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	son_n	truth_n	10,353	5	5.9792	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01629	The true tryall and examination of a mans owne selfe wherein euery faithfull Christian, by looking into his conscience, may most plainely behold his spirituall deformity by nature, described, his actuall rebellion by disobedience detected, his promise breach at baptisme, by ordinary transgression apparantly proued, his lamentable estate through sinne discouered, his wilfull obstinacie by dayly disorder displayed, and lastly howe by earnest repentaunce, and faith in Christ Iesu, he is from all the same clearely pardoned, forgiuen, released and reconciled / done in Englishe by Tho. Newton.	Hyperius, Andreas, 1511-1564.; Newton, Thomas, 1542?-1607.	1587 (1587)	STC 11761.5; ESTC S4316	74,045	216

clear conscience toward God and toward men we will endeuour the best we can according to that proportion and measure of skill wherewith the Lord hath endued vs plainely and familiarly to declare beseeching the eternall and blessed Spirite of God who was sent downe from heauen from the Father and the Sonne to teach vs all trueth so to direct our vnderstandinges and to further our endeuours that we may set downe nothing but that which shall be meete wholsome and profitable to instruct Christian consciences withall and moreouer so to moue and enflame the heartes and mindes of all such as shall reade these our dooings that as we simplie and with a desire to profite them haue taken this trauaile in hand so they with the like singlenes and meaning may reade the same and apply all thinges herein comprised to their godly furtheraunce and edification CHAP. 2 The examination and tryall of our owne selues must first beginne at the consideration of our owne corrupt nature WHosoeuer thou be that art inwardly touched with any care of thine owne saluation and doest inwardly groane with earnest desire to stande in the fauour of God and to bee at one with him first of all and before all other thinges I pray thee enter into thy selfe descende into thine owne conscience and make a true surueye of thine inwarde man and thou shalt quickly finde I warrant thee what a suttle craftie Foxe euer hauing recourse to his peeuish nature thou fosterest and keepest within that same fulsome stinking breast of thine The first step to get helpe and the chiefest way to recouer health is for a man to know himselfe In vaine is the medicin ministred where the disease is dissemblingly couered and kept vnknowen Wilt thou therfore that I shall plainly tell thee what maner of person thou art and what disease thou hast I saye thou art nothing else but sinne thou art euery whitte of thee a wretched sinner and guiltie of euerlasting damnation Neuer goe about to denie it seeke no shifts or euasions to gainesay it neither take any exception against it The very woorde of God himselfe doth conuince thee the prickes of thine owne conscience doe ouerthrow thee and daily experience doth detect thee For first the worde of God sayeth thus of thy nature being altogether corrupted and stained thorough the fall and transgression of our first Parentes and of thy sinne which by propagation thou hast from them By one man sinne entered into the world By the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation Againe Beholde in iniquitie was I borne and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Againe The imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Againe Euerie man is a lyer Againe I knowe that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing And By nature we are the children of wrath And feelest thou not within thee manifest effectes of sinne to wit the lustes and affections of the flesh leading thee away from God and making thee both vnwilling and vnable to liue vnder his lawe Feelest thou not another lawe in thy members still rebelling against the lawe of thy minde Thou feelest thou feelest no doubt the cumbersome suggestions of sin dwelling in thee continually drawing thee away from doing good and still egging thee forwarde to commit euill Thou feelest I say the wofull effectes of originall sinne euen a minde voide of the feare of God Thou feelest thy selfe not to loue God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy strength as thou oughtest to doe and as thou art bound to doe Thou findest in thy selfe and proouest by experience that thou art besieged and besette with sorrowe griefe heauinesse and infinite other like vexations of thy soule Moreouer thou canst not but see these our bodies are subiect to innumerable miseries thou seest the number of diseases assaulting vs the extremitie of famine pinching vs the ramping rage of hunger afflicting vs the miserable plague of thirst distressing vs thou seest death with his gryping pawe daylie catching haling and making hauocke of vs. And all these are punishmentes appointed of God for sinne originall Through sinne death entred into the world To be short thou feelest and findest a iust punishment deserued plague euen in these outwarde thinges The earth bringeth forth thornes brambles thystles noisome weeds many hurtfull thinges besides It bringeth forth no good thing vnlesse it bee tilled manured with great labour Finallie what thinges soeuer for the maintenance and sustentation of this our fraile transitorie life are requisite and needefull the same are we of necessitie driuen to seeke procure with continual cares and troublesome toile All these discommodities and all other miseries whatsoeuer wee must knowe and wee ought to knowe to be sent vnto vs and inflicted vpon vs as a penaltie or amercement for originall sinne Cursed saith God to the first transgressour Adam he the earth for thy sake in sorrowe shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life thornes and thistles shall is bring forth to thee and thou shalt eate the herbe of the fielde in the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread Now therefore aswell by the authority of the word of God as by the sense and feeling of such calamities and miseries as euery man euidently seeth findeth in his mind in his body and in the outwarde thinges of the worlde I thinke thou art sufficiently perswaded yea too too plainely conuicted that thou canst not but wil thou nil thou thou must needes confesse thy selfe to be a sinner born that thou art guilty of euerlasting damnation euen in this respect for that thou art a mā issued descended from that first man Adam yea although thou thy self in al thy life haddest actually cōmitted none euill When all these thinges are well imprinted in thy mind and that thou art throughly resolued and perswaded that all this afore spoken is true the best and next way for thee to take that desirest and meanest to examine thy selfe is diligently to consider these pointes following First to bow the knees of thine hart before the tribunal seat of God to cōfesse thy faultes sins to submit cōmit thy selfe wholly vnder the mighty hand of God ready to abide his diuine pleasure if in the seuerity of his iustice rather than in his mercy he will deale with thee according to the tenour of that sentence of incurring eternall death which hee pronounced vnto man before his fall Whensoeuer sayth he you shall eate thereof ye shall die Then as often as thou feelest the effects of sinne and the punishments thereof such as wee haue alreadie saide continually to bee perceiued seene and felt in our mindes in our bodies and in all our thinges subiect to our outwarde senses so often call to remembrance that the same ought to serue thee as tokens and to put thee in

some certaine places and with certaine appointed solemnities and ceremonies whereby there are commonly committed sundrie lewde attemptes and many lamentable enormities Whether he haue admitted any to bee teachers in the Church which were eyther vnmeete or vnable syncerely and discreetely to deliuer the worde of God or any corrupt and vnsounde preachers that willingly depraue the texts of the scriptures and purposely misconstrue the wordes of trueth to confirme and establish their owne phantasticall or rather phanaticall opinions ¶ He that is called to gouernment in the common wealth be he Prince or Peere Iudge or Lawyer of high calling let him looke well about him whether he haue with all his endeuor and care laboured to promote true religion and to maintaine defende the sincere worship of God Whether he haue countenaunced abetted or mainteined any heretikes Schismatiks Iewes or any false wicked teachers in any thing against the sanctifying of the blessed name of god Whether in giuing sentēce iudgement vpon any matter in all other graue consultations about the affaires of the common wealth he haue nuer remēbred that God is the high Lord and Iudge and him selfe to be but his Minister ¶ They that bestowe their time in Schooles of learning which bee the seede plots and Seminaries both of the Church and common-wealth Doctors Teachers and Maisters Whether they haue carefully trained in the feare of God the youth committed to their charge and syncerely deliuered vnto them the principles and chiefe grounds of fayth and Christian religion Scholers Whether by reading of the bookes of Philosophers and heathen Poets they haue learned to holde any wicked opinions of God Whether they haue in their custody any wicked Pamphlets or bestowe any study in bookes of curious arts and superstitious skill as magicke diuination and such like Whether they reade any bookes of Heretiques iustly condemned by the Catholike and vniuersall Church ¶ Physition Whether beeing with the sicke he haue especially before all thinges exhorted them to haue a firme and vndoubting faith in God without whom no medicine is auaileable and holesome Whether for recouerie of his bodily health he haue aduised and prescribed to his patient any things that be hurtfull and dangerous to the health of his soule as all those thinges are that be not warranted by the worde of God but directly against the remedies which the Lorde hath ordained As when they prescribe vnto them superstitious obseruaunces peeuish calculations and childish mawmetries c. Also when they beare their patient in hand or make him to thinke that some certaine Saints haue power to send also to take away this or that disease as though God were not the onely gouernour of all thinges did not depend on him ¶ Apothecarie Whether he haue superstitiouslie obserued or fondly stayed for choise daies or houres or any other ceremonious rytes in gathering his herbs or other simples for the making of his drouges and receiptes ¶ Merchants poore people and handicraftesmen Whether they haue procured gotten and made any thing or otherwise furnished others with any thing thereby to make them the better able to oppresse or hinder Christian religion and the true worshippe of God As they doe which either aide the Turkes or craue aide of them against their christian brethren And as they doe which sell to the Iewes or to treacherous and hollowe harted Christians any maner of stuffe or instrument whereby to prophane and dishonour the name of God or which do any maner of way minister occasion by theit deuise and sleight to compasse and bring to passe any thing to dimme and empeache the glory of God on earth The second Commandement Thou shalt make thee no grauen Image neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the water vnder the earth Thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them c. Sinnes inwarde COnsider well whether thou haue not sometime thought that God either would or might be worshipped otherwise then in spirit trueth Whether thou haste not beene perswaded that the inuisible power of God might by some visible Image be the better knowne and so the sooner honoured Whether thou haste any time beleeued or thought that the honour due vnto God was any way bestowable vp on any creature whether thou hast thought any creature able of his own proper power and ability to bring this or that to passe Whether thou haste euer thought that myracles haue bene wrought by Images or that any vertue and power hath beene in them Sinnes outward WHether hauing euer secretely cōceiued in thy mind any wicked opiniōs about the seruice and worship of God thou haue apparantly and openly by any token or signification made publike the same that is whether thou haue built founded or dedicated any Chappel closet oratory or groue to any creature eyther deade or a-liue for worship Whether thou haue assisted any that haue so done Whether thou haue erected and set vp any Images altars representations or purtraitures whether thou haue secretely worshipped or giuen diuine honour to the image of any Saint whom thou hast made speciall choise of to bee thy patron and aduocate or set vp the same eyther in thy Howse in thy Garden or any other place vsing therto either bowing crow ching kneeling censing lighting of tapers offering of gifts or adorning it with garlands and presenting vnto it the firstlings of thy encrease as corne and graine and other oblations with solemne woords and reuerent rites saluting it adressing therunto vsual praiers hoping therby to receiue some benifite or to see some miracle and to be short whether thou hast egged procured any other to doo the like For thy trade of life CAruers Grauers Painters and Image-makers Whether in the making grauing or painting of any Image or picture eyther of man or any other creature they haue shewed all the skill and cunning that possibly they coulde in hope thereby to bring men in loue with their workepeece and so to worship it Handy-craftsmen Whether they haue made or or solde any such thinges as they well knewe their buiers woulde conuert to superstitious vses and Idolatrous worshippings The third Commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Sinnes inwarde WHether so often as thou heardest the name of God vsed in earnest and serious matters thou diddest with a religious and reuerend minde thinke on the ineffable maiesty of God and with thy whole minde deuoutly honor the same Whether when thou haste beene commanded or requested in a necessary and lawfull cause to sweare and take an oth thou haue framed thy self therevnto with such Godly zeale and reuerence as became thee Whether in the time of prayers giuing of thankes lauding and praysing the name of

me wrapped in woes and subiected to miserie danger and inconuenience O Lord wilt thou thus in thy iustice destroy and make hauoke of thy iust for vs being wretched vniust and miserable caitises Last of all for these my great hainous and manifolde offences knowen and hidden priuie apert there is due yet vnto me after this life after this temporall death another death eternall continuing euerlastingly in neuer dying torments Is thy lawe O Lord being good righteous holy thus become to be vnto me death But I may not nor I ought not O God to ascribe and impute these most wretched miseries and extreeme Calamities vnto thy law but to mine owne peruerse froward and crooked affections and to my generally and entierly corrupted will To my selfe to my selfe I saye must all this miserie be ascribed my selfe only may I thanke for all this heauie plight and wretchednesse O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Here nowe hast thou as it were a certaine Mirrour or glasse wherein thou maist behold thy self what a one thou art in the sight of God and in Iawe of God accusing thee before the tribunall seate of iudgement In this glasse of the lawe thou maiest behold thy spirituall deformitie and ouglinesse which thou must vnderstande so long to dwell remayne ●oiourne and cleaue vnto thee as thou continuest transgressing the lawe of God through thy greeuous and dayly offences Of Repentance and also of Contrition or Mortification CHAP. V. WHen thou hast nowe thus farre profited and reaped this benefit by the lawe that thou are therby brought to the acknowledgement of thy sinnes the next is with all thy minde and vttermost endeuour to betake thy selfe vnto an earnest and heartie repentance and to flee vnto Christe for succour pardon and forgiuenesse of all thy sinnes and offences Vnlesse wee acknowledge our sinnes earnestly repent vs for the same wee shall as Christ sayth perish And the Apostle Peter setting before the eyes of the lewes their cruell obstinate and wilfull sinnes when as he spake vnto thē saying This Jesus whom God hath made both Lorde and Christe haue ye crucified brought them vnto an acknowledgment of their sins And therfore anon after in the same place when as they by acknowledging their sinnes were marueilously troubled in minde and pricked in heart he replyed vnto thē and sayd Repent ye and amend your liues Therefore it is not sufficient to acknowledge our sinnes but there must followe also an earnest and effectuall Repentaunce with all his circumstances and partes Nowe Repentance is nothing else but an earnest conuersion turning to God of a sinner meekely and humbly acknowledging his sinnes and iniquities And it consisteth summarily in these two points Contrition and fayth as many places of the Scriptures doo plainely and cuidently declare Repent sayth Christ and beleeue the Gospell Where the first mēber signifieth Contrition the second Faith Againe Rep●ntye of your former life for the kingdom of heauē is at hande In which sentence there is likewise both Contrition and also Fayth included Hereunto also is to be referred that which is cyted and alleaged by the Apostle both in his Epistle to the Romanes and also to the Collossians touching mortification and also viuification Contrition therefore setteth before our eies the heauie wrath of God and the punishmentes due for sinne On the other side Faith setteth before vs the mercies of God free pardō forgiuenesse and viuification or quickening againe The one laieth open and discouereth vnto God our wound and disease the other sheweth forth receiueth from God a suppling salue a mollifying plaster a soueraigne recuratiue medicine The one groaneth vnder the burden of sinne sorrowfully bewaileth his heauy plight the other bringeth easement affordeth refection Come vnto me sayth our Sauiour Christ all ye that labour and he heauie laden and I will refresh you To bee short the one throweth down to hell the other fetcheth from thence and lifteth vp to heauen To drawe therefore the effect of all the chiefest and especialest pointes to be considered of in this matter into small roume and briefe wordes Contrition is a most vehement affliction troublesome vexation and perplexed consternation of the mind yea of the whole man caused through remembraunce and acknowledgement of his sinnes also of a feare of Gods heauie iudgements and deserued punishmentes So that all this abashment vexation affliction perplexitie and consternation hath his residence and dwelling in the minde insomuch that although there appeare withall sometimes vpon the sodaine certaine outward tokens externall signes thereof as confession of the mouth teares sighing groaning abstinence from meate and drinke loathing renouncing or contempt of all worldly matters and externall dealings with such like yet because our question in this place is not of counterfeite cloaked dissembled and vnperfect but of true syncere perfect and effectual Contrition we must needes sounde the very depth of the heart and the very innermost and secretest corners of the Conscience And to this end are the wordes of the Prophet Dauid where hee sayth Thou desirest no sacrifice O God though I woulde giue it neyther delightest thou in burnt offering The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite a contrite and broken hart O God thou wilt not despise And againe Heale mee O Lorde for my bones are sore vexed and my soule is sore troubled And a litle after in the same Psalme I sainted in my mourning I cause my bed euery night to swimme and water my couch with my teares So also Peter remembring and acknowledging howe greeuously he had sinned in denying Christ went out and wept bitterly Seeing therefore that true syncere and not hypocriticall Contrition is a thing meerely internall and spiritual there is no man but well vnderstandeth that it is a spirituall gifte and a singular benefite of almightie God who onely openeth the eyes of our mindes to see and confesse our sinnes and offences If then it bee the good gift of God it standeth euery one of vs vpon incessauntly to craue at the handes of our heauenly father to endue vs seely creatures and miserable forlorne wretches with his grace to vnderstand and bewaile our greeuous sinnes wickednes manifoldly committed For whosoeuer after his transgression fall hath not this contrite spirite this brused and broken heart as the Prophet tearmeth it and this spirituall mortification for his sinnes to such an one it may seeme that the way to all recouerie and amendment is shut vp and stopped For Contrition is as it were a keye that openeth and driueth backe the hidden bolt and openeth the doore which kept vs backe from comming againe to God Neither canst thou alleage for thine excuse that thou lackest time or that thou art not able to perfourine and fulfill so manie harde pointes and difficult workes whereby to testifie and declare thy