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	love_n	soul_n	6,851	5	4.8704	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20534	A remedy against priuat contentions A godly and fruitfull sermon on Iames, 4.1. &c. Wherin is at large discouered the hatefulnes, and perniciousnesse of priuate iars and contentions, with manifold remedies against the same. By Mr. Iohn Dod.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.	1614 (1614)	STC 6942; ESTC S116344	22,830	33

them nor forsake them Indeed wee must vse the meanes to serue Gods prouidence but for the successe of things wee must wholly put God in trust with the same and he will assuredly doe that which shall be good for vs. Vers 3. Yee aske and receiue not because yee aske amisse Here hee preuenteth an obiection that they might make namely this Obiection We are iniuriouslie dealt with in that wee are blamed for not praying for we crie and call vpon God day and night and yet are neuer the better Answer That is true saith he but yee receiue not because ye aske amisse asking such things as you may abuse to Gods dishonour and that you purpose so to abuse for you will spend them vpon your lusts And this is the cause why God reiecteth your praiers Doct. 6 whence the Doctrine is that God denieth vs carnall requests It is most iust and equall that our praiers should be reiected when we are more earnest in asking earthly things which may bee abused then heauenly and sauing graces which cannot bee abused and aime at seruing our owne turnes in the requests that we make rather then at the glorifying of Gods holy name Reason 1 The reason hereof is plaine for such cries are not in truth praiers nor so esteemed in Gods account Hos 7. 14. They haue not saith he cried vnto me with their hearts when they houled on their beds they assemble themselues for corne and wine and they rebell against me These Iewes maruelled that God did not helpe them when they cried vnto him but God reckons and calleth these their cryings howlings and not prayers because they were only grieued for their afflictions but nothing touched for their sinnes which brought the hand of God vpon them And they were much more desirous of corne and wine then of the fauour of God and the graces of his spirit Also the praiers that are only spent about carnall things come not from the loue of God but from the loue of the world 1. Ioh. 2. 15. According to the greatnsse of our desire after earthly things so is the greatnesse of our pride now God wee know resisteth the proud and raiseth vp quickeneth and comforteth the lowlie and as any man is more humble so hee doth more thirst after and labour for the grace of God and therefore he onely is fitted for it and all other mercies with it Vse 1 For instruction When wee appoach vnto the throne of grace in prayer let vs be sure that we bee most earnest for heauenly things for that will bee a testimonie vnto our consciences that wee loue God more then wee loue the world And this benefit we shall bee certaine of that wee cannot bestow them vpon our lusts for faith cannot bee bestowed vpon our lusts seeing it purifieth the heart repentance Act. 15. cannot be bestowed vpon our lusts because that killeth our lusts and so may wee say for euerie other grace of God euerie one of which is absolutely good in it selfe and makes those good that are possessers of them Whereas all earthly things are either good or euill according to the mind and affection of him that receiueth and vseth them If they meet with a strong and inordinate desire they corrupt and poyson it further if with an hart well ordered and disposed they better it and further it in grace and godlinesse But now further concerning spirituall things wee must vnderstand that they are not to be asked in words alone but we must bring before God the feruent desires of our soules and intreat them as things that will indeede most content vs. Trueth it is that ease and pleasure and credit vvould best please our nature but wee must crosse out flesh lest our petitions be found carnall and so bee reiected by the Lord farther we must striue to haue this witnesse both from God and from our owne soules that if we might obtaine what we would the desires of our soules are to haue the fauour of God and the chiefe fruits thereof euen Loue and Ioy and Peace Temperance Patience and the rest of the graces of Gods spirit Which if wee can in any good measure find in our selues wee may be comforted in assurance of the performance of the promise That seeking first Mat. 6. 33 the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof all other things shall be ministred vnto vs. Verse 4. Yee adulterers and adulteresses know ye not c. Obiection They might reply vpon that which hath bin spoken saying What if we doe desire outward things that vvee may liue as pleasantly and with as great credit as others doe is that any such great matter Answer To this hee maketh answere with great indignation saying Yee Adulterers and adulteresses knowe yee not that the loue of the world is the enmitie of God As if hee had said Haue yee heard so many Sermons beene at so many Conferences read and heard so much of the Scritures and doe you not know thus much that the loue of the world is enmitie with God Doe you thinke that hee will deale with you as an husband when you are filthie Harlots Doe you imagine that hee vvill giue you that that may maintaine and vphold you in your pride and ambition earthly affections No surely he that in such sort followeth the world is a friend vnto the world and therfore an enemie to God and God will shew himselfe no friend vnto him Doct. 7 The loue of the world is spirituall adulterie The doctrine hence to be learned is that It is a most dangerous and damnable adulterie to set our minds on earthly things There is a reason hereof in the Text. It bringeth vs out of fauour with God and maketh vs enemies vnto him is it not a dangerous thing for the creature to stand in opposition against his Creator This spirituall adulterie is worse then that against the seuenth commandement for this is against the first Table that against the second Besides when Dauid liued in that sinne of adultery he could not be said to be the enemie of God but whosoeuer liueth in this spiritual whoredom is proclaimed to be the Lords foe For such doe withdraw their hearts from God and so bring the curse and vengeance of God vpon themselues Ier. 17 without timely repentance Therefore it is said Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee whether Psal 73. 27 it be after pleasures or cōmodities or preferments about the which almost all the world is set aworke and being so inclined all that can be deuised is little enough nay too little to please them they think nothing sufficient that is done for them and that all should doe seruice to them they to none being as gowtie leggs that must haue all the anointing and binding and looking to they being able to doe nothing againe in way of requitall For instruction that vvee should bee exceedingly humbled as for other great corruptions

bee a hard reckoning for vs at length for as Iames addeth the Iudge is at the doore and the Assises will be fearefull for all such persons If thy cause be good and thy conscience good God is at hand to right all thy wrongs but when men giue themselues to fretting and bitter discontentment it is as much in effect as if they should say that God is no equall Iudge and therefore they cannot rest satisfied with his gouernment yet are they ready enough in their distempered fits to prophane the name of God by calling him to be iudge in their causes as Sarah did when her maid despised her God be iudge between me and thee saith she to her husband but if the Lord had come she would haue been the loser Gen. 16. 5 For God being a most righteous Iudge would haue examined both parties and then who would haue been found in the greater fault Abraham tooke Hagar but who was the cause of it was not Sarah the greatest complainers and exclaimers are vsually most faulty themselues and therfore let christians be ashamed to be so clamorous contentious vpon euery occasion for to bee so vnpeaceable amongst men sheweth that there is little acquaintance with the God of peace therefore let vs rather goe from our owne right and yeeld a little then be still falling out with our neighbours better it is to lose some of our outward commodities then to lose our inward and outward peace Obiection But why should I so abase my selfe as to yeeld vnto him Answer Nay why should you be so base minded as to yeeld vnto the diuell for whosoeuer giueth place vnto anger and wrath giueth place vnto the diuell Most abominable Ephe. 4. 26. 27 therefore is that falling out which is amongst professors though there be many things amisse in a familie yet if there be mutuall loue and compassion and tender heartednes crosses are made much easier and burdens much lighter then else they would be whereas if there be brawles in the familie euery light affliction is made heauie what a disgrace therefore is it for the subiects of the Prince of peace to be at such variance among themselues It is for dogges and swine to be barking and biting one at another but to see Sheepe or Lambes tearing one another all the world would wonder at it If then we professe that Christ is our shepheard and wee his sheepe how can wee with any comfort looke him in the face when wee so farre differ from the nature and properties of his sheepe in eating vp our owne heartes with griefes and ministring continuall vexation vnto others and biting and deuouring one another But heere will some obiections be made for as euery one is more guiltie so will he haue more colours to hide his corruptions from the view of the world Some will grant that they are often discontented indeed but they haue reason so to be Let vs heare their reasons then Obiection One is that they are prouoked Answer But who can prouoke a sheepe to bark and bite true Christian loue is not prouoked so that it is not the prouocation without but want of true loue with in and abundance 1. Cor. 13. 5 of selfe loue that causeth you to be so passionate Obiection But who can chuse but be angry at sinne that is it that mooueth me Answer But see whether this faire shew doe not proceed from foule hypocrisie and the Lord open our eyes that we may see it Your anger you say is from hatred of sinne well let vs examine the matter a little First doe you hate your owne sinnes and haue they caused you as often to breake your sleepe as the iniuries of Anger against sinne how discerned others Nay that way they must needes confesse they are more sparing that then is nothing else but plaine dissimulation to pretend griefe for anothers sinne when you haue little or none for your owne Secondly such as grieue for the faults of any and are desirous to reforme them will vse a good discreet order in dealing with the parties obseruing all circumstances for that ende As namely first the circumstāce of time that they will not presently vpon the cōmitting of the offence flie in their faces in the view of all the standers by seeking to disgrace them to the vttermost but wil waite the fittest opportunitie when with most benefit and least blemish to the party they may help him against corruption Secondly as euery sin is greater so they will be more incensed against it and herein doth the hypocrisie of many appear that they will bee more mooued at soome small offence wherein they themselues are touched then at a farre greater matter that nothing concernes their credit or commoditie though it do neuer so much concerne Gods glorie Such may go masked vnder the vail of hypocrisie but God will discouer their false pretences in the end neither let them euer looke for comfort in the time of sicknesse or of death from such kind of zeale against sinne Indeed there is a corruption in all and we are too sensible of iniuries but the godly doe condemne it in themselues are neuer content till they can be more troubled at sinnes whereby God is dishonoured then at infirmities and iniuries whereby they themselues are wronged Thirdly if any be displeased at sinne he wil vse all good remedies for the healing thereof he will reproue and admonish and exhort and all from a louing and mercifull heart yea hee will ioyne vnto these heartie prayer for a blessing vpon his indeauours This we see in Moses hee was verie angrie against the sin of the Israelites in making the golden calfe and shewed his iust anger in executing iudgement vpon the ring leaders in that hainous offence but withall we must note that he was neuer more feruent in praier for them then at that time Those therefore that Exod. 32. 11 are so far moued that they cannot speake vnto the offenders in giuing them good louing aduice nor speake for them vnto God in putting vp hearty and earnest requests such I say may be assured that their anger is not the zeale of the spirit but the heate of the flesh which they can haue no comfort in but must be humbled for it leaue it Vse 2 A second vse of this is for instruction that if euer vvee looke for peace with God and comfort in our soules and good estimation among Gods children then let vs take heed as of other sinnes so of this sinne of passion and distemper Do men deale with vs as with enemies let vs loue them Do they wrong vs let vs pray for them Doe they Mat. 5. 44 speak euill of vs let vs speak the best of them to them for that is Christ his counsell hereby shall men knovv that we are his Disciples if we loue one another Iohn 13. 35. whereas otherwise they may suspect vs to bee hypocrites if we