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	love_n	love_v	7,424	5	6.5073	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40772	The faithfull pastor his sad lamentation over, heart-rending challenge and dreadfull thunders against, sharp reproof of, and seasonnable warning to his apostat-flock. In a letter written by a French minister to those over whom the Holy Ghost had made him an overseer upon their wofull defection, renouncing the faith, and joyning in idolatrous worship. Now carefully translated. Together with a word to mourners in Zion who by grace have kept the faith, to sleepers under the storm, and to the almost Christian; Sad lamentation over, heart-rending challenge and dreadfull thunders against, sharp reproof of, and seasonnable warning to his apostat-flock.		1687 (1687)	Wing F279; ESTC R216409	68,644	59

Master at his return the Child saith he is religion which is like to perish by our debates and devisions hence 16. Let us mourn for our sinfull foolish Church destroying and self destroying divisions which have been both the meritorious and Instrumental cause of so much ruin by these we have provoked God to wrath against us reproacht the truth we profess and made our selves a reproach have played the Adversaries Game have encouraged and strengthned their hands in their attempts against us weakened our own hands and have not pondered what our Lord Warned us of tho so clear in it self Mark. 3. v. 24 25. nor the saying not more common then manifest Divide impera O then Mark them that cause Divisions and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. v. 17 18. and if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellow ship of the spirit if any bowells and Mercies let nothing be don through strife or vain Glory having the same Love and being of one accord Philip. 2. v. 1 2 3. O how are we engaged to love these Ministers and esteem them highly who are for peace unity moderation charity and love among the faithfull Such Ministers being a blessing to the Church while they live and their Memory precious to posterity the ornament of a meek humble and quiet spirit being in the sight of God and man of a high price and may be called the truly zealous sincere Christian his Crown the character of a Gospel like frame the comfort of the Bretheren and a noble attractive to allure and draw in those who are without 1 Pet. 3. v. 4. Coloss 3. v. 12 13 14 15. O then have no hand in renting and dividing the Church is it not Christs body Ah while the enemy is seeking to destroy it wilt thou cut it in pieces How much so ever of zeal may be pretended for such a work yet we are persuaded from the word of truth that only by pride cometh contention Prov. 13. v. 10. the zealous M. Firmin speaking of the wofull divisions and many sects then abounding in England and the abominable blasphemies vented by these who once seemed to have been most zealous and eminent professors think it not strange saith be to see it so for I knew the most famous and who seemed the most zealous among them and saw the bones of pride shamfully stick out in them all Litle good can be expected from a prond zelot O then while ye are asserting standing in defence of and suffering for the faith study to keep the unity of the spirit the unity of the faith the † Eph. 4. v. 3. unity of the Church in the bond of peace If any would but reflect on Christs legacy and last words to his disciples his farewell Sermon and solemn prayer Joh. 14 v. 27. Joh. 15 v. 12 17. Joh. 17. v. 11 21 23. Or if any would seriously ponder the Apostles most pathetick exhortations and the Arguments whereby he presseth these 1 Cor. 1. v. 10. Eph. 4. v. 33 c. Philip. 2. v. 1 c. Phil. 3. v. 15 16. Rom. 12. v 9 10. 1 Thess 4. v. 9. with many more to that purpose and if any will call to mind the sharp rebukes and checks given to and the dismall characters of separatists and Church dividers with the sad regrate and Lamantations over them 1 Cor. 1. v. 11 c. 1. Cor. 3. v. 31. 1 Cor. 11. v. 18. Gal. 5. v. 20 Jud. v. 19. who I say considering these things could imagine that the tares of division and discord among Bretheren could be sown by any but the envious one and his factors Yet for the further conviction of Schismaticks let us add somewhat more begining with that Gospel like prophecy of Christs Kingdom that under it those who are by nature wild like wolves Lions and boares shall ly down together sweetly feed Isa 11. v. 6 c. did not Zacharias Prophesy of Christ that he should guide our feet in the way of peace Luc. 1. v. 79. 2 is it not a special promise in the Covenant of grace that the Lord will give us one heart and one way Jer. 32. v. 39. Ezek. 11. v. 19. and O what a stumbling block is it to the Jewes that they see not these prophesies and promises fullfilled in those who are called Christians 3 is not Christ the prince of peace Isa 9. v. 6. is not his gospel the Gospel of peace Rom. 10. v. 15. is not peace included in our Christian calling 1 Cor. 7. v. 15. did not Christ die with peace in his lips Joh. 14. v. 27. Joh. 17. v. 21. and after he arose from the dead did he not salute his disciples with the blessing of peace Ioh. 20. v. 19. and did not the Angles at his birth proclaim peace as to so among the saints on earth Luk. 2. v. 4. 4 has he not made love and concord the badge whereby his Genuine followers may beknown and appointed it to be worn as his Levery Joh. 13. v. 35. and hath he not made it a gagge for stoping the mouth of adversaries who are ready blasphemously to say he was not sent of God Joh. 17. v. 21 23. 5 is not the Communion of saints an article of our creed and engraven upon and sealed by the Lords supper which therfor beareth the name of COMMVNION as with Christ our head 1 Cor. 10. v. 16. so among our selves v. 17. 6 how pithily doth the Apostle as at one breath hold forth so many and such strong bonds of peace and for keeping the saints in unity that it might be supposed the Divell the world the pride of mans heart could not be able to burst these asunder Eph. 4. v. 4 5 6. O precious and noble unity and Love which makes us Look like Christs disciples and Christians indeed which is so beautifull and amiable in it self and so sweet and comfortable to those who follow it which is such a noble attractive and loadston to draw in those who are without the strength and ornament of the Church and a terrour to enemies such a noble guard against heresies and errour and as for preventing much mischief from men so many sad judgments and stroaks from God and what shall I say more It is the bend of perfectness above all things to be put on Coloss 3. v. 14. 1 Cor. 13. v. 13 O then wouldst thou see God 7amp wouldst thou have God to bliss thee follow peace and holyness Heb. 12. v. 14. Rom. 12. v. 18. Psa 133. v. 1 3. Psa 34. v. 12 14 and as the Lord from time to time hath visibly blessed his people when they walked together in unity and love so when divisions and contention once entred the Church it proved a forerunner of judgements Gods wrath to break out against his people of sad persecution from adversaries the judgements on tragical ends of

thô it comply for the benefit of others as there is occasion It allwayes intends well but changes its style according to different conjunctures It comforts at one time it censures and threatens at other times What account then can you give me of your apostasie o people whom I dare not call the people of God since you have been ashamed of his name What injury has God done you wherein has he offended you that you have so easily revolted from his service What have you found in him to deserve the indignity you have done him Have you observed any imperfection in his being or any lye in his Doctrine In a word what have you found in his Covenant worthy of your Disdain Or what have you found in the new Religion you have embraced preferable to the Religion of Jesus Christ and his Apostles If you have wel comprehended the infinite difference there is between Idols and the living of God how could you have revolted from him to throw your selves into the party of Idol-worshippers But perhaps you have not made so great an improvement in the Gospell of Christ as to understand all the depth of its mysteries but tho for the time you have been instructed you might have attained to perfection yet you continue in the state of Infancy Never the less you have at least Learn'd the first principles of Christ and that is enough to render you inexcusable and stop your mouth in the presence of God when he shall reveal the secrets of our hearts and bring to light the hidden things of darkness You knew enough then when you sinned as to forsee the greatness of your fall You have Learned that God will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth that he gives not his Glory to another that the will not hold the guilty innocent that Idolatry is an open declaration of warr against him and that in the Scripture-phrase its idolatry to hate God as also that to honour images with veneration and to fall down before them is to hate him What is it then that hath engaged you in an interest so contrary to his holy Will as to embrace a profane superstitious and idolatrous worship where the Creature is set up in ye place of God where human traditions make void the Commandments of God where it is not God who doth reign over the heart but man that tyrannizeth over the Conscience You have learned that God is great holy powerfull and glorious Cloathed with light and Majesty why then have you entred into a communion where he is other wayes represented to you Where they adore a God of their own making whom they carry and shut up in a Box whom they break in pieces and eat Have you so learned Christ in the Gospell is this the truth according to Godliness which he has revealed You have promised to worship God which you cannot do till the seed grow up which you have sown in your fields a God which cannot be without the Priest and whom the Priest cannot make untill the Baker has prepared the matter for him a God that owes his Divinity to the intention and word of a man who cannot be God untill it please the Priest to make him so as Tertullian said of the Heathen Gods whom they consecrated by Humane authority Lastly a God that can preserve his Divinity no longer than the consecrated matter lasteth Speak your Conscience Have you thus Learned Christ Has this Mystery any thing in common with the mistery of Godliness Has the Doctrine of the Gospell taught you that you are redeemed by a Saviour which the Priest can make and unmake at his pleasure How oft have you heard with indignation the words of the Israelites who cryed out in honor of the golden Calf Behold thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt And therefore how oft have you condemned your sin before you committed it There is no difference between you and the blinded Israelites You have promised to take for your Saviour the Bread which the Priest pretends to transubstantiate And tho you cry not Behold thy God as often as you see it in the streets or in the Churches the worship at least that you have promised to give it is what belongs only to the true Saviour all the steps you are obliged to make all the acts of your publick profession cry louder then the Israelites that you acknowledge this new made God for him who saved you out of the Spiritual Egypt You have learnt in the Gospell the nature and excellency of the Sacrifice of Christ (a) Hebr. 10. who by one only oblation has perfected for ever those that are sanctified the infinite price whereof (b) Heb. 9. has parchased for you an eternal Redemption You have learned that God suffers not any Rivall of his Glory nor our saviour any in the work of our salvation How then could you swear to make saints Angels Sharers of your Religion I know not how you understand it but I am sure if you invocate the Creatures you must necessarily acknowledg them either for Gods of an inferior Order to whom you have promised to give a proportionable adoration or for Intercessors by whom you hope to attaine of God the success of your prayers Choose which of them you please the Crime of invocating them is the same For either you have promised to have more Gods then one which is to rob the true God of that service you ow him which is to adore no other but him alone or you give to Christ Companions of Mediation and of his priestly Office whereof Intercession is anessentiall part which is to rob Christ of his saveing Offices that are incommunicable The frivolous distinctions of the Church of Rome are only good to ignorant and wavering men But God is not put off with such miserable Shifts which may as well justifie the most abominable worship of the Pagans as the idolatries of the Religion you have imbraced God in whose sight the most secret things are naked and open will not own a Religion to be true because its Idolatry is masqued with some frivolous distinctions and these absurd excuses are not a shield strong enough to bear of his vengeance and Curse from those who put any part of their trust and confidence in Creatures Have not you yet learned in the word of God the aversion he has to Images and Idols How then could you promise to serve those that are adored in Popish Churches Could you beleive they are not Idols because the Doctors of that Church affect rather to call them Images as if the Changing the name of things were to Change their natares Or thinke you that the hommage payed them in that impure Religion is not to adore them because its Guides who are ashamed of their own worship dare not confess that they give them true adoration But can they deny that they salute them serve them and fall down before them Is not

where these humble serious sincere Christians But now on the one hand profanity and open impiety and on the other pride animosity contention and saying stand by thy self for I am holier then thou hath suckt out the power and life of religion so that some have no more but and others not so much as a name that they live What may you say are these the words of one so often upbraided for his charity But 1 If I had more of Charity yet 2 what pretence to charity can these plead who so apparently walk in the broad way and carry their ditty in their forehead who will call these clean who are wallowing in the mire and lying in it but 3. as for others I judge not any as to their state there is one who knoweth and will judge 4. in the worst of times God hath his hidden and chosen ones his thousands who have not bowed the knee to any idol whether bodily or spirituall and the most sincere usually least seen and make litle noise with their feet while they are walking to heaven but of many who have taken on a bigge profession we may boldly with a zealous Ancient say vel hoc non est Evangelium vel isti non sunt Evangelici either this is not the Gospel that we preach or these have not embraced it and * Sinunc Adam resurger●t videret hanc insaniam omnium ordinum prosecto credo quod praestupore tanquam lapis staret Luth. in Gen. cap. 3. are not Christians If Adam were now risen again he would said Luther stand as astonished at the madness of all ranks of persons walking as if they did not mind eternity 1. Ye earthly minded ones who have Religion in your mouth and the world in your heart ye Mammon-worshippers cannot Worship God in spirit and in truth Mat. 6. v. 24. Eph. 5. v. 5 1 Tim. 6. v. 9. 2. Ye proud arrogant saucie supercilious ones who have not ●●●rnt of Christ tobe meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. v. 29. Jam. 4. v. 26. Psa 138. v. 6. the factious turbulent implacable censorious uncharitable the evil speaker who cannot bridle his tongue not sparing the most innocent if not of his lure who is never so in his element as when sowing discord among bretheren and reviling the faithfull have abandoned the divine Character of those who will abide in Gods Tabernacle and who are precious in his sight Jam. 3. v. 14.15 16 17. Gal. 5. v. 22. 1 Cor. 13. Psa 15. v. 33. Pro. 6. v. 19 3. Ye Herodians who hear gladly and doe many things but your right hand and right ey must be spared saying Naaman-like in this Lord pardon thy servant and thou shalt be my master ye who have indented with Christ on terms of your own choice and with a reserve and the permission and consent of your darling and master lust may suppose ye have two masters but Christian be none of them ye cannot serve God and an idol-lust Mat. 6. v. 24 Christ must have the whole heart or he can have none of it if Satan get a part he hath all one lake and chink if not stopt will as certainly sink the vessel as a thousand Jam. 2. v. 10. If I might here insist how many particulars fall under this head But in a word how can these think to find life in the scriptures who will not acknowledge them to be the divine infallible unerring rule of life who dare presume to judge the rule by which they must be judged who reject and embrace so much of it as seemeth good in their eyes thou art inexcusable O man and self condemned who professest thou art a Christian and wilt hearken to Christs voice acknowledging all his commands and wayes to be equall and just and yet darst cast so many of them behind thy back and set up a new and Antiscripturall way to heaven in which thou and thy lusts may walk together Ah dost thou profess thy self to be one of those who tremble at Gods word and yet art not afraid thus to adde or take from it and dost not tremble when thou readest the dreadfull curse Rev. 22. v. 18 19. these few British wretches who having disowned the late King his authority dealt more ingenouously tho most balsphemously in razing out of their Bibles as I heard some sectaries befor them did the word King where ever they found it but before they arrived to that hight of impiety they had fallen into many vile and abominable errors at length burnt the whole scriptures now tho ye abhor the thoughts of doing such a wicked thing yet have ye not too far homologated with them have ye not rejected and cast Gods word behind your back so many clear and weighty commands so pithily pressed and so often inculcated ye durst not raze them on t of your Bibles yet would not suffer them to be written in your hearts may not ye who have thus taken a way from the word of life fear lest God take away your part out of the book of life and tho yo have some room and may be a name in the church here yet shall find no place in the assembly of the first born in heaven ye will be ready with the first sadly to regrate and complain of papall and Cefarian indulgences and dispensationes with lawes divine and humane and yet the pope and Cesar within your own bowells are cherished in their dispensing with so many expresse commands of God and in indulging you to live in those sins he hath so severely forbidden What hopes can there be of such almost Christians what hopes of ignorant and formall professours and what hopes of hypocriticall zelots self-seeking worshippers or scandalous ranters that they will stand and ride out the storm if the winds become more boisterous But supposing they may for a naturall conscience a name credit and reputation may engage to do and suffer much yet what credit gain or advantage to the Gospell could their sufferings bring but Oh what a sad reproach and discredit to the honourable cause for which they suffer must their unholy walk and conversation be and what a wofull scandall and stumbling block to those that are without while as the sufferings of the upright and sincere from time to time have proven such a noble attractive to draw such into Christ and a prevailing inducement to embrace the Gospell hence the saying not more common then certain sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae the blood of the Martyrs the seed of the Church plures efficimur quoties metimur the more as Tertullian said they were thus cut down they encreased and multiplied the more But Ah will ye thus put Christ and his glorious Gospell to an open shame while ye pretend to suffer for him and his cause will ye lose the honour and reward of your sufferings by your ungospel-like life and deportment But O ye in whom are any grains of sincerity and uprightness in