Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	great_a	young_a	zeal_n	36	3	7.4451	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41668	The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan shewing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1676 (1676)	Wing G1387; ESTC R32454	122,357	176

out from among them And whensoever thou dost occasionally fall among them abide there with fear not with pleasure and no longer than needs 3. By an unnecessary conversing with prophane men thou makest thy self accessary to their sins even to their Blasphemies Ribauldry and Prophaneness For by thy silence thou givest a secret consent to their wickedness and so makest them thine own 4. Intimate and needless society with the wicked will make thee liable to their punishments He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. that is whosoever partake with wicked men in their wicked ways and courses shall assuredly partake with them in their punishments Therefore S. Iohn as it is recorded of him going to the Bath at Ephesus there met Ebion and Cerinthus two blasphemous Hereticks belching out their blasphemies against Christ whereupon he made all the haste he could out of their company fearing some eminent Judgment from the Lord to fall upon them Who was no sooner departed but presently the house fell down and destroyed them with their Companions Ah Young Man know assuredly that if thou needlesly and frequently associatest thy self with wicked and prophane persons thou wilt partake of their Plagues If therefore thou art ingaged into evil company speedily withdraw thy self from them The Physitians rule in reference to persons infected with the Plague is good to be observed towards prophane company Cito Longe Tarde 1. Speedily flee from their company 2. Flee far away 3. Return slowly to them again Now Visited persons are not more infectious than lewd company therefore as thou regardest the health of thy Soul 1. Speedily flee from them 2. Flee far away 3. See them amend before thou returnest to them again Never expect to be one of Christs true Disciples till thou leave that accursed Fellowship Hadst not thou better say to them Depart from me I will know you no more than have Christ say to thee at the Great Day Depart from me into everlasting fire I know you not For one of these will certainly be if thou dost not here depart from thy lewd Companions leaving their Society thou must hereafter depart from Christ into Hell fire where instead of roaring and singing there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But it is not only the company of dissolute scandalous persons as Drunkards Swearers and Scoffers of Religion that I would advise thee to shun but even persons meerly civil dead-hearted formal Professors of Religion Let not these be the Companions of thy choice or thy Bosom Friends who being unacquainted with the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Power of Godliness cannot minister any savoury profitable discourse to their hearers So that whosoever shall frequently associate himself with such neglecting the Communion of Saints he will soon find his zeal for God and the ways of godliness much cooled his fervency in holy duties much abated his love to God and his people much lessened yea and an universal decay of his Graces insensibly to grow upon him So that a Christian instead of proceeding forward in Religion and growing in Grace he will go backward and find a spiritual decay in himself Therefore O Young Man in the choice of Friends for thine intimate Acquaintance and familiar converse seriously think of this II. Desire and imbrace the company of the Godly who may further thee in the way to Heaven make them thy familiar Friends and Companions The more thou conversest with such the greater increase wilt thou find in thy self of Knowledge Faith Love Zeal Humility and other Graces The very presence of a Religious Person much more his gracious speeches his holy advice his seasonable reproofs and his godly Conversation will be a great help to thee in the way to Heaven There is a certain vertue in the words and behaviour of men indowed with Heavenly Wisdom which by the blessing of Gods holy Spirit doth work effectually on those who are conversant with them for the inlightning their minds with the knowledge of God and his Truths for the inflaming their hearts with a love to God and zeal for his glory O Young Man thou canst not imagine what spiritual advantage may be got by conversing with holy gracious persons especially if thou beest careful to treasure up those Christian experiences thou hearest from them and what else may make for thy spiritual good Thus will the Communion of Saints be improved to the edification of Saints Having done with the Directions which concern your selves in particular I now proceed to such which relate to others CHAP. XXVI Sheweth wherein a peaceable Disposition consisteth I. BE peaceable towards all Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Those two phrases if it ●…e possible and as much as lieth in you though they may seem limitations of the duty yet they are also amplifications thereof and shew that there must be nothing wanting in our endeavours but our utmost ability must be put forth in following after peace A peaceable Disposition consisteth in these eight things 1. In a backwardness to give offence unto others A man of a peaceable disposition will forbear all provoking language and carriage or whatsoever may stir up others unto wrath I confess too many Young Men are like unto the troubled Sea continually casting forth the foam of passion and fury but he who hath peace in his heart will shew it in his words and actions 2. In an unaptness to take offence when given well knowing that it is the sudden taking an offence that doth occasion strife and contention rather than the giving it as it is the second blow that makes the fray Many out of their pride think it a point of ●…aseness ignominy and disgrace to put up the least wrong But Solomon saith Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to pass over an offence taking little notice thereof and putting the best interpretation on it If God were strict to mark what we do amiss what would became of us God indeed is strict to mark what we do well if there be any little good in the midst of manifold imperfections Gods way is to pass by the imperfections and take notice of the good O Young Man if thou wouldst behave thy self as a Child of God and a Son of Peace be not strict in observing every petty injury and offence done unto thee but rather pass them by taking no notice of them 3. In a forwardness to be reconciled unto those who have wronged thee I have read that there was sometime a variance between two Famous Philosophers Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus at length goeth to Aeschines and seeks for Peace and Reconciliation and withal said Remember though I am the Elder yet I first sought for peace True said Aeschines and for this I will ever acknowledge you the Worthier Man for I began the strise but you the peace

increase our store We may warm our own hearts by our endeavours to warm our Brethrens That your discourses may be the more profitable have ever in your mind some useful questions to propound to others but therein be sure to have respect to the abilities and capacities and the edifying of your selves or them to whom you propound your doubts If they be Learned Divines or experienced Christians then you may desire the opening and clearing some difficult place of Scripture or the resolving some Case of Conscience or the explaining some hard point in Divinity If they be your Equals in understanding then suit your discourse to their capacities and let it be your wisdom to observe wherein mens abilities chiefly consist and to apply your selves to them accordingly whereby you will much advantage your selves and give others occasion to improve those gifts and talents which God hath bestowed on them 3. When others are talking of worldly or common matters labour to turn the stream of their discourses to some spiritual and savoury subject to talk of God or Christ or Heaven or of the way and means that lead thereunto It is much to be lamented that professing Christians should so often meet together to so little purpose How is their time generally taken up with discourses of worldly matters without a word of God or Heaven whereas if we are furnished with skill and resolution to imbrace all opportunities which might minister matter of digression from worldly to spiritual and heavenly discourses we might make our meetings far more profitable than they are 4. Be not over-forward either in revealing that which another hath committed to thy trust or in revealing thine own secrets to another lest in the end he proving to be unfaithful thou be inforced but too late to repent thy folly That which thou wouldst not have told to another tell no body for if thou canst not why shouldst thou think another will conceal what concerns thee 5. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth Eph. 4. 29. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting Ephes. 5. 3 4. It is better to forbear speaking than to vent that which is vain and unprofitable or worse than silence Abstain therefore from all evil speakings of which the Apostle there mentioneth three kinds 1. Obscene and wanton speeches which he calleth filthiness and reckoneth amongst those evil speakings which he would not have named amongst Christians Yet how full of them are the mouths of many young men who make it their repast and reputation to utter wanton speeches to tell filthy tales and to sing Songs of love and lightness full of abominable filthiness which plainly sheweth the pollution and uncleanness of their hearts for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 13. 34. Obscene and unchaste speeches as they spring from so they are great provocations to lust For evil communications corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. words being as the vent of an unclean heart and as Bellows to blow up its filthy fire into a greater flame Know then O Young Men it doth highly concern you in special to be watchful over your words in this kind For of all sorts of corrupt speeches this filthy speech is the most beastly and corrupting There are others more irksome to the ear as Blasphemies Swearing Cursing and the like but wanton and lascivious talk is the most inticing and so much the more to be taken heed of because it 's somewhat pleasant and delightsome both to carnal speakers and hearers Observe the Songs that Young Men and Maidens have most frequently in their mouths and you shall find them to be full of filthiness Is it any wonder then that so many fall into divers kinds of unclean and beastly actions when as their words are so seasoned or rather poysoned with this filthiness How can Chastity be preserved when such provocations to Lust are continually used The Soul of Iust and Righteous Lot was vexed with the filthy speeches of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7. And how canst thou think that thou hast a righteous Soul in thee if thou take delight in uttering or hearing filthy speeches 2. Another kind of evil speaking which the Apostle mentioneth is foolish talking whereby he meaneth vain and unprofitable discourses of whatsoever cometh into mens heads which tend to no good purpose but are used only to pass away time Many I know are apt to think that vain and idle words are not to be reckoned of But let such remember that God registreth them all and will bring them one day to a reckoning for the same before his Judgment-seat O Young Man how doth it then concern thee to be watchful over thy words and speeches Oh think not vain and unprofitable discourses to be so light as not to be regarded Consider to what end God made thy Tongue namely to glorifie him and edifie thy Brother Consider also what a precious thing time is which we ought by all means to redeem and thou shalt find that to pervert the right end of the Tongue by babling foolish things and to mispend so much precious time thereby is no light or small sin 3. Iesting is the next kind of evil speaking mentioned by the Apostle Eph. 5. 4. whereby he especially meaneth such jesting as tends to the abusing of Scripture or deriding such as fear God or mocking of our Neighbour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text Aristotle sets down for a Vertue which the Apostle there condemneth for a Vice And truly Iesting especially without great watchfulness as to the matter and measure of it doth very ill become Christians For 1. It 's not agreeable to our Profession which requireth a very grave and serious Spirit and behaviour 2. It 's apt to put the heart out of tune to discompose it for those weighty and spiritual concernments which we have before us and to dispose us for vanity and frothiness 3. It 's an occasion of mispending much precious time and of abusing that gift of Wit which God hath given for the good and profit of others and not for the hurt and disgrace of any Pleasantness of converse so it be innocent and tending to good is both allowable and commendable but that liberty of Wit which we intend for a recreation should be but as Sauce to our meat but little as to the measure of it and profitable as to the end of it namely to whet the appetite to that which is better CHAP. XX. Of the well-ordering our Actions III. AS thy Thoughts and Words must be well ordered so likewise thy Actions and that in the whole course of thy life This the Apostle intendeth Phil. 1. 27. Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Iesus Christ that is as you have imbraced the Gospel of Christ and made a Profession of Religion so see that your Conversation be suitable and answerable thereunto thereby manifesting the power of the Gospel in you