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	power_n	soul_n	7,217	5	4.8221	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89499	Englands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure: discovered in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, on their solemn day of fast, at Margarets Westminster, June 28. 1648. / By Thomas Manton, minister of Stoke-Newington.	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1648 (1648)	Wing M523; Thomason E450_4	33,495	42

best to take the ready way and that is the repairing of Religion 't is ill when Religion is but policy but 't is as it should bee when our policy is Religion though the troubles are by men yet out work doth not so much lye with man as with God wee beginne at the right end when wee beginne with him for by making God a friend you may the better get in with men To set on this reason take a few considerations Without God men can doe you no good dependence on the Lord is the best security and the surest policy is trusting God rather then men they are weake and faithlesse and so will faile you when there is most need the people are unstable as waters and their respects are dispensed with much uncertainty to day they cry up and to morrow they cry down things to secure themselves they will desert them that have done those most good as the Keilites were ready to give up David after hee had delivered them assoone as Saul had any force in Israel 1 Sam. 23.11 if they keep true their power to help may bee gone God kindleth courage and quencheth it at pleasure Ezek. 7.14 They have blown the Trumpet to make all ready but none goeth to the battaile for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof there were great preparations but their hearts failed them Truly there is nothing preserveth States so much as Gods power over the spirits of men nothing which you ought to regard and heed so much as that bodies without hearts are a disadvantage and their hearts are in Gods hands all outward strength and support lyeth in the moveable respects of the people for so they are in themselves 't is God onely that can fix and make them sure With God men can doe you no harm hee is with them that are carefull to establish and set up his worship and then they need not care who are against them see 2 Chron. 28. there is a story of Sennacheribs comming up against Ierusalem in the first verse the time is specially noted after these things and the establishment thereof that is after Hezekiah had established the Worship of God which circumstance is mentioned chiefly to note the occasion of Hezekiahs confidence for see how hee disvalues him upon this Verse 8. With him is an Arme of flesh but with us is the Lord our God When yee are thus for God God will bee with you and then what 's dust to the winde Bryars and thorns to a devouring burning An Arme of flesh to the Lord our God All the discouragements of the creature come from these things want of care to get interest in God and want of skill to improve it your Grand design should bee to get God with you and truely then you may slight the most daring attempts Isa 8 chap. 9 10. verses Associate your selves O yee people and yee shall bee broken in pieces and give ear all yee of far Countryes associate your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and yee shall be broken in pieces take counsell together and it shall come to nought speak the Word and it shall not stand for God is with us In a triumph of faith the Prophet laugheth at their vaine attempts Hee challengeth not onely single adversaries that might sooner bee dissipated but such as were strengthened by a combination of interests and twisted into a league and association but all will not doe yee shall bee broken in pieces againe he speaketh to them call in more strength come with more advised care yet yee shall bee broken to pieces if you will adventure once more and try the other 50 as that wretched King did and see if heaven will smile on a third endeavor yet still the event shall bee the same yee shall be broken in pieces he addeth again 2 King 1. chap. take counsell together that is recollect your selves summon your best wits that you may know wherein you have failed and play your game the more wisely the next time yet saith the Prophet it shal come to nought your deliberate mature consulations shall have the same event with your rash and heady enterprises that is all shall bee disappointed The Prophet goeth on speake the word and it shall not stand that is when you have prepared the businesse so that you think all the devils in Hell cannot disappoint you yet God can for hee suposeth their presumption growne so confident as that they speak the word that is give out threats and boasts and yet then it shall not stand the reason is rendred in the close of all for Immanuel for God is with us Indeed there is the ground of all God never made a creature or any combination of creatures that should be too hard for him God with us is enough you doe but spit against the winde when you oppose those with whom hee is the drivell will bee returned upon your own face Isa 54.18 Surely they shall gather together but not by mee whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake there may bee tumults and confusions but being without God there is little hope and against God there is certaine ruine The Heathens were convinced of this they would not warre against a Nation till they had called out their Gods from them Macrobius in his Saturnalia hath a chapter de ritu Evocandi Deos 't was upon this errand that Balaam went to Balak to get away the God of Israel Numb 23. Certainly nothing goes so neer to the hearts of Gods people as the insultations of their adversaries when they have lost their shadow and the defensive presence of their God as when David had falne scandalously in the matter of Vriah his adversaries boasted now there is no helpe for him in God Selah Psal 3.2 and this went to his soule so still our scandalous miscarriages give the adversaries hope that our shadow is gone c. In having God you have men too hee can preserve friends or awe enemies and therefore still I say to gaine the respects of men the best way is to get in with God Prov. 16.7 When a mans wayes please the Lord his enemies shall be at peace with him remember Gods power over the spirits of men and then you will see that your maine worke lyeth with him Jacobs hardest taske was with God he wrestleth with God and findeth Embraces from Esau reconcile your selves to God and take hold of his strength and then hee can take away the enmity of the crea●ure God can recover lost hearts preserve the respects of subjects intire to the supreame powers 't is very notable that in the 34. Gen. the 30. verse compared with 35. Gen. 1. When the miscarriages of Simeon and Levi had made Iacob stinke among the Inhabitants of the Land and hee was afraid the Canaanites and Perizzites would combine against him to slay him God biddeth him goe to Bethel and pay his vows Such

will beget but painted grace when we come in the demonstration of the Spirit we come in power 1 Cor. 2.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with plain and solid conviction this is the sinne this the curse and misery When the thread of the Gospel is so fine spun 't will not cloath a naked soule notion eateth out all saving knowledge the Apostle speaks of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 oppositions of science falsly so called by which they thought to better the Gospel but did indeed debase it such niceties enervate godlinesse make it weak and less in power we must take heed then of debasing this Ordinance to an effeminate delicacy it should still be masculine and generous full of Spirit and power from on high I would not bee mistaken as if I did plead for a lazy carelesnesse in managing the Word I know that God concurreth with mans diligence and if wee would not have the people loath the Word wee should painfully provide it for them every Scribe that is instructed for the Kingdome of God that is that would doe service in the Church of God must bring forth out of his treasuries things both new and old Matth. 13.52 that is although not new truths yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 old Truths in a new way otherwise represented to the imagination or fancy to take of that taedium or naturall satiety that is in us that wee may not loath them as Coleworts twice sod but that truths may still have a fresh look upon the conscience and affections This may be done but wee must take heed of ungrounded niceties subtle notions that beget onely speculation and doe not stirre up to practice An undue preaching of the Gospel poyson conveyed in so sweet a wine maketh the cup the more deadly by this means Religion it selfe is made to bee of sins side and the grace of God plyable to carnall conclusions and indeed when the truths of God that should convince of sinne are debauched to so vile a purpose as to countenance sinne men can the better overcome remorse of conscience and doe sinne with the lesse regret out of a presumption that the Gospel is of their side Jude Vers 3. They turne the grace of our God into wantonnesse they debauch the grace of God that is the Doctrine of grace make that yeeld countenance to their lusts and so men father their Bastards upon the Spirit and sinne cum privilegin by a licence from heaven When those that should have been Prophets cryed peace peace see what Jeremy saith Jer. 4.10 Ah Lord God surely thou hast greatly deceived this people in saying they shall have peace 'T was done in Gods name by the false Prophets and they were as secure as if God himselfe had said so Wee would willingly have the Gospel over Gospeld and hear in the eare of liberty therefore I am perswaded there is no one thing hath hindered the power of godlinesse care of duty humbling of soules so much as this undue preaching of the Gospel Publicke liberty and connivence that maketh sin more common and so lesse odious outward restraints keep men that are evill from discovering of it and though it bee the priviledge of divine precepts to convert the soule Psal 19.7 yet the commands and authority of men may much hinder the diffusion and dissemination of sin and errour 't is good to observe the severall guards that God hath put upon a man to keep him from sinne so prone are wee to it there are inward guards Spirit Word and Conscience there are outward guards the Ministery the Church and the Magistrate all which are as in his stead to bee an awe to sinners more especially it is said of the Magistrate that hee is the Minister of God to bee a terrour to evill doers Rom. 13.3 4. Now when their sword is sheathed up and nothing is setled wicked men lose all awe and restraint and doe what is right in their own eyes Judges 21.25 as 't is said there they did when there was no King in Israel that is no exercise of Government to restrain publicke disorders for as yet their Government was not Monarchicall then all goeth to wrack iniquity groweth impudent and Religion is borne downe Solomon saith Prov. 20.8 A King that sitteth upon the throne of judgment scattereth away all evill with his eyes that is when Magistrates imploy and draw out their power they scatter evill as the Sun scattereth mists Another cause may bee want of Catechising by which means truths would be more revived and kept fresh and savory in the thoughts and so have the more awe upon us Martyrology and Catechising were two of the most successefull engines against Popery Truths worke most when we discerne that Cognation and kin by which they touch and respect one another indistinct knowledge doth but dispose to error or loosenesse Sermon hints an hint here and an hint there doth not so much good for men of weaker conceits cannot so easily discerne how one truth is inferred from another and what analogy and proportion there is between them and so are easily overcome by more subtile and stronger wits or else not discerning that faire complyance that is between practical and comfortable truths grow loose certainly Religion would be more propagated if this exercise were revived We are debtors to wise and unwise Rom. 1.14 and Christ that bade Peter feed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sheep bade him also feed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his lambes John 21.15 16. For want of this pattern of sound words and these condescensions to weake ones by this exercise many mischiefs have abounded amongst us to the great dammage of Religion and godlinesse These are part of the causes others might bee mentioned but I shall forbeare you will say then What remedy therefore I shall proceed to the next thing which is to shew you What we should doe to strengthen the things that are ready to die or to repaire decayed godlinesse give mee leave to speake a word To all in generall as we are Christians severall things are necessary let me point at a few Oh that we would all joyn together quasi manu factá 't is Tertullians word in an holy conspiracy to befiege heaven by prayers untill more Spirit and life be powred out and in greater abundance God hath said Acts 2.15 that he will powre out his Spirit upon all flesh oh beg it for England goe to him that hath the seven Spirits to look upon another dead Sardis God must offer violence to us ere we can offer violence to the Kingdom 't is the mighty quickning Spirit that must revive us in our languishings that which carrieth the soule to God must come from God waters can arise no higher then their spring Religion is like the pure Vestall flame which if it went out was to be kindled only by a sun-beam oh then let us goe and wait before God for those seven Spirits those mighty and quickning operaions