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	scripture_n	speak_v	14,888	5	5.2608	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75736	The work of the age: or, the sealed prophecies of Daniel opened and applied. VVherein is plainly proved that all the governments in the world, except the government of Christ, are but images, or parts of Nebuchadnezzars image, and shall be suddenly broken in pieces by the little stone cut out of the mountain without hand: together with the means how Christ will effect all this. Shewing also that image-government, and image-worship have always been companions. Explaining likewise Daniels mystical numbers, and discovering some misprisions about the little horn, both in the translation and application of the same. Amending sundry places in our common translation, and clearing some chronological points from the common errours. / By William Aspinwall.	Aspinwall, William, fl. 1648-1662.	1655 (1655)	Wing A4010; Thomason E832_1; ESTC R207510	48,246	60

THE Work of the Age OR The sealed Prophecies of DANIEL opened and applied VVherein is plainly proved that all the Governments in the World except the Government of Christ are but Images or parts of Nebuchadnezzars Image and shall be suddenly broken in peices by the little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hand Together with the means how Christ will effect all this Shewing also that Image-Government and Image-Worship have always been Companions Explaining likewise Daniels mystical Numbers and discovering some Misprisions about the Little Horn both in the Translation and Application of the same Amending sundry places in our Common Translation and clearing some Chronological points from the common errours By WILLIAM ASPINWALL LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman and are to be sold at the Sign of the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. The Preface MOses thought it uncomely for Hebrews and follow Brethren to strive together Exod. 2. 13. And when Joseph dismissed his Brethren and sent them back to Canaan to his Father he imposed this charge upon them See yee fall not out by the way Gen. 45. 24. So me thinks it ill becomes Christians and Co-witnesses for Christ to bandy Arguments as men tosse Balls forward and backward drawing black lines one upon another as if they did fearfully and shamefully stretch both the text and reason if they dissent from what is held forth by them This savours not of a Spirit of Christ it is not the language of Canaan Wee may rest our selves satisfied when we have born witness to the truth and held forth the light we have received For this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world to bear witness to the truth Joh. 18. 37. This was Christs work and it should be ours also It is the nature of Light to expel Darkness We shall need to do no more but hold forth the word of truth with as much clearness as we can and apply all other interpretations thereunto and it will appear what is strait and what is crooked For Rectum est index sui obliqui And truly if we pass these limits it is a thousand to one that instead of bearing witness to the truth wee shall bear witness against some truth or other We may possibly with mistaken Arguments beget Disciples to our selves but seldom or never with such Carnal weapons shall we beget Disciples unto Christ or to his Truth The Sun hath no need of Candles or other adventitious lights to inlighten the same or to augment the light thereof Let us hold forth the truth with all clearness and if any thing be obscure in regard of the Dialect wherein it was originally written let it be our care with all faithfulness to explain the same and leave it to the blessing of God a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2 to perswade and to the breathings of the Spirit whose office it is to b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convince Job 16. 8. Which were it duly attended unto would spare a great deal of precious time and tedious writing which many times is fruitlesly spent in Answers and Replies that tend little to the honour of Christ or the advantage of his Cause I know it often fares with Christians as with little Children that make haste to their Father sometimes they catch a fall or a knock Peter though he was most resolved and most forward fell foulest And if we look narrowly into the matter we shall ordinarily espy a spice of Spiritual pride as well as a strong affection to our Lord and Master secretly couchant under our precipitancy and prefidence of spirit Whereby it now and then comes to pass that we write crooked or walk crooked and besides our rule The advice therefore which I would give to others which also I desire to take my self is briefly this Let us lye low before the Lord in all our studies and inquiries into the holy Counsels of God especially these mystical Scriptures and seriously weigh every word and every IOTA in the text comparing Scripture with Scripture For holy men of God spake and writ as they were acted by the holy Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. And the Lord keep our spiri●s humble For God will teach the humble his way Psal 25. 8. The Apostles advice is singularly useful in this case Let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2. 3. And in all our explications of dark and Prophetical Scriptures let there run through all the veins thereof a spirit of love and Self-denial Not in word alone but in deed and in truth for oftentimes there lyes much of Self secretly hidden under verbal Self-denial This in summe is the advice I would give to others and to my self also Let me only adde a word more by way of Cau●●on when we come to treat of sealed Prophesies such as Christ hath commanded to seal until the time of the end a Take heed of ingaging too far Of which ●d Daniels ●phecies are Master Til●ghast well serves p. 157 ●● and beware of pre-occupating Christ in opening the Seals lest we discover our own nakedness and out live our own interpretations Stay we but a little till Christ in a way of Providence open the Seal and then wee may with safety make particular applications of such Prophetical Scriptures as we see the Saints of old have done in applying that which is written of the Little Horn as it is called Dan. 8 9. 25. unto Antiochus Epiphanes To which end you may read the Story of the Maccabees Josephus and others In like manner I doubt not but the Little Horn Dan. 7. 8. may rightly and without injury to the truth be applied to Charls Stuart the late King For as much as there are so many remarkable Characters which Christ in a providential way hath delineated even to the very last stroke as I may say which are applicable all of them unto Charls Stuart and cannot suitably bee accommodated unto any other of the Ten Horns besides him as I suppose But I shall speak more fully of that when I come to treat of that Little Horn the Lord assisting Weigh therefore and consider what is written and the Lord give a right understanding in all things Sixth Month commonly called Febr. 1655. WILLIAM ASPINWALL Daniels Prophecies in the 2 7 8 9 and the 11th Chapters unsealed and opened in some brief exercitations upon those Chapters DANIEL II. Vers 31. Thou O King was contemplating and behold one great Image this Image which was so great and his brightness excellent was standing before thee and the sight thereof terrible 32 This Image the head of it was good gold his breast and his arms of silver his II Or Bowels belly and his * Or Side thigh of brass 33 His leggs of iron his feet part a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them of iron and part b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them of clay 34 Thou was contemplating until a

stone but not with hands was cut out and it smote the Image upon his feet of iron and clay and brake them in peeces 35 Then were broken in peeces as one the iron the clay the brass the silver and the gold and they became as the chaffe of the Summer threshing-floors and the wind carried them away that no place of them was found and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled all the earth 36 This is the Dream and wee will tell the interpretation thereof before the King 37 Thou O King art a King of Kings that the God of Heaven hath given to thee a Kingdom Power Strength and Glory 38 And every where that ●he children of men are dwelling the Beast of the field and the Fowl of Heaven hath he given into thine hand and hath made thee ruler over them all thou art he the head of it that is of gold 39 And after thee shall arise another Kingdom the land inferiour in comparison of thee and another third Kingdom of brass which shall bear rule in all the earth 40 And the Fourth Kingdom shall bee strong as iron for as much as iron doth break in peeces and subdueth all things and as iron that breaketh all these shall it break in peeces and bruise 41 And whereas thou didst contemplate the feet and the toes part c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them of Potters clay and part d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them iron the Kingdom shall be divided but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron for as much as thou didst behold the iron mixing with mirie clay 42 And the toes of the feet were part e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them iron and part f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them clay in part the Kingdom shall be strong g Chald. of it and in part shall be broken 43 In that thou didst behold the iron mixing it self with mirie clay they shall mixe themselves with the seed of men but they shall not cleave this with that even as iron cannot bee mixed with clay 44 And in the days of them of these Kings shall the God of Heaven cause to arise a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom thereof shall not be left to other people it shall break in peeces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever 45 For as much as thou didst contemplate that the stone was cut out of the Mountain but not with hands and it brake in peeces the iron the brass the clay the silver and the gold the great God doth make it known to the King what shall be after this and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof faithful NOw ere I come to the explication of these ensuing Prophecies and Visions let mee premise these few things to be considered There be some Prophecies in Scripture that are sealed by a Divine decree or command as it is written Dan. 12. 4. But thou O Daniel shut up the words and seal the Book even to the time of the end And Rev. 5. 1. I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne a Book written within and on the back side sealed with seven Seals Though they bee written in the Mother Tongue as I may say and the words intelligible yet they are sealed Now that I may express my self briefly yet plainly as I can to the meanest capacity let me propose these few Questions with their Answers Quest 1. What is the Seal whereby God is wont to Seal that is to ratifie and yet to conceal his holy Councels Q. 2. What are the ingravings of this Seal Q. 3. Whar is the effigies or impression made by this Seal Q. 4. What is meant by the Book or writing sealed Q. 5. How or after what manner doth God seal this Book Q. 6. How doth Christ open the Seals Answ 1 To the first I answer That the Holy Spirit of God is the Seal for so he is called Ephes 1. 3. and God useth no Seal but this Answ 2 To the Second I answer That the ingravings of this Seal as I may speak are the secret Counsels of God which are known only to the Spirit of God and by him revealed to us as it is written 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Answ 3 To the Third I answer That the written Word of God and the holy Councel of God revealed therein is the effigies or impression made by this Seal For holy men of God spake as they were acted by the holy Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. Answ 4 To the Fourth I answer That the Book sealed is the Book of Providence wherein is portrayed as I may say in a most lively manner the persons and things with such distinguishing Characters and Marks as do exactly answer the minde and Counsel of God revealed in his Word as appears by the opening of the Seals Rev. 6. Answ 5. To the Fifth I answer That the spirit of God seales the writing by expressing himself under such darke representations Hierogliphicks and metaphors as it passeth all humane and angelicall capacities to make a perfect and particular application thereof untill Christ Jesus the Lyon of the tribe of Judah who only is worthy to open the book and unloose the seals Rev. 5. 5. 12 do in a way of providence first break open the Seals And then wee may be capable to discern the perfect Harmony that is betwixt the Prophecies and the persons there described and not til then Answ 6 To the last I answer That Christ opens the Seals by producing the persons intended to Act in a providentiall way according to the eternall Counsell of his Father revealed in his word Which is called the Decrees-bringing-forth Zeph. 2. 2 And I may not unfitly call it a providentiall description or exemplification of his Fathers Counsells Thus Christ breaks open the Seal and then if wee have spirituall eyes wee may discerne each lineament or ingraveing of the Seal imprinted as it were upon wax or clay answering line to line exactly Vntil which be done yea til Christ beginne to draw out the last line or character wee shall not be able to make particular Application of such Sealed Prophecies Wherefore I durst not attempt to make particular application of that litle horn in the seventh of Daniel unto Charls Stuart the late King t●ll Christ had first begunne to draw out the last line or Character in a way of providence Thus I have given you the summe of my thoughts touching Sealed prophecies as briefly and as plainly as I could Let mee only add this word of Caution more That Keyes were never ordained to