Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A31975
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The fixed saint held forth in a farwell sermon preached at Mary-Aldermanbury, London, August 17, 1662 / Mr. Edmond Calamy.
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Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing C244; ESTC R2986
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9,163
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24
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iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly If David had been to suffer this great punishment out of love to God or for a good conscience he would not have been so distressed There are two sorts of straits in Scripture some suffered for God and a good conscience and there are straits suffered for sin 1. There are straits suffered for God and a good conscience Heb. 11. 36 37. those Martyrs there were driven to great straits but these were straits for God and a good Conscience and these straits were the Saints greatest enlargements they were so sweetned to them by the consolations and supportations of Gods Spirit a prison was a paradise to them Heb. 10. 34. they look joyfully at the spoiling of their goods Acts 5. 41. they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Straits for a good conscience are greatest enlargements therefore Paul gloryeth in this strait Paul a prisoner c. 2. There are straits suffered for sin and these are envenomed by the guilt of sin sin puts poyson into all our distresses and perplexitys Now such was the strait into which David was now driven it was a strait caused by sin and that made it so unwelcome and uncomfortable so that from hence I gather this Observation Doct. That sin and iniquity brings persons and nations into marvelous labyrinths and perplexitys into true real and great molestations a man free from sin is free in the midst of straits a man guilty of sin is in a strait in the midst of freedom After Adam had sinned in eating of the forbidden fruit the whole world was a prison to him Paradise it selfe was an Hell to him he knew not where to hide himselfe from the presence of God After that Cain had murthered his Brother Abel he was brought into such a strait that he was afraid that every one that met him would slay him Alass poor Cain how many was there then in the world we read but his father and mother yet such was his distress that he cryeth out every one that met him would slay him Gen 4. 14. Into what a strait did sin bring the old world the deluge of sin brought a deluge of water to drown them Into what a strait did sin bring Sodom and Gomorrah the fire of lust raining in Sodom and Gomorrah brought down fire from Heaven to destroy them Sin brings external internal and eternal straits upon persons and nations 1. Sin brings external straits sin brings Famine Sword and Plague Sin brings Agues and Feavours Gout and Stone and all manner of Diseases yea sin brings death it selfe which is the wages of sin Read Levit. 26. and Deut. 23. and you will see a black roul of courses which were the fruit of sin Sin brought Sion into Babylon and when the Jews had murthered Christ forty years after they were brought into that distress when the City was besieged by Titus Vespatian that they did eat one another the Mother did eat her child that whereas David had a choice which of the three he would have either Famine Plague or Sword the poor Jews had all three concatenated together in the siedge sin brings all manner of external plagues 2. Sin brought persons and Nations into internal stâ—aits sin brings soul-plagues which are worse then bodily plagues sin brings hardness of heart blindness of mind a spirit of slumber a reprobate sence sin brings a spiritual famine upon a Land it brings a famine of the word Amos 8. 11. sin causes God to take away the Gospel from a people sin brings internal plagues sin wakens conscience and fills it full of perplexities Into what a strait did sin drive Judas after he had betrayed Christ Into what a strait did sin drive Spira St. Paul gloried in his tribulations for God but when he speaks of his sin he cryeth out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death David a valiant man when he speaks of sin saith they are too heavy a burden for him to bear A wounded conscience who can bear saith the Wise-man 3. Sin bringeth eternal straits O the strait that a wicked man shall be brought into at the great and dreadful day of judgement when all the world shall be on fire about him when he shall call to the mountains to hide him and to the rocks to cover him from the wrath of God then will he cry out with David I am O Lord in a great strait And when the wicked shall be condemned to Hell who can express the straits they then shall be in Bind them hand and foot and cast them into everlasting darkness Matth. 25. When a wicked man shall be bound with everlasting chains of darkness then he will cry out I am in a great strait Consider what Dives saith to Abraham he desires that Lazarus might but dip the tip of his finger in water and that he might cool his toung not his whole body but his toung but that would not be granted It is impossible the toung of man should set out the great straits the damned suffer in Hell both in regard of the greatnesse and everlastingnesse of them This is all I shall say for Explication Use 1. I chiefly aim at the Application Doth sin bring Nations and Persons into external internal and eternal straits then this sadly reproves those that choose to commit sin to avoid perplexity There are thousands in England guilty of this that to avoid poverty will lye cheat and cozen and to gain an estate will sell God and a good conscience and to avoid the losse of estate and imprisonment will do any thing they will be sure to be of that Religion which is uppermost be it what it will Now give me leave this morning to speak three things to these sort of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider it is sin only that makes trouble to deserve the name of trouble for when we suffer for Gods sake or a good Conscience these troubles are so sweetned by the consolations of heaven that they are no troubles at all therefore in Queen Maries dayes the Martyrs wrote to their friends out of prison If you knew the Comforts we have in prison you would wish to be with us I am in prison before I am in prison saith Mr. Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Binde them hand and foot and cast them into the Furnace but when they were there they were unbound Dan. 3. 25. saith Nebuchadnezzar Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and lo I see foure men loose walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I have often told you when three are cast into the fire for a good Conscience God will make the fourth therefore I
the Jews were so severely punished for breaking the Sabbath which was set apart in memory of the Creation surely God will severely punish those that break the Sabbath set apart in memory of Christs Resurrection May be some will say I have committed many of these sins but am not brought into any strait Remember it was nine months after David had numbred the people before he was in this strait but as sure as God is in heaven sin will bring straits sooner or later though a sinner a hundred yeares yet shall he be accursed may be thy posterity makes way for thy damnation and this is thy greatest distress that thou goest on in sin and prosperity Use 3. If sin bringeth a Nation into marvellous labyrinths learn what great caus we have to fear that God should bring this Nation into great distress because of the great abominations are committed in the midst of it our King and Sovereign was in great straits in the dayes of his banishment but God hath delivered him God hath delivered this Nation out of great straits but alas we requite God evil for good and instead of repenting for old sins we commit new sins I am told there are new oathes invented oaths not fit to be named in any place much lesse here Certainly the drunkenness and adultery the oppression and injustice the bribery and Sabbath breaking the vain and wicked swearing and for-swearing this Nation is guilty of must of necessity provoke God to say of us as he did of them in Ieremiah 15 29 Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this God will not only punish us but be avenged on us There is no way to avoid a national desolation but by a national reformation Lastly learn what cause you of this Congregation and Parish what cause you have to expect that God should bring you into great straits because of your great unthankâ—ulness and unfruitfulness under the means of Grace you that have so long enjoyed the Gospel you have had the Gospel in this place in great abundance Doctor Taylor he served an apprenticeship in this place Doctor Staughton served another apprenticeship and I through divine Mercy have served three apprenticeships and half another almost among you you have had the Spirit of God seven and thirty years in the faithful ministry of the Word knocking at the door of your hearts but many of you have hardened your hearts Are there not some of you I only put the Question that begin to loath the Manna of your Souls and to look back towards Egypt again Are there not some of you have itching ears and would fain have Preachers that would feed you with dainty phrases and begin not to care for a Minister that unrips your Consciences speaks to your hearts and souls and would force you into heaven by frighting you out of your sins Are there not some of you that by often hearing Sermons are become Sermon-proof that know to sleep and scoffe away Sermons I would be glad to say there are but few such but the Lord knoweth there are too too many that by long preaching get little good by preaching insomuch that I have often said it and say it now again there is hardly any way to raise the pâ—ice of the Gospel-Ministry but by the want of it And that I may not flatter you you have not profited under the means you have enjoyed therefore you may justly expect God may bring you into a strait and take away the Gospel from you God may justly take away your Ministers by death or otherwise Have you not lost your first love why did God take away the Gospel from the Church of Ephesus but because they lost their first love Are you not like the Church of Laodicea that are neither hot nor cold therefore God may justly spew you out of his mouth what God will do with you I know not a few weeks will determine God can make a great change in a little time we leave all to God but in the mean time let me commend one Text of Scripture to you Ierem. 13. 16. Give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness anâ— before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darkness Verse 17. But if you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lord's flock is câ—rried away captive Give glory to God by confessing and repenting of your sins by humbling your souls before the Lord before darkness come and who knoweth but this may preâ—â—nt darkness FINIS Causab Enthus l. 6. Cic. de Somnâ— l. 2. Arist de vitaâ— Morâ— l. 2. p. 118. Lam. 3. 39â— 1 Pet. 1 6 7 8