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	world_n	9,611	5	4.8989	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32894	Christian unity exhorted to being a few words in tender love to all professing of Christianity in old England, the land of my nativity : wherein the difference between profession and possession of that which is really the substance of true religion, is clearly manifested : also, the great breach of Christian charity, caused by their furious contentions about formality : with a few words to the poor in spirit, concerning my opinion of a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus / by one who dearly loves all those whose conversation becomes Christ's Gospel.	One who dearly loves all those whose conversation becomes Christ's Gospel.	1678 (1678)	Wing C3950; ESTC R270	11,173	17

are made sensible of some gross evil which they have acted immediately they endeavour to stop the mouth of conscience either by hearkning to the Devils Lullabies viz. Libidian Songs or playing with his Rattles otherwise ride abroad in his Chariots of sensual pleasures in which they are frequently carried to the Gates of death so the destruction of body and soul is the sad consequence which certainly attends those who are as it were swallowed up of worldly pleasures But oh man who ever thou art that hast been hitherto led away by the Enemy of thy immortal soul who would willingly make thee his associate in eternal misery be perswaded and intreated to take especial notice of these following words first let not the Devil tempt thee to imagine that 't is too late to turn from the evil of thy ways because perhaps thou hast been an old sinner Secondly let not the propensity of thy corrupt will and affections to folly and vanity induce thee to think the time too soon Thirdly let not the multiplicity of thy sins which thou hast not in times past repented of affright thee for be assured at whatsoever time thou hearken'st to the still voice of Christs spirit in thy conscience which secretly rebukes thee and tells thee all things that ever thou didst thou shalt find thy heart sorrowful for sin and as thou keepest on thy watch thou shalt be brought more and more into a tender frame of spirit and thou shalt be enabled to turn from thy sin perfectly abhorring those things which formerly thou didst so much delight in and thou shalt assuredly receive pardon for all thy sins past be they never so many and great according to the words of Christ Jesus John 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation for those sins which Christ pardons in this life shall never be charged to thy account any more Ezekiel 18.21 according to the words the Lord spoke to the Prophe● Ezekiell But if the wicked will turn from all the sins he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Now therefore thou mayst see what great encouragemet all persons have to turn from their sins Oh that these things were more seriously consider'd by all that profess Christianity they would certainly be more diligent in improving those golden opportunities which the Lord through his infinite love and mercy hath allowed them Friendly Reader for thy farther encouragement if thou wilt but take a walk with me in the withdrawing Room of holy Meditation thou shalt have a Soul-ravishing prospect into the Garden of Heavenly joy where thou shalt behold the streames of Grace flowing from the fountain of Divine love and thou shalt drink freely out of the springs of life which alone can satisfie the appetite of a thirsty Soul therefore be entreated and perswaded no longer to continue pleasing thy self in the dead Pictures of Religion which hath made thee ignorant of those spiritual enjoyments which alone belongs to the life and power of Christianity and for which reason many may be ignorant of what I now write therefore those that would be of the true Religion must stand no longer on the barren Mountains of profession but rather hearken to the voice of the spiritual Shepherd who will certainly lead them into the pleasant fields amongst the green Pastures wherein grows the flowers of Heavenly joy and through which runs the pleasant Rivers of consolation so that thou mayst with joy draw water out of the well of Salvation whereby thy soul shall be compleatly refreshed then shall all her faculties which have long languished for want of true substance be revived then shall she be fully sensible of the difference between her true teacher and leader and the false guides who had carryed her into the wilderness where she had been a long time afflicted with trouble and sorrow then will her bowels be filled with pity and compassion on all those who did formerly accompany her in her distressed condition and will be grieved that any should be so deceived as not to be perswaded to hearken to the same spiritual voice whereby they may partake of the same substantial food but rather choose to feed on the husk of Religion then to partake with her of those glorious refreshments which causeth her to be always praising and magnifying the name of the Eternal God at whose right hand are pleasure for ever more A few words to those who are totally ignorant of spiritual things That there are many in the Land of my Nativity who are totally ignorant of spiritual things I may boldly affirm but that 't is in the power of any mortal man to give them a spiritual discerning I utterly deny Notwithstanding it seems to me very expedient to remove all obstacles out of the way of the ignorant least their mis-apprehension of words cause a dis-satisfaction to the matter which otherwise being accompained with a Divine power might prove beneficial to them therefore according as the Lord enables me I shall endeavour to answer with all plainness those objections which are of most weight Obj. 1st First therefore it may be required how I understand Christ to be in all men Sol. I answer that according to the common acknowledgement of all Christians as he is God his Spirit is Omnipresent for the Heavens and Earth cannot contain him and if his ubiquity fills the Heavens and all Created beings then man being a Creature must in some measure receive of his fulness but more particularly as he is the Son of God the only Saviour of the World he is in all men though at the same time the fulness of the Godhead is in the Heaven of Heavens at the right hand of his Father for he doth communicate a measure of his spirit unto all every individual person in order to their instruction or reproof Joh. 16.7 8. Nevertheless I tell you it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not com ebut if I depart I will send him unto you and when he is come he will remove the World of sin of righteousness and of judgement Joh. 14.15 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my nam● he shall teach all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said therefore 't is evident that Christ is by his Spirit in every man reproving and instructing them and bringing all things that he hath formerly said to their and our remembrance But for a farther demonstration I shall use this one comparison As the natural Son in in the firmament doth communicate its light to several parts of the world at one and the same time though

knowledge whereof is one of the chiefest principles which constitutes a true Christian Friendly Reader these are the rich possessions of a Christian this indeed is the very substance of Religion therefore I say that man that enjoyes the substance may be a Christian without the form but no man with the form can be a Christian without the substance Moderate Reader notwithstanding I have contemned the formes of Religion I do not condemn all persons professing any of the several forms for there are some who have much of Gods power accompanying them in their external performances but no longer then the power of the mind and all the faculties of the Soul are joyned with them my Opinion is of that latitude which extends to all who desire to have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ notwithstanding I cannot but reprove those who content themselves with a bare Historical faith and indeed 't is to be feared that there are too too many have no other evidence for their Christianity then a verball repetition of their Creed commonly called a confession of Faith how far is this from that which purifies the heart and obtains such victory over sin even to the removing of Mountains of corruptions let any sober Christian judge but Christs own Testimony sufficeth for he saith he that believeth in him out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters therefore it manifestly appears that that faith which produceth not these effects is not the true faith A few words to the poor in spirit who have been wearyed in Travelling on the barren Mountains and do now earnestly desire to know the true way It being my own condition in times past I cannot but sympathize with thee who ever thou art that hast been wandering in by paths whilst we pretend to know the true way therefore it manifestly appears that we wanted a true acquaintance with and a spiritual knowledge of Christ who declared himself to be the way and the life Let us but reason together Was not the knowledge we had of Christ only Notional had we any other evidence of faith in him but a bare ascent to what we have heard and read concerning him what did it all amount to what satisfaction had we only a groundless hope of Salvation because many others whom we supposed good Christians were of the same faith we had hopes to be saved by Christs merits hope after from punishment but what experience had we of the virtue of Christs redeeming power out of sin here he came not only to save us from the punishment but dominion of sin and to bring in everlasting righteousness Now if thou art not wedded to thy former profession and hast a true desire after the saving knowledge Christ Jesus the only Saviour of the world I shall according to the measure of knowledge given me of God plainly and affectionately declare what I believe to be a saving knowledge of him also what I have experienced of the benefits flowing from him first thou must know him to be at the door of thy heart by his invisible and eternal Spirit at all times according to St. Johns Testimony Behold I stand at the door and knock if any one will open to me I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Friendly Reader how many Days Weeks Months and Years Reve. 3.20 hath our dear Saviour been knocking at the doors of our hearts and we have passed it by thinking't was nothing but the checks of a natural conscience How often have we vexed grieved and pierced his holy spirit how often have we crucified him afresh by rejecting and despising his Heavenly counsel how have we turned a deaf ear to all his reproofs and all was because we had not a true sence of his being so nigh to us but were a seeking him where he was not to be found Secondly thou must know him to be thy Teacher and reprover 't is his spirit and not a natural conscience that checks thee for every evil thought word and deed how often hast thou been made to cry Lord forgive me when no person in the world could accuse thee he it is that instructs in all things that pertain to thy everlasting wellfare for he is always wooing and beseeching thee to turn from the evil of thy ways Joh. 1.12 and if thou wilt but hearken to his instruction thou shalt receive power to overcome all the Enemies temptations for the wholy Scriptures of Truth testifie that to as many as receive him he gives power to become the Sons of God Thirdly thou must know that he alone works in thee all good acts which thou performest so thou art but the instrument and he the workman therefore all the honour of every good work is due to him who worketh in us both to will and to do all things that are pleasing to his Heavenly Father all therefore that he requires of thee is to be on a continual watch so that thou mayst know when thou art reproved for I testifie in Gods fear so long as thou art on thy spiritual watch thou shalt not think an evil thought but thou shalt be sensible of his reproof By this means friendly Reader thou wilt come to be more and more inwardly acquainted with him whom thou didst formerly know only by hearsay then wilt thou cry out with Job I have heard of thee before with the hearing of my ear but now hath mine eyes seen thee and the more thou comest acquainted with him thou shalt experience the virtue of Christs purifying power whereby thou shalt be more and more cleansed from all thy dross and corruption and those in whom he works righteousness he will continually justifie for the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin so that we may be made fit Heirs of that Kingdom prepared for those that are true believers now dear friend thou wilt not be in want of outward representation to bring thee in remembrance of Christ Jesus for the true real spiritual enjoyment of the substance will cause all shadows to vanish and beggerly Elements to melt away for it is impossible so long as thou art on thy spiritual watch to be unmindful of him otherwise thou mayst take thy lot with the unwatchful Centinel who though well armed is surprised with the Enemy and taken Captive this is the condition of many whom I believe to be true Christians for their being overcome by the enemy is not because they were false and hypocritical in what they professed but because they were sometimes off their watch for Christs Disciples were not all Hypocrites because they slept when their Lord and Master commanded them to watch yet I say that unwatchfulness is reprovable in any being a great duty exhorted to by Jesus Christ for he said what I say unto you I say unto all watch and this comprehends all the directions which are conduceably to a holy life Now my dear friend I have in short declared

thousands of miles asunder and yet the body or whole proportion remains entire in the firmament without any diminution so doth the glorious Son of righteousness though sitting in his Kingly Throne communicates a measure of his own spirit to every-man to profit with all which spirit is oftentimes in Scripture called the Light of Christ Jesus which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.4 sometimes the Grace of God which teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to walk soberly and godly in this present world this is that which hath been often in the mouths of many though they did not 't is to be feared know what it was therefore whoever thou art that hast been in ignorance be it known to thee that the Grace of God which thou hast had many times in thy mouth is Christs own spirit which spirit hath many times restrained thee from committing wickedness for without thou couldest not so much as think a good thought much less do a good action for as Christ tasted death for every man he hath given this Heavenly gift to every man that they may be in a possibility of Salvation so that we are not condemned for want of grace but because we do not improve his gift of Grace for he commands us to nothing but what his Grace or Spirit will enable us to perform if we will but watch when it reproves or instructs us Obj. 2d Some will query thus how I shall know that I have this good Spirit why may not persons be deceived and be led by the evil Spirit whilst they imagine they are under the guidance of the good one Sol. If thou wilt but enter into a serious examination of thy self thou mayst call to mind some certain times when thou hast been under some great temptation to commit some wicked action at which time thou hast had a sence of somewhat in thy mind that caused a great unwillingness in thee to proceed and perhaps giving way to the temptation thou wert overcome after which thou hast had some terrour in thy self now therefore observe that which caused that unwillingness to commit the sin was Gods spirit and that which inclined thee to the sin was the Devils spirit so the Tree is known by the fruit therefore be satisfied at whatsoever time thou dost sind thy self under temptation the Spirit of Christ Jesus will be always ressisting if thou wilt yield obedience to it thou shalt sind power arising in thee to overcome the tempter and temptation by this means thou wilt come to be Spiritually acquainted with Christ and partake of his benefits so that he will be precious to thee for thou wilt be more in love with him then possibly thou couldest formerly and thou wilt certainly know the difference between his spirit and the evil ones because the one enclines thy heart at all times to good and resists evil and the other always enclines to evil and resists good so thou needst not fear being decieved if thou art watchful over thy own heart Friendly Reader these things I write to thee out of pure assection and tender regard I have to Gods Glory and the everlasting wellfare of thy poor immortal Soul and that thou mayest know the difference between profession and possession for there are many that profess the name of Christ who are altogether ignorant of him for though Christ is by his spirit in every man yet every man is not in Christ that is every one hath not taken his good spirit for their Guide and Teacher but have continued rebelling against it in so much that they have provoked him to take his good spirit from them and then not till then they may be accounted reprobates for the Lord of life is so merciful that he condemns nont but those who have abused his long-suffering and forbearance therefore it behoves every one to beware sinning out the day of Gods visitation in which the tender offers of his love and mercy ere extended to them FINIS