Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	flesh_n	grace_n	sin_n	7,550	5	4.8045	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10944	Samuels encounter with Saul. I Sam. chap. 15 from ver. 13 to ver. 30. Preached and penned, by that worthy seruant of God, Mr. Richard Rogers, late preacher of Wetherfield, in Essex. And published word for word, according to this owne coppy, finished before his death	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Egerton, Stephen, 1555?-1621?	1620 (1620)	STC 21214; ESTC S100043	91,140	398

any fault by occasion as either by the subtill delusions of the Deuill or his owne flesh wee who haue by the grace of God any greater liberty from sin and haue more freedome to follow the direction of Gods Spirit must labour and bee ready to restore such an one with meeknesse considering our selues lest wee also bee tempted in like manner for in such a case we would bee glad of the best aduice and counsell and to bee handled kindely and faithfully dealt with to the end wee might bee recouered againe and comforted But to passe to the third sort if yee aske whether we should not also beare with such as be open offendours and cast away the commandement as yet and professe that they will not bee ruled by it lest if wee winke not at their fault our owne should not be winked at Answ I answer in no wise wee ought to doe so but cast our care vpon God for it assuring our selues that hee will keep vs from such fearfull falls as long as we heartily desire to follow the direction which hee giueth vs and that hee will ueuer the sooner giue vs ouer to Satan for our hating and disallowing of sinne in other wicked persons But will keepe vs the rather that such foule blots fall not out in our selues when wee in a good conscience doe abhorre them deadly in others And thus I hauing answered how wee ought to behaue our selues toward these three sorts I conclude that wee should follow Samuels practice here toward such as Saul was as knowledge guideth who did not neglect but take an opportunity to admonish and aduise Saul so long as there was hope but when hee professed to turne from his sinne and yet euen then dealt hollowly and doubly Samuel would not allow nor beare him in it but sought to depart from him rather rhen hee would goe with him to worship God in the case hee was in as hee would haue had him Euen so when men in their words and deedes bewray their treachery against God tell them of it as long as they will heare it but if they cast that louing admonition off and put away the Word of God from guiding them leaue them in it rather then haue fellowship with them that they may see for what cause they bee forsaken and so if it please God they may come to amendment but yet loue and pitty them that when God shall giue further opportunity wee may doe them good As the Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth in the like case Doct. 26. We must doe nothing of which we cannot yeeld good reason Thus much of Samuels refusing to goe with Saul now of the reason that hee rendred why he would not goe with him and that was because hee had cast off the Word of the Lord. For which cause the Lord had also cast him off from being King In which words consider two things the first concerneth Samuel the other Saul From the first wee learne that wee should bee able to yeeld a reason of our doings alwayes and shew it also when it is expedient so to doe For if we cannot render a reason of them wee doe them slightly at least if not rashly and dangerously so that we may bee ashamed to men ward and repent before God And that which S. Peter requireth concerning our religion and faith that we should bee ready alwayes to giue an answer to euery man that asketh of vs a reason of the hope that is in vs that rule I say holdeth with the like equity in our conuersation that wee should bee ready to giue a reason why we liue thus or so and why we doe this or that And the very heathen Cicero aduiseth that a wise man should doe nothing whereof hee cannot yeeld a probable reason All that I haue sayd is to the iust reproofe of such as haue little regard what they doe or how they liue who therefore are of no credit nor account with God or the better sort of men seeing they looke not to giue a reason of their doings But it is not meat for wise Christians to hang and depend on mens mouthes for the allowance and commendation of their doings whether they bee good or no but to goe by a better rule to wit of examining and obseruing their wayes so that they may truly say they hauing weighed them in the waights of the Sanctuary I meane by the Word of God that so they may be able to see that they haue done them in a good conscience So Dauid considered his wayes and turned his feet into the way of Gods testimonies And they that iudge themselues in secret before God shall not be ashamed of their doings openly before men Doct. 28. Nothing should hurt vs if wee cast not off Gods yoke The next and last thing that I obserue in this verse is that which concerneth Saul that Samuel sayd to Saul seeing thou hast cast away the Word of the Lord he hath cast away thee that thou shalt not be King ouer Israel so that if he had not done so neither should hee haue beene cast out of his Kingdom Where it is manifest that if men did not as Saul reiect the Word so that it cannot gouerne them and if they did not cast off Gods yoke hating to be reformed they should haue no cause to cry out as they doe of the heauy punishments which they meet with and take hold of them but reioyce and praise God for his many and great blessings So faith the Psalmist Oh that my people would haue harkned vnto me and that Israel would haue walked in my wayes I would soone haue brought low their enemies and would haue turned my hand against them But this euen this that men will lye still in their sinne and hold it fast as the childe doth the sweet sugar in the mouth is the cause of all their complaints of sore afflictions and losse of their best commodities and heauy dayes which though wee shall neuer bee free from altogether no not the best while we carry flesh about vs yet wee might remedy it in great part if God had any authority might preuaile with vs. And if his owne children will rebell and breake out of compasse to prouoke him he will chastize euen them with his smarcy rods and corrections Euen as the Lord spake by the Prophet Obadiah to Asa King of Iudah saying O Asa and all Iudah and Beniamin heare yee mee The Lord is with you while yee bee with him if yee seeke him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you If God then will execute punishment vpon his owne people prouoking him what maruell is it though they bee loden with iudgements who are none of his but his enemies And further then both the one and the other doe humble themselues to walk with the Lord they shall euer be in danger as they may here