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	lord_n	see_v	5,685	5	3.6798	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52574	New-Englands duty and interest to be an habitation of justice and mountain of holiness containing doctrine, caution, & comfort : with something relating to the restaurations, reformations, and benedictions promised to the church and world in the latter dayes : with grounds of hope, that America in general & New-England in particular may may have a part therein : preached to the General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, at the anniversary election, May 25, 1698 / by Nicholas Noyes ...	Noyes, Nicholas, 1647-1717.	1698 (1698)	Wing N1461; ESTC R16814	53,865	112

the Example Prayers Tears of many plain Christians are like to be more wanted then they are lamented Our friend Lazarus sleepeth saith Christ and wept at his grave Godly men must die as well as others and if their Children and Successors made good their Leaders ground it were not so Ominous But alas it hath been often otherwise in New England 5. The lubricity fickleness and unsteadyness of men in the true Religion in which they have been Educated not to say born as well as brought up it is a woful sign of declension when the Children of the Church are like Children tost to and fro with every wind of doctrine Men run away with a perverse interpretation of that of the Apostle 1 Thes ● 21 Prove all things forgetting the very next words hold fast that which is good Alas men are more fixt and steady in a false Religion Hath a Nation changed their gods which yet are no Gods but my people hath changed their glory c. Jer. 5.11 'T is a prodigie of Levity and Vanity to see persons that sucked in such Milk as David who said Thou art my God from my Mothers belly thou hast caused me to hope on my Mothers breasts that had such Mothers and Grandmothers as Timothy had that have been acquainted with the holy Scriptures from their very childhood and by their Godly Fathers Schoolmasters and Ministers were brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and it may be have made a Personal profession yet hanker after Novelties in Religion without regard to verity and when reproved for it think to justify themselves by that of the Apostle Prove all things as if that would justify their running a gadding and a madding after such Seducers as pretend to divine inspiration immediate revelation infallible guidance by the holy Spirit and yet deny the holy Scriptures to be the word of God and touchstone of truth and deny the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lords Supper and all Instituted worship Truly Sirs as for them that have lived long under the Preaching of the Gospel and can't see that such doctrine needs not much trying whether it be sound or no will be found to have their Religion to choose and that they have unsound hearts as well as itching ears They that have long had the offer of Truth and yet let it go will hold fast-Error They that were so scrupulous about CHRIST who came in his Fathers Name and confirmed his doctrine by Miracles did as Christ foretold believe on one that came in his own name Declension in Doctrine and Worship will bring on declension in Manners They that are not sound in the faith will not long be sound in Gods Statutes they that make Shipwrack of Faith will make Shipwrack of a Good Conscience also 6. The extream Difficulty of recovering from declension renders it very hazardous whether we shall not yet be more Sinful If there were no Devil to tempt nor no evil Example among men nor any temptation from a frowning or flattering World which is all far otherwise yet the inbred corruption of mens hearts that are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked is enough to undoe all This peop●● saith Jeremiah hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone Jer. 5.23 Such a deceitful revolting rebellious heart can shift off all Conviction and bear up against all reproof Infidelity can despise and disrega●d all Promises and Threatnings Security can eat and drink build and plant till the flood come and carry all away Prophaneness can mock at all th s and more till there be no remedy Self-love can blind mens eyes in what concerns themselves so as they shall not be able to see faults in themselves though they be very quick sighted in seeing faults in others Reformation is the most necessary but the most difficult thing in the World because the Enemy of it is not only in a mans own house but in a mans own heart To cure a long contracted Cachexia or ill habit of body to uphold a tottering Empire and to reform a declining People are three very difficult things but the last of them is the hardest of them all These six foregoing particulars may serve to show that the people of New-England are in great danger of being yet more Sinful which is a very humbling and awful consideration Who can seriously reflect upon it and not say as they Jo●h 22.17 Is the Iniquity of Poor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day The more the Danger is the more need our care fear prayer endeavour be lest we add to the heap of New-Englands Transgression Secondly New England is in danger of being much more Miserable than ever yet they were or yet are The fore mentioned danger being found real and impending this cannot be otherwise It unavoidably follows from the premisses for if it be like to fare with New England as to Happiness or Misery according as it goeth with them as to Holiness and Righteousness as hath been proved and that New-England is already very Sinful and in danger of being much more Sinful there must needs be the like danger of being more Miserable God threatned Israel three times in one Chapter that if after they had Sinned against him and thereby brought upon themselves some direful Effects of his displeasure they did not humble themselves return and reform H● would punish them yet seven times more for their sin which accordingly came at last to p●ss God did bear for-bear time after time and many a time forgave them upon their repentance such as it was so as not to consume them though at several times he sorely afflicted them for their sin Yet forasmuch they revolted more and more after their respits from their trouble at length they found the threatning executed and so may we if we don't take warning Before I leave those two last heads I will reflect a little on the sayings of some that were they true would render the fore mentioned Warnings needless and useless 1. Some make as if New-England were already as sinful as sinful can be as bad as bad can be To which I reply I have no design to speak diminutively of the Sins of the Countrey I do acknowledge with grief and shame that they have been and are very horrible yet I think such Sayings are not justifyable in any Some well-meaning holy men being of dark melancholly Spirits and little acquainted with the advances that Atheism Idolatry Superstition Prophaneness Iniquity and Sensuality have made in other professing parts of the World are apt to think so and in their indignation against sin sinners to say so But the truth is Though we have cause to abhor our selves for being so bad as we are and to meditate all ways possible to grow better yet it cannot with truth be asserted that as yet we are as bad as bad can be for there is real danger of

it may be said the Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness which is the Subject matter of the following Sermon This Elaborate and Pious Discourse of my Reverend Brother Colleague in the Work of the Ministry here at Salem was Preached at Boston on the Anniversary day of Election according to our Custom from the beginning He was called to this Service by the Honorable the Lieutenant Governour and Council and the Publishing of it was Desired Ordered by the General Court There is something in the Text Prophetical something Didactical It is agreed upon by all Sober Divines and Christians that we are not to expect a full understanding of the Prophecies until they be fulfilled and that there may be a gradual and partial fulfilling of sundry Prophecies at several times and yet some special Time be intended for the eminent full accomplishment of them Also that not the Prophecies but the Precepts of Scripture are to be the Rule of our Actions It belongs to God to fulfill with His Hand what He hath spoken with His Mouth and that in the times and by the ways means which are known unto Him but unknown to us it belongs to us to observe His Commandments concerning our present duties whatever the case be leaving all future Events to God Deut. 29 29. Yet are Prophesies a ground of our Faith Hope and Prayer relating to their Accomplishment and so far Prophesies are doctrinal Dan. 9 2 3. And it is the doctrinal part of the Scriptures that mainly concerns us to direct us in all cases in the way of our duty to God men as the Reverend Author according to the Wisdom and Grace given unto him hath declared unto us with much Evidence from Scripture light Hence it is without question the duty of the Church and People of God to be an Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness at all times in all places of the World and because God hath foretold and p omised that it shall be Eminently Conspicuously so at some times and in some places in these last dayes that are come and coming upon the World therefore we are to aime at it and endeavour after it in all the wayes of our duty that it may be so with us in that measure as the Lord shall please to grant the same unto us for it is certain so far as we attain thereunto we shall be a People blessed of the Lord For these two Holiness towards God and Righteousness towards men are like unto the two Pillars in the Temple of God Jachin and Boaz which did signify the Strength and Establishment of the welfare of the Church People of God while they continue in the Righteous and Holy wayes of the blessed God This duty of endeavouring that New-England may be an Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness though it is incumbent upon all yet it is in a special manner committed to and betrusted with Your EXCELLENCY according to that High Station which GOD and the KING have set You in and then it is required of all orders and ranks of men both Magistrates Ministers and People every one in their own place that they move regularly in concurrence with Your Lordship in all things that may conduce unto that end Though it may be SIR You may sometimes meet with difficulties in Your way and find things amiss that cannot presently be amended So did Solomon who though he was the wisest of Kings with a most prudent Council and a morigerous People yet out of his Experience he informs us that which was wanting could not be numbred or that which was crooked could not be made streight and therefore he gives this advice to others Consider the work of God for who can make that streight which He hath made crooked Eccl. 7.13 And therefore it will be no wonder if You should find it so Yet let me tell You from the Word of the Lord that the same Encouragement which the Lord gave unto Joshua for the Substance and Scope of it belongs unto any of His Servants whom He sets in the place of Government over His People viz Be thou Strong and of good Courage in observing all the Commandments of God so shalt thou make thy way prosperous and thou shalt have good Success for I will not leave thee nor forsake thee saith the Lord. Josh 1 from v 5. to v. 10. compared with Heb. 13.5 And when it may be said in any difficult case wherein there is duty to be done Arise for this matter belongeth unto thee as it was said unto Ezra Chap. 10.4 I hope in God it will also be said by all this People as it was then expressed by some in the Name of the rest We also will be with thee viz. That You will have the Hearts and Prayers and endeavours of all the good People of the Land with You in whatsoever may have a tendency to the making of this our New England to be an Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness the Lord grant that it may be so Finally being Old and full of dayes having se●n all that the Lord hath done for New England all the Changes of Times that have passed over it from the beginning unto this day and now waiting daily for my own great Change I cannot but express my hearts doing and pra●er to God for New-England Return O Lord graciously Return to the many thousands of NEW-ENGLAND and cause thy Face to Shine upon it and give unto this thy People a Heart to be continually returning to thee and keeping thy Commandments that thou mayest make them and keep them to be for ever an Habitation of Righteousness and Mountain of Holiness blessed of the Lord And for Your Person That the God and Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST would Bless You with all Spiritual Temporal and Eternal Blessings in Christ Jesus and in relation to Your Government that He would pour down His Spirit upon You and make You a Minister of God for good unto this People and give You to be like unto David who led and fed the People in the integrity of his heart and by the skilfullness of his hands and like unto Solomon of whom it is said in Psal 72. In his dayes the Righteous did flourish the Mountains did bring Peace to the People and the little hills by Righteousness and there was abundance of Peace That in after times it may be said Because the Lord loved this People therefore He set Your Lord-ship over them and that You left New-England better than You found it And so the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with Your Spirit for ever AMEN YOUR EXCELLENCIES Most Humble Servant in the Work of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST John Higginson Pastor of the Church of Salem Aetatis 82. Salem June 20. 1698. New-Englands Duty and Interest To be an Habitation of JUSTICE AND Mountain of HOLINESS JERE 31.23 Thus saith the