Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A18575
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The Christian path-vvay Deliuered in a sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the last of Iune 1611. By Thomas Cheaste, minister and preacher of Gods Word.
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Cheaste, Thomas.
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1613
(1613)
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STC 5105; ESTC S107789
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21,804
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48
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other prodigall Likewise Abraham had two sonnes Ismael and Isaac but Isaac onely free-borne so there are two sorts of children one the children of God the other the children of the world The children of God are they which are vnited to God by adoption as Brothers and Sisters in Christ by hearing of the word of God keeping it These are my brethren saith Christ that heare the word and keepe it The children of the world are they which fashion themselues like vnto the world setting setling their affections on worldly things but the children of God are changed in their shape by renewing of their minds they are of another fashion they are of a new birth of the spirituall kindred of Christ by regeneration The childrē of God do follow Christ the children of the world do follow it and are led by it but the children of God are led by the spirit of God The children of the world haue their whole trust confidence in worldy things Rom. 8.14 but the children of God are predestinated to bee his adopted children Ephes 1.5 by faith in Christ It is the greatest preferment in this world amongst the children of the world to be made the heire of a King Emperour or Prince and to bee in great account with men in this world but the children of God are of greater account with God and godly men both in this world and in the world to come The children of Kings are attended by noble men and great personages and guarded with strong men yet all but men whose breath is in their nostrils whose hands cannot accomplish the deuises of their hearts But the children of God are guided by God himselfe whose eye is alwayes ouer the righteous they are guarded by Angels Psalm 34.15 The Angels of God shall pitch their tents round about them that feare him The children of the world doe take delight in such pleasures as the world doth affoord them as carnall security worldly prosperity beastly sensuality couetousnesse pride luxury idlenesse and such like But the pleasures that God affoordeth his deere children are such as neither the world can giue them nor take from them As the loue of righteousnesse delight in the law of God Psalm 1.2 patience in affliction loue of them that excell in vertue and such like The riches of the children of the world are gold siluer houses lands lordships rents reuenues and such like which theeues may steale rust may fret fire may consume water may drowne plague may infect time may weare out and death may end But the riches of Gods children are the word of God firme faith forgiuenesse of sins freedome from hell liberty with the Saints the spirit of contentation peace of conscience continuall ioy in the holy Ghost and a kingdome of glory in heauen which no theefe can steale no rust can corrupt no fire can consume no water can drowne no plague can infect no time can weare out no death can end The children of God are shrowded vnder the wings of his mercy but the children of the world are subiect vnder the weapons of his iustice and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of God in such a case If the children that were disobedient to their parents in the time of the law by the law were stoned to death for their disobedience towards their earthly parents Deut. 21.21 how much more are the wilfull and wicked children of the world in danger of the father of heauen and God of heauen and earth for their disloialty and disobedience in forsaking God and following the world If the children of the righteous that offend God haue not escaped Gods seuere punishment how shall the vngracious children of vngodly parents abide it If the sonnes of Eli and the sonnes of Dauid were punished by death as the reward and wages of their sinnes without pardon or partiality although Eli was the holy Priest of God and Dauid the Princely Prophet of God the one high in Gods fauour the other as great in his loue How then shal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the euill egge of a bad bird escape vncrushed ◠King 2.23.24 If the children that mocked the prophet were by Gods iudgement torne in peeces and deuoured of Beares how shall these prophane scoffers and deriders of the Gospell and professors thereof escape Gods fearefull iudgements God loueth those children that imitate their parents good examples and follow them as they follow Christ The Apostle in this our Text maketh a distinction betweene the children of God and the children of the world terming the children of God Deere Children Deerely beloued and deerely are they purchased with the precious and pricelesse bloud of his best loued Sonne Christ whom as zealously they ought to follow for his grace 2. Kings 2. as Elisha followed Elias for his mantle and spirit If children follow their parents and obey their precepts for an earthly and terrestriall inheritance should we not much more obey our heauenly Father for an heauenly and coelestiall heritage assured to his deere children that follow him as he hath by his deerely beloued sonne in his sacred word taught them The manner how we should follow him is by the Apostle plainly expressed to wit As deere Children according to Christs owne words affirming that whosoeuer will enter into the kingdome of heauen must bee as a little Childe innocent humble and meeke Not clothed with couetousnesse puffed with pride nor with voluptuousnesse For to such saith Christ our precursor belongeth the Kingdome of heauen Yong and vnacquainted with grosse sinnes are most fit to follow God in the prime-time of their yeares in the maiden-head of their age giuing him the first fruits of their loue Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist was knowne by the name of the Disciple whom IESVS loued So was yong Samuel fauoured of God So was Dauid a man after Gods owne heart for hee was a man that followed God from his youth So was little Daniel a great man with God a little man amongst men but a great Prophet of God This religious affection of vertuous youth Saint Paul learned of Christ and taught it to his scholler Timothy and other Churches which he had by the word planted But if we seeke to vrge the youth of our time thereunto they will thinke that wee come before our time as though they might be licenced to run a wilfull and wicked course Math 8 29 and will bee ready to tell vs as the Diuell told Christ that wee torment them before their time The Prodigall sonne was the yonger Christ our heauenly king is gone before vs and hath opened the gate of heauen otherwise there had beene no passage at all yet he telleth vs that the gate is straight Math 7 14 and there are few that enter in thereat therefore we must striue straine and stoope if we intend to enter in First wee must strippe our selues out of the old habite of
sinne for if sinne lye at the doore Gen. 4.7 it will stop our passage as it did Caines whether it these grosse and grieuous sinnes or any other beloued sin which wee so tenderly harbour and foster in our hearts like a rocke or an heape of sand will stoppe and damme vp the gate Therefore we must like little children creep low and humble our selues for if wee put on the true habit of humility and meekenesse Sathan cannot hinder vs. As the Serpents will not come into the vineyard when vines bring forth their blossomes no more will the old Serpent and author of pride come neere vs if we like fruitfull branches bud the blossomes of humility The want of this vertue cast Nebuchadnezar out of his earthly Kingdome and we must haue it or else we shall not enter into the heauenly Kingdome The Pharisee swelled in his owne proud conceit and therefore hee was too bigge to enter in but the poore Publican stooped and went in little Zacheus was a great rich man but he diminish'd himselfe by restitution giuing to the poore he descended from the lofty branches to the roote of humility and so entred in This gate it should seeme was made for none to enter but for these that are as children Math. 18.3 Verily I say vnto you saith Christ except yee become as little children yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God How acceptable is the morning sacrifice of our tender age vnto God no sacrifice of beasts was more welcome to God then yong kids or lambs none of birds more acceptable then yong pigeons or Turtle doues Manna was to be gathered in the morning before the Sun arose If we follow God as deere children God will take vs for his children and this is no small signe of Gods mercy so much to fauour and so highly to grace vs with the title of his children that wee may call him father Well and worthily may he be called a father for he is omnium Creator fideliumque Pater the Creator of all men and Father of the faithfull and therefore it is written Is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee and that made thee and proportioned thee Deut. 32.6 Yea without doubt God is our Father if we will obey him an euerliuing and an euerlasting Father as it is also written Doubtlesse thou art our Father Esay 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou ô Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is for euer If he be our Father and our Lord we should honour and feare him Mallac 1.6 A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his maister If then I bee a Father where is my honour If I bee a Maister where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts If therefore ye call him Father 1. Pet. 1.17 which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare saith the Apostle In all our miseries and feare we are imboldened by the Spirit of Christ to call God our Father as we may reade Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Math. 23.9 Wherefore Christ commandeth vs to call no man father on earth that is in faith and religion a reason he giueth saying There is but one your Father which is in heauen he is a father that made both body and soule and is ready to saue both when earthly parents forsake vs he will take vs when they leaue vs he will receiue vs when they will not and cannot help vs he can and will help vs when they dye hee liueth for hee is an euerlasting and an euerliuing Father first and last the beginning and the end a beginning without beginning and an end without end Many children bragge and boast of their parents gentry and they accompt it a great honour to be called the sonne of a King as Dauid said when hee should marry Sauls daughter Doe you thinke it a small thing to be a Kings sonne Should the children of God thinke it a small thing to be the sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of all Lords King of heauen and earth He is worthily called a Father for he is Pater sanctitatis The Father of sanctity Pater potestatis The Father of power Pater pietatis The Father of piety The Father of sanctity and holynesse and therefore Christ saith Iohn 17.17 Father sanctifie them in the truth The father of power because hee can doe all things therefore he that knew best said Mark 14.36 All things are possible to thee The Father of piety and mercy and therefore the Apostle calleth him The Father of mercy 2. Cor. 1.3 and God of consolation Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to pray to him with deuotion For Christ saith Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name Iohn 16.23 he will giue it you Seeing he is the Father of power we ought to honour him with humble obedience therefore the Holy-Ghost by the Prophet Malachy saith Mallac 1.6 The Sonne honoureth the Father c. Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to follow and imitate him in mercy as Christ commandeth vs saying Luk. 6.36 Bee yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And seeing he is the Father of power of holynesse and mercy of him as dutifull children wee should bowing the knees of hearts seeke a blesnng Isaac his sonne said to his father Hast thou but one blessing But the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob hath a blessing for euery faithfull child of his yea a triple benediction Benedictio preueniens benedictio adiuuans benedictio consummans His blessing preuenting his blessing assisting and his blessing consummating or finishing The first of his mercy the second of his grace the third of his glory The first of our conuersion the second of our conuersation the third of our glorification The first Benediction Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Blessed is he whose sinnes are remitted The second Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walkes in his waies The third and last benediction Come yee blessed children of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world FINIS