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	way_n	5,888	5	5.0772	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66341	The advancement of Christs interests the governing end of a Christians life a second sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Shorter, Knight, Lord Mayor of the city of London at Grocers-Hall, January the 9th, 1687/8 / by Daniel Williams.	Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.	1688 (1688)	Wing W2644; ESTC R13642	27,450	42

We cost him dearer than our utmost Service can amount to All our Graces and Gifts are from him by a new Dispensation and held by a new Tenure You have an Emblem of it in the Redemption of the First Born and in the Ransom of all Souls How much more may Christ use the words to Philemon which Paul uttered only as an Instrument of his Conversion Albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest me even thine own self besides Doth he wrong us if he calls for our Gifts our Estates yea our Lives when he continues them to us after our manifest Forfeitures and gave them to us if Believers as he is Head over all things to the Church So that if it be a Duty to be just to God as Creator or just to Christ as Redeemer all our Lives and Abilities must be devoted to his Interests 4. No man is a Christian indeed that dedicateth not himself Life and all to Christ And so if it be a Duty to be a Christian this devotedness is a Duty as it is essential to our Christian State. It 's true you may bear the Name but you cannot be the thing designed by that Name if you devote not all to the Honour of the Lord Jesus and design it as the chiefest purpose of your Life to propagate his Interests Can any Man be his Subject who contributes not to his Affairs what in him lieth Consent to be his is the greatest Fundamental of Religion and this includes a solemn Surrender of all to him Union betwixt Christ and his Members makes their Interests common his Interest is their Interest and they are to submit to his Conduct as their Head in what their usefulness must consist Their Character is They follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Their Motto is I serve the Lord Christ. Religion is not a State of Freedom to live to our selves under the Covert of Gospel pardon but an Obligation and Inclination to live to our Blessed Lord being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ. Therefore you must account Christianity a Crime or you must profess the true Faith and plead Christs Cause to the utmost R. 5. It is as much Mens Duties that profess to be Christians to dedicate their Lives and all to the interest of Christ as it is to avoid Perjury Sacriledge and Hypocrisy These Crimes are too horrid to necessitate Arguments to prove that forbearance of them is a Duty Your Conviction that to neglect this Dedication is thus Criminal I hope will suffice To this End let me reason with you Is it not Perjury to violate your Baptismal Vow Yea sure the greatest And did not you then vow to fight under Christs Banner renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and that you would never be ashamed of Christs Cross Is not your neglect of Dedication of all to Christ an express violation of this Vow When you fear or grudge performing a Christians Work dare not profess the true Faith and Worship of Christ nor engage in the supports of his Gospel and Truths are not your Estates and Abilities dedicated to the Devil and your Lusts Is not Christ deserted Is not his Cross refused when you prostitute the Concernments of your Saviour None can do more for Christ than the Baptismal Vow includes What Perjury then lies at your Doors who are no way concerned for him Is it no Sacriledge to alien duly dedicated things to common use without divine Allowance Were not your Souls Bodies Gifts and all you have dedicated to the Lord Jesus when you were Baptized in or into the N●me of the Father Son and Spirit This Surrender was professed and Gods Propriety and Disposal acknowledged All past under the Rod and Gods Name was enstamped on all thus devoted to his use Now when you neglect to honour Christ and serve his Interest with your Substance Time and Gifts do not you with-hold what was Consecrated and apply it to your own carnal Ends and Use Every idle cowardly Christian keeps back what is Gods and not his own Every Apostate doth the same more grosly Every Enemy to any Concern of Christ employs the Consecrated Things of Christ against him So that here is Sacriledg at your Door if you improve not all for Christs Interest in your Places And this Perjury and Sacriledg is double in any Ministers or Magistrates who are under Vows and Dedications additional to what is common to all Christians Is it not Hypocrisy solemnly to profess to intend do and be what we neither do nor are Now can you deny that you profess to intend Christs Service to advance his Name and Interests and be for his Praise as Witnesses to him in the World You appear and would be thought such in professing to be his Followers For on these Terms he admits Men to wear his Name If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me There he injoins that Self have not the disposal of us or ours That we follow him in his Testimony and Designs which he is carrying on in the World and abett these still tho the Cross be our daily Associate All this thou pretendest And now when thou refusest to dedicate thy Life to Christ dost not thou betray Christ with a Kiss affront God and abuse Men by delusive Mockery and wearest that Title of Hypocrite which thou brandest the upright with Oh! think of this you who spend your Time and Estates as fuel to your Lusts not once laying to heart any Engagement on you to employ them to higher Ends. R. 6. All living Christians are chosen Ones appointed by Christ to advance his Interests in their Day Great are the Purposes our Lord is accomplishing And tho his immediate Power or the Ministry of Angels would be effective of them yet he honours Mortals as Instruments therein He overturns Satans Throne erects and propagates his own Kingdom leads Men into Truth and Holiness by the Ministration of Men like our selves tho the effective Virtue be from him All are obliged to concur but living Saints are under a more peculiar anointing for it and more especially entrusted with it in their respective Stations He saith of every godly Magistrate This is the Son of Man whom I have made strong for my self Of every holy Parent as of Abraham For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. It 's true of every upright Minister That he is set for the Defence of the Gospel Yea every private Christian is among them who are an holy Nation a peculiar People that they should shew forth the Praises of him who called them into his marvellous Light. The weakest Christian hath some Influence and is furnished suitably to what Christ intends by him Is it not a great Duty to discarge this glorious Trust and