Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	occasion_n	young_a	youth_n	18	3	8.2717	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90715	The lawfulness of the celebration of Christs birth-day debated, in case it be annnally [sic] known or not known. Discussed by Scripture, and consequence of Scripture; and many objections answered, and refuted by reasons. By George Palmer, wel-willer to a particular and solemn joyous-thankfulness to God, for his several special mercies in Christ; by way of gradation.	Palmer, George, b. 1596 or 7.	1648 (1648)	Wing P228; Thomason E476_10; ESTC R204341	11,240	16

or not to do some things and therefore David inciteth us to it in Psal 50. 14. in these words Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most high And in Colos. 27. Paul will have us to abound in thanksgiving And likewise they might offer some burnt-offerings of their voluntary free will without any strict injunction in that particular as in 2 Chron. 22. 31. you may see And in the New Testament it is said that Paul had a vow and in Acts 21. 23 it is said that there were foure men that had a vow on them for we have liberty to vow to humble and afflict our souls as they of the Jews had when we please upon divers occasions as in Numb. 30. 13. and Act. 21. 23. c. And so likewise have we libertie to give thanks with joy to God particularly and specially upon divers occasions concurring and solemnly too For although all kinds of sacrifices might not be offered at mans choice of times yet some kinds of sacrifices might be offered at mans choice and choice of times for the more part and voluntarily of their free will onely as in Deut. 23. 23. What think you of that which the Israelites did in the time of the Reign of King Hezekiah as in 2 Chron. 30. 23. you may read for they kept other seven dayes festivally to the Lord after they had kept the feast of the Passeover And that 7. dayes feast was of their own free will and affections by their own counsell saith the text there And you may there perceive that the holy Ghost noteth it to their commendation And truly if this solemne joyous thankfulnesse in a festivall way was so acceptable to God without any speciall command then much more will the joyous and thankfull celebration of Christs birth-day in a festivall way be acceptable upon a more warrantable ground namely the proclamation from God by his holy Angel to the shepherds at first to rejoyce for a great good given for the good of all people for we must abound in thanksgiving and rejoyce evermore these being our spirituall sacrifices as those corporall sacrifices were for them then Besides all this alreadie premised let us take notice of the great inconveniences that cometh to the Civill State of the whole Kingdom by the endeavouring to overthrow the joyous observation of this birth-day of our Saviour and especially in these times wherein the State standeth so fickle wicked men being apt to make an insurrection upon the least occasion and much more upon such an occasion as this wherein ungodly men may procure so great a partie of better men to joyne with them though not to so bad an end but in an holy indignation for many of those that love Christ with a well-informed judgement in this particular upon the consideration of the great love that Christ hath shewed to them in coming to be their Saviour taking flesh in and of the Virgin will be apt to be jealous of the losse of the occasion of the especiall remembring of his coming in the flesh And besides wicked men will be forward to take this occasion as a cloak to put on to make a par●ie for a worse end when they see the observation thereof so much opposed Therefore it is fitting that we i 〈◊〉 itate the Apostle in the cutting off occasion from them that seek occasion to do wickednes and mischief and especially in a matter that is so clearly lawfull and convenient too as the speciall giving of thanks with joy is or as the joyous celebration of Christs birth-day is to the Spouse of Christ For although the Leviticall-ceremoniall daies times months and yeers are abolished being but types of those things that are fulfilled by Christ as is mentioned in Gal. 4. 10. see v. 3. yet the same Apostle affirmeth confidently that he that thinketh he may not set apart some dayes now under the Gospel to celebrate Evangelicall duties as hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments and offering the sacrifice of speciall thanksgivings for some speciall mercies of God is as weak as he that thinketh that he may eat but hearbs as you may see in Rom. 14. 1 2 3 4 5 6. And therefore I entreat all well affected people to use their endeavour to get vitious men to be restrained from their abusing of themselves and the time to the dishonour of our Saviour the wounding of their own souls to everlasting death and to the scandalizing of good men and the perverting of others And this may be done sometimes by gentle means and sometimes by chastisements and punishments provided that the fault be a notorious sin or at the least more then an ordinary blemish for I know that some make mountains of mole-hils comparing one sin to another against some men And truly I beleeve that some do rejoyce to see some men transgresse against God in that day because they would thereby take an occasion to make the observation of it to be odious to some that may be a mean to take it quite away out of a malignant spirit towards the observers of it I hope better of many I entreat you to consider that when men are restrained from the libertie of timely recreation they then for a time will be the more unruly when first they come to obtain it again and especially from youths and young raw-manner'd men as it is with horses and cows that have been stalled up c. If we under the Gospel be not afforded daies of refreshing yea and somewhat often too we shall be in greater bondage in this kinde then the Jews in or under the Old Testament for they had many festivals and they were much refreshed by them shall we be in greater bondage to labour then they were And shall not we have liberty from sparing dye● for feasting as well as they They feasted divers dayes together sometimes and thereby love and good will was the better occasioned in many that were godly and we may do so too though not with all the same ceremonies as they did because not altogether to the same end as they did And at such times the poore may be the more easily relieved and give thanks to God and pray for us And by this means men will not be so forward to borrow so much of the Sabbath or Lords day to prophane it as perhaps now they do when they shall have other convenient time for their necessarie recreation I do confesse that some things that are lawfull to be observed and celebrated may for a time be suspended and not celebrated provided that it be not forborn as a thing unlawfull but as a thing inconvenient as to prevent a farther mischief for the present time but if that which in it self is lawfull be forborn as a thing unlawfull then will honest knowing men be offended and so it will breed a great disturbance in the State evill men taking that occasion as a fair cloak to put on for to begin a