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	zeal_n	zealous_a	292	3	9.5772	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64833	Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II. little children, III. young men, IV. fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments, also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons / preached by Ralph Venning and fitted by him for the press before his death.	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1675 (1675)	Wing V225; ESTC R27039	205,701	393

of great use Qui dubitat qui saepe rogat c. but carnal men as the Pharisees and Sadducees were askt Christ many a captious and quarrelsome question yea the Devil abused our common Mother by a Quaerie and in this the Babes are as carnal that they take up a great deal of time and discourse about impertinent and little things The Corinthians troubled Paul about such things as common discretion would have determined and therefore he tells them so often in relation to it thus say I not the Lord 1 Cor. 7.6 and 12. and 25 26. and 40. as much as to say these things are not so much matter of Religion and Conscience as of prudence and discretion As about Marrying so about eating they seemed to be very solicitous and much concerned 1 Cor. 8. which yet was an indifferent thing Vers 8. only such liberty must not be abused to the offence of others Vers 9. else 't is not a matter of Conscience whether I may eat or not this or that for any thing that is sold in the Shambles and good for food is lawful to be eaten without a dispute 1 Cor. 9. 27 33. so the Disciples till Christs Ascention were full of pitiful questions who shall be greatest Matth. 18.1 what shall this man do Joh. 21.21 Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel Acts 1.6 Alas what a poor low way of questioning is this indeed to ask What shall I do to be saved what is the Will of God concerning me in my place and relation how shall I attain to a more perfect state such things are considerable and worth the asking but to be taken up about little and low things is to be as Babes and as carnal more nice than wise 7. These Babes live much more by Tradition and the example of men than by rule or reason They are as to their Faith a kind of implicite believers and believe as the Church or such and such a great wise and learned Doctor believes and their practice is a kind of imitation of some men in such and such things This made Paul speak to his Corinthians to follow him but as he followed Christ if you will follow and have an example of me look on me only as in and walking in the steps of Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 11.1 3. I fear that to this day many persons take into such a track because such and such men whom they affect do so more than for any conviction that is upon them or any account they can give that it is the way of God But remember Non quâitur sed quâ cundum est we should not walk by what is done but by what ought to be done Morth 19.1 9. 8. They are as carnal in having more zeal than knowledge to manage it of the Jews the Apostle speaks thus Rom. 10.2 3. and in like manner doth he speak of the Galatian-Babes and upon the like occasion Gal. 4.16 21. and Chap. 3.1 5. They no sooner get a notion by the end but they are all of a flame they like tinder take fire presently and suffer zeal though without discretion to eat them up Paul himself while carnal was a most zealous man but 't was in the daies of his ignorance Zeal like fire is a good Servent indeed but 't is a bad Master it need be well watch'd When the Disciples in their zeal would have called for fire from Heaven 't was from their unacquaintedness with their own spirit And 't was in such a fit that Peter drew his Sword But this is not the way of Christ whose Kingdom is not of this world and therefore will not that his servants fight Matth. 26.51 with Joh. 18.10 and 36. 't is like carnal men to think we do God good service by killing them that do not deserve it as being not of our way Joh. 16.2 and usually this zeal of such men shews it self most in the presence of their leaders and dies in their absence Gal. 4.18 2 Chron. 24.2 I will not undertake to tell who are and how many such Babes there are in our daies but I am afraid there are too many 9. Babes are as carnal in this that they can hardly bear a reproof or an Exhortation carnal men and Babes that are as carnal look on reproofs as reproaches and cannot bear them They are not without heart risings and grudgeings against them that reprove them the Corinthians were nettled at Paul's dealing roundly with and rebuking them sharply that they might be found in the Faith they could hardly bear with him but almost called him fool for his kindness and love 2 Cor. 11.1 and 12.11 15. the Author of the Epistile to the Hebrew-Babes is fain to entreat them to suffer a word of Exhortation Heb. 13.22 I beseech you Brethren suffer the word of exhertation for I have written a Letter to you in few words Though one speak but a little but a few words they think them too many if they like not what is said though perhaps it concerns none so much as themselves Eli's carnal Sons could not bear reproof from their Father nor can Babes as carnal bear any though from a Father And beside this they are loth to suffer for Religion but will rather comply and conform with to the rudiments of this world as the Hebrews with Jewish and the Corinthians with Gentile Rites rather than suffer persecution 'T is true the Hebrews after they were illuminated indured a great fight of affliction at first Heb. 10.32 but they had weak hands and feeble knees and began to faint and be weary which occasioned that quickening exhortation Chap. 12. which he intreats them to suffer Chap. 13.22 The Disciples themselves were scattered and fled at the smiting of the Shepherd so tedious a thing is suffering to them that are but Babes and as carnal If thou saint in the day of affliction thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 10. To name no more some of them are apt to measure Gods heart by his hand as carnal men do love and hatred by the things before them which is a false rule If Gods hand be open to and fill them with his blessings then all is well but if his hand be shut up from or laid upon them then like Sion of old God hath forsaken them this is their infirmity for the best of this world is not good enough to be a Love token nor the worst of it bad enough to be a token of hatred If God slay their Son or take away what they love they draw sad conclusions as if God had no respect for them so it seems the Corinthians were apt to do when God afflicted them and therefore the Apostle tells them 1 Cor. 11.32 when we are Judged though for this cause Vers 30. yet we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world And so the Hebrew-Babes were heartned by the like consideration that they might not measure Gods heart

bringing in and building up but still remember that the excellency of the power is of God and not of the Earthen Vessel It shall be granted that thou maist love if thou wilt not Idolize thy Father Paul not call him Father as the Jews did the Pharisees It may be Boanerges may suit one and Barnabas another better but remember it must not be judged by humour Hear thine Apollo but receive the Word not as his but as Gods or else 't will not work effectually 1 Thes 2.13 do not call him thy magnus Apollo thine Oracle Believe the truth who ever Preach it Paul or Apollo but do not pin thy Faith on any mans sleeve be it white or black be of what Church thou wilt so thou be of the Church of Christ and do not glory in this I am of Paul and I of Apollo for there is no Church in Scripture called this mans or that mans 't is the Church of God and the Churches of Christ I could say other things but I intend to spare you all I can though there are many more carnalities yet to be mentioned pudetque referre c. 2. They were as carnal in that they were proud of being in Church communion though they had and kept communion with very unclean persons and their lump was leavened That they did so is clear from 1 Cor. 5. and yet were pussed up Vers 2. and gloried Vers 6. they boasted of being in fellowship though it were with gross and unheard of sinners Vers 1. which puts the Apoille upon such Exhortations as we find in Vers 11. and 2 Cor. 6.14 When persons can content themselves with and be proud of such common prophane and therefore fulsome and offensive communion at large 't is an argument of their being as carnal when content with Ordinances disorderly administred they are as carnal 1 Cor. 11.17 34. when humane partitions steal the name of a Church and mixt participations the name of communion and Christians can please themselves with and glory in it they are as carnal Be not therefore unequally yoked and if any that is called Brother be a Fornicator c. with such an one don 't you eat 3. That these Corinthian-Babes were as carnal appears by their going to Law with one another before the unbelievers and unjust 1 Cor. 6.1 8. this they were bold and daring in durst any of you Vers 1. this they did for toyes and trifles the smallest matters Vers 2. they had cause to be ashamed of it Vers 5. as if there had not been one wise or honest man among them 't was utterly and undeniably a fault Vers 7. And yet being but Babes and as carnal this they durst to do Such Babes are all they who do after this fashion so is every one such another piece of carnality who refuseth the hearing of the Saints and goes to Law with his Brother before unbelievers and the unjust The Apostle speaks angerly in this case What dare you know ye not c. Can you profess and pray and yet not forgive nor suffer but wrong and defraud and that your Brethren Oh what a strange thing is this it cannot be excused nor any plea can be made for it 't is utterly a fault 't is altogether and wholly a fault as the gr 't is base all over 4. Babes appear to be as carnal in this that they pass from one extream to another in their actings and are not acquainted with the golden mean and moderation they either under or over do A while these Corinthians were so careless that they did not mind to cast out or censure the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5. and anon they are so violent that they will not forgive him but suffer him to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 2 Cor. 2. Thus they go from the extream of desect to that of excess and are not acquainted with the divine mediocrity to walk in the midst of the paths of Judgement So the Galatian Babes at the first they admire Paul and bless him but after a while they carry it to him as if he had been their enemy Gal. 4.14 16. and this was soon done Chap. 1.6 At the beginning who but Paul they were ready to Deify him after a while he was no body they were ready to defie him thus do they not veeze about by degrees but chop about from one extream to another being tossed with every wind of doctrine Ephes 4.14 they sail with that wind that blows and are carried with the last man they heard poor weather-cocks that they are When our Saviour began to wash the Disciples feet John 13. saies Peter Vers 6. Lord d●st thou wash my feet he seems to put it off with scorn what have I no more manners than to let thee wash my feet thou shalt never wash my feet Vers 8. and yet when Christ had told him but a word or two saies he Vers 9. Lord not only my feet but my hands and my head The one extream was thou shalt not never wash my feet and the other extream is wash my head he passeth from one extream to another in a moment as ' t were In matter of practice the Corinthians were in the extream one while not cast out another not take in the incestuous person in point to affection the Galatians would now pull out their eyes for Paul and then pull out his eyes and as for protestation Peter is one time for not at all and by and by for all over this is the way of these Babes and this their way is their folly for they are as carnal 5. They are as carnal in this that they take great exceptions at a little matter they will take pet at nothing almost If you be not of their way and follow them they will take it ill even to the forbidding of doing Christs work as the Disciples did Mark 9.38 but they were as carnal in this and therefore Christ forbids them to do any such thing and on weighty reasons too Vers 39 40. Babes in Christ are many of them of a touchy peevish and sowr humour So when the Disciples met with colder entertainment than they lookt for they were for fire from Heaven which was an evident sign that they knew not what spirit they were of Luke 9.51 55. When the Apostle Paul had made a promise to the Corinthians of coming to them 1 Cor. 16.5 7. and was disappointed they presently accuse him of lightness and complement which puts him upon Apologising for himself 2 Cor. 1.15 24. and surely they are as babish as these were that are so rash and censorious that take pet and make exception without cause they are as carnal 6. Babes are as carnal in making many questions either trivial or needless ones they concern themselves much about things of little concernment to their edification Under the notion of a case or scruple of Conscience they will ask many an impertinent question The way of asking questions may be