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	trinity_n	9,904	5	10.2376	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72208	A fruitful and Godly sermon containing necessary and profitable doctrine, for the reformation of our sinfull and wicked liues, but especially for the comfort of a troubled conscience in all distresses. By M. Richard Greenham pastor of Drayton.	Greenham, Richard.	1595 (1595)	STC 12319; ESTC S124961	28,758	90

sinnes lest in time our grief passe away without any fruit whilest that not being displeased with one sinne aswell as with another we either look to such specially and generally Concerning those sins whereunto we are tempted as when a man is noted to think blasphemouslie of God the Father or to doubt whether there is a Christ or no or to imagine groslie of the holy Ghost or to deny God or to doubt of the Trinitie or to be moved to adulterie or such like In all which temptations hee feeleth the spirit oft checking him for them so as he knoweth not in this case what to doe that on the one side he dares not listen willinglie to such feareful monstrous temptations and on the other side he feareth lest then by long sute he might fal into them or at least for that hee seeth not howe to be delivered from them I suppose these motions are not so much to be disputed with as we by them are to bee provoked to a more instant and extraordinary zeale of prayer Surely these are dangerous temptations and therefore are not to be kept close with our nature which easily will incline vnto but particularly are to be confessed of vs for the Deuill will come sometimes to thee to keep thee still in a general acknowledging of sinne and vrge thee on this manner Surely thou must do this sinne thou seest thou canst haue no ease vntill thou hast consented thou art ordained to it the reason why thou art tempted is because thou doest not thus take thy pleasure go to deny God beleeue not his word it is but a pollicie to keepe men in awe Religion is no such matter as men make it Thus for feare of yeelding of the one hand and for shame of disclosing temptations on the other hand many men haue pyned away and almost haue bene overcome by them If we should disclose this saith these men what woulde people say of vs they would count vs Atheists they would think vs the wickedst men in the world Well for instructions and consolations let vs learne herein that these kinde of temptations are either corrections for some sinnes past or punishment for some sinne present or forwarner of some sinnes to come Wee shall see many tempted to adulterie who no doubt can not be brought to commit it and because they repented not of it it came to them againe that in their youth they haue committed it the like may be observed in these gluttony and in other temptations which are not so much seen to vs presently to overcome vs as to put vs in mind that sometimes heretofore we hauing bene overcome with them shuld now repent for them Sometimes a man shal ly in some sins whereof when hee will not be admonished neither by the publick and privat meanes even then some other strange temptation shall fall vpon him differing from that wherein he presently lyeth to admonish him of that other sin As when a worldling shall be tempted to adulterie a thing which hee hath no desire to doe yet it is to make him to look to his worldlines when he hath so strong and so through a liking whereat if he wil not be awaked he may suddainly fal into that to and so by the punishment of God in punishing one sin with another both his sinnes vnto his shame shall be laid open and one sinne shall make known another Sometime also it commeth to passe that one shall be tempted with such a sinne as neither heretofore nor presently he hath given any liking or intertainement vnto and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him howe he may fal into it hereafter as also to shewe that he hath stoode all his former life rather by the grace of God than by the strength of flesh and blood Wherefore when thou art mooved to doubt of God of Christ of the word of justification do not so much stand wondring at these strange temptations as think with thy selfe that it is the mercy of God by them to cause thee better to discerne of those temptations in others When thou shalt haue observed with feare and trembling howe they may make their first entire into a mans hart howe they gather strength howe they agree with our corrupt nature in what degrees they come vnto some growth how the spirit of God doth resist them what be the meanes best to prevaile against them and thus if thou make thy profit by them thou shalt so wonderfully search and descrie by severall veines the body age strength of these temptations in others by an holy experience which God hath taught thee in others that besides that thou shalt lay foorth mens secreete corruptions as if thou were in their bosomes thou shalt be able by the seede of sorrowe in thy selfe to beget an vnspeakable joy in others who in time may be tempted as thou nowe art Thus moreover and besides that such is the efficacie of sinne that they who nowe are no Papistes Heretikes Adulterers or Theeues may for their secure contemning foolish passing over of these temptations sent vnto them sodainly shortly after fall into them because they would not seeme to make some vse of them nor confesse before the Lord both their pronenes and worthinesse to fall into them But if we will humble our selues in such temptations and learne by them meekly to discerne the corruptions of our heart we shall not onely deliver our selues presently from peril but be further inabled to assist others hereafter in the like danger but some will oppose against these things which wee haue delivered Do you think it is a remedie to cast downe them that are already humbled this is rather to be a butcher than a builder of a mans conscience to whome I answer that I desire Preachers to be builders and not butchers and it is a thing generally to apply and another thing particularlie to lay the medicine vnto the wound It is good to begin the sore by the viniger of the Law and after to supply it with the oyle of the Gospell both which must be done in wisedome vsing them to some in greter to some in lesser measure For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature and no naturall humour neede rather restoratiue than purging medicines so rather some troubled for some spiritual wants than for grosse sinnes need not so much the sharpe threatnings of the Lawe as the sweete promises of the Gospell But if the body through some extraordinarie repletion hath gotten some gret surfet not so much to the weakning of nature as to the thretning of imminent death and therfore doth rather require some strong purgation than comfortable and cordiall medicines Then the soule brought to deaths doore with extraordinarie sinne is rather to be boared and pearced with the denounce of God his judgement than otherwise but because we would deale more plainly and lesse confusedly it is good in our accesse to an afflicted conscience to lay these two grounds

A FRVITFVL AND GODLY SERMON CONTAINING NEcessary and profitable doctrine for the reformation of our sinfull and wicked liues but especially for the comfort of a troubled Conscience in all distresses By M. Richard Greenham Pastor of DRAYTON EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie An. 1595. Cum Priuilegio Regio TO THE VERTVOVS AND GODLY MATRON SARA SPE●R Grace mercie and peace in Christ Iesus Amen DEare Sister you knowe this World is not your home but a Pilgrimage and a place wherein God trieth his children And I doubt not but you haue learned howe to make right vse and profit of the Lord his merciful chastisements For the Lord vseth many waies and meanes for the triall of his I knowe You haue heard of the patience of IOB as saith the Apostle IAMES and you haue seene in the end how that God is merciful patient and long suffering euen so say I vnto you that you shall receiue accordingly if so be you be patient that is if you feare God set his vvord before your eies and serue him thereafter and if hee lay his crosse on you beare it with patience the which you shall do when you considder it not according to the present sense but according to the end Heb. 12. And I doubt not but you are of the number of them which are daily dying to themselues and this sinfull world Ye are one of them that lookes for a citie whose builder and maker is God Ye are one of them that knowes your selfe and your being to be in this earth but as a Pilgrime and stranger for heere yee haue no byding place Yee are one of them which haue made a Covenant with God to forsake your selfe and this sinfull World Yee are one of them vvho say Nay The Lord hath all things written in his memoriall book for such as feare him remember his Name Yee are one of them vvhich haue their Loynes girded about and their lights burning in their hands Like vnto servants that wayte vpon their Lordes comming Yea and I am certainlie perswaded that you and your godly Brethren and Sister are of the number of them vvho haue the Lord for their portion which haue their hope in heaven vvhose leader is Christ Iesus the sonne of God and governour of Heaven and Earth vnto him is given all power he is God almightie with the Father and the holy Ghost praise vvorthie for euermore Now deare sister I partly knowing the present estate of your troubled perplexed minde in regard of the want of your greatest outwarde comfort I thoght it good to present you with this sweet Sermon made by that godly-learned zealous Pastor of Christs Church M. RICHARD GREENHAM which by Gods providence came vnto my handes containing a comfort for a troubled conscience he being throgh the mercy of God a man greatly exercised therewith and therfore taught the same through his owne experience hoping through the working of Gods holy spirit it shal also minister comfort vnto your trobled mind Therfore my dear sister to conclude I beseech you to be instāt with our merciful God by harty praier for the spirit of wisdome knowledge humblenes meeknes sobriety repentance which euen the best of Gods Children haue great neede of because our sins continuallie prouokes the Lord our God to be angrie with vs but let vs beare his fatherly corrections acknowledge our faults with bitter tears and sorrowfull sighes not doubting but so hee will be mercifull vnto vs in Christ To whome with the Father and the holy spirit be all glory honour praise and everlasting thanks for euermore Amen Your wel-willer in the Lord Christ R. W. A SVVEET AND COMFORTABLE SERMON FOR A TROVbled Conscience PROV 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit vvho canne beare it THIS Scripture is not onely woorthie to be grauen in steele with the point of an Adamant and in letters of golde but also to bee written and registred by the finger of Gods spirit in the tables of the hearte which sentence brieflie speaketh thus much vnto vs that what trouble soever befalleth a man his mind vnapalled he will indifferently beare it out But if the spirite of a man be once troubled and dismaied he cannot tell how to be deliuered And no marvell for if the minde of man be that fountaine of comforte which ministers comfort to him in all other troubles and if it become comfortlesse what shall comfort it if it be voide of help where shall 〈◊〉 be helped If the eye which is the light of the bodie be darknes how great is that darknes If the salt which sauoreth all things be vnsauorie for what is it good If the minde which sustaineth all troubles be troubled how intollerable is that trouble To shewe this the better wee will first declare howe great a punishment of God this wounde of Conscience is Secondly we will teach how this trouble of mind may be avoided Lastly we will set downe how Gods children falling in some measure into this affliction of spirit may be recouered out of it For the first the griefe of this maladie is seene either by some due consideration of the persones that haue felt it or by some wise comparison made betweene this griefe of minde and other outward griefes incident to a man The persons in whome we may consider this wounde of spirite are either meerlie naturall men or such as be renewed by the spirite of God the men meerly naturall are either the heathen such as never knewe God in Christ or carnall professors such as haue not protested Christianitie aright If we looke among the Heathen howe many of them haue willingly gone vnder povertie and haue bene content to vnburden themselues of all worldly tresures how haue some of them whilest their minds were vnapalled suffered imprisonment exile and extreame tortures of bodie rather than they woulde betraye their Cuntries c. How many of them haue devoured many injuries and born outward troubles with some ease and with no resistance whilest their minds were at libertie and yet look not to the ●●●nest but to the best and most excellent men among them even their wise Philosophers sweet Oratours and exquisite Poets who in bearing and forbearing they thought the chiefest point of vertue to consist and yet yee shall see when once some great distresse of mind did wound them some would make an end of it by preparing a cup of deadlie poyson some would violently and voluntarilie run on their enemies pykes some would throwe downe themselues from high mountaines some woulde not stick to stabbe most monstrouslie their own bodies with daggers or such like instruments of death All which men woulde seeme to haue great courage in sustaining many harmes so long as their minds were not ouer maistered but when that devine and supreame essence which they acknowledged did by his power crosse and ouerturne