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
A77017	A sermon preached before the reverend Committee of divines, the 20th of May 1646 At their usuall place of meeting in Westminster. Vpon a text given the day before, by that godly and learned member of the Assembly Mr John Ley chair-man. By Sampson Bond minister of Gods word, at Mayden-head in Berks. Printed according to order.	Bond, Samson.	1646 (1646)	Wing B3586A; Thomason E346_13; ESTC R201010	38,967	59

the Lord in his Sanctuary sed quia non legimus non credimus because we find no such thing in the Scripture we beleeve it not we are so farre from finding it there that before in and since the Primitive Church it hath by all sound and faithfull Christians been imbraced as an expresse Law morall and perpetuall binding the Christian for ever to present and offer himselfe before his God in the house of prayer being the place of his more especiall dwelling in a word they that refuse to come thither may as justly be termed profane persons as ever Esau was who because he was procul a fano far from the Sanctuary therefore farre from Gods protection Prov. 8. If blessed is the man that heareth him watching daily at his gates and giving attendance at the posts of his doors then cursed is the man that heareth him not daily watching at his gates and giving attendance at the posts of his doores but those that will not watch his gates nor attend his doors Solomon gives them this counsell Prov. 9. forsake your way yee foolish and yee shall live and walke in the way of understanding So I Part 2 passe from the Act present unto the Persons presenting Yee Yee The persons presenting are not onely the Romans but all true beleevers in all places and ages for though the Epistle be intituled to the Romans it will not therefore follow that it concernes us not for whatsoever things were written before time were written for our instruction hence it is that Saint James saith so speake yee and so doe as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty that is he will proceed according to his Word written Wherefore let us be circumspect and labour that our speeches and actions may be such that they may be agreeable to the Gospel God saith the Apostle shall judge the secrets of all men in that according to my Gospel there is not a word that Christ speaks but it shall judge Let us therefore pray that the Lord would set a watch before our tongue and before our Actions forasmuch as he speaks not in vaine that is judge that speaks saith Solomon Prov. 13. He that despiseth the commandement shall perish that is when God hath revealed his will in matter of duty for the direction of life for that he cals the commandement there now if a man come to despise this he shall certainly perish saith Solomon If any demand when doth a man despise the comandement When a man accounts a thing as nothing we say he doth despise it as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} despise not prophesying the word is account it not a thing of nothing account it not a slight matter therefore when in spirituall things a man accounts the Law of God below it selfe that is when hee maketh it not the chiefe direction of his life then hee accounts it as a thing of nothing and despiseth the Law which is praeludium perditionis the presage of perishing But these things I am compelled to leave to your meditations having sundry other points to handle I fall upon the next the Object Your Bodies In time of the Law it was not your owne Part 3 bodies but the bodies of others i the legall sacrifices were of cattell of sheepe of birds but now since Christ in time of the Gospel not the bodies of Beasts or any other but our bodies must be presented Aske me what is meant by bodies The mortifying of our lusts and rising againe to newnesse of life By Body is not meant the body only but the whole man body and soul so that a part is onely put for the whole We reade the like of the soul Ezeck. 18. The soul that sins shal dye that is body and soul so then in one word by Bodies is meant our selvs bodies and souls and al the parts and faculties thereof especially of the soul and her faculties First of the soul according to that of the Prophet With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea With my spirit within me will I seek thee early God is that which should be printed in the heart of a Christian man God and the name of God should be that upon which the affections of the whole soule ought to be fixed our place and seate in this world is as it were between earth and heaven heaven above us earth beneath us now the question is which way our heart looketh it may bee downe-wards to Iericho to the earth and the vanities thereof and so we shall runne a course of ruine and destruction it may be towards Ierusalem to Heaven and heavenly solidities and so wee shall run the course of peace and salvation Wherefore it is God we see that our soules should breath after nay our God hath made us for himselfe and our soules of themselves are restlesse till they returne to their God The soule is then in its perfection when it may truly be compared to a Circle A Circle is said to be a most perfect figure for this reason because the Line that beginneth in one point goeth round till it returne into the same so the soule of man is then in its greatest perfection when it returneth to his beginning to his God reflecting it selfe altogether backe againe upon his Maker till then the soule is in no quiet at all This the good man knows that there is no more rest for the soul out of God then there is for a stone in the Ayre hang but a stone in the ayre and doe but remove that that holds it there and it will never rest till it come to the earth so it is with the soule of man try it all fortunes and states and conditions in the world and it will rest in nothing till it come to its center his God to this purpose the father and the sonne are fit examples first David Psal. 144. having prayed for many temporall blessings in the behalfe of his people that their sonnes might be tall and valiant their daughters amiable and faire their oxen strong and laborious their sheepe fruitfull that there might be no invasion by forraine enemies nor any lamentation in their streets at length windeth up all with this conclusion Blessed are the people in such a case no more but blessed are the people in such a case when his soule enjoyed all that it could desire it was still restlesse therefore in the last part of the 15. verse hee comes upon the necke of his conclusion with words of correction correcting his former speech and revoking his words as if hee had spoken otherwise then well Yea rather saith he Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Now not till now his spirit is at rest his soule being fixed upon the Lord his God So Solomon when he beheld all the workes of his hands and the delights of his life passed this censure upon them

Eccles. 1. Vanitie of vanitie all is vanitie and worse too vexation of spirit in the end the good spirit summes up all Feare God and keepe his commandements Now when his soule is setled upon his God and his Commandements it is at peace and rest So then as we said before let the soule be tryed in all the fortunes and conditions in the world and it will rest in nothing till it come to its God God then is the object upon which our soules should be set wee should alwayes have an eye to God labouring to approve our selves to him that our soules may rest with him that wee may enjoy the light of his countenance here and the fulnesse and brightnesse of his glory hereafter thus by bodies is meant bodies and soules especially as we have heard the soule Now not only the soul in general is meant but also all the parts and faculties thereof in particular Wherefore if any demand here also what are the parts and faculties of the soule that they may know how to present them to God Though there are many I can mention but a few time would fayle me to speake of many First there is the Act of the understanding the intellectuall part viz. the Remembrance our remembrance is a Facultie i facultie of the soule which ought to be had in holy use and great esteeme it was so with the Prophet Esay as I shewed before Esay 26. Our remembrance is towards thy name This Chapter is a sweet song of the Prophet concerning the restauration of the Jewes and in this verse Esaiah maketh a good use of the act of his understanding of his remembrance that noble facultie of his gracious soule saying our remembrance is towards thy name Esay ought to be looked on by us as an example of our imitation and though wee can never over-take him yet we ought to follow after him this should bee one thing which a Christian should take speciall care of that our memories should not be like sives to let out the cleare water and to returne the graines and the dregs wee should not have that treasury to preserve rubbish but to keepe and preserve our Jewels Remember Mary shee treasured up those things she heard in her heart wherefore doubtlesse for these reasons that she might lay up the remembrance of God there that she might be alwayes thinking upon God that she might be breathing out prayers to him and prayses of him in returne of his mercy take notice of Solomons advise Remember thy Creator saith he in the days of youth that is begin betimes hold on and never be weary of this therefore this should be a thing that wee should often inure our selves unto not to put the thoughts of God from us or to thinke they are too sad and serious and so to account them as unwelcome guests but we should rather often bathe our selves in these sweet thoughts in meditation and remembrance of God this is one part and facultie of the soule Facultie 2 There is an act of the will and affection viz. Desire which is an other part and faculty of the soule A true desire is one of the sweetest acts of the affection we heard before of Esay and the Jews the desire of our soule say they is toward thee this was in one part their Christian Badge by which their God knew them and loved them and past by doubtlesse many faylings and infirmities which were incident to them The life of Esay and these Jewes is a perfect samplar of many vertues which the spirit of God hath pricked out for us to imitate and follow that our desires might be always breathing out flaming up towards heaven that in case we cannot obtain a full perfection in grace and heavenly vertues yet whatsoever we come short in otherwise to make it up in abundant desires longing desires ardent desires in any case not to come short of that which will make an excellent and comfortable supyly for much want defect and imperfection this facultie of the soule Desire is an Argument of a gracious heart desire is that if there be truth in it be it in the lowest degree of it which is an evidence of spirituall life we must know there cannot be truth of grace where there are not unfaigned hearty desires towards God desires to approve our selves to him desires to walke with him in our whole course desires to be defective in nothing againe the desire of God is that that maketh some union with God It is impossible for the heart to love God or to love grace except it desire God and desire grace for desire is nothing but a configuration of love it must needs be therfore that where there are desires towards God and desires of grace there is somewhat of God formed in that person there is somewhat of grace begun this is a second part and faculty of the soule which Christians should take speciall care to cherish and willingly practise There is endeavour constant endeavour which is another Facultie 3 part and facultie of the soule the good people in that 26 of Esay cry out Our soule hath desired thee in the night and our spirit also shall seeke thee early the soule of a good man of every good man desires God in the Evening and his spirit will seeke him early in the morning Solomon gives the reason Pro. 27. Who can tell what a day will bring forth it may be albus maybe at er dies it may be a white a happy a comfortable day may be a blacke a dismall a dolefull day so who can tell what a night may bring forth whether judgement or mercy whether good or bad events therefore to prevent the worse t is good to make sure worke for our owne safety namely that our soule desire him in evening and that our spirit seeke him early and then come what will come all shall bee for the best God will turne it all to good Omnia cooperantur c. Rom. 8 all things worke together for good to them that love God Now when the Jewes say our soule shall seeke thee in the Evening and our spirit shall desire thee early these words Evening and Early doe expresse not onely Desire but Endeavour which sheweth that the one is not to goe without the other our desires must be joyned with enquiries and endeavours searching after God to see if wee may by any meanes find him out that wee may know what is the way of his good-will and pleasure whether wee are in the way of life whether wee are effectually called whether wee are in the state of grace whether we have any part in the promises of salvation except there are continuall endeavours the suspicion is too palpable that the desires are ineffectuall desires and empty desires and not those that argue any life and truth of grace but when our desires are joyned with these bestirrings of the soule to seeke after Gods