Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	law_n	life_n	word_n	6,536	5	4.6772	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16943	The house of God The sure foundation, the stones, the vvorkmen and order of the building. The incomparable strength of that house, and the vaine assaults and batteries of Satan and all his power. In a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, December 24, 1626. / By Matthevv Brookes.	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1627 (1627)	STC 3836; ESTC S119308	25,408	48

haereticorū fraudes et furta conuincit Tertullian the blessed Scripture reproueth the sleights and thefts of Hereticks thence therefore they must ordinarily fetch their directions and be instructed how to build 2 Tim. 3.17 for they will make the man of God absolute Extraordinarily the builders are directed sometimes immediately by God himselfe and by his holy Angels as the ancient Fathers from Adam to Moses sometimes by visions and reuelations as the Prophets from Moses to Christ sometimes by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost as the Apostles Which extraordinarie meanes beeing now most rare the direction on which the builders must looke is the written Word of God together with the inward assistance of the Holy Ghost Will you know then how to make experience whether any builder be inwardly guided by the Spirit of God Heare then how one of the learned Fathers concludes the point Chrysost de 〈◊〉 ado●and Spirit There bee many saith he who doe bragge that they haue the Holy Ghost for they that speake of their owne doe falsly giue out that they haue him For as Christ did deny that he spake of himselfe when hee spake out of the Law and the Prophets euen so now if any thing saue the Gospell be thrust vpon vs vnder the name of the Holy Ghost we must not beleeue it For as Christ is the fulfilling of the Law and of the Prophets euen so is the Holy Ghost the fulfilling of the Gospell Lastly by these good meanes this doth come to passe that the stones are well placed in the Walles of this spirituall house for the labourers in Gods Haruest Mat. 9.37 whom he directeth by his Word and Spirit doe strongly proue and make appeare by the authority of the Word of GOD that God so loued the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This labour of theirs with the assistance of the Holy Ghost bringeth this to passe that first their minds are enlightened to see their owne misery in and by themselues Secondly their willes are inflamed to seeke reconciliation with God in Christ Iesus And it is admirable to see how God hath blessed the labours of his seruants to lay those liuing stones into the walles of this spirituall House who are well placed there by faith and baptisme Saint Peter hauing fully opened the state of the question and proued mightily Christ to be the Redeemer Act. 2.41 at one Sermon conuerted about 3000. soules who were also baptized How graciously were these stones layed in and placed Augustine confesseth of himselfe Confes lib. 5. cap. 14. that he heard Ambrose but for his eloquence sake et dum cor aperirem ad decipiendum quam disertè diceret pariter intrabat quam verè diceret By this meanes the Lord caught him for while he conceiued how learnedly hee discoursed he perceiued also how truly hee spake both conceipts entred together as heate and light which cannot bee separated Admirably was this stone layed in and placed By Caecilius a Minister of Christ was Cyprian that blessed Martyr conuerted to the faith Nazian laudib Cyprian He was both rich and Noble as Nazienzene reporteth of him hee was of great note for his learning and eloquence Lactant. instit lib. 4. cap. 1. Ioh. Trithem de script Cypr. Pont. Diacon de vita Cypr. as Hierom and Lactantius say And therefore considering his superstition as a rich and noble man hee might haue scorned to haue heard and as a learned and eloquent man disdained to haue beene taught by so meane a Minister as Caecilius was but the LORD would haue him to be layed into the building by his Ministery and therefore he was not onely won to the faith but euen at the first to shew that hee would practise what he had learned he sold all his substance and bestowed it vpon the poore wherby as Pontius Diaconus well concludeth paene antè coepit perfectus esse quam disceret De vita Cypr. he began to bee a perfect man in his religion almost before hee had learned the rules of it Was not this a blessed stone worke-man-like layed in and placed Wonder heere at the vndeserued loue of GOD toward his redeemed ones Epiph. ad Physiol cap. 21. Diuina opera incomprehensibilia sunt in hominibus mirabilia in excelsis super mel fanum super creata omnia dulciora His workes are incomprehensible to men for who can giue a reason of the choise of these liuing stones His workes are admirable in heauen euen the Angels themselues haue cause to admire the goodnesse of God toward his people His workes are sweeter then the honey the honey Combe or any thing created Behold how good it is vnto his people not to bee choise stones onely but to haue their Election made sure vnto them and by faith and baptisme through the ministerie of faithfull workmen directed by his Word and Spirit to be layed into the building All this were yet nothing if the house stood but vpon sandy ground and therefore to take away all doubts our Sauiour telleth vs whereupon his Church is built 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this Rocke Vpon this Rocke Secondly of the second proposition viz. the Church is built vpon Christ the Rocke Rainolds Conf. Hart. c. 2. diuis 1. Lex Graec. ad sacri appar instruct reg b●●lior Tom. 6. Thomas voce petra Illyr voce petra I will not much contend with our Aduersaries concerning words onely this I affirme that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth alwayes signifie a stone neuer a rocke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most vsually signifie a rocke grandem aliquam rupem viuum lapidem though sometimes it be likewise taken for a stone In this place it cannot signifie a stone but a rocke for our Sauiour is speaking of the foundation of his great building the Church vpon which foundation he would lay many Peters many stones This you shall see further by the metaphoricall acceptions of the word for sometimes petra is a firme place by way of opposition to sandy or mudground Psal 40.2 Hee brought me vp also out of an horrible pit out of the mirie clay and set my feete vpon a rocke and stablished my goings Sometimes it signifieth a place fortified and inexpugnable like vnto a Castle builded vpon a high craggy Rocke against which the power of the Enemie cannot preuaile Leaue the Cities Hier. 48.28 Psal 18.2 Psal 31.2 and dwell in the Rocke Lastly God is said to be our Rocke The Lord is my Rocke Be thou my strong Rocke for an house of defence to saue me This is the metaphor vsed in this place for our Sauiour telleth Peter who is the Rock of his Church that firm place vpon which his Church standeth that inexpugnable high Rocke vpon which it is situated namely himselfe whom Peter had confessed

when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God In this meaning haue the Fathers with great iudgement interpreted this place August de verb. dom Ser. 13. Greg. Nyssen in testim de Trinn Cont. Iudaeos Cyryl de Trinit lib. 4. Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 55. Amb. in Epist ad Ephes cap. 2. Hill●r de Trint lib. 2. 6. Bed in 1 Cor cap. 1. This Rocke which thou hast confessed saith Augustine vpon this Rocke which thou hast knowne saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God will I build my Church I will build thee vpon me not me vpon thee For men intending to build vpon men said I hold of Paul I of Apollos I of Cephas that is Peter and others who would not be builded vpon Peter but vpon the Rocke said I hold of Christ For the Rocke was Christ vpon which foundation Peter himselfe was builded sith no man can lay any other foundation beside that which is laid which is Iesus Christ And in this same sense haue Gregory Nyssen Cyril Chrysostome Ambrose Hillarie Venerable Bede and many other ancient Fathers and learned Diuines vnderstood this place otherwise then the Theologians of the Iesuiticall Order the pillars of the Church of Rome would haue it And Christ is the Rocke of his Church because he is the Redeemer of his Church For by Adams fall all mankind being in the loynes of Adam tanquam in radice as it were in the roote of mans nature as the Fathers speake both Adam and all his posterity were cast into the mire but the Rocke was promised when the promise of the womans blessed seed Gen. 3.15 to breake the Serpents head was made which promise when Adam apprehended by faith he was then built vpon the Rocke and not all mankinde which had fallen in and by him though it were then in his loynes but onely the elected members of the Church who by the same faith should apprehend the same sauing promise which Adam did The Rocke of the Church therefore is the Redeemer for the Church hath no other Rocke to be builded on Hence it must necessarily follow that in what respect he is the Redeemer of the Church in the same sense is he the Rocke on which it is builded but he is the Redeemer of the Church qua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore as he is both God and Man hee is that Rocke on which the Church is built And I say that he is the Rocke qua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that both natures are vndiuidedly necessary to the redemption of mankinde How should a satisfaction be made proportionable to our debt but by the diuine Nature How should a cure be found to an infinite euill but by an infinit good how should death be vanquished the greatnesse of sinne and the infinitenesse of the diuine Iustice be sustained but by the diuine Nature Againe who can giue satisfaction to the Iustice of God according to the Law by suffering sufficiently by obeying perfectly but onely man made vnder the Law who could suffer death being made a curse that so in all things he might be made like vnto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Iseb 2.17 but onely man See the necessitie of the humane Nature thus it behoued the Redeemer the Rocke that redeeming Rocke to be both God and man Ludouic Gran. ducis peccat lib. 1. part 1. cap. 4. Sum quidemsummo iure tibi obstrictus Domine mi eo quod me liberasti ab inferno meque tibi reconciliasti multa vero maiora tibi debeo propter modū ipsum quo me liberasti quam propter ipsam libertatem in quam me asseruisti Highly am I bound vnto God that hee hath vouchsafed to redeeme me from Hell and to reconcile me to himselfe but in afarre greater band am I bound for the manner of my Redemption then for that libertie into which hee hath brought me Set before your eyes the great mystery of your Redemption looke vpon the manner after which it was done and if it was not grieuous to the Sonne of God to assume vnto himselfe the humane Nature nay the sinnes of men nay the penalty due by the Law to sinners that he might be the Redeemer of his Church you that professe your selues to be members of that saued Family let it not bee grieuous vnto you to come forth of the Sodom of this worlds sinnes and vices with which Christ will haue no peace and a Christian will haue no agreement viz. your pride your lusts your intemperances and what things else are forbidden by the Law of God that like as the Word of God doth acquaint you with the mystery of your Redemption the Spirit of God may seale vnto your consciences the day of your Redemption Till this bee sealed though you haue the world at will though you be planted as high as the Cedars of Libanus in wealth and honours though you come into no mis-fortunes like other men though there bee no leading into captiuitie no complaining in your streets I will not therefore magnifie your happinesse Why your consciences doe tremble when you thinke of death Sinne raigneth in your mortall bodies and the sentence of the Law threatneth a fearefull iudgement I note not here how neere such a one is to the desperation of Iudas Iscariot but what can he hope for who doeth willingly either contemne or neglect so great saluation It is a great and a fearefull sinne to commit adultery or murther it is a greater sin to commit periurie or idolatry most vncleane are such persons and the doores of Heauen are close shut against them both in this world and in the world to come 1 Pet. 4.17 without great and vnfained repentance but to disobey the Gospell of God to cast aside the Redeemer that sure Rocke vpon which whosoeuer is not built shall surely bee blowne downe oh how great is that sinne how wide doth Hell gape for such a one Consider this ye Gadarens who preferre your Swine before Christ for so doth euery one who will not be a new creature in Iesus Christ for the loue of any kind of sinne and if yee will not hearken and be wise but still goe on to fashion your selues like vnto this world yet that you may not be ignorant of your owne miserable condition behold the happinesse of the Church of Christ and therefore the blessednesse of euery member of the same It is built it is firmely builded it is builded vpon a Rocke a redeeming Rocke the Rocke Christ Iesus and shall therefore neuer bee ouerthrowne by all the aduerse power The gates of Hell shall not preuale against it Of the conclusion and first what those gates of Hell are Noua glossa in Mat. 16.18 Vpon this reason that the gates of Cities are most strongly fortified and most firmely barred and