Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	lord_n	world_n	7,078	5	4.3901	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36216	The Danger of pride and ambition, with the excellency of humility & obedience shewing the reasons why the former ought to be avoided, and the later chosen and imbraced : being a profitable discourse, occasionally published upon the funeral solemnity of a late unfortunate person.		1685 (1685)	Wing D178; ESTC R12518	5,684	24

Treason and Rebellion and might have been a sufficient Warning to others whereby they might have instructed themselves of what fatal consequence such dangerous unnatural and lawless attempts are and how high displeasing to Almighty God who failes not to punish those that enterprize them with a more than ordinary severity that so they may stand as Sea-marks to prevent the wrack of others upon the same fatal Rock or bedding Quicksand Nor can any one be truly said to serve God in whose heart Pride and Ambition have the least abode for God only regards the lowly and humble to them it is he gives Grace and meanes of sincere Repentance and not only a turning away from but an abhorrance and detestation of Sin who make it their business to live just and upright in the sight of GOD and Man But the proud and haughty-minded he brings low making them humble not according to their Will and Inclination but by Force and Constraint frustrating their enterprizes and giving checks to their aspiring though many times it proves greatly to their advantage by giving them an insight of their Folly and Rashness laying before them the danger that they were in letting them understand how much they were flattered and abused by those upon whose breath they soared till Icarius like their wings were singed and the matter that kept them in order melted To let them see I say how much their folly has undone them and by what means they were Ruined which is in some measure a Mercy to incite and compell them to pay due Acknowledgments due Tributes of Praise and Thanksgiving to his Great Name who takes such Care of those that are regardless of themselves and has many wayes to bring them back to that Safety they were running from So Jonah in proud Contempt of the Heavenly Message was overtaken in his flight and after a severe humbling to let see in whose Hands and Power he was gladly obeyed when crying against the Sins of Nineveh he made his Reconcilement with the Almighty As for Man in this Case he is frequently drawn away by flattery and perswasion a Praise of his Excellencies and great Deserts his Wisdom and Knowledg his Fortitude and Conduct which by insensible Wayes instills into the Soul a kind of a self-deceiving to many being apt to believe that that they would have to be so and too frequently overvalue themselves upon that that is not which inflames them to a desire of many things beyond their Reach fancying themselves much wronged and injured if they have not their Expectations answered and therefore bend their Studies and endeavours to gratifie themselves therein too frequently by unlawful wayes and means which for the most part involves themselves and others in Ruin and Disgrace for certain it is that self-flattery swells some Men to such a Degree that it drives them forward into all Perils and Dangers as a Ship without a Pilot riding before a furious Wind rushing on a Craggy Rock whose destructive top the Waves can cover but by Turns is torn in Pieces and so broken becomes for the future the floating-pastime of the Ocean There is nothing that the Almighty more abominates than Pride and Ambition as appears by the Fall of the Angels mentioned in the beginning of this Discourse who being happy in the Realms of Light and capable of injoying what might render them so Eternally Happy they fondly chose to be greater than they were designed and thereupon growing discontented proudly aspired to equalty with their Maker but soon found their folly by a through sense of Pain and shame cast out and deprived of the Beatifick Vision rendred for ever incapable of recovering their Native Seats or the Favour of him in whose presence is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore and by that very wile the Serpent that is the Infernal Fiend in the shape of the Serpent or really possessing him Tempts Eve in Paradise even with Promises of a more Transcendant Happiness though she found it far otherwise undoing her self and all the race of Mankind had not Infinite Mercy found out a way to restore them to a second happiness by Regeneration and a firm relyance on Him who is the Fountain of Salvation who gave himself for us Nay Ambition is that which prompts Men to all manner of Violence and Disorder for blinded or intoxicated with the seeming-lucious bane what will not some men do to make Way to their desires to resist which the strongest Tyes of Friendship are not sufficient through what Injurys have been left undone on this occasion what Bloodshed and Mischief has it caused being in many Cases like a Torrent the more it is opposed the more furiously it raves and foames though in the end it expires like a Comet which has wasted the unctious matter that the Earth hath sent up to feed its portentious flame How many have felt the Sting of this fatal Serpent How many have found it like a Thorn in their own side not only proving Restless but Troublesome and Fatal even to their undoing making them slight all Good Advice neglect the Returns of Favours and Love prove ingratefull and return evil for good and be so far insensible of the Benefits they have received that they rather turn them to the Prejudice of the Doner than make a due Acknowledgment As it is reported of a certain person who from a low condition being raised by his Prince to many Honours when considering with himself that he should never be capable of making a suitable return but that he must be perpetually ingaged to the Bounty and Beneficence of his Lord What does Ambition and Ingratitude prompt him to but to Conspire his death thinking of no better a Way to take off the Obligation but his Treason being Timely discovered and he not able to deny it the guilt of so foul an Intention not permitting a Concealment his Lord commanded he should be drawn in a Cart about the City and that all such as would might use him despitefully which in consideration of his hainous Crime was not wanting yet he bore it patiently till one struck him a small blow which made him make many loud Laments and being demanded the cause he replyed that That person had been maintained and relieved by his Bounty and that he had saved his Life and could not expect that he above all Men would have added ●o his Affliction of which his Lord ●●aring said Even so have I raised ●im who sought my Life and there●pon Commanded that he should receive the Punishment due to his Treason Wherefore let those that Love their quiet beware how they tread these Dangerous Pathes or soar upon th● false Wings of Ambition which wil● certainly deceive them and bring 'em t● a too late Repentance if too long deferred But as I before hinted let every on● be contented in their station wi●● what is their own not repining n●● murmuring but Serving their Mak●● in Truth and Sincerity yielding rea●● Obedience to those that are in Auth●rity over them faithfully and cheerf●●ly discharging their Duty towar●● GOD and Man that so all may l●●● peaceably and be happy baffling 〈◊〉 Malice and Envy of Hell which da●●● seeks to raise Divisions and Hatred mongst us that the Kingdom of Darkness may be the more inlarged But to conclude let us rely upon GOD for all things who is the Blessed Author of our Being and well-Being who better knows than our selves what is convenient for us and study rather to be Good than Great which ought to be the Task of every Christian that so they may live peaceable in this World and be made Partakers of the endless Joys in that which is to come which in his good time GOD will bring to all those that Love and Fear him ANd now O Lord God most holy most mercifull and everlasting Father of Spirits and Lover of all those that in purity and sincerity put their trust and confidence in thee grant us thy unworthy Servants such a portion of thy Saving Grace as may inable us to know thee aright and trust in thee as we ought that so we may be able to overcome the Depraveties of Nature and resist those Temptations that are dayly layed by the Prince of Darkness and of the Air who Rules in the Children of Disobedience Give us O thou Righteous God of all the Earth such an heart that we may know our selves aright and ever humble our selves before thy Divine Majesty who abhorrest the proud and lofty and givest grace to the humble and meek that so we may be able to check those aspiring thoughts that are too prone to puff up the mind in Pride and Ambition Teach us for thy dear Mercies sake to render ready Obedience to all those that are put in Authority over us that we may be always free from Hatred and Malice and be ever content with all cheerfulness in the condition or station thou art pleased to place us in that so we may be rendered a fit Object of thy mercy and tender compassion through Jesus Christ the Son of thy Love in whom and through whom alone we can only expect thy favour and blessing To whom with thee and thy Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory Power Praise and Dominion World without end Amen FINIS