Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	lord_n	soul_n	7,158	5	4.8741	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19502	A most comfortable and Christian dialogue, betweene the Lord, and the soule. By Mr. William Covvper, minister of Gods word	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1617 (1617)	STC 5930; ESTC S115089	12,528	72

in thee thou art a lier and if thou saist that there is no other thing in thee but sin thou art also a lier And thinkest thou that seeing I haue begunne to translate thee from darknes into my light and to make thee a new Creature thinkest thou that I will leaue thee vntil I haue done my work in thee Therefore my beloued giue not such eare to Sathan or thine owne corruption as to take their testimonie against me or to make thee thinke that my pledges which I haue giuen thee are not worthy of credit that by thē thou shouldest be assured of mercy The SOVLE I Cannot deny O Lord but that many times I haue felt the sweetnes of thy heauenly consolations which haue greatly reioyced my Soule But alas my griefe is so much the greater that by mine owne default I should now be depriued of them for I haue grieued thy holy Spirit yea I haue done what I could to quench him therfore it is that the Comforter who was wont to refresh my soule is away nor can I feele his presēce with me as before The LORD BEcause I am not changed therefore is it that ye O Sons of Iacob are not consumed Many indeed are the changes whereunto ye are subiect but I remaine the same there is no shaddow of alteration with me I am 1. 17. Be not therefore afrayd O my Wel-beloued neyther esteeme thy selfe to be reiected of me albeit that sometime I hide my face from thee al my wayes are mercy and truth to mine It is for thee that sometimes I go from thee and it is for thee that againe I returne vnto thee for if I come it is for thy consolation that continuall heauines through thy manifold temptations should not oppresse thee How oft hast thou found this when thou wert sicke of loue I haue strengthened thee with the Flagons of my Wine comforted thee with my Apples My fruit hath beene sweete in thy mouth I haue put my left hand vnder thy head and with my right hand I haue embraced thee Cā 2. But lest the greatnesse of my consolations should exalt thee to disdaine thy brother and offend me by imputing that to thine owne disposition which thou hast of my dispensation I haue againe withdrawne these glorious feelings from thee giue me the praise that I know best what is expediēt for thee Had my Seruant St. Paul need to be humbled with the buffets of Sathan lest he should haue been exalted out of measure by the greatnes of his reuelations hast not thou need that by thy inward exercises I should hold thee humble If my comforts were alwayes present with thee thou wouldest thinke thy heauen permanent City were on the earth so cease to enquire for a better to come thou wouldest take the place of thy banishment for thy home and the earnest for the principall summe which I haue promised thee Consider this wisely with thy selfe that albeit I laugh not alike on thee at all times fil thee not alway with my ioyes yet I alwaies loue thee for whom I loue I loue vnto the end If I close the dore of my Chamber vpon thee it is not to hold thee out but to learne thee to knock If I couer my selfe with many vailes that thou canst not see a glance of my louing countenance it is onely to stirre thee vp to seeke me if sometime I seeme to goe from thee it is to prouoke thee to follow me that thou mayest make haste from the earth to heauen where thou shalt inioy me without intermission Was Ioseph so wise as to conceale his tender affection from his brethren till he brought thē to an humble acknowledging of their sin was he againe so louing that when hee saw them humbled his affection was inflamed compelled him to reueale himselfe vnto them thinkest thou that I am lesse wise and louing in dealing with mine I gaue at the first sharpe answeres to the petitions of that Woman of Canaan so will I sometimes seeme to deale roughly with those whome I loue and to be angry euen at their prayers but in the end I will make my loue manifest to them and with my endlesse mercies embrace them The SOVLE SVffer me yet once againe Lord to speake vnto thee that thou maist answere me and I shall complaine no more If we saw that such were our disposition as thy holy word doth require in vs then should thy comforts reioyce vs but alas how far am I from that which I should be My strength is enfeebled therfore do my inordinate affections oft-times ouercharge me If I turne me to pray I cannot for the hardnesse of my heart the contrite spirit the melting heart the mourning eie is gone from me If I seeke comfort in thy word I finde it not I am troubled also with doubtings armies of feares and sorrowes are against me all through weaknes of my Faith for partly for wāt of that light that should informe me my infidelity abuseth me to think that thy visitations come from thine anger causeth me to answere the errours of my conscience as if they were iust accusations and partly for want of that apprehending and applying vertue that is in Faith I am spoyled of the comfort that thy word hath offered vnto me Therefore O Lord haue pittie on the desolate state of my soule The LORD LEt not my beloued the consideration of thy wants defects and imperfections discourage thee remember that the measure of Grace which I haue giuen to my Saints vpon earth I haue called it an earnest-penny the first fruits of the Spirit to tell them that what euer grace they haue gotten it is nothing in comparison of that which they wil get Seeke not therefore that in the earth which I haue resolued to giue thee no wayes till thou dost come to heauen thy blessednes in this life stands not in a sacietie and full inioying of that which thou wouldest haue but in an hungring and thirsting for it If I had pronounced them blessed that are now satisfied with righteousnesse thē thy wants might most iustly haue discouraged thee but I called them blessed that hunger If therefore thou dost follow after sanctification art weary of the seruitude of thy sin If thou doest seeke comfort in my Word canst finde none of these at the first as thou wouldest yet remember I haue promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare mee If it grieue thee that thou canst not pray at all times alike remember that my Children are oft-times euill Iudges of thēselues and that their estate is not alway to be measured according to their feeling for many prayers may be made in them to me by my Spirit with sighs and sobs which they thēselues are not able to expresse yet are knowne to me and are like loude crying voyces which I cannot but answere The SOVLE O My Soule content thee with the Lords