTC R43962	59,844	144

III. Of Repentance and Faith MEDITATIONS THE Apostle Paul gives us a Compendium or Abridgment of his Doctrine and Preaching Repenarnce and Faith Acts 20.22 Repentance sheweth a man his sin When a Convert is in his Agonies and Pangs in his throws and conflicts then the heart the once hard heart falls a bleeding before God Faith sheweth a man his Saviour Acts 16.13 We are often call'd upon to believe in Christ Quest Why might it not be as well exprest to believe in the Father or in the Holy-Ghost as in the Son It is true the Father Son and holy-Holy-Ghost save us but in a different way The Father by sending the Son The holy-Holy-Ghost as sent from the Father and the Son in the Hearts of Believers but the Son by his Merits by his Death The Father contrived the Spirit applyed but Christ procured the Remedy This Repentance wounds and Faith heals By Faith we are said to be justified Rom. 5.1 and the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Now when Christs Righteousness is imputed unto us by Faith it is not the Righteousness of Christ as God for that is his uncreated Righteousness and this essential Righteousness cannot be communicated to us and made our accidental Righteousness and this is the Righteousness of the Father and Spirit as well as of the Son And then Father and Spirit might be said to justifie us as well as the Son But it is the Righteousness of Christ the Mediatour who is God man Jer. 23.6 And this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness DIRECTIONS Stay Reader ere thou goest any farther if thou art an unconverted man get and cherish a few Resolutions to put in Practice the few following Directions Lift up thine eyes unto that God whose dwelling is not with flesh that he would thus incline thy heart in hopes of this I direct 1. Go in secret sit down and consider the great sins of thy Heart and Life Allow time enough for this Are you guilty of the horrible Sins of the Age Try your selves by the Word by the Ten Commandments Can you not do this will you do it 2. Consider these things till you find your Hearts to ake and Countenance to change If you have such Convictions as to say O that I had not done these things Could I live over my time again things should be otherwise Thô such Convictions may not be saving yet they are too good to be thrown away Strike man whilst the Iron is hot 3. Fall down on the Ground pray to God for Pardon and Acceptance through Christ Say as Ezra Chap. 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee My God for our iniquities are increased over our Heads and our Trespass is grown up to the Heavens Cry as the Leper Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Look to Jesus typified by the brazen Serpent John 3.14 15. that thou mayest be healed 4. Away to the minding of Secret and Family Duties Read the Scriptures call on God lest the sparks of Convictions you have gotten go out 5. Converse with them that Converse with God say as David Psal 119.115 Away from me you Evil-doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God Psal 119.63 I am a Companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy Precepts Tell them your Case beg their Prayers hear their Instructions I have lain down a few plain Directions Wherefore I pray thee O Sinner Let my counsel be acceptable in thy sight as an Ambassador of Christ I pray thee as in Christs stead as though God did beseech thee be thou Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Will not this do Then I adjure thee by that God that made thee by that Jesus that shall judge thee another day Consider thy ways If any think a Death-bed-repentance will serve thy turn the famous Bolton saith that Oracle of his time in his Directions for distressed Consciences That he could not get proof of any man Converted on a sick Bed I knew one reformed three years upon sick bed Repentance but at last grew more vile than ever In some Respect we may bless God that blasteth such Convictions The World too much depends on them now what would they do if they saw them in any Persons sound and saving Mat. 20.7 12. If you say some were called at the last hour I answer But none were called at the last minute If a man in old age be converted which is very seldom will it follow therefore a man on a Death-bed may be so Dr. Hammond in his Discourse of Sick-bed Repentance tells us how we should deal with such Gods example saith he must be our rule Judg. 10. v. 13 14 16. to dispense comfort by Degrees When they cryed God seems to deny Deliverance and when they were greatly humbled the Lord was grieved for them He adviseth Ministers and others to shew such men the necessity of mourning and self-indignation If I be too forward to comfort them I ruine them saith he I would to God they were of his mind who are so forward to absolve upon dry Confessions and to Canonize in Funeral Sermons to the great hardning of the Hearers God will say by Conscience on a sick bed What I have written I have written The Soul that Sins shall dye Some are ready to say If they mind these things now they shall be out of their Wits Miserable Souls they have long since told the World by their Lives that they were never well in their Wits You know Physicians sometimes say to their Patients Had I come timely I might have cured you If a Patient say I will take no Physick I will not be confined to my Chamber I will eat and drink what I please this is to say I will not recover I will dye So to say in the heart I will not follow Directions is to say I will be damned Remember God that calls you needs you not Job 22.33 Is it any Pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous or is it any gain to him that thou makest thy way perfect Let none deceive themselves and think they have repented and believed when it is not so They may say as Agag Surely the bitterness of Death is past 1 Sam. 15.32.33 and yet be hewed before the Lord. O Blessed God! what a dreadful Surprizal will it be in the time of Death to many great Professours that thought for twenty thirty years or more that they were in the Way to Heaven and then then find themselves mistaken who find themselves at the Gate of Hell when they thought themselves at the Gate of Heaven Have you Convictions now stifle them not bring them before God lest he say of you My Spirit shall no more strive with you O man Gen. 6.3 I take an everlasting Farewell of thee seeing thou wilt be unholy be

the earth and did reverence to the King and said Let my Lord King David live for ever Adore the Lord God if he hath made your Children by his Grace Heirs of the Kingdom that cannot be shaken Give me leave by the way to bewail the great and common sin found among us That many children are sooner taught what Jupiter Mars and such Pagan Gods were than what Father Son and Spirit is Josiah when he was young 2 Chron. 34.3 enquired after the God of David his Father but many now when young after Heathen Gods Augustine of old complained of this Aug. Confes lib. 6. of hearing in Schools Joves Thundering and Adulteries and for giving an account of such things saith he Et ob hoc bonae spei puer appellabar I was called a hopeful Lad. Luther also complained that our Schools were more Pagan than Christian I referr the unsatisfied Reader to Pasors Preface to his Lexicon he observeth of Pythagoras his golden verses so much esteemed of and I fear accounted more golden by too many than our Saviours Sayings on the Mount how they begin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour the Immortal Gods c. And as I have observed worse after I knew an Aged Famous Schoolmaster that after he had kept School about fifty years said with a very sad countenance That it was a great trouble to him that he had spent so much time in reading Pagan Authors to his Scholars and wisht it were customary to read such a Book as Duports Greek Verses upon Job rather than Homer and such Books I beseech School-masters if they must read such Authors do as they do that eat Mushromes or such dangerous meats use strong Correctives Shew Youth the vanity of the Pagan Religion and the excellency of the Christian Religion Perswade them above all things to be acquainted with the Holy Scriptures which alone can make them wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 when many vain books make many wise to Damnation If Children die what doth it signifie to say they were ingenious if they be graceless will Ingenuity save them They are as Thales Milesius that was gazing on the Stars minding their magnitude situation and influences when he should have been minding his way and so fell into the water and was drowned I pray God put it in the hearts of a wise Parliament to purge our Schools that instead of learning vain Fictions and filthy stories they may be acquainted with the VVord of God with Books containing Grave Sayings And learn in Prose or Verse the Histories of the Kings of England the chief Passages in their Reigns and some Maxims in Law and things that may make them truly wise and useful in the world I know I shall offend not a few in thus writing But let such remember my Authors before named Austin Luther Pasor and others that I might name and if I must have a Reprimand I am glad that I have such good company It is storied of the old Waldenses in France in the dark times of Popery R. his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they so instructed their Children in the great things of God that some Popish Doctors said that they learned more of the Doctrine of Salvation by talking with those Children than they did by the Disputations of great men There is another fault among us to be condemned the early and unnecessary sending of young men beyond Sea to see Countreys speak Languages before they have studied the grounds of our Religion and so are infected with Popery or Atheism I desire such before they send their Children away or the Children before they go to read Bishop Hall his Quo vadis a Book to which little can be added And then I hope they may be willing to stay at home How sad is it in most houses where the fear of God is not Of which it may be said what is said of Babylon Rev. 18.2 that they are a Habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul Spiri●● and the cage of every unclean and hateful Bird so many wicked persons and so much wickedness is in them that the serious Christian may sometimes say in the beholding of it what Job said in another case O that my grief were thorougly weighed and that my sorrow were laid in the ballance for then would it be heavier than the sand of the Sea That there is so much Lying Prophaning the Name of God and so much of unsavoury rotten communications in most families and among Children that when they are men and women these things become common to them That if it be then asked what Christ asked the Father about his Childs disease how long ago this happened to them the same answer may be given even from a Child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 9.21 I now come to a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Cry to God for Bowels of Compassion toward Souls and for Dexterity in this work of Reproving and Counseling that you may say with Paul Rom. 9.1 2 3. I say the Truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me Witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual Sorrow in my Heart for I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh As if he had said I could almost be willing to perish for their sakes say with David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word You Parents that are so tender of the Bodies of your Children be much more concerned for their Souls You that desire great Estates for them much more desire Heaven for them How many mind their Oxen Sheep and Swine more than the Souls of their Children Sauls Father Kish 1 Sam. 10.2 Gave over caring for the Asses saying What shall I do for my Son So be less concerned about the things of the World and say What shall I do for the Souls of my Children that it may be said of you as in Prov. 10.20 The Mouth of the Righteous is as choice Silver when you speak with tender Bowels of Compassion It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Mat. 10.20 When God bad Moses to speak to Pharaoh and Moses Objected want of Eloquence said God Exod. 4.12 Now therefore go and I will be thy mouth and I will teach thee what thou shalt say That you may by your good Counsel overcome Satan as David by playing with his Musical Instrument made the evil Spirit to depart from Saul 1 Sam. 16.23 I know for some audacious Sinners it is better to be silent than reprove Hezekiah his command was prudent when Rabshakeh Blasphemed Isa 36.21 But the People held their peace and answered him not a Word for the Kings Commandment was saying Answer him not Let Prayer accompany the work of Exhorting Neh. 2.4 stand before the man as Nehemiah before the King and Queen praying to the God of

Like men that should go on singing and dancing and calling for their Cups and Musick to the place of Execution I have spoken of several Duties of reading Scripture Prayer Charity but we must remember all must be done in Sincerity and this is the next thing we shall consider CHAP VIII Of Sincerity MEDITATIONS MAny there are I doubt not whose Sincerity no man questions that will be found formal another day and many that few thought well of will be saved Snow covers Dunghils Gilt makes common Wood and Stones look like Gold So doth a Profession and some attainments make many Unconverted Men look like true Christians When Judas went up and down Preaching the Gospel if any one had said to him Judas thou art now perswading the world to close with Christ within a little time thou thy self wilt betray this Christ to death for thirty pieces of Silver would he have believed it or would he not rather have said as Hazael to Elisha 2 Kings 8.13 Am I a Dog that I should do this thing Many famous Ministers great Preachers men of great Parts and Zeal much followed by all and accounted Angels from Heaven I fear will in a little time Mat. 258. cry Our Lamps are gone out Many forward hearers that have done many things set on Reformation and minded reading and praying in their Families will I fear in a little time be found to be Cakes half baked Hos 7.8 On the other hand there are many Ministers and People that are taken but little notice of for Religion that I hope will be saved Their Heavenly Father sees that in secret hearts broken for Sin and breathing after Christ for which he will reward them openly Many that deceive themselves thus plead I can remember the time when the place where the Minister by whom I was Converted 1 Kings 21.27 28.29 When Ahab heard these words he rent his cloaths he fasted c. God takes notice of it to the Prophet Seest thou not how Ahab humbleth himself before me Then Ahab remembred the time when the place where the Prophet by whom he was terrifyed so as to pray fast and had a Promise from God on the doing this work Acts 8.13 Simon himself believed and was Baptized Verse 21. And yet his heart was not right in the sight of God Philips Doctrine and Miracles Converted seemingly him that had deceived many Simon might say I remember the time when the place where the Minister by whom I was convinced and awakened and yet he was in the gall of Sin and the bond of Iniquity Gal. 4.14 15 16. Once again many of them received Paul as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus high words were ready to have plucked out their eyes and have given them to him and yet at last they accounted him their Enemy because he told them the truth No doubt many of them were but formal to whom he said Where is then the Blessedness you spake of These men could remember the time when the place where the Minister by wom they were reformed Many such men can say but little else but their first Convictions and Terrours Others plead That God hath heard and wonderfully answer'd their Prayers and that they are assured from the Scriptures of Truth John 19.31 That God heareth not Sinners but if any man be a Worshpper of God him he heareth And they will tell you of Extraordinary Providences that they have met with as an answer to Prayer I answer It may be God heard not your Prayers but your Murmurings as Numb 11. The Quails came at the peoples request here was a Providence but what was the close of all Some have desired Children Riches c. but unless these things have made them love and serve God they never were given in a way of Mercy but Judgment Or it may be God heard only the Cry of nature in you as he hears the cries of Young Lions and Ravens Gen. 21.17 19 20. God heard Hagar's and Ishmaels Cry When Hagar lift up her voice and wept an Angel calls to her and tells her God had heard the Cry of the Lad and it is said vers 21. God was with the Lad. Hagar and Ishmael might they say God hath heard and wonderfully answered our Prayers and God heareth not Sinners And yet both were cast out I doubt not but God doth work Wonders or Miracles for their Preservation or Deliverance that shall never be saved Some plead But I find I have Repentance I have Faith I yield Obedience to the Gospel c. Amen would to God it may appear to be so Yet hear the Word of the Lord Mat. 8.12 The Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out Conclude on it there is nothing in Art that doth more resemble a thing in nature than Legal Repentance resembles Evangelical Temporary Faith Saving Partial Obedience Universal Never was there the picture or Statua of a man that did more resemble a living man than common Grace doth Saving Never was any Brass Half-Crown more like one of good Silver than the life of a Hypocrite may the life of a Christian Have you so repented of Sin as to loath Sin as Sin for its malignity and evil nature Hath your faith made you to esteem of Christ his Ordinances and People more than of all Treasures Your Obedience unfeigned without reserves In the account we have of the sickness and death of Bellarmine done by C.E. the Jesuite one passage he hath to make him famous to the world which makes me more to hate the name and memory of Bellarmine than any thing recorded of him That when his Confessor came to him Such saith he was the innocency of the man that he could hardly tell what to confess insomuch that his Ghostly Father was in some perplexity wanting matter of Absolution till by recourse to his life past he found some small defects of which he absolved him The Author cryes O Zealous Mind O Noble Bishop but let the Christian poor in spirit that complains with Paul Rom. 7. of a Body of Sin and Death cry O stupid Soul O vile Hypocrite how secure was thy Conscience that at thy death hadst no scruple but the exchanging of one good work for another and that when commanded to it That was his leaving the Archbishoprick of Capua for better preserment What is related of him his lying on his bed with his eyes and hands lift up to Heaven his falling prostrate on the ground to receive the Sacrament his bestowing so much to feed the poor all these things signifie nothing when the heart is so proud so insensible of its own Gailt Then every man must try himself The Famous Divines in the Synod of Dort gave these Marks of Sincerity Dordrehti Synodus Vera in Christum fides filialis Dei timor dolor de peccatis secundum Deum sitis esuries justitiae A True Faith in Christ when a man humbly relies upon him for Life