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
A88635	A vindication of free-grace: in opposition to this Arminian position, (Naturall men may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation.) / First preached, after asserted at Stephens Coleman-steete [sic] London, by Mr. John Goodvvin. Also an appendix proving the souls enjoying Christ after death, afore the Resurrection, against some errours hereafter specified. Published for the justification of truth by S.L.	Lane, Samuel.	1645 (1645)	Wing L341; Thomason E275_3; ESTC R209881	66,752	86

and inclination in their will to abandon and leave those courses wherein they are ingaged and frame themselves to better this seems so unreasonable that we cannot conceive that they should have an an inclination in their will to relinquish them and turn to the contrary Answ For answer 't is true they do not maintain that such persons whiles living in such courses have the bent and frame or disposition of their will standing so as to abandon the one and take up the other but they hold that notwithstanding the present bent of their wils to the contrary yet that they have a sufficiency of power in themselves as of knowledge understanding c. to unbend their will from such their courses and to implant inclinations in themselves to the contrary there is no such inclination in their hearts to evill but that there is a sufficiency of power in every kinde to unbend their wils from that wherein they now stand and so to destroy that disposition in them and plant their wils with other inclinations such as are meet to comply with spirituall and holy things Whereas the opinion pleaded for acknowledges no such power in men whereby the will being desperately evill should be able without any extraordinary hand of God to turne head on it self and to slay those sinfull propensions now reigning and to set up the contrary Object But what shall we say to the Scripture last mentioned which seems to place the cause of mens perishing in a defectivenesse of power and not in any weaknesse in their will Answ For what Christ speaks in that John 6.44 No man can come c. The meaning is no man hath or can have any such principle of desire or any such inclination wrought in him which will so far carry and prevaile with him to put forth himself in any such way or hold on in any such course wherein God hath determined and promised to meet men with his grace except it be given him from on high except my Father c. interpose with some greater power then ordinary no man can come to me no man hath any foresight of any compleat power of comming to me except my Father interpose in it for that is one thing would be taken speciall notice of that there may be said to be a double power in a man in reference to such and such effects The first we may call a perfect and compleat power that is such a power that hath all things as it were by it to reduce it selfe into act that we call a compleat and perfect power of the will the other is an incompleat and imperfect power which is this that though there be a sufficiency of power in relation to such an effect in one kinde yet neverthelesse there is a defectivenesse of power in another kinde and this is call'd a power to do a thing because there is a sufficiency of power to do the thing in one kind yet neverthelesse call'd a defective incompleat power because it hath not all things at hand which are requisite to reduce it into act As for example when a man hath a large estate he hath wherewith to live generously but yet this is but an incompleat power if he hath no other for 't is not a fulnesse of estate that will help him to doe it if he hath a penurious disposition in him alas he is never the nearer to such a compleat life but if together with a full estate he hath an ingenuous disposition now there is a compleat and perfect power in a man to live freely and so we know there are many such expressions in Scripture If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane now there is a plaine difference between Christs will and power and 't is very considerable that the Scripture it selfe uses both kinde of expressions speaking both wayes sometimes giving the n●me of power to a meer executive power when as there is no will in conjunction to reduce to act And againe another while there is not a will sutable to an executive power he denies the very name of a power to him and this it doth both speaking of God and Man Matth. 3. vers 9. God is able of these stones to raise up children here Iohn asserts a power to God to raise up c. But yet there was no will in God to do it Againe when there is not a willingnesse in God to do a thing there the Scripture denies so much as a power to him as 't is said of Christ he could do no great works there because of their unbelief Now there was an executive power in Christ rich and full whereby to have wrought any great miracle there but because he had no will therefore 't is said he had not power meaning no compleatnesse of power which requires a sufficiency of executive power and a sufficiency of will and inclination to put that power into act And so we see the like expressions used when the Scripture speaks of men sometime it cals that by the name of power to do a thing which is only an executive power Gen. 13.29 T is in the power of mine hand to do thee hurt that is a sufficiency of strength Prov. 3.17 Have not I power to eat and drink c. that is we are provided with an executive power But in other places we shall see where there is a sufficiency of power in this kinde the Holy Ghost denies a sufficiency of power John 1.3 9. Cannot sinne Now he that is most born of God and deepest baptized in the Spirit of Grace and holinesse hath an executive power to commit sin as well as any but because he hath no disposition thereto therefore the Scripture denies he hath power to do it he hath no compleat power to reduce that power into act 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for it they had an executive power to have uttered words of excommunication but we can do nothing c. That is his will was averse from making any such use of his power thereby to act any thing that might hinder the couse of the Gospel Numb 22.38 Said Balaam Have I any power to do any thing that is have I any will or any ground or reason to be willing to say any evill which thou wouldest have me for otherwise he had power enough to pronounce any curse any evill speaking against Gods children but no ground or reason to incline him And so we see in the close of all in what consideration the assertion laid down is necessary to be maintained without maintaining whereof we shall represent Gods proceedings in the Covenant of grace as a most unreasonable and hard saying as such a Covenant that hath neither truth nor grace nor uprightnesse in it but that men should be destroyed without any malignancy at all in their wils meerly for a bare impotency or want of power in them to do that which is out of their power to do 'T

just shall live by faith Where written In the New Testament No that was not written when he spake this Where then In the Gospell preached by Habbacuck chap. 2. ver 4. So this Paul affirms Rom. 10.11 The Scripture saith who beleeves on him even Iesus Christ shall not be ashamed namely notwithstanding all opposers even by vertue of his justification and where doth the Scripture say thus which is the sum of the Gospell even in Esay 28.11 As touching the Ephesians in what sence Paul was dead so were they We who were dead he makes his own and their condition joyntly one and that the Ephesians distinctly considered sate not in darknesse seemes hence in that he directed that Epistle To the Saints at Ephesus as being a place where men profest the Gospell and therefore lived under it But hence to proceede to the fifth particular next ensuing the former to this effect Men that are so dead in sins c. have a naturall life of reason Iudgement understanding conscience c. by vertue whereof men are able to weigh and ponder such wayes or means tendred to them yea such a power they have in them as whereby if they will put it forth and imploy it accordingly they may do such things as unto which God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation For which besides the places mentioned namely those already questioned Iohn 6.37 and Mat. 7.7 you further alleadged Prov. 2. verse 1 2 3. and Ioh. 6.27 Now in reference to this fifth assertion I cannot but as yet utterly deny naturall men to be able so to improve naturall power as to ingage God c. according to the affertion prescript For which end I shall first deny the same to be proved in the least by those other Texts alleadged For that in Prov. 2. verse 1.2 c. I yet see no reason at all why it should be understood as spoken to naturall men but good reason whence to conclude it spoken positively of beleevers My Son Whose son Wisedomes son or the son of Solomon inspired with the spirit of Wisdome or of him rather typisied by Salomon Jesus Christ the wisedome of the Father My Son or thou who art begotten again of Wisedome and my reason why he means not Naturall men I deduce out of the first chapter a great part whereof even from verse 8. to 20. is directed to beleavers in opposition to Naturall men termed sinners by which term such are most obviously pointed out in Scripture which I gather from verse 7. where having to the 7. verse set forth the excellent use of the book To know Wisdome c. in the 7. verse he declares to whom they shall become so excellent or on what terms men attain excellency by studdying this book exprest thus The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools c. So that the fundamentall qualification by virtue whereof men come to be proficients in the School of Spirituall wisdome is this That they have the fear of the Lord that 's the beginning of all saving knowledge the very first lesson first of all to be learned as fundamentall But shall not naturall men upon improving naturall abilities attain sound knowledge No all besides such as have the ground-work of all layd in them even the fear of the Lord are excluded so long from all spirituall and saving knowledge as in the terme ensuing But fools despise c. Who are those fools all without exception that have not this fear How is that proved Because that 's the very beginning of knowledge Therefore so long as they are not as yet Ab●darians having not the beginning of knowledge they must needs be fools and that by fools is meant All that have not the Lords fear in them and therefore must be a note of exclusion to all that have not this fear seemes clear because all are comprehended in these two such as have feare and fools and no medium between According to which double position laid down in vers 7. shewing who they were that learned wisdome by these Proverbs and and who not He directs his Exhortation to him that could learn Wisdome namely who is possest with this fear and that most peculiarly by way of excluding it from all others My Son if sinnes verse 10. Again verse 15. My Son walk not thou in the way with them so that the holy Ghost that Spirit of Wisdome makes a mighty difference between him that is his Son as one begotten a new by him who hath Gods fear and all others not having it Object But cannot all others attain Spirituall knowledge as well as he by exact improving naturall abilities No for thereby they cannot purchase the ground-work The fear of the Lord. Answ But yet in the 22. and 23. verses she directs her voyce in generall to all in the strees simple ones scorners and fools hating knowledge c. That they would turn from their folly by Wisdomes reproofs may not such qualifie themselves by their naturall improvements that they may assuredly attain saving Wisedome or turn from their folly at Wisdomes reproofs No for in verse 23. having in the first part of it commanded Fools Turn ye at my reproof to prevent an Objection How shall we turn The holy Ghost declares how this work is wrought undertaking it himself Behold or take notice how this great overture is brought about even thus I le poure out my Spirit to you I le make known my words to you First pour out my Spirit whereby possessing you with the fear of the Lord and so will make known c. after laying first the foundation of all saving knowledge Object But how appeares it that their improving Naturalls did not render them capable by ingaging God c. even of saving knowledge Answ Even thus besides what 's before because those whom wisedome undertakes to give saving knowledge to were no otherwise qualified than the worst of them against whom he resolvedly protests never to give saving knowledge to Behold I le pour out my spirit to you to whom you who have improved your naturall abilities so as to ingage me No to whom then To you simple ones that love simplicity scorners delighting in scorning and to you fools hating knowledge by which we may judge whether they qualified themselves or ingaged God by Naturall improvements How is the work done then even by the Spirits over-powring of such that 's the onely ground of the difference between persons in themselves alike qualified and therefore no precedent improvement though ever so transcendent for the latter sort from whom the Spirit will for ever with hold the saving operation are exprest to have the selfe-same qualifications to hate knowledge c. Or if by Son you mean men improving their naturall abilities as that to them the promise is certainly made it shall be granted you that be he what he will Whosoever askes as is there required he shall have his desire granted but it