Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	feed_v	poison_n	rank_a	20	3	18.0227	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41135	A treatise of the affections, or, The souls pulse whereby a Christian may know whether he be living or dying : together with a lively description of their nature, signs, and symptomes : as also directing men to the right use and ordering of them / by that Reverend and faithfull minister of Gods word, M. William Fenner ... finished by himself.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.	1650 (1650)	Wing F708; ESTC R9229	161,998	208

ever hold them O could we take hold of them it were well they are fair handles for us to take hold by O if we could but truly affect your hearts with the truth then we might have some hope to convert you As Epictetus saies of wrongs and of injuries and all things in the world every thing hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every thing hath two handles O saies he if a man could take hold of every wrong at the right handle then he would bear it patiently so I may say of your haarts Your hearts have two handles I pray God the Word may take hold at the right handle of your hearts The true affections of the heart if ever the Word take hold of them it hath taken hold of the right handle Is it not then a lamentable thing that mens affections are misplaced alas they are the hold of the heart and the heart can never be taken unlesse they be set right Sirthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are the souls stomack that which the soul doth affect that reedeth and filleth the soul as meat doth the stomack Is it not necessary to be careful what meat we doe eat if we eat trash it will kill us if we feed upon poyson it will poyson and infect us Now that is the food of thy soul which thy soul does affect and thine affection is thy souls stomack to hunger after it thine affections are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aspasius they are the appetite of the soul Such then as your affections are such is your food Should you see a man feed upon dirt and upon Bricks and upon carrion certainly you would say unlesse he be broken therefrom it will kill him No remedy but it will kill him without doubt And wilt thou feed thy soul with vanities and with trash and with poyson Every thing is trash besides Christ every thing is poyson besides Christ and his graces if thou feedest upon any thing besides Christ and his spirit thou feedest upon trash and upon poyson Now if thou set thine affections here below thou feedest upon trash Thou murderest thy soul with such food its rank poyson and yet thou feedest upon it That which thou affectest that 's thy souls food As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. milk you know is the babes food if it have not its food it cannot possible live But the word is the milk and the food of the soul and that the Apostle would have you to set your affections upon Desire it or affect it saies he where note your affections are the stomack of your soul The Word is your food All other food is but trash and it feeds you accordingly O ye poor souls that feed upon poyson all the day long that diet your souls with nothing but trash and filth and froth how long will you do thus O set your affections on things that are above these are the wholsome food of your souls c. Seventhly it may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are the main matter of grace They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are the materials of grace as Aristotle saies of the vertues they are nothing but the right ruling of the affections so may I say of grace with a little alteration the main work of grace is the ruling of the affections aright it takes them off from the things here on earth and lifts them up to the things that are in Heaven When grace d●th convert a man it doth not take away the affections but it ruleth them Thou wert angry before grace doth not take away thine anger No oportet virum bonum esse iracundum saies Cicero A good man must be angry I say grace does not take away thine anger but it ruleth thine anger and teacheth thee to turn it against sinne and against the dishonour of God Thou wert merrily disposed before of a cheerful constitution grace doth not come to take away thy mirth but to rule it Whereas thou wert merry with vanity and ever laughing at jests and at fooleries now grace makes thee merry in Gods service and to rejoyce in the Lord. Thou wert of a sad spirit before but perhaps it was for crosses and losses and discontents and the like grace comes not to take away thy sorrows but to rule them to make thee weep and mourn at thy deadnesse and unthankfulness toward the Lord Jesus Christ Gratia non tollit sed attollit naturam Grace does not take away nature but it taketh it up The affections are natural grace turns them into spiritual this I say brethren that ye may see how that grace runs along in the affections as water in the pipe The affections are the matter of grace As the soul is in the body the body is the matter and the soul is in it and so makes up a living creature A man had need look to his body for it is the due matter of his soul so it is with the affections thou hast need to be careful of them for they are the matter of grace and therefore the Apostle cals the affections the members yeeld your members servants unto righteousnesse Rom. 6. 19. that is as expositors expound it yeeld your affections thereto For they are your souls members and the materials of grace is not fear the matter of the fear of the Lord and love the matter of the love of the Lord and sorrow the matter of repentance from sin now if the affections be the materials of grace what a desperate condition are ye in that set your affections upon the things here below you throw down all the matter of grace How can ye have any grace when ye cast away in the kennel all the matter for grace Grace requires the affections for its matter and thou hast no matter for this grace Thou hurlest away all thine affections upon thy pleasures and thy profits and thy vanities thou art so far from all grace as that thou hast no matter for grace Eighthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are arguments what ye be According as your affections are so are your souls if I could see what your affections run on I could see what ye all be whether Saints or wicked whether of God or the Devil The affections are the arguments that a man is a man When the people of Lystra took Paul and Barnabas for gods and would have sacrificed to them Sirs saies Paul Why do ye thus whereas we are men of like passions with you Act. 14. 15. that is affections we have fear and joy and grief and love and the like passions with you Now if the bare having of affections be the arguments that a man is a man then surely the goodnesse or