Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	life_n	young_a	youth_n	155	3	7.9438	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49466	Remedy against trouble in a discourse on John XIV, 1 : wherein something is also briefly attempted for clearing the nature of faith, of justification, of the covenant of grace, assurance, the witness, seal and earnest of the spirit, and preparation for conversion, or the necessity of holiness / by H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1694 (1694)	Wing L3481; ESTC R13639	76,819	257

therefore he will shew his displeasure against it But it is so likewise in Spiritual blessings we read of great things ascribed to Faith Acts 15.9 as purifying the heart overcoming the World quenching all the fiery darts of the wicked 1 Jo. 5.4 Eph. 6.17 Now it doth not all these things in a moral way as Moses overcame by looking to the recompence of the reward but we are thereby strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Heb. 11.26 Ephes 6.10 2 Tim 2.1 1 Peter 1.5 Col. 1.11 or in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and we are kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation It is the Divine Power that keeps us and we are strengthned thereby or according thereto and not only morally by his word as men may strengthen each other Job 43.4 Ezek. 13.22 but it is Faith that takes in this aid or assistance of Grace or the supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.9 which are communicated from him to the several Members of his Mystical Body as the Spirits are from the Head in the Natural Body and as Christ dwells in the heart by faith Ephes 3.17 so we derive Spiritual Life and Virtue from him in the daily Exercise of Faith he leaving those usually to themselves that trust to their own strength as Youth and Young men are ready to do when those that wait on the Lord and look to him for supplies of Grace shall surmount all difficulties and persevere in well-doing without weariness or fainting Isaiah 40.30 31. Psalm 27.14 He will strengthen the heart of those that wait on him and give Grace to such humble Souls as distrusting themselves rely upon him for strength and assistance CHAP. IX THere is yet one way more whereby Faith becomes such an effectual Remedy against Touble and that is as we thereby have a view or prospect of the other World or of the Future state We thereby look to the things that are not seen which are eternal And if any shall say 2 Cor. 4.18 the word there used doth not imply that he saw them or had a view of them but only that he made them his scope or aim I answer The word sometimes signifies to mark or observe as well as to consider or have respect to Rom. 16.17 Phil. 3.17 Heb. 11.27 And we do in a sort see the things which we aim at Moses is said to endure as seeing him that is visible which implies not the manner of his enduring but the ground of it not as if he had seen him that is invisible but because he saw him that is invisible or like one that saw the invisible God John 1.14 So as the glory of the only begotten Son of God is a glory becoming such an one And if it be said there is a Contradiction in the terms to see him that is Invisible I answer It is an Elegancy used frequently in Scriptures where a word in the same place is taken in different senses as to believe in hope Rom. 4.18 1 Tim. 5.6 against hope And she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she lives She lives Naturally but is dead Spiritually So God is invisible to our bodily Eyes but we see him by faith which is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 And if it be further objected that Faith and Sight are opposed in Scripture as We walk by faith and not by sight And in whom 2 Cor. 5.7 1 Pet. 1.8 tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory For this latter place distinguish of seeing as before and the sense is plain and for the former place Faith is there opposed either to the Vision of God which we shall have in the Future state or to present sense implying that we should govern our lives not by Sense or what we see but by what we belive or hereafter hope for And the Apostle when he would set forth the virtue of Faith and of what excellent use it is to support Christians under Trials and Sufferings he grounds it upon this Heb. 11.1 that it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It gives as it were a real and present subsistence to things that are yet but future and so hoped for and giveth us as full satisfaction concerning those things which we do not see as if we saw them clearly before our eyes And these two things make that which is future to affect us more and work more effectually upon us We say indeed among men that seeing is believing And they have Proverbial Speeches in other Nations like this of our own There is so much deceit and falshood to be found among men that persons will hardly believe till they see or have sufficient ground for it and so will not venture much on uncertain hopes But when we have to do with God that cannot lie believing is seeing that is when we have his Word to ground our Faith upon we are as sure as if we saw with our eyes or as if things were proved to us by a Mathematical Demonstration that is by such clear evidence as nothing can be objected against But tho we look upon things as certain they do not much affect us if we look upon them as at a great distance of time therefore wicked men relieve themselves against the fear of future Evils by looking upon them as at a great distance Ezek. 12.27 Amos 6.3 or putting far away the evil day We are likewise encouraged to patience by the near approach of the recompense of reward because he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 James 5.8 9. Luke 21.28 The coming of the Lord draws nigh The judge stands before the door And our Saviour bids his Disciples lift up their heads when their redemption draws nigh If persons were going to some places and tired with the tediousness of their Journey and discouraged with the Difficulties and Dangers that they meet with in their way questioning whether they should find the way to it or hold out till they come at it should come to the top of an Hill and before they are aware see the place that they are going to a little before them what Courage and Life would it presently put into them As Columbus that first discovered the West Indies when his men were ready to Mutiny having been wearied with a Voyage of Sixty days over the Ocean he perceiving the Clouds to look clearer concluded that they were not far from Land and so promised them to return if they did not within three days discover Land which they did before the end of the third day So if we could get a sight of the other World as Moses did of the Land of Cannan on the top of Pisgah Deut. 3.27 What Vigour and Life would it add to us when we

I would help Christians in Again you may observe a difference betwixt Persons that are nice and neat in their Nature and Temper and those that take care only to make a good shew The former would not only appear neat outwardly but they are uneasy if they have any thing about them which is not neat and cleanly Again tho they may think themselves more obliged to go according to their Rank when they are Abroad or in Company yet you shall never surprize them in any sordid or unhandsome Dress The latter care not what they wear so they have something that is fine to cast over all Their Natures will bear sordidness and nastiness if they can hide it and if they can appear Fine abroad care not what they wear at home So sincere Christians take heed to their spirits Matth. 2.15 Psalm 51.10 and pray daily that God would create in them a clean heart and renew in them a right spirit Their secret sins are a trouble and burden to them Psalm 19.12 They would especially let their light shine so before men that seeing their good works they may glorify their father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 But yet they will walk in the midst of their Houses with a perfect heart carry themselves amongst Servants and Children as remembring that they are under the eye of God and should be Examples of Holiness to those under their own Charge Psal 101.2 Matth. 23.27 Luke 11.44 Whereas others are like painted Tombs and whited Sepulchres which within are full of rottenness and dead mens bones So they put on their best Dress when they go out that they may make a fair shew before others but surprize them at home when they do not study their Carriage and they are quite other manner of Persons and care not how they appear in their own Families before their Servants and Children Again We may observe That some Persons have Tertian or Quartan Agues on the intermitting days they are ordinarily as well as other Persons but we must not therefore conclude when we see them wdl that they have lost their Ague or are cured for when the Fit-day comes they are as bad again as ever yet he that is cured may once in a long time perhaps on occasion if he have some way neglected or disorder'd himself have some remembrance of his Ague as we speak in a Fit and away So in this case we sometimes see Persons abstain from Sin and carry themselves very well for some time together but this is only an Intermission they have been kept from Temptations or Occasions of Sin but when they meet with an Occasion or Temptation they are the same Persons that they were and so toties quoties as we say as oft as they meet with occasion they fall again into Sin these are not cured but those that are freed from their Disease may perhaps at some time be overtaken with Sin and we cannot determine how oft but if the general tenor of their Lives be as becomes the Gospel tho they do Sin 1 John 2.1 they have an Advocate with the Father CHAP. VII I Will now shew you some Characters whereby you may make some Judgment of your Spiritual State And amongst many which others lay down I shall insist only on some few which are most easy to be discerned in our selves I never study to speak I will not say all that may be said but all that I can say on any Subject remembring that of the Orator Dictis est electio modus for tho I reckon not my self among Learned men yet I would follow them at a distance And 1. Observe what it is that you are chiefly guided by in the general course of your Life What we chiefly mind doth influence us in all the passages of our Lives And they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh and they that are after the spirit Rom. 8.5 the things of the spirit That is those in a Natural state chiefly mind that is savour and relish set their affections on are taken up in the pursuit of carnal things The same word is used Matth. 16.23 Phil. 3.19 John 3.5 Rom. 8.1 Col. 3.2 So those that are born of the spirit walk after the spirit are led by the Spirit Savour and Relish set their Affections on seek after Spiritual things Now let us examine what it is that doth chiefly influence us in the several turnings of our lives We consider what will stand with what will chiefly further that which is our great concernment not what should be so but what we really make so In chusing Callings or Imployments Relations Places of abode let us consider what we look chiefly at what sways us most therein whether we chuse such a Calling or way of Life which will most advance us in the World wherein we are most like to get great Estates to live at Ease in Pleasure or whether in our choice we consider rather what will most help us or least hinder us in the way to Heaven where we are like to meet with fewest Temptations I deny not but we may consider how to live so as we may be in a capacity to give rather than to receive Acts 20.35 1 Thes 4.12 That we may walk honestly towards them that are without having lack of nothing but may pay every one their own and be burdensome to none But that which we should and shall seek in the first place if our hearts be right within us is the kingdom of God and his righteousness Matth. 6.33 Not for worldly advantage chusing for our selves or ours such Imployments or Callings as may take up our time so as we cannot wait upon the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 or which may cast us upon Temptations to excess man-pleasing or other like Sins which may deprive us of the benefit of the Ordinances of God and force us to live amongst Idolaters or Heathens If any say some must follow such Callings leave them to such as mind earthly things and govern themselves thereby So it is in chusing Relations Let Persons deal plainly and faithfully with themselves and they may know what it is that makes Matches for them by their choice therein We may see to allude to the words of Joshua whom they chuse to serve Joshua 24.15 Whether their God is their Belly and they chuse to live at Ease and in Pleasure whether they be covetous Idolaters and look chiefly after great Estates whether they do as those that chuse chief rooms at feasts Luke 14.7 Crowding to get as high as they can to get as near as may be towards the upper end of the World I allow it to be not only lawful but prudent for Persons so far as they can to match within their own Rank But as our Saviour saith in another case These things ought ye to have done Matth. 23.23 and not to leave the others