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	son_n	word_n	14,353	5	4.5058	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76115	The vvaters of Marah sweetned. A thanks-giving sermon. Preached at Taunton, in the county of Somerset, May 11. 1647. for the gracious deliverance of that poore towne from the strait and bloody siege. / By T.B. Master of Arts, and a minister of the gospel in that county.	Batt, Timothy, 1613-1692.	1648 (1648)	Wing B1148; Thomason E433_19; ESTC R206196	14,053	24

drawne upon ice that melts away with it The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.31 The Apostle sheweth how unbeseeming a thing it is for a Christian to set his heart upon things that are so vaine rather shadows then true substantials VVhen Alexander saw that he was wounded and by that wound likely to die he did then perceive the vanity of those flatteries who did perswade him that he was a god So when you shal see those comforts after which your spirits have been let out and on which your hearts have been so mightily set as if your chiefest good had been lockt up in them when you see them wounded and the impression of death upon them learn to see the vanity of your flattering thoughts and to work off your hearts from such things as are composed of such fading principles Look upon them as upon the wing ready to fly away Jacob served Laban twenty years and his wages was changed ten times Thus the world deales with them who serve her Oh that the consideration of it might cause you to abate the edge of your desires and learn you to let out your affections after none but Christ he deceives none failes none never dies but is still the same able willing to help to satisfie Remember that of the Psalmist Psal 36.8 Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures While we seek after creature-comforts we seek to drink in puddles but when we seek to Christ we shall have rivers of pleasures which are both sweet and sure and the lesse you take of that the more you shall receive of these For the waters were bitter Doct. 3 Gods children shall meet with waters of Marah in their way to Canaan Whosoever will walk in Gods wayes must look for bitter things not from foes onely but friends Call me not Naomi but Marah for the Lord hath dealt bitterly with me So 2 Reg. 14.26 God saw the affliction of Israel that it was bitter And Job complains that God had written bitter things against him Well then if you resolve for Canaan resolve to meet with the waters of Marah in your journey yet let not that discourage you for God can and will lend a tree to sweeten them Doct. 4 When men are disappointed of their expectations they are apt to murmur See it here in Israel the people want water and instead of seeking to God they murmur against Moses as if he had dryed the wildernesse or imbittered the waters How mad is Man when he wants his naturall desires Crosse but his will and you shall quickly see and know what is in him One would have thought that nothing could have opened their mouthes to have spoken ill of Moses even the best in authority are subject to be murmured at reviled If people fare well they applaud themselves if ill they repine against their Magistrates their Governors Some natures are so squeamish that as one said God himselfe can scarce please them Use Take heed ye be not found guilty of this sin Your murmurings will hinder your mercies and if continued in will undoe you Murmur not as some of them did and were destroyed 1 Cor. 10.10 your deliverance is enough to make you thankfull though what you expect be yet denyed you If God answer you not in every thing will you take pleasure in nothing will you slight his favours because in one thing he crosses you his least mercy is beyond your best merit Be silent before the Lord lest he answer you again in fury And to help you in it take these following rules 1. Vse a holy silence not of tongue but of spirit When Aarons sons were strucken dead with fire he held his peace And David Psal 39.9 I held my tongue because it was thy doing I was dumb because thou didst it Thus Hezekiah Good is the word of the Lord when he had received that sharp message Esay 39.8 2. Adore what we cannot fearch the reason of as the mysteries of salvation and Providence the Well is deep we cannot fathom it therefore with Paul let us adore it Rom. 11.33 O the depth Gods wayes are past finding out 3. Seek after a great measure of self-denyall the greatest enemie of our conformity to Gods will is our Self self-love self-ends self-will oppose subdue these and that will help you against this sin And he cryed to the Lord c. From hence observe That Doct. 5 Fervent Prayer is a speciall remedy in our greatest extremitie Be we where we will we may use this and t is the best means to help us out of trouble t is Gods prevailing ordinance and t is that great engine that hath carryed on things so prosperously for us Luther calls the prayers of the Saints so many guns and the Fathers call them the Churches Artillery which if sent from the heart they pierce the very heavens and wound the Lord of Hosts with pity it overcomes him Let me alone Moses Exod. 32.10 t is the golden key which unlocks heaven and fetches all from God Whatever is in Gods power is a Saints by prayer and what ever we want there we may fetch it if soule-strength Psal 138.3 if strength against enemies Psal 109.4 For my love they are mine adversaries but I give my selfe to prayer q. d. That is my refuge I will not raile as they doe I wil make my moane to my God T is a signe of a gracious spirit to lay the burthen upon Prayer And though the strongest arguments we can use cannot alter God yet they change and move our hearts and God is pleased to be so indulgent to us and to suffer us thus to plead with him and then he usually answers but yet t is 1. when t is in faith that is one of our chiefest strengths Gen. 32.9 Where there are but words they vanish but where there is faith that makes it prevalent Jan. 1.15 2. When you can appeale to God that we are in his way he set us in when a soul can say Though there be such a difficulty yet Lord thou knowest I am in thy way 3. When we can plead a particular promise the more faith there is to plead a promise for what I have in hand the more assurance to prevaile 4. A sense of our owne unworthinesse When a soule comes to see his vilenesse emptinesse and so comes with humility c. Use 1 Is it so It condemnes those that make not use of this remedy in their distresses who want both words and hearts to go to God When you speak to men you are ful but when to God you have nothing to say But consider is not God a Father and can Children want a tongue to speak to their Father Is not God a Husband and can a Wife want words to speak to her Husband 2. Is it so Let wicked men take heed how they wrong the Saints who have such a powerfull means to help themselves If they complain the Lord is

3. Holy they were merry that kept the Kings day Hos 7.5 by taking bowl after bowl till they were sick again ours must not be such It must begin at Hosanna I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer the stream of our praise must come from the spring head of religion And then 4. Lastly it must be constant continued in our conversations we must live thankfully as well as speak so you all seem to congratulate the joy of this day but if you would approve your selves truly thankfull to your God in whose favour is life and so be gainers by all your former losses Live down your sins your formality your security c. part with all your gainfull your plausible evils be more holy more humble more temperate spirituall fruitfull c. renue your holy covenants with your God and keep them for ever oh how memorable a pattern of mercy would you then be and what a famous trophe of victory might then be erected in Taunton over all your enemies And you that are Magistrates rouze up your spirit awaken your Christian courage bear not the sword in vain but set your selves zealously against the sins of your Town to root them out which else will betray your happines and the Lord be with you One observation more and I have done Doct. 7 'T is Christ alone that sweetens all conditions He is the tree that must be thrown into the waters he sweetens the law afflictions prosperity adversity that turns all into gold Let our condition be what it will if Christ be there it cannot but be comfortable see it in David how many Psalmes did he begin in fear which he did end in joy at first you shall find little but anguish dispair yet after a sharp conflict nothing appears but joy what did there a messenger of good news come in whilst he was writing as Elisha sent to the King of Israel whilst he was rending his clothes 2 King 5. No but as he grew more inward and familiar with God his soul became lighter and lighter arising from the burden with abundance of comfort Nothing can trouble or darken that soule where Christ is pleased to shine thy favour is better then life Psal 63.5 and Christ to Paul my grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 12.9 Sathans buffets can never hurt where the grace of Christ is our strength as no plaister can cure where he wounds so no sorrows shall overcome where he is the comforter Use 1 Is it so Labour to see an excellency in Jesus Christ It will one day be a confusion to all those sordid spirits that know nothing more excellent then riches heaven delights not them because it brings them no mony such things as Angels stand amaz'd at and admire they see no excellency in them let God and Christ and heaven and all go so they may have pleasures and profits 't is a signe their eies are stopt with clay a signe of reprobation to live under the Gospel and not have our spir●ts in some measure elevated many Christians do not look upon themselves as born to greater things then to get wealth but did Christ come to purchase no greater things then these what are your hearts upon would you not blesse your selves if you could get such an estate as such or such a man hath and be content if God should give thee thy portion in this life oh the basenes the blindnes of men Use 2 Is it so make out for Christ trade for this pearl thou shalt never repent thee for any pains thou takest about him he will prove a sufficient recompence for all your labour your sufferings do but once taste him and you will for ever after be in love with him And you that have him make use of him make much of him love him prize him he is full of comforts of sweetness of ravishing delights in Esa 51.11 't is said that the redeemed of the Lord shall come with singing unto Sion and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away there is matter of joy of triumph in Jesus Christ and though you should meet with bitter waters at first yet you shall find sweet at the last though you drink of the waters of Marah here yet you shall arive at Canaan in the end where you shall not only drink off but sweetly bathe your selves in never-ending rivers of glory and pleasure for evermore and help make up that heavenly consort in singing Hallelujah glory and honour and praise to him that sits on the throne who liveth for ever and ever FINIS