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	see_v	7,891	5	3.8652	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70248	A sermon preached at the triennial visitation of the right reverend father in God, Richard, L. Bishop of Bath and Wells held at Bridgewater, on the 19th day of August, 1695 / by Matthew Hole ...	Hole, Matthew, 1639 or 40-1730.; Kidder, Richard, 1633-1703.	1696 (1696)	Wing H2413; ESTC R212962	17,819	31

therefore when the Apostle adviseth us to covet earnestly the best gifis he thereby puts us upon using the best means of becoming Masters of them And because it may be asked what they are I shall briefly mind you of these four 1. Diligent Study 2. Frequent Exercise 3. Hearty Prayer And 4. A good Life Of each of which a word or two distinctly And 1. We must covet these Gifts by our diligent Study and earnest search after them for this is now the ordinary way and means of acquiring them Indeed in the days of the Apostles the Spirit was poured out and came upon them not by Study but by sudden Infusion The mighty wind in which the Holy Spirit descended was a Symbol of Inspiration and betokened the breathing into them the Gifts of the Holy Ghost The Fire that sate upon their Heads represented that fervency of Spirit which enabled them with courage to go through all the difficulties of their Office The Cloven-Tongues bespake the diversity of Languages with which they were endow'd by which means Illiterate Persons excelled the greatest Rabbies and Fishermen spake more Languages than the most studied Linguists But now we are to seek that by Industry which they had by Inspiration and the Church being arrived at the Stature of a Man in Christ Jesus God Almighty hath laid aside those extraordinary helps and supports of Infancy So that Diligence now keeps the Key of Knowledge and 't is Study alone that opens to us the Treasures of Wisdom 2 Tim. 2.15 Study saith the Apostle to shew thy self a workman that needeth not to be ashamed To be an Able Divine is a work of Study and a serious intention of Mind is necessary to the expert and faithful discharge of our Office We may not now pretend to or look for Inspiration nor hope by Dreams and Visions to know the Will of God No Ignorance and Folly are the effects of Sloth whilst Learning and Knowledge are only the Rewards of Industry Rom. 1● 8. The word is nigh thee saith the Apostle even in thy mouth and in thy hand oh let it be in thy Heart too and make it the daily object of thy Study and Meditation 2 Pet. 19. We have a sure word of prophesie saith St. Peter whereunto we do well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place Solomon that great Master of Wisdom exhorts us to seek for Knowledge and to search diligently for Understanding yea he wills us to search for it as for silver and to dig for it as for hid treasure Prov. 4. for though there be some truths that seem to float at top and to lye open to a careless eye yet there are others that lye deep and require a profounder search here we are to imploy our most composed thoughts giving our selves to Reading and Meditation as the first and great means of attaining them 2. Our study for these Gifts must be accompanied with the frequent use and exercise of them This will whet our Parts and set an edge on our Faculties and thereby enable us rightly to divide the Word of Truth St. Paul exhorts Timothy Tim. ● 6. to stir up the gift of God that was in him signifying that 't is Exercise that puts Life and Vigour into our Parts that blows up those Sparks within us and quickens them in o a bright and useful Flame Thus to imploy is to improve our Talent which will daily increase by Exercise and like the Widows Cruise of Oyl multiply by being used A lazy neglect of Mens Gifts makes them do the work of the Lord negligently and for want of a due exercise of their own Parts they do but too much exercise the Patience of them that hear them He that buryed his Talent in the Earth and he that wrapped it in a Napkin were both deprived of them and doom'd as wicked and unprofitable servants to outer darkness whereas he that used his Talent to his Masters Honour was commended for a good and faithful Servant and enter'd into his Masters Joy which makes it evident that Exercise is a good means of improving our Gifts and procuring to us the Reward of them 3. To the Exercise of our Gifts we must add hearty and fervent Prayer for a Blessing upon them for though Paul may plant ●or 3. and Apollo may water yet 't is God alone that gives the increase 〈◊〉 1.5 If any lack wisdom saith St. James let him ask it of God Thither our recourse must be if ever we hope to obtain it and indeed whither else should we go 〈◊〉 6.68 He only hath the words of eternal life To seek for Wisdom only in Books and Writings is but to seek the living among the dead 't is the Blessing of God that enlivens our indeavours and makes us rich both in Grace and Knowledge and he that leaves out this in his search after them will never arrive to more than what will betray his own Ignorance ●es 1. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights And therefore we must look upward and make our requests known unto him in whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and for our encouragement the same Apostle tells us that he giveth to all men liberally Jam. 1.5 and upbraideth not And our Blessed Saviour hath assured us that Earthly Parents are not more willing to give good Gifts to their Children Mat. 7.11 than our Heavenly Father is to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it Our desires then of these Gifts must be carried on with uncessant Petitions to God for them and if we would attain to any measure of them we must seek them upon our Knees● for 't is the Blessing of God that gives the Talent and the Improvement too and the Fruits of the Spirit owe all their increase to the Dew of his Heavenly Benediction Lastly To our Prayers we must joyn the exercises of Vertue and a Holy Life for Wisdom enters not into a polluted Soul nor can so refin'd a perfection inhabit an impure or corrupt Heart The carnal mind is enmity against God 1 Cor. 2.14 It receives not the things of the spirit of God neither can it know them because they are spiritually discerned And therefore our Hearts must be purged from the corruptions of Sin and Errour to make way for the entrance of Divine Truths and our Souls must be consecrated to holy uses before they can be fit to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost A good Life will best dispose us to a good Understanding and sincere desires of pleasing God will make us useful and profitable unto Men. So that if we mean to arrive at any proficiency or growth in Knowledge we must live up to that whereunto we have already attain'd for he that doth the will of my father saith our Saviour John ● 17. he shall know the

harm become instruments of much good unto the Church and consequently 't is the sanctifying of Gifts that like the enamelling of Pearls gives them their main lustre and value But Thirdly There is another great and surpassing excellency in the Graces above the Gifts of the Spirit and that is the Duration or Continuance of them for Grace hath Eternity stamped on it 't is coeval with the Spirit of God that gives it and as Immortal as the Spirit or Soul of Man that receives it This is more than can be said of the best gifts for of these the Apostle declares in the next Chapter 1 Cor. 8 9 1●… that they must shortly have an end and be done away Whether there be prophesies saith he they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge that shall vanish away But Charity he tells us shall never fail and of the Graces of the Spirit he affirms that they shall abide for ever This is an excellency that far transcends all other Perfections whatever 't is the disgrace of all Worldly Excellencies that they are short-liv'd and vanishing Riches perish in the using the pleasures of Sin are but for a season Honour is but a puff of Wind a bubble that passeth away with the breath that raised it yea the most specious and durable accomplishments on this side Religion must all fail and leave us at the Grave But Grace goes farther with us and accompanies us into the other World where it not only leads to but makes up the chiefest part of our Felicity St. John tells us that good Men at their Death rest from their Labours that is among other things from the Laborious Exercise of their Gifts but their good Works and the gracious Habits of their Mind follow and go along with them and that not only to crown them with a Reward but to perpetuate the very Action for Grace differs from Glory not in Kind but merely in Degree and those gracious Habits that are begun and planted in us here will there grow up into a greater Maturity and Perfection Yea Heaven is nothing else but the Blessed Mansion of Holiness where that Grace that is here Militant and daily struggling with the reliques of corrupt Nature will there be Triumphant with a Palm of Victory in her Hand and a Crown of Gold upon her Head and the Spirits of Just Men in whom it reigns shall be made perfect and become more than Conquerours through Christ that loved them And now having by the Blessing of God finished what I at first proposed give me leave to press the Exhortation of the Text with respect both to the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit And First Let me exhort you to covet earnestly the best gifts that is to labour for the most useful and edifying Abilities whereby you may best serve the Church and profit your Hearers And here if I could ever hope to prevail methinks it might be reasonably expected from such an Assembly as this consisting of Persons whose great business it is to instruct others in the Knowledge and Practice of Divine Things Know then my Brethren that this is the main end of our Ministry and the design of all our Spiritual Gifts and therefore hither should all our aimes and indeavours tend● Remember that you are the Mouth of the People unto God to make known their Requests unto him and you are the Mouth of God unto the People to make known his will unto them The faithful discharge of both these may indeed require no small Labour but 't will be abundantly recompensed with a great Reward In your Prayers then affect not Novelty or Variety of Expressions which are no way pleasing unto God But let all your Addresses unto him be in fit Words and in all the decent Postures of Humility and Adoration Read the Publick Prayers of the Church with Reverence and devout Affections that the Hearers Zeal may be enkindled by the pious ardours of your Devotion In your Preaching shew Vncorruptness Gravity Tit. 2 7 8. Sincerity and sound Speech that cannot be condemned that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you So shall you put a muzzle upon the prophanest Mouths and cut off all occasion from them that seek occasion against you Stir up your People to Love and to good Works for these things are good and profitable unto Men and when they are thus forced to approve your Labours you will be the better able to convince gainsayers and to strike detractors dumb Do not entertain Vulgar Hearers with nice and curious speculations which rather perplex than inform their Minds but let all your Discourses to them be evermore plain and practical leaving matters of Dispute to the Schools or more Learned Auditories Avoid all things that may engender Strife or lead to Faction and follow those things that make for Peace and things whereby ye may edifie one another Do not use your Gifts to Pride and Vain-glory for this is to make the Breathings of the Holy Ghost subservient to the vain Breath of the Multitude which cannot but grieve the Holy Spirit of God and do despight to the Spirit of Grace Beware of abusing your Parts to the Maintenance of Schism and Divisions but rather use your utmost Prudence to heal those Breaches which open too wide a gap for Atheism Confusion and every evil work Suit all your Discourses both to the Necessities and likewise to the Capacities of your Hearers having Milk for Babes and stronger Meat for riper Christians In a word Feed your Flocks with sound Doctrine and go before them by a Pious Example that they may safely both hear your Voice and follow you But I may not conclude without minding you of the more excellent way and calling upon you to walk and keep in it that is to covet more earnestly the Graces than the Gifts of the Spirit We have seen how far the one excells the other that 't is Grace alone that sanctifies our Gifts and gives them all their worth and excellence This therefore justly calls for our most earnest Prayers and Endeavours 'T is good saith the Apostle Heb. 13 9. to have the heart established with grace yea much better than to have the Head stuffed with Knowledge for this may but aggravate our Condemnation whilst the other will secure and increase our Felicity Grace is indeed the greatest thing that God can give or that we can receive for 't is a Ray of the Divinity the very Character or Image of God stamped upon the Soul and what higher thing can the most elevated Ambition raise our Wishes to Wherefore let our desires and endeavours after it bear some proportion to its transcendent worth and excellency Psal 81 40. let us open our Mouths wide that we may be filled with the Spirit and let the cry of our Devotions Zech. 4●… like the acclamations at the Building of the Temple be evermore Grace Grace But let us especially to whom the World hath given the stile of Spiritual Persons pray for a double portion of the Spirit that God would furnish us with his Gifts to promote his Glory and the good of Mankind and sanctifie them with his Grace that we may use them to those ends that as we excel others in the Holiness of our Profession so we may in the Holiness of our Lives too adding to our knowledge vertue to vertue temperance to temperance patience 2 Pet 5 6 ●… to patience brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity for if these things be in us and abound they will truly enoble our Minds adorn our Profession and dignifie us far above all Earthly Preferments In a word my Brethren see that ye come behind in no Gift being enrich'd in all knowledge and in all utterance that ye may speak as the Oracles of God and that all your Speeches may administer Grace to the Hearers So shall ye shine as Lights in this World and as Stars of the first Magnitude in the Kingdom of Heaven Which that we may all do I shall conclude with the excellent Collect appointed for this day Almighty and most Merciful God of whose only Gift it cometh that thy faithful People do unto thee any true and laudable Service grant us thy Grace that we may so faithfully serve thee in this Life that we fail not finally to attain thy Heavenly Promises through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS