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
A31660	The country's concurrence with the London united ministers in their late heads of agreement shewing the nature and advantages of a general union among Protestants : in two discourses ... / by Samuel Chandler ...	Chandler, Samuel.	1691 (1691)	Wing C1930; ESTC R11704	28,705	109

same end this would engage us to mutual offices of peace and we should readily comply with the Apostle's Counsel Eph. 4. 3. Keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace Many more Directions might be added but these if well practis'd would quickly extinguish those Heats and Animosities which have made Earth so like to Hell and produce those Heavenly Fruits of peace which might create a Paradise here below make the Church which in a very sad sense is now Militant nearly resemble the Church Triumphant And now Men and Brethren what remains but that we put in practice the Duties recommended Then might we hope our Land would become a Goshen not only in respect of Spiritual Light but also of its freedom from those Locusts and Caterpillars dividing Lusts that have so long wasted and consumed us Blessed be God that he hath in so great a measure heal'd our Breaches and thus far united us together May not we hope that this is but the beginning of what God designs for us like the dawning of the Morning in order to a perfect day May not we hope that those Glorious Times are hastning when the Lord shall be one and his Name one Zach. 14. 9. and that that Promise is near its accomplishment Ier. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them May not we hope that the Philadelphian state which some expect now draws nigh when Brotherly Love shall flourish and be more enlarg'd How happy would it be if this Union were yet more extensive if the Name of Reformed Christian were only known and all those divided Names laid aside whereby we have been unhappily distinguish'd By Mutual Compliances and Condescentions this is no impossible Task And who knows but this beginning may issue in so happy a Conclusion This may well be the subject of our Wishes and earnest constant Prayers John 13. 34. A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another AMong all the advantages of the Christian Religion wherein it exceeds the defective Rules of Pagan Philosophy and obscure Institutions of Moses there is nothing wherein it more excels than in the Doctrin of Love and Charity a Duty which is urg'd in the plainest Words and pressed by the strongest Arguments and made not the high qualification of some eminent Saints but a necessary essential part of the new Creature A Duty not only necessary to some inferior uses but to all the great ends of Religion and not to be dispensed with on any pretence A Duty that is made the Badg and Character of Christ's Disciples and that which our dying Redeemer strictly charged his Followers to observe as in the Text A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another Our Saviour knowing the time of his Departure was near at hand in this Chapter gives his Disciples an admirable instance of his condescending Love in stooping to that servile Office of washing their Feet And this he did on purpose that they should imitate him and not think the lowest Offices of Charity for their Brethrens good too mean and base for them Afterwards having given the Sop to Iudas who went out with an intention to betray him he tells his Disciples of his speedy Separation from them and lest they should be too much cast down at hearing of his Departure he tells them that he should be Glorified and God the Father in him i. e. that he should give great discoveries of his Deity and God the Father would discover the unsearchable depths of his Wisdom inconceivable heights of his Love and infinite strictness of his Holiness and Justice by his Death and advance him straightway to the highest degrees of Glory And then being filled with an affectionate love to them he speaks as an indulgent Father to the Sons of his Love Little Children yet a little while I am with you ver 33. and as if he should have said O my Disciples whom I love with no less ardent affection than a Father doth his darling and tender Infant there remains but a small space wherein I shall make my abode with you in the Flesh therefore as I said to the Hardened Iews Whither I go ye cannot yet come One Request and Command I your dying Lord leave with you Let my Love to you be the rule and measure of your Love to one another A New Commandment I give unto you There is some difference among Expositors concerning the Sense of this Expression Some render it this renewed Commandment this Command that hath been almost obliterated by the corrupting Doctrins of the Pharisees and false Glosses of the Jewish Teachers I now by my Doctrin and Example renew unto you Some by New understand most excellent Thus we read of a New Song a most excellent Song of New Wine of the most delicious sort and kind q. d. Whatever Commands you neglect be sure to comply with this the most excellent of all Subjects take care to observe the New Commands of their Princes let your careful Obedience to this be as if it were newly promulged So others understand it A New Commandment say others because we must be still renewing it Owe no Man any thing but to love one another Rom. 13 8. Pay all your Debts but this Debt of Love you must be always paying and yet always owing I rather think it is called a New Commandment because it is expounded after a New manner directed according to a new Rule and required in higher measures and degrees than ever before for though this Duty was not wholly unknown to Mankind before yet never was it so taught or encouraged never was such an illustrious example given of it nor such weight and stress laid upon it in any former Institution and special Measures of Assistance proper to Gospel times are vouchsafed to work it in our Hearts So that it is as if our Saviour should have said Whereas it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self I give you a new Rule as I have loved you so love one another after a more indearing manner than the Iews that the World may see the excellency of my Doctrin above that of Moses Love bear an hearty esteem one for another and imploy your selves in mutual Offices of Kindness as acknowledging one another to be Brethren and Fellow Disciples As I have loved you though you cannot love one another to such a degree yet testify your love by such instances and to such degrees as your nature is capable of This is the meaning of the Text Christ came into the World to demonstrate and exercise his Father's Love and his own Love he came to kindle in the Souls of Men and therefore gives us this excellent Commandment The Words being thus explained the

and ardent that brought our Lord from Heaven to Earth carry'd him through the difficulties of Poverty Reproach and Scorn enabled him to bear the contradiction of Sinners and the pain and shame of the Cross herein Christ as well as God the Father commended his love towards us Rom. 5. 8. rendred it great and admirable beyond all expression or parallel In that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us We must act according to this pattern Love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. 22. Our Love must not be cold and indifferent frozen or congeal'd but we must entertain a fervent Affection one for another 3. Our Love must be prevailing as Christ's was Christ lov'd us above Gold or Silver or Earthly Pomp and Greatness above his own Temporal Ease and Delight and was ready to wade through Storms and Dangers and Difficulties for our sakes So must we love our Brethren above our Carnal Interest Honour Wealth and Pleasure Thus Moses evidenc'd his Love to the people of God by forsaking the dazling Honours and bewitching Pleasures of Pharaoh's Court and chusing Affliction with them rather than Sin Thus must we be willing to renounce our own Ease and Liberty for their sakes when God and his Honour calls Nay we must Love them better than the nearest ungodly Relations Christ lov'd those that were related to him in the Spirit far better than the nearest ungodly Relations according to the Flesh. There is indeed a natural sensitive Love and Propension towards near Relations and we are ordinarily bound in the first place to provide for them supply their wants and give them these outward effects of our Love But still we must have a higher rational esteem of the godly and value their Graces above the most lovely natural perfections of others and the best must be prefer'd in point of Honour though others may be prefer'd in point of Maintenance 4. Our Love must be impartial and universal as Christ's was He did not confine it to his own Countrymen the Jews and die to procure Pardon Grace and Glory for them only but for us Gentiles also while he was upon Earth The Faith of the Centurion and importunity of the Canaanitish Woman tho' Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel attracted his Esteem and Admiration and where-ever he beheld the Grace of God and Image of Holiness he lov'd it 'T is very observable he is more sharp and severe in his Invectives against the Pharisees than any other Persons because of their stingy narrow Spirit confining Religion to their own particular Sect and scorning and despising all that were not of their own Party as if all the rest of Mankind were in a Reprobate Damnable State Our Christian Love must thus resemble our Saviours It must be enlarg'd to all Saints to the whole Fraternity of Christians To be partial in our Love is a sign 't is unsound to make our own Opinions the Shiboleth to distinguish between a true and counterfeit Christian is very unreasonable Where there is a Profession of the Baptismal Covenant the Essentials of the Christian Faith and a Life in some measure answerable we must love such as Christians not withstanding their mistakes and erroneous Principles in lesser points We justly condemn the Church of Rome for confining Salvation to themselves and Damning all the World besides Let us take heed how we condemn our selves by contracting the Church of God into a narrower compass lest we censoriously damn those whom Christ will save and perhaps place on higher Seats of Glory than our selves We know who it was that said Lord I thank thee I am not as this Publican when he was really in a far worse condition Our Love to a Party must not blind our Judgments or pervert our Affections as to all the rest Keep up therefore an impartial universal Love to all professed Christians as such and hate a dividing Spirit Take heed how you stigmatize those with the Name of Hereticks who shall stand at the Right Hand of Christ and take not up the Devils accursed Imployment to become Accusers of those that are really your Brethren 5. Our Love must be proportion'd to the degrees of their Grace as Christ's was Christ that certainly knows who are most furnish'd with Divine Grace must needs love these with an higher degree than others of a lower Form and Classis in Christianity St. Iohn who it seems had the most ardent love and Eminent degrees of Grace among the Apostles was his peculiar Favourite and Darling Disciple had the highect place next his Lord lay in his Bosom according to the custom of those Eastern Countreys which was to lye and not to sit at Meals and is call'd the Disciple whom Iesus loved John 13. 23. Christs love was not a fond unaccountable Passion but the result of his Reason and Judgment Because he lov'd him best we may therefore justly conclude he was really above the rest in Piety Thus must our love be proportion'd Some are but weak Christians and we can have but small and doubtful perswasions of their sincerity Others are stronger and we may be more confident as to them The one must be lov'd as Christians but the other with an higher degree as bearing more lively representations of the holy God We must not respect the Persons of any but their goodness and love those best that are really so This Property will discover the Hypocrisie of many who will bear with Holiness in a lower degree and speak well of those who though Godly in the main are too remiss and careless in their Conversations but swell with Rage and Malice against those that are most Eminent for Piety What doth this Temper shew but a Graceless Heart if we bear not the highest Love to the best Christians how dwelleth the Love of God in us Alas can infinite perfect Holiness be lov'd by him that loves not the best Representations of it that this imperfect state affords If the light of the Moon which is not without its spots doth offend us how can we bear the far more resplendent brightness of the Sun it self How unmeet is he for the Communion of Angels and perfected Spirits that is not pleas'd much more that is offended with the highest degrees of Holiness in this state of Imperfection The true Christian having a prevailing Love to God will Love his Image where-ever he finds it and where it is more clear and unsullied and drawn out in more Beautiful Characters his Love will be proportionably greater and more affectionate 6. Our Love must be compassionate and sympathizing Christ could not refrain from weeping when he beheld Ierusalem where was the then visible Church of God and laments her foreseen destruction When Peter deny'd him not once but thrice with Curses and Imprecations He did not disregard him as he might justly do such a perfidious Servant but though he was unconcern'd for himself and silently bore the