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
A46661	Invisibles, realities, demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. John Janeway, Fellow of King's Collegde in Cambridge. By James Janeway, Minister of the Gospel	Janeway, James, 1636?-1674.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Borset, Samuel.	1674 (1674)	Wing J471; ESTC R217020	74,067	160

Mr. Janeway now begins to cast about how he might best improve what he did already know and turn all his studies into the right chanel grace did not take him off from but made him more diligent and spiritual in his study And now Christ was at the end and bottom of every thing how did he plot and contrive how he might most express his love and thankfulness to him who had brought him out of darkness into his marvellous light to this end he sent up and down packets of divine letters in which he did discourse so substantially and experimentally of the great things of God that it would not at all have unbecome some gray head to have owned what he did write He was not in a little like young Elihu whose words he used to excuse his freedom with persons of years whose souls he did dearly pity He said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom but there is a spirit in a man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed c. O then how sweet was the favour of his graces He could not but speak the things which he had seen and heard and even invite all the world to taste and see how good the Lord was He began first with his Relations begging and wooing of them to think of their precious and immortal souls and to lay in speedy provisions for a death-bed and eternity O with what compassion did he plead the cause of Christ with their souls what Pathetical expressions did he use what vehement expostulations how frequent how particular in his applications to them O with what gravity and majesty would he speak of the mysteries of the Gospel Read what his language was when he was between eighteen and nineteen years old in a Letter to an antient Minister that he stood related to who at that time walked very heavily His Letter Reverend Sir THere are two things the want of which I have had xperience of in your Family though not in every degree yet in that intenseness of degree wherein they ought to be which are the real power of Godliness and Religion and then that which is the fruit of the former that chearfulness delight spiritual joy and serenety of mind which is to be had in Religion and no where else and that not in Religion in its weakest degrees but in a real vigor power and life and in a more close constant walking with God from a tender sense of the worth of souls especially those of your family and knowing the duty which my relation to it doth lay upon me and having confidence of their will acceptance of it I have undertaken to open my thoughts unto them In most Families in England I fear there is neither the form nor the power of Godliness where there is no fear of God no regard of him no acting under him or in reference to him These are in my opinion twice dead nay not so much as having the dead carcase of Religion objects of pity they are and O how few are there that spend one passionate thought upon them Others there are who some way or other it may be from tradition from good Parents it may be from knowing the fashion of those in their rank it may be from the frequent inculcating of good instructions from Christian Friends or Godly Ministers or some strugling eruptions of Conscience have gotten the outward husk or shell of Religion without any kernel or solidity at all and this generation doth usually trust to this their Religion that it will bring them to a place like a sleeping place in Heaven or keep them out of Hell though they live without God in the World These are poor creatures too making haste to their own destruction and know it not yea thinking that they are in a fair way for Heaven O that there were never a Family to which we are related which gave too sad cause of fear that it were in such a case or neer such a case as this is A third sort of people there are and but few of these neither which have the reality of Religion but yet in much weakness coldness faintnefs dimness and intermission like Nilus's brood above half mud still beginning to have some life in their head a little in their heart but the feet of their affections and actions have little or no motion And where shall we find a Christian that is got any higher than this yea that doth in good earnest strive to get any higher Now there are higher attainments to be reached after there is a having our conversation in Heaven while we are upon Earth neither doth this consist in some weak disconrses about God Heaven and the things of Religion it consists not in the meer praying twice a day and in keeping the Sabbath in an usual manner in its order it consists not in a few thoughts of Religious objects comeing into the mind in a common way and as easily got as lost But true Religion raiseth the soul to longings hungrings and thirstings not without some enjoyments Religion in power is to act for God with strength vigor earnestness intenseness delight cheerfulness serenety and calmness of mind The fruits of the spirit are joy in the Holy Ghost and Peace fear disquiet and terrors are usually the introduction to a better state but they are not of the essentials of Religion yea the contrary frame of spirit is to be striven for To speak yet more plainly and to tell you Honoured Sir what fears and jealousies are with reverence to your self and tender affection to all your family I fear that you your self are subject to too many desponding melancholy thoughts The causes whereof give me leave with submission to guess at The first I think may be your reflecting on your entring upon the ministry without that reverence care holy zeal for God love to Christ and compassion to souls which is required of every one that undertakes that holy office it may be there was rather a respect to your own living in the world than of living to God in the world be it thus be it not as bad or be it worse the remedy is the same These have a wondring power in them which will be felt to be grievous when felt as they are in themselves but continual sorrow and sad thoughts do keep this wound open too long and are not available to the having of it cured Wounds indeed must be first opened that they may be cleansed they must be opened that their filth may be discovered in reference to a purging and healing but no longer than the balm of Gilead is to be applyed that they may be healed And when Christ is made use of aright he leaveth joy and comfort yet a constant

Hell it self in as much as the cause doth eminently contain all and more evil than the effect This is the spiritual death whereby we are dead in sin the fruit of the first curse Thou shalt die the death The souls life in this world is its being in God and living to God and injoyment of God and the souls eternal life will be so to know God as to be formed into his likeness and to be received into a full participation of and communion with God The souls death here is its being fallen off from God and its being carried into its self and its eternal death will be an utter separation from him Now mankind being thus fallen from God Christ is sent for this very end to bring man back again to God and then man is brought unto God when he is brought out of that state of self-love into that state whereby he gives up himself wholly to God Thus the soul being quickened by the spirit of God leaveth off living to its self which was its death and lives to God which is its life Here comes in the great duty of denying of our selves for Christs sake which indeed were no duty if there were nothing in us contrary to God This then is our duty not to seek our own things before the things of God to lay Gods glory as the foundation of all our actions and if there be any thing in us contrary to that to give it no leave to stand in competition with God Now were this deeply rooted in our hearts how would contention anger wrath and heart-burning and all things of this nature cease Such influence would the taking Gods part against self have into the quiet and peace of men that it cannot be without it We see how wisely God hath ordered things that the very act of mans being off from God should be the cause of confusion war and misery and what can be more just and equal than this that God who is the author of our being should be the end of our being O then that once our minds were again reduced to this frame To live wholly to God! O that we were wrought into a through prejudice against self which stands between us and true peace I beg of you to spare some time from the world and retire into privacie where you may apply this to your own soul My prayer to God for you out of the strong yearnings of my soul towards you is that he would make this effectual to its intended end for the inward peace of your soul for your comfortable walking with God in this life and that condition wherein the wisdom of God hath placed you I writ these lines with the strength of affection I feel fear grief compassion working strongly O pity me in the midst of all these whilest I cannot call to remembrance the cause of these without a flood of tears Fulfill therefore my joy in being of one mind yea if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort in love if any-fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fulfill ye my joy and be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Phil. 2. 1 2. I leave you to the love and mercy of God and to the working of his spirit which alone is able to put life and power into these words Which that he would do is the earnest request and servent prayer of yours John Janeway Now upon a faithful perusal of this Letter it pleased the Lord to give a meek and more complying spirit and in a great measure it wrought its intended effect The noble design of this sweet peace-maker took so far as to produce an ingenious acknowledgement and sorrowful bewailing of the want of that self-denial humility meekness and love which doth so much become our sacred profession Upon the hearing of this good news how strangely was this good man transported Upon the receipt of a letter from the former friend which gave no small satisfaction hopes that his former indeavours were not in vain And that he might drive the nail to the head he speedily backs his for former Letter with a second which speaks these words Dear Friend MY soul is inlarged towards you and my affections work within me and yet give me leave now to lay aside those weak flames of natural affection and to kindle my soul with divine love Here there is no fear of running out too far while all is in Christ and for Christ O that now I could let out the strength of my soul not as to your self but as to God! O that my heart were more inlarged that it may be comprehensive of a more full true Christian love God is altogether lovely and to be loved for himself and we are so far dark ignorant and blind as we do not see and account him most amiable O let me have such discoveries of his excellency that my heart may pant thirst and break for its earnest longings after the richest participations of him that I may for ever be swallowed up of his love O that I may love him a thousand times more than I do That I may rejoyce in him and take the sweetest complacencie delight in him alone that I could let out my affections most where I see any thing of himself any beams of the image of his holiness and that beareth the impression of his spirit Had you visited me from the dead could my affections have moved more strongly or my rejoycings have been greater than they were at the receipt of those lines which I had from you wherein so much of Christ in you and the goodness of Christ to me did appear Fulfil my joy in the Lord refresh my bowels and let not my rejoycing be in vain If it hath pleased the Lord to make the imperfect weak indeavours of his unworthy servant any way subservient to his own glory in you it is that which I account my self unworthy of desire to receive it from him as a manifestation of the riches of his free goodness to my self knowing my self to be unworthy to be his instrument in the meanest service much more in so great a one as this is Hoping and perswading my self of the effectual vvork of my former letter I am incouraged to write again both because of my promise and your expectation and the vveighty nature of the subject that I vvas then upon vvhich vvas Love True Christian love which is a thing so comly so beautiful and sweet and of such vveighty power in all actions to make them divine excellent that there is no labour lost in indeavouring to get more of it even in those in vvhom it most aboundeth The Apostle 1 Thes 4. 9 10. Though he knew that they vvere taught of God to love one another and that they did it towards all the Brethren yet even them he beseeched to abound more and more in that grace of love The former principal