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	person_n	trinity_n	8,176	5	10.0802	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42432	A sermon preached upon the first occasion after the death of His Grace John Duke of Lauderdale, in the chappel at Ham by John Gaskarth ...	Gaskarth, John, d. 1732.	1683 (1683)	Wing G289; ESTC R543	31,206	52

of the Holy Scriptures upon which Faith is founded and in which he was very expert and ready both as to the Letter and best Paraphrase of them so he was very careful to maintain the Honor and Respect that was due to them both He could not endure any loose Expressions of God and Christ or any profane Treatment of the Holy Spirit but like one possest of a true Apprehension and Reverence of the Blessed Trinity He was a great Despiser of such indecent Language and of those trivial Spirits that were guilty of it nor would he suffer it to escape in Triumph without some Reproof or Mark of dislike in any Person of what Quality soever No Honor of Men could advocate for that wicked Freedom or make him neglect the Honour of his Maker He abhorr'd to use his own Expression that Impudence to the blessed Deity There was no such ornamental Discourse as Swearing is now stil'd by a degenerate Age in his Company the Influence of his Presence being derived from his known Displeasure in those Cases did effectually restrain such Misdemeanours in all persons of his Converse He was a most hearty Opposer both of Atheism and Profaneness I never heard any speak against Hobbes's Doctrines with more Concern and Spirit than he used to do and that not at Randome but in proper Argument as one that had well perused his pernicious Writings and thereby had gain'd that Zeal according to Knowledge and Abhorrence of them And thus upon a certain Knowledge of a Deity he easily discerned that a necessary reverence was belonging to him which he always maintained as sacred and inviolable And this excellent temper exprest it self towards all things that were related to God he ever most religiously asserted the sacred honour of the Scriptures and would not suffer them in the least to be reflected upon or any Jest or Drollery to be promoted from them his Passion did never more sensibly appear then when it was so truly necessary to vindicate those inspired Writings Neither can those mean Ingenioso's of our time that jest upon the Bible urge that it was want of wit in him that put him upon this severity indeed 't is want of wit in them and only irreligious boldness when they can find nothing to say upon the many lawful Themes in extensive nature that makes them invade the heavenly Oracles I say they cannot urge that it was want of Wit that put him upon this severity for he was as pleasant as any and would raise as much Mirth and Diversion from Innocent Subjects but 't was only a pious respect to the things of God that thus influenced him and made him so concerned that his Name and his Word should not suffer any prophane usage This he was in himself and thus he behaved himself let Fame represent him as it will which indeed he was very regardless of his great Spirit thought it below his concern and looking after Rather deferring the Reward of his Piety till he came to another World then receiving any part of it here in those empty things of popular praise and the vain-Applauses of the Multitude Now such a private Man as this How much be intended the good of the Crown and Episcopal Church See his Acts of Parli in Scotland Parl. 2. Caroll 2. Acts 1 5 6. par 2 Sess 2. Acts 4 5 7. Par. 2. Sess 3. Acts 9.17 what may one expect from him when he becomes publick Or rather what may one not expect from him that tends to the right establishment of the Christian Faith and the Peace and Uniformity of the Professors of it His utmost endeavours must needs run this way which indeed they did as will appear from a due reflection upon them and had been more effectual to these ends if blind Zeal and Prejudice had not deprived Men of the free use of Reason and hindred all sober deliberation of things in our times If the true Protestant Religion as it is now applyed which in its real self is so gentle and Peaceful had not almost quite abolished the true Temper and Charity of Christians among us And he had another Character of a good Governor one that is to engage with the Tumults of the People and that is Courage and Magnanimity which were his in a high measure He was not to be bafled and daunted in any of his Proceedings how threatning soever the event of them He made Truth and Justice the ground-work of all his Actions and then he was most resolute and stedfast in them no representation of Fear or Danger could by any means remove him from them His Arms and Motto did extreamly befit him Council was the bottom of his Enterprises and he had the Heart of a Lyon to go through with them I verily believe that he would have suffered Martyrdom not only upon the account of his Religion but even in a State Cause where the good of the King and Government was concerned before he could have been prevailed upon to desert it But this I durst not affirm of any Man in respect of his sole Humane Valour which alone is not sufficient for such Tryals Nor should I have said it of him unless I had often observed one eminent Vertue in him which is indeed the Eternal and only support of Fortitude and that is an assured trust in God and belief in Providence He looked upon himself but as an underworker of things and as he was careful to do Justice and so act under the special Influence and direction of Providence So he always in a quiet Resignation most stedfastly depended upon it for the Event and Issue I must confess I never took notice of any that was so firmly bottom'd upon this Confidence He would frequently say God rules the World the People imagine but a vain thing 't was in the very Habit of his Soul that of Holy David Psal 99.1.2 The Lord is King be the People never so impatient he sitteth between the Cherubims be the Earth never so inquiet He stilleth the raging of the Sea the noise of his Waves and the madness of the People Psal 65.7 And he was not only Couragious in respect of the many Dangers and troublesom Encounters of Life but he retain'd his wonted valour when he was to engage with Death and saw that advancing to him this was the effect of his most resolute Faith which as it was the invincible support of his Life in all the Varieties of a Mortal Condition so he undauntedly travelled through the Gates of Death into the unchangeable State of Immortality in the strength of it I saw his last Instances of Life which had no appearance of fear or apprehension in them but were managed with that unconcernedness and serenity of mind as became one that was firmly possest with the hopes of Heaven and thought himself just then apassing into it 'T was an expression of one of his last days which I heard before his case was desperate or look't upon

things sometimes setting up a good Prince for the Encouragement of Godliness and to bring Honor and Repute to Vertue and Religion and sometimes permitting an ill Governour and a Tyrant to possess the Throne for a Tryal of Constancy and to reclaim the Vices of a long Peace and Luxury Thus then Power and Dominion being a Derivative thing from God and a communicated Ray of that Eternal Empire whereby he governs all things both in Heaven and Earth and has the sole Right to do so it being a part of God's own Sovereignty invested in Man which places him in a Seat of Eminency above others it plainly follows that those may well enough be styl'd by the Name of Gods who have this Divine Authority committed to them The Second thing is to shew the Manner and Platform of their Government how they ought to deport themselves in the Management of it And that is seeing their Power is something from God a Beam and part of the Heavenly Majesty they ought so to behave themselves in all Cases as God himself would do if he should personally appear for that Action They ought to disingage themselves from all partial Affections and Interests and follow the free Dictates of Mind and Reason as they are farther assisted by the Spirit of God for the Holy Spirit of God adapting himself to the different Necessities of Men must needs be suppos'd to be more plentifully present with those that are in the more difficult Circumstances of a high Station they ought I say to acquit themselves from the Straitness of self and all private Suggestions and maintain a larger Sphere of Action only look upon the Justice of things and the Expediency of them to the Publick Good But to speak more particularly and in express Instances First then a good Governour upon this Divine Platform must be very careful and make it the main Scope of his Endeavors to promote the Wellfare of those that are under his Charge and Government And this is only a Transcript from the Heavenly Pattern if we consider the several Methods of Divine Providence the Actings and Process of it ever since the beginning we may plainly discern this That its perpetual Design was to advance the only Good of Mankind viz. To draw them off from their sinful practises and establish vertue and the right worship of God where vice and idolatry did reign before And that Governour that would be like God whose Power and Authority he is endued withal must have this end and project in all his Actions to carry on the publick Good and advance the Benefit of those that are committed to him He must have no particular Reserve of Self in any of his Proceedings but move in a larger Compass and intend his whole purpose and endeavors to a general Advantage or rather he may consult Self-Interest as much as he pleases if he determine Self aright not to the sensual as most men do but to the rational part of him and then apply Interest only to those things that bring Benefit and Advancement to that It is a great Mistake to think that the Good of the People can at any time clash and be inconsistent with the Good of the Governor And that Ruler that entertains this Notion is certainly an ill Man and sets up the Desires of Sence as the Rules of Action in Opposition to the free Results of Mind and Reason Good is a general thing and has no particular Confinement in it but is adapted and suitable to all Men. The same Good diffuses it self through Prince and People and if it be not for the Advantage of both it is but a false Notion and no real Good The true Interest of the Prince cannot be any seperate thing from that of the People The Advancement of Vertue and the true Religion which is the only universal Good is that alone which establishes the Throne and makes the Government facile and tenable This Good concerns Princes as well as private Men and if at any time they carry on things that have not this Tendency in them they manage a Project against themselves and 't is some sensual Appetite and mistaken Self that is the Cause of it This then ought to be a strong Motive to Princes to intend the publick Good seeing by this means alone they can obtain and secure that which is truly so to themselves and they ought to design this in all their proceedings if they will imitate him who conferr'd their Power upon them And as God Almighty often carries on that which his infinite Wisdom discerns to be the Good of Mankind by Methods contrary to the Carnal Desires and Will of Man as by several kinds of Afflictions and the like So a good Prince when he meets with an ill inclined People that have not their Minds set upon Good he ought to make use of his Authority from Heaven and even contrary to their Will and Inclination force them to the Observance of right things such as he sees expedient for them although never so great Troubles attend the Enterprize This then is the First Divine Character of a good Governour That he ought by all means to carry on and endeavour the universal Good of the People under him A 2d duty that belongs to Magistrates in Imitation of him from whom their Power cometh is an Universal Justice both as it relates to God and Man And 1st as to that part of Justice that relates to God we must endeavour with all Diligence to maintain the great Respect and Honor that is due unto him And this God himself takes care to vindicate Isai 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my Praise to Graven Images And 't is very observable in the whole Complex of the Prophets that the many Methods of Providence that have been made use of in the World have all of them tended to this viz. To draw men off from Idolatry and Superstition to the Worship of the only true God And that they should also worship him in Spirit and in Truth This is his Glory that has always been the great Exercise of his Wisdom to keep up and maintain in the World viz. the true profession of his Name and the practice of Vertue that is consequent to it And this is indeed the Glory of God and that alone which brings Honour to him when Men by their manner of Living express the Divine Perfections and make them confess'd and believ'd in the World when by their Conformity to the Laws of God they declare his infinite Wisdom and Goodness in proposing such Heavenly Rules of Action When by their careful declining all Sin both in Thought and Deed and the exact Holiness of their Lives they plainly signifie the Omniscience of God that he sees the most secret Designs of Man together with the spotless Purity of his Nature That Holiness only becometh the Righteous Lord and is acceptable to him