Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	fire_n	ghost_n	holy_a	6,369	5	5.6726	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10018	Sermons preached before his Maiestie; and vpon other speciall occasions viz. 1 The pillar and ground of truth. 2 The new life. 3 A sensible demonstration of the Deity. 4 Exact walking. 5 Samuels support of sorrowfull sinners. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston Dr. in Diuinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.	1630 (1630)	STC 20270; ESTC S120145	80,456	162

that is except they proceede from an inward principle of life within they are not good actions they are such as the Lord regards not Now you know there are motions as the motions of clockes and watches that proceede not from life but from art so it is in this matter of religion many good actions may be done many good motions in the waies of godlinesse which yet may not proceede from life from the life of grace but from outward respects to men from feare of hell from feare of judgements in sickenesse from the apprehension of death and calamity in such cases wee may be stirred vp to doe them and then even as the wheeles that are set a going by a spring when the spring is downe you know they cease their motion so commonly it is in these good fits in these good moodes of godlinesse when that which sets them a worke is removed there is an end of it and therefore if you would know whether the workes that you doe bee right or no such as God will accept at the last day consider if they proceede from an inward principle from a principle of life within Secondly you shall know them by their coldnesse for coldnesse you know is a symptome of death These good workes when they are done by a naturall man yet there is no life in them there is no warmth no vivacity and quicknesse in them whereas you know it is said Iam. 5. Praier if it be fervent prevailes much and Rom. 12. Be yee burning in spirit serning the Lord that is all those dueties that have not heate in them that haue not fire in them God regards them not the reason is this because if no heate bee there then is none of his spirit there and then you know our praiers are but the voyce of our owne spirits the workes that we doe are but dead workes because they are but the fruits and effects of dead flesh if there be none of the holy Ghost there Now if there bee no heate there I say there is none of the spirit for the spirit is as fire Whence you know it is that our Sauiour saith I will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is I will baptize you with the holy Ghost which is as fire And therefore you shall finde that holy men have been usually described by the similitude of fire as Chrysostome saith that Peter was like a man made all of fire walking among stubble and to one that desired to know what kind of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dreame a pillar of fire with this motto Talis est Basilius Such a one was Basil and old Latimer when he was asked the reason why there was so much preaching and so little practising hee gave this reason Deest ignis fire is wanting the same wee may say in this case there may bee a performance much performance of many good dueties of praier of hearing of receiving the Sacrament of worshipping God c. but consider whether there bee fire consider whether they bee not done without that livelinesse and that fervency that the Spirit of God requires whether they are either done without heate or but halfe baked as Hosea's cake was and if so they be but dead workes whereas true praying in secret betweene God and us it is such as warmes and quickens the heart it is such as brings the heart into a good frame of grace and sets it right before God and right hearing is such as kindles a fire in us that in a great measure burnes up the drosse of sinnefull lusts and corrupt affections So that is the next means the second meanes by which wee may know whether we are alive to righteousnes or dead in sin to consider whether we have any motions and of what kinde those motions and actions are Againe you shall know it by considering what you contend for most for life is sweete and every Creature would maintaine his life and will part with any thing rather than with that So a man that hath this life of grace in him hee will suffer any thing hee will lose his life his goods his libertie and all rather than hee will wound his conscience and violate his inward peace and communion with God because that is as sweet and as deare to him as life whereas another man he contends as much for his lusts for his profit for his credit for his pleasures nay for his sins and will rather suffer the losse of a good conscience will rather suffer any unevennesse in his wayes towards God and men suffer any sinne rather than hee will be prejudiced in these things because in this is his life being dead to Christ and alive to sin Againe such as the food is such is the life If it be the life of sinne that a man lives which the Scripture calls death then the secret thoughts and the inward affections feed on carnall delights eyther past present or to come that is either hee solaceth himselfe with the contemplation of what he hath had or he feeds on that which is present or hee cheares up himselfe with the thoughts and projects of those carnall delights which are future whereas a man that lives the life of grace the contrarie is most acceptable to him for everie life drawes to it selfe that which is most sutable and most agreeable to it that is the food wherewith it is maintained and that wherein it delights Pleasure voluptas being nothing else indeed but the application of that which is convenient and agreeable to us And if you say now But naturall men may occupie themselves in hearing in reading in praying and such like holy exercises I answer that they may and it is well these things are very good and commendable and not to bee omitted but yet there is something must be added for this is not enough except we bee nourished by these dueties and grow by them as you know it is said 1 Peter 2. Desire the sincere milke of the word that you may grow thereby and as your common saying is Shew me not the meat but the man For Christ the great Shepheard of the sheepe is affected in this case as shepheards are wont to be that say not to the sheepe shew me the hay that I have given you but shew me the lac lanam the woole and the milke that is shew me the fruits and the effects of all your hearing and praying for a man may bee conversant in all these dueties and yet for want of life and for want of a digestive facultie within that is not turning them to bloud and spirits hee may not be nourished hee may not grow and be strengthened by them but be as a man in an atrophie that cates verie much and yet is as leane and meager as if he had eate nothing Of such the Scripture saith They have a name to live but are dead And they are alway

built it was no longer lawfull to offer sacrifice in any other place Now when Almighty God shall bee so curious have such a quicke and iealous eye upon so small an over-sight as this how sensible will he bee when matters much worse are tolerated permitted Iude 3. the faith once given to the Saints It was but once given therefore if lost or any way corrupted it will not be given again for it was given once for all is not to be revealed a second time and therefore he exhorts them to contend earnestly for the same For our selves wee have cause to magnifie Gods mercie in our present condition under the government of his gracious Maiestie and to remember this day which is the birth day of his Maiestie seeing under his shadow wee enjoy the publicke profession and practice of Religion and may live not only a quiet but an honest life a blessing that we cannot prize too much and should therefore much inlarge our hearts with thankefulnesse to God and love to our Princes to bestow on them not only outward obedience but also inward to assist them and bee subiect to them not by constraint but willingly to pray for them not formally but heartily as for the instruments and conduit-pipes of so great blessings notwithstanding we the Ministers of God have been bold to deliver from the mighty God of heaven and earth to conscience his vicegerent this impartiall and inflexible rule not fashioned and bended by the hand of man but moulded by the holy Ghost that thereby we may discouer where in we have fallen short and bee carefull to amend it wherein we have done well and be encouraged to doe it more and more that is to make freer passage for the truth and dam up the current of errours whether Popish or Arminian or of what kinde else soever for it 's the Lords businesse and blessed is the man that doth it diligently for as any walked more perfectly with God so they had more perfect peace and where unevenesse was found in their obedience there was it also found in Gods blessing on them Though wickednesse and crooked wayes may get the advantage for a start yet by it shall no man bee established Prou. 12. 3. And againe though uprightnesse bee sometimes overwhelmed yet like a corke at last it will arise from under water the prosperitie of wicked men like a watrie sun-shine may for a while continue but the late evening will bring a storme that never shall blow over he may flourish for a time like a greene bay tree but at last shall surely wither Those that are perfect with their God may have a winters season but shall at last be sure to flourish For if God be governour of the world disposer of the things therein according to his will if good and evill are done by him alone then certainely it must bee well with those that feare him and ill with those that sinne against him for it will be alwaies found a true and certaine rule That uprightnesse and holinesse is the cause of all our happinesse and obliquitie and sinne the cause of all our miserie THE NEVV LIFE 1. IOHN 5. 12. Hee that hath the Sonne hath life and hee that hath not the Sonne hath not life THe Apostles scope here is to shew us what great priviledges wee have by Iesus Christ among which this is one of the chiefest that hee that hath the Sonne hath life that is hee hath the life of grace for the present and shall have the life of glory for ever which he sets out by the opposite and that is hee that hath not the Sonne hath not life So that this point lies evidently before us that whosoever hath not a spirituall life for the present he is not in Christ and whosoever hath it is in Christ and shall live for ever where these two things are to be observed First that every man by nature is a dead man dead that is in trespasses and sins Secondly that yet there is a life to bee had that is contrary to this death First I say every man by nature is a dead man for life you see here is from the Sonne now there is no man borne a member of the new Adam but every man is borne a member of the old Adam and therefore in that sense he is borne a dead man though otherwise indued with a naturall life For if the roote be dead as the old Adam is all the branches that rise from the roote must needes be dead also Againe spirituall life is nothing else but a conjunction of the soule with the Spirit of God even as the naturall life is a conjunction of the body with the soule now as the soule leaveth the bodie so the holy Ghost withdrawes itselfe from the soule when it is disjointed distempered and made vnfit for vse for even as a man dwels in a house while it is habitable plaies on a musicall instrument while it is fit useth a vessel while it is whole and sound but when the house growes ruinous and inhabitable hee departs from it when the instrument is unstrung hee laies it aside when the vessell is broken or boared thorow he casts it away and leaves it even so doth the soule depart from the body when it growes ruinous when it is made inhabitable through mortal disease it laies it aside as an out-worn garment and after the same manner the holy Spirit withdrawes it self from the soule of a man when it is broken ruinated distempered through the mortall disease of sin and of naturall corruption And this is the case of every naturall man whatsoever till he be renewed by the infusion of a new life and yet it is the common opinion of naturall men that if a man live in the Church and be baptized and pray heare the word and imbrace the true religion and practise the outward duties of it that he is out of doubt in the state of this spirituall life and therfore I think it would bee an houre well spent to discover dead men to themselves to perswade men that except they be made new creatures except they be borne again they are in a state of death and cannot bee saved in that condition for you see he that hath not life hath not the Son and he that hath not the Son shall die the wrath of God abides upon him for ever Ioh. 3. ult Now it is said Eph. 4. 18. that men are strangers front this life through the ignorance that is in them and through the hardnesse of their hearts Marke it they are strangers from this life Partly through Ignorance because they are ignorant of this worke of life and regeneration they thinke there is a greater latitude in religion than there is within which compasse if they come they are safe that is though they be not so strict and so zealous though they goe not so fast to heaven as others yet they shall doe as