Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	lord_n	people_n	word_n	7,267	5	4.0951	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38482	The English Spira being a fearful example of an apostate who had been a preacher many years and then apostatized from his religion, miserably hanged himself, October the 13th, 1684 : giving an account of his dispair, and divers conferences had with him, by several ministers and others of his friends : together with his answer, and papers written by his own hand / left attested by Mr. T. Plant, Mr. H. Collings, Mr. B. Dennis, Mr. B. Keach.		1693 (1693)	Wing E3121; ESTC R37321	41,094	57

till about July last About August last I gave him another Visit and then found him tho' naturally of a strong Constitution and lively Spirit so exceedingly shaken that the horror of the sight made such deep impressions as I think will at seasons recur and set it self before me afresh as long as I live His Speech was very regular which discovered his Memory to be good and that his Distemper had not seized his Head but his Heart He freely discoursed the grief of ●is Mind expressing and setting forth his Condition to be most deplorable as having no hopes of salvation I laid before him with the greatest tenderness the freeness and riches of Gods Grace chusing to argue from his own former declared Opinion against limiting of it but could fasten no word of consolation or hope upon him With some Reluctancy he granted me liberty to pray with him but said his Spirit was shut up he could not pray and while I was praying he often groaned and after I had ended told me God would make him a terrible Example to this present Age and tho' he was full of benignity yet he was also a terrible God being provoked These Expressions and the horror that appeared in his Eyes and all parts of his body drew many tears from mine Eyes and rendred the Spectacle so dreadful that I cannot say as is reported of one that visited Francis Spira that he would go a thousand miles to see another Spira but on the contrary I desire I may never see the like Spectacle again whilst I live in this world He told me he thought either in a dream or when he was awake he could not tell which that I should say to him If he died the common death of all men the Lord had not spoken by me I answered He better knew the temper of my Spirit and Principles than to conceive such a thought of me or that I should take up the words of the Prophet of God divinely inspired and apply them to him but all I could say abated nothing of the horror of his Soul that I could perceive This Comment I make upon it that if any Atheist in the world who had formerly known this man and had conversed with him in these his Agonies he would have seen sufficient to have convinced him that there is a Power besides and so much above Nature as can with a touch shake and disorder and turn into confusion the strongest constitution of body by ministring and fastning terrible things upon the Soul That when God wounds the Spirit of a man neither he himself can bear it nor can any other aid him Therefore it is a fearful thing to fall under the Wrath of the living God who is a consuming Fire and can at his pleasure awaken a stupid Conscience and revive upon it the memory and horror of such sins as seem to be past over and forgotten My Prayer is that this man being made as a Pillar of Salt may warn the present and future Ages of the danger of sinning against the present Light of their Understandings The Effect of a Conference between Mr. John Child and Mr. B. K. ABout the middle of July 1684. Mr. B. K. went to see Mr. Child not hearing the least report of any trouble he was then under and after some discourse which passed between them Mr. K. occasionably mentioned that Book called A Second Argument telling Mr. Child he was reported to be the Author thereof which he presently acknowledged and cried out against himself in a bitter manner saying What he had done therein was out of Malice and Revenge against those People and seemed to abhor himself for casting such abominable Reproaches upon them whom he said he knew deserved it not and presently desired Mr. K. to go up stairs with him which he did and then he farther signified to him his deplorable condition and what horror and anguish of Soul he lay under and that there was no mercy for him And Mr. K. being on a sudden surprized with his deep expression of horror of which he had heard nothing it did amaze him yet he endeavoured with the utmost of his ability to comfort him by shewing the greatness of Gods mercy to true penitent persons together with the infinite worth and value of Christ's Bloud telling him withal that he was glad to find he had the sence of his great Evil on his heart or words to that effect and that he hoped this breaking was in order to healing But Mr. Child said he doubted of that And all the Words and Arguments Mr. K. could use to satisfie him were in vain so that at that time it being late at night he took his leave of him Mr. K. Soon after he came to seek me at my house but then I could not stay long with him But a few days after when he sent for me I went and found him in bed rowling and tumbling up and down in a lamentable manner enough to pierce ones heart I said to him Mr. Child I thought by your deportment when you was at my house the burden was pretty well off or to that effect Mr. Child No no my burden is greater than I can bear I would fain be satisfied as touching one thing Mr. K. What is that Mr. Jo. Child Whether my sin may not be that against the Holy Ghost Mr. K. I hope and believe it is not Mr. Child But I wrote the Book out of malice Mr. K. There is a great deal of difference between doing a thing out of malice and prejudice against the Lord's People and acting out of malice against Christ himself or doing despight to the Spirit of Grace I do not doubt but that you always had holy and reverent dread and respect to the Name of God tho' you might take up a great offence against some of his People Mr. Child I have often had that Scripture brought to me Psal 50.19 20. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and with thy tongue thou forgest deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thy mothers son And of that which follows Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces Mr. K. But pray observe tho' you should be guilty of that great evil there mentioned yet there is ground of hope in that you are exhorted to consider I used many Arguments to perswade him to rely on the mercy of God thro' Christ mentioning that passage of the Prophet David Forgive me my sin for it is great and how wonderfully he had manifested and magnified the attribute of his mercy in pardoning great and bloudy sinners Mr. Child Breaking forth into bitter tears cried out I know that the Majesty of Heaven is a good and gracious Being yet when provoked stretching forth his hands in a frightful manner he is a terrible God Mr. K. I think it is necessary that you retract what you have written in that Book for that I think nothing short of it will be

Repentance that I shall never be Mr. P.'s Friend Do you think that God is able to pardon you Mr. Child No. Mr. P. What is your reason Mr. Child God hath sworn in his wrath that I shall never enter into his Rest Mr. P. How do you know that God hath so sworn concerning you Mr. Child Setting himself down said I confess a man should not affirm that which he hath no reason for But rose up as one discontented and gave no further Answer Mr. P. Pray you let me be more inwardly acquainted with the state of your Soul Mr. Child The wrath of God is kindled and burns within me It is impossible for you to imagine my torment and this is but an earnest penny of my eternal damnation I have guilt enough upon me to sink seventeen Kingdoms and I know the Earth would open its mouth and swallow me up alive like Corah Dathan and Abiram were it not that God hath reserved me to be a more publick Spectacle of his Anger and displeasure both to Angels and men God hath taken away my Tallent from me and the influence of the divine Spirit hath altogether left me I can neither pray nor desire others to pray for me my heart is perfectly hardened Mr. P. Could you wish that those that have an interest in God should improve it for you Mr. Child How should I when I cannot desire Jesus Christ to pray for me I am now out of hopes for the Prayers of the Godly are recorded in Heaven against me flouds of tears flowing from his Eyes Dear bought Experience hath taught me that it is not a small thing to trifle with the great Concerns of Religion and Eternity as most men account it I have made a God of this World and neglected God and his Christ and therefore these things are justly come upon me I have been a loose and carnal Professor and if I were in the place of God I should meet the same measure that God doth to me My Calamity is even at the door and all men in a little time will justifie Gods dealing with me Mr. P. Pray you explain your self in these things Mr. Child Evading further Discourse you shall have the full Account of it in print His Wife Who shall print it Mr. P. I suppose Mr. Child intends some signal Impression by Divine Vengeance Mr. Child Though what you have said is true yet it is not what I intended for I have resolved to give the World an Account of my Condition in a printed Paper Mr. P.'s Friend This is an humbling Dispensation that you are exercised under Mr. Child An humbling Dispensation do you call it I tell you it is a hardening Dispensation and I feel it to be so Mr. E. P. I hope there is mercy yet reserved for you Mr. Child I know I shall have mercy such as the damned have I do highly justifie God in his dealings with me A Friend Your justifying the dealings of God with you is a good sign Mr. Child God can open the mouths of Reprobates to justifie his proceedings Mr. P. I hope that God will appear in a way of mercy to your Soul if you sincerely and heartily apply your self to him Mr. Child The most Judicious men know that I am a damned and lost man Mr. P. Walking with him in the Fields You seem now to be more setled in your mind Mr. Child Tho' no consideration can yield me peace or comfort yet the violence of my Torments admits of some intermissions and therefore I am not so sensibly afflicted at all times if I had but such a sence of my sin as I ought to have I should burst asunder or like Judas use extremity towards my self Mr. P. What mean you by that passage blaspheming his Tabernacle in your Letter to Mr. J. Mr. Child By it I intended reproaching and scandlizing the Church Mr. P. Taking the Letter out of his pocket Do you own the Contents of this Letter Mr. Child Yes and it was written by me as with the Pen of a ready Writer I would fain believe but all power is taken away from me Mr. P. I have discoursed with Mr. M. about your Case and it is his opinion that a Recantation is your first step in order to peace in your mind and spoke it with much concern of your Soul Mr. Child Shedding many tears and expressing a passionate inquiry Is this true that he is concerned for me By which expression with the manner of it Mr. P. collected that it gave some ease to the mind of Mr. Child to have his condition entertained in 〈…〉 The substance of another Conference between Mr. John Child and Mr. H. D. Mr. E. M. Mr. F. and Mr. J. B. Mr. D. HOW is it with you Sir Mr. Child I am in great confusion and disorder in my Spirit I have sinned against so much Grace that I am without hopes of receiving mercy Company If your trouble is in respect of the Book which you have written whereby you have done so much injury to the suffering People of God the best way we can advise you to is to free your Conscience from guilt will be to make your Repentance and Recantation as publick as your sin is Jo. 7.19 Mr. Child I must confess I stand greatly indebted to the Publick but I am so confused in my mind that when I think of doing it I can do nothing There are three things which are a burden to me my sin against God which is impardonable my sin against God's People and another thing Company What is that other To which he made no Answer Company Do you think that impardonable sin you mentioned is the sin against the Holy Ghost Mr. Child I cannot tell Company Was what you did done maliciously against God Christ and the holy Spirit and God's People Mr. Child No. Company Then it may comfortably be concluded you have not sinned that sin and therefore you may take encouragement from the comfortable words of Christ viz. that all other sins and blasphemies may be forgiven you quoting many proper Scriptures Consider the instances of David Manasseh Peter Paul and the Jews who were guilty of crucifying our Saviour and imprecated the guilt of his Bloud upon their Children to whom yet our Saviour in his rich mercy commands his Disciples first to preach the Gospel Is your condition worse than theirs Company It may be your Endeavours heretofore too much to advance Free-will and the power of the Creature may be one reason why the Lord hath permitted you thus to fall Mr. Child You have hit it Sir I once thought there was a power in man but now I find it otherwise for I cannot pray the Lord hath taken away the gift of Prayer from me I have no desire after any thing that is good I cannot repent Company Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins Shall we now pray for you Mr. Child Yes Then

under it I shall be an eternal Monument of the Wrath of God! The Effect of a Conference had with Mr. John Child by T. P. between whom there had been for divers years more than a common Intimacy and Conversation MR. Child signified by a Friend he had a great desire to speak with T. P. and sent a short Letter to him to that purpose concluding it thus It may be of advantage to the wretched Soul of him who was formerly known to you by the name of John Child T. P. gave him a meeting and found him in a very dejected and despairing frame full of horror and confusion crying out as soon as his Tears would give him leave that his condition was exceeding bad that he was a miserable wretch that he had sinned at an extraordinary rate that there was no mercy for him he had been guilty of those things spoken of Psal 50.19 20. and that the 22th verse was a dreadful word to him for as God had there threatned so he would do to him even tear him in pieces T. P. God there calls upon men who had forgotten him to consider in order to Repentance Mr. Child Yea so it was and that sometime gave me a little hope but it was quickly over And rising up and walking smote his breast saying Sir I am damned I am damned it is most certainly so my day is over Oh that it were with me as in days past but it is too late The Decree is gone forth it is sealed in Heaven and it is irreversible Jesus cannot now save me he will not he cannot mediate for me I have so much offended him in maliciously abusing his People Oh what a Wretch was I what a 〈…〉 T. P. Remember the goodness of God to Mankind Mr. Child That is a truth still that is a truth still but I cannot lay hold on it and by how much the more I have believed and asserted it so much the greater is my Sin and the aggravation of my Condemnation T. P. Remember what the Prophet speaks Jer. 3.5 12 13. Will he reserve his anger for ever Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldst Go and proclaim these words Return thou backsliding Israel I am merciful saith the Lord I will not keep anger for ever only acknowledge thine iniquity T. P. Knowing his former temper of Spirit told him he feared his Pride and Ambition had prompted him to do and publish such things whereof he now felt the unsupportable smart Mr. Child This is true Pride and Covetousness hath ruined me it hath undone me I have been too much influenced thereby I have been an Hypocrite I am so now I seem to repent I do not I cannot repent T. P. I advise you to take care of your health and consult with some able Physician lest this distress and horror of mind bring you under such Distempers as may render you more uncapable of receiving that advice and comfort that may be offered to you from the Word of God Mr. Child walking to the end of the Room turned back with a very stern countenance and striking his hand on his breast said No Sir I cannot pamper this Body for God will have it made a remarkable Example to this Generation T. P. I advise you to frequent hearing the Word of God Mr. Child I have no inclination to it T. P. Offered that some should come and improve some hours in Prayer to God for him but to this Mr. Child gave no answer This is the substance of what passed betwixt us about the beginning of August And soon after going a Journey I saw him no more Many other Passages to the like effect were uttered from Mr. Child with which his countenance gestures and whole behaviour bore such a proportion as were sufficient to evidence to all persons of understanding and sobriety who had formerly known him and then heard and beheld him that he apprehended the Arrows of the Almighty to stick fast in him and that the troubles darkness confusions horrors and affrightments of his Soul were not less if they were not much more than his Tongue exprest In the dread and fear of the righteous Judgments of him who is the searcher of all hearts whom this Man had so highly offended in sinning against the light and checks of his Conscience I suffer not my thoughts to run out concerning his Eternal Estate His remorse of Conscience self-condemnation frequent asking forgiveness of his offended Brethren begging the Prayers of others and attempts to pray himself seemed to savour of that which himself would not allow to be called repentance perhaps because his publick recantation of the injuries done to his Brethren which he acknowledged to be just but by reason of shame and thereby exposing himself to sufferings and losses he could not bring his heart throughly to consent to it were by some made the terms of it And however it pleaseth God in his long-suffering to permit without an open rebuke such as make it a trade for gain sake without any distinction of persons as ignorantly as maliciously to brand and calumniate a whole Society with the high Crimes committed by some few that bear their Name to the scandal and grief of all their Brethren yet our God is a terrible God that accepteth no man's person nor taketh rewards but is known by the Judgments he executeth and in this Person we have a dreadful Instance of his High Displeasure against such who by their Conversation amongst their Brethren know how to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent and yet will dare presumptuously for private and selfish ends hypocritically and against the dictates of their own Knowledge and Conscience maliciously to accuse a whole Party as guilty of such things whereof he knows if there be any it is but here and there one among thousands that have ever administred any occasion for such an accusation which may be a warning to us all how we offend in the like kind Mr. John Child's Aspersions in his printed Plea of the Nonconformists for the Conformists to which as we suppose his Paper written with his own Hand transcribed in the other Colume refers Mr. Child's Recantation in his Paper written with his own Hand That it is a dishonour to the Church and Clergy of England to have such an one that hath no more Wit so little Justice Reason and Conscience plead for them that the Author of this Libel is worthily so represented appears by divers base false devilish and most scandalous Passages therein contained Page 5. THE Nonconformist have no Order at all especially the generality of Mechanical Preachers in that Way for either they leave their Callings and Concerns of their Families and run up and down Preaching of their own Heads upon a phansical supposition that they are able to Preach or else at most have but the consent and connivance of a few weak persons like themselves who are altogether incompitent Judges in such