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	holy_a	jesus_n	13,652	5	5.8822	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48438	A funeral sermon after the interment of Mrs. Sarah Lye. The late wife of Mr. Thomas Lye of Clapham. By Phil. Lamb, minister of the Word. Together with the scriptual evidence and experiences of the grace of God towards, and in her, left under her own hand	Lamb, Philip, d. 1689.; Lye, Sarah, d. 1678.	1679 (1679)	Wing L206; ESTC R213605	35,653	142

A FUNERAL SERMON AFTER THE INTERMENT OF Mrs. SARAH LYE The late WIFE of Mr. Thomas Lye of Clapham By PHIL. LAMB Minister of the WORD Together with the Scriptural Evidence and Experiences of the Grace of God towards and in her left under her own hand LONDON Printed in the Year 1679. PROV VIII 17. I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me OUR dear deceased Friend whose death occasioned this diversion from our wonted course as often as she thought as indeed she did often think of her great change approaching and as she was going to her Fathers House where doubtless she is now in glory desired her dearest friends that these words might be the Text or Theme of her Funeral Sermon being as we may very well conceive willing to tell her surviving friends o● that Love of God of which she had tasted in her wilderness state and of which she hath now undoubtedly her fill we enjoy few drops but she is got to th● Fountain-head She desired tha● all hers and all you might know the way to the enjoyment of this Love as well as her self The Text she chose is a worthy Text Perhaps you may think 't is not so suitable to a Funeral occasion but let me tell you Funeral Sermons are not Subsidia mortuorun● sed solatia vivorum they are not they cannot be for the help of dead Saints they need no such little things but they are for the comfort and solace of living Saints The words are the words of Wisdom they are I say the words of Wisdom it self I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me In which I shall only take notice of these two parts or branches 1. In the first part there is a most glorious display of Divine Grace And Love in an act of wonderful condescension enough to astonish Men and Angels I love them that love me 2. Here is a most gracious promise the product of that glorious infinite Love And those that seek me early shall find me The first part of the Text is a fair Preface and Introduction to a most excellent Promise The second part is a Promise every way suited to the glory and excellency of such a Preface 'T is true indeed it begins with some kind of limitation and straitness Those that love me Those that seek me early But then it hath a most pleasant and desired Exit with abundant satisfaction They shall find me There is your glory your heaven your eternal happiness here is the work of your lives I beseech you remember it and let not this Text or Sermon be ever forgotten by you Here I say is the work of your lives to seek early The happiness of Eternity to find God and to enjoy him for ever Before I come to the Observations give me leave to speak a little to these two things 1. To the Author of these words that I may not leave one Soul here at an uncertainty And 2. I would speak a little to the Form of the words that I may leave none of you under any mistakes 1. The Author of this great and glorious Text if you look into the beginning of the Chapter is Wisdom uttering her voice Vers. 1 Doth not wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice vers 2 She standeth in the top of high places by the way in the places of the paths Vers. 3 She crieth at the gates at the entry of the city at the coming in at the doors Behold I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3. 20. Wisdom knocks Wisdom calls Wisdom cries and uttereth her voice The Acceptations of Wisdom in the Holy Scriptures in the Word of God are various 'T is sometimes taken for the God of Wisdom himself Sometimes for the Son of God the wisdom of the Father Sometimes for the Spirit of Christ who reveals wisdom to the Saints of God the Spirit of wisdom and illumination Sometimes for the grace of wisdom and spiritual knowledg And sometimes for the Word of Wisdom the Gospel of Christ as he says himself Matt. 11. 19 Wisdom is justified of her Children That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherein the wonderful Wisdom of God is displayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 3. 10. But to wave the rest as having many things to speak to you this day that concern the happiness of your precious and immortal souls to Eternity and therefore I hope that you will not only bear with me but also bear me up by your prayers Doubtless by Wisdom here in this Text is meant the Interna sapientia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filius Dei and we are to understand the Internal Eternal Wisdom of God that is called in Scripture The Word of God the Word that was made Flesh Wisdom speaking the speaking Wisdom the Son of God the Son of God In quo a quo omnis sapientia in whom and from whom is all wisdom all counsel and spiritual understanding without whom we cannot know God the Father or the Truth as we should do and by whom we know the Truth as it is in Jesus In the first Verse of this Chapter Wisdom is intituled to this great Speech and indeed in the whole Chapter if you will but take the pains when you are gone from hence to read it seriously before you come to the end thereof you will be convinced as well as I that this Wisdom is the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ making this great Proclamation to all the World I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me 2. I told you that I would shew you somewhat concerning the form or manner of this expression I love them that love me to prevent the mistakes and errors as we have need to do especially in this Age wherein the minds and hearts of men like Spiders suck poyson from the most precious and most glorious Truths of the Gospel I love them that love me doth not in the least 1. Intimate that our love or the love of the creature is the cause of the love of God to our souls nor doth it in the least imply that our love is antecedaneous the least moment of time to the love of God which will the more clearly appear if we curiously observe the manner of expressing it 'T is not said I will love them that will love me but I love them that love me Besides the Apostle John clears the Text and puts all out of doubt in 1 John 4. 10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us And vers 19 We love him because he first loved us 2. As it doth not at all any way intimate or suggest the precedency of our love to God before he loved us so in the next place I must tell you that it is a most excellent Truth a golden Maxime fit to be written on your Door-posts yea on your very hearts Wisdoms thus

world naturally estranged from God In Psal. 58. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies There is the very Character and Picture of a man in a natural state he is born with his back upon God and going with his face towards Hell before he can walk with men he can run away from God 2. I shall shew you That they that would escape that sin and misery that attend this estate of estrangement from God must seek him early for they are in the Regions of darkness and in a state of sin and misery as the Apostle expresses it Ephes. 2. 12 Being without Christ aliens form the common-wealth of Israel strangers from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world And the Apostle speaking of such so living and so dying in 2 Thes. 1. 9 says Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And there is no way to escape this but by seeking early after God by seeking early after Jesus Christ. And this is that which I shall now speak to and which the Prophet Isa. 55. 6 7 offers to us in the like terms Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2 You cannot tell how soon it may be that you may seek and God will not be found that you may call and he will not answer that you may knock and yet it shall not be opened to you for I tell you yea Christ himself tells you Luke 13. 24 That many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able and it must be and is spoken of such kind of persons as we be of persons that make a high profession that injoy the Ordinances of God Mat. 7. 22 23. Many says Christ will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Now is the time of your seeking And because there is the greatest Emphasis intended in this term early early seeking after God I shall wave all the rest and apply my self to a timous to an early seeking after God if God shall give us the wisdom of the Swallow the Turtle the Stork and the Crane Jer. 8. 7 to let us know our season and the things that belong to our peace And in reference to this I should have thought it most proper for me to have spoken more largely to five or six particulars but the time will not give me leave and therefore I shall but only name them 1. I should have shewed you what it is to seek what is meant by the act of seeking 2. What it is to seek God considering the act with the object what it is to seek Christ And that under these Four Heads 1. To seek the Lord is to seek an acquaintance with God to seek after the knowledg of Christ this we should do early and because we cannot do it more early we should do it now and it is our great concern to get an acquaintance with God we should seek now to know God and Christ this is of so great weight that Christ himself tells us Joh. 17. 3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. To seek God is to seek reconciliation with God for there is enmity and hostility between God and us poor sinful wretches every one of us as we are sinners by nature and by practice ought to seek reconciliation with God and an interest in Christ aud to make him our Friend and for this we are Ambassadors the whole Gospel serves for this end it is the Ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20 All things are of God says the Apostle who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 3. To seek the Lord is to seek communion with God and to seek communion with Jesus Christ to seek him in his Ordinances in his publick Ordinances Institutions and Appointments to seek him in our private duties in our closets to have close communion with God and with Christ there If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him says Christ Joh. 14. 23. So that it is a duty that lies on us to seek God more in secret duties and more in publick Ordinances night and day wherever we be to have further rnd more intimate acquaintance with him and to have a more clear interest in Christ and more intimate communion with him By night on my bed says the Spouse Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4 I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him on her bed but that perhaps may be drowsily it was a kind of drowsie seeking and I found him not What then I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The watch-men that go about the City found me to whom I said Saw ye him whom my soul loveth It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go c. Thus should we seek Jesus Christ thus should we seek communion and fellowship with him And in Cant. 1. 7. She thus bespeaks the Lord Jesus Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions And this Scripture I mention the rather because I now it was much the spirit of our deceased Friend that precious Saint now with God who did seek Jesus Christ in pure Ordinances and desired to wait for him in the most uncorrupt and purest ways of Communion for which she had a great zeal to my certain knowledg 4. And Lastly To seek the Lord is to seek the eternal injoyment of God and so to seek the Lord Jesus Christ as that we may injoy him in his glory setting our faces heavenward as in Jer. 50. 4 5 It is said of the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah that they shall come together going and weeping that they shall go and seek the Lord their