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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heaven_n	young_a	zeal_n	27	3	7.5786	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04269	A seasonable discourse of spirituall stedfastnesse wherein, 1. it, and a relapse, with the heads, members. and degrees of both, are exactly defined. 2. The subiects, causes, and symptomes of the fearfull sinne of apostasie cleerely expressed. As also directions, incentiues, to recouer, re-inkindle the old-cold-declining zelot. Together with arguments, motiues, that the young, or strong standing convert may be in grace firmely established. By I.B. preacher of the word.	Barlow, John, b. 1580 or 81.	1627 (1627)	STC 1439.5; ESTC S120873	89,672	290

And as the dog to his vomit vnto his old sinnes he hath returned to doubt and stagger he is constrained But on the contrarie when he seriously considereth what change the Lord hath wrought in him what long experience he hath of his loving kindnesse what great things beyond his expectation he hath done for him how that he alloweth not what he committeth but of weakenesse not willfulnesse falleth into such such a sinne And that it is so and was so w th the best of Gods children then is ●e strangely ●xalted ●nd cry to with r●ioycing who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Rom. 8.33 I thanke the Lord that in the law of my mind Rom. 7.25 I serue him though in my flesh I serue sinne 5 May grace for any season neither admit of augmentation or diminution Why not For Whatsoever is in the rule may be in the thing ruled or thus What is possible in the nature of things may come to passe Example A man may goe forward backward or stand still What then should hinder that a Christian may not neither increase nor decrease but hold what he hath A stone cast vp into the aire being at the point of its ascent presently descends Yet will it make some little stay though scarce sencible before its returne And why may not the like be in this Spirituall motion But not to goe forward is to goe backward True if we vnderstand it of the acts and exercise of grace or in that God requires a continuall growth vntill we giue vp an account of our talents else not For the habit may neither suffer increase not decrease for a very short season If it should not be thus would it not follow thar the spirits of iust men nor the blessed Angels should ever come to the period of perfection but still grow as we vse to speake in infinitum I am not ignorant how that some men be of a contrarie iudgement Let the wise iudge But what May not grace increase and a man not perceiue it Yes of certaine For desire of gaine may take away the sence of growth n●glect of casting vp our spirituall a●counts hinders the apprehensiō of graces increase a iealous suspicion breedeth doubt of what we haue And augmentation is not easily perceiued Infants grow yet are ignorant of it the haire waxeth white but not discerned And the Sunne ascends without perception So may it be in this supernaturall motion Eager minds weake iudgements suspicious persons and want of experience discouer not secret obiects see them not as in truth they are When fire is first kindled in a cottage there is much smoake little heate the one flies out at the doore chimney window and every crevise in the walls the other in the meane while is not apprehended Now tarrie but a verie short season and the reeke wasteth the flame increaseth so heere When the holy-Ghost sets this fire which is from heaven on the hearth of mans heart he on the sudden seemes to burne in spirit to haue zeale in abundance no sinne can stand before him notwithstanding he for the present hath but a sparke a small measure his coale rather smoaks than glowes Ancient house-keepers know the former so doe aged disciples the latter by experience Againe When grace is first infused the yong convert thinkes himselfe rich having not a drop before For he compares some with none which are the greatest opposits Now more being added to that he hath received the augmentation is not so easily perceiued because the inequalitie twixt some thing and somthing is not so great as that which is of something with nothing Giue but a pennie to the poore who before had none he now can better discerne himselfe to haue silver than the increase of his coine a farthing being added to it by reason of the more fell opposition in the dissentanie rules These questions being thus resolued the point remaineth to be applied Vse 1 In the first place it confuteth two kindes of people the Familist and the Papist The former holds that when a man is fullcome he is perfect as Adam our father was in Paradise And we say so too but then he must be considered after his fall not before it The latter maintaines how a man in the estate of grace may absolutely keepe the whole law of God doe workes worthie of merit yea of super erogation the which cannot be except we defend perfection here of sanctification But what saith the Evangelist I. Iohn 1.8 if we affirme that we haue no sinne be it actuall or original we deceiue our owne soules and the truth is not in vs. Wherfore if the Papists and familists will haue the first let them also take the second For why should they not Vse 2 And it serues at the second hand to reprooue these who instead of growth in grace grow in corruption True it is that many increase but it is in a contrarie subiect Psal 37.7 For are not some of vs such as the Prophets haue described Out faces shine our eyes stand out with fatnesse Our breasts are ful of milk Iob. 21.24 our bones of marrow Collops we haue in our flankes we be lustie and strong yet this were not to be condemned but that the causes thereof are evill as ease fulnesse of bread Ezek. 16.49 and abundance of idlenesse Another kind there be who be growne mightie to powre in strong drinke Isa 5.22 whose shapes are monstrous A short belt will not winde about their extēded bodies nor a suite of small size cover their vnfathomed shoulders These drinke soule-slaying healths till their heads grow heavie their hearts light and all who feare God grow ashamed of them Will you see a drunkard marching in his hellish colours His eyes water his nose runnes his tongue stammers and his breath stinkes his mouth drivels his lips quake his spittle fals and his feete stumble Bring him to the field he can neither plow nor sow to the market buy nor sell set him at the table there if he speake he spues lay him in bed he wallowes in his filthie vomit and as a Boare in a loathsome franke or stinking fly defiles himselfe O that th●se gracelesse men would learne that God for this kind of growth is growne angrie at them And that if they repent not and a mend they must another day will they nill they drinke whole violes of his purest wrath vntill they grow giddy-headed heavie-hearted and with Nabal and Belshazzar their damned brethren 1 Sam. 25.36 Dan. 5.26 Gen. 19.9 tumble into the bottomlesse pit of hell Others like Nimrod are growne mightie hunters not of the hare and deere for that so far as my iudgement leads me is commendable warrantable But of mens pursses places persons emptying the first possessing the second and persecuting the third for if Christians in preaching and professing of the Gospell doe but conioyne which th'apostle in-ioynes power with

that time had acquired obtained But be it granted that the habit cannot be decreased yet the acts without doubt may be remitted being by some strong enemie from within or without vs opposed the Sunne may be eclipsed his beames restrained when his bodie remaines perfect nothing wasted So is it here However though we thus write we are of opinion that were this Spirituall cessation of long duration it would greatly in danger the habit For as we haue sayd it growes by vse decayes by disvse as we find by experience that naturall habits doe by naturall operations relaxations Obserue further that this decay of the habit and acts of grace be Totall Habituall falling subdivided Partial Totall When the habit is wholy destroyed or all the acts of it vniversally suspended the former befell Adam of speciall grace at the creation Rom. 5.14 And Alexander of common after mans redemption But this kind of fall we take it is not in this place by our Apostle intended 2. Tim. 4.14 nor incident to them who are vnto Christ Iesus by the Spirit vnited Partiall is for the habit of grace may be decreased and its acts remitted in the most regener at person Now this latter kind Is Inward Outward Inward in Iudgment then in the will and affections For the vnderstanding may not only be weakned from the cleare apprehēding of the truth formerly obtained but also Gal 3.1 as in the Galatians with errour corrupted For they fel frō the doctrine of iustification in the true rule ground of it mixing their owne workes with the obiect matter of it which is Christ and his obedience actiue passiue This was their iudiciall fall Againe in the will and affections Rev. 2.4 Video meliora c. there may be partiall decay This was the fall of the Church of Ephesus which is sayd to haue left her first love And a truth it is that a man may hold the doctrine sound in respect of iudgment and yet fall from it in regard of practise For the hahit of grace in the vnderstanding is distinct from that in the wil affections whence spring these various declinings And as inwardly So outwardly may we fall from the acts of grace the which in time past we haue performed Dauid doubtlesse was sound in iudgment when he fell so foully in his practise And a man may haue a will to do well when the externall effects may be blasted Psal 39.1.3 as of Peter in the deniall of his master The Prophet purposed to looke to his waies not to offend with his tongue 2 Cor. 16.10 But this was too painful for him therfore he spake vnaduisedly with his lips When that Godly king imprisoned the Seer his iudgment was sound yet his practise corrupt But ordinarily when the inward asts be remitted then the outward are stinted II. Thus having finished the first thing proposed we proceed to the second the causes of these declinings And they be Within vs. Without vs. Causes from within vs. Melancholie for its a true axiom that the soule followes the disposition and temperature of the body the forenamed humour hath various and strange operations drawing a blacke and mournefull curtaine over the New-man casts hidious conceits into the minde and presenteth to the eye of reason the manifold mishapen ougly formes of approaching death burnes and consumes the purest spirits the immediat instrument of the soules acts Or so clogges them with thicke fumes that she cannot lift vp the wing and soare into the third heaven but like a weather-beaten or limed fowle falls downe and makes her motion on the earthie Center creepes on the Globe And Dailie hourly raiseth such cogitations as these Loue why thou art but passion zeale furie ioy madnesse hope a groundlesse conceit And all the graces of the spirit but the operations of meere nature or a more pure disposition of corporall temperature whence it often comes to passe that such who be pestered with the forenamed peccant malady complaine of the soules corruption when it s nothing else but the bodies bad indisposition grow thereby to be out of heart cease from spirituall action and so consequently fall from their former setlednesse He who is ignorant of this thing well may he be an aged person but I am sure no expert Christian. 2. Some raging lust vnmortified affection When such a passenger is in the ship of mans soule like another Ionah it will vnsettle all Was not David strong in the grace of God How came it to passe then that he in some degree fell from his former stedfastnes Why he was of an hot Sanguine complexion which provoketh much to the sinne he committed 2. Sam. 11. now being not carefull enough to curbe that natural pronenesse of certaine was an internall cause of his foule declining Gen. 39.12 Ioseph in this it seemes out-stript him For he resisted though strongly tempted was likely as yong as David had none he six wiues as appeareth And had he disputed with flesh and bloud as forcible arguments to haue allured him What a broade differēce was this for David a king to goe in to a subiect and Ioseph a servant to runne from his mistris had noe more bin mentioned Was not his sonne Salomon Neh. 13.26 in his youth a rare yong man Yet in his elder yeeres carried away with outlandish women Why so in plaine english his lust was let loose his affection not mortified He trod not in the steps of holy Paul who laboured with his hands 1. Cor. 9. vlt. fasted often brought his body into subiection that the flesh might not over-master the spirit The like might be the fore-runner to Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest and his wiues looking backe to Sodome If the reines hang vnder his feete the strongest readiest footed beast may stumble catch a fall Cut all the feet equall the table stands stedfast else not 3. Vnbeleefe this workes greater woundes in the soule than ever any mountebanke profest to cure in the bodie It as a moth the garment eates vp the glosse of grace like the worme the Gourd of Ionah smits faith at the roote causeth it to wither and makes the acts thereof feeble liuelesse What mists will this Iugler raised in our vnderstandings Earthquakes within vs Blinde the eie of reason to question common principles Doubt of what we haue knowne by experience How subtilly will this Sophister argue Dispute What Are not all things alike from the beginning Where is the promise of Christs c●mming 2. Pet. 3 4. When shall the Iewes be called Rome ouerturned Gog and magog destroyed And all Israel saved Mala. 3.14 Are not the wicked advanced Isa 59.15 They who tempt God delivered And he that refraineth from evill made a prey What profit is there in serving the Almightie Seeking the kingdome of heaven Calling vpon the name of the Lord Art thou not poore Despised Psal 37.1.2 c. Persecuted Who flourish

light I walked thorow darknesse 3. And if thou rouze not vp thy spirit be assured that thou shalt be awaked For fearefull dreames may fall vpon thee strange visions in the night present themselues vnto thee and crosses thicke and threefold follow thee close vntill thou returne to thy former tast For shall God lose his labour And his child his soule May not the Lord shut thy wombe Slay thy posteritie Call for a famine Send the sword to wound thee The Pestilence to kill thee Grant thou escapest all these may not a worse arrest thee What if he correct thy sin with sinne That the Church cast thee off Excommunicate thee What pleasure canst thou take in all thy priviledges Maist thou not rather suspect every moment to be swallowed vp of overmuch heavinesse 2. Cor. 2.7 4. But let it be admitted all these might be avoided Yet will not Sathan tempt thee Bend the strong bow of his malice feather his firie darts Set them in the nocke loosse them from the finger of envie strike thee to the hart Hast thou bin his but in the months past When thy eye was first opened And thy corrections sealed Then let the bitternes thou at that day feltest cause thee to awake Eph. 5.14 and stand vp from the dead Suppose in this declining condition thy soule should be taken from thee However it might land safe yet would not the passage be fearefull What flesh but will tremble to die in a sleepe To awake on the suddaine at its everlasting home And to depart in a spirituall decay what is it else Mat. 25.5 but the foresaid evill Wherefore O thou declining Christian Present these obiects to the eie of thy minde take a strict view of them meditate thereon continually and let them never slip out of thy remembrance When they would wander call them backe tye them to thee binde them fast And that with the coards of a solemn Promise Vow Oath vntill they haue wrought thy perfect cure recovered thy wonted health let them never leaue thee forsake thee If thy eie as its apt enough be once off them say to it Gen. 3.9 as God to Adam where art thou In what be thy thoughts imploied Is not ●his one thing necessarie Thinke and thinke often how thy companions begin to whisper thy God to g● beyond the vail thine enemies to insult Sathan to arme himselfe and be thou awaked Consider that the sword is in varnishing the palgue descending famine approching Iob. 28.14 and death the king of feare hasting to kil thy body carrie away thy soule Say at the morning in thy setled thoughts why may not my life set before the Sun When thou liest down my bed be my graue And my sleepe my death Let this cry still sound in thine eares that a declining estate is woefull fearefull and the extreamest of all extremiti●s to a beleeuer Doe this and thus then shalt thou returne from the Chambers of hell thy spirit lift vp the wing mount on high and soare aboue all the swelling waters of iniquitie Thy brethren say vnto thee the Lord is with thee Iudg. 6.12 thou valiant man and blessed art thou among many Thine adversaries shut their black mouths spit their venom in vaine And wish that their last end might be like vnto thine Numb 23.20 Yea thy God shall descend from heaven scatter the black cloudes breake thorow them all and smile in thy face say well done my servant my sonne giue his Angels a second charge over thee put his spirit with more power into thee And as with David be with thee whithersoever thou goest 2. Sam. 8.6 Thou shalt tread on the adder and yong Dragon Psal 19.12.13 walke in the valley of death feare no evill nor tremble at the m●st terrible tydings But as astately ship vnder saile having a fresh gale her colours spred swiftly and yet securely hast to the shore and cast anchor at the road of eternall rest And that when back-sliding professo●s shall either shipwrack their consciences split all a pieces sinke the fraight of their soules in the bottomlesse gulfe or like a distressed barke which hath spent her maine maste sprung a plank cut her tackling and cast it over boord with great hazard and terror put in and saue themselues Vse 5 Here let him who standeth take heed lest he fall For a spirituall stedfastnes 1 Cor. 10.12 we see in some degree may be fallen from decayed And then why should it not cleaue vnto thee What priviledge hast thou to avoide it Aboue thy brethren Haue not the tallest Ceders in Gods Sanctuarie been shaken The strongest sometime staggered And is this any new thing in the world Wherefore take thou heed to thy standing eye well thy foot steps keepe a strict watch ouer all thy waies that this evill doe not overtake thee ceize vpon thee And to prevent it practise these subsequent particulars as remedies 1. Be humble in thine owne eie Haue a low conceipt of thine owne worthines Helpes to support him who standeth When men like leaven begin to swell or as the Pharisee to boast set the best side out such without controversie are not farre from a fall Was not this the fore-runner of Peters deniall Pro. 16.18 And good Ezekiahs backsliding So true is it that pride goeth before a slip Luk. 1.53 and an high minde leads to destruction God giueth grace to the poore in Spirit but sendeth the conceited-rich emptie away Low growing trees escape the storme stand vp right when such as shoot vp mount a loft with a small gust are often shaken sometimes overturned Carrie a meane saile and never feare shipwracke of grace and faith For so long God sits at the helme 2. Rather question thy selfe suspect thy standing Feare is a bad getter yet a sure keeper And who sooner catch a fall than they that runne without regard Many haue bank't at vnawares when good-take-heed was not their factor The best Physition our kingdome had D. Butler dyed say some of a consumption And being demanded why he did not prevent it his answere was he never feared it Our proverb is that death comes oft at vnawares And retchlesse people dye poore Sure I am graces decay may be sudden the soules exchequor well neere emptie Pro. 10.4 when treasurer providence takes a nap a wakes to play A diligent hand maketh rich an evill fore seene is halfe avoyded Wherfore alwaies feare to fall but chiefly when the meanes of standing are neglected 3. Shunne the rash censure of weake and declining brethren The Iew was neerest to apstatize when he the most scorned the Gentile The dog which daily licketh others sores soonest sometimes catcheth a surfeit He who without pittie visits the poore may perhaps fall into the like disease and himselfe become a patient Those who reiected Iphtah not long after were his sutors Iudg. 11.7 1. Cor. 12.21 and made him Iudge Say

To the Saints and Angels nor in you They all make him the like answer Mat. 2.5.9 the fiue wise did to the foolish virgins goe thy way at the most we haue but enough for our selues Onely when he lookes vp to Iesus then he seeth sufficient for all though for the present he hath but receiued a little portion scarce any in his owne apprehension But as a voluntarie motion is an act of a living Creature So is Spirituall povertie of a gracious Christian Also if when men feele the want of it in iudgement they approue of it and in minde highlie esteeme of it is not the weakest argument that they haue it For do but demand of them what is good before God The best thing in Saint or Angell Their reply will be Grace grace Eph. 2.1.3 For what is the reasonable creature without it but a sencelesse blocke A dead carkasse And a child of wrath Defiling the earth infecting the ayre provoking the heavens neere vnto cursing Heb. 6.8 everlasting burning Want and worth are graces inseparable companions the contrarie corruptions ring-leaders and the evident tokens of gracelesse persons 3. After these two proceeds an earnest desire to be partaker of it and hungring and thirsting for it else for ought I know thou hast cause to question the truth of thy Sanctification A very cast-away say some may goe thus farre that is see the want and worth of it yea eagerly hunger and thirst after it But I am not of their opinion For hungring and thirsting are actions of a living not a dead man And is not the promise of blessednesse Mat 5.6 made to such Doest thou esteeme grace aboue thy appointed food Prize it more Iob. 23.12 than thousands of silver or ten thousand riu●rs of oyle Mich. 6.7 Account all things nothing in comparison of it And often and earn●stly cryest O how I long for grace Then be of good comfort the water of life the guest of grace is come to thy house 4. Adde to the former three care and constancie in the vse of the meanes whereby it is begunne and increased And that will seale vp all Dost thou heare the word in s●ason And out of seas●n Iob. 27 10. Call vpon God at all times in publike Private Meditate in the law of God night and day Come often to the table of the Lord Psal 1.2 to drinke the water of life Eate the bread of heaven Psal 16.3 Art thou a companion to the excellent Cryest thou to Ministers Sirs what shall I doe to grow in grace Then grace thou hast For these are not the motions of the flesh but of the Spirit 5. Art thou yet in doubt Then tell me what conflict thou hast within thee Gen. 25.22 Feelest thou twinnes strugling in thy wombe Cryest thou often why am I thus Is any Christians condition Lam. 1.12 like to my conition Then thou art borne of God grace is formed in thee indeed Fire and water will quarrell on the same hearth Gal. 5.17 So will grace corruption in the same heart for these latter as the former are contraries When all is peace at home the old-man possesseth the house A gracious man hath an vniversall strife within himselfe Mat. 12.29 for reason against reason iudgement against iudgement will against will and affection against affection will be at variance But if thou feele this kind of combate waxe not faint but gather heart for God hath begunne his good worke in thee Rev. 17.14 thou art called faithful chosen and thy captaine Christ hath led thee to skirmish against his and thine enemies in the sands of Sanctification 6. Finally doth Sathan now more tempt thee than in times past Why this is not the least marke of Christs sheep The Dev●ll is like a gentleman thiefe who breaketh into a rich mans house not a poore naked cottage carrieth a way as the Israelites did from the Egyptians Exod. 12.35 Siluer plate golden eare-rings and the choicest Iewells Not as the Gibeonits are said to meete Ioshua withall Iosh 9.4.5 Mouldie bread rent bottels old shoes clowted This red Dragon like a bloodie butcher so long as we trudge the blind steps to the slaughter-house of hell as direct as he can guide vs and as fast as he would haue vs he keepeth himselfe a farre off whistleth some pleasant note in our eares for should he hallow out some feare full noise of temptation we like frighted cattell might stand still throw vp the head looke about snuffe and runne foorth of the road-way but when by the spirit of God our eyes are vnseeled we smell the danger before vs begin to stay our steps and alt●r our paths then straight shall we haue a band of the cruell Mastiues of his temptations to fly in our faces plucke vs by the throat that if possible we might returne into the bl●cke path of damnation wherein we had informer time walked Proue thy selfe now examine thy owne soule And if thou canst say in truth that the forenamed things are in thee and strong and strange temptations be fall thee be thou then assured in some degree thou art Sanctified question the matter no more but withal speed and diligence set thy selfe to increase it Now because as Elias said to Elishah 2. King 2.10 this is no easie taske which is required of thee take these rules following to direct thee to the better performance of this so commendable so profitable a dutie And first Helpes to grow in grace 1. Wouldest thou grow in grac● Then emptie thy soule of corruption These twinnes will not thrive in the same wombe 1. Cor. 5.7 For if the old-man increase the new must decrease the destruct●on of the former is the generation of the latter This Ishmael must be throwne out else ill will it fare with brother Isaak This Barabbas is to be crucified or the Babe Iesus shall Plucke vp the cockell wil not the good graine flourish So mortifie the flesh and reviue the Spirit 1 Thess 5.22 2 Take heed of actuall sinne for a double wound followes such a blow It strengthens the old weakens the new-man what is that but fuell to the flesh quench-coale to the spirit Banish then all evill workes from thine hands rotten speech from thy tongue and vaine motions out of thy minde As Christ the money-changers whip all kinde of wickednesse cast it foorth of thy temple spare not any vnder what pretence soever 3. Neglect not the least meanes Heare reade meditate fast pray receiue the Lords supper and haue none of his ordinances in contempt Put not them a sunder Christ hath coupled together Col. 3.16 lest he stoppe that pipe roll a stone on that wells mouth wherat thou delightest to drinke most Iam. 6.13.14 God would haue all the Vessels and instruments of the Sanctuarie had in honour the water of life into the cisterne of our soule fl wes