Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A01580
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Hold fast a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse vpon Sunday being the xxxi. of October, Anno Domini 1624. By Iohn Gee, Master of Arts, late of Exon Colledge in Oxford.
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Gee, John, 1596-1639.
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1624
(1624)
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STC 11705; ESTC S115878
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32,349
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76
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Virtuall 1. Virtuall from the beginning of the world in vigour and power of Redemption as he was agnus occisus ab origine mundi a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world So Abraham saw him as come and his day as present His other Commings are Actuall 2. Actuall And first in carne when he came to man by assuming his nature when he came adsuos to the Iewes and they receiued him not This Comming was in humilitie and embasement in forma serui in the forme of a seruant to make vs free by suffering bondage His comming to Ierusalem was Locall 3. Locall both a preparatiue to his Passion and a prefiguration of his exaltation Venit Rex thy King commeth and the royall acclamation of Hosanna was sung to him Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord. There is his Spirituall Comming inuisibly 4. Spirituall and into our soules by grace and the power of his holy Spirit to raise vs from the graue of sinne and spirituall death This comming is in misericordia in mercy His last Comming is Iudiciall in Iustice 5. Iudiciall in Maiestie and Glory to iudge the quicke and dead to render to euery one as his workes shall be to transforme the Church Militant into Triumphant And this his comming is called by Saint Paul Titus 2. the glorious appearance of our great God and Sauiour Iesus Christ And our Sauiour himselfe foretelleth that he the sonne of man shall come in a triple glory in his owne glory and in his Fathers Luke 9.26 and of the holy Angels Of these Commings some are past and not here intended at all otherwise then by presupposition That other which is present and daily namely him comming to his chosen by mouing and changing their hearts by renewing their spirit by comforting and instructing their soules is not here meant otherwise then by analogie and application The last and most vniuersall comming is that which is here promised Behold I come And this is vsually called his second comming namely visible and proper wherein it is suitable to his comming by Incarnation and sensible conuersation but much diuers from it First in Manner that being in the depth of humiliation this in the height of exaltation that in reproach and infirmitie this in beautie and glory Secondly in the End and complement that being to vndergoe Death this to bring a crowne of life that to be despited and spit on by his enemies Psal 2. this to bruise his enemies like a Potters vessell and to make his foes his footstoole Thirdly in Time that being in the fulnesse of time when the vaile of Mosaicall Types and Ceremonies was to vanish Gal. 4.4 and yeeld to the substance this future in another most absolute fulnesse of time when the whole frame of this Earth is to be taken asunder and the curtaine of the Heauens to bee withdrawne and passe away like a scrowle This glorious and finall comming of our Sauiour as it is the Epilogue consummation of this present World is by diuers handled by way of declaring the foregoing signes of it and ayming at the exact time thereof Both which I vtterly forbeare lest I should incurre curiositie and offend against breuitie in speaking of an houre to come with neglect of the houre now past I onely propound a briefe touch of plaine Instruction This triple Instruction was for breuitie omitted easie for the meanest out of a mystery of the highest which I reduce to these three termes Fides Spes Charitas Faith Hope and Charitie First Faith That we must firmely beleeue Fides that Christ will come and call vs all to Iudgement A needlesse note some will say this being one of the Articles of the Creed and a maine principle of Religion I acknowledge it and so Saint Paul better knew that hee had taught the Resurrection and yet in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 15. such Atheisme crept in that hee was faine to spend a long Chapter and inculcate many Arguments to hold vp staggering beleeuers and refute misbeleeuers Nay naturall reason doth without Scripture prooue that there must needs bee a future finall Iudgement to recompence good and euill which in this world many times are thwarted so preposterously I will mention but one ground and that touched by Saint Paul there If there were no hope but in this life then pious and honest men were omnium miserrimi Curlonis malè sit malis bene c. Sen. of all others the most miserable And yet such is our weaknesse such the strength of Satans suggestions against the Truth that wee need to haue this foundation daily more strongly setled and rammed in our hearts Veniet Christus ad iudicandum vinos mortuos Christ Iesus shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead This is the sure Anchor of our Faith which fasteneth and secureth our wauing and floating vessell amidst the stormes of the tempestuous warfare in this mortall life and keepeth vs from splitting vpon the Rockes of Desperation whereat many suffer Shipwracke Secondly 2. Spes it supporteth vs by Hope and expectation of the comfortable performance of Gods promises For with small ioy shall wee acknowledge a second comming of Christ vnto Iudgement if wee apprehend it onely as it is bent contra homines to take vengeance vpon sinfull men so euen the Deuils beleeue it Iam. 2.19 and tremble at it But wee looke for it with the expectation of Hope and the obiect of Hope is bonum futurum a good and ample reward which wee are to receiue So Saint Paul Tit. 2. vpon declaration of the appearing of the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men Tit. 2.13 adioyneth thereto our good vse of it Expectantes beatam illam spem Looking for that blessed hope of the comming of our Lord and Sauiour And heere in my Text it is the insoluble bond which connecteth the Precept which formerly I handled with this comfortable Motiue For why should wee striue against the world ad tenendum quod habemus to holde the Faith and Sanctitie which by Gods grace we haue vnlesse hee who is the Authour and finisher of this Faith would certainly come with the Crowne in his hand to reward our constancie Nay the same Apostle Rom. 8. reueileth to vs that the very stupid creature is indued with hope of this kinde Rom. 8.19 as expecting the reuelation of the glorie of the Sonnes of God And therefore in the meane time though with griefe and groaning yet with patience beareth a subjugation vnto seruitude How much more shall the Sonnes of God themselues beare their owne burthen patiently for a time till the restauration of all things come The third dutie hence drawen 3. Charitas is our loue to God to our brethren which followeth vpon our desire of this comming and louing the same 1. Tim. 4. A Crowne of righteousnesse layed vp for
naturall retention or Holding which by instinct without discourse teacheth them to continue the fruition of that which is acceptable and profitable vnto them Hence in nature wee see betweene some sympathising bodies not only a concourse when they approach but also an adhesion when they mutually touch So the Iron and Load-stone coueting one another doe vpon touch cleaue together and fastly hold that mutually which they haue Shall not Grace be as effectuall and powerfull as Nature to runne to and to cleaue to that which is ordained for spirituall food and establishment Shall Vnderstanding and Knowledge in vs be more dull and lesse actiue then stupid instinct in senselesse bodies If Lapis inanimatus a dead stone can hold that which it desireth and enioyeth Shall not much more we that are Viui Lapides as Peter calleth vs the liuing stones of Gods spiritual house 1 Pet. 2.9 cleaue fast to our foundation being cemented vinculospiritus by the bond of the spirit Hold then firme and fast that which thou hast Doe not sell thy spirituall birth-right and possession for worldly portion with prophane Esau doe not loose them by negligence and disuse like those that haue Charters or priuiledges granted to them but neuer bestirre themselues to vse them nay perhaps not to looke into them like him that his his talent in the ground doe not forfeit them for want of Rent and seruice paiable and due to our great Land-lord who will say of his planted Vineyard Expectani vuas sedecce labruscas I looked for grapes but behold wild grapes Esay 5. Isa 5. Forsake not thy first loue like an Harlot desist not as Demas make not only a faire shew as Saul and Iudas but with Paul perseuere and continue constant vnto the end though thou beare in thy body the markes of the Lord Iesus Gal. 6.17 It is obseruable that in all the holy Spirits letters sent to those seauen Churches in the second and third Chapters of this booke one of which is this to the Angell of Philadelphia Corona nondatur nisi legitimè certanti Tim. all the promises runne to perseuerers Vincenti dabitur to him that ouercommeth shall it be giuen to him that holdeth and holdeth fast Nec paranti ad praelium nec pugnanti ad sanguinem multò minus tergiversenti ad peccatum sed vincenti ad victoriā Not to him that prepares to fight nor to him that resists for a time much lesse to him that shewes his backe in cowardise but to him that ouercomes to conquest is the reward promised And thus hauing viewed and considered in generall the Act and manner of Holding Obiectū quod Hold fast wee will now view the speciall Obiect or matter about which it is to be employed It is here expressed Notanter et innuendo by pointing to it quod habes That which thou hast And so these words are a kinde of Index or Asterisk to direct vs by a signe or marke to a thing thereby signified This Monitory doth not so much call or awake vs to looke abroad as to search and pry narrowly at home to reflect vpon our selues with a Nosce teipsum view and search and iudge thy selfe and thine owne non alios non aliena not other men not the affaires of other men See what thou hast of heauenly and spirituall possessions and bee sure that thou get a perpetuitie in them This watch-word of remembrance quod habes is like the Gnomon in the Diall of Ahaz which will tell how farre the Sunne is gone backe euen to a Degree By examining what spirituall benefits graces we haue receiued what light hath shined vpon vs what influence of heauenly blessings we haue formerly felt we shall finde whether our shining Lampes haue decayed in light by clowdie eclipse or started backe from their regular motion by vndue retrogradation what hold wee haue lost of that heauenly inheritance which wee haue formerly laid claime vnto The style and phrase of exhortation is very emphaticall to this purpose vsed by the Apostle Hebr. 2.1 Heb. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne dilabamur which Stephen translates by way of exposition Ne dilabatur nobis effluat illa salus let not the words of saluation slip and runn out from vs as water out of leaking vessels The graces of God in Christ are called Waters flowing vnto life euerlasting Iohn 4.14 Now wee know that the nature of water is to bee fluid and passable it easily slippeth away vnlesse the vessell bee very stanch wherein it is contained Euen so is it with our spirituall possession it slideth from vs and is easily lost vnlesse we bee very vigilant and carefull But to come yet neerer to this Quod habes As in the valewing of a mans riches it is not enough to avouch in grosse that hee hath great store vnlesse some speciall quantities or kinds bee particularized and recited as by Inuentory So heere we cannot sufficiently either value other Gods children or try our selues whether or no wee bee bankerupts in grace vnlesse we know of what sort this heauenly treasure is which is thus to bee held where had where sought and where not yet attained The totall of these precious Iewels may be reduced to two heads 1 Veritas Truth of Christian doctrine 2 Probitas Sinceritie of righteousnesse The former of these Theoreticall the other Practicall 1 The former containing the forme of wholesome doctrine without corruption 2 The latter the sinceritie of Sanctitie Obedience Charitie and such like in honest conuersation without all hypocrisie or dissimulation 1 In the first kinde some hold not that which they had but fall away by Heresie Errour and Superstition through the corruption of their vnderstanding extinguishing or darkening the light of sauing knowledge Of this number the Church hath been troubled withall in all ages Apostates superstitious Idolaters Heretikes maintainers of the fancies and traditions of men opposite to the truth of God Of this sort were the Pharisees in the Iewish Church the Arrians Macedonians Marcionites Manichees Eutichians Pelagians and others in the Christian Church 2 In the other kinde some hold not that which they had but fall away by the corruptions of their will and affections leauing the parts of pietie towards God righteousnesse towards men 2. Tim. 3. being louers of pleasures more then louers of God professing outwardly godlinesse but denying inwardly the power thereof Of this sort are our Metaphoricall Idolaters that worship the wedge of gold and make it their god by cleaning thereto through vnsatiable couetousnesse cruell oppressors of the poore that grind the faces of the needle denying reliefe to Christ in his poore members who apply onely to their purse Tene quod habes luxurious men that make their belly their god whose end is their shame Both sorts of these hauing been inlightned with the knowledge of Gods Truth and in some measure at least in outward performance hauing walked in the pathes of common honestie laudable