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	son_n	41,079	5	6.0417	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

me To answer to these doubts of thine I say my right deare brother that thou must assure thy selfe that all these are but temptations of the diuell who by all meanes seeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faith and assureth vs of Gods good will towards vs. He laboureth to strip our soules out of this precious garment for he knoweth that none is a true Christian except he beleeue Gods Word which promiseth forgiuenesse of all sinnes and peace to all them which accept the grace of the Gospel Verily I say that he which vpon these promises of God perswadeth not himselfe assuredly that God is a mercifull and louing Father vnto him nor with stedfast confidence looketh to receiue the inheritance of the heauenly Kingdome at his hand is not faithfull in deed and maketh himselfe vtterly vnworthy of Gods Grace In respect whereof S. Paul saith that we be the Temple of God so far forth as we firmely maintaine the confidence and glory of our hope vnto the end And in another place he exhorteth that we should not giue ouer our trust which hath great reward of recompence And therefore my brethren let vs giue our whole endeauour to do the Will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neere as we can And although we fall oftentimes into sin through our owne frailty yet let vs not by and by surmize that we bee vessels of wrath or that we be vtterly forsaken of the holy Ghost for we haue our Aduocate Iesus Christ before Gud the Father and he is the atonement-maker for our sinnes Let vs bethinke vs of the opinion of S. Austin who saith that none of the Saints is righteous and without sinne and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not to be righteous and holy so farreforth as he retaines his holinesse with affection And therefore if we haue afflictions and tribulations let vs not thinke that God sends them because he is our enemy but because he is our most louing Father The Lord saith Salomon chastiseth him whom he loueth and scourgeth euery child of his whom he receiueth Wherefore if we haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell whereby man is receiued of God for his Child we must not doubt of Gods grace and good will towards vs. And when wee perceiue our selues to delight in Gods Word and to haue a desire to follow the life of Iesus Christ we must stedfastly beleeue that we be the children of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost for those things cannot be done by the power of mans wisedome but are the gifts of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in vs by faith and is as it were a seale of authority which sealeth vp Gods promises in our hearts the certainety whereof is printed aforehand in our minds and is giuen vs as a pledge to stablish and confirme the same As soone as you beleeue saith the Apostle S. Paul ye be sealed by the holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest peny of our inheritance Behold how he sheweth vs hereby that the hearts of the faithfull are marked with the holy Ghost as it were with a seale in respect whereof he calleth the holy Ghost The Spirit of promise forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise of the Gospell the which as I haue oftentimes told you is a happy tydings that promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life to all such as beleeue that all their misdoings are blotted out in Iesus Christ All we that beleeue in Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul are become the children of God and because we be his children he hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our heart which cryeth Father Father And to the Romanes Those saith hee that are guided by the Spirit of God are the children of God for yee haue not receiued againe the spirit of bondage in feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father For certainely the same Spirit beareth our spirit record that we be the children of God Now then if we be children we be also heires And we must marke well that in these two places the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely not of any speciall reuelation but of a certaine record which the holy Ghost doth commonly yeeld to all such as receiue the grace of the Gospell Then if the holy Ghost assure vs that we be Gods children and heires why should we doubt of our predestination The same man saith in the same Epistle Whom he hath predestinated them hath he also called and whom he hath called them hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them also hath he glorified What shall we then say to all these things If God be on our side who can be against vs And therefore if I plainely perceiue that God hath called me by giuing me faith and the fruits of faith that is to wit Peace of conscience mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit whether it be in whole or in part why should I doubt that I am not predestinated And moreouer we say with S. Paul that all true Christians that is to wit all such as beleeue the Gospell receiue not the spirit of this world but the Spirit that commeth from God by the inspiration whereof they discerne the things that God hath giuen them What maruell then is it if wee know that God hath certainly giuen vs euerlasting life But there are some which say that no man ought to presume so farre as to boast himselfe to haue the Spirit of God They speake in such wise as if the Christian should glory of the hauing of it for his owne deserts and not by the onely and meere mercy of God and as though it were a presumptuousnesse to professe himselfe a Christian or as though a man could bee a Christian without the hauing of Christs Spirit or as though we could without flat hypocrisie say that Iesus Christ is our Lord or call God our Father if the holy Ghost mooued not our hearts and tongues to vtter so sweet words And yet notwithstanding euen they that count vs presumptuous for saying that God hath giuen vs his holy Spirit with faith forbid vs not to say euery day Our Father but rather command vs. But I would haue them to tell mee how it is possible to separate faith and the holy Ghost asunder seeing that faith is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost If it be presumption to beleeue that the holy Ghost is in vs why doth Saint Paul bid the Corinthians try themselues whether they haue faith or no affirming them to bee reprobates if they know not that Iesus Christ is in them But in very deed it is a great blindnesse to accuse the Christians of presumptuousnesse for taking vpon them to glory of the presence of the holy Ghost without which glorying there cannot bee any Christianity at all But Iesus Christ who cannot lye saith that his Spirit is

Iesus Christ doe continually reioyce with an vnspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuers temptations And therefore when the holy Scripture threatneth and frayeth the Christians they must vnderstand that it speaketh to such as are so licentious that forsomuch as they keepe not the thankefulnesse and honesty that belong to Gods children they must bee handled as seruants and held in awe vntill they come to taste and feele how sweet and pleasant the Lord is and vntill such time as faith worke his effects in them and that they haue so much childly loue as may suffice to keepe and maintaine them in honesty of Christian conuersation and in following the example of our Lord Iesus Christ And when the selfe-same Scripture exhorteth Christians to the true feare it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of God as though it were presently ready to condemne them for as I haue said already by the record which the holy Ghost giueth to their spirit they know that God hath chosen them and called them of his owne meere mercy and not for their deserts By reason whereof they doubt not at all but that by the self-same goodnesse and mercy he will maintaine them in the happy state wherein he hath placed them And after such manner the Scripture exhorteth them not to slauish feare but to childish feare that is to wit that like good children they should bee loth to offend against the Christian Religion or to commit any thing against the dutie and honesty of Gods true children and likewise to grieue the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them to the end that knowing the corruptednesse of our nature we should alwayes be heedfull and diligent and neuer haue any trust in our selues for in our flesh and in our minds doe the appetites and affections continually dwell which as deadly enemies of the soule lay a thousand snares and baites for vs incessantly labouring to make vs proud ambitious lecherous and couetous This is the feare whereunto the whole Scripture exhorteth the Christians that haue once tasted how sweet the Lord is and which bestow all their endeauour in following Christs foot-steps who cast not from them this holy feare because they labour to put off the old man And the good Christians must neuer bereaue themselues quite and cleane of this childly feare which is the singular friend of Christian charitie like as the slauish feare is such an enemy vnto it as they can by no meanes dwell together And by the foresaid things a man may plainly perceiue that the good Christian ought neuer to doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sins nor of Gods fauour Neuerthelesse for the better satisfying of the Reader I purpose to set downe herevnder certaine authorities of the holy Doctors which confirme this foresaid truth St. Hilary in his fifth Canon vpon Matthew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without any doubting of his vnknowne will For if the beleefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obtained by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilary a man obtaineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beleeue vndoubtedly to obtaine it And good right it is that it should be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the Sea which is tossed and turmoyled with the wind And therefore let not such a one thinke to obtaine any thing at Gods hand But let vs heare S. Austin who in his Manuell counselleth vs to driue away the said foolish imagination which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresaid good and sage assurednesse Let such foolish imagination saith he murmure as much as it listeth saying Who are thou how great is that glory by what deserts hopest thou to obtaine it I answer assuredly I know in whom I haue beleeued and I know that hee of his great loue hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vpon the Lords death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desert it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection and the mercy of the Lord is my desert I am not poore of desert so long as the Lord of mercy faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are many many also are my deseruings The more that he is of power to saue the more am I sure to be saued The same S. Austin talking with God in another place saith that he had despaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinite negligences if the Word of God had not become flesh And anon after he saith these words All my hope all the assurance of my trust is settled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath and putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thee O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but that righteousnesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ In these two places St. Austin sheweth plainely that the Christian must not be afraid but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vpon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God Saint Bernard in his first Sermon vpon the Annunciation saith most euidently that it is not ynough to beleeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercy nor any one good desire or ability to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift so to beleeue But besides all these things saith Saint Bernard which ought rather to be counted a certaine entrance and foundation of our faith it is needfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for the Loue of Iesus Christ See how this holy man confesseth that it is not ynough to beleeue generally the forgiuenesse of sinnes but he must also beleeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and the reason is ready at hand namely that forasmuch as God hath promised thee to accept thee for righteous through the merits of Iesus Christ if thou beleeue not that thou art become righteous through him thou makest God a lyer and consequently thou makest thy selfe vnworthy of his grace and liberality But thou wilt say to me I beleeue well the forgiuenesse of sinnes and I know that God is true but I am afraid that I am not worthy to haue so great a gift I answer that the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes shall not be a gift or free grace but a wages if God should giue it thee for the worthynesse of thy workes But I reply vpon thee that God accepteth thee

for righteous and layeth not thy sinne to thy charge because of Christs merits which are giuen vnto thee and become thine by faith Therefore following the counsell of Saint Bernard Beleeue thou not onely the forgiuenesse of sinnes in generall but also apply the same beliefe to thine owne particular person by beleeuing without any doubt that all thy mis-doings are pardoned thee through Iesus Christ And in so doing thou shalt giue the glory vnto God by confessing him to be mercifull and true and shalt become righteous and holy before God forsomuch as by the same confession the holinesse and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ shall be communicated vnto thee But to returne to our purpose of Predestination I say that by the things aboue mentioned a man may euidently perceiue that the how it happeneth that when they bee diseased they say not also I will haue neither Physician nor physicke for looke what God had determined vpon mee cannot but come to passe why eate they why drinke they why till they the ground why plant they Vines and why be they so diligent in doing all things conuenient for to sustaine the body why say they not also that all these turmoilings policies and trauels of ours are superfluous forasmuch as it is not possible but that whatsoeuer God hath fore-seene and determined concerning our life and death must needs come to passe And therefore if Gods prouidence make them not negligent and idle in things pertaining to the body why should it make them more slouthfull and negligent in that which concerneth the Christian perfection which without all comparison is farre nobler then the body But forasmuch as we see that neither Iesus Christ nor Saint Paul for any doubt of offending the reprobates haue forborne to preach the truth which is necessary to the edifying of the chosen for the loue of whom the euerlasting Sonne of God became man and was put to death vpon the Crosse wee also in like wise ought not to forbeare the preaching of Predestination to the true Christians forasmuch as we haue seene that it importeth great edification Now are wee come to the end of our purpose wherein our chiefe intent hath beene according to our small power to magnifie the wonderfull benefit which the Christian man hath receiued by Iesus Christ crucified and to shew that faith of her selfe alone iustifyeth that is to wit that God receiueth and holdeth them for righteous which beleeue stedfastly that Christ hath made full amends for their sinnes howbeit that as light can not be separated from fire which of it selfe burneth and deuoureth all things euen so good workes can not be separated from faith which alone by it selfe iustifieth And this holy doctrine which exalteth Iesus Christ and represseth and abateth the pride of man hath and alwayes shall be reiected and fought against by such Christians as haue Iewish mindes But happy is hee who following the example of Saint Paul spoyleth himselfe of his owne righteousnesse and would haue none other righteousnesse then that which is of Iesus Christ wherewith if he be cloathed and apparelled hee may most assuredly appeare before God and shall receiue his blessing and the heritage of heauen and earth with his only Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord to whom be all honour praise and glory from this time forth for euermore Amen Christ is the end of the Law 1 Cor. 8. 6 The state of man before after that he had sinned Psal 114. Psal 14. Originall sinne A very good comparison Who is our neighbour The first office or duty of the Law Rom. 3. and 7. The second office of the Law The third office of the Law Deut. 27. 2 Cor. 3. The 4th office of the Law Rom. 4. The fifth office of the Law Exod. 20. Coloss 3. Acts 4. Matth. 11. Iohn 7. Iohn 8. Gal. 3. 1 Cor. 15. Psal 50. Rom. 5. The greatnes of sinne ought not to cause despaire 1 Cor. 5. Gal. 5. An excellent comparison of the vnability of our owne workes Hebr. 7. Iohn 12. Philip. 3. 1 Cor. 18. How man is deliuered and set free from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. Rom. 8. Col. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Gen. 8. How wee receiue the likenesse of God A very good similitude expressing the manner how our sins are taken away by Christ Matth. 28. Phil. 2. Ephes 5. Iohn 3. How the faithfull mans soule is assured of his being married vnto Christ Acts 5. Matth. 2. 2 Cor. 3. Iohn 6. Iohn 3. Iohn 11. 1 Ioh. 12. 1 Iohn 4. Heb. 2. A very goodly similitude fit for the expressing of the free forgiuenesse of sinnes for Iesus Christs sake 1 Cor. 1. Heb. 4. Heb. 10. Heb. 8. Rom. 4. Gen. 15. Rom. 2. Gal. 3. Abac. 2. Gal. 3. Rom. 10. S. Augustine Origen * Mary Magdalen Luke 6. Faith is the mark of those that are iustified Esay 64. S. Basil S. Hilary S. Ambr. Rom. 4. Psal 31. S. Bernard Gen. 17. A very good cōparison how we be clothed with the righteousnes of Iesus Christ No man can boast of the performance of Gods Law Psal 143. Prou. 20. Iob 15. 1 Iohn 2. Matth. 6. Luke 17. Acts 15. How the workes of the faithful thogh they bee vnperfect please God Math. 25. In what manner faith iustifieth Ephes 3. Mat. 12. Rom. 6. Saint Paul calleth them Saints whom we call Christians He that beleeueth cannot bee without good works Marke 2. Iames 2. Apoc. 3. A liuely comparison What S. James meant concerning workes Iames 2. A heauenly comparison Ioh. 17. Rom. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 1 Pet. 2. Gal. 3. Heb. 2. Gal. 6. Luke 2. Rom. 8. Iesus Christ the true example of Christians 2 Pet. 2. Ephes 4. Rom. 15. Phil. 2. Luke 9. Iohn 15. Phil. 3. 2 Cor. 12. 2 Cor. 4. Gal. 6. Rom. 5. After what sort patience ingendreth triall Rom 8. 2 Cor. 2. Marke 9. Foure remedies against the temptations of distrust Prayer Matth. 9. 1 Thes 5. True Prayer Baptisme 2 Pet. 3. Mark 16. Gal. 3. Rom. 4. Psal 36. The Supper of the Lord. Luke 22. Mar. 16. Gal. 3. Heb 9. I renaeus lib. 1. Iohn 6. 1 Cor. 11. What is meant by not making a differēce of the Lords Body He that receiueth this Sacrament protesteth himselfe to trust in none other thing then the bloud of Christ Very cōfortable counsell Rom. 4. Rom. 8. Why the holy Sacramēt of thankesgiuing was ordained Christian peace and vnion are betokened by the bread and wine He that offendeth one of his Christian brethren offendeth Christ himselfe A preparation to the receuing of the holy Sacrament He that receiueth the Sacrament bindeth himselfe to all the duties of charitie The true end for which the holy Sacrament is ordained The 4th remedy against distrust Eph. 5. Luke 10. Psal 36. Rom. 8. He that receiueth the Gospell is sure that he is predestinated The effect proceeding of the knowledge of predestination Rom. 8. 1 Iohn 3. Eph. 1. Heb. 3. Heb. 10. Afflictions are no signes of reprobation Prou. 5. A true marke to know Gods children by Eph. 2. Wherefore the Apostle calleth the holy Ghost the Spirit of promise Gal. 3. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. A truemarke of predestination 2 Cor. 2. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 12. He that gloryeth not that hee hath the holy Ghost is no true Christian Iohn 14. Eccless 6. 1 Cor. 4. A man may know that he is in Gods fauour By the chances of this life no man can iudge whether a man bee in Gods fauour or displeasure Rom. 3. 5. Phil. 3. 2 Tim. 4. Rom. 8. Phil. 1. The two sorts of feare childly slauish 2 Tim. 1. Rom. 14. Eph. 6. Phil. 4. 1 Pet. 1. The slauish feare threateneth the wicked and the childly feare encourageth the chosen The effects of childly feare Eph. 4. The Christian may warrant himselfe the forgiuenesse of his sins S. Hilary Iames 1. S. August S. Bernard Each one must beleeue particularly that his sinnes are released and forgiuen him freely