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	zeal_n	zealous_a	68	3	9.3373	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97215	Spiritual thrift. Or, Meditations wherein humble Christians (as in a mirrour) may view the verity of their saving graces, and may see how to make a spirituall improvement of all opportunities and advantages of a pious proficiencie (or a holy growth) in grace and goodnesse. And wherein is layd open many errours incident to these declining times, / by Elizabeth Warren, a lover of truth and peace. Imprimatur, James Cranford.	Warren, Elizabeth, of Woodbridge.	1647 (1647)	Wing W960; Thomason E373_7; ESTC R201328	87,311	89

postea tēporis successu consilium nobis suum apperit atque hoc cohibendae nostrae audacia aptissimum est fraenum enumerating many severall calamities incident to Christians professing the Gospel as afflictions necessities distresses imprisonments stripes tumults labours watchings and fastings which shews our condition even limb'd to the life in the due observation of these various trials sharpned with labour in hunger and thirst being contemned as the filth and off-scouring of all things Which justly reproves those self-loving Christians which cannot bear a reproch for their Master but will rather comply with the wicked in their evill Quare non mirum est tam paucos ad ferendam crucem fortes strenuos inveniri Propone nihil esse quod tibi accidere non possit ●on soli● est prop●ium nosse futura Dei then reprove by their purity the unfruitfull works of darknesse the cause of this is our being unacquainted with casting up the cost of sincere profession and by propounding to our selves such plausible conclusions as are not compatible with these observations Indeed next unto the soul whose invaluable worth appears by the price which was payd to redeem it we value fame as an incomparable treasure and precious jewell in our deare esteem and therefore are very tender and sensible of any wound or blemish therein being deeply impatient when any obloquy reflects injuriously upon our reputation yet by observation we may see the godly most subject to this tryall in this valley of Baca for those shall suffer calumnious aspersions to render them odious which shine cleer by integrity Ester 3.8 Opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt superme There is never wanting some ambitious Haman to traduce the Church even to Kings and Princes representing them as he did the Jews to Ahashuerosh under the bitter notion of refractory Rebels and lading with burthens of guilty imputations their precious candor by such cunning policy that even Royall authority abused by misprision may prove the stalking horse of unhallowed designes Gather up c. Nehem 6.1 Discamus quamlibet modestè tranquille se gerant Christi servi ab omni culpa remoti sint mundi tamen probra effugere non posse When noble Nehemiah had improved his interest in the Princely favour of great Artaxerxes in building the wall and repairing the breaches of ruined Jerusalem the Saints desired residence as his pious heroick and honourable atchievements have their due commemoration in Divine History story we read what slanders derisions and contumelies were fastened upon him by Sanballat and Tobiah who with Geshem the Arabian their craftie confederate assailed to defeat him both by force and fraud for which they are marked as malignant enemies with the blackest brand of perpetuall infamie The most eminent in wisdome courage and zeale have been deeply depraved by the tongues of the wicked witnesse our holy and innocent Saviour causlesly affronted with impudent calumnies Matth. 11.19 being called a glutton a bibber of wine a friend and patron of Publicans and sinners Luke 23 2. Iohn 18.30 ●uem nunc non modo despiciunt sed etiam fastu suo conculcant Iohn 8.48 a perverter of the people and an enemy to Caesar a seditious malefactor and ambitious innovator yea such a heighth of impudence had his adversaries contracted by the cruell custome of uncontrold impiety as they justifie their wickednesse saying say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devill So the Prophets Apostles and Primitive Martyrs had hatefull crimes still layd to their charge as in the series of sacred and Ecclesiasticall histories may be duly observed by the intelligent reader which we ought the more carefully to collect for our instruction Aufert vim praesentibus malis futura prospexit in that they parallel those present calamities which are fastned by the wicked on most eminent persons to obscure their vertues and render them contemptible Athanasius post multiplicia certamina qualia vix ullum Ecclesiae Doctorem sustinuisse legimus placidissima morte ex hac vita excessit cum ab initio ad finem sui Episcopatus Alexandrinae Ecclesiae praefuisset quadraginta sex ●nnis adversus qu m totus pe●é orbis conspiravit Euseb in Eccles Cur verear Chrysostomus appellare martyrem qui tot iniuriis tot contumeliis tot afflictionibus nec ad impatientiam perpelli nec à propagāda Ch●istiana pietate depelli potuit Eras Rh● Those orthodox Fathers whose zeale and courage opposed the current of the Arrian heresie were grievously afflicted with cruell contumelies and raging persecutions from the heterodox party for holy Athanasius whose heroick spirit soared most high in his sacred confession became thereby such an object of their malice as they thirsted for his bloud and plotted his destruction yet when he fully had served his generation and finished his course to the honour of his Saviour he dyed in peace and hath left for our comfort a fragment memoriall of his zeale and piety Such was the condition of couragious Chrysostome that admired elegant golden-mouthed Oratour who set himselfe to oppose the impiety of those times abounding with most horrid wickednesse openly reproving those brazen-faced vices which were boldly committed in contempt of the Gospel which contracted upon him notwithstanding his integrity the implacable hatred of the Empresse Eudoxia her insulting tyranny exposed him to exile in which he suffered most sorrowfull pressures besides which cruelties they laid to his charge such horrid crimes as he never knew of Yet the Lord was pleased to vindicate his innocency Vbi autem in Cappadociae provinciam venimus multi sanctorum Patrum Chorijuges lachrymarum fontes effundentiam flentium eò quod in exilium nos proficisci videbant dicebant tolerabilius fuisse si Sol radios suos retraxisset obscuratus quam quod os Iohannis tacuit Chrys in Epist Quare meritò in hanc amentiam projecti sunt ut sibi ultimum exitium acceserent Revel 12.15 Hic est spiritus vertiginis quo reprobos dementat Satan ubi in coecitatem à Domino proiecti sunt Cal. Nullum nobis peius obstaculum est quam propriá arrogantia quod scilicet sapere volumus plusquam oportet ac inde Diabolica festu reiicimus quod quid rationi nostrae non est expositum and to cause it to shine in his darkest affliction by making his name like a precious unguent most sweet and odoriferous in the account of the godly Those famous instruments which the Lord vouchsafed to use when truth was detained in the prison of popery even Wickliffe Luther Calvin and Musculus with many other of reverend memory when these stood up as Christs faithfull witnesses zealously contending for the precious faith to set forth its luster as a new lighted lampe which was formerly extinguished by Antichristian malice the cruell dragon sent forth against them a revengfull torrent of raging persecutions threatning them not only with fire

alone Gather up c. Esay 50.10 Psal 46 1. Psal 88 1. Ester 4.16 When the righteous walk in darknesse and can see no light the precept directs them and shews them a way even to trust in the Lord and stay on their God who is a present help in the time of trouble when these are afflicted with Haman they will pray and fast with Ester when the Church is in calamity the precepts of the Lord and practice of his Saints being held forth in Scripture as a guide unto us for Gods precepts should be those intimate Remembrancers with whom we should consult in all our exigencies Demonstratio nihil relinquit using their assistance and familiar direction which are able to furnish us with all heavenly wisdom If severall tentations on the right hand or the left Hosea 6.1 shall carry us captive into any sinfull way the precepts of repentance and sorrowfull contrition must pave a path for our ensuing comfort for as the deviation from divine direction Optimus portus poenitentiae est mutatio consilii Hoc Poenitentiae initium est hic ad pietatem ingressus tristitiam expeccat is nostris concipere ac malorum nostrorum sensu vulnerari is the miserable cause of our many aberrations so the pious progresse of sincere humiliation puts us in capacity of consolatory refreshment I know s●ch tenets are now traduced as if they were Popish or did plead for merit or should imply that our personall performances are some way satisfactory to divine j●stice which we abhor as most derogatory to the meritorious sacrifice of our al-sufficient Saviour who having finished the wo●k of our redemption presents us to his Father in his own imputed righteousnesse and yet he cals us by his Word and Spirit Iohn 4.29 Phil. 2.12 Ex pecca●i fumo ortae sunt lachrymae Revel 2.12 to work out our salvation with feare and trembling yea seasonably to remember from whence we are faln commanding to repent and do our first works If errours in doctrine come masked unto us in the specious pretext of sacred verity Emoritur serpens hominis cōtracta saliva sic vox veritatis interficit errorem we must speedily bring them to the light of Gods precepts which will cleerly discover their palpable vanity and therefore we wonder not that the subtill Papists present us the Script●re in an unknown tongue nor that Sectaries prohibit us the publike Ministery because it draws out the sword of the Spirit for although this many headed Hydra seem very formidable to the faint and fearful yet these sacred precepts will so maule and wound her that she shall not be able to do us prejudice Lege operum dicit Deus fac quod jubeo Lege fide● dicitur Deo Da quod ●ubes jube quod vis Aug. but wee may not think that such knowledge collected and onely reserved for vain ostentation will prove a fit antidote to preserve us from infection or secure our souls from the snares of errour wee must therefore with David hide the word in our hearts as a means to keep us from such contagion that we be not led away with the evill of the times nor fall from our stedfastnesse into pits of perdition And as precepts for piety are comfortably collected as lights to lead us through difficult passages so precepts of charity are also fit monitors Levit. 19 9. concu●ring together to call us to duty for these call upon us to extend comp●ssion to the poore the stranger Deut. 26.13 Deut. 16.11 the fatherlesse and widdow with whose sorrowfull condition we should daily sympathize condoling their distresses with continuall pittie Homo inquam natus de muliere brevi vivens tempore repletur multis miseriis Esay 58.7 Oportet ut sciamus nostra abundantia sublevandamesse frat●um mopiam Cal. in Ioh. We cannot enumerate the various calamities which are daily incident to our frail condition as sicknesse poverty imprisonment banishment desertions dejections and mentall terrours here precepts of charity have their proper objects to reflect upon in their fit opportunities of feeding the hungry cloathing the naked visiting the sick and harbouring the stranger and never had we more cause to excite our dull depraved hearts unto duty then now when our poore afflicted brethren have endured such miseries by a savage civill Warre how should we even collect all occasions to appear in the posture of pitty and charity by gathering up the fragments of our own superfluities to relieve the necessities of our suffering neighbours Non sciunt de lumine aliquid a stimare quorum est in tenebris habitatio Amos 6.1 Amos 6.6 But ah the stupidity which sin hath contracted upon all estates and conditions of men who gather not up such precepts of charity nor collect such motives of commiseration but being themselves even at ease in Zion they forget the calamities of afflicted Joseph having no bowels of mercie to alleviate their burthens nor to succour and support them in such deepe dejections Lacerati sunt viri tractae sunt matronae infantes necati nulli licuit in possessionibus suis secu●um esse itinera non poterant esse tutissima Ezek. 16.49 yet the same distresses which others have endured in these sorrowfull times of our sad visitation may prove our portion who have hitherto been spared if we proceed to provoke an incensed Majesty for England hath paralleld the sins of Sodome in pride fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse and now if shee strengthen not the hands of the needy shee aggravates her guilt and hastens her judgement Quod á Deo recipiat pius id rursus pro charitatem in sinum fratrum dispensat O peccata nostra nunquam satis deflenda annon oportet quotidie hoc agere Hath it then been our care to collect such precepts as the Word holds out for our ample direction pouring forth our soules to satisfie the hungry and drawing out our store to relieve the afflicted have we contributed to them not only with our purses but also with the current of our prayers and tears putting up frequently our passionate petitious and sorrowfull supplications at the Throne of Grace if we finde our selves thus fervently affected with the sorrowfull sufferings of the Church of God Rom. 12.5 it may prove us such members as are truly sensible in partaking in the dolours of the mysticall body Gather up c. But a higher gradation in our charitable progresse Studebant Pios quantum in se est vagos errantes colligere in ovile Domini quicquid enim facultatis Deus singulis distribuit charitatis exercendae vult esse organum vel adminiculum Cal in Act. cap. 6. vers 6. 1 Thess 5.14 Nisi à semetipso deficiat ad eum qui supra se est non appropinquat is our care to collect soule comforts for them which as they transcend in unvaluable excellencie so are they

open confession and undaunted resolution wee stand up to mayntain it both with tongue and pen which was the work of those famous Worthies the godly Fathers in contesting with Hereticks whose divine dexterity in defending the truth is admirable and imitable to succeeding generations So resisting unto bloud in Christs cause and quarrell was graspt of many Martyrs embracing opportunity who accounted it their glory by innocent suffering to passe to the palace of heavenly felicity these vindicated truth and redeemed time improving and augmenting their betrusted treasure and are entred already through the strait and narrow gate into the immortall inheritance which they lookt and long'd for In brief the pious and prudentiall practice of all religious and morall actions Convenientibus laboribus vendunt nobis omnia bona divi quâ nil est melius nec utilius mortalibus Euripid are a profitable employment of our precious t●me whereby it is redeemed from losse and detriment and therefore sedulity and constant diligence is of great necessity while our day continueth because the night commeth when no man can worke which should alway excite us that time be not lost And as we must be carefull that neither the creatures nor time be lost for lack of fit improvement so in the next place our regard must be expressed that our gifts become subservient to our Lord and Master for we consider those endowments spirituall and temporall conferred upon us by divine bounty as betrusted talents wherewith we must negotiate in the affairs of his Kingdom that nothing be lost Spirituall endowments are radicall graces Tantū scimus quantum immemoria tenemus Gal. 5.22 23. Grande profundum est homo euius ca●illos tu Domine numeratos habes tamen capilli eius magis numirabiles sunt quàm affectus motus cordis Aug. seated in the soule as their proper subject as faith love patience humility and many like vertues called fruits of the spirit of which should I treat in taking any of them as a Theam propounded to my serious Meditations I should but even light a candle to the Sunne and expressing my weaknesse illustrate others worth For the Lord hath abundantly extended his favour in stirring up the spirits of his many zealous servants by their learned labours to limbe out the beauty and expresse the effigies of those sacred excellencies Wherefore I proceed not to any definition or quaint description of those divine qualifications but intentionally aym to shew that we are responsible for all our endowments both of grace and nature not that any simply shall become an accountant for the happy fruition of such transcending treasures but for the use and improvement of them which shall cleerly manifest their true proprietaries for where the sincerity and truth of these graces are infused by the spirit into the soule of man Nunquam enim in eodem statu manent sed saepe obumbrari pollunt they cannot totally or finally perish though their acts and operations be not always apparent It must then be received and retained as a principle that spirituall endowments are of two sorts either saving graces in their reall verity Ambigua splendens nos fallit imagine forma veri specie nos l●dit opinio falsa or common gifts in their reputed excellencie sith both of these proceed from the spirit being given to edifie the Church of Christ and although they be various in their divers operations yet are they concurrent as effects of one cause Inanis est sermo docentis nisi intus sit qu● docet the former to build up our selves in the faith and saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour the latter for the use and instruction of others who are to be united to the mysticall body Now because there be shadows and pictures of graces which much resemble their reall habits we should daily be trying the truth of our endowments Officium est fidei v●ritati Dei subscribere quoties quicquid quocunque modo loquitur that we be not cheated with counterfeit pearls for there may be such an eminence of common gifts where saving grace is not truly radicated as may possibly deceive both our selves and others with the meer dead shadow and image of faith Obumbrari potest gratia quia non est Deus extingui non potest quia est à Deo divinae voluntatis do num est non humanae ●●agilitatis meritum Again we may passe an uncomfortable censure upon our selves in desertions or afflictions as if we were bereft of those spirituall endowments and totally devested of all saving grace which misery befalls us when Satans malice and our own incredulity conspire to betray us assailing and battering the fort of our faith by falsly affirming that our graces are lost It will therefore be usefull in the houre of tentation to know that our graces be right and reall our faith being built on no sandy foundation but fixed on the rock whose strength is our confidence and because we know there will come a time wherein our gifts must abide a triall let us prove and examine the truth of them all Nunquam desperat Satan perditionem n●stram nos de salute nostrâ saepiùs desperamus Chrysost in hom 34. in Matth. Non credit in Deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius foeli citatis suae fiduciam Zach. 28.1 Ier. 17.9 Iames 1.5 Si sola est fides qui purificat hominum corda restitutionem Dei imaginis in nobis per Christum declarat by that rule of life the light of Gods word for this is that pure and transparent glasse which shews us the spots and defects of our endowments even the weaknesse of our faith the scantnesse of our love the coldnesse of our zeale and poornesse of our patience and as it manifests the blots and blemishes which obscure the beauty of our brightest graces so it shews us the pure aed most precious fountain which stands open to purge away sin and uncleannesse and sith it is impossible that naturall sagacity should fathome the depth of our deceitfull hearts the Word directs us to aske wisdome of God to discover our unsoundnesse and spirituall deficiencie that driven from the props of all carnall confidence in the seeming excellencie of our best endowments we may lay all our weight by a holy dependance on Jesus Christ our all-sufficient Saviour for it is not the merit or worth of our faith which justifies our persons in Gods sacred presence but the object apprehended even the Lord our righteousnesse who renders us lovely which else had been lost This innocent pure and immaculate Lambe hath sacrificed himselfe the price of our redemption and discharged the debt wherein we stood obliged Fides impetrat gratiam qua lex impletur to answer the exactnesse of inflexible justice freeing us thereby from those infernall sorrows which guilty souls must eternally suffer and giving us the earnest of an