Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A93756
|
A sermon preached unto the inhabitants of the town of Thornbury, in Glocestershire [sic] on March 20, 1697/8
|
Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing S5133; ESTC R42869
|
30,618
|
36
|
Peace when we are taught of God and chiefly we have great Peace when we obey and do according to that Teaching of his And so we hear his loving Kindness when he causes us to know the way wherein we should walk From whence observe again That when our Spirits are dissatisfied restless and troublesome it is a certain sign either of some Guilt appearing forth in them or we are not conversant about and employed in what we ought Again on the other hand as we can prove our own Work and then find rejoycing in our selves and not in another Gal. 6. 4. This is a Sign and Evidence that it is a Good and Right Work The Apostle speaks in this manner unto some to whom he writes The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing So the same God of Peace fills People with Peace in doing his Will which same Peace he denies them again as they neglect the doing of his Will I have experienced much of this last my self and by the Horrors and Accusings of mine own Conscience herein I can somewhat guess and apprehend before-hand what will be the pain of Loss at the great Day of Judgment The Sun rejoyceth as a strong Man to run a Race Psal 19. 5. So there is a Satisfaction in all the created Beings to move and act according to the Rule Law and Will of their Creator And again when they do not they are out of their Element and then there is Trouble Doubt and Disquiet As God asks the Question in reference to the false and idolatrous Worshippers among the Jews Should I receive Comfort in these Isa 57. 6. So it may be conceived and judged of before-hand as to our several Acts of Religion According as we find and receive Comfort in them so it is a foregoing Sign of God's Acceptance of them For as the Jewish Worshippers did hereby know that the Lord receiv'd a Burnt-Offering and a Meat-Offering at their Hands if the Fire did come down from Heaven and consume and Sacrifice and when he did shew us all these things Judges 13. 23. So even then it might be understood and also under the Gospel that God did Remember all our Offerings and accept our Burnt-Sacrifice and so what we did as pertaining to Religion and Worship if thereupon God did immediately give us the chief things of the lasting Mountains and the precious things of the lasting Hills Deut. 33. 15. that earnest and glimpse of future Glory I mean that Peace and Joy and Comfort in the Holy Ghost at the very same time and afterwards also wherein we were serving him This again is to be differenced from that fond Exultancy of Spirit and Complacency of Mind which the false and formal Worshipper may sometimes have in that in his own Imagination he hath done something for God and for his own Soul Like unto Micah who said Now know I that the Lord will do me Good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest Judges 17. 13. which yet was but a false Conceit of his own for as may be understood from Verse 5. he was an Idolater And let not such a one or any other false Worshipper think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord as to the future Recompence which he hath promised to such only who worship him in Spirit and in Truth But when we receive Comfort in our Holy Things and in our Religious Performances upon some true and assured Grounds out of God's Word This is an Evidence and Sign before-hand of our Salvation and that our Religion is a Religion to the saving of the Soul So again on the other Hand when we do not receive Comfort in our Religion but we perform it in a way of Drudgery and Task Here we may suspect our Course that as such People do not receive true Comfort in the Acts of their Religion so the great God unto whom it doth all relate and terminate doth not receive Comfort in them neither will they receive Benefit thereof hereafter Either such do not worship God in Spirit and in Truth or there is Sin and Iniquity in the Worshipper God heareth not Sinners If I regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Or they do not turn unto him with their whole Heart It is only done out of Custom or as a Task that is set them which they do not mind after it is over Such will be of the number of those who shall say Lord Lord Mat. 7. 21. throughout their Life and yet shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Such do neither pray unto God for it neither doth God cause them to know the way wherein they should walk and so they neither hear his loving Kindness nor is any due and belonging unto them for this is the favour he beareth unto his People and is distinguished and peculiar to his Elect only There is a great Fear Jealousie and Doubt in the Heart of Man especially in those who prepare their Heart to seek know and please him whither we be in the way of God or not Besides the sure Word of Prophecy the certain Rule of Scripture if it be according to that and more especially by the Spirit which he hath given us We may very much conceive and judge thereof before-hand According to what Peace and Satisfaction of Mind we have if the other Signs here mention'd do also concur and agree then we are in God's way But if we are in Doubt Perplexity and Uncertainty of Soul then probably we are out of it Each Person knows his own Case and Condition herein better than all the Divines or Preachers of the World can instruct or put him in mind of To the Law and the Testimony and the Light that is in them and also within himself hereby he may know and assure his Heart before him viz. That he is in the way wherein he should be even the way which the Invinsible God his Creator would have him to be in and which leads up unto Heaven the Habitation of the most High Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the Place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his Voice Exod. 23. 20 21. This Angel is Conscience which also is to be ruled and guided by the written Word or that of himself which God hath implanted in Man or Woman By the Dictates and Motions whereof we may well guess whither we be in the way or not It is said The Angel before thee to keep thee in the way so Conscience is a Guide going before us and in our sight that is of the Eyes of our Vnderstanding being enlightned Which if we follow all along signified by those Words Beware of him and obey his Voice it will keep us in the way And when we are turn'd aside or out of it this will give Knowledge and Warning thereof yea and it will bring us in again if we Beware
Finisher of our Faith Some say that he is a good Man and others have said nay but he deceiveth the People This last Reproach hath been handed about or otherwise they would never have dissuaded People from coming to hear me So far it is true some do secretly wish that I was gone out of the Country yea many in this Island had rather I was gone out of the World By the way if their Spirits now are so impatient and restless that they cannot endure a single Troubler of Israel how then will they endure when their Souls fly out of their Bodies it is but a short Respite and Reprieve between if they should be with the whole Company of Prophets and Apostles who were so to their Age and Country what I am accused of now Neither they nor my self have troubled Israel but those Men only have troubled it who have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord. Some very few others in this Neighbourhood had rather perhaps that I stay longer among them for their Souls Good and Edification by their attending on my Ministry in this place But beloved of whom I hope Salvation to speak a short Word unto ye I have no greater Joy than to hear that my Children walk in Truth John 3. 4. For what is our Hope or Joy or Crown of Rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ for ye are our Glory and Joy 1 Thes 2. 19 20 This is my Hope my Comfort my Joy and my Crown that every one of you are not gainsaying and disobedient Despisers and non-hearers although far the greater Multitude of the Inhabitants of this Town and Neighbourhood are Ye might convince them in the mean while as ye will be Witness against the others at the last Day Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exbort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God even according to all the words of the Gospel without adding one Word or diminishing from it so ye would abound more and more The same Paul saith on this wise concerning another Minister of the Gospel Receive him for he also worketh the work of the Lord as I work So my dear and beloved Fellow-Christians I would have ye to know that whensoever I go from hence notwithstanding the contrary Reproaches of many People I do work the same Work of the Lord which I do here in this place Namely by the words of God's Grace and Truth which are committed to my Ministration to endeavour to convert Sinners and to make them a People prepared for the Lord. But there I do it more by writing and publishing the Copies thereof which is the more lasting and remaining Good Here it is by a living Voice and by Word of Mouth Again of this ye are not ignorant that in other Cities Towns and Villages there are the like Creatures of the same God as ye your selves are and alike Sheep of the one and everlasting Shepherd who hath us Ministers for his under-Shepherds and these Sheep are to be fed instructed and exhorted in the Words of Eternal Life So that ye may be contented and satisfied for they also are Children of the Stock of Abraham and Flesh of your Flesh and Bone of your Bone altho' one who was a Burning and Shining Light in his Generation and some of ye were willing to rejoyce in his Light for a season should be removed to another place for the much yet greater ends of the Gospel and for the yet more Universal and lasting Publishing and Propagation of the Eternal Truths of God For the Souls of such of ye as shall be saved will be saved nevertheless whither I go away or stay if ye remember and continue mindful of the things that have been spoken and particularly if ye obey and observe the very last Direction which I Intend to leave with ye As also in the latter Days when ye shall consider it more perfectly than I can now declare it unto ye then ye will glorifie God on my behalf and also be well pleased therewith and have good Will towards me in my making the better Choice as to obey the Call of God and prefer the greater things pertaining to his Kingdom before the less This common thing of good Will is a thing that the Ministers of the Gospel do very often want signified by that relative kind of Speech Glory to God on the highest on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men. But as to the Souls of them in this Town and Neighbourhood who shall perish they would still continue Despisers and Non-hearers Reproachers and Blasphemers stubborn and perverse be Blinded Rom. 11. 7. and Snared Isa 8. 14. at the Word of my Ministry and there would be a stumbling Block hindering them from coming to hear it altho' I should continue here all the remaining evil Days of my Pilgrimage which I intend not to do As Robert Bolton call'd for his six Children up when he lay upon his Death-bed and utter'd this his last Saying unto them Take heed that none of ye do meet me at the Judgment-seat of God in an un-regenerate Heart so in this my Farewel-Sermon I warn and testifie unto all the Inhabitants of this Town and Neighbourhood let those that hear carry out this Word to them that do not hear take heed that none of ye do meet me at the Judgment-Seat of God in an un-regenerate Heart nor yet in the Spirit of despisal and refusal to hear the Word of the Lord nor yet in the Spirit of Reproach Stubbornness and Perverseness nor yet in the Darkness of Ignorance which most People are now in And which shews for these are the Fruits and Effects thereof that your Hearts as yet are Un-regenerate Unsanctified and Unrenewed and your foolish Hearts are darkned Which perhaps altho' they are not in every part yet it is so in some part thereof for ye are not as yet turn'd unto the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Souls and with all your Mind without the Exception or Reserve of any Lust Humour or Will of your own And ye are not as yet given up to follow the Lamb who is the Way the Truth and the Life and consequently the Conducts and Leadings of Divine Truth whither soever it goes but such do turn unto the Lord with some of their Heart but not with their whole Heart This Word is proper and belongs unto those of the several Professions Sorts Sects and Names of Religion inhabiting among us as they are commonly called or distinguished by Church-People Presbyterians Quakers The name of it nor yet your listing your selves in either of the Parties nor yet your confining your selves only unto it will not save ye nor any of ye But it must be pure and undefiled Religion before God thro' his Gracious Acceptance thereof it must be by true Primitive and Universal Christianity the way wherein our Fathers