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	scripture_n	19,615	5	6.1818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51403	The clergyman's office, and the clergyman's due a sermon preach'd at the Triennial Visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God Edward, Lord Bishop of Gloucester at Campden, Octob. 7, 1698 / by Robert Morse ...	Morse, Robert, 1660 or 61-1703.	1699 (1699)	Wing M2815; ESTC R4155	14,141	25

to instruct you in all the necessary Points of Salvation rightly dividing the word of God and not rending it asunder as the manner of some is such as Pray for you without ceasing at home and in the Church such as instruct your Children in the Fundamentals of Christianity the Excellent Church Catechism and your selves as well as them in the Exposition of it such as visit you in all your Distresses and Trials councel comfort succour you For these Blessings we ought all to give Thanks and for the enjoyments of the Gospel without the cruelties of an Inquisition or the barbarities of an Oliverian sequestration For if the Thessalonians were in every thing to give thanks and rejoyce in the Lord always tho' surrounded with Persecutions much more we who have no disturbance in our Religion as the poor Afflicted Protestants now in France and Savoy and other places have whom God of his All-sufficient Grace support God of his Infinite Goodness in his due time deliver 3. I proceed now after these two foregoing positive precepts to one that is negative which is this Quench not the Spirit including as I intimated this affirmative viz. That we reverence the real Gifts of Good and Faithful Ministers Sound and Orthodox Divines The Spirit of God does not now adays Operate in an extraordinary manner as in the Primitive Times so as to ennable Men otherwise Illiterate as most of the Apostles were to speak divers Languages not taught them the common way The Apostles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspired by the Holy Ghost and in a more peculiar manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taught Immediately by God The holy Ghost descended visibly in Cloven Tongues like as of Fire as appears from Acts Second and Third from whence this passage of not Quenching the Spirit seems to be deriv'd And to Give them their due tho' many Enthusiasts boast of Inspiration Extraordinary Call and Apostolical Endowments to qualify them for the Work of the Ministery they pretend not to the Gift of Tongues here they will grant that the Spirit is stinted to them and that they are not absolutely so good Linguists as the Apostles were They have had those among them indeed who have made a vain Ostentation of this gift also but they have been Subtile Popish Priests in Masquerade who in Mechanical Dresses have endeavoured to make men believe that they never had any learned Education and yet that they did not want it as having no less a Person than the Holy Ghost himself for their Tutor who has taught them the Learned Tongues but these have been detected for Impostors by trying them in such Languages as they have not understood And so for the gift of Healing Curing the Deaf Blind Dumb Lunatick and Paralytick and Ejecting of Devils they do not lay claim to them and yet one thing observe by the way they assume to themselves which is the Gift of Unpremeditated Prayer and yet that is not mentioned amongst any of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost described at large in 1 Cor. 12. nor in any other place of Holy Scripture beside It may be asked then here What is the Quenching of the Spirit now adays Doth not the Spirit of God work still on the Children of Obedience as well as the Evil Spirit on the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 I Answer Yes without doubt so as to assist all those that use honest Endeavours and proper Means to fit themselves for the Ministerial Function But how can we once think that God will work Miracles upon some to save them the Pains of Study and the Charges of Education and forsake others that by all possible care have made it their Business and been at great Expence both of Time and upon other accounts to qualifie themselves for the Embassadors of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 5.20 For my part and I doubt not the concurrent Sentiments of all unprejudic'd and considerate Persons I give no credit to any that arrogate to themselves a Supernatural Call to the Ministry With great and profound Humility we Sons of the Church of England are ready to acknowledge That the best Men of us all are unable to act any good thing as of our selves alone but our Sufficiency is of God We owe all we can say or do well to the Aid of God's good and gracious Spirit Co-operating with our earnest tho' weak Endeavours But how unlikely is it and indeed absurd to imagine That God should deny us the Blessings of his Holy Spirit who are always praying for its Sanctifying Influences kind and benign Assistances and by incessant Studies striving to improve our Talents of Grace Learning and Knowledge for the Edification of our Brethren and bestow it in a Super-eminent degree upon Persons who never had any extraordinary Parts or common Ingenious Education so as to enable them to do more without any precious Pains than those who have always been diligent to supply themselves with necessary Sciences of all sorts in order to the great Work of the Ministry Certainly our Heavenly Father hath always been more propitious to the sedulous Endeavours of his Pious Servant joyning the help of his Spirit with ordinary means such as Learning Study Meditation comparing of Passages of Holy Scripture one with another Consulting Original Languages and the like This undoubtedly is the way to a true Gospel-Ministry to have such for the Guide of Souls as have had good Education have been such Studious Preparers of themselves for their Sacred Office that as it would be presumption in them in the highest degree to expect Miracles in these Days to make them Learned Rabbins extempore of Illiterate Men so God be praised it is no wise necessary for them to plead any such thing as being qualify'd for the Work in the usual Method as the Nature of our Establish'd Church requires viz. by being taught the Learned Tongues in their youthful Days Philosophical Insititutions in their fresher Academick Gowns which Philosophy is justly Stiled the Hand-maid to Divinity and afterward in the Maturity of their Judgments have searched into the great Truths of the Christian Religion Perused the Councils Fathers and Primitive Writers and the Defences and Apologies of our Church against all sorts of Opposers Which by the Grace of God will still be done against Atheists and Theists which I look upon to be as near in their Notions as they are in their Names if not many of them though dissembled altogether the same Against Socinians who deny the Lord that bought them and put him to an open shame who as far as in them lies make Him suffer in his Divinity as he did once in his Humanity Against Jesuited Romanists and Bigotted Separatists and Schismaticks of what Denomination whatsoever in the mean time shewing a Spirit of Moderation and of some having Compassion making a difference as St. Jude speaks ver 22. endeavouring to win them together with the Strength of Arguments by all the Sweetness of Temper imaginable

our Test To the Law and to the Testimony as Isaiah speaks Isa 8.20 They who speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them If the Scripture be not on our side let none bid us God speed or wish us good luck in the Name of the Lord 2 John 10. Maledictus est saith St. Austin qui quidpiam praedicat praeterquam quod in Scripturis legis Evangelii recepimus Though an Angel from Heaven should preach otherwise let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 But as it hath been sufficiently prov'd against all our Adversaries if we act consonantly to the Word of God derive the Authority of our Commission and Doctrine from thence and live accordingly then are we not to be despised but to be accounted worthy of a double Honour then they that despise us despise Christ that sent us and our Heavenly Father that sent Him Luk. 10.19 Despise not man but God who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thes 4.8 St. Paul tells us 2 Tim. 3. That the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus And that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Man of God that is the Teacher or Preacher of the Gospel sent and authorised by God may by the Study of the Scriptures be supply'd upon all Occasions to discharge his Duty towards Men's precious Souls committed to his care The necessity of these publick Instructions from the Publick may be deduc'd from Rom. 10.14 15. How shall they call on him on whom they have not believ'd And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent As it is written How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tydings of good things That the Ministers of our Church are lawfully Commissioned and sent to Preach the Gospel I have shewed before as not usurping the Office of the Ministery but having receiv'd the Laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishops as the Word signifies no Inferiour Novel Imposition Which Episcopal Order that it hath been from the Apostles times is manifest from the Apostles themselves For St. Peter was Bishop of Antioch Titus Arch-Bishop of Crete and Timothy Bishop of Ephesus And we need go no further for the proof of it than those Words in this Chapter Ver. 12. 3. where you find my Text We beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in Love for their works sake The Greek Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those are set or rule over you signifie the Bishops of the several Churches in those days call'd in the first times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Learned Dr. Hammond observes As appears then Preaching was one of the Bishop's principal Works of old which since they cannot do so constantly in all places now adays their Diocesses being so large and their Avocations so frequent upon diverse accounts our Church has found it necessary to have settled Parochial Ministers who are to be Faithful and Wise Stewards under Christ and them Rectors or Rulers over God's Houshold the Church to give them their Portion of Meat Spiritual Sustenance for their Souls in due Season To conclude then Happy ye Sons of the Tribe of Levi the Lot of God's own Inheritance Priests of the Most High God who like Timothy from your Youth have Study'd the Word of God and ever since made it your Employment and Delight together to Consult these Lively Oracles Here is the inexhaustible Fountain of Comfort to which you Shepherds of Souls are to lead your Flocks here are the Pastures whence you are to Feed those whom Christ hath Purchased with his own Blood from this Magazine you are to Arm your selves and others to war a good warfare fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life Hence you are to supply your selves with Materials as the Apostle speaks in this Chapter v. 14. where my Text is To warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak and be patient towards all men i. e. To preserve your Flocks from the Inroads of Wolves in Sheeps clothing to spare no Pains to reduce the lost or straggling Sheep from the Example of the good Shepherd in the Gospel That bore him on his shoulders rejoicing Luke 15.5 Hence like Boanerges the Sons of Thunder whilst you proclaim the Terrors of the Lord against hardned and presumptuous Sinners you are to Animate the timerous and weak of Faith that they despair not pouring Oil into their Wounds and shewing them what a Gracious God upon unfeigned Repentance they have to deal with And as the Apostle speaks to the Galatians Gal. 6.1 to restore such as are overtaken in a Fault Brethren says he if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divines restore such a one in the spirit of meekness Blessed are they whom the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing if He come in the Second or come in the Third Watch blessed are those Servants assuredly when Christ the Chief Shepherd shall appear they shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away FINIS