Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	keep_v	peace_n	unity_n	7,015	5	8.9407	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11923	A godly and fruitfull sermon preached at Lieth in Scotland by a faithfull minister of Gods holy Gospell	Murray, John, 1575?-1632, attributed name. aut	1607 (1607)	STC 22236; ESTC S106434	19,379	64

full of water and our eyes a fountayne of teares that we might weep day and night bewayle this our misery never ceasing keeping silence till our God haue mercy upon us But yet to search out more particularly the blame of our wounded liberties Albeit we be all inwrapped in the guiltines thereof yet some are deaper in the guiltines then others Who are these Some of us not contented with our standing in the Ministery haue clombe up to higher places both in Church and Common wealth then God hath called us unto through covetousnes seeking the profitts of this present and perishing life through ambition affecting the preferments therof and imparity in power and authority aboue their brethren who to winne to them preferment haue troubled the peace of Ierusalem and hurt the liberties thereof Yf any will say it is parity among Pastors in power and authority that is the mother of confusion the breaker of vnity surely this is an unjust slāder of parity For first it is the ordināce of God who is the author both of order and peace 1 Cor. 14.33 There was none of the Apostles in authority aboue another none of the Evangelists in authority aboue another none of the Pastors in authority aboue another none of the Elders in authority aboue another For they who keep one rācke are in equall power This practise hath the place of an ordināce Yea examine that place well Math. 20.25.26.27 and out of Christs speach to his Disciples upon the occasion of the sute of the sonnes of Zebedeus by consequent ye shall draw out an ordināce Secondly if any such thing fall out where parity is the fault is not to be layd upon the parity of power but upon the imparity of spirits which cannot satisfie thēselues with the place and power that God hath givē them Thirdly all these imputations may be layd justly upon imparity which is the mother of prid● that never can keep unity and peace Only through pryde doth a man make contention sayth Salomon Prov. 13.10 And if any will call to mynde the times passed whē ever there hath ben● any trouble or stirre in our Church they shall finde that the authors and instrumēts of it were ever some who through covetousnes ambition the two banes of the church haue sought to themselues a preheminence among their brethren whose deedes and Epitaphes may be a terror to those who tread in their footesteppes And to strengthen the truth of this we will borrow help from the Evangelist Iohn 3. Ioh. 9.10 It appeares that there was a great stirre in that Church whereunto he writeth but who was the causer of it One Diotrephes saith he And what of him He loved to haue the preheminence among them And what did he He pratled among them with malitious wordes There is his slaunder What more He received not the brethren but ●orbad them that would and did thrust thē●ut of the Church There is his injury And it may be also he drew into the Church against order such as might be proppes to his pryde Then if this one Diotrephes had been removed out of that Church all thinges had passed in peace and quietnes therein Now if we were charged upon life and death and in consciēce before the Lord according to the weakenes of our wit to giue a rule for the peace quietnes of our Church this it is Eyther take away Demas and Diotrephes from office in the Church or take frō them their evill humors of covetousnes and ambition or take away their honors the objects of great benefices and Bishopprickes and then if any be found who shall trouble their heads to hatch out an argument for the defense of so offensiue a state and if then peace shall not be within the walles of Ierusalem and prosperity within the palaces thereof we shall be content to beare the blame and burden whatsoever Agayne if any will say that all this may be mended by this one meane to make choyce of the most wise graue godly and zealous of the Ministery promote thē to those places which make greene and unsetled witts quickly forget themselues and so all things shall go well and be well governed Surely we will not be so uncharitable as to thinke that such men albeit they were lying at their feete would stoop downe to take them up they being clogged with so many inconveniēces Agayne as Paul saith Evill wordes corrupt good manners so we say that evill courses will corrupt good men For as long as a Minister keepeth himselfe within the compasse of his calling in humility and holines serving the Lord his God he hath the gratious fruitfull blessing of his God attending on him and his labours But how soone soever he breakes the bounds thereof seaking the world and the profits and preferments thereof the fruitfull blessing departeth and the fearefull curse comes in the place thereof to worke vpon him and then we shall see that of all men of the earth such a Minister will become the most vayne worldly proud and ambitious And thus of all this which hath been spoken we see that there is no preservatiue for us but to stād fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free that we be not entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Now to conclude this exercise seeing we are mett here to doe the worke of the Lord let us first remember and consider from whence we are fallen from what degree of loue and liberty that we may repent and doe the first workes and amend least the Lord our God come against us shortly and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place Agayne If there be any consolation in Christ if any comforte of loue if any fellowship of spirit if any compassion and mercy let us be like minded having the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgment that nothing be done through contention or vayneglory but in meeknes of minde every one seeking not that which is his owne but that which is Christs c. Thirdly let our heartes and eyes be sett upon the recompence of the reward that incorruptible crowne of glorie which the chiefe sheapheard Iesus shal bring with him in his hand in his glorious appearance to crowne them who shall persevere and be found faithfull to the end and not upon the reward that is in the hand of man which is in it selfe corruptible and oftimes corruptes the mindes of men and drawes them out of the right way Lastly let us so speak here and so doe here and so behaue our selues here as if we were upon our last bed making our last will ready to giue account not to man only but to the Lord our God himselfe both of the employment of our life and the using and keeping of this liberty wherby our redeemer Iesus Christ hath made us free To whom with the Father and spirit of grace be honor prayse and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS