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	mind_n	7,027	5	5.7568	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09963	An elegant and lively description of spirituall life and death Delivered in divers sermons in Lincolnes-Inne, November the 9.th, M.DCXXIII. vpon Iohn, 5.25. By Iohn Preston then Bachellor of Divinitie, and chaplaine in ordinarie to the Prince his Highnesse.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1632 (1632)	STC 20221.5; ESTC S115172	68,183	135

the same kind as every creature doth Sheepe with Sheepe Lyons with Lyons Doves with Doves so living men will converse with living men Not loving the brethren wee are in a state of death every creature must have an element to live in a new life must have a new element evill men out of their companies are as Fish out of the water every life hath a tast appetite a new life hath a new tast and judgement Pro. 29.27 an unjust man is an abomination to the just he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked that is one hates the things that the other loves he that is alive the things which before he loved he now hates he abhors the things that evill men delight in That which is a dogs meate is a sheepes poyson as the proverb it so that which wicked men delight in is as odious as poyson to the just To judge this life by see what your company and delights are nothing can bee lesse dissembled than company In his company man doth speake out of the abundance of the heart he then bewrayes himselfe what he is there is no dead man nor living man but hee is inward with the like no signe so much poynted at in the Scripture as this yee are translated from death to life if yee love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 and Ioh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if yee love one another this rule will not deceive you Secondly yee may know whether yee live this life if yee contend for it that life which a man lives for it he will contend he will let any thing goe rather than it If yee live this life of grace yee will maintaine it and yee can doe no otherwise 1 Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God cannot sinne to be borne of God is to leade a new life he that lives a new life admits not the things which tend to the destruction of it Compare this with the 1. Pet. 2.11 abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule hee that is borne of God sinnes not that is hee yeelds not to sinne with his good will but struggles against it as one in health strives against sickenesse resistes the disease and maintaines a warre against it But yet the best are foyled T is true yet they strive they never yeeld they maintaine a warre and this they doe not onely by discourse but there is a naturall instinct that puts them forwards they may be cast backe yet they returne againe they may have a sicknesse that takes away sence they may swound and be astonished for a time yet after they contend for life every evill man contends for his life he leads his life in some lust from which if he be drawne hee returnes againe as a thing that is lifted from the earth will fall downe to it againe hee reckons the wayes of God hard and opposite to him the wisedome of the Spirit is enmity to the flesh neyther can it be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8. it cannot but resists it Every creature labours to maintaine its being so evill men continuing in sinne strive naturally against all that would bring them out of this life of sinne so the Saints they live a life of grace and labour to maintaine it Iohn 6.68 Christ asking his Disciples whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life that is whiles we conceive thee to be the principle and fountaine of this life wee cannot depart from thee The Saints wil let go friends and life and all for this life Count therefore of others and judge of your selves by contesting for this life strive to maintaine it let all goe rather than it Thirdly yee may know whether yee have this life in you or not by the fruits of it as the tree is knowne by its fruites If the word turne the stocke into its owne nature ye know it by the fruites Gal. 5.25 If yee live in the Spirit yee will also walke in the Spirit that is if yee professe your selves holy men shew it by walking in the Spirit holy men will bee doing that which is good This is the surest triall our workes will not deceive us other things which consist in imagination may 1 Ioh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Divill who doth not righteousnesse is not of God he that is of God doth not unrighteousnesse Consider then what your walke and your actions are and by them yee shall know this life But how shall wee know whether we walke in the Spirit or no I answer first that there are many by-walkes and if yee walke but in one of them yee walke in the flesh and not in the Spirit Iam. 1.26 If any man seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his owne heart this mans religion is vaine that is hee that makes this sinne his trade and walkes ordinarily in it his religion is vaine Secondly yee may know it by the guides yee follow Evill men they follow three guides Ephe. 2.3 they follow first the world secondly the Divill thirdly the flesh Holy men have three contrary guides first the renewed part within secondly the holy Ghost thirdly the course of the Saints Go yee the broad way oportet Sanctos vadere per diverticula the Saints doe not so follow yee the streame fulfill yee the will of the flesh or of the Spirit what are your actions Ephe. 4.17 I charge you that you hence forth walke not as the Gentiles do in the vanity of their minds that is holy men may have vanity in their minds yet they walke not in it as others doe evill men may have holy thoughts yet they walke in the vanity of their minds and albeit that evill men walke not in all the wayes of sin yet they are dead there is but one way to hit the marke but there are a thousand by-wayes a holy man may stumble in the wayes of God and have some foyles but he leads not his life in sinne he strives against it hee that leades his life in any knowne sinne not resisting it and will doe it and not crosse himselfe in it is dead his religion is vaine But what actions are there that holy men doe but that wicked men and others doe them I answer that there is no good actions wee doe but they may bee dead workes as men may pray keepe the Sabbaths and yet they may bee but dead workes they may doe them for a shew yet they are dead A shaddow hath all the liniaments of a body yet it wants life so the workes of hypocrites they want life consider therefore whether your workes are living workes you may know it by these three signes First if they proceed from the fountaine of life they are not dead workes compare Gal.

there is a stirring up of men to attend to the voyce of Christ many there are that heare yet attend not Act. 16.14 The holy Ghost opened the heart of Lydia to attend unto Pauls preaching We sow on fallow ground till the Spirit opens the heart to attend to the things that are spoken The second worke of the Spirit is to convince and perswade effectually and fully Ioh. 16.8 The Spirit shall convince the world of sinne that it it shall convince and perswade thorowly none can doe this but the Spirit It doth also farther perswade men that it is good for them to bee convinced and this is when the knowledge is full when as all the corners of the heart are answered and the minde resolves to practice Hypocrites and civill men are perswaded yet not fully therefore they never practise if that one objection of the heart bee unanswered yee never came to practise The last worke of the Spirit is to keepe this voyce on the heart that it vanish not Iames 1.21 The ingrafted word is that which is made able to save our soules and none else Men may attend for a flash but the Spirit must ingraft the Word into the heart which as a sprig ingrafted growes bigger and bigger and hath fruit from the sap other men having truthes not fastned on them they grow weaker and weaker To understand fully what this voyce of the Sonne of God is yee must know that there is a double voyce First an outward voyce of the word which all heare Secondly an inward voyce of the Spirit This I collect out of Esay 6.9 Goe to that people and tell them heare yee indeed but not understand see yee indeed but not perceive that is they shall have an outward hearing an outward knowledge but not an inward There is a common knowledge which all these have who live in the Church and there is a knowledge that is onely proper to the Saints which saves them The differences twixt these two knowledges that of hypocrites of them in sixth of the Hebrewes twixt common knowledge and effectuall knowledge that is wrought in the hearts of the elect are these First common knowledge is confused and generall this is distinct inward and particular that is the voyce of the Sonne of God speaking in the Ministry to all may breed a knowledge of truths in men yet they apply them not to their hearts and the turnings of them Heb. 4.11 The Word is sharper than a two edged Sword discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart piercing even to the deviding asunder the soule and spirit and of joynts and marrow that is that word of God that is lively indeed that voyce of God that is effectuall to salvation it is sharpe it strikes not in generall but enters the inward parts A staffe cannot enter the flesh it may bruise it but the voyce of Christ enters like a two edged Sword discerneth twixt morrall vertues and supernaturall things wrought by the Spirit it distinguisheth exactly twixt the rectitude and obliquity of mens hearts this is proper onely to the saving knowledge of the Word As nothing is hid from God but it is naked to his sight so it is to his word See if the word be distinct to you else you know nothing A man never knowes any thing till he knowes the Elements parts and grounds of it the voyce of the Sonne of God onely makes you know things thus particularly So in other things yee know not till you know particulars Aristotle saith a man is not a Physition that knowes things in generall in the grosse but hee that knowes them in particular This is not to be a Physition to know that such dry meates are good for a moyst stomacke unlesse he also know dry meates and the Symptomes of a moyst stomacke so it is in the knowledge of the Word To know what regeneration is is not enough except yee know the parts the kinds and signes of it To know that none are translated from death to life that love not the brethren is not enough except yee know the brethren and love them To know that hee that is in Christ hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it is nothing except yee know that yee your selves have crucified it This particular knowledge is it that makes manifest to a man the secrets of his owne heart 1 Cor. 14.25 that is the voyce of the Sonne of God discerneth the secrets of the heart to know things particularly that are in it The sheepe distinguish the voyce of the sheapheard from the voyce of a stranger when men come to heare they heare the voyce and distinguish not the sound because they want this particular knowledge Secondly this hearing of the voyce of the Sonne of God workes a quicke sence in the hearts of those that heare it that the outward voyce doth not and this followes the former Let knowledge be particular it workes quicke sence Heb. 4.11 it is called lively in operation now life consists in quicknesse and motion the voyce of Christ speaking effectually breeds quicknesse Sola individua agunt et sentiunt A knife in generall cuts nothing the particular knife cuts To know in generall you are sinners have corrupt natures offend in many things workes nothing it is the reflection on the particular lives that workes this makes men tremble Act. 2. Peter having told the Iewes that they had crucified Christ that pricked them at the heart As of sinnes so is it of comforts particular comforts worke If one can say I am thus and thus then comfort followes so particular threatnings make men sensible When God said to Adam Hast thou not eaten of the tree whereof I said thou shouldest not eate this made him feare The word doth breed a quicke sence they who have not this true voyce sounding to them Esay 6.9 in hearing they doe not heare and seeing they doe not see their hearts are fat their eares heavy and their eyes shut Rom. 11.8 God hath given them the spirit of slumber that is when as men heare this voyce in a common manner they are as a man in a slumber it stirres them not their hearts are fat that is they are sencelesse for fat is without sence The property of them that heare in an ineffectuall manner is this they have a spirit of slumber they are as one hearing a tale when as his mind is other where If the things propounded were naturall they would heare them well enough but they are spirituall therefore they are dull of hearing them Thirdly which followeth the second those that heare the voyce of the Sonne of God have experimentall knowledge the other is but speculative 1. Cor. 2.6.9 Wee preach wisedome to those that are perfect such wisedome as eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man but God reveileth it to

drinkes my blood shall live As flesh gives life to the body so the Sonne gives it to the soule To eate the flesh of Christ is to prize him to desire and long after him which is after the spirit of bondage to eate him is to take him to come to him to have him your God In these stands the eating of Christ. First in prising of him exceedingly to part with any thing for him to take his Crosse with all losses Secondly to eate him is to beleve him to be yours and you his this eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ expresseth our relative union with him and then followes our reall union the Spirit immediately gives this he that doth the first shall have the second But how shall we doe to beleeve this I answer yee see the old Adam communicated corruption to all his posterity because they were borne of him so these who are borne of the new Adam that is these who take him and beleeve in him have grace communicated to them by him this new birth makes you as capable of Christ as the other doth of the first Adam why then shall not the second Adam communicate grace as well as the other doth corruption The philosophers were all deceived in this poynt from whence corruption should come but wee know that it came from Adam and so doth grace come from Christ. To get this life let us seeke it in him let us beleeve more let us be humbled more repent more and take Christ more take him on any condition prize him set him at the highest rate hold him fast As in the actions of mariage those who are to marry will not part upon any condition they take one another for richer for poorer for better for worse after this manner must wee take Christ the more yee take Christ thus the more yee have the Sonne and so yee live more the life of grace All grant that this life comes by the Spirit and there is no way to get the Spirit but by the Sonne Yee must first eate ere yee can be nourished yee must fixe your eyes on his passion as the wife doth fixe her eyes on her husband yee must seeke this life from the Spirit ultimately but yee must first have the Sonne and then yee have life He must have the Sonne that will have this life hee must be ingraffed into Christ as the branches are into the roote get Christ and then this life shall abound in you The fourth meanes to get and increase this life is communion of Saints The mouth of the righteous is a well spring of life Prov. 10.20 they put life into those that have it not and increase it in those in whom it is Ephe. 4.24 their speeches minister grace to the hearers they edifie them hearing of the word of life and talking of the fountaine of life puts life into men The health of the body doth not communicate it selfe to others it is otherwise in the life of the soule the life of it makes others to live more as Iron sharpens Iron so one holy man doth another See it by the contrary In evill men who are dead there is an aptnesse to dead others their words are as continuall droppings to put out this life their tongues are set on fire of hell Iame. 2.6 The tongue of good men is a cole fetched from the Altar they have fire within thē When two lie together they keepe one another warme there is action and redaction this is powerfull meanes to get and increase this life The tongue of the righteous if full of life it is powerfull to make men live Gal. 2.14 Paul speaking to Peter saith why compellest thou the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Iewes he used not outward compulsion his example and life was a compulsion The company which wee keepe compell us to doe as they doe evill company they are the Divels snares they doe as brambles keepe us in and fetter us the sutablenesse of evill companions drawes out our secret corruption He that resolves to live this life must resolve to withdraw himselfe from evill company who are a strong temptation unto evill There is a difference betweene leading our selves into temptation and being led into it when you leade your selves into temptation as you do when as you rush into evill company you are out of the pale of Gods protection If yee touch pitch yee cannot but bee defiled with it wherefore make your company good this is an effectuall and powerfull meanes to beget this life in you Saul being among the Prophets changeth his spirit and became a Prophet one that goeth fast makes those that goe with him to mend their pace Act. 11.23.33 it is said of Barnabas being a good man and full of the holy Ghost and of faith that hee added much people unto the Lord. Which manner of speaking shewes that the speeches of those who are full of faith helpe to breed faith that if men be full of the Spirit they quicken the Spirit Evill company deads men they are the trunkes through which the Divell speakes and this deading is done in an insensible manner and then most of all where it is least perceived Evill company poysons men a man turning his opinion which company can doe is most of all poysoned when as hee thinks that he hath least hurt The last meanes to get and increase this life is that which is mentioned in the text and that is the hearing of the voyce of the Sonne of God this will beget and increase this life that is if when wee speake to your eares he speake to your hearts then yee live Yee have two teachers the one is he that speakes to you the other is Christ. Heb. 8.11 They shall no more teach one another for they shall all be taught of God There are two sheapheards the one is hee that feeds you the other is the great sheapheard of the sheepe there are two great voyces the one speaking outwardly to the eare the other when as Christ speakes effectually to the heart When Christ speakes inwardly to the heart then men live and not before This is such a speech as Christ spake to Lazarus Lazarus come forth and he came his speaking puts life into us Now what is this inward speaking of life to the heart It is nothing else but to perswade fully and every way to convince us that it is best to take Christ to set to an holy course to leade a new life There is a speaking that comes neare this life and is not it that is when as men heare and understand the way and apprehend the things of God but practise them not Here is a proximity to this life yet it is not this life Let a man come so neare as that he thinkes he acts it yet he is dead if he act it not when he acts it then he is made a living man and then hee

thinkes and beleeves that the wayes of sinne are evill and that they are evill to him When God doth convince us that such a thing is evill and that it is evill to us then wee live and not before A man having a businesse to doe if all bee done but one thing this one thing crosseth all the rest but that being done our businesse is brought to passe so in this life a man having many offers of grace which doe not fully perswade him this is not enough if Gods helpe bee absent but when once hee speakes he doth fully convince and perswade us and makes us to continew As Sathan hahaving leave never gives over vexing man so the Spirit keepes us in good things where there is this life there the Spirit dwels But after what manner is this effectuall perswasion done I answer when as God gives an eare and speakes a voyce for it to heare he that hath an eare to heare saith Christ let him heare Wee then heare when as there is a disposition wrought within us when as we preach there are many that have hard hearts and nothing for to soften them therefore the words falls from them as raine from a stone but if there be a man that God will chuse he fits his heart and so hee is perswaded This is called the opening of the understanding Luke 24.45 hee opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures when wee speake to men we sow as it were upon fallow ground which will beare no Corne unlesse God plow it Those that saw the miracles of the Loaves esteemed them not because their hearts were hardned Ephe. 4.18 They are alienated from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts that is they are not sensible of sinne and death the word or the threatnings when God takes away this hardnesse they are fit to harken then comes light the beginning of life which is the informing of the understanding to judge righteous judgement Those who have the life of Christ if hee speakes it quickens them It is the inward voyce that quickens seeke therefore to God earnestly that Christ would speake to your hearts yee heare and are not quickned because he speakes not And thus much for this second point that all in Christ are in a state of life We come now to the third point that may bee noted out of these words and it is this That the voyce of the Sonne of God is the onely meanes to translate men from death to life Men before are dead Christ by his voyce makes them living men This voyce is the onely meanes there is no voyce but this that is able for to do it that 's the scope of this Text. This proposition may bee resolved into two parts First nothing else is able Secondly this is able for to doe it As it is said of faith that it justifies and nothing else but it can justify so may it be said of this voyce that nothing else can translate men from death to life and this can doe it To translate from death to life is nothing else but effectually to perswade and change the heart now nothing else can thus perswade and alter the heart but this voyce of the Sonne of God God himselfe frames the heart it is as a curious framed locke none can picke it but hee that knowes the turning of it God onely fits the perswasions and turnings mens perswasions are as one that will unlocke a locke with a wrong key God onely can perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem I cannot doe it Esay 57.19 I create the fruite of the lippes that is I make them to bring comfort I create the fruite of the lippes for peace by my power That this is so you may see by divers reasons First that it is so see it by this we speaking to y e quickest often times they beleeve not but the others do the same sometimes beleeve sometimes not If man were the sole cause the word would have the same effect at all times Secondly this is life and God onely gives life it is as the breathing of life into a clod of earth It requires an almighty power to worke this in those that beleeve Eph. 1.19.20 The same power that raised up Christ from the dead raysed us up it is an almighty action to give this life Thirdly if it were not proper to Christ and his voyce to translate men from death to life hee should lose his chiefest soveraignty hee quickens whom hee will he hath compassion on whom hee will have compassion If men could translate men from death to life then it would not be proper to God to doe it Lastly as nothing else can doe it so the voyce of the Sonne of God is able for to doe it At the first creation all was made by the voyce of God hee saith Let there be light and there was light let him say to any man follow mee and he doth it Matth. 9.9 hee saith to the Publican sitting at the receipt of Custome follow me and hee left all and rose up and followed him Christ speaking to his eare and heart made him to follow him his speech was like the speech of Elias to Elisha hee followed him and could not chuse but doe it Christ speaking wee cannot but follow him But what is this voyce of the Sonne of God that translateth men from death to life I answer it is nothing else but an inward worke of the Spirit by which hee perswades men effectually to turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God It must be understood of the effectuall working of the Spirit because who ever doth heare it lives this voyce reneweth and changeth men translating them from death to life Now this effectuall speaking consists in two things First in propounding the object the truth to the heart Secondly in the perswasion of the truth First the Gospel must be laid open to the heart all things necessary to salvation must be manifested to it then there must be light in the heart to apprehend these reasons which are propounded The Scripture propounds things by authority Then the holy Ghost doth kindle light to apprehend them which another doth not Marke how Moyses beginning his booke saith that in the beginning it was thus and thus God did he doth not perswade them by arguments to beleeve it so Iohn begins his Gospel without perswasions In the beginning was the word c. so the Apostles commission was Goe and preach that Christ is Come he that beleeved shall be saved he that beleeves not shall be damned The word of it selfe is sufficient authority when the Gospel it selfe is thus propounded then the holy Ghost kindles light And therefore this life begins when as the Gospel is propounded and light kindled then this life is wrought Now there are three degrees of working this light by the Spirit First