Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	lord_n	23,094	5	4.0162	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93747	The necessity of keeping still unto the ordinances of religion, prayer, hearing the word, baptism, and the Lord's Supper set forth in a sermon preached in the countrey, on Acts VI.4. : wherein is also laid open, and manifested the errour of those people (commonly call'd Quakers) who do neglect the two latter.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5126; ESTC R202451	24,791	32

furtherance of the Salvation of Mankind and what God hath Joyned together set no Man put asunder for he hath commanded them both and they may be successively used one after another So on the other hand when froward and disobedient Man would notwithstanding put them asunder and neglect the one and hold to the other then comes in Satan and strangely befools and deceives people therein As the Apostle James argues For as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also even so here it is If one should use a Course of Prayer every Evening Morning and Noon-day whether it be private Family or publick Worship without keeping the Commandments of God or having regard to them in all things and at all times This would be as Ridiculous Foolish and Nonsensical as if a Servant should as often come to thee for aid and assistance or for Tools and Instruments to do such a Work and yet never set about the doing of it So again it is a like Folly Ignorance and Deceivableness to be Hearers of the Word and not doers of it The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight Psal 5. 5. From which Scripture of undoubted Truth we are given to understand that they who are foolish in matters of Religion shall not stand in Gods sight That is they shall not go to Heaven And besides that just now here mentioned they come also among the Number of the Foolish who remember the Covenant in Baptism and yet they do not observe it or only with slight and transient Purposes and Resolutions at that present time when the words thereof are to Obediently keep Gods holy will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Life God heareth not sinners John 9. 31. And here in like manner it is alledged out of the Scriptures of Truth that God is not pleased with the Sacrifice of Fools neither will He accept thereof In the Scripture Notion and Apprehension Fools and Sinners are near the same for all Sinners are Fools and also all Fools of their own making as we commonly say who were not born Ideors of meer Natural Impotency are sinners In that they being in Honour and Vnderstanding they abide not They do not improve but rather lose that Knowledge and Reason in which God had Created them This is a sin and fault of their own in these Creatures when they do not Trade with their Talent but become unprofitable And so when they lose Good and Subject themselves to Evil as to the future State and Distribution of things this is properly folly yea and folly in the abstract and in this sence sin and folly are convertible terms All Sinners are Fools and all such Fools are Sinners So Ignorance in Worship or in the things pertaining to God this is folly For let not such an one think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord. Anothers abuse of a thing doth not take away my rightful use thereof Because another Person drinks and is drunken this is no Argument or Reason that I should not drink at all for I may drink Nevertheless to quench Thirst or refresh Nature Yea I must drink or I Perish So it is as to the Ordinances of Religion tho' some abuse them yet Nevertheless we may rightly use them yea they are as absolutely necessary to carry us through this barren and dry Wilderness of the Earth unto the Heavenly Canaan as drink is to the Body Because the Prayers of some People do become Sin Psal 109. 7. This is no Argument why we should not pray at all But rather we are thence taught not to regard Iniquity in our hearts to lift up Holy Hands to purity our hearts to sanctify our selves when we draw near to God and such like Because too many are hearers of the Word and not doers of it shall we therefore like the mixt and ungodly Multitude turn aside our foot from going to the place of hearing but rather let us hear and do it According to what our Forefathers Covenanted and Promised to God for themselves and us in Deut. 5. 27. And if we would inherit the promises we must of necessity be Children of the Covenant Because some do not know and mind much more therein then the sprinkling or dipping in Water or do it in General for customs sake or to make the child or Person a Christian as they say we may and ought nevertheless to fulfil all Righteousness and to comply with that Commandment of Jesus Christ Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Retaining the thing but withal giving most heed to the thing signified thereby The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. If one is Baptized with outward water this hinders not but he may at the very same time and afterwards also be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire by which last is denoted warmth servency and zeal in the Service of God For as Peter Answered Can any Man sorbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord. Acts 10. 47 48. This Text doth as plainly imply as two and three make Five even according to the common sence and understanding of the same Words without any forced meaning or even any Interpretation at all that the having received the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit is no sufficient reason and excuse why they should not at all use Water Baptism but it is rather a reason that they should use it For Peter and Paul and other Ministers and Servants of God of Old time who had the Spirit in more measure then any now adays Notwithstanding all Boasting and Pretensions did baptize with water I would to God this were throughly understood and considered of by those People commonly called Quakers But they also have that humour and disposition as to be stiff-necked and perverse and refuse to hear and hearken unto that part of the Word of God which make against their own Imaginations The Ordinances are a Part of the Commandments of God and they are to be used out of Obedience and Homage unto him God commands us to hear his Word to call on his Name Christ commanded his Disciples and Followers to baptize and to do this in remembrance of him These two last Baptism and the Lords Supper seem to come in the place of the two Jewish Ceremonies or Ordinances of Circumcission and the Passover both of which were of Gods immediate Command and Institution As to the first of which the Apostle Paul averreth Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. Of which

THE Necessity of Keeping still unto THE Ordinances of Religion Prayer Hearing the Word Baptism and the Lord's Supper Set forth in a SERMON Preached in the Countrey on Acts VI. 4. Wherein also is laid open and manifested the Errour of those People commonly call'd Quakers who do neglect the two latter Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 19. London Printed and are to be sold by Ralph Simpson at the Harp in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1698. But we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word Acts VI. 4. IN order to serve God unto the saving of the Soul and to continue and Persevere in Godliness and well doing unto our Lives End It is necessary to keep still unto the Ordinances of Religion I do mean the several Acts and Parts of Worship as Prayer Hearing the Word Baptism and the Lords Supper as they are used in the reformed Churches By the Congregations and Assemblies of Gods People Who Worship him in Spirit and in Truth The necessity of keeping still unto them In order to make a continuing and persevering work of it will hence appear because it is certain that each of us and every one of us shall so long Persevere in the Worship and Service of the Lord according as we use the means of Perseverance Now these Ordinances are the means of Grace and Perseverance which last is a well grounded Hope of Glory Suppose a Man who hath been many years advancing in the Christian Life another Mnason an Old Disciple who hath come up to the higher attainments of Christianity and some degrees towards Perfection for this is the meaning of that Commandment of Christ unto his followers Be ye Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect That we should still endeavour and make towards Perfection although it is impossible for Man here in the Body to be so perfect as God is Suppose one that were Dead to sin and mortified to wordly Affections Who hath all faith and all Knowledge of Spiritual things If this Person should as he might if he would but God forbid that any one should make the Experiment Neglect for some while to offer up any Prayer at all hearing or reading of the word he would have no consideration of his ways nor admit any thoughts of God but he leads such a kind of life as the wicked sensual wordly and ungodly Man doth for a Week or a Month together Even this formerly Godly and Gracious Soul would become such an one himself as the other is hardened stupid backward unaffected and in a manner Reprobate to every good word and work And my People are bent to back sliding from me Hos 11. 7. For there is a deceitfulness of Heart and Corruption of Nature from within and also the Temptations from without as all things are full of Temptation which would soon betray us into sin and forgetfulness of God unless prevented by those Means and Ordinances which himself hath instituted What the Apostle saith in another case may be applicable unto this For the Sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the Grass and the Flower thereof fadeth and the Grace of the fashion of it Perisheth So likewise should we be apt to fade away even in our Good ways For the manifold Sollicitations and Objects of the World that Men pleasing the Allurements of Company are all apt to draw or turn aside from God and the thing that Good is But the keeping still unto the Ordinances of Religion doth remind and bring us unto them again which if we did not resort unto our Back slidings would be increased till they did come to an utter and final Apostacy as we may perceive by the Working and Tendencies of our own fleshy and corrupt Nature as also from the many Ensamples of others who have Forsaken God and Loved this present World It can hardly be expressed how averse Mans Nature is unto God and to the things of his Kingdom how hard it is to cleave unto him with full purpose of Heart according as he requires and how easy it is to fall away and turn aside It was just now quoted what God saith in Hosea My People are bent to Backsliding He doth not there so much mean the sinners and ungodly but his Saints and Servants My People have a Proneness and Liableness unto this thing of Back sliding Look within your selves as ye read this and do ye not perceive somewhat thereof in your own selves Which the word of God doth mention and take notice of in order to Caution and Arm your minds against the same For Israel that is a word signifying his own People again Slideth back as a Backsliding heiser Hos 4. 16. But besides those little inclinations towards Backsliding in us Man in his Natural condition is altogether addicted to sin and falling away But they like Men have transgressed the Covenant Hos 6. 7. It was like them and such as could be expected from them Now a Backsliding is as it were a little trip and is not altogether so bad as a fall or a falling back or a falling away Or a turning aside or out of the way or a going back But here is to be observed that the Word of God takes notice of every least Back sliding for it hinders or retards or they do not go on so well in the way to Heaven as the Lord would have them and guide them and hold them up by his right hand We say in the Proverb It is a good Horse that never stumbles but it is a very good Horse that never so much as trips for there is hardly such an one to be found And so it will be in the Account and Estimation of God that Man or Woman walks well enough in his way who doth never stumble or fall therein and if when he falls he doth get up again Our Gracious God calls upon Israel Return for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity Yea if they are gone back or aside if they will still return again into the right way he will accept thereof Thus saith the Lord shall they fall and not arise Shall they turn away and not return Jer. 8. 4. And so when the Creature is walking and moving on in the way of his Commandments when there are Backslidings God doth in no wise allow thereof but complains of it Although he would not altogether discourage his Poor Creature neither So that the Law of God is Perfect converting the Soul It doth chalk out the highest degrees and measures of perfection altho Mans Impotency weakness and feebleness doth not attain unto it That is a Good Son and Servant indeed who can say in Truth unto God our Heavenly Father and not so much by way of Boasting unto their fellow Creatures Loe these many years do I serve thee neither transgressed I

accompany Salvation tho we thus speak For some of ye will hear and will not be disobedient nor yet gain saying And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the end Seeing that our selves are determined by his Grace the longest day we have to live here on the Earth to give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word See ye to it also that ye give your selues continually to Prayer likewise and to attend upon this Ministry of the Word As Agrippa and Bernice did come with great Pomp to the place of hearing so do ye lose no opportunity to come with great Reverence Attention and a Spirit of Discerning unto the place of hearing wherever it is faithfully and skiilfully Preached forth and handled They came with great Pomp. But do not Refuse to come to any place for the seeming outward meanness and contemptibleness thereof for as it is the same Sun which shines upon a Dunghill as upon a Beautiful Palace as Christ according to the flesh was laid in the Manger of a Stable so the word of God and the words of Eternal Life may be and are often more purely and simply declared in ordinary Rooms than in finer Buildings Let it meet with Reception in your hearts Remember the word which I have inculcated over and over unto ye which doing altho some may think superfluous yet to ye it is safe For the Lords sake and for your own Souls sake if ye would indeed make a continuing and persevering work of it keep still and constantly unto the Ordinances of Religion But above all and especially give your selves continually unto Prayer and to attend upon the Ministry of the word that ye lose no opportunity for hearing the same He that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully Jer. 23. 28. And in whatever place it is faithfully spoken and faithfully preached even unto his Habitation shalt thou seek and thither shalt thou come Deut. 12. 5. FINIS Another Admonition to the People commonly call'd QUAKERS THere are some in these days who think and say that all Sermons and Exhortations to abstain from sin whither secret or open is but a low degree of the Ministration of the Gospel and they are apt to Boast that they do Press further and arrive at higher attainments I wish they did all speak Truth herein for there are sundry other sins besides Drunkenness Adultery and the Manifest Works of the Flesh and it were well if themselves were purified from all them also especially from hatred variance emulations strife heresies envyings and also from all the Perversities and Evils of the Spirit This I confess as well as they that to go on to sin and to confess confess and sin and so to return again to Folly I will hear what God the Lord will say for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Psal 85. 8. This will never do as to the saving of the Soul and that it may be received up into Glory But this is the manner of such Wordly outward Worshippers who are Foolish Disobedient and Deceived serving Divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3. 3. And so where any Preachers or Ministers do lead or allow People in sin but they do not shew the way how they may be led out of sin there they do not profit the People at all For that is the saving and effectual Ministry which actually turns People from Darkness unto Light from the Power of Satan unto God Nevertheless where this is done it is necessary to make mention of Sin Evil Iniquity and Transgression to warn and arm the Minds of People against the same also Accordingly Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and all the Holy Men of God who were moved by the Holy Ghost whose Words and Writings are upon record in the Book of the Lord did speak of and testify against sin But some in these days who think of themselves more highly then they ought to think Rom. 12. 3. Be not wise in your own Conceits ver 16. Do imagine that themselves are more Pure and Spiritual minded and have attained further then to make mention of Sin and Transgression within their Lips And tho' David Ezra Nehemiah Job Daniel and Isaiah in those Prayers of their own which are left upon record in the lively Oracles and had as much yea more of the Spirit of the Lord then any in these days do all make Confession of and ask Pardon for their Sin and of the other Servants of God It is both a Pattern and also a standing positive and express Commandment which our Lord Jesus Christ even under the Gospel dispensation hath given unto all his Disciples and Followers When ye pray say and forgive us our sins Luk. 11. 2 4. And it is again affirmed in the same Gospel If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us But if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all umighteousness 1 John 1. 8 9. But I have went several times to the Congregations of those aforenamed and beheld their Devotions Acts 17. 23. And observed them and I never therein heard the least Confession of sin to Almighty God nor yet asking any forgiveness of him for the same Whereupon I can assuredly gather and conclude That they do deceive themselves and the Truth is not in them as to that matter And by my Publishing these things to the People of this my Generation and Countrey I would hereby warn and desire them to take heed least what God said to the two Friends of Job come upon them also Viz. Least he deal with them after their Folly Job 42. 8. In that whereas he had commanded and directed all that worship him to confess and be sorry for and forsake their sin He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy and also to offer up for themselves a Prayer unto God for forgiveness of the same But they did not nor would not whither it was out of Spiritual Pride or the Errour of their own heart God knows and so their sin is not forgiven nor blotted out and then the Lord doth not accept them And if so then the Religion of that People is vain and it signifieth and availeth not to find acceptance or receive any thing from the Lord. Indeed herein they have spoken the thing that is right It availeth not to Worship God and at the same time to continue in Sin and Transgression or to confess Sin and not forsake it For this will no more bring to Heaven than only to set ones Foot only on the Threshold and no further is Actual Entring into the House In no wise But they and they only are Blesled that do his Commandments that they may have Right unto the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Rev. 22. 14. Such do not always stand at or in the Gates Which Doing of his Commandments speaks and requires on this wise Put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well Isaiah 1. 16 17. FINIS