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 trinity_n 7,211 5 10.1332 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A72208 A fruitful and Godly sermon containing necessary and profitable doctrine, for the reformation of our sinfull and wicked liues, but especially for the comfort of a troubled conscience in all distresses. By M. Richard Greenham pastor of Drayton. Greenham, Richard. 1595 (1595) STC 12319; ESTC S124961 28,758 90

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

sinnes lest in time our grief passe away without any fruit whilest that not being displeased with one sinne aswell as with another we either look to such specially and generally Concerning those sins whereunto we are tempted as when a man is noted to think blasphemouslie of God the Father or to doubt whether there is a Christ or no or to imagine groslie of the holy Ghost or to deny God or to doubt of the Trinitie or to be moved to adulterie or such like In all which temptations hee feeleth the spirit oft checking him for them so as he knoweth not in this case what to doe that on the one side he dares not listen willinglie to such feareful monstrous temptations and on the other side he feareth lest then by long sute he might fal into them or at least for that hee seeth not howe to be delivered from them I suppose these motions are not so much to be disputed with as we by them are to bee provoked to a more instant and extraordinary zeale of prayer Surely these are dangerous temptations and therefore are not to be kept close with our nature which easily will incline vnto but particularly are to be confessed of vs for the Deuill will come sometimes to thee to keep thee still in a general acknowledging of sinne and vrge thee on this manner Surely thou must do this sinne thou seest thou canst haue no ease vntill thou hast consented thou art ordained to it the reason why thou art tempted is because thou doest not thus take thy pleasure go to deny God beleeue not his word it is but a pollicie to keepe men in awe Religion is no such matter as men make it Thus for feare of yeelding of the one hand and for shame of disclosing temptations on the other hand many men haue pyned away and almost haue bene overcome by them If we should disclose this saith these men what woulde people say of vs they would count vs Atheists they would think vs the wickedst men in the world Well for instructions and consolations let vs learne herein that these kinde of temptations are either corrections for some sinnes past or punishment for some sinne present or forwarner of some sinnes to come Wee shall see many tempted to adulterie who no doubt can not be brought to commit it and because they repented not of it it came to them againe that in their youth they haue committed it the like may be observed in these gluttony and in other temptations which are not so much seen to vs presently to overcome vs as to put vs in mind that sometimes heretofore we hauing bene overcome with them shuld now repent for them Sometimes a man shal ly in some sins whereof when hee will not be admonished neither by the publick and privat meanes even then some other strange temptation shall fall vpon him differing from that wherein he presently lyeth to admonish him of that other sin As when a worldling shall be tempted to adulterie a thing which hee hath no desire to doe yet it is to make him to look to his worldlines when he hath so strong and so through a liking whereat if he wil not be awaked he may suddainly fal into that to and so by the punishment of God in punishing one sin with another both his sinnes vnto his shame shall be laid open and one sinne shall make known another Sometime also it commeth to passe that one shall be tempted with such a sinne as neither heretofore nor presently he hath given any liking or intertainement vnto and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him howe he may fal into it hereafter as also to shewe that he hath stoode all his former life rather by the grace of God than by the strength of flesh and blood Wherefore when thou art mooved to doubt of God of Christ of the word of justification do not so much stand wondring at these strange temptations as think with thy selfe that it is the mercy of God by them to cause thee better to discerne of those temptations in others When thou shalt haue observed with feare and trembling howe they may make their first entire into a mans hart howe they gather strength howe they agree with our corrupt nature in what degrees they come vnto some growth how the spirit of God doth resist them what be the meanes best to prevaile against them and thus if thou make thy profit by them thou shalt so wonderfully search and descrie by severall veines the body age strength of these temptations in others by an holy experience which God hath taught thee in others that besides that thou shalt lay foorth mens secreete corruptions as if thou were in their bosomes thou shalt be able by the seede of sorrowe in thy selfe to beget an vnspeakable joy in others who in time may be tempted as thou nowe art Thus moreover and besides that such is the efficacie of sinne that they who nowe are no Papistes Heretikes Adulterers or Theeues may for their secure contemning foolish passing over of these temptations sent vnto them sodainly shortly after fall into them because they would not seeme to make some vse of them nor confesse before the Lord both their pronenes and worthinesse to fall into them But if we will humble our selues in such temptations and learne by them meekly to discerne the corruptions of our heart we shall not onely deliver our selues presently from peril but be further inabled to assist others hereafter in the like danger but some will oppose against these things which wee haue delivered Do you think it is a remedie to cast downe them that are already humbled this is rather to be a butcher than a builder of a mans conscience to whome I answer that I desire Preachers to be builders and not butchers and it is a thing generally to apply and another thing particularlie to lay the medicine vnto the wound It is good to begin the sore by the viniger of the Law and after to supply it with the oyle of the Gospell both which must be done in wisedome vsing them to some in greter to some in lesser measure For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature and no naturall humour neede rather restoratiue than purging medicines so rather some troubled for some spiritual wants than for grosse sinnes need not so much the sharpe threatnings of the Lawe as the sweete promises of the Gospell But if the body through some extraordinarie repletion hath gotten some gret surfet not so much to the weakning of nature as to the thretning of imminent death and therfore doth rather require some strong purgation than comfortable and cordiall medicines Then the soule brought to deaths doore with extraordinarie sinne is rather to be boared and pearced with the denounce of God his judgement than otherwise but because we would deale more plainly and lesse confusedly it is good in our accesse to an afflicted conscience to lay these two grounds
sorts man or woman ●● what complexion soever they are of what knowledge to discerne sinne of what degree in committing sin of what age authoritie wealth estate or condition soever they are It is good to mark that there be many who are more tro●●led for the vexation and disquietnes of their minde being distempered than for the vilenes and horriblenes of their ●●nne committed who are wounded more with feare of shame with feare of being madde or with the feare of running out of their wittes than with the conscience of sinne which thing if wee finde in them it is our parte to travell with them that they may make a lesse matter of the outward shame more conscience of the inward sinne neither must we herein forget to make a distinction betwene our speaches vsed to the humbled in the very time of their extreame agonie burning ague of their troubles and those speaches which we vse then the fit being past because the former requireth more consolation lesse exhortation than the other and the latter wold haue vs more abundant in admonishing and more sparing in comforting when wee may wisely admonish them to beware of sinne which so procureth their own woe in this brething time It is also expedient to exhort them that for some season vntill they shall finde greater power in regeneration they would tye themselues to some holy orders godly vowes that thereby they either may be furthered in mortifying some speciall sin which for that they could finde no power against it did most greue them or strenthened in some speciall grace the want whereof did also wounde them but before we launch deep into the sea of particular temptations and begin to sound the dangerous passages of natural corruptions and originall sinne the troublesome froth whereof doth almost ouerwhelme many poore Pilgrimes It shall be good to giue this caution that both in these and in the former trobles men would be stil admonished patientlie to bear with a wounded spirit albeit it falleth out so that they be somewhat pettish seeing the holy Ghost speaketh so favorably of them saying a wounded spirit who can bear it And surely our practise in other things by the law of equitie may vrge this at our handes For if men by the light of reason can see it to be a dutie convenient not frivolouslie to travell but meekly to suffer wisely to put vp vnadvised speaches of a man distempered in braine by reson of some burning ague or other vehement sicknes We may easily gather even by this rule of reason not so severely to sensure the impatient speaches of him who by reason of some parching feavour of the spirit is disquiered in mind and hath all the veines of his hart as it were in a spirituall agonie vexed wherefore both vnsavorie of godly wisedome vncharitable for want of Christian loue are their murmuring obtractations which say What is the godly man Is this hee that is trobled for his sins why see how pettish he is nothing can please him no body can satisfie him Consider O man if thou canst bear with a frail body that thou must much more bear with a fraill mind consider that this his pettishnes doth more wound him to the hart than any injurie thou couldest pearce him with and therefore seeing he afflicteth his own soule for it thou must not adde any thing to his afflictions and to exasperate his smart considder that it is a blessed thing mercifullie to bethink vs of the state of the needy and that to rub a fresh wound and to straine a bleeding sore is nothing else but that which Iobs friendes did to bring a newe torment where there is no neede of it If the wise Father rather doeth pittie than rebuke his child when by reason of sicknes the appetite is not easilie pleased so if wee purpose to do any good with an afflicted mind we must not be austere in reprehending every infirmitie but patient in considering of it as tender frailtie neither do I speake this to nourish pettishnes in any but wold haue them to labour for patience and to seeke for peace which though they finde not at the first yet by praier they must wait on the Lord and say Lord because there is mercie with thee that thou maiest bee feared I will wayte vpon thee as the eye of the servant waiteth vpon the eye of his master I will condemne my selfe of follie and say O my soule why art thou so heavy vvhy art thou so cast downe within me still trust in the Lord for he is thy helpe and thy salvation FINIS Heb. 13. 14 Genes 15. 13. 14. Deut. 29. 14. 15. Mal. 3. 16. Luk. 52. 35 Deut. 32. ● Col. 1. 27. Mat. 28. 18.