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	lust_n	sin_n	7,244	5	5.0237	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49126	The original of war, or, The causes of rebellion a sermon preached in the castle of Exon on the 15th of January, 1683, before the Right Reverend Father in God, Thomas Lord Bishop of Exon, and other His Majesties justices of the peace for the county of Devon / by Tho. Long ...	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.	1684 (1684)	Wing L2978; ESTC R3712	28,102	44

Israelites into secret places wheresoever they could flee for succour But God had by many miracles of mercy restored them out of all these Calamities to a good degree of happiness their Temple was rebuilt their Laws preserved the uniform worship of God at Hierusalem established whither the Tribes went up to Worship and to give thanks to the Name of the Lord. God fixed his Shekinah and dwelt among them again he met them in the beauty of holiness and made them joyful in his house of prayer And to all this glory he added a defence for during all the time of the Maccabees as long as they sought the Lord he made them to prosper No Nation had a God so great Laws and Statutes so good a Land so fruitful Victories so signal and frequent that the dread and terrour of them was fallen upon the Nations round about them and every man might sit under his own Vine and under Gods Vine too and sing the Song of David Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God What possible imagination could men at such a height of felicity if the very height had not made them giddy conceive of bettering their condition by Wars and Fightings Or what in reason could they think of but to secure their present enjoyments by Thankfulness to God Obedience to their Governours and Peace and Vnity among themselves But this unhappiness we have all derived from Adam that Paradise it self will not content us unless we may eat of the forbidden fruit we nauseate Manna it self unless we may have somewhat to gratifie our Lusts which war against our Souls And hence come wars and fightings among us even from our lusts which war in our members Which is the last branch of our Enquiry viz. That the Original of all our Wars is those lusts that war in our members The method to effect a Cure as in the natural so in the body politick is first to find out the true cause which in this of War is like that of the Hectick Fever which at first is hard to be known but easily cured but at length is easily discerned and difficultly cured For as in those lingring Fevers there are little indiscernable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lurking in the bloud and circulating with it which in time ferment the whole mass and set the whole course of Nature on fire So those lusts which war in our members and the faculties of our Souls have a secret and to our selves at least if not to others an indiscernable motion until Temptations and Opportunities are presented and then the sensual appetite is in a Commotion and offers violence to his Reason Religion and Conscience And thus as St. James describes it ch 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lusts and enticed There is a secret bent of our Spirits after evil things which forceth us and there are flattering allurements in the Objects which entice us such as the lusts of the flesh unclean pleasures the lusts of the eyes riches and large possessions and the pride of life power dominion and applause and between our lusts and these objects sin is brought forth So that all lust is seated in our inordinate desires I had not known lust saith St. Paul except the law had said Thou shalt not covet For the irascible faculties of the Soul are but as so many Ruffians such as Anger and Malice Envy and Revenge to execute the wills of the flesh but by these the sinner is put into a state of war with himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a Seditious Party that wars in our members the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set in battel aray against each other Gal. 5.17 And the law of the members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warreth against the law of the mind So impetuous and subtle are these lusts that they too often surprize even good men as St. Paul complains of himself leading him captive hindring him from doing the good that he would and hurrying him on to do the evil he would not Rom. 7.23 Hence it is that the Philosopher calls these lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beastly lusts not onely from their uncleanness and sensuality their unreasonableness and ungovernableness but their ravenous cruelty and ferine qualities overturning and renting all that stands in their way breaking all bonds of Reason and Religion Law and Conscience sacrificing not onely the welfare of others but their own health and peace yea those very members in which they war to the satisfaction of these lusts as Theotimus when his Physician told him he must leave his intemperance or lose his eyes cryed Vale amicum lumen Farewel dear eyes as if his lusts were more dear So true is that of the Prophet Isai 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled Sea that cannot rest there is no peace to the wicked saith my God The man that gives up the reins to his lusts is no longer Sui juris but under the most absolute Tyrants whose Will is their onely Law where that bids them go they go and what that bids them do they do though to their utter undoing In vain doth Conscience take on it the Office of a Monitor or Reason of a Speaker to give their Reprimands they do but provoke the rage and outcires of the multitude of Lusts that can endure no controul Reason is dethroned Conscience silenced the usurping Vice is got into the Chair and establisheth Iniquity by the Law of Sic volo sic jubeo and all the five Senses like so many officious members are ready to execute the Commands of those unruly Lusts Who can wonder that the man who lives in opposition to the express Commands of God and slights his own apprehensions of Gods everlasting wrath for every trifling lust should when the greater temptations of Dominion and Power of killing and taking possession of Crowns and Kingdoms are presented be the Contrivers and Prosecutors of Sedition and Rebellion against their King That man cannot truly love or fear the King who beareth the Sword that can onely kill the body who neither loves nor fears God who is able to destroy body and soul in hell Hence it is that Solomon observes Prov. 17.11 The wicked man seeketh onely Rebellion For having lost the peace of his own Conscience by fighting against God and having sinned away the use of Reason and sober counsels by his contumacy like the evil spirit that was cast out of the man he findeth no rest but roves up and down to associate Legions of others as bad as himself to disturb the peace of others And hence come wars and fightings among us And now it is easie to turn the Scene and from the Vnde inter vos to enquire Vnde inter nos From whence come wars and fightings among us For as to