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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85737	Svveet and soule-perswading inducements leading unto Christ. Deduced, 1. From the consideration of mans misery, emptinesse, basenesse, and dishonour without Christ. 2. From the meditation of the comforts attending the soules receiving of Christ. 3. From the apprehension of the joy and excellency of Christs living in man: the whole singularly sweetning the meditation of Christ to the soule of man. By Alexander Grosse, minister of Christ.	Grosse, Alexander, 1596?-1654.	1642 (1642)	Wing G2077; Thomason E120_1; ESTC R209830	364,575	490

thou live within the pale of the Church yet if thou live under the power of any prophane lust thou art 1. An unbeleever thou receivest not Christ into thy soule thou buildest not upon the rocke but upon the sand and thou wilt sinke at the last for faith where it is is victorious it overcomes Satan the world and every lust it purifies the heart and makes man a holy Temple to the Lord it overturnes all the holds of sinne it drives all base lusts out of the heart as Christ overturned the Tables and drove the buyers and sellers out of his Fathers house 2. Thou art a very hypocrite a cursed counterfeit a whited sepulchre full of dead mens bones within like the Locusts which had the face of a man and the haire of a woman without but the teeth of a Lyon within and the taile of a Scorpion behind Thus though thou hast the face of a Christian without yet thou hast the rapine of a Lyon and the poison of a Scorpion the venome of all sinne within and wilt have the portion of an hypocrite at last 3. Thou art a defiler of things sacred an abuser of Gods Ordinances one that turnest the meanes of life into an occasion of death the evill herbe turned the Prophets pot into a pot of death the evill of sinne swaying in thy soule turnes the word of life into the savour of death Like the spider thou suckest poison out of the flower of that Word and Sacrament which in it selfe is sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe 4. Thou art a scandall to the Church of Christ where thou livest thou art a blemish to the Christian name as an ulcer to the face as a dead member to the body for through such as the Apostle saith is the name of God blasphemed misliving Christians are of all persons the greatest dishonour to Christ Jesus Lastly be assured thy condemnation will be greatest thy torment the severest They that come nearest to Heaven by their outward calling and profession and yet are strangers to the life and power of godlinesse shall sinke lowest into hell and drinke deepest of the cup of Gods vengeance To such therefore our Saviour saith it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement then for them 4. Are all prophane men aliens to the Church of Christ though they live within the pale thereof Then let all such as live within the Church learne by this to purge out and put away all prophanenesse to search and seeke for and furnish themselves with all saving gifts and graces the proper characters of the living members of the true Church of Christ knowing as the Apostle saith that he is not a Iew who is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly whose Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God It is not mans naked profession of Christ but his inward sanctification that makes him a true Christian and holinesse is the honourable and inseparable Adiunct of Christs Church called by the Apostle a Church of Saints because Christ who is the head of this Church is holy and makes them partakers of his holinesse separates them from the world by a holy calling commits his holy word unto them causeth it to dwell in them and bestowes his holy Spirit upon them and works holinesse within them and as Christ who is the head of the Church was according to the flesh conceived of the holy-Holy-Ghost so is the Church the mysticall body of Christ sanctified by the holy Spirit and as the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth personally in the personall body of Christ so dwell the three Persons of the Trinity mystically and spiritually in the mysticall body of Christ and all the living members of the same therefore as we professe our selves to be the children of God a God absolutely and infinitely holy so let us be holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called us is holy as we professe our selves to be the members of Christ who is a holy head so let us conforme our selves to Christ as the members in the body naturall are conformed to the head and as we are stiled the Bride of Christ so let us feele in our hearts the sweet and heavenly motion of the holy Spirit the pledge of Christs love and as the Bridegroome loveth cloatheth adorneth and defendeth his Bride thus let us labour to discerne Christs shedding abroad his love into our hearts cloathing us with his righteousnesse adorning us with his graces and defending us by his blessed power and presence and as we are called children of light so let the light of grace in us like the light in the firmament shine more and more unto the perfect day the more we shine in holinesse the more sweetnesse shall we find in Gods Ordinances the greater tranquillity shall we have in our owne consciences the more amiable shall we be in the eyes of Christ Jesus the more shall we beautifie the Church of Christ whereof we are members and as the vessels of the transportative Tabernacle were at length translated into Solomons Temple so shall we after our ambulatory and mutable condition in the Church militant be translated to rest and reigne for ever in the Church triumphant CHAP. XV. Handling carnall Mans estrangement from the Covenant THe third Alienation declaring the misery of carnall and sinfull man is an Alienation from the Covenants of God termed strangers from the Covenants of promise Mans happinesse is built upon his interest in Gods gracious promise the strangers to this promise are the most unhappy of all persons Carnall men are aliens to Christ to the members of Christ to Christs common-wealth and to all the prerogatives and priviledges thereof strangers to the Covenants of promise made in and through Christ God made and often renewed and repeated his Covenants and promises with the Israelitish people concerning their salvation in and by Christ In the beginning the Lord made this Covenant with our first Parents promising that the seed of the woman which is Christ should breake the serpents head the Lord renewed it with Abraham and his seed saying I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee and of the Israelitish people in this respect speaks Moses What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for and what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Now to these Statutes Oracles and Promises the Gentiles before the comming of Christ were strangers they no way appertained

warmth and heavenly heate which man hath within him Heate is an evidence of life Christ warmes the soule where he lives they that have Christ living in them are not like David in another case having many cloathes and no heate much meanes of grace and no spirituall warmth they are not like Hoseah's Cake halfe baked nor like the Laodicean Angell neither hot nor cold but as the flesh of the Shunamites childe waxed warme when the Prophet spread himselfe upon him Thus their hearts in whom Christ liveth are heated and warmed by the labour of the Prophet by the Ministers opening and applying the word of life unto them their hearts burne within them with indignation against sinne with love to God and with zeale for God The word is like fire in their bones the whole man is set in a holy flame they are baptized with the holy-Holy-Ghost and with fire The holy-Holy-Ghost like fire enlightening and purging their soules and warming them with holy and fervent love making them fervent in prayer and burning in spirit serving the Lord. All the duties they performe have a sacred fire mixed with them a holy heate put into them as the sacrifice under the Law was off●red up with fire Thus their whole service is no dead carkasse without fire but a burnt offering unto the Lord they doe all in love to God and in zeale for God holy men like Eliah in their hearing prayer meditation are carried in a fiery chariot their religious exercises kindle a fire in them which burnes up their corruption like stubble purifies their soules like silver and puts their heart into a very sweet and gracious temper lukewarmnesse is farre from them that are enlivened by Christ Jesus Man 's deadnesse in the duties of godlinesse argues mans alienation from the life of Christ Man 's zeale for Christ is proportionable to the measure of life received from Christ he doth in vaine assume the name of a Christian who joynes not zeale to his profession For as to him that desired to know what manner of man Basill was there was presented in a dreame a pillar of fire with this Motto talis est Basilius such a one is Basill and such in deed in some measure may be the Motto of every true Christian because he that is enlivened by Christ and hath his whole dependance upon Christ and graciously filled by Christs ministrations he must of necessity have his thoughts taken up with Christ and his heart burning with zeale for Christ 9. By the price which man doth put upon Christ Life is valued at a high rate above all the residue of mans temporall possessions The Devill could say skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Christ to them in whom he lives is more deare then temporall life he is the choisest of all their possessions as the people esteemed David so they esteeme Christ better then all their thousands whether honours riches liberty life or whatsoever else he is to them in respect of all things else as the Apple Tree among the Trees of the wood as the Prince among the beggars as the Sunne among the gloe-wormes as the jewell among the drosse Man that hath Christ living in him so prizeth him that he will sell all to enjoy him as the Merchant did for the precious pearle he will leave all to keep communion with him as the bride to keep her fellowship with the bridegroome Christ is to his apprehension the fairest of ten thousand the Paradise wherein he is delighted the crowne with which he is honoured and the fountaine in whom his soule finds all satisfaction 10. By mans care to keepe Christ Man is very carefull to preserve his life he contendeth much to maintaine this he will part with any thing rather then with his life In like manner a man that hath Christ living in him is very carefull to keep Christ he will endure any hardnesse rather th●n be deprived of Christ he will lose his goods his credit his liberty and his life rather then lose Christ because Christ is the life of his life Christ is the rocke on whom he builds the root by whom he lives the royall Roabe with which he is cloathed the precious pearle in which lies all his riches the Paradise wherein grow all his comforts the friend in whom he chiefly delighteth and the husband with whom his soule is joyned in everlasting wedlocke and therefore his greatest care is to keep Christ he layes hold on Christ as the woman of Shunem upon the Prophet and will not be thrust away as Joah on the Hornes of the Altar and will rather dye then leave his holdfast on Christ he resolves to be with Christ as Ittai with David whether in life or in death whatsoever be his estate Nothing is sweet and deare to him as Christ is and therefore strives by prayer hearing conference meditation holy and humble walking and the use of all holy meanes to keep Christ neither losse nor gaine threatnings nor perswasions peace nor trouble life nor death can worke him to a desertion of Christ And in these particulars as in so many lively characters may we discerne the living of Christ in us CHAP. XXVII AS Christ lives in all Gods children so let all that professe Christ and call God Father see and discerne Christ living in them This is the crowne and comfort of a Christian to have Christ living in him and without this he hath but the naked and empty name of a Christian like an Idoll that hath the name of a man and is no man a name that he lives and yet is dead Feele Christ therefore living in your understanding by prizing the knowledge of Christ above all learning by determining to know nothing in comparison of knowing Christ and him crucified by learning Christ as the truth is in him being filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding Feele Christ living in your will in making your will free to chuse and embrace him and the things of God to intend and will him and the glory of God above every thing making his will the rule of your will and fashioning and framing you to be a willing people in and about his worke and service Feele him living in your imaginations by thinking upon him with more frequency and delight then of any other thing by having more high honourable and sweeter apprehensions of Christ then of all the creatures Feele Christ living in your affections by being rooted in Christ by a lively faith as a Tree in the Earth by fearing Christ above all earthly powers as the Subject his Soveraigne above all Civill Rulers by loving him as the Bride the Bridegroome above all other persons by rejoycing in him as the rich man in his jewell above all the residue of his Substance Feele him living in your members by circumcising and preparing your eares to heare with meeknesse

him to love and rejoyce in him in their tongues to speake of him and plead for him in their hands to work that which is good and honourable unto God and in all their abilities therewith to honour him prostrating all under the feet of God referring and using all to the glory of God living and dying as the Apostle saith unto the Lord living as Gods servants framing the whole way and order of their life according to Gods prescription referring their whole life to the glory of God and resting in all the labours and troubles of their life upon God with a firme confidence being assured that God takes care for them and dying as Gods peculiar people patiently submitting to the hand of God in the time of their dissolution firmly depending upon God in the houre of their change heartily desiring that God may be glorified by their death and resting fully assured that their temporall death shall be an entrance into eternall life he who thus fully applies himself to God may assure himself of his being in covenant with God 3. By mans participation of the spirituall and heavenly benefits which the covenant comprehendeth as 1. The donation of the Spirit it is the Lords promise to powre out his Spirit upon all flesh to put his Spirit within us and to cause us to walke in his wayes so that he who is within the Covenant of God hath the Spirit of God quickning and enlivening him as the soule doth enliven the body enlightning and teaching him guiding and leading him into the cleare and comfortable knowledge of all truth as the guide leades the Traveller into the knowledge of the way wherein he is to walke regenerating and renewing him sanctifying and cleansing him as the water doth the flesh and the fire the mettall revealing Christ in him and making Christ appeare very glorious and amiable in his apprehension as the most glorious Sun the choysest pearle and most renowned Prince even the fairest of ten thousand making the soule full of longings after him and sick of love towards him uniting and joyning him unto Christ as the branch to the vine as a member to the head to be enlivened by Christ and to participate of all the benefits which flow from Christ ruling and guiding him as a Pilot his Ship framing and working his heart to an universall holy and humble submission to the will of God as the hand of the learner is guided by the teacher to write according to the whole copy set before him To him that is within the Covenant the Spirit of God is a Spirit of life mortifying the old and quickning the new man Water washing refreshing and making his soule spiritually fruitfull Fire purging and consuming his remaining lusts and making his heart to burne with love to God and man oyle of gladnesse filling his soule with spirituall alacrity and cheerfulnesse and a seale and earnest penny assuring him of his future blisse and peace in Heaven and this communication of the Spirit is an undoubted pledge of mans being within the Covenant 2. A second benefit comprised under the Covenant is Communion with the Saints all that are within the Covenant have a mutuall sweet and gracious fellowship with God and among themselves That which we have seen and heard saith S. John declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and that our fellowship may be with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ He that is within the Covenant hath communion with God the Father by adoption as a childe with the Parent by participation receiving of the Fathers fulnesse and bearing his Image by holy walking having his conversation in Heaven walking with God as Enoch and Noah did by invocation as a Petitioner with the King being a daily earnest suter to the throne of grace by Faith living and walking by faith and not by sight and also by Love God dwelling in love as the Apostle speakes Hee that is within the Covenant hath communion with Christ by participation of Christ and his benefits by dwelling in Christ and Christ in him being joyned with Christ in a spirituall wedlocke Christ assuming him into his grace and making him a member of his body bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh as S. Paul speakes expressing their neare union and sweet communion with Christ who are within the covenant of God He that is within this covenant hath also communion with the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God dwelling in him regenerating and renewing him witnessing his adoption helping his infirmity sealing up the pardon of his sin and restoring him to more spirituall liberty and freedome and hee hath likewise communion with all the Saints and faithfull Servants of the Lord being partakers of one Spirit living members under one Head having the same love being of one mind and of one accord their prayers meeting mutually each for other at one and the same throne of grace all building by one rule all travelling by one light all acting and moving by one Spirit all feeding upon one word all fighting under one Banner all running one race and all serving one Prince of peace they have fervent love one to another singular delight each in other and a very sweet and gracious communion one with another and this holy and joyfull communion with the Saints of God abundantly argues mans being within the Covenant of God 3. A third benefit comprised under the Covenant is Regeneration the sanctifying and restoring our corrupt nature to the image of God a worke of God in all that are within the Covenant a parcell of Gods promise to put his law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts to make a sutablenesse betweene them and his Law to worke such holines in their hearts as should in some good proportion answer that holinesse which the Law prescribeth and this is requisite to mans being within the Covenant because without this he cannot know God he cannot be the friend of God hee cannot please God nor have any communion with God he that is farre from holinesse is farre from interest in Gods Promise The captive woman under the Law had her apparell changed before an Israelitish Souldier could assume her into a covenant of wedlock man under the Gospell must put off the old-man and put on the new ere he can have interest in Gods Covenant the more fully freely and constantly man conformes himselfe to Gods precepts the surer is his evidence of title to Gods promise He whose obedience to the Law of God is voluntary without compulsion cordiall without dissimulation universall without the allowance of any evill humble without all ostentation cheerfull free from all repining sincere without any by or sinister intention and constant without back-sliding may rest assured of being received into Gods Covenant 4. A fourth benefit comprised under the Covenant by which man may discerne his being within the Covenant is

men of knowledge and sacred understanding God gives them the meanes of knowledge outwardly and works knowledge in them inwardly I am married unto you saith the Lord there is his covenant with them and I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding there is the ministration of the meanes of knowledge to them Thy maker saith the Prophet is thy husband there is the covenant of wedlock between God and his Church and all thy children shall be taught of God there is the inward illumination of their understanding and againe this saith the Lord shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them Naturall fooles are unfit to enter covenant with men spirituall fooles are as unfit for Gods covenant there is no communion between light and darknesse there is no covenant no fellowship between God who dwels in light inaccessable and them that are overwhelmed with the darknesse of ignorance 2. In regard of Alienation from Christ the foundation of the Covenant All the promises of grace and salvation are in Christ in him they are Yea and Amen sure and certaine firm and durable incline your ●are and come unto me faith the Lord heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David which is Christ in and through whom God shewes himselfe a father of mercies to all beleevers Ye saith Saint Peter are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed Vnto you first God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities God communicates all blessings through Christ Jesus every thing turnes to a curse to him that is without Christ the choisest Nectar proves bitter as gall to him that hath not Christ to sweeten the same unto him Now every prophane man is without Christ an enemy to the Crosse of Christ a despiser of the Doctrine of Christ an opposer of the Kingdome of Christ no friend of Christ no true member in Christ no lively stone built upon Christ the living stone and being out of Christ they are strangers to Gods gracious promise 3. In regard of Enmity against God who is the Authour of the covenant and the fruition and enjoyment of whom is the supreame substance and comfort of the covenant the chiefest and choisest good of the soule of man They shall be my people and I will be their God saith the Lord and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them I will be their God saith he I will be all in all unto them I will be their King to command them their Father to make provision for them their Husband to marry them their Friend to solace them their shield and buckler to protect them their Captaine to fight for them to vanquish all that doth oppose them the strength of their heart and their portion forever as the Psalmist speakes Now carnall men are without God alienated from the life of God and as our Saviour said in another case God is not a God of the dead but of the living so in this case he is not the God of them that are dead in sinne but of them that live the life of grace Prophane men are aliens and enemies to God by their evill works haters of God hating him in his Lawes of holinesse which he hath prescribed to them in his works of holinesse upon the soules of his children and in the holy labours of his faithfull and holy Ministers and having enmity against God they have nothing to doe wi●h the covenant of God 4. In regard of Agreement with sinne which is the breach of the Covenant Carnall man and sinne are at a very full agreement with this they agree as the palate with sweet meat stolne waters saith Salomon are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant with this their hearts accord as the hand with the glove the ●are with the musicke the foot with a plaine path or the fish with the water it is no burthen no trouble to them their foot is swift to run this race it is a sport to them to doe evill you drink up iniquity like water it is the centre to which they move it is the element wherein they desire and delight to live Now sinne is the breach of the covenant between God and the soule as adultery breaks the covenant of wedlocke between man and wife They are turned backe saith the Lord to the iniquity of their Fathers and have broken my covenant Raigning prophanenesse undoubtedly excludes man from Gods promise he that is as the Prophet speakes at an agreement with death and in covenant with Hell sinning securely and without feare cannot be in covenant with God he that is not afraid to offend God cannot be at peace with God 5. In regard of the absence of the Spirit the principall applying cause of the covenant and promise to the soule of man He saith our Saviour of the Spirit shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you that is the Spirit shall make application unto you of the benefits which come by me he shall make my death effectuall to mortifie your lusts and my bloud efficacious to purge away your sinne and my resurrection powerfull to revive and quicken your soules he shall make you partakers of all the promises favours and blessings of God dispensed through mee to man and for this the Spirit is called the Spirit of adoption assuring us of the fatherly love of God in Christ towards us The earnest and Seale of our inheritance assuring us of our salvation through Christ Now carnall men are destitute of the holy-Holy-Ghost they are sensuall saith Jude having not the Spirit having not the Spirit as a dweller possessing them as a teacher instructing them as water washing them and having not the Spirit of God they have nothing to doe with the Covenant of God because God gives his Spirit to all such as he receives into his Covenant 6. In regard of the want of faith and obedience the condition of the covenant on mans behalfe The promise is made to them that beleeve received through faith and they which be of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham faith the Apostle And he that beleeveth faith Christ shall be saved but hee that beleeveth not shall be damned Faith apprehends the promise and purifies the heart and makes man capable of all the promises of God godlinesse having the promise of this life and of the life which is to come Now carnall