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	life_n	7,349	5	4.3274	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B07200	Good Christian looke to thy creede : for a true triall of an holy profession, and of the truth of religion, from all crooked by-paths. / By Richard Bernard rector of Batcombe in Sumersetshire..	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1630 (1630)	STC 1941.5; ESTC S90465	12,536	39

power A. That hee is exceedingly able aboundantly Ephe. 3. 20. to doe for me aboue all that I can thinke because he is Almighty Q. Wherein doth this appeare A. Because he made Heauen and Earth Q. What doe you conclude now out of all these things A. That I am safe vnder his al-sufficiency for the good of body and soule by whose power through faith I am kept vnto saluation and so to enioy life euerlasting 1. Pet. 1. 5. Q. May you then liue securely as it were carelesly vpon this confidence A. God forbid for I am commanded to worke out my Saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And in my Creed I am taught to beleeue that there is as well a Hell for the wicked as a Heauen for the Godly Q. Now besides this your Creed are there any other helps to awe a man to God-ward and to keepe him from carnall securitie A. Yes indeed very easie to be conceiued and to be gathered out of the other parts of the Common Catechisme with setled meditations thereupon Q. As how I pray you vpon the Commandements A. I. To thinke seriously whose they be euen the precepts of the God of Heauen and earth terrible in wrath and without respect of person in executing vengeance against transgressors II. That they are the rule of righteousnesse to euery Christian concerning his dutie to God to man and to himselfe III. That a curse is vpon euery one hat either wilfully or carelesly leadeth a life without conscionable respect vnto these Commandements IV. That by our Church we are taught and with our mouthes wee pray that the Lord would haue mercy vpon vs to encline our hearts to keepe euery Law and we beseech him to write all these his Lawes in our hearts V. That in thus praying in words and yet without affection of heart or conscience of obedience we mocke God and prouoke him the more to wrath by so dallying with such a dreadfull Maiestie VI. That this Law was giuen in great terrour making all Israell to feare and tremble at the deliuery thereof Oh then thinke what wil be that horror in mens hearts when God comes to execute his Iustice powring vyals of wrath vpon the rebellious VII That God hath for our incouragement exhorted vs to obey them left memorable examples of men liuing in obedience blesing and rewarding them for well doing with promises of his mercies to all others that so doe and to reward them with euerlasting glory in the end VIII And lastly that God on the contrary hath dehorted vs from transgressions left fearefull examples of his wrath vpon Offendors threatning still to take vengeance vpon exery such wicked one and in the end to cast them all into Hell there to be tormented in flaming fire with the Deuill and his Angells for euer Q. These eight Meditations may shake the stoutest heart and humble the highest thoughts of such as make no conscience of sinne and goe on in their courses But how may a man from the Lords prayer rouze vp his heart from carnall securitie A. If rightly vnderstanding what he asketh and hath also a true desire to obtaine what hee craueth of God if I say hee shall demand questions of himselfe before hee pray thus meditating I. How can I except I resolue to mocke God say hallowed be thy Name by me in an holy conuersation and yet liue in all prophanenesse lewdly dishonouring his Name abusing his mercy and benefits not regarding his Iustice and liuing without all respect of his Glory and praise II. How can I say thy Kingdome come and desire that God may erect vp here a Kingdome of grace in our hearts by his Spirit Word and the Ministery of faithfull Teachers to prepare vs to Glory and yet resist the motions of the Spirit refuse to be ruled by him hate Gods Ministers mocke at the preaching of the Word iest at the reading of Scriptures and liue as if there were neither Heauen nor Hell God nor Deuill nor any day of Iudgement III. How can I begge heartily to doe Gods Will here in Earth as it is in Heauen and yet liue in ignorance of Gods Will following my owne lusts or other mens wills despising the reuealed will of God neuer doing what God would haue done as hee requires his will to be done to wit willingly readily ioyfully faithfully sincerely cōstantly But if I do it it is too too vnwillingly with deferring off by halfes with by-respects and but onely by fits in some sickenesse or other crosse IV. How can I euery day say Giue me this day my dayly bread to wit that which is mine honestly and iustly come by and yet liue either idly or distrustfully in excessiue care or fraudulently getting maintenance by coozonage and deceit and riches by oppression vsury and extortion by shifting by gaming yea by swearing forswearing robbery and theft distrusting continually Gods prouidence in the vse of lawfull meanes as fearing losse thereby V. How can I desire with sorrow in sight of sinne the pardon of sinne euen as I forgiue others trespassing against me and yet wallow in sinne as the Swine in mire in drunkennesse adultery gluttony murther slander lying swearing forswearing and greedy coueting also in malice enuie grudging ill-will with desire of reuenge and in other vncharitable courses VI. How can I desire to bee deliuered from euill and the power of temptations and yet wilfully runne into ill company hearken to ill Counsell follow ill examples auoiding the societie of such as be well disposed but easily yeelding to Sathans suggestions studying to fulfill the desires and lusts of the flesh and conforming to euery vaine fashion custome and practice of this present world Q. Surely if euery man would thus aske himselfe before he begin to pray either it would reforme him or make him most inexcusable at the Barre of Gods Iustice would it not A. Yes without all peraduenture if a man withall consider I. That Prayer is an immediate presenting of a mans selfe into Gods holy presence a Maiestie infinite and of great glory not to be abused with idle lip-labour II. That hee presumeth to call God Father in Heauen which cannot bee but by diuine grace and by the spirit of adoption therefore hee being gracelesse must needs herein abuse God by claming a Sonne-ship without the spirit of Regeneration III. That his owne mouth witnesseth against his owne wayes while hee making request for that which he vtterly in heart and yet in life opposeth and so prepareth for himselfe without all excuse matter of iust condemnation except hee vse the meanes to attaine to that which in words hee seemeth dayly to request for himselfe at Gods hands Q. Can you shew me how a man may bee moued to a holy life by meditating vpon his baptisme A. Yes I. He must know that by it he is made a member of Christ the Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdome of Heaven If he be renued by the holy Ghost

them neuer troubling them which commeth to passe either through grosse ignorance or wilfull carelesnesse going on in sin and so grow obstinate through custome in sinning they conclude peace with God and so to be in a happy estate Deut. 29. 19. when all this time the strong man keepes house in them Luke 11. 21. VIII Because they liue perhaps very ciuilly and quietly walking in morall honesty with praise of men abstayning from outward scandalous courses whoredome drunkennesse coozening trickes and other foule euils which they see others to commit vpon which they conciude making withall a generall profession of Christianity that they are indued with heauenly graces of Gods regenerating Spirit not knowing or not considering that this may be but the restrayning power of God as in Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. or feare and shame with holding as it did the Enemies of Christ and of his Apostles Acts 4. 14. 21. or some awe and respect vnto some man of authoritie and wisedome as in Acts 5. 34. 38 39. or onely some pollicie to abstaine for a time as in Absalon and in Haman who forbore a space from outward 2 Sam. 13 22 violence Ester 5. 10. or it may be a well tempered nature guided by worldly wisedome and not by sauing grace IX Because they can and doe sometimes commend good things in those that are worthy praise doe allow of them and desire their company as Iehu did Ionadabs Adoniah Ionathans 1. Kings 1. 41. Darius Daniels good and liberty Dan. 6. or for that they can speake against the euill deeds of others iustly to be condemned as did the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 23. 29 30 34. vpon these things they conclude that they loue the Godly and hate the wicked and so thinke themselues to be in a good case when yet we see how the wicked may doe as much X. When some afflictions befall them then if they can say that these are crosses which God sends them for tryalls or for their sinnes and can say with some light sigh God haue mercy on vs and can say I pray God we may make a good vse thereof they conclude that they are penitent that they haue made a good confession and that they are humble and are very good Christians although they remaine altogether the same persons they were before These and many other such like reasons doe make them to thinke so well of themselues Q. But why doe not such labour to finde out their deceits and learne better to know themselues A. The Reasons may be these I. Their not giuing Credit to their Teachers instructions concerning these things and the need of trying themselues II. Their not discerning wherein other either are or can be in better case before God then they themselues for they perceiue not the inward power of Religion and liuely effectualnesse of grace they being sensuall hauing not the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10 11 14. Iude 9. III. Their ignorance of the true meanes to finde out themselues and carelesnesse to know them thinking the labour but a needlesse curiosity IV. Their being busied about the World following their profits or pleasures or hunting after honours fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the minde as the Apostle speaketh wherewith they are so taken vp as they cannot possible attend to these things of an higher Nature and deeper straine V. Their presumptuous conceit of mercy and putting vp all on Christs score without any more adoe till they come to their sicke bed and to bid farewell for euer to the World VI. Their liberty which in many things they take to themselues agreable to their corrupt nature to the fashions and customes of the World according to the present times which they inwardly effecting neither can nor will let goe suffereth them not to come to a more narrow search of their wayes nor to a more strict examination of their courses VII The liberty which they see most doe take such as be of the wiser sort so reputed in the world learned men great persons in Church and common wealth whom they set before them as patterns and doe desire to follow VIII And lastly their Iudgement indifferent in Religions this or that they holding it fit for priuate persons to professe the Religion of the State be it what it will be without dispute whether right or wrong of God or man These if men would examine themselues throughly shall be found the reasons why men make no straiter steps in their profession of Religion Q. Verily it 's very likely but seeing too many make an indifferency of Religion Let mee question you further in a few things Tell me whether there bee any other Religion then the true Religion A. True Religion is the onely Religion and is but only one all other are superstitions and Idolatry and no Religion indeed but humane or diabolicall inuentions drawing men from the true God and worship of his Name Q. What is then true Religion A. True Religion and vndefiled before God the Father is the true worship and right seruing of him according to his owne Will in Spirit and in Truth Q. Seeing false religions will pretend much what are the certaine markes of true Religion differing it from all these false religions A. I. It teacheth and directeth to onely one and that the true and euer liuing God The Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity II It teacheth and directeth to a true and right worshipping of the same God in Spirit and Truth III. It teacheth and directeth to one onely true Rule euen his owne Will made knowne hy his owne Word how and according to which this his worship is to be done and none otherwise IV. It teacheth and directeth man to the right knowledge of himselfe to know that he was perfect by Creation but by the fall is wholly corrupted and seperated from Gods fauour till reconciliation be made V. It teacheth and directeth to one onely most sure and certaine meanes of mans recouery into Gods assured loue againe euen by Iesus Christ his sacrifice mediation and intercession making an attonement and purchasing for vs an eternall inheritance VI. It teacheth and directeth vs how to bee thankefull for so great mercies both for matter manner and end thereof in well pleasing obedience to God in duties of loue and charity to our neighbour and to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world Q. This indeed is true Religion but now in your profession can you difference your selfe rightly by some one maine point or other from all sorts of wicked ones and from their paths of death and damnation A. Yes I suppose if you please to try me Q. How difference you your selfe from the Atheist and his Atheisme A. By beleeuing a God and liuing thereafter Q. How from the Gentiles the Heathen Idolatours and their Gentilisme A. By beleeuing one God the true God and worshipping him without any Idoll or Image Q. How from the meere Naturalist knowing God by his workes and