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	lord_n	17,551	5	3.7649	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81218	The present duty and endeavour of the saints. Opened in a sermon at Pauls upon the Lords day December, 14th. 1645. / By Joseph Caryl, minister of the Gospell at Magnus neere London-Bridge.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1646 (1646)	Wing C786; Thomason E323_1; ESTC R200589	24,220	46

should displease the Lord. Thirdly Christs acceptance sets us above the rejection of the world How low a thing is credit with men when once the soule hath found credit with God No man saith CHRIST having drunke old Wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better Luke 5. 39. The Favour of God is old Wine even as old as Eternity They who have tasted how gracious the Lord is can never hunger or thirst after grace in the eyes of men And therefore as the three children in Daniel told Nebuchadnezar chap. 3. 17. 18. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up They knew they should be above fire when they were in the midst of it Thus the children of light say unto this day Our God whom we serve is able to keepe us out of the fire of mens displeasure and indignation and to cause the light of their countenance to shine upon us But if not we will not comply to worship any Image of mans erecting for wee are above the rage and contempt of men while we are filled with it When David danced with all his might before the Arke Michal Sauls daughter looking out at a window despised him in her heart 2 Sam. 6. 16. and at the 20.th verse jeeres him with her tongue How glorious was the King of Israel to day c. But was Davids zeale cooled or his spirit troubled because he missed acceptance with his Queen in that Holy service Nothing lesse hee despises that shame and David said unto Michal vers 21. It was before the Lord which chose me before thy Father and all his house therefore will I play before the Lord and I will yet be more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne eyes c. As if David had sayd Madam those higher raptures and actings of my Devotion were never intended to please thee but God It was before the Lord not before Thee or the Court Ladies that I danced and therefore if this makes me cheape and vile in your eyes I will yet be more vile He that really and intendedly honours God can easily digest dishonour from the creature It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you saith Paul or of mans judgement But hee that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. that is Though men doe nothing but judge and censure me yet with me their judgement stands for nothing The Lords judgement is the judgement I appeale to and the judgement I must stand to He that judgeth me is the Lord. He breathes out the same Spirit in his 2d. Epistle I trust that you shall know that we are not reprobates that is I doubt not but we shall give proofe that we are not rejected of CHRIST not deserve to be disregarded of you Now I pray to God that yet doe no evill not that we should appeare approved but that yee should doe that which is honest though we be as reprobates Chap. 13. v. 6. 7. As if he had said I am not in this projecting for my owne reputation among you but for the glory of God in your salvation which being once well setled and assured I care not much what acceptance my name hath among you whether I be approved or disapproved esteemed or slighted Doe yee approve your selves as the Elect of God and then let me be your Reprobate What a spring of comfort arises to the Soule and makes glad the whole city of God upon the evidences of acceptation with him When we consider that if we are once accepted with him we shall be so forever That he commands favour from the world for all his Favorites or lifts them up above the disfavours of the world what heart will not be heated upon these considerations ambitiously to labour after the acceptance both of his person and actions with the Lord. And least any should labour in vaine let me give a few counsels and directions First get a rule for your worke a warrant for what you doe Nothing pleases God but what himselfe appoints In vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrine the traditions of men Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams He that Sacrificed under the law offered up a beast but he that obeyed offer'd up himself To obey God is more then to serve him And he respects nothing in all our services but to see himself obeyed Livia the Empresse being asked how she had the happinesse to please Augustus so exactly Answered I alwayes acted what Augustus commanded I have received of the Lord sayth Paul that which also I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. And at the 5.th verse of the next Chapter There are differences of administrations but the same Lord. In relation to This Lord we are all fellow servants and no man anothers Master No man knowes what will please the Lord but himself As no man hath bin Gods councellour to direct him what to doe with us so no man can be his Councellor to direct him what to require of us And if at any time we are in the darke about the speciall rule of what he requires Then wee must resort to the generall Rules Chiefly these Two Consider first what is most for the glory of God That Doctrine or Practise which lifts up the name of God must needs be related to the will of God For as God hath made so hee hath written all things for himself His owne honour is his designe in his word as well as in his workes in what he would have us doe as well as in what himself hath done All truths honour God God is the spring of truth nothing flowes from him which is unlike him or against him To serve God is to honour him and therefore we cannot truly serve him in any thing which doth not honour him Consider secondly what tends most to make man holy Truth in doctrine and a true way in worship purifie both heart and life Ye are cleane saith Christ through the Word which I have spoken to you Ioh. 15. 3. And he prayes Sanctifie them thorough thy truth thy Word is truth Ioh. 17. 17. That which is pure will make pure We may read the Nature of many things in their effects All the ordinances of Worship beare this Inscription Holinesse to the Lord and are appointed to worke Holinesse in Man That which is not serviceable to this end or hath but a shew of it cannot be of Gods appointment The second Direction is this In every thing thou doest doe thy best A little may be acceptable to the Lord if it be all and a great deale is not if wee have more It is not the quantity but the entirenesse of what we doe which pleases the

have Peace but when Gods speakes us faire and gives us an Euge f●om heaven Well done good and faithfull Servants wee have peace that passeth all understanding and joyes which are unspeakable and glorious A good Conscience is a continuall feast but this is hidden Manna upon which the Saints especially feed fat when the Fig-tree doth not blossome and when there is no fruit in the Vines when the labour of the Olive failes and the Fields yeeld no meat when the Flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no Herd in the stalls Yea when we are at fullest Tables this is the sauce in our dish and the sugar in our Cup Goe thy way saith the Preacher eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart why what 's the matter For God now accepteth thy works Let thy garments be alwayes white and let thy head lack no oyntment live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest all the dayes of thy life c Ioy is shed into all the motions and relations of his life who is and knoweth that he is accepted of the Lord. This may be cleared further in three Particulars First because if we are once accepted with Christ we are in his Bookes for ever Creatures are full of changes And are apt to vary their aspects every day Now they smile upon us and anon they frowne now they applaud anon they dislike This day we may be accepted with them and the next day reprobates One day the Iewes sing Hosannah to Christ and will force him to a throne shortly after they cry out Crucifie him and nayle him to a Crosse In the same City Paul with Barnabas being called Gods in the likenesse of men had almost bin Sacrificed to and Paul being supposed unworthy to live amongst men was really stoned almost to death The affections of men alter as much as their condition Only God never alters his opinion of any man No Ziba shall ever be able to accuse us out of the favour of the King of heaven God never rejects where or whom he hath accepted Hee never changes his correspondence Once a friend and alwaies a friend Yea he is pleased with his while he manifests a fatherly displeasure against them Secondly Christ can command our acceptance in the hearts of men when to please him we venture the displeasure of men Daniel chap. 1. 8 9. purposed in his heart that he would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meat nor with the Wine which hee dranke Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuchs Carnall policy might have prompted Daniel thus Meats in their owne nature are indifferent and the reason upon which the command of their distinction is grounded may possibly be of an inferiour Nature to the preservation of mine and my brethrens lives which as things stand depends on the favour of the great Officers in the Court of Babylon These or the like thoughts made no impression upon his spirit but seeing that the honour of God and the credit of the Iewish Religion must have bin shaken by his yeelding to Gentilisme in the least degree therefore hee resolves to run all hazards rather then this But the Story tels us how the Lord calmed and meek'ned the Spirit of the Prince of the Eunuchs towards Daniel insomuch that he endangers his owne head to the King rather then he will force the conscience of a Captive And therefore winkes at his under Officer dispencing with the rigour of that hard Law Who would not purpose in his heart to keepe close to the will of Christ when Christ can thus command the wills of men and cause them to yeeld in curtesie when we will not yeeld for conscience It is at once the comfort and the priviledge of the Saints that they serve a King who rules the Spirits of men as well as their Bodies When his people were few in number yea very few and strangers in the Land when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people He suffered no man to doe them wrong but reproved even Kings for their sakes Psal 105. 12 13 14. Many had as we say an a king tooth at the people of God their fingers itcht to be a dealing with them And what hindred The text gives us foure advantages that the world had of them First they were few secondly very few thirdly strangers fourthly unsetled what hindred them It was the Lord Hee restrained the spirits of Princes and the madnesse of the people Many offered and attempted but the Lord suffered no man to do them wrong Hence the Lord that he might encourage the Iewes after they were safe in Canaan to come up freely to the place of his worship gives them this assurance No man shall desire thy Land when thou shalt goe up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in the yeare Exod. 24. 34. God can keepe not only hands from spoyling but hearts from desiring And as the concupiscible appetite in man is under his command so also is the iracible He can stay anger and wrath as well as covetousnesse and desire When a mans wayes please God he maketh even his enemies to be at Peace with him Prov. 16. 7. why then should we displease God to avoid the warres and emnities of men Austin brings in some excusing their compliances with the sinfull customes of those times in drinking Healths thus Great Personages Deus qui te videt per ejus amorem inebria●● non velle ipse tibi gratiam etiam illorum dabit qui te ut plus hiberis videbantur cogere Serm. 2. do de Temp. urged us to it and it was at the Kings banquet where they judged of Loyalty by Luxury and put us upon this election drinke or dye The not drinking of a health had bin our death He gives many answers to these cowards but this especially to the present purpose That God who sees that for love to him thou wouldest not conforme to their drunken customes will give thee favour in their eyes who thus threatned thee to drinke This argument holds in the point of Faith and worship as well as of manners When God sees we will not pollute our consciences to please men he alwayes can and often doth make men if not pleased with us yet at peace with us He saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 18. that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men God and good men approve the same things and persons And God can cause evill men who approve not the same things yet to approve the same persons Even as he often makes those who feare not God contrary to all men 1 Thes 2. 15. They shall not long please either good or bad who care not to please God And they often please the bad not that their hearts are suited but over-ruled to them who will doe goed lest they

the words of his mouth and the Meditation of his heart might be acceptable in the sight of the Lord his strength and his Redeemer Psal 19. 14. How desirous was he to have his actions accepted who could not beare it that a word or a thought of his should misse of acceptation The Apostle inferres this duty upon the whole matter of our Gospel-priviledges Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdome which cannot be shaken let us have Grace whereby we may serve him acceptably with reverence and Godly feare Greater love cals for greater care And while God which should please us fully gives us mercies which cannot be shaken we should be steddy in our purposes fully to please God Enoch the second Saint by name and the seventh Man from Adam was translated from Earth to Heaven that he should not see death But what had this man done while he lived upon the earth which moved the Lord to dispence with that Great Statute of Heaven which in our reading was dispenc'd with but once more It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9. 27. The text answers Before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God By whose hands these letters Testimoniall were subscribed is not written whether this was the testimony of Man or of God or of both is not written but a Testimony he had That he pleased God Were there none before that age who had this Testimony Yes Abel pleased God so much that man could not endure he should live But Enoch pleased God so much that God could not endure he should dye Though the Apostle Paul could not be confident of Enochs priviledge Not to be uncloathed but cloathed upon That his Mortality might be swallowed up of Life yet hee was as diligent in Enoch's duty 2 Cor. 5. 10. We labour as covetous men for Money or ambitious spirits for Honour such are the reaches of the Originall we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted with him His Title in the text tels us we cannot goe lesse then such an accurate care to please him He is our Lord. If Servants must be so obedient to their owne earthly Masters as to please them well in all things Tit. 2. 9. How should we please our Master who is in heaven and who is Lord of earth and heaven Man is apt enough to please where he hath dependancies and strives to be accepted where much is to be received All preferments and offices are in the guift and at the dispose of this Lord. Promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth downe one and setteth up another Psal 75. 6 7. When King Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon they came with one accord unto him and desired Peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country Act. 12. 20. Our Country is nourished by CHRISTS country Heaven feeds the Earth and can we live with a displeased Christ And as our rewards and comforts come from him now so hereafter must our judgement That 's the Apostles reason 2 Cor. 5. 9. 10. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted with him for wee must all appeare before the judgement Seate of CHRIST c. Many saith Salomon seeke the Rulers favour but every mans judgement is of the Lord Prov. 29. 26. Why hath the Rulers so many suitors for his favour Is it not because the judgement of inferiours proceeds from him Salomon denies not this while he affirmes that every mans judgement is of the Lord but teaches us to seeke Gods favour chiefly both because hee can over-rule the Rulers heart to give a right judgement and will himself give the last judgement from which there lyes no appeale to every man Againe that which is acceptable to the Lord is most excellent in it self Low things may please men in high place And that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination to the Lord Luk. 16. 15 But whatsoever is highly esteemed of the Lord hath a reall worth in it That must be rich and pure wine which pleases the quickest palate and that an exact Picture which pleases the skilfullest eye It is argument enough that a thing is good when it pleases the Chiefe Good Some men are so bad that the worst things please them best God is so good that nothing but good can please him and because he is the Chiefest good therefore the better any thing is the more it pleases him We cannot desire a stronger or a nobler ground of reason industriously to please another then this assurance that we cannot please him with any thing which is not Honourable in it self This point caries a reproofe in it against foure sorts of men First such as Practise what they have not proved or tryed The Apostles method is First to Prove all things then hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5. 21. And the reason why many doe not hold fast that which is good is because they did not first Prove it David could not march in Sauls Armour for he had not assayed it 1 Sam. 13. 9. In this sence a man may practise a truth too soone And they who practise it thus soone will not practise it long How many thousands practising truths which they never tryed have let them goe when themselves were tryed The not rooting of Truth in the understanding as well as not in the affections is a root of Apostacy What we doe upon the reason or command of men will not beare up against the reason and command of men The Treble Turne which this Kingdome felt in a few yeares not many yeares since from Popery to Protestantisme from This to That from That to This againe is a proofe to this day bewaylable of their unsteddinesse who Practise what they have not Proved Secondly such are reproved by this Truth who practise what they approve not which may be understood two wayes First Conscience being against it secondly Conscience not being satisfied or affected with it Carnall men doe good as Godly men doe evill Rom. 7. 15 They allow not of the good they doe Vaine-glory and the applause of men made the Pharisies frequent in Prayer Fasting and Almes-deeds the spiritualnesse and holinesse of which Duties they tasted not Math. 6. Covetousnesse caused the Sichemites to submit to Circumcision their consciences were not taken with it The argument which moved them lay in the Cattle and earthly goods of Iacobs family not in the heavenly Good which that Covenant sealed and assured from God Gen. 34. 17. Shall not their Cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours Vers 25. How many are daily led by feare of censures from men by desire of concurrence and compliance with men by the sway and streame of Times at the meere appointment and command of Man to doe or forbeare those things at which their Consciences