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	way_n	6,943	5	4.6241	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09967	The fulnesse of Christ for vs A sermon preached at the court before King James of blessed memory. By Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1639 (1639)	STC 20224; ESTC S111967	15,862	70

no more to them that wilfully refuse Happy is hee that knowes the day of his visitation and the things that belong to his peace which Jerusalem did not and therefore Christ wept over it which Saul and the Iewes in Ieremies time did not and therefore God forbad him to pray for them As there were certaine times when the Angel moved in the poole of Bethesda and he that then stept in was healed so are there certaine acceptable times wherein God doth as it were thaw and soften the hearts of men and then this time must be taken It is wisdome with the husbandmen then to put in the Plough when the ground is soft for the heart in such cases is like to the iron in the furnace easily wrought upon but stay while it is cold and it will not so easily be fashioned I beseech you therefore be exhorted to take the opportunity and be not like them of whom Esay complaineth who like Bull rushes doe hang downe the head for a day while some storme of outward or inward trouble is upon them but when a faire Sun-shine day is come to dry it up againe they lift up their heads as upright as ever If any man would sit down and cast his thoughts together but one halfe houre and consider this seriously I have but a little time to live here I have another place where I must live to all eternity as I spend this short time here so shal it be with me there and then for ever no more If a mans thoughts I say were such I should wonder if any thing else should take up our intentions but to take our seasons and make sure our elections But alas wee are robbed of our selves by our worldly delights and in great earnestnesse and contention we spend our selves in trifles But if we would not have with he Merchant an estate hanging upon ropes and depending upon uncertaine winds how much lesse should a man have his salvation depending upon uncertainties seeing grace whence repenance proceeds is as you see received and not in our owne power But here most mistake repentance and that is the cause why it is deferred It is not onely a sorrow for sinne as it is commonly thought to be nor a leaving of sinne out of feare of hell and desire to be saved which a man may doe out of the strength of nature wisdome and providence for his owne safety but it is when it acompanies salvation a much different thing to wit an act of life by one that was dead an act of a new creature by one that was old it is the change of the whole frame of the heart as if another soule dwelt in the same body or as he said I am not my selfe by repentance I differ from what I was In a word when a man is a quite other man then he was serving God out of an inward propension having the whole bent of his heart turned to delight in the Lord and in his Law without all by-respects And that this yet may be made clearer and put out of all doubt I would aske you this one question That repentance which men take up in age or times of extremity whence proceeds it If from selfe love as is usuall in such cases because the soule is thē most strongly possessed with an apprehension of death and hell and another life then there is no more then nature in him for the streame naturally riseth no higher then the fountaine A beast would as much for when he sinks into danger he would struggle to save himselfe But if it proceed from love to God why is it not done sooper why not in the flower of youth yea when it is done soonest would we not be heartily sorry that it is not done sooner If it proceed of love to him it cannot but rise from his holy Spirit the breathings whereof as they are most free so are they most precious Therefore when such a sparke is kindled in our hearts let us be carefull to put fuell unto it and not let it goe out againe All the creatures in heaven and earth cannot helpe us to them againe yea the best ordinances are but as pennes without Inke and empty Conduit Pipes which give not one drop of true grace except Christ who is the fountaine pleaseth to convey it by them Therefore let us take heed how we let such motions rise like bubbles and breake againe or goe out like sparks upon wet Tinder least often checking snibbing and quenching the spirit in the end we be found guilty of resisting the holy Ghost and then God sweare in his wrath that we shall not enter into his rest Here by the way observe that this Doctrine teacheth us not to be idle though all grace be received frō Christ we must not therefore leave all to God as we are slandered to say and doe but as St. Paul makes the cōsequence because God worketh in you the will and the deed therefore worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Others may be thought contrarily to inferre our selves work in our selves the will the deed therefore we need notwork out our salvatiō with such feare trēbling seeing we may do it at our pleasure But it will be said this is an hard case although a man would repent yet he cannot although he desire to serve God yet it is impossible except he receive it To remove move this scruple we must know that God is exceeding free and open handed in giving grace if it be taken in time And if ye will not beleeve it St Iohn comes here and tels you I have received of his fulnesse and not I onely but we that is I and all the Saints that either are or have been and since St Iohns time many thousands and shall not such a cloud of witnesses perswade us If a Begger heare of an open house kept or a great dole given it affecteth him and invites him to goe but when he sees many comming from it with armes full laps full is he thē confidēt this addeth wings to him So if a sick man doe but heare of a famous Physitian or an healing well it stirres him up to goe and try but if he meet with many hundreds and thousands comming from thence and saying I have been with him and am cured I have been there and am healed then he makes no question So doth Saint Iohn here all wee have received grace for grace therefore come As a bird that hath received from a full heap cals his fellowes so doe we one another Say not therefore Alas my sins are so great my wants so many that I shall not be supplied but rather thinke thus if there was grace for so many then surely there is enough for me Onely be sure to receive it in an acceptable time when it is offered in the houre of salvation least often