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
A52697	How the ground of temptation is in the heart of the creature	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.	1662 (1662)	Wing N289; ESTC R1212	5,995	9

creature may receive from God are accompanied with the chiefest and worst temptations for what ever state the creature is in or gift he have received was and is that which took being in and from a life that desired it and led thereto the thing and creatures life desiring or desired being not absolutely good or evill in its self though both good and evill was and is concerned therein and is accordingly so made to the creature by the frame and temper of what the desiring part works in and is acted by for that which tempts the desire and feedeth the desireable part in the creature knows both though it properly enjoys but one and can serve but one master at a time wherein the gift of God deferreth the desire of the creature in a blessing or curse its condition is capable of in that whatever hath been desired out of a capacity of Gods blessing is pursued with trouble and care of the life it is received in therefore the thrifty rich and honourable in and of this world and also the unthrifty poor and ignoble therein have purchased a condition in a desire of their lifes motion of ease and satisfaction to the flesh that they are tryed in the exercise of and under that the knowledge of a good and evil in becomes thereby a temptation to them to presume or despair of Gods blessing therein and thus the desire of no creature is or hath been answered beyond what both a good and evill doth attend them in and the temptation to evill is answerable to any good the life of the world may desire wherein no men are tempted by the gift of God but from his own desire hearts lust which being conceived brings forth sin and sin finished brings forth death that which is out of a capacity of good and blessing to any condition being the evil of the desire and strength of the temptation aggravating hurt to such creatures state that God suffereth not the temptation to work towards beyond his ability therein to preserve in what he is thus tryed by And as no temptation of affliction occasioned by the sin and offence to Gods spirit is for the present joyous but grievous c. so there is no temptation to sin but is joyous and delightsome to a part in the present acting of committing the same wherein is the creatures tryal after the acting and committing of sin which he will joyn to whether that which over-powreth the joyous and delightful part of and in the mind to vanity or that which manifesteth the vanity and folly of such adictions of the minds delight Therefore how requisite is it in this day that a spirit of distinction in God go along with men in their several judgments of the work of God that are ready to make themselves judges of and over all that doth crosse their opinions and perswasions in that way or form the mind is adicted to and set on and a hardnesse against all that cannot presertly conform to what man is so ready to set up but let the spirit of sound judgement and of a sound mind weigh the matter in this particular and let men be quiet until God arise to be Judge of the controversie and the fierce and high will then be bowed down to the foot of God and the bitter aswaged and allayed and all will be cool and in good order for I am sencible the tempter hath got ground in this day over the conditions of many in whom God hath begun a good work had I not first read at home I could never have seen abroad And thus much I know and am made sencible of that to terrifie people with words and exclamations and out cryes against any sin and offence to Gods spirit that doth not reach Gods witnesse wherein the way to escape the evil and danger as well as the danger it self is shewn doth become a vain bable in this day of God and at best can but make subject for wrath for though the creature of God may and doth suffer in that part which hath been tempted to folly and vanity of this world in sin and offence to Gods spirit yet is not he the sinner and offender against Gods spirit that with his mind doth serve the Law of God though he may have that part wherein dwels and rules in the members that which hath overpowered the whole man in the acting committing of sin and with his flesh hath served the Law thereof but in the misplacing of the mind the tempter hath entred and the temptation prevailed to the bringing that in him and him in that into and under the sufferance of the enemies work that hath his delight chiefly and alone in God and never have bent the minds delight after satisfaction to and in the flesh and sought opportunities to answer the same though therein he hath been tempted by a Law in the members warring c. For which cause I may be hearkened to by the weak and the poor may have an eye and ear well inclined in this particular and a mind bended to my complaint and ready to receive me in that which thinks and means well to all and no ill to any In that I have tryed many things and have had a mind exercised in divers conditions as well in the outward as inward and in all conditions had learned content but no condition I have found like to that which is low and poor and mean in selfs eye for in this I have been comforted under the power and pangs of death when like a flood my soul was compassed about therewith and the life of submission to the will of God is that whereby I have known many fiery darts of Sathan quenched And if any are tempted in the particular before mentioned let them not conclude they are so tempted of God but from their own hearts lust for God tempteth no man But to the ground of life in which the root stands and from whence the tree springs let all have an eye of respect that hath brought forth what gives knowledge of good as well as evill and evill as well as good and while the fruit that hath been tasted is fed on by the mind made wise therein as a God the temptation needs must remain with and in the man and a necessity provoked in him that hath abused a state of liberty and freedom of spirit he at first was placed in for the tree that God created when he saw all that was made to be good may and doth tempt in the sufferance of what was ordained for his creatures tryall and standing in that state though Gods will is the creatures preservation under the same And let none be too confident in selfs work and approbation in the first mans will and that mans part but let such that think they stand take heed least they fall and then the same measure hath been meeted to others such must expect from God that come under the condemnation of the wicked for such need no other accuser than Moses in whom they seem to trust Think not therefore I will accuse thee to God in these things for one is judge that is neer thee that doe such things For concerning the fiery tryals they are manifest to the flesh in which we have great trouble on every hand both within and without though no temptation happeneth but what was common to the Saints of old and these things are suffered for the tryal of our faith in God that on every side being spoken evil of we might have great boldnesse and confidence towards him knowing our reward to be with him wherefo●e arm your selves with the same mind as did him that suffered in the flesh that ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his dayes in the lust of his flesh but in the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. For the time is come that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution And when there was a suffering for evill-doing we had our reward with men and though we took their buffetings patiently yet what glory had we therein but hereunto are we now called of Christ that for well-doing we also suffer patiently knowing that this is good and acceptable with God as he that was reviled reviled not again and when he suffered threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteousl● Therefore let the woman no longer lay the blame on the Serpent nor the man on the woman seeing every one must suffer for his own evil and the earth doth labour and grone under her sore travails but if man doth suffer losse in his works it is that he may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus What therefore shall I say to these things if God be for us who can be against us And if he spared not his own son but freely gave him up for us all shall he not with him freely give us all things Seeing it is thankworthy that for conscience sake we endure grief and suffer wrongfully that we may know how to behave our selves among the froward as well as the gentle and who is he that can harm us while we are followers of that which is good Therefore will I lay no greater burden on any than what is already borne and of which the upright in heart is made judge and to them that are under the temptation of the enemy I write these things that they arm themselves with patience in God and be like minded in the truth to him that is gone before And the God of truth and peace preserve the simple hearted to the end of this work and in the end crown them with immortality in God THE END

〈◊〉 the ground of Temptation is in the heart 〈◊〉 the Creature WEre there not a ground and part in the creature the Devil hath power in and over no creature could be tempted to sin and offence to Gods Spirit of truth in the heart for no thing or creature ●●thout thy sence adulterate with it can tempt thee the … eness and adiction to sin and offence to the Spirit of God … g in a mind subject to vanity and adicted to such temp●●●●on the Spirit of God doth manifest to and in the crea●●●● which state all creatures are made subject to not wil●●●●ly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in 〈◊〉 which causeth the groaning and traveling together of 〈◊〉 creation in pain to be delivered from the bondage of corrup●●●● wayting for the adoption to wit the redemption of the body ●…Rom 8. 20 21 c. which state the temptation works 〈◊〉 that the tempter hath a part in in the creatures … nesse But if the mind of such creatures be strongly bent and set … d upon that the tempter leads to and works in in a part … th power over that the spirit of God manifesteth his ●●●gment against in a sence awakened in the creature of 〈◊〉 same the hope of God in that thus subjected is de … ed from that is given for an Anchor to the soul in the … e of tryal that is sure and stedfast and so the man runs ●eadlong against the Rock that through presumption or ●●●pair he splitteth himself against and never comes to the ●●●●h that gives evidence of things not seen in a state of hope 〈◊〉 and that is the substance of things hoped for and when 〈◊〉 of tribulation overtaketh which shall come on eve●● soul that sinneth it worketh not patience neither comes he to the experience that works and preserves in the hope that makes not ashamed Christ in us the hope of glory that brings to indure the crosse and despise the shame of the world but faith in God for deliverance in and from such state is weak and the love of God it works by growes cold and the mercy and fo●givenesse of God not kept in but dyes from that state of the creature and so he growes sensual in judgement and divelish watchfullnesse over the work of the enemy being gone from and a departure out of the counsel of God for advice and a self security got up and over the soul and a hardinesse over the man where is the fiercenesse and heady high-mindednesse and a despising them that are good and wilfulnesse in every evil work in such his souls condition and then there is one past feeling and given up to a reprobate sence and to believe lyes and to be damned But such that live in a sence of their own weakness and of the enemies work and besettings are alwayes kept and preserved in a fear watchfulnesse over self in this particular and have a strong faith and confidence in God under all the tryals they may meet with in the world of deliverance in all every straight they have been and are brought into in the same mind they are made sencible of their weaknesse and have been ready to prefer every one in that work before themselves and there is a watchfulnesse over the work and power of the enemy until deliverance spring up in the soul from God through a life that ha●h been hid with Christ in God a secret work begun in the soul by the spirit of God in which they have been kept retire to God and out of the worlds fight that hath a judgement according to appearance but as Christ their life doth appear and break forth so they come with him and appear in the glory of the work that hath been done in secret and spoke in the eare but now comes to be made manifest openly and preached on the house top in what is come forth through the tribulations fiery tryals pure and refined and hath the patience of Saints and experience of the man of God from which they can declare of the glory of this work in a hope they cannot be made ashamed in or afraid of evil tidings from men of corrupt minds concerning the things of Gods Kingdome that are eternal and everlasting And as to this ground and part in the creature it is flesh and hath the fleshly motions and actions arising in and proceeding from it through a tickling delight of fancy that works therein for that delight was first fancied in the flesh when Adam began to look out at the glory of the state he was first placed in was thereby struck into a deep sleep in the dream of which was fancied the delight of the flesh and she took from him that which promoted that work in secret and loves the secrecy of pleasure she takes therein and were there real satisfaction in what answers that part in which the creature hath a sence and knowledge of good and evil he should never more hunger therein but the contrary being experienced I need not goe far for a testimony hereof in that many do know that the Tempter over-powering the desire of him that wants opportunity alwayes to put in practise what the mind lusteth into and longeth after being ready to attend with evil as opportunity serves him therein doth as enviously accuse as subtily tempt and wherein he cannot perswade the creature to goe on in any sin and offence to the spirit of God and to embolden himself against the testimony thereof after lead aside thereby and overcome thereinto he is there ready to object the folly of such fancy the creature was lead by that he may come to despair of any sure guide to his mind but if he be once prevented in this work and find himselfe discerned in the house of God presenting himself before the Lord he when the day of the sons of men comes to be considered of by him that judgeth righteously that he is a perfect man and one that feareth God escheweth evil that he thus hath wrought on and he himself brought into the same consideration to avoid his own torment begins to accuse for worldly respects and then do such serve God for nought Hast thou not made a hedge about him and all that he hath put forth now thy hand touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face and then having given into his hands all that he hath power over be sure what ever is neer to such a man be it wife or children or goods oxen sheep or camels that which is most dear in affections out of the perfect life is under his power and that which his power stands in is left to tempt that he may curse God and dye And the temptation is and in every man works according to the place they are in or gift they have received from God be it inward or outward wherein the greatest and best gifts a man or