Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41668	The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan shewing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1676 (1676)	Wing G1387; ESTC R32454	122,357	176

out from among them And whensoever thou dost occasionally fall among them abide there with fear not with pleasure and no longer than needs 3. By an unnecessary conversing with prophane men thou makest thy self accessary to their sins even to their Blasphemies Ribauldry and Prophaneness For by thy silence thou givest a secret consent to their wickedness and so makest them thine own 4. Intimate and needless society with the wicked will make thee liable to their punishments He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. that is whosoever partake with wicked men in their wicked ways and courses shall assuredly partake with them in their punishments Therefore S. Iohn as it is recorded of him going to the Bath at Ephesus there met Ebion and Cerinthus two blasphemous Hereticks belching out their blasphemies against Christ whereupon he made all the haste he could out of their company fearing some eminent Judgment from the Lord to fall upon them Who was no sooner departed but presently the house fell down and destroyed them with their Companions Ah Young Man know assuredly that if thou needlesly and frequently associatest thy self with wicked and prophane persons thou wilt partake of their Plagues If therefore thou art ingaged into evil company speedily withdraw thy self from them The Physitians rule in reference to persons infected with the Plague is good to be observed towards prophane company Cito Longe Tarde 1. Speedily flee from their company 2. Flee far away 3. Return slowly to them again Now Visited persons are not more infectious than lewd company therefore as thou regardest the health of thy Soul 1. Speedily flee from them 2. Flee far away 3. See them amend before thou returnest to them again Never expect to be one of Christs true Disciples till thou leave that accursed Fellowship Hadst not thou better say to them Depart from me I will know you no more than have Christ say to thee at the Great Day Depart from me into everlasting fire I know you not For one of these will certainly be if thou dost not here depart from thy lewd Companions leaving their Society thou must hereafter depart from Christ into Hell fire where instead of roaring and singing there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But it is not only the company of dissolute scandalous persons as Drunkards Swearers and Scoffers of Religion that I would advise thee to shun but even persons meerly civil dead-hearted formal Professors of Religion Let not these be the Companions of thy choice or thy Bosom Friends who being unacquainted with the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Power of Godliness cannot minister any savoury profitable discourse to their hearers So that whosoever shall frequently associate himself with such neglecting the Communion of Saints he will soon find his zeal for God and the ways of godliness much cooled his fervency in holy duties much abated his love to God and his people much lessened yea and an universal decay of his Graces insensibly to grow upon him So that a Christian instead of proceeding forward in Religion and growing in Grace he will go backward and find a spiritual decay in himself Therefore O Young Man in the choice of Friends for thine intimate Acquaintance and familiar converse seriously think of this II. Desire and imbrace the company of the Godly who may further thee in the way to Heaven make them thy familiar Friends and Companions The more thou conversest with such the greater increase wilt thou find in thy self of Knowledge Faith Love Zeal Humility and other Graces The very presence of a Religious Person much more his gracious speeches his holy advice his seasonable reproofs and his godly Conversation will be a great help to thee in the way to Heaven There is a certain vertue in the words and behaviour of men indowed with Heavenly Wisdom which by the blessing of Gods holy Spirit doth work effectually on those who are conversant with them for the inlightning their minds with the knowledge of God and his Truths for the inflaming their hearts with a love to God and zeal for his glory O Young Man thou canst not imagine what spiritual advantage may be got by conversing with holy gracious persons especially if thou beest careful to treasure up those Christian experiences thou hearest from them and what else may make for thy spiritual good Thus will the Communion of Saints be improved to the edification of Saints Having done with the Directions which concern your selves in particular I now proceed to such which relate to others CHAP. XXVI Sheweth wherein a peaceable Disposition consisteth I. BE peaceable towards all Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Those two phrases if it ●…e possible and as much as lieth in you though they may seem limitations of the duty yet they are also amplifications thereof and shew that there must be nothing wanting in our endeavours but our utmost ability must be put forth in following after peace A peaceable Disposition consisteth in these eight things 1. In a backwardness to give offence unto others A man of a peaceable disposition will forbear all provoking language and carriage or whatsoever may stir up others unto wrath I confess too many Young Men are like unto the troubled Sea continually casting forth the foam of passion and fury but he who hath peace in his heart will shew it in his words and actions 2. In an unaptness to take offence when given well knowing that it is the sudden taking an offence that doth occasion strife and contention rather than the giving it as it is the second blow that makes the fray Many out of their pride think it a point of ●…aseness ignominy and disgrace to put up the least wrong But Solomon saith Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to pass over an offence taking little notice thereof and putting the best interpretation on it If God were strict to mark what we do amiss what would became of us God indeed is strict to mark what we do well if there be any little good in the midst of manifold imperfections Gods way is to pass by the imperfections and take notice of the good O Young Man if thou wouldst behave thy self as a Child of God and a Son of Peace be not strict in observing every petty injury and offence done unto thee but rather pass them by taking no notice of them 3. In a forwardness to be reconciled unto those who have wronged thee I have read that there was sometime a variance between two Famous Philosophers Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus at length goeth to Aeschines and seeks for Peace and Reconciliation and withal said Remember though I am the Elder yet I first sought for peace True said Aeschines and for this I will ever acknowledge you the Worthier Man for I began the strise but you the peace

words are to be understood not only as a Curse or Judgment but also as a Charge and Command Answerable thereunto is that Precept in the Moral Law Six days shalt thou labour So that no man hath a priviledge to live idly but either by the sweat of his Brow or of his Brain ought to be serviceable in his Generation For thine incouragement unto diligence in thy Calling Solomon tells thee Prov. 10. 4. The ●…and of the diligent maketh rich And Prov. 13. 4. That the Soul of the diligent shall be made sat Whereas Idleness is the root both of Beggery and of all manner of wickedness yea the Devils chiefest opportunity and advantage for tempting men unto sin and therefore may be called the hour of temptation For when the Devil findeth men most idle he will be sure to set them on his work Therefore it was good counsel which Saint Ierom gave to one of his Friends Be thou always about some lawful business that when the Devil comes he may not find thee idle If Satan at any time find thee not about that which is good he will soon set thee about that which is evil Though thou must be diligent in thy Calling yet take these two Cautions 1 Caution Beware of laying out the strength of thy heart and spirit upon thy worldly businesses which ought to be reserved for communion with God Thou must so follow the works of thy Calling as one that hath other matters in thy head businesses of an higher nature lying upon thee even the great things of Eternity the salvation of thy precious and immortal Soul This the Apostle intendeth in 1 Cor. 7. 31. where he adviseth us so to use the World as if we used it not or as not abusing it by such an immoderate loving and inordinate seeking after it as takes off the heart from a due minding the great concernments of our Souls As Esau wasted his strength by overmuch Hunting and by his too greedy desire of Iacob's red Pottage lost his Birth-right Gen. 27. 29. so mayst thou by an over-eager hunting after Wealth waste the strength of thy body and indanger thine Heavenly Inheritance It will be therefore thy wisdom so to mind and follow after things Temporal that thou mayst not lose no nor abate thy care of things Eternal I deny not but the World may and must be minded by thee but still in its place secondarily and subordinately What is the World to thy Soul What is Bread or Cloaths or Money or an House or Lands to the Everlasting Kingdom Let that word be still in thine ears and upon thine heart whatever thou art about First seek the Kingdom of God First that is not only before all things but chiefly and above all things seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness let thine heart be ever more intent upon God than upon all things in the world besides 2 Caution Though thou must be diligent in thy Calling yet beware that thy worldly businesses and imployments do not ingross thy whole time but allow thy Religious Duties their proper and sufficient season Be sure thou observe thy praying and thy reading times yea and thy seasons for meditating on God and communing with thine own heart Oh let not thy Worldly Imployments prove Heavenly Impediments Put not off thy serving God for any earthly advantage whatsoever Happily thou wilt say I must provide necessaries for my Family I must have bread for my self and them True and must thou not have Grace and Christ too Is not thy Soul more than thy Body Is not Christ and Grace more necessary than thy daily bread If thou wilt not raise thy Estate upon the ruines of thy Soul if thou wilt not sell thine hopes for hereafter for thy present commodity and undo thy self for ever for fear thou shouldst be undone here then look to it that whatever wants thy Soul may have its due share of thy time Let not holy duties give place to the world let the world give place to them I know it is the practice of too many upon a pretence of much business either wholly to omit their private devotions or else to run over them so hastily that they are lost in the doing as good do nothing as nothing to purpose God will not be so put off nor can thy Soul subsist upon the Income of hasty duties If thou wilt find no more leisure to pray God will find as little leisure to answer 2 Follow thy Worldly businesses with an Heavenly mind as a Citizen of Heaven and a Pilgrim on Earth Though thou hast thy hand in the Earth yet let thine eye and thine heart be towards Heaven often meditating on heavenly things and setting thy thoughts and affections on things above As S. Paul when he was at Rome in his body yet was at Coloss in his Spirit Col. 2. 5. So though as yet we are absent from Heaven in our bodies yet in our Spirits we may be continually present there and there let us daily be both searching into the blessedness of that better Country and studying our way thither and laying up a treasure for our selves there There is scarce any worldly business which calls for the continual intention of thy thoughts upon it but some spare time may be gained from it for spiritual thoughts and heavenly meditations And great care and watchfulness there should be against such an over-intention of mind upon whatever earthly affairs as does shut the Lord out of doors and throw Heaven under our feet Let our whole life be a walking with God as Enochs was Gen. 5. 22. Let us learn the skill to serve the Lord in our serving the necessities of our bodies and let us often catch at opportunities for more immediate converses with him Learn particularly these two things 1. To spiritualize all outward objects and occurrences by raising matter of heavenly meditations from the same There is no creature in which there are not manifest footsteps of the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God Every flower or spire of grass every worm or fly declare the power of our great Creator How much more the curious Fabrick of mans Body and the glorious Host of Heaven from each of which thou mayst take occasion to think of God with admiration As a Christian seeth all things in God so may he see God in all things and thereby make some spiritual use and improvement of them He may with the Bee suck sweetness out of every flower not only for sensual delight but also for spiritual profit And truly the benefit of the Creature is half lost if there be nothing but an outward use made o●… them The bruit Beasts can behold the outward things if man see and learn no more what is his Excellency above the Beasts A wise Physitian can extract some good out of those Herbs that ignorant persons cast away as useless In like manner wise Christians can and ought to extract some spiritual profit to themselves