Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	find_v	young_a	youth_n	60	3	7.7527	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53678	A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews viz, on the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth chapters : wherein together with the explication of the text and context, the priesthood of Christ ... are declared, explained and confirmed : as also, the pleas of the Jews for the continuance and perpetuity of their legal worship, with the doctrine of the principal writers of the Socinians about these things, are examined and disproved / by J. Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O729; ESTC R21737	1,235,588	797

men are apt to deceive their Souls in supposing they believe the free Promises of God concerning Grace and Mercy whilst they believe not those which are annexed unto Duty For he who believeth not any Promises of the Gospel believeth none Faith doth as equally respect all Gods Promises as Obedience doth all his Commands And it was a good design in a Reverend Person who wrote a Discourse to prove from the Scripture and Experience That largeness in Charity is the best and safest way of thriving in this world 4. Where the Objects of this exercise of Love are multiplied Weariness is apt to befall us and insensibly to take us off from the whole The Wisdom and Providence of God do multiply Objects of Love and Charity to excite us to more acts of Duty and the corruption of our Hearts with self-love useth the consideration of them to make us weary of all Men would be glad to see an end of the trouble and charge of their Love when that only is true which is endless Hence our Apostle in the next Verse expresseth his desire that these Hebrews should not faint in their work but shew the same diligence unto the full assurance of hope unto the end See Gal. 6. 9. And if we faint in spiritual Duties because of the increase of their occasions it is a sign that what we have done already did not spring from the proper Root of Faith and Love What is done in the strength of Nature and Conviction howsoever vigorous it may be for a season in process of time will decay and give out And this is the reason why so many fail in the course of their Profession All Springs of Obedience that lye in Convictions and the improvement of natural Abilities under them will at one time or other fade and dry up And where we find our selves to faint or decay in any Duties our first enquiry should be after the nature of their spring and principle Only the Spirit of God is living water that never fails So the Prophet tells us that even the Youths shall faint and be weary and the Young men shall utterly fail Isa. 40. 30. They who seem to be the strongest and most vigorous in the performance of any Duties yet if they have nothing but their own strength the Ability of nature under Convictions to trust unto they will and shall faint and utterly fail For that such are intended is manifest from the opposition in the next words But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint ver 31. If our Strength and Duties be derived by Faith from God the more we engage in them the more it will be increased The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10. 29. Where we are upright in the way of God the very way it self will supply us with new strength continually And we shall go from strength unto strength Psal. 84. 7. from one strengthening Duty unto another and not be weary But hereunto diligence and labour also is required From these and the like considerations it is that the Apostle here mentioneth the industrious labour of Love that was in the Hebrews as an evidence of their saving Faith and Sincerity The next thing expressed in these words is the Evidence they gave of this labour of Love and the means whereby the Apostle came to know it They shewed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have shewed or manifested it The same word that James useth in the same case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 2. 18. shew me thy Faith by thy works declare it make it manifest And a man may shew a thing two ways 1 By the doing of it 2 By declaring what he hath done He that works visibly in his calling shews his work by what he doth And he who works in secret may declare it as he hath occasion It is in the first sense that the Hebrews shewed their labour of Love and that James requires us to shew our Faith and Works The things themselves are intended which cannot but be manifest in their due performance To shew the labour of Love is to labour in the Duties of it as that it shall be evident Yet this self-evidencing power of the works of Love is a peculiar property of those that are some way eminent When we abound in them and when the Duties of them are above the ordinary sort and rate then are we said to shew them that is they become conspicuous and eminent To that purpose is the command of our Saviour Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Not only let it shine but let it so shine which respects the measure and degree of our Obedience and herein are we required so to abound that our works may be evident unto all If they will take no notice of them for their good if they will revile us and reproach us for our good works as though they were evil works which is the way of the world towards most Duties of Gospel Obedience they themselves must answer for their Blindness our Duty it is so to abound in them as that they may be discerned and seen of all who do not either shut their Eyes out of prejudice against what we are or turn their faces from them out of dislike of what we do Nothing is to be done by us that it may be seen but what may be seen is to be done that God may be glorified Wherefore these Hebrews shewed the work of Faith and the labour of Love by a diligent attendance unto and an abundant performance of the one and the other 3. The End or Reason or Cause of their performance of these Duties which gives them spirit and life rendring them truly Christian and acceptable unto God is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards his name Some would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his name which also may bear the sense here intended But towards his name is more emphatical And we may observe 1 That in this place it respects not the whole work of these Hebrews the work of Faith before mentioned but it is peculiarly annexed unto the labour of Love The labour of Love towards his name 2 That it was the Saints that were the immediate object of that Love as is declared in the words ensuing in that you have ministred to the Saints and do minister Wherefore it is a Love unto the Saints on the account of the name of God that is intended And this Love unto the Saints is towards the name of God on three accounts 1 Objectively Because the name of God is upon them They are the Family that is called after his name Of him the whole Family of them in Heaven and

did Jesus Christ the Son of God in Infinite Wisdom Love and Grace interpose himself in our behalf in our stead to do answer and perform all that God in Infinite Wisdom Holiness and Righteousness required unto that end And we may observe that There is a Signal Glory put upon the undertaking of Christ to make Reconciliation for the Church by the Sacrifice of himself 3. This undertaking of Christ is Signalized by the Remark that is put on the Declaration of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold A Glorious Spectacle it was to God to Angels and to Men To God as it was filled with the highest Effects of Infinite goodness Wisdom and Grace which all shone forth in their greatest Elevation and were glorified therein It was so unto Angels as that whereon their Confirmation and Establishment in Glory did depend Eph. 1. 10. which therefore they endeavoured with Fear and Reverence to look into 1 Pet. 1. 12 13. And as unto Men that is the Church of the Elect nothing could be so Glorious in their Sight nothing so desirable By this call of Christ behold I come the Eys of all Creatures in Heaven and Earth ought to be fixed on him to behold the glorious work he had undertaken and the accomplishment of it 4. There is what he thus proposed himself for saying Behold me This in general is expressed by himself I come This coming of Christ what it was and wherein it did consist was declared before It was by assuming the Body that was prepared for him This was the Foundation of the whole work he had to do wherein he came forth like the Rising Sun with Light in his Wings or as a Giant rejoycing to run his Race The Faith of the Old Testament was that he was thus to come And this is the Life of the New that he is come They by whom this is denyed do overthrow the Faith of the Gospel This is the Spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 3. 1 2 3. And this may be done two ways 1. Directly and Expresly 2. By just consequence Directly it is done by them who deny the Reality of his humane Nature as many did of old affirming that he had only an Aetherial Aerial or Phantastical Body For if he came not in the Flesh he is not come at all So also it is by them who deny the Divine Person of Christ and his preexistence therein before the assumption of the Humane Nature For they deny that these are the words of him when resolved and spoken before this coming He that did not exist before in the Divine Nature could not promise to come in the Humane And Indirectly it is denied by all those who either in Doctrines or practices deny the ends of his coming who are many which I shall not now mention It may be Objected against this fundamental Truth that if the Son of God would undertake this work of Reconciliation between God and Man why did he not do the Will of God by his mighty Power and Grace and not by this way of coming in the Flesh which was attended with all Dishonour Reproaches Sufferings and Death it self But besides what I have at large elsewhere discoursed concerning the necessity and suitableness of this way of his coming unto the manifestation of all the Glorious properties of the Nature of God I shall only say that God and he alone knew what was necessary unto the accomplishment of his Will and if it might have been otherwise effected he would have spared his only Son and not have given him up unto death 2. The End for which he thus promiseth to come is to do the Will of God Lo I come to do thy Will O God The Will of God is taken two ways 1. For his Eternal purpose and design called the Counsel of his Will Eph. 1. 11. and most commonly his Will it self The Will of God as unto what he will do or cause to be done 2. For the Declaration of his Will and Pleasure as unto what he will have us to do in a way of Duty and Obedience that is the Rule of our Obedience It was the Will of God in the former sense that is here intended as is evident from the next Verse when it is said that by this Will of God we are Sanctified that is our Sins were Expiated according to the Will of God But neither is the other sense absolutely excluded for the Lord Christ came so to fulfil the Will of Gods purpose as that we may be enabled to fulfil the Will of his Command Yea and he himself had a Command from God to lay down his Life for the accomplishment of this Work Wherefore this Will of God which Christ came to fulfil is that which elsewhere is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 1. 5 11. c. His good pleasure his purpose the Counsel of his Will his good pleasure which he purposed in himself that is freely without any Cause or Reason taken from us to call justifie sanctifie and save to the uttermost or to bring them unto Eternal Glory This he had purposed from Eternity to the praise of the Glory of his Grace How this might be effected and accomplished God had hid in his own Bosome from the beginning of the World Ephes. 3. 8 9. So as that it was beyond the Wisdom and Indagation of all Angels and Men to make a Discovery of Howbeit even from the beginning he declared that such a work he had graciously designed and gave in the First promise and otherwise some obscure Intimations of the Nature of it for a Foundation of the Faith in them that were called Afterwards God was pleased in his Soveraign Authority over the Church for their good and unto his own Glory to make a representation of this whole work in the Institutions of the Law especially of the Sacrifices thereof But hereon the Church began to think at least many of them did so that those Sacrifices themselves were to be the only means of accomplishing this Will of God in the Expiation of Sin with the Salvation of the Church But God had now by various ways and means witnessed unto the Church that indeed he never appointed them unto any such end nor would rest in them and the Church it self found by experience that they would never pacify Conscience and that the strict performance of them was a Yoke and Burden In this state of things when the fulness of time was come the glorious Counsels of God namely of the Father Son and Spirit brake forth with Light like the Sun in its strength from under a Cloud in the tender made of himself by Jesus Christ unto the Father Lo I come to do thy Will O God This this is the way the only way whereby the Will of God might be accomplished Herein were all the Riches of Divine Wisdom displayed all the Treasures of Grace laid open all Shades and Clouds dispelled and the open door of Salvation

evidenced unto all 3. This Will of God Christ came to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to effect to establish and perfectly to fulfil it How he did so the Apostle fully declareth in this Epistle He did it in the whole work of his Mediation from the susception of our Nature in the Womb unto what he doth in his supream Agency in Heaven at the Right Hand of God He did all things to accomplish this eternal purpose of the Will of God This seems to me the First Sense of the place Howbeit I would not as I said before exclude the former mentioned also For our Lord in all that he did was the Servant of the Father and received especial commands for all that he did This Commandment saith he have I received of my Father Hence in this sense also he came to do the Will of God He fulfilled the Will of his purpose by Obedience unto the Will of his Commands Hence it is added in the Psalm that he delighted to do the Will of God and that his Law was in the midst of his Bowels His delight in the Will of God as unto the laying down of his Life at the Command of God was necessary unto this doing of his Will And we may observe 1. The Foundation of the whole glorious work of the Salvation of the Church was laid in the Soveraign Will Pleasure and Grace of God even the Father Christ came only to do his Will 2. The coming of Christ in the Flesh was in the Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness of God necessary for to fulfil his Will that we might be saved unto his Glory 3. The fundamental motive unto the Lord Christ in his undertaking the work of Mediation was the Will and Glory of God Lo I come to do thy Will 5 ly The last thing in this Context is the Ground and Rule of this undertaking of the Lord Christ and this is the Glory of the Truth of God in his promises recorded in the word In the Volume of the Book it is written of me that I should fulfil thy Will O God There is a difficulty in these words both as to the Translation of the Original Text and as unto the Application of them And therefore Critical Observations have been multiplied about them which it is not my way or work to repeat Those that are Learned know where to find them and those that are not so will not be edified by them What is the true meaning and intention of the Holy Spirit in them is what we are to enquire into The Socinian Expositors have a peculiar conceit on this place They suppose the Apostle useth this expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to denote some especial Chapter or place in the Law This they conjecture to be that of Deut. 17. v. 18 19. And it shall be that when He the King to be chosen shall sit on the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his Life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them David they say spoke those words in the Psalm and it is no where said that he should come to do the Will of God but in this place of Deuteronomy as he was to be the King of that people But there can be nothing more fond than this empty conjecture For 1. David is not at all intended in these words of the Psalmist any otherwise but as he was the Penman of the Holy Ghost and a Type of Christ on which account he speaks in his name They are the words of Christ which David was inspired by the Holy Ghost to declare and utter neither would David speak these words concerning himself because he that speaks doth absolutely prefer his own Obedience as unto Worth and Efficacy before all Gods Holy Institutions He presents it unto God as that which is more useful unto the Church than all the Sacrifices which God had Ordained This David could not do justly 2. There is nothing spoken in this place of Deuteronomy concerning the Sacerdotal Office but only of the Regal And in this place of the Psalmist there is no respect unto the Kingly Office but only unto the Priesthood For Comparison is made with the Sacrifices of the Law But the Offering of these Sacrifices was expresly forbidden unto the Kings as is manifest in the instance of King Uzziah 2 Chron. 26. ver 18 19 20. Besides there is in that place of Deuteronomy no more respect had unto David than unto Saul or Jeroboam or any other that was to be King of that people There is nothing in them that belongs unto David in a peculiar manner 3. The words there recorded contain a meer prescription of Duty no prediction of the event which for the most part was contrary unto what is required But the words of the Psalmist are a Prophesie a Divine Prediction and Promise which must be actually accomplished Nor doth our Lord Christ in them declare what was prescribed unto him but what he did undertake to do and the record that was made of that undertaking of his 4. There is not one word in that place of Moses concerning the removal of Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings which as the Apostle declares is the principal thing intended in those of the Psalmist Yea the contrary as unto the season intended is expresly asserted For the King was to read in the Book of the Law continually that he might observe and do all that is written therein a great part whereof consists in the Institution and Observation of Sacrifices 5. This Interpretation of the words utterly overthrows what they dispute for immediately before This is that the entrance mentioned of Christ into the World was not indeed his coming into this World but his going out of it and entring into Heaven For it cannot be denied but that the Obedience of reading the Law continually and doing of it is to be attended unto in this World and not in Heaven and this they seem to acknowledge so as to recal their own Exposition Other absurdities which are very many in this place I shall not insist upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We with many others render in answer unto the Hebrew in the Volume or Roll. Ribera contends that this Translation of the word the Volume or Roll of the Book is absurd Because saith he the Book it self was a Volume or a Roll and so it is as if he had said in the Roll of the Roll. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we Translate a Book doth not signifie a Book as written in a Roll but only an Enuntiation or Declaration of any thing We now call any Book of greater quantity a Volume but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly a Roll and the words