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	receive_v	18,187	5	5.7163	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29368	The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.	1671 (1671)	Wing B4454; ESTC R19668	79,842	192

Verse of the Parable you will find it brought in with a for For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man c. The former Chapter saith For we have forsaken all to follow thee and what shall we have But Jesus saith he that hath forsaken Father or Mother Wife or Children Houses or Lands for my sake shall receive a hundred fold and inherit eternal life and they that are last shall be first and the first shall be last Thus shall it be in suffering many that are first shall be last and so it shall be in service in employment and in labour For after he had spoken this Parable of the Labourers he concludes the last shall be first and the first last concluding for suffering and for service and he gives the Reason of it from our Election for many are called but few chosen and shews the grounds of it that it is of free grace the first shall be last and the last first So that as to service and as to suffering all is of free grace Now take these words as they are in relation to the former and they will afford us this Doctrine Doct. That there is much of the freeness of the grace of God laid out both in our services and sufferings Free grace in the matter of our services and labour and free grace in the matter of our sufferings The first shall be last and the last first for many shall be called but few chosen For the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall First Labour to shew you That it is a great mercy to be used for God and by God either in a way of service or sufferring for his Name Secondly That there are some that God doth especially single out to serve him or to suffer for him Thirdly That it is the free grace of God that one serves above another Fourthly I shall shew wherein this free grace of God doth appear or shine forth in the matter of our employment and sufferings Fifthly I shall shew why God will order and dispose of our services and sufferings in the way of free grace or free love First I say it is a great mercy to be used for God or by God in the matter of service or sufferings it is a great mercy to be employed in any work for God For First The more serviceable any man or woman is for God the more they honour God and the more they honour God the more will God honour them when I testifie of any excellency in God then I honour God when God testifies of any honour in me then God honours me as now when God calls me to any service then God testifies an excellency in me then God honours me when a Governour puts any honour upon a common Souldier he calls him forth to special service so it is an honour for a man to be serviceable to God This was the honour of Moses Moses the servant of the Lord and when the Holy Ghost puts an honour upon David he sayes The Psalm of David the servant of the Lord Not the Psalm of David the King of Israel no the Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. So in the New Testament this was Pauls honour Paul the servant of the Lord. Now is it not a great honour to honour God and to be owned by God Thus it is with them that serve the Lord. Secondly The more serviceable any man is for God in his Generation the more apt God is to accept of his work though there be failings in the work observe what great failings there was in Aaron yet God accepted of the work Thirdly The more serviceable any man is whilest he lives the more comfortably he will dye when he comes to dye what is a mans comfort upon his death-bed but that according to his measure he hath served God saith Christ Glorifie me Oh Father for I have done the work that thou hast sent me to do And so it is a mans comfort to do the work that God gives him to do yea it will be his comfort at the day of death Fourthly The more serviceable any man is whilst he lives the more he shall speak when he is dead there are them that being dead yet speak why what speaks Abell but Faith good Works good Examples He offered a better Sacrifice than Cain he was truly serviceable to God in his day and now he speaks when he is dead Thus Abell did and thus it is with a serviceable man Look how it is with a wicked man that is serviceable to the Devil and that writes wicked and wanton Books that speak when he is dead so is it with a man that is serviceable unto God This honour is in the service of God above all others and to say no more this is the thing that is desired more in some respects than the enjoyment of Heaven I desire saith the Apostle to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all yet nevertheless for your sakes and the service of the Churches I desire to live So that I say in one respect this is more desirable than Heaven for no such work is to be done in Heaven And is it not a great matter very great to be serviceable unto God to be used and employed by God either in service or suffering Secondly As it is a great mercy to serve for God so is it not a great mercy to suffer for God to be called out to suffer for the Name of Christ For saith the former Chapter We have forsaken Father and Mother Wife and Children Houses and Lands for the sake of Christ but saith Christ he that forsakes so much for me shall receive a hundred fold and eternal life yea he that suffers for me shall reign with me You carry a burthen but Christ carries the heavy end and you have communion with Christ also thereby and thereby also your heart shall be filled with comfort yea even the comfort of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God dwells in every believer and that man that suffers for God the Spirit of God rests upon him as the Dove rested upon the Earth and so saith Peter the Spirit of God and of glory resteth in you A man is never more glorified than when he suffers for God remember that When our Saviour Christ was upon the Cross he was then glorious before the eyes of Heaven and never more glorious than then for now is the Son of man glorified so may you say when in sufferings Now am I glorified Oh the glory of a Christian Nay sayes the Martyr when going to the Stake Now I begin to be a Christian And thereby he is assured of eternal life and salvation Our present light afflictions saith the Apostle works an eternal and exceeding weight of glory And sayes our Saviour If ye be reviled and reproached for my sake happy are you And if you look into Philip. 1.28 you will find that sufferings are an evidence to us Thus

Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work HAving already treated of the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our Imployments and sufferings I do intend to shew you also the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our Comforts and Consolations and this Text you see saith God hath given us Everlasting Consolation and tells us surther that God hath given us this everlasting Consolation through grace Therefore without any further explication you see that free Love is written upon all our spiritual Comforts For what is more free than gift Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father hath given us everlasting Consolation and hope through grace Therefore it is by the grace by the free grace of God that we are truly comforted There is much of the freeness of Gods grace and love laid out in our spiritual comforts and consolations For the opening of this Argument 1. I shall shew you that it is a great mercy to be truly Comforted 2. That it is possible for Gods own people to live a great while without any considerable Comfort 3. That it is not in the power of any Creature or any thing on this side God or Christ to comfort a poor distressed drooping soul 4. That when God doth give or bestow comfort upon any he gives and bestowes it in a way of free grace 5. To shew wherein the grace and love of God is manifested in the matter of our spiritual Comforts 6. Why God will deal with us in the way of free grace and love in the matter of our comforts 7. When a man may be truly said to be comforted in a way of free grace and love 8. What a poor drooping soul must do that he may be truly comforted in a way of free love and in case he be so comforted what returns he should make Of these in order First I say it is a great mercy to be truly comforted For it is a promised mercy and promised mercies are no small mercies now this is a mercy promised Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Secondly As this is a mercy promised so it is the proper birth fruit and effect of the holy Ghost Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith Joy and peace are the proper fruits of the holy Ghost and therefore no small mercies Thirdly As this comfort is the proper birth fruit and effect of the holy Ghost so it is the main part of the Kingdom of God Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat nor drink but righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost It is a main part of the Kingdom of God and if so no small matter Fourthly This comfort is reward also as well as a main part of the Kingdom of God Comfort and Joy in the holy Ghost is both duty and reward so it is promised in the forementioned Scripture Matt. 5. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and if so then surely it is no small thing Fifthly As it is duty and reward so it is that grace whereby you are inabled to read your other graces When a man is under great Temptations Sorrows and Afflictions it is a hard thing to read his graces but now this helps us to read our Graces some will say they cannot read their graces they lie at the bottom As to explain it take this plain comparison There are many Fishes in a Fish-pond but now in rainy and foul weather the fish lye all at the bottom and are not to be seen but in fair weather the fish swim and are visible So if it be foul weather upon a soul if it be dark and gloomy weather the soul cannot read his graces but now when God shines upon him then he is inabled to read them yea though his graces lye at the bottom as I may say yet the poor soul is abl●●o read them and if it be so it is no small thing 't is no small matter to read our graces our other graces Sixthly As it is that grace whereby you are inabled to read your other graces so it is that whereby you joy in all good things Grief and sorrow streighten the soul streighten the heart but joy and comfort dilate the soul widen and open the heart Psalm 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Seventhly As by this grace you are inabled to joy in all good things so it is also that grace whereby you are inabled to bear up against every evil thing to bear up under all afflictions Are you reproached by this comfort you are inabled to bear up against reproaches for saith the Apostle Peter If you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are you Are you reproached Comfort will turn that to your benefit and blessing Are you persecuted Blessed are you when men shall revile and persecute you rejoyce c. Are you not only persecuted but beaten too Comfort will bear up your hearts under all stripes and afflictions for we find Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks well but this is not all Eighthly This is that grace that will strengthen and establish you in the good waies of God Mark how they go together in 2 Thess 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work Comfort and establishment go together and if it be so it is no small matter Lastly This is that grace that will give a beauty and lustre to your profession The comforted Christian is the truly beautiful Christian If a man have never so much beauty in his face yet if his face be wrinkled with grief and blubbered with tears the beauty of his face is not seen but when joy and comfort comes that wipes off all and his beauty then is seen So here comfort doth not only take away reproach from your profession but it gives a lustre a beauty to your profession the comforted Christian I say is the truly beautiful Christian and if so surely it is a great mercy to be truly comforted That is the first thing in general that it is a great mercy to be truly comforted 2. As it is a great mercy to be truly comforted so it is possible for Gods own servants and dearest children to live a long time without any consideraable comfort any fundamental comfort their hearts may faint My heart and my soul fainteth saith the Psalmist and you know how it was with Daniel Dan. 10.17 You may see how he was bowed down he complains there was no strength remained in him till there came one and touched him and set him upon his legs again a good man may faint and want comfort and all the former comforts that he hath

accounts Read what the Psalmist saith Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee that thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men. Yea further if you truly fear the Lord The eye of God shall be upon you for good unto him will I look that trembleth unto him will I look that feareth saith the Lord. Again if you truly fear the Lord the Lord will delight in you Yea God will be a God unto you God will be a strong Tower to you and he will sanctify all unto you and to say no more They that fear the Lord shall want no good thing O what a blessed thing is it then to fear the Lord for from him God will with-hold no good thing and thus you see the Issue of this fearing of God Consider it consider I say the consequence and Issue of it and let it be so many motives to stir you up more and more to fear the Lord. So much shall serve for the Doctrinal part Now then by way of Application Here we may see what a sad excuse that will be which many make That say they do but as others do but Alas this is an excuse fit for the lips of those only who fear not God at all But Secondly If this Doctrine be true then here you may see who those are that fear God in truth there are many pretenders to it but we find here that those that truly fear the Lord cannot will not do as others do They will not do as others do in the matter of their choice in the matter of their worship nor of their calling nor in what they are intrusted with nor in their refreshments nor in their Afflictions nor in their right and propriety and if it be so how few are there that fear the Lord in Truth They that truly fear God say always as Nehemiah But so did not I because of the fear of God There are many that lie quiet under sins of Omission and under sins of Commission too but so will not I because of the fear of God Do others sin and do others act contrary to the will of God yet let us not do so but let us say with Nehemiah But so will not I because of the fear of God O therefore let me desire all to fear the Lord And for you that do fear the Lord be you comforted for comfort belongs to you Everlasting mercy belongs to you who fear the Lord Jer. 31.3 I have loved you with an Everlasting love But it may be some will say I am afraid I do not fear the Lord and so this comfort doth not belong to me why consider First Do you make conscience of what you do doth your conscience accuse you or not for what you do do you find conscience accuse or excuse Secondly Have you not sinned in the dark when none could accuse but God only and do you Act and walk and live and labour as if you were in the presence and sight of God if you do thus then you do fear the Lord And then it shall be well with you Eccles 8.12 Again Thirdly Do you run and speak one to another if so then this is to fear the Lord for it is said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 And Fourthly Do you truly desire to fear the Lord then look into Nehemiah and observe his spirit well and do accordingly And to say no more Have you had advantages to make you rich in this world and would you not take them because of the fear of God then certainly you have received free grace and you have the Spirit of God for this is a true sign that you have true grace in your hearts and that you are one of them that truly fear the Lord and therefore be you comforted for comfort belongs unto you everlasting mercy belongs unto you But it may be some will say Suppose I do not fear the Lord what shall I do that I may fear the Lord fear him as I should do fear him more and more For answer If you would fear the Lord in truth Then First Be humbled for want of this fear That man is not far from grace who is humbled for the want of grace a man will never be humbled for unbelief unless he be humbled for the want of it Secondly Go to God and beg of him to fulfil his promise God hath said I will put my fear into their hearts Now go to God I say and beg and desire him that he would make good this promise to you Thirdly If you would fear God in truth then observe what that is that is neerest and dearest to you and give that up to God You know Abraham offered up Isaac his only Son and saith God By this I know thou fearest me And further Fourthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then worship God according to his own appointment take heed of mingling of Gods worship with any of mans Inventions for he that doth so feareth not God nor worshippeth him according to his own appointment And then Fifthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then take heed of sinning when you have an opportunity Again Sixthly If you would fear God more than love the Lord more labour to strengthen your love to God Again Seventhly If you would have your fear strengthned more and more then study much the free grace of God in giving out his mercy to one more than to another Two in a field the one taken and the other left Two walking together the one taken and the other left If you would strengthen your fear study much the free grace of God Eightly If you would fear the Lord in Truth Live much in and study much upon dependance wholly upon God it is our great duty to depend upon God If a man be upon a high Tower and another holds him from falling by the hand only he will certainly be very fearful of offending him that holds him so why we are thus in the hand of God and our dependance is upon him for every thing how fearful ought we then to be of offending this God O study your dependance upon God more and more and Again Use the world as using it not deal with men as in the presence of God and when you are dealing with men be sure to deal with God before all the men of the world Again Let your eye be very much upon the Severity and Justice of God upon his severity and Justice consider Gods severeness to Adam in eating the forbidden fruit and his severeness to Moses for a word that for one word God would not let him enter into the promised land and consider his severity to David for numbring the people Yea Again consider That God cannot only destroy the body but soul and body too Therefore O man fear him that can destroy both body and soul when