Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	fear_n	lord_n	wisdom_n	5,389	5	6.9425	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19503	Pathmos: or, A commentary on the Reuelation of Saint Iohn diuided into three seuerall prophecies. The first prophecie contained in the fourth, fift, sixt and seuenth chapters. By Mr. William Cowper, Bishop of Galloway.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1619 (1619)	STC 5931; ESTC S108985	231,291	374

followes a larger description of them who sit on the Seats they are called Elders they are said to be clothed in white Rayment and to haue Crownes of gold vpon their heads See what a glorious Court the Court of Heauen is all the Courtiers there are Seniors Kings and Priests first they are said to be Seniors not for their number of yeeres but for the ripenesse of their iudgement Here we are Infants and the little Babes of Iesus but his grace makes vs to grow till we become Seniors by this grace children now die as if they were an hundred yeeres old and the efficacie of his blessing shall complete vs there none ignorant through yong age none impotent through old age shall be there all shall attaine to the fulnesse of Christs age and be perfect in him Clothed in white rayment Their garments declare them to be Priests also This white Rayment is afterward called Finelynnen and is there expounded to be the Righteousnesse of Saints and this is two-fold one imputed by which Saints are iustified and this is perfect for it is the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto Saints by the free gift of God and apprehended of them by faith and in this sense it is not aliena as Papists tauntingly and ignorantly call it but propria sanctorum iustitia it is not the righteousnesse of another but their owne by as good right as any other good they haue may be called their owne namely by the free donation of God The other righteousnesse is inherent in Saints and this in such as are Triumphant is perfect as concerning their soules wherein no spot nor wrinkle remaines but in such as are Militant is imperfect yet growing and encreasing daily to perfection More concerning this white linnen and where from the similitude seemes to be borrowed see chap. 15. ver 6. And on their heads Crownes of gold This betokeneth their Royall or Kingly dignity all the Saints are Kings to their God Such as haue foughten the battell do now enioy the Crowne such whose war-fare is not yet accomplished are sure of the victorie for we runne not as vncertaine but certaine and we know that through him who loued vs we are more then Conquerors VERSE 5. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thundrings and Voices and there were seuen Lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seuen Spirits of God HEre is shadowed to vs a two-fold operation of the Maiestie of God sitting on the Throne the one terrible to his enemies the other gracious and comfortable to his Saints his iudgements vpon the aduersaries are exprest by three names Lightnings Thundrings Voices they are compared to Lightnings because they are speedy and incuitable for this same cause also they are compared to Arrowes ●…ee s●… out his ●…rrowes and scattered them and hee sent out Lightnings and disco●…sited them Next they are compared to Thundrings because they terrifie and afray men The Lord thundred in the heauens and the Highest gaue his voice hai●…e-stones and coales of fire Hee proclaimed his Law with Thunder and Israel was afraid yea Moses trembled for feare If the Proclamation be so terrible what will the execution thereof be For this cause Amos speaking of God comming to iudgement vseth these words The Lord shall reare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem The two sonnes of Zebedeus Iames and Iohn were called Boanerges the sonnes of Thunder for their dreadfull and powerfull deliuery of the fearefull iudgements of God It is a beastly stupidity in man not to humble himselfe when the God of glory thundreth It is recorded of Caligula albeit he despised all Diuinity yet was hee afraid of the Thunder and that hee was wont Ad minima fulgura caput obuoluere ad maiora vero proripere se ex strato sub lectum se condere at the least Thunder to couer his head and at the noise of the greater to hurle out of his resting place and hide himselfe vnder his bed but the wrath figured heere by Thunder is much more to be feared Thirdly they are called Voices namely such voices whereby hee speakes to the wicked in displeasure Then shall hee speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure The other operation is figured by seuen burning Lampes of fire expounded to be the seuen Spirits of God Thus are represented the working of God in communicating by his seuenfold Spirit grace to his Saints to illuminate to quicken and to purge them That grace is compared to fire is plaine in holy Scripture One commeth after mee who shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire At the feast of Pentecost the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in the similitude of firie clouen tongues And this Spirit beeing one is said to bee seuen or seuen-fold to expresse that fulnesse and perfection of grace which is in him to Saints communicat by him And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsel and of might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. There are diuersity of graces but flowing all from one Spirit Againe they are expressed by seuen to note the continuall influence and communication of grace by the Spirit vnto Saints VERSE 6. And before the Throne there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christall and in the midds of the Throne and round about the Throne w●…re foure beasts full of eyes before and behind HItherto we haue heard a description of those creatures ouer whom and in whom GOD ruleth as King of Saints Now followes a description of another sort of creatures ouer whom hee rules for this Glassie sea figureth not Angels as saith Arethas nor yet Baptisme as Victorine Beda and Haymo say nor yet the holy Scripture as thinks Ioachimus Which two last opinions are followed by many late Writers but it figures this World all creatures therein who like a round Christall Globe are before the Throne That waters in this Prophecie figure people see in that place The waters which thou sawest are people Nations multitudes and tongues Sometime the Lord figureth the world by the Moone which is subiect to continuall changes The woman representing the Church is clothed with the Sunne but hath the Moone vnder her feete to shadow vnto vs how all true-hearted Christians are contemners of the world they trample vpon it contenting themselues with Iesus Christ and resting in him as in their glory Sometime also the world is figured by the Sea as here and in the fourteenth chapter the sea is alway tumbling and waltring it stands neuer stable in one estate the waues thereof which now are highest are incontinent lowest ouercome as it were with the force and furie of others thus they dash one against another

righteousnesse c. So the Horse whereupon this Conquerour is carryed through the world is the Ministerie of the Word Primasius by the Horse vnderstands Apostles and Preachers Ministers without the Word are not to be receiued and the Word without a Minister able to preach it is not profitable These two the Lord in his most wise dispensation hath ioyned together For it hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue them who beleeue The Horse then is the Ministerie of the Word The Gospell preached is the Chariot and Horses whereby this King is carried through the world As in the gouernement of the world hee vseth the Ministerie of Angels so in the gathering and gouerning of his Church hee vseth the Ministery of Preachers Who can heare but by Preaching and who can preach except they be sent These are figured by Horses first for the courage wherewith they are endued This is obserued by the Lord himselfe as a speciall property of the Horse He mocketh at feare and is not afraid hee turneth not back from the sword And doubtlesse Preachers in whom Christ is and vpon whom hee rides are valiant and couragious men Their fore-head is like the Adamant and harder then the Flint They feare no death they faint for no trouble that can follow them in the seruice of Christ. Notable was that answer of Andrew the Apostle when Egeas Gouernour of Patris vpbraided him with the death of the Crosse hee answered that he would neuer haue preached the honour and glory of the Crosse if he had feared it And as the seruants of God are farre from that timiditie which makes men vnfaithfull in the cause of God so are they as farre from temerity whereby men ignorantly zealous are precipitate and carried head-long to accelerate for euery light conceite of their braine trouble on themselues Their zeale is like a fire kindled of stubble or straw which makes a faire blaze for the time but because it hath no matter to maintaine it vanisheth incontinent and endeth in vngracious smoaking I wish we had no example of any such among vs it is a shame to the Gospell to speake the one day and retreate the other A wrong cause will neuer furnish strength in trouble wisedom requires that men before-hand should ponder and consider well the cause for which they will resolue to suffer affliction Againe Preachers are figured by Horses and Christ going forth to conquer appeares riding on a Horse to note the speed and celerity which hee was to vse in propagation of the Gospell And indeed it is wonderfull to see how in a short time the Lord Iesus ranne through the world by the Ministerie of his Word ouercomming and subduing to his obedience most mighty Kingdomes by most weake Instruments This is well obserued by Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and Martyr Ecce à Domini Redempt●…ris temporibus anni effluxerunt plus minùs 240. iamque huius vitis palmites latiùs se sparserunt quàm Romanum Imperium It is little more or lesse saith he of two hundred and forty yeares since the daies of Christ the Redeemer and yet in this time the Church hath spred out her Branches larger then the Romane Empire Et qu●…s nulla ferri vis domare potuit emollit sanguis Agni candidi and they whom no power of the sword was able to daunt are made peaceable and tame by the bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Among many of that sort how the Lord hath beene mercifull to Scotland in that about sixteene hundred yeares this Conquerour with his white Horse entred in among vs and subiected vs to himselfe whom the Romanes could neuer subiect to their Empire I haue at large declared in that Treatise Intituled Six daies conference betweene a Catholike Christian and a Catholike Romane And againe as the Horse is bridled and ruled and turned here or there by him that rides vpon it and is not left to himselfe to wander where-away he will so is it with Preachers of the Gospell they are directed to Countries Kingdomes and Cities at the good pleasure of Christ they neither come nor go by accident but by the prouidence of God A notable example hereof we haue in S. Paul hee was of purpose to go to Bithinia but the Spirit suffered him not yea commanded him to go to Macedonia And albeit now the Lord doth not informe his seruants by such extraordinary reuelations yet doth he still worke with them in the same manner appointing them to such places and people as in his Wisedome hee thinkes most expedient Take heed to the flocke ouer which the Holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers and they are as starres in the right hand of Iesus they shine not but where hee holds out his hand and sends them This is a warning to Preachers if they looke to haue their Ministry blessed of the Lord let them not goe where the calling of God leades them not Other riders are helped by their horses but heer the horse is helped by the rider for what is a Preacher if Christ bee not with him and worke in him he is like a Pen without a hand it can write nothing a tongue without a heart it can speake nothing a musicall instrument without one to touch it can make no sound at all We are not able of our selues sufficiently to thinke a good thought all our sufficiency is of God Sith it is so our care should be to carry our Lord alway in our Conscience how should we wait vpon him how should wee most carefully keepe him sith without him wee are able to doe nothing It is written of Bucephalus the horse of Alexander that hee would suffer none to ride vpon him but his owne master whether that be true or not sure it is this is most true Preachers should not be Asses like Issachar couching downe to receiue euery burden that any man will lay vpon them but they are horses for Christ onely to ride vpon Yea all other Christians in their callings are also to looke vnto this that the commandement and direction of their waies bee reserued onely to Iesus Christ Beatae animae quae dorsum suum cur●…arunt vt suscipiant Sessorē verbum Dei fraenacius patiuntur vt quocunque ipse voluerit flectat eas quia non iam propria voluntate incedunt sed ad omnia ducuntur reducuntur voluntate Sessoris Blessed are the soules which bow their backes to receiue The Word of God to ride vpon them who are content to be bridled by him and turned where-away hee will these walke not after their owne will but are turned hither and thither at the good pleasure of him who rides vpon them But to returne and conclude this second point As there is no horse which needeth not the spurre and the bridle the one to stirre him forward the other to gouerne him in