Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	holy_a	lord_n	14,167	5	3.6878	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00019	A letter sent from a banished minister of Iesus Christ vnto the faithfull Christian flocke in England, most necessary and co[m]fortable to al such, as be burthened with persecucion or heauinesse of mynde for the Gospel and testimonye of Iesu.		1554 (1554)	STC 10016; ESTC S112594	5,073	16

¶ A LETTER SENT FROM A banished Minister of Iesus Christ vnto the faithfull Christian flocke in England most necessary and cōfortable to al such as be burthened With persecucion or heauinesse of mynde for the Gospel and testimonye of Iesu Lord encrease our faith Iohn xvi In the worlde you shal haue affliccion but be of good cheate I haue ouercome the World Prynted at Roane by Michael VVodde the .iiii. of Ianuarye Anno Do. M.D.LIII. THE GRACE AND FAVOVR of our Lord Iesus Christ the charitie of God and communication of his holy spirite rest in you dearelye beloued to the confirmaciō of your life in godlynes vnto the ende Amen IT was not without an vrgēt cause louyng frendes that our sauiour Christ preachīg his excellent Sermonin the mount to his disciples Math. vii Luk. vi and .xiiii. did knitte vp the same wyth the symilitude of a wise folish builder The one building vpon the rocke the other vpon the sand The one buylding remayning the other vtterlye decaied by the impetuous rage of raine wynde and floudes wherin it behoueth vs to consider principally .iii. thinges First that the beginning of Christiā religion consisteth in diligent building and not in idle liuing Secondly the cause why we must builde is to the entent that in tyme of nede we may haue a strong castel and inuincible fortresse to flie vnto in all our necessities therby the better to be preserued from the power tiranny and sodaine inuasion of all our enemies Thirdly in this similitude we are admonished that as vereli as we haue built our tower that as verely as it stādeth so certeinly shal therain descend the wyndes blow the flouds arise against it to trye the strength and situacion thereof VVe the Christiā flock of Englād brethrē bi the merciful prouidence of God for the space of .vi. or .vii. yeres haue enioied a wōderful calm quiet time to build out tower god his name be praised therfore much like the Halciō dares when the Haltion birdes do hatche bring forth their yong ones voide of al stormy tēpestes For so hath God ben accustomed to deale with his Churche namely to nourish the mēbers therof during their infancie in a wōderful calme and quietnes till they be growen vp into perfect men able to receiue strong meates and thā doth he alter their diet from swetenes to towernes from pleasure to paine from quietnes to aduersitie Suche was the securitie quietnes of the church of God Gene. vi while the Arke was in building in the daies of Noe but immediatelye after there folowed such a tempest as ouerwhelmed the whole race of the earth ii Para. v Suche was also the quietnes amongst the Israelites while the temple was in buildyng in the dayes of Salomon but immediatelye after there folowed suche a diuision as subuerted the whole lād Such also was the calmenes and quietnes of the church during the presence of Christe in the fleshe in so much that his disciples wanted no maner of thing Math. ix neyther could thei mone or wepe while the bridgrom was with thē but after he was ascēded their plēti war turned into scarciti their mirth into mutning Suche hath bene the calmenes of other realmes wheras the gospel frō time to time hath ben preached as Germani other places namely of this realme of Englande that a greater hath not bene heard of nor knowē wherin no enemi durst apear without rebuke to hinder our fortificaciō in the same Wherfore let vs not now meruel nor yet be abashed if our heauenlye father deale wyth vs his chyldren as he hathe dealte with our predecessoures from the beginning That is after a calme to stirre vp a tempest after quietnesse trouble and after securitie ease trauaile and paine to trye our building withal Math. vii whether it be situated vpon the rocke Christ in the puritie of his gospel through perfect faith and godly life to remain euermore or els vpō the sand of the vanitie of this world in the decres cōstitutiōs and pleasures of men through hypocrisie forth with to be ouerthrowen Fot as S. Paule saieth a tyme wyl come i. Cor. iii. wherin the fire of tribulation shal try eueri mans building whether he haue buylded gold siluer or precious stone eyther straw haye or timber And me thinke brethren I se the same time appeare as it were Helias his cloude rising out of the sea iii. Regu xviii being as yet no bigger thā an hand but forthwith I feare me it wil spread ouer al this land wher fore with the prophet let vs gird vp our loines and runne in tyme to our tower before the storme descende and therin if the same be buylded vpon the rocke Christ we shall not only find consolation but also preseruation And for this purpose ii Tim. ii we ar called in the scriptures wariours and souldiours wherfore now that the battaile approcheth wherwith the enemies purposeth to beseage our fortresse let vs not as Cowards waxe faint harted running awai before the blowes but rather as men tepleate with an inuincible courage and boldnes let vs stand to our takling in holding fast the ploughe of our profession whereunto we haue put to handes thus not in confydence of our own strength which is nothing but in the force strength of our captaine vnder whose banner we haue promised to fight whiche was neuer ouercome beaten downe not put to flight but by suffering hath subdued al his enemies and by a crosse vanquished his aduersaries And as he our head hath gone before the straight pathe and narrow way vnto eternall lyfe euen so must we his members folowe the same race if we wil in herit his kingdome And for this purpose saieth S. Paule Rom. viii are we facioned vnto the shape of the sonne of God not only to raigne with him in glory but also to suffer with him in miserie For as he saith in another place Yf we die with him li. Tim. ii we shal also liue with him if we be patiēt we shal also raigne with him But if we shal deni hi he shal also deni vs. For the afflicciōs of this life ar not compatable to the glori of the life to come This is the only wai brethren that the church of god obtaineth victorie bi not as worldli princes do bi subduing but bi suffering not bi drawing out the swerd with Peter but bi hauing our heads striken of with the same not bi imprisoning binding of other but bi being imprisoned boūd one selues For as Christes kingdom was not of this world as he himself witnesseth no more is out force strēgth inheritance here For our porcion in this life is but as shepe apointed to the slaughter as pilgrims traueling through mani tribulaciōs necessities miseris Psa xliiii i. Pete ii towards the land of promise being compassed about with enemies on