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
A91736	The comfort and crown of great actions. In a sermon preached, Decemb. 4. 1657. Before the honorable East-India company. By Edward Reynolds, D.D.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1242; Thomason E934_4*; ESTC R207682	18,609	36

suffer not our labors to succeed yet he is our God himself still and all desireable good is eminently comprised in him who is a God All-sufficient to those that walk before him and are upright Though he answer me not in the particular wherein I waited upon him he ever answers Secundum cardinem desiderii in such a way as is better for me Though the issue be not secundum voluntatem according to my will yet it is ever ad utilitatem according to my profit and good Paul had not the thing he expresly prayed for to have the messenger of Satan depart from him but he had a sufficiency of grace to uphold him which was much better And as a Merchant is not angry with his Factor though he send him not the commodities he wrote for if he send him those which are ten times more beneficial no more is a believer displeased with the good providence of God when he receives in answer to his labors and prayers not what himself expected but what God knew much better for him III. A special interest in God as our God is a notable argument in Prayer for the obtaining of a gracious Reward unto our sincere Services for upon this ground doth this holy man thrice desire to be remembred of God And upon this ground did our Saviour teach his Disciples to build all their Petitions by calling God Our Father It is the Prayer of Faith the Prayer of a righteous man that is effectual Jam. 5. 15 16. For the Lord will not hear those that regard iniquity in their heart their Prayer is an abomination Psal. 66. 18. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous Prov. 15. 29. It is true he is pleased sometimes to take notice of the Cries and Prayers of Nature and to return some answer unto them that even wicked men may know that it is not in vain even for them to seek the Lord and therefore such as their Prayers are such returns he is pleased many times to make unto them So God heard the voice of Ishmael crying for Water and shewed Hagar a Well Gen. 21. 17 19. He took notice of the humiliation of Ahab and thereupon respited the judgment which he had threatned 1 King 21. 29. As Abraham though he gave the blessing and the inheritance unto Isaac yet he gave gifts to the rest of his children Gen. 25. 5 6. So the Lord though he reserve his great Reward for the heirs of promise yet he leaveth not himself without witness even amongst others giving such benefits unto them as they tender services unto him they give none but outward services desire none but outward benefits and according to the nature of their services and desires the Lord answereth them with meer outward good things But the Prayer of Faith pleading the great and precious promises of the new Covenant and calling upon God as a Father by the Spirit of his Son shed abroad into the hearts of those who are heirs of promise hath two great advantages above any other meer Natural prayer 1. It is sure to obtain pardon for what failings and miscarriages proceed from humane infirmity the Lord sparing his children as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. and Christ bearing the iniquity of our holy things 2. It is sure to obtain spiritual rewards for those holy and sincere performances which proceed from the grace and assistance of the Spirit of Christ the Lord being pleased first by his grace to work all our works for us Isai. 26. 12. And then by a second grace to reward them and to crown his own mercies in us For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal. 58. 11. Matth. 10. 41. And thus we receive grace for grace the grace of remuneration for the grace of obedience the grace of God enabling us to work and the grace of God rewarding us for working For though it be the work which is rewarded yet the reward is not of mans work but of Gods grace Rom. 4. 4. 11. 6. Both these graces did this holy Nehemiah beg in the confidence of his interest in God as his God Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy meroy Nehe. 13. 22. Remember me to spare me for my sinful infirmities remember me to reward me for my sincere performances and both these onely upon the accompt of thy great mercy Nothing but great mercy passeth by many sins nothing but great mercy rewardeth weak services I have done with the words and have from all but a word more to say unto you What the nature of that great undertaking is which God hath thus graciously moved your hearts to begin at the doors of his Sanctuary and to consecrate your selves unto by inquiring of him and seeking of him a right way is much better known to you then to me who have little inspection into such things But being a very weighty business and possibly full of variety and difficulty and all men being subject to errors and mistakes to impotency and infirmity to sinful failings and defects to difference of judgments and divided affections and all humane actions being obnoxious to misconstructions and various miscarriages And God having reserved events and successes in his proper power it is therefore your duty in all your addresses unto action to make your first applications unto God that he would lead you by his Spirit and cause you to make his Word your Counsellors that he would work all your works for you and shine upon your counsels and undertakings by his special blessing that he would preserve you from all mistakes and misunderstandings and pour out upon you a spirit of unity and agreement that he would forgive all your failings and teach you to approve your hearts and consciences unto him in well-doing that your labors may so be conversant about treasures here below as that your hearts and affections may be upon things above and you may with such sincerity courage zeal and holy affections go through the duties of your places and callings here as that you may be able to look backward with comfort upon a fruitful life and forward with Faith and Hope upon a glorious Reward and conclude your lives and your labors as Nehemiah doth his Book with a Remember me O my God for Good And we should all learn so to lead our lives with such an eye to Gods Word and Rule to his glory and honor to the service of his Church and our Generation to be so diligent careful prudent sincere trusty faithful in every service which lieth upon us as that when we come to die and give up our accompts to him we may be able to say Lord I have been faithful in that little service wherein thou hast employed me let me now enter into my Masters joy I have remembred thy Name to glorifie thee I have remembred thy

THE Comfort and Crown OF GREAT ACTIONS IN A SERMON Preached Decemb. 4. 1657. Before the Honorable East-India Company By Edward Reynolds D. D. LONDON Printed by Tho. Newcomb for George Thomason at the Rose and Crown in St Pauls Church-yard 1658. To the Honorable The Governor and Committee OF THE EAST-INDIA COMPANY Right Honorable IN the first entrance upon great Actions it hath been the use of good men to begin at the Sanctury and there to seek of the Lord a right way as knowing that whatever be the services of Men yet the success and blessing must be from God alone A course which honorable persons amongst the Heathen have sometimes used as Scipio in Consultations of State went first to the Capitole and then to the Senate You were pleased in the great work which you have undertaken thus to do and what businesses you are to prosecute by the concurrent Counsels and Services of Men to commend first to the favor and blessing of God Wherein having used my poor service you were pleased so far to accept of it as to desire to have it made more publick Hereunto I was the more easily perswaded that the great and good example of Nehemiah might be still before your eyes both to direct you in your Honorable undertakings and to comfort you in your imitation thereof The Lord be pleased so to remember you for good as by his Counsel to direct and by his blessing to reward whatever you go about in comformity to his Will and in pursuance of his Glory To his most gracious protection I commend your persons and enterprises and am Your Faithful Servant in the Work of the Lord Ed. Reynolds THE CROVVN OF Great Actions NEHE. 13. 31. Remember me O my God for Good THough all Saints have all the members of the new man and all the Graces of Christ fashioned in them for there are no monsters in his body John 1. 16. yet as in the natural body some excel in sight or hearing or swiftness or strength or beauty so in the minde one excelleth in one grace another in another according as the Spirit is pleased diversly to distribute his gifts unto men 1 Cor. 12. 11. Ephes. 4. 7. Abraham is renowned for Faith Isaac for Meditation Jacob for Plainness Joseph for Chastity Job for Patience Solomon for Wisdom Moses for Meekness Phineas for Zeal David for Devotion Mary for Love Nathaniel for Singleness and as some are more eminent then others in special graces so likewise in special services Joshuah for a Warrior Hushai for a Counsellor Solomon for a Governor Paul for a Preacher and in this Book Nehemiah for a wise and a valiant Manager of great and honorable Actions I would send a Worldling to read Ecclesiastes to learn the Vanity of the Creature a Lover of Christ to Solomons Canticles a Devout person to David Psalms an Afflicted person to Jobs Temptations a Preacher to Timothy and Titus a Backslider in Faith to the Hebrews a Moralist to the Proverbs a Justitiary and Legalist to the Romans and Galatians a Libertine to James Peter and Jude a Soldier to Joshua and Judges a Man that would study Gods Providence to Esther and those who go about great undertakings to the reading of this Book of Nehemiah There are many things which such men may observe in him for their special Direction And because he desires God to remember them I shall not look upon it as a departing from my Text if we upon this solemn occasion do a little remember them likewise and consider of what use they may be unto you 1. Observe his care of Forein and remote intelligence and correspondence when he was in Shushan he made enquiry of the state of his Brethren in Jerusalem Chap. 1. 1 2 3. You that undertake great Actions must be specially careful to have accurate and distinct intelligence You have no Elishahs amongst you to save you that labor 2 Kings 6. 12. And therefore as the Historian said of Princes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} You had need have many eyes and many ears in many parts of the World to see and hear by them what you cannot be your selves Abrahams intelligence recovered Lot Gen. 14. 14 16. Rebecca her intelligence saved Jacob Gen. 27. 42. The intelligence which the Spies brought animated Israel Josh. 2. 23 24. Abigails intelligence saved Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 14. Hushai's intelligence preserved David 2 Sam. 17. 15 22. Many a man by speedy intelligence is enriched is delivered It was the way whereby Joshua overcame the Kings of Canaan Josh. 10. 9. by coming suddenly upon them before they could have intelligence of it and in like manner Abimelech discomfited Gaal by the benefit of secret intelligence Judg. 9. 30 31 c. 2. His extraordinary love zeal and tender-heartedness towards his Country and the honor thereof and his zealous prayer unto God night and day for it Chap. 1. 4 6. Men of great and remote employments should be very careful by their vigilancy to prevent any reproach and injury against the Land of their Nativity and to manage all their dealings with such honor and integrity as that the very Nation which brought them forth may have renown in the remotest parts of the World Deut. 4. 6. Keep the Statutes and Judgments which the Lord commanded saith Moses and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people 3. His not being contented with his own honor and greatness who was in so near attendance upon the greatest Prince on the Earth and was sure enough to live in plenty and prosperity himself though his Brethren were in affliction But his improving that interest for the service of community and the particular comfort of Gods people Men of great and publick undertakings should not look onely after narrow and domestical interests but should make use of their own greatness power wealth prevalency with potent persons to do real offices of love and service to the poor Church of God Esther might possibly have lived in splendor and royal majesty though her people had been destroyed but she chuseth rather the danger of perishing then to neglect their salvation If I perish I perish Esth. 4. 16. And so Moses chose rather affliction with the people of God then to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11. 24 25. Nature hath implanted even in senseless and inanimate Creatures such a love of community as makes them forget their own proper motions to preserve the whole from violence or reproach How much more should we lay to heart publick evils even then when our own condition may seem prosperous 4. His prudent vigilancy in viewing the state of the City secretly and then imparting his commission to his Brethren Chap. 2. 12 18. In great works personal prudence and joynt communication are singularly necessary