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
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

on the soul all fitness and disposition for pardon is from the Spirit who is here rejected Fourthly The constant order of operation in the Trinity He sins against the order of Operation of the Trinity suggests unto us the reason of the irremissibleness of this sin which order is alwaies by descent and not by regression If a man sin against the Father the Son hath an operation for the sinner if a man sin against the Son the Spirit hath an operation for the sinner in working upon his conscience and offering of Christ but if a man sin against this Spirit whether should he go or who is to present pardon To the Father he cannot go withour the Spirit to the Son he cannot go without the Spirit but the Spirit is by him rejected and despitefully scorned He that sins against the Holy Ghost sins against the whole Trinity the Fathers love the Sons death and the Spirits operation I know that Hierome saith this sin shall not Epist ad Marcellum Epist ad Bonifacium be forgiven Propter blasphemiam Augustine propter perseverantissiman cordis duritiem and the Schols Propter defectum excusabilitatis indignitatem and others quod qui sic peccant traduntur in reprobum sensum thus Hilary Athanasius and some of our modern Writers Use I. THE Uses from the explication of this high sin shall serve us both for first Information And secondly Information Caution Thirdly Direction First That the greatest illuminations in the understanding The greatest illuminations are not able of themselves to save a man and determinate convictions in the Conscience are not able of themselvs to save a man A person may have a deep insight in the Misteries of Heaven an ample apprehension of supernatural truths a large acquaintance with the Rules of Grace and life a yielding in his conscience to the revealed testimonies of the spirit concerning Christ and his Doctrine yet be so far from the assurance and possession of glory that he may be reprobated to the lowest gulf of misery and damnation for the damned Devils are invested with most general extent of objective knowledge and these here who sin against the Holy Ghost do participate of divine illumination even to the measure of approbation in the conscience touching the truth yet you see that their condition is utterly incompatible with the just hopes or expectation of happiness it is not capable of remission and therefore eternally desperate of salvation all which must be so understood by you not that spiritual illumination is not necessary but that it is not alone sufficient to save The strongest abilities of knowledge may only serve to purchase us a more learned and full damnation Secondly That greatest knowledge may be in a subject The greatest knowledge may be in a subject void of Grace and an enemy to it both deprived of the inexistence of sanctifying grace and also filled with bitterest enmity and malice against the truth of Grace I justly question whether any persons uncapable of Glory are convinced with more supernatural light then these who sin against the Holy Ghost yet sure I am none are more enraged Lyons against the innocency and simplicity of Holiness and true Grace then these A person may put on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 5. speaks and yet his heart be void of the inward power of Godliness A dead man may be clothed with beautifull Garments and a heart utterly void of the life and quicknings 1. Privation of Holiness may yet be adorned with the fair robes and endowments of knowledge Nay Do but consult with the Records of the spirit in the Scripture and the examples of persons and attempts in all Ecclesiastical History you shall not only find knowledge divided from grace but oft-times makeing strongest oppositions against it None with-stood 2. Opposition Christ more then the learned Scribes and Pharisees none withstood Paul more then the learned Athenians Whom have we in our age more eager against the Doctrine of faith then the subtile Jesuite and against the independency and immobility of grace then the Arminian Dull and blind apprehensions are not so serviceable Engines for the execution of Diabolical malice the most advantagious servant that ever Satan had was a learned head and a graceless heart Abstract knowledge will easily blow up pride and pride will easily fire our malice and contempt and these will suddenly break out into our tongues with derision and persecution of Grace Thirdly That our greater knowledge without sanctifying Great knowledge without grace adds to misery Grace adds to our greater ruine and judgement This illation is most conspicuous in the subjects of this sin whose Judgement becomes the more heinous and inevitable because of the greatness of their illumination and conviction I know the schools deliver unto us several circumstances whereby a sin common with another in identity of nature is yet by the access of them variously altered but amongst all the intensive perfections of sinfull guilt this addition of knowledge is one excessively aggravating If ye were blind saith Christ Iohn 9. 41. ye should have no sin comparatively for measure but now you say we see therefore your sin remaineth An ignorant Offendor may have some plea and excuse but a willfull sinner is without all Pretext None shall find greater stripes then he who knows and doth not or he who sees to do but will not As the most practical Christian shall rise to the highest seat and Throne of happiness in heaven so the most illuminated sinner shall sink into the deepest dungeon of misery in hell Use II. NOW I come to Caution you have heard what this sin Caution is and you have heard the sad condition of this sinner that he may for ever despair to see the face of God! I dare not fasten the compleat guilt of this sin on any who hears me this day Only remember that of the Apostle Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Take heed of Yet because this sin is possibly incident unto us who take upon us the profession of the Gospel it shall not prove I trust an unseasonable endeavour if I describe unto you some few steps by which the soul gradually descends unto the bottom of this damned impiety First Regardless receiving of the Gospel of Christ which Regardless receiving of the Gospel of Christ is done three wayes 1. When the Judgement hath no reverent estimations of God in Christ and of the Promises made in the blood of Christ or of the necessary conditions of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by us Secondly When the heart either in hearing or reading is without life and affections so that the Gospel draws not our love and joy and delight or any adhesion of the mind Paul tells us 2 Thes 2. 12. of some to

33. which is expounded v. 38. by a perfect heart A mans heart is upright when God alone and his ways alone and his truth alone satisfie and order and bound it when a man can say in truth as they in the matter of Choice Nay but the Lord is our God him will we serve I have chosen the Lord to be my God and his truths to be my guide and his precepts to be my paths and his glory to be my end and hereto only will I stick when the soul doth not halt between two or divides it self in a service of any side or way but keeps only to God Sometimes it is called perfection and the upright are called perfect as Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Deut. 18. 13. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Psalme 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright There is a double perfection One Absolute in respect of degrees which no man can now attain unto in this life no not the most upright for in many things we offend all The other Evangelical which consists in the evennesse of desire and endeavour when a man sets up and exalts the word of God and strives to square his heart and his life in all things thereby As Paul exercising himself to have a conscience void of Note offence and willing to live honestly in all things when a man doth as it were measure his paths as by a line he doth set them by the compasse of a divine rule or warrant not willingly stragling on the right hand or bending toward the left not willingly omit the least duty and commit the least sin he is an upright person when the heart is as large as the precept and the whole will of God is complied with in will and desire and endeavour Sometimes it is called a spirit without guile so Psal 32. 2. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile and Christ of Nathaniel Joh. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile An hypocritical heart is a cunning heart it hath many devises shufflings windings and turnings this heart is not plain and sound Therefore the hypocrites are said to have corrupt thoughts and to flatter with their tongu●s and to have crooked wayes They do not indeed hate the sin which they pretend nor love that holinesse which oft-times they praise and sometimes act some ends they have of Religion for their belly and for their own advantage but they do not heartily hate sinne nor truly love holinesse Now on the contrary an upright heart is without guile it is even plain and down-right therefore is it in the parable called an honest heart and saith Paul we speak the truth in Christ and upright walking is stiled a walking in truth and serving of God in truth and in spirit The meaning is this that the upright man is indeed that which he professeth his life and profession is not a painting which owes it self to an Artificer but a natural colour which owes it self to the soundnesse of temper he is one who hath truth in the inward parts as David speaks Psal 51. 6. He doth without base ends directly love God and from his very heart hate sinne Though he cannot expresse himself in that flourish of formality yet for Christ he can plainly say as Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee And touching sinnes as David of Gods enemies I hate them with a perfect hatred this he is in good earnest Sometimes it is called the allnesse or whollinesse of heart so Deut. 4. 29. If thou seek him with all thine heart Deut. 26. 16. Thou shalt keep and do them with all thine heart and with all thy soul Psal 119. 10. with my whole heart have I sought thee c. when the heart is upright the whole man comes in unto God all the soul and all the body none shall dispose of them but God And God shall dispose of him in every precept the very bent of a man is to please God in all things and the whole soul in the understanding will memory affections bears a respect to all his Commandments There be other phrases to set out this businesse of uprightnesse but I must passe them over and pitch upon the description 2. Now to the second quid Rei I conjecture that uprightnesse The description of uprightness may be thus described Uprightness is a sound and heavenly frame or temper of a gracious heart or spirit given by God by which graces are acted sinnes are opposed duties are performed affectionately directly and plainly In reference to God and not for by-respects I will briefly open this description in its particulars First it is the temper or frame of the heart The seat of uprightnesse The seat of it is their heart is the heart or spirit hence is it stiled uprightnesse of heart 1 King 3. 6. Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercies according as he walked before thee in truth in righteousnesse and in uprightness of heart So 't is stiled singlenesse of heart Act. 2. 46. and Truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. and a service in spirit Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne Hypocrisie is a colour but skin deep A painting which lies only upon the superficies or surface of the wall upon the visibles or outwards of profession or action but uprightness like health it is an inward crisis or temperature as the conversation renders it self to the eye of man so the inward disposition strives to render it self to the eye of Gods approbation if a man be upright it is with him as with Solomons Temple though the outward parts were comely and uniform yet the inside was covered with the most precious gold and had the sweetest incense All counterfeit things are best in their shew and worst in their substance and vertue But uprightnesse is best there where least can be seen The actions are nothing to the Inward affections and desires We do but as the Queen of Sheba here no not halfe of the goodnesse of an upright man by what he doth if you would but look into his heart and converse with him there a while you should find the heart the disposition the desire of his soul infinitely to exceed all that he doth Psal 119. O how I love thy law O that my ways were so direct The heart oftimes mournes when the eyes can shed no teares and the heart believes when the tongue cannot speake much faith and the inward man the heart would doe that and much more then what is done or performed Secondly it is a temper or frame of the heart a composition It is the temper and frame of the heart It is not a single or transient act or motion as it were in which methinks two things may be observed 1. One that uprightness is not a

strive and aim at as David here did and Why we should endeavour to be upright endeavour to be upright There are abundant reasons thereof I will deliver a few unto you First this uprightnesse is the great thing which God looks for Uprightness is the great thing that God looks for Joh. 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him Gods seeking notes either his grace which prevents us or his pleasure which enjoyns us The father seeketh such to worship him i. the Lord by all means would have men in his services to come with spirit and truth to be upright Prov. 23. 26. My son give me thy heart q. d. though the body be made by me and every part thereof and though that whole frame be made for me as well as by me and thou art to glorifie me in thy body yet that which I principally enjoyn thee in thy services is to bring them with thy heart with affections intirely and not pretensively Nay secondly this is it which the Lord looks at See Jerem. This is it the Lord looks at 5. 3. Are not thine eyes upon the truth q. d. Why it is not your words which God doth so much regard nor is it your looks nor your tears nor your cries that which the Lord sets his eye on is the truth of the heart in and under all these uprightnesse there Excellent is that place in 1 Chr. 29. 17. I know also my God said David that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse As for me in the uprightnesse of my heart I have willingly offered all these things In that place you finde David contributing toward the building of the Temple and stirring up others to that work and David for his part gave like a King thereto even three thousand talents of gold of gold of Ophir ver 4. And seven thousand talents of refined silver and the chief of the Fathers and the Princes gave also five thousand talents of gold and ten thousand d●ammes and of silver ten thousand talents and of brass eighteen thousand talents and one hundred thousand talents of iron besides precious stones v. 6 7 8. Now what a goodly gift was all this but David presently subjoynes I know my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse q. d. O Lord all this is nothing thou wilt not accept of it thou wilt not look upon it if uprightness be wanting O that is it which thou regardest the heart the heart thou triest and if uprightnesse be found there that is it which thou regardest You read of the Jews that they made many prayers but God would not hear them brought many oblations but they were vaine i. is of no account Esay 1. 11 12. and 15. They remember the solemne feasts but prevailed not with God he did shut his eyes nay they were at their solemn fasts too but God took no knowledge Esay 58. 3. He gives the reason in both places in Esay 1. 15. your hands are full of blood ver 16. wash ye c. and Esay 58. 4. Behold ye fast for strife and debate to smite with the fist of wickedness ver 6. Is not this the fast which I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse q. d. away ye hypocrites do you commit and allow cruelties and villanies and oppressions and whoredomes and then bring multitudes of sacrifices and oblations and cryings and think that I am taken with these go and cleanse your hearts mend your lives leave your sins be plain upright with me that is it which I look at more then any thing that is it which pleaseth me Hence it is that oftimes in Scripture that the Hebrew word Jashar which signifies Right is many times translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasing as Numb 23. 27. perhaps it will seem right in the eyes of the Lord we translate it peradventure it will please God so true is that of Solomon Prov. 11. 20. Such as are upright in their way are his delight yea and so that phrase of walking with God which is nothing else but the path of the just or upright is rendred by the Septuagint pleasing of God as Gen. 5. 22. 24. holy Enoch walking with God The seventy renders it he pleased God Thirdly this seemes to be the only thing that God expects 1 Sam. 12 24. onely fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all This is the only thing which God expects your heart Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul When the Lord did enter into the Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. and promised to be an Al-sufficient God unto him what doth he require of Abraham but only this be thou upright when he advanced Solomon to the Kingdome and enricht him with honour and wealth and wisdome above all that ever sat on the Throne what did he require of him 1 Kings 3. 14. Walk in my wayes keep my Statutes as thy father David did How was that see back to vers 6. David my father walked before thee in truth and righteousness and in uprightnesse of heart When Paul had commended many singular things of knowledge and duty to the Corinthians he closeth up all with finally my brethren be perfect 2 Cor. 13. 11. q. d. Will you have me to give you all in one word why then be perfect be upright 4. Uprightness doth bring the whole man unto God It is that Vprightnesse doth bring the whole man to God which commands all and carries all with it the thoughts these inward and sweet breathings of the minde Let the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer saith upright David in Psalme 19. 14. The words Let the words of my mouth be acceptable so he there the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his talk is of judgement Psalm 37. 30. The heart the Law of his God is in his heart Psalm 37. 31. my heart is fixed saith David again the conversation that is ordered aright Psal 50. hath a man any gifts many gifts why uprightnesse brings in their use and strength to God hath he any graces why uprightness brings in their service to God it keeps us in with God and are one with God and will not suffer us to deal falsely with God 5. God judgeth of a man by his uprightnesse thou art in his judgement good or bad according to the presence or absence God judgeth of a man by his uprightnesse of uprightnesse this is that which distinguisheth twixt the precious and the vile twixt the faithful and the unsound In outward appearances and in the colour of visible services the good

Hence doth this sin borrow its denomination against the Holy Ghost Now here I shall briefly open First How the Holy Ghost is taken Secondly What the Conviction by the Holy Ghost is 1. The Holy Ghost is sometime taken First Essentially How the Holy Ghost is taken for that one infinite indivisible independent Deity Secondly Personally as the third person in Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son Thirdly Virtually In respect of Energy or operation and this Origen calls Proprietatem Loc. cit gratiae Aquinas bonum spirito appropriatum for though external operations be common to the Trinity yet the immediate manner of working is more common to one person then another as the work of Creation to the Father Redemption to the Son Illumination and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost Thus is the holy Ghost here considered in his proper operation viz. Conviction Secondly The operation or conviction of this person by the Holy Ghost consists in these particulars What this conviction is Objective Patifactio First The clear Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel both in respect of Truth and Goodness of Truth that he is the true and only Son of God of Goodness that he is the Redeemer of the world and assured Saviour to Believers Secondly There is by the Holy Ghost wrought in them an Apprehension of all this by a supernatural illumination as in Heb. 6. 4. They were once inlightned not naturali lumine for by that of conscience every one is inlightned but lumine supernaturali by that of the Spirit Thirdly Not a sleighter apprehension but a more determinate Conviction so that they cannot deny the truth the light whereof shines with such clear beams upon the understanding The testimony of the conscience determinately assents with the testimony of the Spirit that this Revealed Gospel is indeed the Gospel of Christ and of salvation You know who I am and whence I come saith Christ to the Pharisees yea themselves professed so much because ye say we see therefore your sins remain John 9. Fourthly Nay yet undeniable Conviction is not all there is also some kind of approbation of those truths which the Apostle calls A tasting of the heavenly gift and a tasting of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come A man may have a little taste of Honey so that he can say I know it is sweet and of wine that he can say it is comfortable In like manner they who sin this sin against the Holy Ghost may feel his operation not only in an objective revelation not only in a subjective apprehension not only in an undeniable conviction but also in some degree of approbation There may drop some effects from the truth imprinted upon the affections that the Conscience may be perswaded and give testimonie assuredly that these are the very truths of Christ All which is very evident in some of the Pharisees who had Christ revealed to them who did know and were convinced in their own hearts who Christ was and what his Doctrine was yet did they with inward malice break out against him and his Doctrine and in words poured the basest contumelies and blasphemies upon him and in their pertinacious workings did constantly persecute him even to the most reproachfull death of the Cross and all this against the clearest Convictions of the Holy Ghost in their own Consciences Thus for the nature of the Sin Consider the Irremissibleness The irremissibleness of this sin of it It shall not be forgiven unto men The Arrians Eunomians Macedonians and other Hereticks said the Holy Ghost was a Creature and the Object Photinians denied to him a real substance i. e. a Personality Vide Aug. Ep 50. ad Bonifacium Comitem Vide Athan. Tom. 1. in Ep. ad Serapionem p. 344. of this very Argument as Erasmus interprets it yet many of these repented if we believe Saint Austin and obtained pardon The same Father fitly removes this scruple by distinguishing between erroneous opinions concerning the Holy Ghost and this unpardonable blasphemy against the Holy Ghost It is one thing to mis-apprehend the Essence or personal subsistence and hereupon to pronounce according to the dark misconceits of the holy Ghost It is another thing to blaspheme Christ and his Gospel after clear conviction by the Holy Ghost this is the sin which shall not be forgiven Hence it is that this sin is called 1 John 5. 16. A sin unto death And H. b. 6. 4 6. A sin that casts a man into an impossibility of renewing And Heb. 10. 26. All sacrifice for this sin is taken away Which places strongly refell Concord Evan li. 2. de poenit c. 16. the errors of Jansenius and Bellarmine and other Papists who interpret this of the difficulty and the ra●ity only of this remission not of the impossibility Quest Why is it that this sin shall never be forgiven Answ 1. It is not because the Holy Ghost is greater Why is it pardonable then the Son for there is not Major and Minor where every one is equal in Nature and Dignity 2. Nor is it because this sin is so intensively great that exceeds the absolute power of God to forgive it or the infinite Merits of Christ Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit languor Isidore But the Reasons given are these First Because it is Repugnant to the immutable Statute and Decree of the Divine Will It is Gods absolute pleasure It is Gods absolute pleasure not to pardon it who of himself sets the extent of his Mercy and the bounds of his Justice Though he will be pleased to allow a possibility of Mercy to other sinners yet as a King for some facts will not allow an Offender his book so God is pleased here to deny Mercy This Reason is true but because it is of common equity to some other sins therefore further satisfaction may be sought Secondly It directly resists and repudiats the matter of pardon and remission viz. The blood of Christ If a Contrariatur per ●e gratiae remissionis Alex Ale● Tom. 2. q. 155. m. 6. It rejects the pardon Patient could be healed only by one Medicine and he did wilfully reject that it is impossible he should recover not that the medicine is not of vertue but that he wilfully rejects this virtual Medicine so here there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved but only the name of Jesus Christ no plaister but the blood of Christ which yet this sinner despitefully rejects c. Thirdly It contemptuously and with a wilfull obstinacy resists that spirit which should apply this pardon and Remission He willingly resists the spirit who should apply the pardon Pardon cannot be obtained unless the Spirit apply it but here the sinner fights against the Spirit of God and despites the Spirit of Grace and will not permit any operation any saving operation of the Spirit to fasten