Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	jesus_n	lord_n	soul_n	17,358	5	5.0806	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56307	A serious exhortation to an holy life, or conversation With a clear discovery of the nature of it, what it is. The means of attaining it. The trials of it, how it may be known. The motives, or inducements to it. Or, a profitable companion for conversion. Confirmation. Illumination. Consolation. By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4240; ESTC R222001	22,777	109

trials when all things do fail free Grace and love doth never fail Heb. 13. 5. compared with Joshua 1. 5. our nearest and dearest friends may fail our eyes may fail our tongues may fail our strength may fail our flesh and our hearts may fail our spirits may fail but the Lord hath promised that he will never fail nor forsake us Josh 21. 45. and 1 Kings 8. 56. what shall I say more the pure glorious matchless and spotless Righteousness of Jesus Christ is a souls righteousness and resting place But he that understands not this Doctrine his life must needs be a burthen to him he is apt to spend his dayes in sorrow and mourning sighing and complaining in doubting and questioning sometimes saying within himself my confidence is but presumption and my enjoyments are but delusions Whereas on the contrary he that understands receives and abides in the Doctrine of Grace doth rest satisfied in God alone in this rest there is tranquility in tranquility contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security an assured hope of eternity This Doctrine is that by which Satan is or shall be overthrown and his kingdom turned up-side down it was Satan that tempted our first Parents to eat the forbidden Fruit it was Satan that put Cain upon murdering Abel it was Satan that provoked David to number the people it was Satan that put Peter upon perswading of Christ not to suffer it was Satan that put treason into the heart of Judas it was Satan that put Ananias upon lying Now there are no weapons but spiritual weapons that will stead the soul in combating with the Devil and what greater weapon hath the Lord put into our hands than this free love of Christ to us Ephes 6. 13. to the 16. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt as those who know his wiles may easily perceive Oh! how hath Satan caused the Church of Rome to pervert and corrupt this Doctrine The Papist saith if we are freely justified by Grace we need not do any good works and if we cannot fall from Grace we need not fear to commit sinne How hath he corrupted and perverted this Doctrine in the Quaker Arminian and Formalist it would be endless to reckon up his wiles herein This Doctrine is one of the hardest points in Religion to be learned it being above the reach of nature and all natural parts c. To do well and have well is natural but to believe and live well is supernatural to be righteous by anothers righteousness and to be saved by anothers suffering these are mysteries and paradoxes which no natural man perceiveth 1 Cor. 2. 14. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd so that as in 1 Cor. 1. 21. The world by wisdom knew not God but remains ignorant of the Righteousness of God and so go about to establish their own Righteousness and seek salvation as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9. 32. not considering that it is impossible to obtain salvation hereafter or any firm settled peace here if our confidence towards God be grounded upon our own best and choicest performances seeing there is something polluted and something defective for all our duties are tainted with disproportion to rule and beleapor'd with spots and blots so that it is in vain to expect a bed of rest in the barren wilderness of our own performances for that bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is too narrow for one to wrap himself in it O the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties so that the best of us may say with the Prophet Isa 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags therefore let us say no more to the works of our own hands Ye are our gods for in the true God the Fatherless finde mercy Hosea 14. 3. Therefore in vain is salvation hoped for from the Hills or from the multitudes of Mountains therefore let us not be like the Spider spinning out a Web of his own and so think to climb up to Heaven by a thred spun out of our own bowels no no that will not do the Law that we have broken must have a perfect personall universall and perpetuall obedience or else we remain under the curse from which there is nothing that can relieve us but that which is answerable to the evil of sin Now there is no righteousnesse in the world that is proportionable to the evil of sin but the righteousness of Christ onely For Our own righteousness is too short and is called a menstruous rag and so cannot cover us and menstruous so that if it should cover us it were but to cover filth with filth Neither is the righteousness of the Law large enough if a man could keep it because it will not acquit us for former disobedience see Gal. 3. 21. compared with Rom. 8. 3 4. Neither can the righteousness of all the Angels do it because this also is a created righteousness a finite righteousness and no way proportionable to the evil of sinne If we should weep as many tears as the Sea holds drops and humble our souls as many dayes as the world hath stood minutes all this were too short to purchase the pardon of one sin if the stung Israelites had made a medicine of all the best Herbs in the Wilderness and a plaister of all the sovereign ingredients in the whole world and applyed it with Mountains of Prayers and Seas of tears this would not have helped them if withall they did not look upon the Brazen Serpent the free grace of God in Jesus Christ In a word God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from Free Grace That the worst of sinners might have strong ground for hope and comfort For the praise of his own glory and exaltation of his own Grace That vain man may not boast That our mercies and blessings might be sure to us Yet for all this let men have a care that in crying down the righteousness of works they do not cry down the works of righteousness Object If there be a reward hereafter for our Works how can it be of Grace Answ It is of Grace that the Lord doth put it into our hearts to minde it It is of Grace that the Lord doth enable us to do it It is of Grace that Works shall be rewarded seeing they are but our duty And so much for the Doctrine of Grace now we come to the Doctrine of Works Object If our Election Vocation Regeneration Justification Sanctification Acceptation and Salvation be of Grace and onely of Grace what need is there of so much crying up and pressing of Works or an Holy Life and Conversation Answ There are many strong prevailing Arguments to engage us and all people to an Holy Life notwithstanding all is of Grace take

many promises in whom his heart delighted If he had been to part with him by a naturall death in an ordinary way the tryal had not been so great but he was to part with him as a Sacrifice wherein he was to be cut in pieces c. But yet had some other man been the Executioner of his Childe it had been something but Abraham himself must do this thing Now consider how can we be the Children of Abraham except we walk in his steps he trusted upon God although he had but his bare word for it and gave God his own time to make good his own promise and he was ready to part with the dearest thing for God at the first word and he believed in Hope against hope O! that thou and I could do the same One would think that the Love of Christ the Promises of Christ the Presence of Christ the Example of Christ and the Recompence of Reward held forth by Christ should make us hold on and hold out but if great Love great Mercy great Forbearance great Entreaties great Wages will not prevail with us to forsake our Sins and lead an Holy Life Oh! Lord what will become of us for without holiness no man shall ever see the Lord c. The second place of Scripture is Psal 63. 1 2. Oh God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Here you have desire upon desire you have the very flower and vigour of his Spirit the strength and sinews of his Soul the prime and top of his inflamed affections all strongly working after a fuller enjoyment of God and a greater measure of conformity to him in a Holy Life and Conversation Now Obedience Sanctification or an Holy Conversation is necessary 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selves 3. In respect of others 1. It is necessary in respect of God To manifest our Loyalty and Subjection to our Dread Sovereign and Sacred Majesty the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rom. 6. 16. His servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto life see John 8. 34. compared with 2 Pet. 2. 19. It is necessary to glorifie his name Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven see 1 Pet. 2. 12. compared with 1 Thes 2. 12. To testifie our thankfulness to God in appointing his Son our Lord Jesus Christ to descend as low as Hell to fetch us from thence and to ascend up as high as Heaven to carry us thither In a word whatsoever we have we have received from him whatsoever we are or have we owe to him so that we may say as Paul Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Good works or an holy conversation is necessary to beautifie the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1. 27. Let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ so 2 Cor. 9. 13. So much for the first of these good works are necessary in respect of God to shew our obedience to glorifie his Name to testifie our thankfulness and to beautifie his Gospel c. 2. Good Works are necessary in respect of our selves As they are pipes of conveyance of both the apprehension and application of mercy Psalm 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God see Psalm 107. 43. compared with 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. An holy Conversation is a sweet demonstration of our sincerity and reality our Saviour saith a Tree is known by its fruits so we may know where Faith is by its works and where Love is by its effects 1 John 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth They are necessary as to our being and well-being Psalm 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed Mat. 16. 27. He will reward every man according to his works This is the way to make our calling and our election sure 2 Pet. 1. 5. to the 11. verse for if you do these things you shall never fall for so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 3. Good works or an holy Conversation is necessary in respect of others Tit. 3. 8. They that have believed in Christ must be careful to maintain good works for these things are good and profitable to men and that in this four-fold respect To stop the mouths of wicked men 1 Pet. 2. 17. For this is the will of God that with well-doing they may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men This made wicked Saul say to David 1 Sam. 24. 17. Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rewarded good for evil To encrease the joy of the Lords people we read in the second Epistle of John v. 4. I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth It is a great encouragement to one Christian to see the forwardness of another in the wayes of well-doing see Col. 2. 5. To win others to the embracing of the Gospel and to an Holy Life and Conversation 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. That they may be won whilst they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear c. most sure it is that a a man doth teach by his Conversation as well as by his Doctrine It is good to others for an example of holiness John 13. 15. I have done this good work to leave you an example said our Lord Christ see 1 Thes 1. 7. So that ye were examples to all that believe Many have been convinced by example to lead an holy Life that would not by precept By all which we may see that an holy Life is necessary in respect of God our selves and others Oh! that thou that readest these Lines and I that write them might in good earnest set about this work that it might go well with us and our Children Deut. 5. 29. for this is the way to have the Lords blessing upon us in all that we set our hands unto Psalm 1. 3. In this the Children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Ch●ist gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Therefore Be ye holy saith the ●ext as I am holy for without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. We shall come now having gone thus far to give you the summe of all with some farther addition and confirmations to the point in hand and enquire into these

Heb. 12. 22. The Court of God and of Christ wherein are an innumerable company of Saints and Angels Heb. 12. 23 24. It is better sure to creep towards Heaven though through the valley of tears then to gallop towards hell upon the mountains of pleasure The sad condition of all that want it Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he that hath called us is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy as I am holy Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into heaven any thing that defileth nor those that work abomination or make a lye c. Well the holy nature of God will not permit the unclean man or woman to come into his presence no Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell 2 Thess 1. 8. The Lord will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on all them that obey not the Gospel c. In the mean time whilest they remain here they are accursed in their going out and in their coming in in the basket and in the store and in every thing that they put their hand unto Deut. 28. Again consider what names all those who want this holy life and conversation are known by in the Scriptures of truth viz. Sometimes they are called filthy dreamers defiling the flesh Ep. Jude ver 8. raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame ver 13. Natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed that shall utterly perish in their own corruption 2 Pet. 2. 12. Wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever ver 17. A generation of vipers Matth. 3. 7. Ye serpents how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 33. In a word the Scriptures call them Lions for their fiercenes Bears for their cruelty and Dragons for their hideousnesse Dogs for their filthinesse Wolves and Foxes for their subtlety if this be not enough the Scriptures of truth stiles them Scorpions vipers thorns briars thistles brambles stubble dirt dust chaffe dross smoak scum unclean birds Rev. 18. 2. The Devil is said to be their master Rom 6. 16. The Devil is said to be their father John 8. 44. The Devil is said to be their Prince John 12. 31. The Devil is said to be their god 2 Cor. 4. 4. Now lay all these things together and consider if the joyes of heaven on the one hand and the torments of hell on the other hand will not prevail with us to witness a holy life and conversation in our practice I do not know what will certainly the sad condition of all that want this holy life will farther appear by these particulars His or her sad condition at the hour of death Their sad condition at the day of Judgement The torments they are like to suffer in Hell The duration of that hellish state Of the hour of Death Death in Scripture is called the King of Terrours it hath something to say to every one and would fain be heard but most of the sons and daughters of men are not at leasure to hear what he hath to say they put that off to the last year and when that is come to the last moneth of that year and when that is come to the last week of that moneth and when that is come to the last day of that week and when that is come to the last hour of that day and when that is come to the last minute of that hour not considering that death meets us every where and enters in at every door viz. by a full meal or an empty stomach by much wine or want of wine by heat or cold by violent motion or sitting still by every thing in providence by every thing in nature by every thing in chance well in comes death and looks you grim and black in the face then you fall into a cold sweat over all your body and a trembling in all your joynts the Head aketh the Face waxeth pale the Nose black the Eye-strings break the Tongue faltereth the Throat ratleth then come thy friends and trouble thee as fast to have thee put thy goods in order some crying some craving some pittying some comforting of the sick party If he look up he seeth Gods judgements ready to fall upon him if he look down he seeth Hell mouth open ready to receive him if he look about him loe a company of evill spirits ready to snatch his soul from him live he cannot to dye he is afraid and what to do he cannot tell whereas had he lived an holy Life and Conversation he at the hour of death would now comfort himself and say as good Hezekiah doth Isa 38. 2 3. Hezekiah prayed and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight so the Lord added to his dayes fifteen years Oh! that we were wise that we understood this that we would consider our latter end Deut. 32. 29. and great cause have we so to do for our body is but a cottage of clay and that so frail and crasie that were it not once or twice a day daubed over it would fall about our ears What are our bodies but a Magazine and Hospitall of all Diseases and these are fore-runners of Death when Diseases are in the House Death is at the Threshold when Sickness is in the Chamber Death is at the Window Oh! that the Lord would teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Let us consider his sad condition at the day of Judgement that wants this holy Conversation viz. there is brought in a Bill of Endictment never such a Bill put up against the greatest offender in any Court of men The Bill of Endictment it self runs thus viz. Thou art here accused for a multitude of sins of omission neglecting to do thy duty to God to Superiors Inferiors and all Relations For sinning both secretly and openly to the dishonour of God the grief of his people and opening the mouth of enemies For sinning against Gods holy Ordinances in neglecting or abusing them For sinning against all Gods Mercies to thee in abusing health wealth liberty parts and gifts For abusing both the Mercies and Judgements of God therefore now he will deprive thee of the one and consume thee by the other For sinning against the checks of thine own Conscience if Conscience be not a bridle it will be a whip if it be not a curb it will be a scourge if you will not hear the warnings you shall feel the lashes of it if it doth not restrain from sin by admonition it will put you to pay for sin by contrition c. For sinning against the motions of Gods Spirit in resisting and grieving