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	mind_n	soul_n	6,283	5	4.6317	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52864	Ta ano the things above proved to be the most proper objects of the mind and affections, in a sermon preached before the University in Great St. Maries Church in Cambridge / by Robert Neville.	Neville, Robert, 1640 or 1-1694.	1683 (1683)	Wing N526; ESTC R25505	14,164	27

determine in loathing and unquietness and the poor slave would be glad to fly to the Mines and the Gallies for his recreation and to Plow and Cart for a diversion from the misery of a continual unintermitted pleasure Thirdly We must not set our Affections on the things on earth because they are incumbrances to us in our journey to Heaven For 1. To begin with Knowledge if it be not sanctified from above it is a great incumbrance to trash and hinder us in our journey to Heaven and our tasting too liberally of the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE may be an occasion of casting us as it did Adam out of Paradise The Devil among all his stratagems to stop and retard men in their race to Heaven hath found none so effectual as that which Hippomenes used to stop and divert Atalanta namely to fling the Golden Apples of Knowledge in their way to suffer men to stuff their heads with Knowledge He having learned by experience from himself that all the bare knowledge in the world cannot bring a man to Heaven Let the Brains be never so swelled with knowledge yea even with the knowledge of Christ be they so big that they are ready to lye in and travel of Christ as Jove's did of Minerva in the Poet yet if the heart hath not joyned in the conception it is but an Ae●●al or Phantastical Birth or indeed rather a Disease or Tympany A man may be very knowing and very dissolute of a Towring Brain and a Groveling soul Rich in speculation but poor in practice If the edge of our knowledge be not set by Piety it will prove pernicious and therefore Seneca observes of the Philosophers of his Age that (a) Boni esse desierunt simul ac docti evaserunt their Goodness as soon as their Knowledge did flow And generally we find a great decay of zele with the growth of Notional Knowledge the tall shady trees of Notional Knowledge spoil the Underwood of Zele in Religion Knowledge is pleasant and Books are good company and therefore if the Devil should bind men to ignorance our gazing Speculators and brain Epicures would never be his Disciples He will therefore permit them to be as great Scholars as himself so they will be as wicked and prophane too and as Knowledge so 2. Worldly Wealth is a great incumbrance to us in our journey to Heaven and therefore no fit Object for our Affections Riches have no influence upon the soul to make it better but rather deboche and make it worse from whence was that saying of Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a It is impossible to be exceeding good and exceeding rich together The dominion of Riches and Phisitians is one and the same they meddle not but with the humours of the Body they will confess they cure no souls take Riches at the best they have but the goodness of an (b) Bona non unde sis bonus sed unde facias bonum instrument to do good by of which also they often fail they are not always instrumentally good A great Mass of Wealth is a great temptation a dangerous decoy * 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare Where these words they that will be Rich are part of the Character of the Gnostics who were a sort of Christians that made no other use of Religion than to promote their secular advantages ver 5. and whensoever it was not compatible with their worldly profit they made no scruple to renounce their Christian Profession A rich man sees so much of the Terrestrial Globe that he can see nothing of the Celestial that wholly takes up his mind and engages his Affections Riches and Piety seldom dwell under the same roof because of the infinite temptations which they present to us by Ministring occasions of Lust fewel for Revenge instruments of pride baits for Covetousness it being usual for rich mens Soules to be Prisoners to their purses and slaves to their wealth All the joyes and high tasts that Riches can help us to are not able to requite us for the damning sin of one Insolency one Luxury one Impiety nor for the pains it will cost us to resist those temptations much less to heal the wound of a wasted Conscience that the Courting of wealth when 't is shy and coy does occasion The Covetous Worldling thinks Wealth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Vniversal Instrument an Engine to work wonders with and he borrows Solomons words Eccl. 10.19 Money answers all things He thinks that Heaven it self may be purchased by it Ay but I fear he 'l find his wealth a great clog to him when he climbs up thither The Rich man in the Gospel was ready to ride Post to Heaven provided he might carry his Riches behind him but when he was told that the ascent of so high a Hill as Heaven stands on could not be climbed with so great a burden he was easily inclined to put off his journey But least I should be thought so great a Patron of that error of Pelagius that 't is unlawful to be rich under the Gospel as to perswade you to throw away your wealth and embrace poverty It is necessary I should acquaint you that Riches may be in your hands though they must not dwell in your hearts you must unglue your hearts your affections from them St. Paul does not command Timothy to charge rich men to throw away their Riches but not to be proud of * 1 Tim. 6.17 nor trust in them I shall conclude this particular with those excellent words of Clemens Alexandrinus (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The best wealth is Poverty of lusts and desires and it is the only true magnanimity not to Pride our selves in wealth but to contemn and despise it and as Riches so 3. Are worldly pleasures a great incumbrance to us in our journey to Heaven It hath been observed in the first Ages of the Church that luxurious and deboched persons who floated in sensual pleasures were of all others most hardly brought to believe the Christian Doctrine containing in it the Resurrection of the Body and the Immortality of the Soul because their carnal joyes being gross and material and contrary to what Christ hath taught of Eternal Life of Spiritual Bodies and of Bliss their being so deeply engaged and immerst in them fortified them pertinaciously against the impressions of this Heavenly Doctrine The heart is never more dull and unfit for the severities and Masculine heights of Religion than when burdened with pleasures Pleasures infatuate the mind they clog the Soul in all its brave Essays they quench the radiancy and vigour of the Spirit * Hos 4.11 Whoredom wine and new wine take away the heart And the Apostle speaking of persons given to pleasure tells us * Ephes 4.19 That they are past feeling If therefore you should by chance accept of any treat or entertainment from the world be