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
A56715	Two sermons : one against murmuring, the other against censuring preached at St. Paul's Covent-Garden / by S. Patrick ...	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.; Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707. Sermon against murmuring.; Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707. Sermon against censuring.	1689 (1689)	Wing P863; ESTC R5051	36,605	72

not the like danger it must be acknowledged in every one of them but none of them are safe and therefore we ought to seek after a speedy remedy It makes a considerable difference in this case who it is that murmurs against whom and for what cause If he be a Subject who hath received great Benefits if it be against him to whom he owes much and therefore ought to love and praise if it be for a trifling or a tolerable cause much more if Thanks ought rather to be rendred than Complaints made it is a most detestable sort of murmuring as the good Man before-named Musculus hath observed It is also much to be considered from whence this Vice arises whether from meer impatience of some Loss or Inconvenience or from Pride Contempt Indignation and Envy For though it be vicious in it self to murmur against a Superiour yet it is a less fault if it arise from some damage a Man hath received of which he is impatient than it would be if it proceed from Pride Contempt and a Spirit of Envy such as was in Corah Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron and in the false Apostles and their Sectaries among the Corinthians who murmured and spake against St. Paul. The first Christians had some among them as you have heard who murmured because their Widows were neglected in the Provision which was daily made for the Poor but it was neither out of Pride nor Contempt nor Envy but from meer Impatience of the grievance it was to them to see those for whom they had a special concern not so much minded as others who had no more need than they that were neglected Every Eye can discern the difference between these murmurings which are not all of equal guilt yet none of them free from blame nor without danger if we do not apply our selves with all diligence to the proper means of curing our Minds of this distemper Unto which that I may awaken you I shall now proceed to consider the reason we have to obey this Apostolical Precept and no longer give way to a discontented humour which is the third thing I undertook in the beginning and may help to remove the Causes of this Disease if we well weigh the Mischiefs it doth Thirdly 1. And here let it be considered that this is a most uncomfortable condition and puts the Soul into such disorders that if it did no other hurt it ought on this account to be avoided For who is there that allows himself in this humour of discontented murmuring either at the publick state of things or his own private condition that truly enjoys any part of those Blessings which are fallen to his share in this World His Spirit is so fowred by it that he can relish nothing though in it self never so pleasant he is poor and miserable in the midst of abundance wanting not only that which he hath not but even that which he hath He takes no satisfaction in any thing though God's bounty hath bestowed perhaps variety of Blessings upon him for this humour will let him take no notice of them but only of that which is grievous to him By this means he possesses nothing no not himself his Soul being carried away in a hurry by things without him he knows not whither He is seldom at home and when he is he finds nothing there but disorders tumults and disquiets of Mind such a confusion of Thoughts as hurries him away again from himself and that many times into dangerous adventures Who would indulge then such a temper of Mind as spoils all our Comforts even that Satisfaction which we should find in our own serious thoughts 2. But it is not meerly an uncomfortable condition it is also very sinful For it proceeds as you have heard from several other sins and it is the cause also of many more both of sins of omission and sins of commission as we commonly distinguish them 1. First of innumerable sins of Omission in not recounting the multitude of God's Mercies bestowed upon us in not pondering the greatness of them and our own unworthiness to enjoy them in not giving perpetual thanks for them neither calling to Mind all the Evils from which we have been preserved or delivered nor so much as taking notice of all the Blessings we daily receive which call for our most grateful acknowledgments For they who are given to murmuring seldom reflect as we find by the Israelites upon the Obligations they have to God though never so great never so wonderful they forget how he hath saved them from the dreadful dangers which they feared or delivered them from the heavy burdens which oppressed them and mind only what they at present desire or dislike Which wrought the Israelites into such a very bad temper of Mind that they were never pleased No better pleased out of Egypt than when they were in it for they murmured as much or more after their Deliverance as they did before and I do not find they were better satisfied in Canaan than they had been either in Egypt or in the Wilderness for they carried their ungrateful Mind along with them thither And Men can be pleased no where in no condition unless they have a due Sense of God and of his Goodness and be truly affected with his benefits 2. As for the Sins of Commission they are no less numerous such as envious distractions evil surmisings rash censurings lying defamations and sometimes Injustice Oppression Extortion if not downright Robberies which are the common Effects of Mens discontented repining at their own private condition And when they are discontented with the publick State of Affairs thence proceed evil speakings clamor revilings variance strife contention quarreling and many times higher degrees of all these Sins such as speaking evil of dignities c. For by discontent Men exasperate their own Spirits and by Complaints and Murmurings they exasperate Others unto unruly Passions which increase into undutiful Practices which break out at last into publick Disturbances And how many mischiefs Men are wont to draw upon themselves by that means I shall not now say because my present business is to shew only the sinfulness of a Murmuring Spirit But the next particular will make you sensible of that also when I have added to this these two Considerations 1. First That a murmuring humour puts us into a temper of Mind directly contrary to the Christian Spirit which consists in such an happy frame of Mind as makes us rejoice in God always and administer all the Joy and Comfort we are able one to another For the kingdom of God saith St. Paul is Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. XIV 17. Where by Joy is not meant only the joy we feel in our own Hearts from a sence of God's love to us but that which we give to one another by our friendly agreement So St. Chrysostom and from him Oecumenius interprets the Words A Vertuous Life

Peace with our Brethren and the Joy which springs from concord are the things will bring us to Heaven and he that subverts this Peace and Joy doth his Brother a greater injury than if he had robb'd him of his Money for it is a thing far more precious than Gold and Silver being one of the Fruits of the Spirit next to love Gal. V. 22. from whence it springs as from its source For if we love our Brethren we shall be loth to grieve them and shall study to please them which is such an excellent disposition of Mind that Plato himself reports this as an ancient Saying that he should be reputed the wisest Man and the most Victorious whose business it is to make ● 2. De Legibus others rejoice and be merry Now murmuring is so opposite to this that it damps all the Joy we should otherwise take in God and in his Love and puts us into such a sullen humour that it spoils also Christian Society and that sweet fellowship we ought to have by giving such Counsel and Comfort one to another as may make us rejoice always whatsoever happens and never repine at any thing though never so cross to our expectations Which we should the rather study because Joy makes us more serviceable to the World than otherwise we shall be both by putting us forward to do good and by commending Piety and Goodness unto others Whence it is that we read Act. IX 31. The churches were multiplyed when they walked in the fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Let us take heed then how we any way particularly by Murmuring and Complaints banish this Heavenly Guest from our selves or others which is the Page as St. Basil calls it or whosoever was the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Monastical Constitutions that waits upon Goodness and Vertue especially now when there is such cause for it by God's wonderful Goodness to us in this Kingdom let us not upon any account refuse to take our share in it but to speak in the Psalmist's Phrase Psal CVI. 5. let us rejoice in the gladness of our nation 2. For if we do not but give way to a murmuring humour it will spoil all the good we do and make it unacceptable to God our Saviour Which is a reason more especially why we should not murmur at any part of our Christian Duty no not at taking up the Cross nor any thing else which may seem a hard saying which is the worst sort of murmuring that we can be guilty of For it is the quality of base dis-ingenuous and stupid slaves as St. Chrysostom observes upon Phil. II. 14. and therefore ought not to be found in a Child Who is about his Fathers business and labours for himself Consider says his Father that what thou dost for me thou dost for thy self thou wilt have the benefit of it wherefore then dost thou grumble It is for them to murmur who labour and toil when others reap the advantage but he that labours for himself what cause hath he to murmur He had better not work at all than not without murmuring He loses his labour he spoils that which he hath done though it be well done Do you not see how in our own Family we are wont to say continually I had rather you would let it alone than do it with Murmuring Nay we oft-times chuse rather to want ones service than bear with his murmuring humour For it is a grievous thing very grievous to murmur It is nigh unto blasphemy which is the reason God punished it so severely in the Israelites for it was a peice of ingratitude He that murmurs is unthankful to God and he that is unthankful is a Blasphemer Thus he And indeed it is directly contrary to that Love and Charity which is the Note of the Children of God and believes all things hopes all things takes all in good part and makes the best construction of them As on the contrary where self-love Pride and such like Vices reign there is nothing but impatience suspicious sinister interpretations murmurings and complaints whereby even things good in themselves are corrupted and defiled This we learn from that famous instance of Christian Charity viz. entertaining Strangers in which it was not so much considered whom they entertained as with what Mind If they did it with an ill will and repiningly it was so far from being look'd upon as a benefit that it was taken for a reproach Whence that admonition of St. Peter 1 Ep. IV. 9. Vse hospitality one to another without grudging or murmuring for it is the same Word which we so translate in other places They were not to think much at it as we speak much less to grumble at the trouble or the charge their Brethren brought upon them but receive them as cheerfully as Men now welcome their Guests to the publick Inns where they pay for what they have And thus as St. Paul instructs us in the place before named we ought to perform our whole Christian duty do all things without murmuring and likewise entertain in the same manner whatsoever falls out in the World by the direction or permission of God's Wise Providence for he is not pleased to see us follow him or do as he bids us with a heavy Heart and a discontented complaining Spirit And so I come to the Third and last Reason why we should obey the Apostolical admonition in my Text and work out this part of our Salvation even with fear and trembling Which is this 3. That murmuring is the cause of such Sins as are the punishment of those who are guilty of it Their own tongue as the Psalmist speaks falls upon themselves they uttering in their anger such discontented speeches that God takes them at their Word as we speak and brings upon them the Evils they unadvisedly wished For anger you may observe is the ordinary Companion of discontented murmuring which reflects so highly upon God that it moves his just displeasure We may say in this Case as Solomon doth Prov. XIX 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth or as the Chaldee hath it murmureth against the Lord. Men run inconsiderately into many Sins and then lay the blame upon their natural weakness and want of power to avoid them which is in effect to lay the fault upon God And in the same manner they draw many inconveniencies upon themselves and fall into great straits whereupon they fret and fume though not directly yet by consequence against God For when they say Things might have been better ordered what necessity was there for this They forget that nothing comes to pass without God's Providence no not those things which are ill done towards which we ought to behave our selves with a becoming reverence and take heed least we speak unadvisedly with our lips The danger of which is so apparent in the example of the murmuring Israelites of whom