Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	knowledge_n	understanding_n	wisdom_n	6,916	5	6.5948	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10015	The saints submission and Sathans overthrow. Or, Sermons on James 4.7. By that faithfull and reverend divine, Iohn Preston, Doctor in divinitie, Chaplaine in ordinarie to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge, sometime preacher of Lincolnes-Inne	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1638 (1638)	STC 20266; ESTC S110465	38,733	336

tryall so is opportunity Vpon all opportunities the divell tempts men to some sinne or other Hence the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 7. exhorteth the Corinthians to forgive the incestuous person amongst them and to comfort him lest otherwise the divell might have more power over him and tempt him to despaire or some such sinne Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one should bee swallowed up with overmuch sorrow wherfore I beseech you that you would confirme your love towards him Hence it stands every man in hand when Satan drawes him into some sinne by occasion as by evill company or the like then to consider and looke what sinne he is most exposed unto by that occasion and so to defend himselfe that Satan foyle him not Thirdly his subtiltie appeares in the convenient glosses which hee covers sin withall whereby he blinds a mans judgement so that either he sees it not to be a sinne or else he sees not the punishment of it So that as a blind man knowes not whether hee goe aright or no or when he is right no more doth hee Hee useth two meanes to blind mens judgements in this manner first by stirring up in them some immoderate affection which whiles it raignes hinders the judgement from discerning aright of things As the eye of a man when it is troubled sees all things amisse and not as they are indeed yet afterwards the impediment being removed it sees things as perfectly as before so when the mind of a man is distempered with anger or some immoderate affection hee judgeth not aright of Kings but being carried with violence of passion doth many things amisse afterwards when his distemper is ceased he comes to his right judgement and plainly sees how he was deceived before Secondly hee doth it by hindring us from applying the rule aright to our actions Thus in Vsury when a man is possessed with the love of money and takes great delight in it that man is not able to apply the rule in Scripture to himselfe whereby this his sinne is forbidden Satan is so crafty that he invents sundry distinctions whereby he perswades him of the lawfull toleration hereof So when the rule in Scriptures for Ministers is that they ought to care and bee solicitous onely for their flocke to feed it yet few can apply this rule to their actions but seek chiefly their owne gaine preferment When a man beholds a thing through his affection like as his affection is so seemes the thing to be like as a man when hee sees any thing through a glasse the object seemes to bee of the same colour that the glasse is thus affection deceiveth a man But these things though they are hidden from men here yet for the most part at their death they are layd open before them the immoderate affection that hindered judgement is then taken away and Satan also who blinded men before makes things appeare unto them as they are Who sees himselfe thus beset with his adversary and desires not to have strength and weapons wherby he may resist him which is the second point The strength and meanes whereby we may resist him are especially these three First to have our hearts filled with grace that so the di●ell may find no roome to enter Secondly to cast ●ut our false friends which when our adversary assailes will turne from us and take his part these are our wicked lusts Thirdly to seeke this help from Christ we have no strength of our selves it is hee onely which can helpe and uphold us For the first Wee must have our hearts filled with grace which is an especiall meanes the reason may bee gathered out of the Parable Luk. 11. 24 25. When he commeth he findeth it swept and garnished that is voide of goodnesse empty of grace were it not for this hee could not have entered our hearts therfore must be filled with grace The Conscience of man is like a strong fortresse out of which he casteth this his enemy who had possession of it or like an house wherein the divell dwelt and tooke delight which when hee is cast out of hee goeth up and downe through dry places that is seeking to get in and enter into some others seeking rest and finding none that is not able to enter into any others hee returnes againe and as an enemy cast out of a strong hold if hee bee not withstood by a garrison gets possession again So if Satan returning findes not a garrison of graces and vertues fortifying the man if there be but the least roome voide enters againe into him which if the conscience had been full of grace he could not have done As in nature non datur vacuum there is no place empty So in the heart of man there will be something or other if it be not filled with good thoughts it will be filled with bad if it bee not filled with the graces of Gods Spirit it will be filled with Satans temptations This may rather be called emptinesse then fulnesse a thing is said to be empty when it is voide of that it should be filled withall A Well when there is no water in it is said to be empty though it be full of ayre So long as the true fulnesse of Gods grace tastes in our hearts so long the divell cannot enter but when there is not this fulnesse then according to the measure of vacuity more or lesse Satan entring into a man doth possesse him Moreover as there is a double emptinesse so there is a double fulnesse First there is an emptinesse of knowledge such was in those Gentiles of whom the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fooles and vers 21 they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Answerable to this there is a fulnesse of knowledge and of all the graces of Gods Spirit Such is that which the Apostle prayes for Coloss. 1. 9. Wee cease not to pray for you and to desire that yee might bee filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding Ephes 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of CHRIST which passeth knowledge Secondly there is an emptinesse of conversation voide and empty of the duties which are performed in a good Conversation This is called vaine Conversation 1 Pet 1. 18. Yee were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers So likewise there is a fulnesse of conversation opposed to this emptinesse when a mans whole life is filled with the fruits of Gods grace such the Apostle prayes for Phil. 1. 10 11. This I pray that yee may approve things that are excellent that yee may bee sincere and