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	manner_n	son_n	5,970	5	5.8560	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36887	Abraham's faith stated and applied a sermon preached February 16, 1695/6 / by Geo. Duncumb ...	Duncumb, George, 1661 or 2-1743.	1697 (1697)	Wing D2609; ESTC R14747	11,585	30

our Selves or a Future State in another World upon Christ's Authority whom we acknowledge to be the great Author and Finisher of our Faith But before this can render us acceptable in God's sight or be available unto Righteousness it must deeply impress us or suitably affect us by working in us such godly purposes and practices as may justly be expected from persons under such persuasions This might easily be evinced by an Induction of particulars but since the time will not permit me to enlarge I shall confine my self to one or two Generals God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers as by Visions by Voices from Heaven by the coming of his Spirit upon the Prophets and the like hath since that spoken unto us more fully by his Son Who came down from Heaven to reveal his Father's Will so far as we are concern'd to know it And this Revelation is Recorded in the Gospel to remain as a standing direction for us in full force or of the same Authority with us as if we now heard God speaking with a loud Voice out of the Clouds to us In the Gospel we have exceeding rich and preclous Promises of an ample Reversion we are assured of an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven as a Recompence of Reward for the Righteous for all that shall live godly in Christ Jesus passing the time of their sojourning here in fear such fear as is productive and perfective of Holiness by cleansing us from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit Now if we believe this as firmly as Abraham did that which was but a Type of this it will certainly incline us to do as he did who knew no more of Canaan than we do of Heaven I say if we be as verily persuaded of what we read as he was of what he heard we cannot chuse but express the same care and forwardness to observe what is written as he did to comply with what was spoken as necessary to get into it or to be duly qualified for the fruition of it That is to say We shall be effectually disposed to live like Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth behaving our selves as it becomes those who profess that we have no continuing City here but are seeking one to come and that with such assiduous diligence as is proper to secure it Abraham's stedfastly believing the Promise put him upon following the Commandment of God and so he came to be instated in the Inheritance In like manner our believing the Promise which Christ has made us of entring into the Kingdom of Heaven must prompt us to obey the Precepts which he has given us conducing to it before we can be admitted to sit down with Abraham in it Yea the very hardest of them should we be called to it even that of forsaking All to follow him or for adhering to him whether houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands All must be left for Christ's sake if we mean to inherit Everlasting Life Mat. 19.29 That is We must abandon our Possessions and nearest Relations when they can be no longer enjoyed with a good Conscience we must chuse rather to part with them than to depart from any Article of Faith any Essential Point of Christian Doctrine as an irrefragable proof or sure token of our loving fearing and trusting in God above all things And that this is not a Precept of Perfection but of necessary Obligation our Saviour himself has clearly determined or positively declared saying Luk. 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Which is as if he should have spoken thus In case any man that is listed under my Banner be not so disentangled from the Affairs of this World as to prefer me and my service before all secular Interests whatsoever he is not meet to be partaker of the Inheritance with the Saints in Light here or Glory hereafter If this seem very difficult or be thought above our ability let us remember That all things are possible to him that believeth and nothing is too hard for a Faith which looks at the things which are not seen and are Eternal You have heard of the Faith of Abraham or his believing God and how that in Vertue of that belief at God's Command he left his Country his Kindred and his Father's House Travelling though he knew neither the place nor the way to it in search of that Seat which God had chosen for him Wherefore since we know that when our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternat in the Heavens methinks we should never scruple the utmost pains nor decline any hardships in striving for it it being more easy to overcome than to overlook the greatest difficulties that can occur in the passage from the inviting the ravishing transporting Prospect of that provision which Christ has made for us in his Father's House where there are so many Mansions and those too such as will continue for ever 2dly To dissipate our fears and animate our hopes in the most perilous Times We read expresly That the Church is Founded on a Rock and are assured by the All-powerful Head of it That the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it Now if we hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering tho' black clouds and thick darkness should be round about her though the Heathen should rage or the Kings of the Earth take counsel together and with one consent be Confederate against her to destroy her 't will not so fill us with fear as to drive us to Despair but we shall still rest satisfied with God's promise of Protection being confident that they must needs imagine a vain thing in consulting to make havock where Salvation is appointed for Walls and Bulwarks This Faith will so perfectly cast out all fear even in the midst of imminent dangers from the most furious attacks as to enable us to say within our selves God is in the midst of her therefore shall she not be removed God shall help her and that right early Had the Church no Nursing Father none other to Fight for her but only God surely her Sons could have no reason to fear the power of any Adversaries for since He and He alone can Govern the unruly Wills and Affections of sinful Men since he has full Power instantly to make the Church's Enemies to be at Peace with her or else to put them down that rise up against her did we but unfeignedly believe this we should not be so prone to crucify our selves with the fear of being hurt by any Persecutions through those Evils which the Malice of Men or Devils may at any time devise Or put the case they should be