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	work_n	7,712	5	5.1991	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68162	Three sermons preached 1. In Whitehall, March 29. being the first Tuesday after the departure of King Iames into blessednesse. 2. In Christs Church, at the trienniall visitation of the right Reuerend Father in God, the Lord Bishop of London. 3. In the chappell by Guildhall, at the solemne election of the Right Honourable the Lord Maior of London. / By Tho: Adams.	Adams, Thomas, fl. 1612-1653.	1625 (1625)	STC 130; ESTC S122193	12,946	28

THE HOLY CHOICE A SERMON PREACHED in the Chappell by GVILDHALL at the Solemnitie of the Election of the Right Honourable the Lord Maior of LONDON BY THO ADAMS LONDON Printed by Aug. Matthewes and John Norton 1625. THE HOLY CHOICE ACTES 1.24 And they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen THe businesse of the day is an Election an election into one of the most Noble Offices of the Kingdome the gouernment of this Honourable Citie which let not enuie heare it hath no paralell vnder the Sunne The businesse of my Text is an Election too an election into the highest office in the Church to be an Apostle and Witnesse of Iesus Christ If you please to spare the paterne in foure circumstances as 1. This office is spiritual yours temporall 2. This place was voyd by Apostasie or decession yours is supplied by succession 3. This election is by Lots yours is by Suffrages 4. This choice was but one of two it may be your number exceeds the rest will sure well enough and the same God that was in the one be also present in the other by the assistance of his holy spirit The argument of the Text is a prayer to God for his direction in their choice yea indeed that hee would chuse a man for them including a strong reason of such a request because he doth know the hearts of all men They begin with prayer this was the vsuall maner in the Church of God So Moses prayed for the choice of his Successor Num. 27.16 Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man ouer the Congregation Christ sent not his Apostles to that holy work Iohn 17.27 without a prayer Sanctifie them through thy truth Actes 6.6 In the chusing of those seuen Deacons they first prayed and then laid their hands vpon them Thus were Kings Inaugurated with Sacrifice and Prayer It is not fit he that is chosen for God should bee chosen without God But for this Samuel himselfe may be mistaken and chuse seuen wrong before hee hit vpon the right In this I cannot but commend your religious care that businesses of so great a consequence be alwayes sanctified with a blessing Those which in a due proportion must represent God to the world ought to be consecrated to that Maiestie which they resemble by publike deuotions Euery important action requires Prayer much more that which concernes a whole citie When Samuel came to Bethlehem to annoynt Dauid he calls the whole Citie to the Sacrifice Indeed the Family of Iesse was sanctified in a more speciall manner this businesse was most theirs and all Israels in them The feare of God should take full possession of all our hearts that are this day assembled but those with whom God hath more to doe then with the rest should bee more holy then the rest The choice of your Wardens and Masters in your seuerall Companies hath a solemne forme and it is the honour of your greatest Feasts that the first dish is a Sermon Charitie forbid that any should think you admit such a Custome rather for conuenience then deuotion as if Preaching were but a necessary complement to a Solemnitie as Wine and Musicke I am perswaded better things of you but if there should be any such peruerse spirits that like the Gouernor of a people called Aequi when the Romans came to him Iussit eos ad quercum dicere bade them speak to the Oake for he had other businesse but they replied Et haec sacrata quercus audiat foedus a vobis violatum let this Oake beare witnesse that you haue broke the league which you haue couenanted So when we come to preach to your soules if you should secretly bid vs speake to the walls loe euen the very walls will be witnesses against you at the last day Though Saul be King ouer Samuel yet Samuel must teach Saul how to bee King Wee may instruct though wee may not rule yea wee must instruct them that shall rule Therefore as wee obey your call in comming to speake so doe you obey Gods command in vouchsafing to heare Let vs apply our selues to him with deuotion and then hee will bee graciously present at our Election This Prayer respects two things Quem the person whom they intreat Quid the matter for which they intreat The Person is described by His Omnipotence Lord. Omniscience That knowest the hearts of men Omnipotence Lord. Wee acknowledge thy right thou art fit to bee thine owne chuser Lord there bee many on earth called Lords but those are Lords of earth and those Lords are earth those Lords must returne to earth This Lord is Almightie raising out of the dust to the honour of Princes and laying the honour of Princes in the dust Lord of what nay not qualified not Lord of such a Countie Barony Seigniorie nor Lord by vertue of Office and Deputation but in abstracte most absolute His Lordship is vniuersall Lord of heauen the owner of those glorious mansions Lord of earth disposer of all Kingdomes and Principalities Lord of hell to locke vp the old Dragon and his crew in the bottomlesse pit Lord of Death to vnlocke the graues hee keepes the Key that shall let all bodies out of their earthy prisons A potent Lord whither shall we goe to get out of his Dominion Psal 139.7 c To heauen there wee cannot misse him To hell there wee cannot bee without him In ayre earth or sea in light or darknesse wee are sure to finde him Whither then except to Purgatory That Terra incognita is not mentioned in his Lordship the Pope may keepe the key of that himselfe But for the rest hee is too sawcie exalting his vniuersal Lordship and hedging in the whole Christian world for his Diocesse Stretching his arme to heauen in rubricking what Saints he list to hell in freeing what prisoners hee list on earth in setting vp or pulling downe what Kings hee list but that some haue 〈◊〉 short his busie fingers To the Lord of all they commend the choyce of his owne seruants Euery mortall Lord hath this power in his owne Family how much more that Lord which makes Lords who is so fit to chuse as he that can chuse the fit Who so fit to chuse as hee that can make those fit whom he doth chuse It is He alone that can giue power and grace to the elected therefore not to be left out in the election How can the Apostle preach or the Magistrate gouerne without him when none of vs all can mooue but in him It is happy when wee doe remit all doubts to his decision and resigne our selues to his disposition Wee must not be our owne Caruers but let Gods choyce be ours When we know his pleasure let vs shew our obedience And for you vpon whom this Election falls remember how you are bound to honour that Lord of heauen

fore-gates are shut against it This makes many aspire to Offices and great places not to doe good but to get goods as some loue to bee stirring the fire if it bee but to warme their owne fingers Whatsoeuer affaires passe through their hands they crooke them all to their owne endes and care not what becomes of the publike good so they may aduance their owne priuate and would set their neighbours house on fire and it were but to rost their owne egges Let them banish Couetousnesse with as great a hatred as Amnon did Thamar first thrust it out of their hearts then shut and locke the dore after it for the couetous heart is none of them that God chuseth Next let vs see what kinde of hearts God will chuse and they be furnished with these vertues fit for a Magistrate 1. There is Cor sapiens a wise heart and this was Salomons suite An vnderstanding heart 1 Kings 3.9 Hee saw hee had power enough but not wisedome enough and that Royaltie without wisedome was no better then an eminent dishonour a very Calfe made of golden Eare-rings There is no Trade of life but a peculiar wisedome belongs to it without which all is tedious and vnprofitable how much more to the highest and busiest vocation the gouernment of men An ignorant ruler is like a blind Pilot who shall saue the vessell from ruine 2. Cor patiens a meeke heart what is it to difcerne the cause and not to bee patient of the proceedings The first Gouernour that God set ouer his Israel was Moses a man of the meekest spirit vpon earth How is hee fit to gouerne others that hath not learn'd to gouerne himselfe He that cannot rule a Boat on the riuer is not to bee trusted with steering a Vessell on the Ocean Nor yet must this patience degenerate into cowardlinesse Moses that was so meeke in his owne cause in Gods cause was as resolute So there is also 3. Cor magnanimum a heart of fortitude and courage The rulers and squares that regulate others are not made of lead or soft wood such as will bend or bow The principall Columnes of a house had need be heart of Oke A timorous and flexible Magistrate is not fit for these corrupt times If either threatnings can terrifie him or fauour melt him or perswasions swerue him from Iustice hee shall not want temptations The Braine that must dispell the fumes ascending from a corrupt liuer stomach or spleene had need bee of a strong constitution The couragious spirit that resolues to doe the will of heauen what malignant powers soeuer would crosse it on earth is the heart that God chuseth 4. Lastly there is Cor honestum an honest heart Without this courage will prooue but legall Iniustice policie but meere subtiltie and abilitie but the Deuills Anuile to forge mischiefes Priuate men haue many curbes but men in authoritie if they feare not God haue nothing else to feare If hee bee a simple Dastard hee feares all men if a head-strong commander he feares no man like that vniust Iudge that feared neither God nor Man Luke 18.2 This is the ground of all fidelitie to King and Countrey Religion Such was Constantines Maxime Hee cannot bee faithfull to mee that is vnfaithfull to God As this honourable place of the Kings Lieutenāt-ship hath a Sword bearer so the Magistrate himselfe is the Lords Sword-bearer Rom. 13.4 saith Saint Paul And as hee may neuer drawe this Sword in his priuate quarrell so hee must not let it bee sheathed when Gods cause calls for it It is lenitie and conniuence that hath inuited contempt to great places Did Iustice carrie a seuerer hand they durst not traduce their Rulers in Songs and Satyrs the burden whereof will bee their owne shame Magistrates are our ciuill Fathers and what deserue they but the curse of Cham that lay open the nakednesse of their Fathers When Alexander had conquered Darius and casually found his slaine bodie lying naked hee threw his owne coat ouer him saying I will couer the destinie of a King It is God alone that casteth contempt vpon Princes which that hee may not doe let them preserue Cor mundum a cleane heart not conscious of ill demerits Such a one sits on the Iudgement-Seat as one that neuer forgets that hee must appeare before the Iudgement-Seate of Christ So hee executeth Iustice as neuer losing the sense of Mercy so hee sheweth Mercie as not offering violence to Iustice Hee can at once punish the offence and pitie the offender Hee remembers his oath and feares to violate it to an enemie hee is not cruell to a friend hee will not bee partiall And if euer hee haue but once cut the skirt of Iustice as Dauid the lappe of Sauls garment his Heart smites him for it Hee minds no other clocke on the Bench but that of his owne Conscience Hee will not offend the Iust nor affoord a good looke to varlets nor yet doth hee so disregard their persons as to wrong their causes Hee will maintaine Pietie but not neglect Equitie In Court hee lookes not before him on the person nor about him on the beholders nor behind him for bribes nay hee will not touch them in his Closset or Chamber lest the timber and stones in the wall should witnesse against him So hee helpes the Church that the Common-wealth bee no loser so hee lookes to the Common-wealth that the Church may not bee wronged The lewd feare him the good praise him the poore blesse him hee hath been a Father to Orphans a Husband to distressed Widowes Many prayers are layde vp for him in Heauen and when hee dies they with the assistance of Angels shall beare him vp to blessednesse Lastly let vs see why God will chuse men by the heart I denie not but wisedome and courage moderation and patience are all requisite concurrences but the Heart is the Primum Mobile that sets all the wheeles a going and improoues them to the right end When God begins to make a man good he begins at the heart as Nature in forming so God in reforming begins there As the eye is the first that begins to die and the last that begins to liue so the heart is the first that liues and the last that dies It is said of the Spider that in the morning before shee seekes out for her prey shee mends her broken webbe and in doing that she alwayes begins in the midst Before wee pursue the profits and baits of this world let vs first amend our life and when wee vndertake this let vs bee sure to begin at the heart The Heart is the Fort or Citadell in this little I le of man let vs fortifie that or all will bee lost And as naturally the heart is first in being so here the Will which is meant by the Heart is chiefe in commanding The Centurions seruants did not more carefully obey him when hee sayd to one Goe and he goeth Math. 8.9