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	law_n	sin_n	20,113	5	5.9622	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25205	Duty and interest united in prayer and praise for kings and all that are in authority from I Tim. II. 1,2 : being a sermon preach'd at Westminster upon the late day of thanksgiving, Sept. 8, 1695 / by V.A.	Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.	1695 (1695)	Wing A2908; ESTC R27733	27,230	36

improper in our lowest condition In the managing this observation I will endeavour 1. Briefly to confirm it 2. Then largely to apply it I. For Confirmation And for that I shall only offer three consideratious 1. Reason The wise God has put all things in this lower world in a state of mixture none so evil but has a mixture of good to allay the evil none so good but has a mixture of evil to dilute the goodness of it God oftentimes writes bitter things against a person against a people but withal sends some Mercy to sweeten it at other times he indulges us pleasant morsels but withal provides a mixture of crosses that we may not surseit upon the luscious Mercies And as the good is distinguisht from the evil tho not separated so the evil is mingled with the good but not confused good is good still tho it receives a tincture of evil and evil is evil still tho it receives a dash of goodness Now as mercy and judgment sorrow and joy are as it were blended together into one mass so will our praises and prayers have their proper employments in both If God sets the good against the evil Eccles. 7. 14 there 's matter for prayer that God would turn the evil unto good Gen. 50. 20. and matter for praise too that God has promised it shall work for good Rom 8. 28. And first let us for the clearing of this point look back into former ages especially into the Jewish state 2 Chron. 15. 16 17. we read that Asa removed his Mother from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove To depose an Idolatress was then it seems one good step towards a happy Reformation And Asa cut down her Idol and stamp it and burnt it by the brook Kidron What rejoycing was there in Judah that the work of Reformation went on so pleasantly What cause of thanksgiving to God that he had inspired the King with such a zeal for the true worship of God against Idolatry But yet 16. 17. The high places were not taken away out of Israel There 's matter of lamentation that the work advanc'd no further and of prayer too that God would raise such a spirit as might pluck them down also Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days The most perfect heart of the most zealous Prince cannot always go through to a perfect Reformation But do we not read that this good King Asa ch 14. v. 5. Took away out of all the Cities of Judah the high places and the images True out of Judah but not out of Israel Where lay the reason of the Difference In Judah he had an haereditary right had better hold on the spirits of the people there was a sweet harmony between the King and the People there he might venture farther in Reformation In Israel he had but an acquired right by Conquest the People were averse to a through Reformation there he must use caution and prudence However the Idols were broken down there 's matter of rejoycing and praise the high places are not removed there 's matter of sorrow and prayer Sometimes the King may be inclin'd to reform and a restli●● People may binder there give thanks to God for a well inclined King and pray that he would cure the Peoples bigotry Sometimes a King may incline to Idolatry and the People adhere to the true Religion give thanks for a fixed people and pray for an averse Prince Secondly Let us but look into our own hearts and there we shall find too great a mixture there we shall meet with grace and nature heaven and earth flesh and spirit in continual combat Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would The flesh has its interest motions and actings the spirit opposes it it cannot do the evil it would the spirit breathes moves works towards God the flesh opposes it so that it cannot do the good it would The Law of the mind commands the serving glorifying of God the Law of the members rebels and wars against it the law of the members leads to bondage under sin the law of the mind resists it What reason of strong cries and prayers that we may be delivered from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. What cause of thanksgiving that Christ gives us the victory that with our minds we serve the law of God v. 20. In a word we are furnisht with matter of thanksgiving that we are on this side Hell and yet have mighty reasons for prayer too because we are on this side Heaven Thirdly Let 's view our case at home we shall find a mixture ●here of good and evil affording us matter of sorrow and joy and hence of prayer and praise God has given our King some good success abroad let us give thanks for that but our victories are purchased with the lives the blood of many of our fellow Subjects there 's matter of mourning to cool the joy of our successes and still for further prayer that the issue of this bloody war may be a happy just and honourable peace We have large matter of thanksgiving that God by our King has given a check to the Arms of that Monarch who had swallow'd up so many Countries and threatned the rest but still cause of servent prayer that God would yet use his Majesty as an instrument in the hand of his wise and gracious Counsels to reduce the man of the earth to reason that he may no more triumph Again we have abundant reason to give thanks for our King that under his auspicious Reign we may be as holy as we will yet have we reasons for further prayer that men may not be as wicked as they will and as their own naughty hearts and the Tempter would prompt them to be Such then being the posture of all humane affairs there is a dark and bright side of the same cloud they are checquer'd with black and white throughout that as they administer matter of joy and sorrow trouble and comfort and nothing is sincere and without mixture so they bespeak of us both prayer and praise In Hell the wrath of God is poured out without mixture Rev. 14. 10. without mixture either of mercy from God or hope in them In Heaven the love of God is given out without mixture either of anger in God or fear in the blessed but we in this middle state have our hopes and fears our tears and rejoycings which call for praise in our most depressed and prayer in our most exalted condition II. Reason Is drawn from the natural and necessary connexion between these two duties of Prayer and Thanksgiving they are twins of the same womb they are born they breathe they smile or weep live or die together The renewed nature the new heart is but one the actings which proceed from