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	zeal_n	zealous_a	191	3	9.6018	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95867	Tvvo sermons preached: one before the Right Honorable House of Lords, on their publick fast, May 26. 1647. The other, before the Honorable House of Commons, on their publick fast, in Margarets Church in Westminster, Septemb. 29. 1647. / By Thomas Valentine one of the Assembly of Divines, and minister in Chalfort in the county of Bucks.	Valentine, Thomas, 1585 or 6-1665?	1647 (1647)	Wing V27; Thomason E409_13; ESTC R204423	15,835	24

Laodiceans and that they should reade the Epistle from Laodicea Col. 4.16 Therefore they had ordinances and we cannot conceive but that they were pure for those times did not admit of impuritie in the Ordinances of Christ We cannot thinke they wanted Officers for the Apostles would looke to that in all the Churches nor can we imagine they wanted Discipline and Government a Church Constituted so early in the first day of the Gospell could not but be well erected And in the reproofe of this Church they are not taxed for want of these or any of them nay they write to Paul as Calvin thinks and if there had beene such a defect in their Church the Epistle to the Colossians would not have supplyed that want for it speakes nothing of Government and he gives order it should be communicated to them Therefore according to the tenor and scope of the charge brought against this Church we may safely say that their graces and gifts were not so good so rich so right as should have beene for their works are challenged vers 15. I know thy workes and their zeale was not good it was not hot enough Therefore I thinke the constitution of the members of their Church was not good they were not zealous not fervent in spirit and if that be a heat arising from many graces or if but one yet a defect therein proves a want and decay in others so that their graces were not golden but rather copper and Laodicea being a rich Citie and dealing in Merchandize they might rather looke after the materiall gold and after pure raiment for the body then these golden and silver graces The Chuch in the Constitution of it might be good yet the members resting in their Church-priviledges and in the abundance of outward things might be wanting in their graces the doctrine of faith might be pure and sound and yet the grace of faith might not be good and saving in them their worship might be pure and yet they not zealous for that God they worshipped In this great house of the Church of Laodicea the members many of them were not vessells of gold and silver but of wood and earth 2 Tim. 2.20 therefore they are justly reproved Other things might be faultie in this Church but I name this as being cleare and it will make way for our better instruction Let us begin with some Observations and first you may see plainly in your view from the beginning of the Text this to be offered 1. Observ That the Lord Jesus Christ doth not alwaies command like a King but sometimes counsells like a Friend We read in Ephesi 3.10 of the manifold wisedome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiformis sapientia a wisedome that hath many faces and lookes variously sometimes God speakes like a King and sometimes like a Judge and sometimes like a Friend In precepts Authoritie in reproofes Anger in threatnings Severitie in counsells Love and care of our good most appeares To counsell one it is to propound something to his consideration that is fit for him to thinke of and usefull for him to doe and it supposeth some principles in a man whereby he is counselable and there is nothing to which we are counselled but the same things are also commanded onely the manner is more taking and the matter must be of importance else we take it not into consideration Prov. 22.20 Have I not written unto thee excellent things in counsells and knowledge To counsell us First It is a rationall way and fit to worke upon a man and God that tryes alwaies to doe us good takes this course to counsell us Hos 11.4 I have drawn thee with cords of a man and bands of love I have dealt with thee more human● for man is counselable but so is not a beast coge pecus you force a beast but man is to be perswaded speake reason and expresse love and you cannot be despised or sleighted reason cannot be gain-sayed though the man will not confesse he is conquered by your argument yet the understanding secretly must assent and love cannot be contemned the partie may but love cannot but when the Wise God shall speake reason and manifest his love we should not despise his counsell Nay many joyne together in this coonsell so the word imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to counsell with others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consilium quod aliqui simul ineunt God counsells you his Spirit counsells you his Messengers counsell you and your owne Consciences counsell you For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a knowing together so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is conselling together divers sit in counsell together about the good of man and hereby it appeares how we should esteeme of the kindnesse of God the word is Mat. 12.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they held a counsell that was against Christ but the blessed Trinitie hold a counsell for the good of man Let us make man let us redeeme man and advise him for his good Secondly It is very fit and proper for the action of buying you shall not be compelled to buy the Commodities here offered but you shall use your reason whether a poore man should not doe all he can to get good gold and a naked man clothing But here I must needs explain this point lest we should thinke that a man were left to his owne liberty in the point of his conversion and this simile of counselling to buy must not be extended beyond the scope and we say That the will of man is over-ruled and over-powred by the Spirit of Christ so as it cannot but come in upon the offer of grace and the will is determined to one thing not left to it selfe to take or refuse what is tendered to it and it is no absurditie whatever Arminians thinke to say in the conversion of a sinner there is a violence offered to the corruption of the will and yet the will not wronged a suspending of the libertie of the will and no destroying of it If you consider a man affrighted out of his sinnes in a way of terrour as the Gaoler Act. 16.29 who came trembling you may say he could doe no other Suppose a man pursued by a Beare or any ravenous Beast if he have the use of his leggs and of his reason he cannot but runne away from the danger Hell frights the sinner Conscience flyes in his face and he cannot but come to Christ The propensitie and act of the creature may be suspended and not destroyed the Lyons could not devoure Daniel the fire could not burne the three young men God did suspend the act of those creatures but their natures were not destroyed for their enemies found the Lyons to be fierce and the fire to burne the will of man chooseth to come and cannot doe otherwise for it is moved and guided by a supernaturall power Thirdly God doth counsell us for in all things of any importance we take counsell here is

more need and if we follow our owne counsells we perish Prov. 11.14 Where no counsell is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellers there is safetie Prov. 20.18 Every purpose is established by counsell and with good advice make warre If in other things we take advice and not this it shewes we are more carelesse of Heaven then our affaires on earth 1. Use Take counsell of him that is wise and reject it not leane not to your owne wisedome for that will destroy you A man that followes his owne thoughts in matters of Religion is sure to misse his way and lose his hope The counsell of God is good we cannot say so of the wisest man but his counsell is good at all times for he knowes all things and all events which no man doth Prov. 19.20 Heare counsell and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end 2. If we doe not we set up our owne thoughts and wisedome above Gods and we oppose Christs Propheticall and Kingly Offices 3. Grace makes us teachable and men should inquire what they ought to doe Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 9.6 Lord what will thou have me to doe And they obeyed and followed the directions of the Apostles David did blesse God for Abigails counsell 1 Sam. 25.22 32. And if we receive not the counsell of God we shall in the end bewaile our folly and read our misery arising from our own rebellious and desperate denyalls of grace and as the Pharisees reiected the counsell of God against themselves so doe many in these dayes I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire and white raiment 2. Observ It is the wisedome of men to buy grace and the meanes of grace whatever they cost them Qualis emptio absque pretio Quomodo hoc convenit magnificentiae Dei si emenda est illius gratia parum laudis habet ●●ns cujus aquae venales habentur Obj. But how can wee buy What shall wee give to God for these rich Commodities And how can it stand with the bountie of God to sell them to us And how doth it under-value the grace of God when it is offered to sale Solut. For answer to this objection and for opening of the point propounded wee must know That the grace or favour of God cannot be bought at all And wee must distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace of God his good will and pleasure which is from all eternitie and the fruits thereof the gifts of the Spirit together with all the meanes by which the Spirit workes in the hearts of Gods Elect These latter are here offered to you to be sold not the former We cannot properly buy so as to give a valuable consideration for these Heavenly Commodities to buy is to give a price to the seller for which he makes over his right to you and puts you in possession of that which was his But properly we cannot buy so as to give a valuable consideration And that because First All things are Gods already unlesse it be your sinnes the Cattell upon a thousand Hills are mine saith God Job 41.11 Whatsoever is under the whole heavens is mine So that you cannot pay God with his owne for if I buy of a man I give him somewhat that is mine and receive of him somewhat that is his Secondly All things that we have are inferiour to grace and the meanes of grace they are but transitory and fading but Heavenly things are lasting and durable and there is no proportion betweene the largest offer of thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oile and the least dram of saving-grace and we must not thinke that mony or mony-worth can purchase Heaven or grace nay to take off our thoughts the Lord tells us his mind Isa 55.1 Buy wine and milke without money But what must be done First Buy it with thy prayers and teares and tell the Lord thou hast need of them and cannot live without them Rome teacheth her children to buy grace with the improvement of parts of nature and to buy Heaven with their good workes and tell us of such perfection in some workes that there is no sinne in them but when they offer so largely God must trust them for they have no ready money but we teach our Chap-men to turne poore beggers and you may get more by begging at the hands of God then by working and yet we beg a stock of grace that we may goe to worke Secondly Buy it with thy labour and toile travell for it if thou hast it not at home the sonnes of Jacob goe into Egypt if there be no Corne in their owne Countrey and what paines men take to get the Commodities of the world they should doe more for Heaven in former times before this Parliament sate there was a great scarcitie the markets did rise there is now more plentie but the evill of the present times is that there is a price in mens hands and they have not hearts Thirdly It may be it will cost thy purse if with the Merchant in the Gospell thou hast found the Pearle buy it though thou sell all Mat. 13.46 and it would further your accounts if your Bills of expence for Building for Purchases for Portions nay for Sports and Recreations which rises to great summes you could bring in somewhat answerable for the Gospell and Religious uses Whatsoever it will cost thee breake not for price buy it at any Rate First It will inrich thee you may buy Land too deare and Gold too deare but grace and the meanes of grace cannot be bought too deare nay the dearer bought the better you will keepe it the better and esteeme it the more The more it costs a Christian to get Christ and obtain assurance of Gods love the better it is Prov. 3.14 The merchandise of wisedome is better then the merchandise of silver and the gaine thereof then fine gold more precious then the rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Secondly It is of generall use for all persons and at all times when you shall throw away your gold and silver a dram of grace shall be in great esteeme and will comfort your soules Religion is not like a Souldier in time of Peace or a Chimney in Summer but of good necessary use at all times in prosperitie to teach you moderation in adversity to beare up your spirits in life in death it is a Crowne to you Thirdly This Bargaine proves better then was conceived temporall things seeme better then they prove and no man finds that in them which he imagined but spirituall riches afford more to the soule then at first was beleeved here that 's true It is naught it is naught saith the buyer but when he goeth apart he boasteth namely of his great pennyworth Prov. 20.14 Therefore be as the