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
A91733	Rules for the government of the tongue: together, with directions in six particular cases. [brace] 1 Confession of our faults to men. 2 Confession of Christ before men. 3 Reprehension of faults in others. 4 Christian communication. [brace] Vrbanity and eloquence. 5 Consolation of the afflicted. 6 Self-commendation, and a disproof of perfection in this life. Added, as a supplement, to the Rules for governing [brace] 1 the thoughts, 2 the affections, in the Precepts for Christian practice, or, The rule of the new creature, new model'd. / By Edward Reyner, minister of the Gospel in Lincolne.	Reyner, Edward, 1600-1668.; Reyner, Edward, 1600-1668. Precepts for Christian practice.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1230; Thomason E1594_2; ESTC R208861	220,132	401

pleased the Father that all comfort should bee laid up in Christ as in a Treasury or Store house for all his people and that Christ should send forth the same to them as the fountain doth water 3 By Dispensation or by Office as he is our Prophet Isa 61.1 2 3 which he executes and so comforteth us by his Spirit which he hath given us 3 God the Holy Ghost is the Author of Consolation by application of it to us for that is his proper work of all that comfort to our hearts which the Father hath appointed to us and which Christ hath obtained and keeps for us As by Baptism wee are dedicated to the service and committed to the protection of the Trinity Father Son and Spirit so we should devote our selves freely to the imitation of the blessed Trinity as in Sanctification to be holy as all the three Persons Father Son and Spirit are holy so in compassion and in consolation to be merciful as they are merciful and to comfort others as they are all comforters wee should count it our glory to be followers of the glorious Trinity herein Secondly To comfort others hath been the practice of the godly even of the most eminent Servants of God as of Job the most rich and religious man in the East Behold Job 4.3 4 saith Eliphas thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthened the weak hands and the feeble knees thy words have upholden him that was falling Thus to support the weak and comfort the faint was not only Jobs practice but his praise therefore it is ushered in with an ecce Behold c. for so Eliphas speaks of it as a thing that many could attest to Jobs commendation and of the Prophets in the Old Testament Isa 40.1 2 to whom God gave charge to comfort his people And of the Apostles in the New Testament and of their Ministers and Fellow-labourers as Timotheus Tychicus Titus and others And of the Primitive Christians no doubt according to Apostolick injunctions Paul had confidence in Philomous obedience Philem. 21 knowing that he would do even more than hee said and great joy and consolation in his love because the bowels of the Saints were refreshed by him Vers 7. How Ans By commiseration consolation contribution intercession and the like Reas 4. From the equity of the duty in respect of us we ought to comfort others 1 Because we would bee comforted by others in our distress and whatever we would that others should do to us we should do the same to them Mat. 7.12 for this is the Law and the Prophets This duty should be mutual and reciprocal among Christians even those that comfort others may stand in need to be comforted by others as Eliphaz told Job Job 4.4 5 Thou comfortedst others c. But now it that is the affliction and misery is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled i.e. Thou now hast as much need to be comforted by others as others had to be comforted by thee Is not this thy fear and thy confidence c. Vers 6. This was the errour of Jobs friends to lay down good premises and to infer bad conclusions by misapplying the same to Job as if he were an Hypocrite Vers 7 and all his Graces counterfeit 2 Because all true Christians have an interest in comfort it is their portion in comforting them wee give them that which is their own and in not doing it we with-hold from them what of due belongs to them 3 To this end God gives us abilities and experiences that we may be able to comfort others upon the account whereof wee are Debtors to others 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our Tribulations saith Paul that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort where-with wee our selves are comforted of God that even as persons of ability keep Bottles of Strong Waters Cordials and other comfortable things to refresh their friends or strangers when sick or faint we should keep the like in the closets of our hearts to comfort others in their afflictions As the Moon and Starres receive light from the Sun not to hoard it up in themselves like dark Lanthorns but to reflect it upon the earth and things below so we receive comfort freely from the Lord to the end we should give comfort freely to others 4 Lastly This is our Office as wee are members of the same body with others As the Stomack first feeds it self with the food it concocts then communicates nourishment to all other members the Heart and Liver send forth spirits and bloud throughout the body when they have received nourishment and strength so every Joynt or Member in Christs mystical Body should make a supply of consolation or instruction c. that is of what may nourish strengthen and encrease to his Fellow-members Ephes 4.16 according to the measure of that gift or grace hee hath received from his head Christ Jesus The bond of Brother-hood that is among Christians ties them thereunto to communicate what they have received from the Lord to the good of others Jude 20. Edifie your selves in your most holy faith To this end Love knits Christians together to make them communicative of good one to another and receptive thereof one from another to make them partakers in the graces and comforts one of another as the members of the body being tied together receive nourishment one from another Q. How may we comfort afflicted consciences that are wounded and dejected with sense of sin and of Gods Wrath and want of grace and draw nigh to the pits brink of despair and refuse to be comforted Ans 1. Set before them and apply to them as before our selves in the like case these Eight Grounds of consolation 1 The boundlesness and freeness of Gods pardoning reconciling accepting healing mercies to Sinners infinitely exceeding all their sins Psal 103.11 12 Vers 17 and all their unworthinesses in multitude and in magnitude in all dimensions and in duration Gods mercy is like the great deep Ocean without bank or bottom which can as easily swallow up mountains of sins as mole-hills or motes Therefore to doubt or despair or to give way to despondency of mind is to forsake our own mercy to sin against mercy which is one of the highest and most confounding aggravations of sin Lam. 3.22 Set also before them the bowels of Gods compassions which are most tender and yearning and fail not the riches of his free Grace which are the Treasures of Eternity that cannot be diminished by distribution but rather like the five Loaves wherewith Christ fed the five thousand men beside women children they multiply with breaking and the freeness unchangeableness and everlastingness of his love to poor sinners Hos 14.4 Jer. 31.3 that never deserved it or any thing from God but Wrath and Judgement Obj. But God

to say and infirmities that wee cannot speak what wee would as it did Moses against the impediment in his Speech that God would bee with his mouth Deut. 18.18 and teach him what to say and put his words into his mouth and Jeremy when he complained r Jer. 1.6 Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak or I know not to speak wanting wisdome and experience gravity and authority in regard of my young years therefore unfit to be sent a Prophet unto the Nations But the Lord said unto mee vers 7. Say not I am a Child for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak● then the Lord put forth his hand and touched his mouth Vers 7. Vers 9. and said unto him Behold I have put my words in thy mouth This was done in visional appearance to Jeremiah yet we may comfortably expect a real performance thereof to us upon the account of his promise that God will put his words or right answers into our mouths or direct us what to say 3 God is the Doner of his spirit putting him within us to guide our Tongues order our speech and to speak in us especially in evil times when Christ borroweth the mouths of his Servants in his own cause to give Testimony thereunto when ye are brought before Governours and Kings for my sake saith Christ ſ Mat. 10.18 19 20. take no thought that is be not anxious or perplexedly solicitous how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what yee shall speak for it is not yee that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you or as Luke hath it The Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour Luk. 12.11 12 what ye ought to say Gods Spirit teacheth the dexterity and safety of Answers and Replyes and of queries also The Disputants with Stephen were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which hee spake t Act. 6.10 How well should we speak to purpove and to profit yea unto victory and speak irresistably and invincibly peircingly and powerfully if the Spirit of God speak in us The tongue is a pen in the hand of Gods Spirit to write as he guides what hee will We stand in need of light to let us see how to guide our Tongues as well as our hands or feet of light to speak by as well as to work or walk by Therefore Elihu said u Job 37.19 we cannot order our speech to wit to God by reason of darknesse i. e. of our Minds Now it is the Spirit of God that inlightens us in understanding in speech and in actions then let us pray and resolve 1 Pray heartily that God would be with our mouths as hee was with Moses at all times and teach us what wee should say and touch our mouths as hee did Jeremiahs and put his words into them that he would give us the Tongue of the learned as he did Isaiah and the door of utterance as hee did Paul that the preparations of our Hearts and the answers of our Tongues to every question motion or whatsoever shall bee proposed to us may bee from the Lord given into our hearts and mouths by Gods hand yea when wee are put upon speaking by sudden occasions wee should first lift up our hearts to God in an Ejaculation for direction what to say 2 Let us resolve voluntarily and obedientially with w 2 Chron 18.13 Micajah As the Lord liveth even what my God sayeth that will I speak all that and onely that not constrainedly as Balaam when hee said The word that God putteth into my mouth that shall I speak 3 God is Lord over the Tongue to keep it from evil to wit from 1 Evil words 2 Evil Sprits 1 From evil yea and from idle words too that they come not out Great is our propensity thereto 2 From evil spirits that they come not in as a lying spirit did into the mouths of all Ahabs x 1 Kin. 22.22 Prophets to delude them with lyes in Gods just judgement giving Ahab over to bee mis-led by their delusions to his own destruction As the Devil formed his own words by the mouth of the Serpent Gen. 3.1 So hee useth the Tongues of wicked men to speak his words and serve his turn As God spake by the mouths of his holy Prophets Luk. 1.70 all agreeing as if they had but one mouth amongst them all and Christ by the mouth of his Apostles So Satan speaks by the mouth of his Instruments false Teachers Seducers Deceivers Gainsayers of such as Contradict and blaspheme as the Jews did Pauls doctrin y Act. 13.45 as resist the Truth as Paul foretold the enemies thereof should do in the last z 2 Tim. 3.1 8 Times as slander and rail against Gods servants 3 John 10 as Diotrephes prated against John and them hee sent with malicious words Satan that old Serpent speaks in the mouths and by the Tongues of all such of whom it may bee said it is not they only or principally that speak but the spirit of the Devil of Falshood Lyes Errors the spirit of Envy malice giddinesse perversnesse and bitternesse that speaks in them as he did in a Act. 13.8 9 10 Elymas Satans design is by the Tongues of his Instruments to discourage men from good or to draw them into Errors and delusions or into lusts and destruction what a deal of mischief doth the Devil in the world by thrusting evil spirits through Gods permission into the mouths of men and women which is a means to fill the world with wickednesse and they are so subtil and insinuating as it s as difficult to keep them out as to keep the serpent out of Paradise So easily and imperceptibly will they wind themselves in They will bee creeping into our mouths continually if our mouths bee not kept close shut against them It is rare in our daies to meet with a mouth that hath no evil spirit of any kind in it neither spirit of Error nor spirit of falshood deceit nor of perversnesse nor an unclean spirit What need have wee to commit our Tongues into Gods custody and to pray with David set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep thou the doors of my b Psal 14. ● Lips q. d. Lord keep my Tongue as under lock and key as with watch and ward So as no sinfull or idle or rash words may break forth to thy dishonour and so as no ill spirit of any kind may enter in to mis-lead defile or deprave my Tongue strict watch is set at gates of Cities and doors of houses in times of danger to shut enemies out and keep all safe within now the mouth is the door and gate of the man when there is war in the gates of our mouths or fighting against God by evill words there can bee no peace with

patients disease and the Chirurgeon his sore before they can apply proper healing salves or medicines wee must take measure of their condition before wee can cut out or shape a suit of consolation fitting for them Paul sent Tychicus unto the Colossians for the same purpose Col. 4.8 that hee might know their estate and comfort their hearts The Second Rule When we know their estate wee should pity them and sympathize with them Col. 3.12 for comfort commeth out of the bowels of mercies which wee should put on as the fruits thereof Job 19.21 c. 6.14 which Job● friends wanted towards him in his miseries though hee beg'd it earnestly of them have pity upon mee have pity upon mee O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched mee therefore they proved miserable comforters Job 2.11 though they came to mourn with him and to comfort him God is first a Father of mercies then a God of all consolations 2 Cor. 1.3 4. hee comforts his people because he pities them Consolation flows from Compassion both in God and man except wee lay others cases to our hearts wee will not speak to their hearts The Third Rule When wee know their cases and pity them wee should apply comforts suitable to their needs as 1 Mat. 6. If their case bee necessity observe how Christ comforts his Disciples against outward wants 1 From Gods Providence toward fouls of the Heaven Vers 26.28 and flowers of the Earth how hee feeds the one and cloaths the other and are yee not much better than they will hee not much more feed and cloath you 2 From Gods Knowledge of their necessities Your heavenly Father knoweth all things yee have need of Vers 32 3 From Gods Promise Vers 33. First seek the Kingdom of God Psal 34.9 10 c. and all these things shall be added to you scil as an overplus Mark how David comforts them that fear God against want 2 Or if the case be death of friends 1 Thess 4.13 to the end Paul prescribes several comforts to prevent immoderate grief upon that occasion As 1 That Christ dyed and rose again Vers 14 2 They that dye in the Lord sleep in Jesus 3 Christ at his glorious coming will bring their souls with him Vers 15 16 and raise their bodies out of the dust and re-unite them for ever and the dead in Christ shall rise first they that have lain long in the dust shall have their bodies first raised and cloathed with immortality glory and incorruption which is the priviledge of the dead above them that are found living at Christs coming those shall rise before these shall be wrapt up 4 Those that are then living and their formerly deceased friends shall be caught up together in the Clouds Vers 1● to meet the Lord in the air 5 So shall they ever be with the Lord that imports perpetual fruition of glorious felicity Dear friends whom Death dissundered shall then meet and never part again Vers 18 Wherefore saith the Apostle comfort one another with these words This is a duty 2 S●● 〈…〉 to comfort others when their friends dye David sent to comfort Hanun after Nahash his Fathers death Many of the Jews came to comfort Mary and Martha for their brothers death Joh 11.19 31 Jer. 16.6 7 It is threatned as a sad affliction that none shall comfort the living in their mournings for their deceased friends Parents or others by sending them meat or cups of consolation to eat and drink with them according to the custom of those times to put away their sorrow How doth our Saviour labour to comfort his Disciples against his death Joh. 14.1 c. and chap. 16 and departure from them by several Arguments 3 Mat. 5.10 11 12 If the case bee Persecution Christ applies suitable comforts to his Disciples in such a condition as 1 That they are therefore blessed 2 Great shall be their reward in Heaven 3 The Prophets before them suffered the like things 4 They have cause at present to rejoyce and bee exceeding glad Peter gives sundry consolatory Arguments to the dispersed Jews ● Par. 4.12 to the end to chear and bear up their hearts against or under persecution which was the primary scope of his Epistle 1 That the end of persecution is to try them Vers 12 their faith and patience sincerity and constancy as fire doth silver and gold 2 In suffering for Christ they are partakers of Christs sufferings in way of community and conformity Vers 13 who suffered like things for confession of the truth Those that have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings Vers 13 shall have communion with Christ in glory and joy at his appearing and to eternity 4 They are happy their sufferings being both a means and a sign of their happiness Vers 14 no evils they endure can make them miserable 5 They that are reproached for the name of Christ have the communion of the Holy Ghost or the glorious spirit of God resting upon them which is glorifyed not only by them but in them Vers 14 and makes them glorious Gloria vobis contingit saith Piscator 6 Suffering in Christs cause is no strange thing but what is common and usual Vers 12 Vers 13 Vers 16 nor matter of grief nor of shame but of joy and honour to suffer as a Christian they have cause to glorifie God for that dignation that they are counted worthy to suffer for Christ and to suffer as a Christian 7 It is the will of God they should suffer Vers 1● and to bear the cross of Christ patiently and to suffer according to the will of God 8 In ●●●h sufferings they may safely commit the keeping of their fouls to God in well-doing as a faithfull Creator Vers 19 gracious redeemer and fulfiller of his promises 4 If the case bee desertion soul troubles terrours or horrours observe how Christ applies comforts to such Isa 6● 1 2 3 by the mouth of his Evangelical Prophet Isaiah The Lord hath annointed mee and sent mee to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives c. to comfort all that mourn in Sion to give them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness See Isa 54.7 8. and 50.10 and 57.15 16 17 18. 5 If the case bee any other affliction or castigation Heb. 12.5 to 14 take to your selves and give to others Pauls grounds of Consolation as 1 Vers 5 All chastisements are the rods of a Father who will not forget either mercy or measure 2 Vers 6 They proceed from Gods love 3 Vers 6 7 8 They are signs and pledges of Adoption that we are Sons not Bastards 4 Vers 9 Submission to chastisement is the way to life and salvation Act. 14.22 5 Gods end therein is your profit