Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	high_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	45	3	8.8319	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77155	Zeale for Gods house quickned: or, A sermon preached before the assembly of Lords, Commons, and Divines, at their solemn fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster. Expressing the eminencie of zeale requisite in church reformers: / by Oliver Bowles, Pator of Sutton in Bedfordshire. Published by order of both Houses of Parliament.	Bowles, Oliver, ca. 1577-1646?	1643 (1643)	Wing B3884; Thomason E63_6; ESTC R9592	34,766	57

his bold and daring for it cost him his life reproofe of Herod for his Herodias his turning of Mountaines into Valleys his making of rough wayes plaine doe all witnesse The want of zeale in the people in Iehosophats time 2 Chron. 20 33. they having not prepared their hearts to seek the God of their fathers kept up the high places 2 Chron. 29.36 30.1 but in Hezekiah's time the zeale of the people plucked them downe the work was done suddenly for the people were ready of such moment it is that where Church-reformation is in hand a spirit of zeale should run in the veines of the Reformers No such unbesceming evill as when the cause of God lies at stake for men to be cold lukewarme Neuters warping sometimes one way sometimes another In the further prosecution of this truth three particulars doe present themselves 1. Convincing reasons must be rendered why zeale must be present in Church-reformation 2. What influence zeale ought to have in Church-Reformers 3. How Zeale must bee qualified that it may be kept within its bounds zeale not confined is as wilde-fire For the first of these three Reasons doe offer themselves as arising from the nature of the work in respect of its 1. Excellency 2. Difficulty 3. The destructive nature of Church-evills if not reformed The excellency of the work I argue three wayes Reas 1 1. In that the work of Church-reformation is one of Gods speciall favours whereby the Lord would endeare his Church to him Esay 1.25 When after the Churches sad sufferings he would doe his people a speciall favour he tells them that he will purge away all her drosse Esay 54.11 12 13. and take away all her tinne So when the Lord would expresse himselfe in the greatest declarations of his love to his Church Ver. 13. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest I will lay thy stones with faire colours thy foundations with Saphires c. God will set up his ordinances in a more glorious way all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Accordingly in this latter age of the world what is the great work for which the Church blesses God with the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe is it not the victory over the beast his name mark c. all done by Church-reformation Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty c. 2. The excellency of the work is argued jointly from the relations betwixt God and his Church and the office which Reformers do Cant. 4.12 The Church is Gods Garden which being planted with all variety of flowers is apt to be overgrowne with weeds that not only marre the beauty of it but eat out the good herbs Reformers their work is to weed the Lord his garden throw out all those noisome herbs which would have spoiled all the good ones Verse 13. The Church is the Lords Orchard wherein trees of all kindes both for fruit and and medicine grow upon the banks thereof The Master of that Orchard is impatient of any such trees that cumber the ground and after many yeares beare no fruit Reformers their work is to root out the plants that God never planted H●● 3.6 The Church is Gods house where he delights to dwell Reformers are to cast out all the durt drosse and garbage that was odious and irksome to the Master of the house they sweep downe all the cobwebs wherein the Spiders did build The Church is Gods Spouse Cant. 4.12 in whose beauty his soule delights that she should be deformed with strange attire ornaments borrowed from notorious strumpets the Lord cannot endure Reformers they strip her of all her harlotry attire take off all her Iezabel-like paintings and render her to Christ in her native simplicity The Church is the Lords Vineyard Cant 8.12 which he keeps and waters every moment Reformers their work is to take the Foxes that destroy the Vines How welcome should the feet of such be Cant. 2.15 and how should the precious nature of the work in relation to God draw out all our strength 3. That the excellency of the work may be yet further evidenced consider it in the objects whereabout it is conversant that is either Things or Persons Things are Doctrine Worship and Government Doctrine is a ray or beame of supernaturall truth issued out from God as a speciall favour to his people tending to informe them in right notions and apprehensions concerning God Christ our soules and the whole way of salvation This is called the word of life the wholesome word the word of salvation how usefull is this word 2 Pet. 2.1 since men do as surely perish by damnable heresies as by morall vices Doctrine is as the waters of the Sanctuary how great a sinne to puddle or poison these was it not capitall among the Romans to poison the common springs How noisome was that plague to the Egyptians to have all their waters whereof they should drink turned into blood was it not much more as the soule is more excellent then the body pestilentiall to have all the maine Articles of our Religion not that of Justification excepted to be all This Petit. with R●monstr exhibit in Parl. in Ian. 1640. or the most desperately corrupted as may be seene in the Ministers Remonstrance exhibited together with their Petition for Reformation The second particular whereabout Reformation is conversant is worship whereby God and we have communion one with another wee doe in a holy manner trade with God and hee with us This is as Iacobs ladder The Angels of God ascend and descend by it our prayers ascend Gods blessings descend The ordinances are those golden pipes by which the golden oyle empties it selfe into the hearts of Gods people They are the Churches breasts from whence her children suck nourishment They are the Churches barne and her Wine-presse They are on Christs part the kisses of his mouth the mutuall embraces betwixt God and the Christian Soule Dry up all the breasts in such a City as this how great will the cry of the Infants be This mischiefe by the putting down of Preaching and strange Innovations brought and urged upon us in our most solemn worship had in a great part seized upon us and will yet certainly prevaile if the Reformers doe not seasonably and strongly oppose The third particular is Church Discipline or Government all Societies and so the Church is upheld by ruling and being ruled This amongst other benefits it will yeeld That it will preserve the honour of Gods censures and ordinances that great censure of Excommunication which is no lesse then the delivery up of a man to Satan and next the day of judgement it is judicium maxime tremendum it shall no longer Lackey up and down for Duties and Fees as it hath done amonst us and as it did in the darkest times of Popery as Gerson complaines Gers lib de defectib

while we are consulting Errors may enter so deeply that they may prove incurable Nor yet let it be done negligently first for that it is the Lords work to the negligent doing whereof belongs a curse secondly Ier. 48.10 in that it is to us of neare concernment all our wealth goes in this bottom thirdly for that many eyes are upon us from abroad both of friends who will praise God for what we doe well and of foes who watch for our balting 2 Our second suit to you is that when the Lawes of Christ for the due administration of his ordinances shall be discovered you would be pleased to account it your greatest honour to submit to them Christs government is the only liberty thraldome to your lusts is the only true bondage If you honour God he will honour you It is his Gospel that hath clothed you with scarlet put ornaments of gold upon you put every pretious stone in your garments Be not jealous as if Christs Government would eclypse your greatnesse Christs rule and your honours are not incompatible the Lord Jesus tells us his Kingdom is not of this world he commands that Caesar have his right It is the style of the spirit of God that calls you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dignities with respect to which the Schoole allowes that outward Pomp which Magistracy is honoured with Reges Principes quos in reverentia à subditis haberi oportet pretiosioribus vestibus ornentur ampliores habitationes possidear●t Aqu. 1. 2● qu. 102. and the same spirit mentions the pomp of Agrippa when hee came to sit in Judgement without dislike Acts 25.23 Secondly as it sets out the unspeakable good of a zealous Reformer and what a blessing such a one is so it points out to us what that is which of all other doth most unbeseeme a Reformer viz. the want of Zeale which will render such whom God hath called to this office most odious to him most abominable to men ages present will count themselves unfortunate in such ages to come will curse such the opportunities which God afforded them and which they for want of zeale have squandered away will rise up in judgement against them What might such have done if a spirit of zeal had eaten up their spirits they might have saved the Churches at home and abroad given Antichrist that blow that should have thrown him as a mill-stone into the middle of the sea delivered liberties lawes and inheritances to posterity saved City Countrey the lives of millions of men they might have finished the work they began all succeeding ages might have blessed God for them their owne works have praised them in the gate Now if zeale be wanting they will undoe all the Churches of Christ as much as in them lies they will uphold tottering Babylon destroy flourishing England deliver up their posterity to absolute slavery make themselves the monuments of shame and ignominy to all that know or shall heare of them Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon c. Must it not needs be so when so necessary a correquisite as zeale is wanting for what is a Reformer without zeale but as a body without a soule a Bee without a sting a souldier without his weapon a Bird without wings salt without savour Oh then you Noble Senators who are under God the Chariots and Horse-men of our Israel what ever you part withall part not with your zeale let this be your honour and crown and as a diadem upon your head that yet you be zealous for your Religion your Countrey your Lawes and Liberties shall you but remit your former zeale a spirit of lukewarmnesse which God forbid seize upon you sell truth for peace you will live and die without honour and render your selves and us the most miserable Nation under heaven Vse 3 Let me addresse my selfe to you Right Reverend and beloved in the Lord. Behold the Lord hath by a providence of his singled us out among our Brethren for this great worke in hand Both you and we all are desirous this day to lay our selves low before the Lord importunately to intreat his assistance that he would be pleased to magnifie his power in our weakenesse Hee might have made choyce of many of our Brethren every way as able if not more able then our selves but so is his pleasure and we dare not but be at his dispose The Lord can worke as well by the Oaten Pipe as by the Silver Trumpet Be then exhorted by him who reckons himselfe the meanest of you all and who in respect of his many infirmities might well have been dispensed withall be I say exhorted to cloath your selves out of respect to the worke in hand with zeale as with a cloak to fall upon the businesse you are designed to toto animi impetu you are called out to contend for the truth that was once given to the Saints which hath beene sealed with the bloud of Martyrs hath beene justified by the learned pennes and disputes of all the Worthies of this Kingdome without interruption for above this 80. yeeres but of late by a cunning ambitious and corrupt party we had almost beene cheated of it even of that truth which ought to be dearer then our lives Blessed be our God who hath given a turne and made a stop of their proceedings whose worke was as to put out the eyes of the people of the land by Ignorance so to have leavened them with Heterodox Opinions and were we not indeed gone almost as farre as Rome gates in a declining way Our worke is a noble work it is servare depositum to be Feoffees in trust for that saving truth that patterne of wholsome words which hath been derived to us as from the pure sountaine of Scripture so also by the Channell of purer Antiqui●y comes with Letters of commendation from the sufferings of Gods choysest servants such they were whom the world was not worthy of I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ we may quit our selves like men doe our utmost that we may vindicate the truth of God from all the aspersions of evill-minded men cleere it from those ambiguities wherewith ungodly men have perplexed it and doe such further worke in worship and discipline as shall by God and Man be required of us What would our Ancestours those glorious lights of former times have given to have had such a price put into their hands as we unworthy ones at this time have May we not justly think that what opportunity we have is but the effect of the fervent prayers the many teares and sad sufferings of our sage and Reverend Predecessors that are now with the Lord Are there not already upon us in this worke for which we are assembled the eyes of our Brethren of the Reformed Churches as expecting the issue of this businesse Nay is not the whole Nation in expectancy of what this meeting will produce

make men apprehensive of the greatnesse of Gods love in Christ must manifest the like affections in himselfe There * Sunt multi clamosi reprehenso●●s qui in vitia declamitando vel potius fu●minando mirum zeli ardorem prae se serunt c. Calv in loc are many saith my Author clamorous Preachers who declaiming or rather thundering against other mens faults carry a great shew of zeal and in the meane while are very secure themselves as if they did onely per lusum exercere guttur latera sportingly exercise their Throats and Sides But a godly Pastor must weep himselfe that he may stirre up compassion in others and retain more sorrow in himselfe than he seekes to create in others Fiftly When we preach frequently taking all occasions to dispense the Word the Apostle calls it In season and out of season The peoples uncapablenesse their slownesse to beleeve their aptnesse to be carried away with the torrent of the times the many wayes whereby the Word may miscarry all these besides the important nature of the worke as tending to bring men from the power of Satan unto God from hell to heaven call for our redoubled pains How constant and assiduous are Merchants Mariners Husbandmen in their attendance on their earthly affairs which notwithstanding they ordinarily find as they left them should not we be much more industrious in Soul-work which we seldom or never return to it but we find it worse than we left it Of the Lords Watchmen it is said That they shall not hold their peace all the day nor all the night Es 62.6 of Christ it is said He was daily in the Temple teaching Lu. 21.37 of the Apostles That they were daily in the Temple and from house to house preaching the Gospel Act. 5.42 The diligence of the Ancients as a Chrys Hom. 3 in Gen. Hom. 10. in Gen. Hom 9. ad Pop. Antioch Chrysost b Basil Hexem Hom 2. ad finem Hom. 7. Iam advesperascit c. It seemes they preached in the afternoone Basil c Aug. in ●oon Tract 9. Hesternoenim die distulimus in hodiernum Whence it appeares he preached daily Vid. etiam Tractat. 16.21.22 alibi Augustin the custome of the Church whereof d Eusch de Praepar Evang. l. 8. c. 2. Vnus de senioribus legem recitat per totum diem septimum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as usque ad vespertinum crepusculum Eusebius reports ought to be as incitements unto us If e Hooper B. of Gloc. in acconfession of ●aith exhibited to K. Edw. 6. fifteene Masses in a day was not enough for the Popish Priests shall one Sermon suffice us said learned Hooper Therefore in the morning sow thy seed Eccles 11.6 and in the evening let not thy hand cease thou knowest not whether this or that shall prosper Sixthly We must preach gravely so as to preserve the honour of that God whose mouth wee are in preaching of that Christ whose person we represent 2 Cor. 5. of the high nature of the things we treat about Wee are to deale with men and that in the presence of God and his holy Angels about the recovery of them out of their damnable condition by nature in setting our of the infinite love of God in Christ with all the advantages that belong thereto the soules salvation or destruction to all eternity How ill doth any thing that is ludicrous tending to move laughter beseeme discourses of so high a nature All our care should bee to preserve the spirits of men in a serious temper wherein they are fittest to be wrought upon Omnis risus in Ecclesiâ est à diabolo All laughter in the Church is from the Devill saith Chrysostome Jocular Stories are from this ground to be banished from the Pulpit A Minister must be an example to the people in all gravity Tit. 2.8 this gravity must appeare as in our whole conversation so specially when we stand betwixt God and the people as his Embassadours And now having represented to you my Reverend Brethren the important and pressing nature of your work laid before you those generall duties by which you may be fitted and made successefull in the work set on those duties by quickning motives what remaines but that I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace who alone must enable you for it and without whom all is done will come to nothing And for you our Parliamentarie Worthies you are as things stand under God the breath of our nostrils the light of our eyes as a naile fastned as yet in a sure place if you goe on to doe the Lord's work with wisdome and courage God will certainely goe along with you if you refuse or withdraw your selves however our eyes shall be to the Lord but in the eye of man wee are but an undone Nation The God of heaven who hath his way in the Seas who alone fashions the hearts of the children of men raise and keep up your spirits cloath you with Zeale fit you for all encounters make way for you through all difficulties So shall our Religion our Lawes and Liberties be preserved to our selves and transmitted to posterity and we have cause to praise God for you so long as the Sunne and the Moone endureth FINIS