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	life_n	reap_v	6,710	5	11.2413	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95855	The way to true happinesse, or, the way to heaven open'd. In a sermon before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, Jan. 28. 1654/5 / By Ralph Venning.	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1655 (1655)	Wing V232; Thomason E830_8; ESTC R207438	31,836	56

thistles Oh no Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceiv'd mistake not your selves God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that he shall reap he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting And saith the Apostle Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that 's strange Know assuredly that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse that is unto life He that is now thy Lord and Master he that is now thy Soveraign and King will then pay thy wages 'T is a short question Whose Will do you do if the will of men verily you have your reward if the will of sin you shall have sins wages which is you may heare it but how will you bear eternal death Surely men that like sins work will never like sins wages But if thou do the Will of God thy wages shall be his gift eternal life Well then try for Gods sake and your soules sake try your selves for you may know whose you are and shall be The third word or head is for exhortation let every one then that names and calls upon the Name of the Lord as he loves his soule depart from iniquity alas if you will not depart from iniquity for Gods sake you must there 's no remedy you must depart from God for iniquities sake and shall iniquity be dearer to you then God and your souls Why call you me Lord Lord Le ts either lay aside the Name of the Lord or our iniquity for what hast thou to do thou bold impudent daring sinner to take Gods Name into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed doest thou think that he will hold thee guiltlesse that takest his Name in vain Oh no he will require his Name and glory at thy hands Because God keepeth silence doest thou think he gives consent thinkest thou that he is such an one as thy self No no he will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thy face and ask thee how thou durst say Lord Lord by way of Profession Prayer ●nd Appeal and yet wouldest not depart from iniquity what wilt thou answer when he riseth up thou wilt then stand speechlesse as being self-condemned Oh let me then beseech you to do the Will of God be not hearers of the Word but doers also lest you deceive your selves What is it to make a good Profession and not to make good the Profession what is it to be a Christian as farre as if it be no further then a few good words will go what is it to speak Christ fair to say Haile Master and kisse him if thou kick with the heel against him Trust not in lying words which cannot profit you will ye steal murther commit adultery sweare falsely burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods your belly and your covetousnesse and come and stand before me in this house and say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Is this house which is called by my Name become a den of robbers in your eyes Behold saith God even I have seen it and will require it Good words will never engage God to be a Patron to bad works Think ye to lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his Will Behold all this what will it come to if thou through breaking the Law dishonourest God and causest his Name to be blasphemed what wilt thou do in that day when God shall judge thee according to this Gospel My beloved let me beg you for your precious and immortal soules sake not to dally with God not to trifle away these few moments of yours on which eternity depends but up and be doing the Will of God that it may go well with you for ever 'T is said of some 2 Kings 17.33 That they feared the Lord but served their own gods but saith the text v. 34. They feared not God for they do not after the Commandments which God commanded Jacob. Alas my beloved how often must I say it 't is not a forme of Godlinesse 't is not saying Lord Lord 't is not quaint civility nor specious morality much lesse painted hypocrisie that will bear you out opinions will not passe for Religion in the day of judgement nay do not think as I may say to make Christ a pack-horse to lay thy sins on his shoulders and thou in the mean time to keep them in thy bosome to say he hath done the Will of God and thou carest not to do his Will Alas the losse will be your own God will lose nothing as he that is wise is wise for himself so he that sinneth wrongeth his own soul Be exhorted then and suffer the word of exhortation which speaketh on this wise Do the Will of God surrender resign your selves to him as ever you expect to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven There are these two provoking Arguments from the text 1 It is for no lesse then a Kingdome yea for no lesse then the Kingdome of Heaven and is that worth nothing The Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom Matth. 4.23 And the Word of the Kingdome Matth. 13.19 For by it we are called to his Kingdome and glory Shall not a Kingdome shall not of all Kingdomes this Kingdome be glorious in our eyes which is the Kingdome of glory The devil offered Christ as his greatest argument of hope to prevaile by the Kingdomes of this world and their glory but what 's that to this what 's time to eternity what 's earth to Heaven what are visibles to invisibles what the things of sense to things of saith what this glory to that which is to be revealed We all naturally love greatnesse and glory and can there be greater glory or more glorious greatnesse then this to be Kings to God here Kings with God hereafter and to reign with him more then a thousand years You see what a do there is in the world and I wish there be no evil done in the world for Crowns Scepters and Kingdomes do all the Kingdomes of the earth suffer violence and do the violent take them by force and shall not the Kingdome of Heaven suffer seeing 't is willing to suffer violence Oh that the violent would take it by force The nature of this Kingdome is to keepe thee from evil the Kingdomes of the earth are not I feare they are not had without much evil Well will you consider this to engage you to do the Will of God 'T is for a Kingdom 2. Consider this argument too if you neglect to day it may be too late to morrow Now or never now or never for what is your life but as a vapour that passeth away Do not you

offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb. 10. Now its great consolation to us we are not to make a purchase by our doing the Will of God we are not to obey as paying a price for our inheritance that 's done already and by faith we do but receive and by obedience walk worthy of or answerable to the Kingdom and glory whereunto we are called by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel 2. Doing the Will of God here if you take it for works only is not that whereby we are justified but that which doth justifie that we are justified and by which our faith is made perfect as the Apostle saith concerning Abraham James 2.22 'T is not that which doth give us our title to Heaven but doth prove that we have a title given us 3. As to such things as we would do but cannot God will accept the will for the deed provided we be as willing to do as to will the deed Thus Abraham is said to have offered up his Son because he was willing to do it And this is the consolation the Apostle had when to will was present with him but to do he had no power that with his minde he did serve the Law or the Will of God Rom. 7. The Saints cannot do the things that they would because the flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 and in such a case Christ doth excuse his disciples with this The spirit indeed mark that the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Matth. 26.41 and upon this account 't is that Christ tells his Father John 17.6 that his disciples had kept his Word though they failed very often because their heart was to it 4. By doing the Will of God here is not to be understood such an exactness as will not dispense with any failings that if a man fall short in any thing he should perish and be undone according to that of the Law cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 Or as the Apostle quotes it Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them For from this rigour and curse we are free by Christ Jesus he being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 but that which is required of us hereby is a continual care of doing and making it our businesse to do the Will of God as I make appear thus Mat. 7.13 saith Christ Enter in at the strait gate I it s soon said enter in but what is the meaning why Luke as I said before expounds it thus Strive to enter in at the strait gate so that Striving is put for entring because such shall enter and the Apostle Peter with respect to this Kingdome expresseth the duty by giving all diligence 2 Pet. 1.11 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall but an entrance shall be ministred to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 5. I adde this that to such God hath promised assistance so that though the work be too hard for us yet through Christ strengthening us we may be able to do all these things and therefore Phil. 2.12 13. when the Apostle had said Work out your salvation with fear and trembling He presently addes by way of encouragement God worketh in you both to will and to do God will not be wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves God will blesse the diligent hand And this shall suffice for the doctrinal part I come now to the Application and here there are three words or heads that I have to speak to and by the way having spoken of three words let me take off an unjust blame often laid on Ministers for saying they have but a word or a word or two more one word in Scripture-phrase is put for one head The ten Commandments are called but ten words God spake these ten words saying c. they are more then ten words but no more in this sense they are ten heads of things therefore let none shew their folly hereafter in laughing at the Ministers saying but a word more though he speak many These then are the three words or heads which I have to speak unto 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation The first is Information and that of these several truths The first Corollary Inference or Deduction call it what you will from hence is this That very few will go to Heaven This very Doctrine which I have handled was preach't by Christ upon this Querie there was that said unto him Luke 13.23 Are there few that shall be saved and he said by way of answer Strive to enter for many shall seek and shall not be able and it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father whence I infer what Christ grants that there are but few a very few that will go to Heaven I beseech you beloved look about you and lay it to heart it is no such common thing to be saved as the world thinks for Reade but a few Scriptures and judge you whether many or few will be saved * Only one ground of foure brought forth fruit to salvation And how few of the old world when the floodcame how few of Sodom when hell came from Heaven I mean in comparison of them that will be damned in 1 Cor. 6.9 10. saith he Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God the unrighteous that 's a large word who are they why Be not deceiv'd neither fornicatours and are none of you such nor idolaters nor adulterers and are none of you such nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous and are none of you such no nor drunkards saith he and are none of you such nor revilers nor extortioners and are none of you such be not deceived none of these no not a man of these thus living and thus dying shall inherit the Kingdom of God sad Lord what will become of this sinful world If we should go throughout this City and separate the forenamed sinners alas how few would remain to be saved See another place Gal. 5.19 c. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse revellings and such like Doth not the whole world almost i● in some or other of these is not this the fruit it brings forth Well what will become of them The Apostle tells us v. 21. Of the which I tell you as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not no they shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Beloved what do we think

his Will is done Go to now then ye that say as James 4.13 c. To day or to motrow we will go into such a City whereas ye should say for ye ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Wo to them that say as Psal 12. With our tongue we will prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us Alas poor soules you are not your own your soules are not yours your bodies are not yours they are bought with a price and therefore 't is not self-will but Gods Will that you and they are to obey 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Man must not make his own will but Gods Will his Counsellour and his Rule Do nothing but by leave and approbation when therefore they stand in competition we should tell temptations and corruptions 'T is Gods will that I should not do mine own Will The great strife between God and man is about the Will and men are enemies to God because they cannot have their wills but alas we see that if our will be done Gods will not and then wo unto us for we reward evil to our own souls 7. If it be so that they and none but they which do the Will of God shall inher it the Kingdom of Heaven How sad then will it be then with them that die in their sin that go out of the world as having done nothing in it but wrought iniquity Oh the doleful dismal condition of sinners at the last day when they shall hear their doom Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Oh that the hearing of it now may prevent the hearing of it hereafter Will it not be sad to be turned into hell with loads of wrath and vengeance on your backs for what have you you workers of iniquity treasur'd up but wrath against the day of wrath you shall have your portion with hypocrites and be torne in pieces and none to deliver have your dwelling with everlasting burnings where there will be nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Consider this ye workers of iniquity and kisse the Son lest his wrath be kindled and ye perish everlastingly Oh that sinners would but lend their eare and listen at the hole the mouth of the bottomlesse pit * They might hear sinners crying like Cardinal Woolsey Oh if we had but taken as much care to please God as we did to please our own and other mens lusts he would not have left us to this both shame and endlesse misery there they might hear Dives crying out I am tormented in this flame and have not so much as one little drop of water to cool my tongue there they may hear poor damned souls cursing themselves for their madnesse that for the pleasures of sin which are but for a moment they should lose the pleasures of Heaven and be under the torments of hell which are for evermore Alas 't is not for expressions to expresse the unspeakable the unconceivable miseries which the fearful and unbelieving which the workers of iniquity will be in when they shall be cast into and have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone where they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever This is the second death Rev. 20.10 with 21.8 Oh that men would heare and feare and do no more so wickedly 8. And lastly if it be so how happy shall they be who when their Lord cometh shall be found doing the Will of God Well doing wil meet with a Well-done good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Saints are called to Gods Kingdome and Glory here and called upon to walk worthy of answerable to or becoming that Kingdome and when they have thus walked with God they shall be called into the Kingdom and glory they shall hear the joyful sound saying Their Masters joy enters into them here and they into their Masters joy hereafter Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you they shall then sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob at the wedding dinner which is yet to be kept in Heaven when all the Saints come together Oh what a glorious and blessed time will that be when they that are now laugh't at and scorned for being so precise for doing the Will of God shall then be crowned with everlasting glory Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not now indeed too too many say in works and in their hearts if not in words 'T is in vain to serve God what profit is there that we keep his Ordinances the proud are happy c. But behold the day cometh that shall burn like an Oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble but a book of remembrance is written before him for them that fear the Lord and think on his Name and to them shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and they shall be mine in that day when I make up my Jewels saith the Lord. Yea the beloved of their soules and he that loves their soules will speak and say Rise up my love my faire one and come away for lo the Winter is past and the raine is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth the time of singing is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell Arise my love my faire one and come away Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance and hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance comely Though ye have lain among the pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold This and much more then this shall be their glory Indeed eye hath not seen nor eare heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath laid up for them that do love him The second word or head is for examination and self-trial and I could wish that this sort of catechizing were more in use hereby we may know whose we are and what will become of us to all eternity whose we are while we live and whose we shall be and whither we shall go when we die This methinks should take up mens thoughts and possesse their reines day and night till they were in some measure assured thereof And oh that men would often ask their soules whose work whose Will they do for hereby they may conclude what will be their eternal state Look as men sowe in the seed-time of their lives they shall reap in the harvest of eternity Can men expect to gather grapes of thornes or figs of