Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	holy_a	let_v	7,137	5	4.4451	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67751	An experimental index of the heart, or, Self-knowledge in which (as in a looking-glasse) the civillest of men may see what need they have of a redeemer : and that it most deeply concerns them with all speed to sue out their pardon in Christ and to rely wholly and only upon free-grace for pardon and salvation : except they prefer an everlasting furnace of fire and brimstone in hell, before an eternal weight of super-abundant glory in heaven, as all (most sottishly) do that by sinne and Satan are bewitched / drawn up and published for the good of all by R. Younge of Roxwell in Essex, Florilegus.	Younge, Richard.	1660 (1660)	Wing Y155; ESTC R231259	18,556	18

The thoughts of the godly are godly of the wicked worldly and by these good and evil men are best and truliest differenced one from another Would we know our own hearts and whether they be changed by a new birth Examine we our thoughts words actions passions especially our thoughts will inform us for these cannot be subject to hypocrisie as words and deeds are Sect. XXXIX Then by way of caution know that a child may as soon create it self a● a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself We cannot act in the least unlesse God bestows upon us daily privative grace to defend us from evil and daily positive grace inabling us to do good And those that are of Christ teaching know both from the word and by experience that of thēmselve● they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no mor● than they are moved that their best works are faulty all their sins deadly all their natures corrupted originally You hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Yea we are altogether so dead in sin that we cannot stir the least joynt no not so much as feel our own deadness nor desire life except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custom to the life of grace Apt we ar● to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness yea to all the meanes thereof My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill Insomuch that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse 〈◊〉 speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Joh. 15.4 5. I● we have power to choose or refuse the object to do these well we have 〈◊〉 power We have ability we have will enough to undo our selves scop●● enough hell-ward but neither motion nor will to do good that must b● put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally Each sanctified heart feels this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustained So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothing but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeem us nothing but his obedience to inrich us As for our good works we are altogether be holding to God for them not God to us nor we to our selves because they are only his works in us Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever tho● hast thou owest to him that Redeemed thee Therefore if we do any thing amisse let us accuse our selves if any thing well let us give all the praise 〈◊〉 God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth most prank up our selves and detract from God is th● false As Bonaventure well notes Sect. XL. Now to wind up with a word of exhortation if thou beest convince● and resolvest upon a new course let thy resolution be peremptory an● constant and take heed you harden not again as Pharaoh the Philistin● the young man in the Gospel Pilate and Judas did resemble not the ir●● which is no longer soft than it is in the fire for that good saith Gregory will do us no good which is not made good by perseverance If wi●● these premonitions the Spirit hath vouchsafed to stir up in thine heart an● good motions and holy purposes to obey God in letting thy sins go quench not grieve not the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Return not with the Dog to thy vomit lest thy latter end prove seven-fold worse than thy beginning Matth. 12.43 45. O it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vain and a desperate thing being warned of a rock willfully to cast our selves upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there it no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become at little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light it sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal 97.11 Isa 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesss of sin and the guilt and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to ●ny mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace ●nd truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the ●ove of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole ●ife be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence

they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles when I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Jerusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve not mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ Sixthly and lastly if you receive any power against your former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix fol lowes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men Sold only by James Crump in Little Bartholomews Well-yard 1660.