Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	gospel_n	law_n	life_n	7,267	5	5.2543	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23679	A sermon preacht in Bridgewater, the next day after the election of burgesses, February 27, 1680/1 by William Allen, B.D., and Vicar of Bridgewater, Somerset.	Allen, William, fl. 1681-1697.	1681 (1681)	Wing A1079; ESTC R9086	9,674	20

righteous breaks forth as the light and shineth more and more unto perfect day then will the Sinners of the night or of the day either hide their heads or themselves for shame If now these lesser Luminaries are so dazling and powerful how much more the Sun and Moon in the Firmament for so the Scripture Emblematically denotes Magistrates to be When you Magistrates display the rays of Righteousness you will not only discover all the corners of nastiness but purge them too Factious and seditious Sinners would shun the light of your presence and dread your persons and would not dare to blaspheme God and the King there would be neither railing nor reviling in our streets at least not against the Lord 's Anointed The Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 1.9 10. The Law is not made for the righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and sinners and amongst the rest that he instances in these are some for Murderers of Fathers for Manslayers for Menstealers for Liars for perjured persons and if there be any thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine And nothing can be more so now adays than binding Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron Nothing can more subvert the Law of the Spirit of Life and of the Land than those Principles which the Papists and our Dissenters at this day insist upon And therefore would but our inferiour Magistrates be true to God and the King to the Law of the Gospel and to that Righteousness as now established by Law we need not yet fear the Sons of Corah nor all the Machinations or Designs of the Conventicle or of the Conclave But for this I shall farther account for under the Applicatory part of this Sermon And so I pass to my last Consideration which is Thirdly The satisfaction the Just-man hath in doing Judgment It is a joy to the just to do Judgment And herein Magistrates with other just men are concerned and what is a comfort to one is to either the testimonie of their Consciences that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdome but by the Grace of God they have managed the Affairs of Civil Government in the world to allude to the Apostle's expression 2 Cor. 1.12 For nothing more refreshes the Minde than a reflex upon its own Innocency nor any thing affords more solid peace and pleasure than a good Conscience kept void of offence both towards God and man The just Steward can look back upon his Disbursements and upon his many and great employs and dealings with men with a calm and a chearful minde For he is ready to give up his his Account with Joy Such Just Men they have confidence God-ward and because they have been faithful both to him and to their Office they will be able to hold up their heads in the day of Judgment Samuel you know he was not only a Prophet but a Judge in Israel and thô a wanton and licentious people were uneasie under his Presidency and would not be satisfied with his management of Affairs but sought by multitude and murmur to discharge him from his Government yet this is his comfort that as a just man he had done Judgment and for this he hath not only the testimony of his Conscience but he challenges it from the people too Behold here I am 1 Sam. 12.3 witness against me whose Ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eye therewith That is in other words Wherein have I acted contrary to the Law wherein have I been perjured with whom have I basely comply'd to the subversion of Government and the present Establishment Thus in a triumphant manner he descends the place of Judicature and resignes his Office and satisfies both the People and his own Conscience This was that which comforted and buoy'd up the Spirit of Job under his sore Afflictions and you know he was a great man in the East and had others under his Conduct and Government as you may collect from Job 31.21 It is possible that those that have sate on high may be brought to sit in the dust and that those that have judged others may fall into condemnation But such a reflex as this that they have done Judgment will renew their Joy even in the day of Sorrow These words It is a Joy to the Just to do Judgment have these various Paraphrases that is Just men do Judgment as their work and that not an uneasie one but as a labour of Love and an office of Kindness and Charity to a distressed world And 't is their joy to do Judgment implying that it would be a pain and torment to them to do otherwise and it is the very comfort of their Office as well as the Duty of it to do Judgment And now Sirs you that are to judge others will do well to pass Judgment upon your selves that the * Rom. 2.1 Obrade of St. Paul may never recoyl on either of you But in the Application of this Discourse I shall address my self to all my Auditory as being as much concerned in the subsequent part as you to whom I have particularly spoken Beloved it is granted by all First That they are to be esteemed only just men that act up or according to their Principles that is to those measures which they are convinced are Canons or Rules by which they are to square their actions St. Paul had the testimony of his Conscience that he had been an honest and just man that he was always true to that way in which he thought Righteousness was to be advanced When he was a Pharisee he did as a Pharisee the righteousness of a Pharisee he pursued and would establish And hence it is that he declares for his own Justification I have lived in all good Conscience even unto this day that is he had acted according to his Convictions he was sincere in his way he was not so much a Fool or a Knave as to betray his Cause or abuse his then Conscience by any base compliance in contradiction to his Principles and Profession And when afterward he had been blessed with a new Light and a better Rule of Righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees he is as faithful and constant as ever he was before Sequaciousness is always a sign of a weak or a wicked minde they are Children in Understanding that are tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine And they that will meddle with those that are given to change have bad heads and worse hearts A man cannot more plainly proclaim himself a Wretch and a Traitor than to side with those that he knows are Enemies to his Truth and would by all or any means subvert it Judas is not so much branded for his Cowardise and his Covetousness as for the Villany of betraying his Master and his Gause And now my