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	send_v	son_n	30,173	5	6.6540	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09674	The triall of a Christians sincere loue vnto Christ. By Mr William Pinke, Mr of Arts late fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford	Pinke, William, 1599?-1629.; Lyford, William, 1598-1653.; Pinke, William, 1599?-1629. Tryall of our sincere love to Christ. aut	1636 (1636)	STC 19944; ESTC S114275	71,570	262

of those who vnderstand what a wofull thing it is to bee a stranger vnto Christ to be yet vnreconciled vnto God by him is that they would with yerning bowels commiserate the lamentable condition of their poore ignorant brethren which they shall meet with every where especially in most country Villages I haue obserued vpon occasions much table merriment which hath beene made by tales which passe about of such absurd senselesse answers as silly Christians haue given being demanded a reason of their faith perhaps vpon their death-beds or at their comming to the Lords table Let such vnnaturall mirth be farre from those who are to striue to haue the same minde in them which was in Christ Iesus You who by the blessed change wrought in your soules haue passed from death vnto life consider with a thankefull reflexion vpon the Father of lights that had not he vouchsafed you a more ingenuous education fairer opportunities to grow acquainted with the mysteries of grace more distinct call of his fanctifying spirit and more illuminated apprehensions to discerne them you might haue groped and stumbled in a thicker mist of stupidity then now befooles your vnnurturd brethren you might haue dishonoured that blessed name by which you are called by as wild misco●●●its and horrid follies as any come from them and whatsoever is ridiculous in them might haue bin more prodigoius in you you know what price to set vpon your owne soules You know the soule of the meanest idiot is of equall value with yours and that it cost the redeemer of the World as many stripes and wounds as yours O then pitty thy brethren so likely to perish for whom Christ died yea the rather because they being stuffed with sottish conceipts will be ready to laugh at those who shall pitty them Take all opportunities to doe them some spirituall good as occasion shall be offered conferring with them and praying for them and let Christian sympathies bee the least you can afford them you know what you meane when you pray daily that Gods kingdome may come remember you pray not in earnest vnlesse you doe your faithfull endenuour to helpe it forward as in your owne hearts so in the hearts of your brethren with which at any time you converse Consider I beseech you what a dismall fogge of Popery doth yet darken this Iland Popery which few thinkes of I meane that blind absurd implicite faith of beleeuing as the Church beleeues For there is not a pin to choose betweene him that beleeues in grosse what the Church of England beleeues and him that beleeues as that synagogue of Satan the Church of Rome beleeues it neither knowes any thing explicitly what either Church beleeues Meditate on this and what zeale what conrage what indignation you feele in your breasts against the Antichristian impostures of Rome let them fly I beseech you vpon all occasions against this Protestant Popery But I see no hope but that the Colliars faith will haue the greatest number of professors whilst accurate Catechizing of all sorts of people which did so much good in the primitiue Church is in ours so generally neglected But I conclude bespeaking you in the words of S. Iude But yee beloued building vp your selues on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost Keepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life And of some haue compassion making a difference And others saue with feare pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh O thou father of mercies and God of all consolations looke downe from thy throne of eternity and take notice of vs thy poore servants who doe now desire to muster vp all the faculties which thou hast given vs and to employ thē in an acceptable thankesgiuing vnto thee O Lord wee desire to spend our best spirits even to exhale our dearest soules in thankefull ejaculations vnto thee for that most incomprehensibly admirable contrivance of our salvation by the death of the sonne of thy loue O Lord we desire to be transported with a holy amazement as often as wee thinke of this mystery of mysteries and even to empty our hearts of their secrets in halleluiahs and voices of exultation Most holy Lord wee praise thee for the marvelous light of thy Gospell which hath acquainsed vs with those wonders of mercy which thy Christ hath performed for our soules for those comfortable evidences of our justification by him with which our bruised consciences haue beene most gratiously revived Wee praise thee likewise for those wounders of a new creation which thy blessed spirit hath begunne in our hearts for that it hath begunne to weaken and wast the body of sinne to crucify those corruptiōs which heretofore hath beene most insolent in vs to weane vs frō those vanities which heretofore haue beene our chiefe comforts and to make vs more willing to bee kept within a holy compasse O Lord we desire wee desire with most enlarged hearts to blesse thy infinite goodnesse for all those ravishing irradiations and glorious Prefaces of our blessed immortality by which thy cōforting spirit hath so often encouraged vs to patient continuance in well doing Wee blesse thee for all the heavenly thoughts affections desires resolutions which thou hast put into vs at any time wee praise thee for that portiou of thy good word which thou hast afforded vs at this time O thou that delightest to pardon abundantly pardon all the errours imperfections which haue come either from me in delivering or any of thy people in entertaining thy message Let it not bee a savour of death vnto death vnto any mā who hath beene within the sound of it but let it some way or other bee beneficiall vnto him in respect of thy kingdome And now oh thou that dwellest in vnapprochable splendor quite out of the ken of mortality seeing thou hast suffered dust and ashes to approch so neere to thee in thy ordinances dismisse not any one of vs wee beseech thee without a blessing send not any one of vs without a comfortable beame of thy countenance shining into his heart Thou art the fountaine of holinesse send vs not therefore out of thy presence without some more cleerenesse in our apprehensions of thy saving mysteries and heavenlinesse in our affections vnto them Send vs not from thy throne of grace but with a heavenly calme in our soules or with such tempests of repentance as may prepare vs for an everlasting serenity O Lord send vs not away but either with that joy which passeth all vnderstanding or that godly sorrow which may prepare vs for it To thee O Father with thy beloued Sonne and blessed Spirit three most glorious Persons one infinite Deity be ascribed all Honour Power Praise Might Majestie and Dominion by vs poore sinners here militant on earth and all the glorified companies triumphant in Heaven from this time forth for evermore Amen Amen

comes to scanning you shall finde there was no such matter for indeed they were so false hearted to Moses that at the last day hee shall bee their chiefe accuser witnesse our Saviour verse 45. There is one that accuseth you in whom yee trust that is on whom yee presume for had you belieued Moses c. Lastly to rouze vs out of the slumber of our presumption let vs take notice of one example more taken out of Mat. 7. 22. Luc. 13. 26. where we reade that many shall come at the last day vnto Christ presuming vpon their familiarity with him some telling him they had eaten and dranke in his presence some expostulating with him Lord haue wee not prophesied in thy name cast out divells and done many wonderfull workes Would you imagine all this could bee without great loue vnto Christ O how confident should we be if we had such evidence of our vnion with him How safe should we thinke our selues could we challenge acquaintance with him vpon the same te armes when he shall come in his glory to judgement But yet you see all this might doe vs no good seeing our Saviour will send many such packing with an angry protestation that hee knowes them not and if he will not know them you may bee sure they were such as had not for all these florishes dealt kindly and louingly with him Wherefore beloued you see how much it concernes vs to pause a while on this matter We all thinke we loue Christ Iesus it were well if thinking would serue the turne but wee see that many who thought as confidently as wee and perhaps vpon better grounds shall then perceaue themselues mistaken when it shall be too late to remedy it O then let vs not venture our selues vpon such groundlesse surmises but while wee haue time to make all sure Let vs make it a businesse to settle the estate of our soules which hang vpon such nice points let not our shallow presumptious conceipts of our loue to Christ let not the lazinesse and vntowardnesse of our flesh hinder vs from a speedy impartiall industrious examination of our hearts whether they haue indeed the loue of Christ in them or no. If vpon due enquiry wee finde in our selues the true ground of loue vnto our Saviour to wit a tender affectionate apprehension of our infinite deserued miseries and his infinite vndeserued mercies if wee feele the fruits of it a constant even vniversall resolution to please him in all things at all times in all companies a disesteeme of whatsoever is honourable or pleasant in the world in comparison of his favour a continuall hunger and thirst after a neerer and more sensible communion with him I say if vpon exact triall thou finde in thy selfe these infallible notes of reall loue vnto thy Saviour then I hope it will not repent thee of thy labour For now thou knowest vpon what ground thou standest now thy ioy may bee full assuring thy selfe that thou shalt haue a confidence which shall not deceiue thee before thy Sauiour at his appearing Contrariwise if when thou entrest into thy heart thou findest no sacred fire vpon the hearth but all cold and vncomfortable if thou hast not yet beene acquainted with those prickings of heart and affrightments of conscience for thy sinnes which vsually put poore humbled soules into those vehement fits of loue vnto our Sauiour If thou canst giue no reason of thy supposed loue vnto Christ from any thing that thou hast felt in thy selfe but onely frō what other men say frō the Lawes customes of the place where thou art a subiect then thou findest thy selfe but in an vnhappy case yet thou art happy in this that thou knowest the worst of thy selfe and maist seeke out betimes for an effectuall remedy If this bee thy case consider seriously that thou art yet vnder the heauy curse in my Text and therefore impatient of this accursed estate recollect thy selfe and call a speedy assembly of thy best wits and then bethinke thy selfe that Christianity is no lu●dicrous or iesting matter that the professiō of Christ the most serious businesse in the world that therfore questionlesse there is a great deale more in it then the formalities of comming to Church carrying a bible hearing a sermon that without doubt Christ requires a reall inward disposition of the soule which should season all these complements and make them acceptable 3. Consider in the next place the summe and scope of Christianity which is onely to shew how miserable thou art by sin and how happy thou mayst bee in Christ When thou art come thus farre set the looking-glasse of the Law before thee and terrify thy selfe with the vgly deformities and loathsome staines of thy soule through the guilt of sinne then turne vnto the Gospell and consider how Christ Iesus out of the abundance of his loue with which hee loued thee being his enemy shed his deerest blood to wash away these staines from thy soule as very a wretch as thou art as well as any mans else 4. Lastly hauing thy soule attentiuely fixed vpon this betake thy selfe to earnest prayer with strong cries groanes improtune the spirit of grace to enlighten the eyes of thy vnderstanding that thou maist bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length and height and depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19. Doe this from thy heart and continue in it a while with an eager patience and then I dare bee bold to say that thou shalt feele a strange alteration in thy selfe then shalt thou feele 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one simple commotion in thy soule but an assembly and throng of passions then shalt thou bee acquainted with those scalding affections to Christ Iesus which holy men haue felt in all ages and striued to expresse in their soliloquies but could not yea the greater sinner thou hast beene the more wilt thou with MARIE Luc. 7. lay about thee with teares of sorrow and teares of ioy and in a holy kinde of distraction striue to loue much because much is forgiuen thee Lastly thou wilt plainely see how villanously hitherto thou hast dissembled with thy Sauiour and what a deale of Angelicall cōfort thou hast lost by being a stranger vnto him and hauing once after some cloudy scuds of penitent sadnes recouered the light thou wilt reioyce as the wise men when they recouered light of the starre with exceegreat ioy and follow it through thicke and thinne through all difficulties and oppositions whatsoeuer til thou shalt come to see him as he is in incomprehensible splendor amongst infinite milliōs of glorified Saints and Angels To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit the three glorious persons and one most infinite Deity bee ascribed all honour power might maiestie and dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS EPHES. 6. V. 24. Grace bee with all them that loue our Lord Iesus

the King of heaven would commend his loue vnto vs as the Apostle excellently expresseth it Rom 5. 8. In this saith Saint Iohn 1. 4. 9. was manifested the loue of God towards vs that he sent his onely begotten some into the world that we might liue through him manifested in this Why in what not so it is in every bit of bread we eate in every sup of aire we take in O but the noblest blessings of this life are such poore curtesies in comparison of what we hope for by Christ that Gods loue though most eminent too doe's scarse appeare in them being eclipsed by that most orient and everlasting blaze of his loue in Christ Wherefore to conclude my first consideration it is no wonder if the justice of God which is to see that his Glory receiue no damage require that our esteeme of this his greatest mercy which himselfe values so farre aboue all his other mercies should so far exceed our esteeme of any other matters though otherwise most excellent in themselues and deare vnto vs that our very esteeme of them may be but a disesteeme and a hatred if compared to our esteeme of his loue in Christ Consid 2. If a man professe never so much loue vnto Christ if hee doe indeed preferre him before never so many conveniences of this life yet if hee loue but any one thing in the world never so little better then hee doth Christ he doth him in effect as much dishonour as he that never lookes after him at all Thus much I intimated before but what I did but touch vpon and in reference to God the father I will now amplify with speciall references vnto God the sonne It is all one as I said before not to esteeme a pearle at all and to esteeme it lesse worth then a barley-corne in like manner though wee preferre Christ before never so many profits and pleasures yet if there remaine behind one darling contentment which wee are resolued to keepe whatsoever may become of his glory or our interest in him wee doe in the issue esteeme him not at all because wee still wittingly value him below that which is infinitely worse then dung in comparison of him When a saleable commodity is offered vpon reasonable price we vse to say that if it be not worth that it 's worth iust nothing Now our part in Christ is so infinitely overworth any thing that wee can possibly giue for it that by farre better reason wee may say that he that thinkes it not cheape bought with all that he hath even to his last breath indeed thinkes it worth nothing at all Let a woman loue her husband better then a million of men yet if shee loue but any one man in the world better then her husband hee will giue her but little thankes for louing him aboue so many others But to amplify this point more distinctly let vs briefly consider that transcendent pitch of loue we owe first vnto the benefits of Christ secondly vnto his person All those inestimable benefits which wee make account of by Christ may bee reduced to 2. heads 1. a ransome 2. an inheritance The ransome is from horrours and those torments which are infinite for smart variety and duration which wee haue all deserved a thousand times over and therefore the case being thus with vs though wee looked for nothing but such a ransome by our Saviour though he had procured vs only this that after this life wee should spend eternity in a Limbus vnacquainted with any paine or pleasure yea though hee had procured vs only the mortality of our soules that they might perish with our bodies I say this alone had beene beyond all proportion better for vs then the whole world seeing what would a thousand worlds doe vs good if after a while wee must bee packed out of them all into that place where we shall everlastingly curse the day that ever wee were borne or made reasonable creatures But now that besides all this wee make first account for an inheritance by him an inheritance immortall vndefiled reserved in heaven for vs seeing wee expected to be made heires with Christ in that glory which hee had with his father before the beginning of the world of that glory the least sparke of which if visible to bodily eyes would shame all the beauty pompe and bravery of the world and whatsoever the Magnifico's of the earth are proud of it is a stupidity worse then any madnesse to conceiue we esteeme sufficiently of such glorious hopes if vpon deliberate choice we make much but of any one indearement of this life which may any way hinder our assurance of them 2. for our loue vnto the person of Christ equity requires that we should loue him with a loue yet more overtopping then either our ransome or inheritance and therefore it will be yet a more intollerable extremity of madnesse to imagine we loue him with an acceptable degree of affection as long as we dare to bring the most louely obiect that wee can picke out of the store-house of nature within the compasse of a comparison with him I say reason requires that wee should loue his person more entirely then his benefits that wee should preferre his glory before eternall life it selfe Our Saviour is contented that our feare of misery and desire of happines should first enter vs into the loue of him that til we know him better wee should loue him onely for our owne sakes and his benefits but after that he hath sent his spirit to expound the mystery of his loue vnto vs more clearely to make vs lay to heart not onely what he hath purchased for vs but also how deare the purchase cost him how though he was rich yet for our sakes hee became poore that wee through his poverty might be made rich as the Apostle passionately deliuers it 2. Cor. 8. 9. how being every way equall with God Phil. 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was faine to emptie and strip himselfe as it were of all his royaltie that he might compasse these great matters for vs for whom hee had not the least reason to doe the least good when his spirit hath effectually melted our hearts with these considerations we shall perceaue our loving him chiefly for our owne salvation to be somewhat too grosse and mercenary loue being not much different from that of a woman who loues her joynture better then her husband or that of a sonne who loues his Father chiefly for his patrimony And though hitherto wee haue loued Christ only because wee hope to get by him yet now that we know what the kisses of his mouth meane that which we principally loue in him is his loue hauing before loued the giuer for the gift by a kinde of regresse in our affection wee henceforth striue to loue gift for the giuer But this point though many of Gods children knowe it to bee most