Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	old_a	young_a	youth_n	300	4	8.2577	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17927	A sermon preached in Oxford-shire; by Nicholas Cantrel, Master in Arts. Published at the request of Sir Richard Blunt	Cantrell, Nicholas.	1624 (1624)	STC 4588; ESTC S118531	21,341	42

A SERMON PREACHED IN OXFORD-SHIRE BY NICHOLAS CANTREL Master in Arts. Published at the request of Sir RICHARD BLVNT LONDON Printed by H. L. for MATTHEVV LOWNES 1624. IOSH. 24.15 But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. THE best cognizance that saving grace hath is Perseverance and a continuall increase in grace according unto that of David Such as be planted in the house of God shall flourish in the Courts of the house of the Lord they also shall bring forth more fruit in their age Psal 92.12 Manie men indeed begin well but in continuance of time they are wearie of well-doing and their end is not answerable they begin in the spirit but they end in the flesh Oh it passeth in their yonger yeers how zealous they are for Gods cause how deare his testimonies are unto them but as if the heat of their devotion depended upon their youth it abates by degrees and the older they growe the colder they are to Godwards like the foolish Virgins in the Gospel towards the time that the Bridegrome is comming they are sleeping without oile in their lampes and so doe lose their reward We find by experience that that parable which our Saviour tells us of the Sower is too true and there be temporarie beleevers who at first receive the seed of the word with gladnesse but the cares of this world the deceitfulnes of riches choake the word and in the harvest-time of their life they are made unfruitfull Manie that like David have bin as starres in Israel to lead the people into the house of God have growne dimme at last and lost their glorie Now as if with Saul the good Spirit had forsaken them and the evill Spirit had taken possession of them they are not the same they were they are changed from their first love and by transgressing the commandements of God do lose that hold which they had of grace Their neglect of good duties their conversation with the wicked of this world their reposing themselves upon worldly vanities are signes whereby it is to be feared lest God doe glorifie himselfe upon them by his iudgements since they doe leave off to glorifie God by their godly life and example Therefore it is not enough for a man to begin well but he must proceed more and more in goodnesse and in grace and everie day take-out a new lesson in pietie and set forth unto the world a fairer copie of his life The unprofitable servant was not condemned for not keeping but for not encreasing his talent Even reprobates have gon very farre in grace and by their fearfull falling away have left us examples to take heed how wee stand secure of the judgements of God Hee was never truely good who had not alwaies a desire to proove better for if wee look into the examples of the Saints and servants of God this propertie wee may generallie observe in them and we shall find them ever to have bin best at the last To the end that I may shew that to bee true in part which I have spoken in generall I have brought before your eyes the example of zealous Ioshuah that renowned servant of God in whose mouth the praises of his God like a Swan-like song are now sweetest towards his latter end The flourishing yeares of his life he had spent in the service of Moses behaving himselfe valiantly in fighting against the enemies of the Lord and now that Moses was dead he was chosen by God to succeed in the same place and charge namely to be the Leader of the Israelites It is well worth your noting to behold how faithfully and carefully this good servant of God behaved himselfe in so weightie an office For when the Lord by his hand had brought his people into the land which he sware unto their fathers that hee would give them and had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about so that now they had a settled policie government both in Church and Common-wealth Ioshuah did not thus thinke with himselfe I have done enough for my time from henceforth I will disburthen my selfe of all cares and troubles the rest of my life I will spend with as much delight as I can and betake my selfe wholly unto my ease Such imaginations as these were farre from Ioshuah hee knew so high a Calling as his did require othergesse resolutions and therefore his thoughts were wholly taken up in well-mannaging the affaires of the Common-wealth in providing that the Commandements of his God might be put in execution that true Religion might everie where be established idolatrie banished and that God might be glorified all in all as you may perceive by the 22.23 and 24. chapters of this booke As for his own private house familie the well ordering guiding of it must needs challenge the highest praise and admiration of godlie and vertuous minds No loosenesse was suffered to raigne here no impietie to infect here no busie Sycophants were sufferd to nest themselves here being the onelie instruments which the unhappie world in these last and dangerous times cherisheth to its owne confusion None must live with Ioshuah but such as would live after Ioshuahs patterne and prescription None must serve Ioshuah but such as would serve Ioshuahs God in uprightnesse and sinceritie Such was his godlie resolution such his care such his zeale Nor was this affection in him by fitts bred of a sudden and vanishing humour but it was firme and fixed in his heart even to the last minute of his life yea and did then appeare in its greatest excellencie unto the world when as he himselfe was ready to leave the world For now his dying day drawing neere apace this good servant of God as if his soule had no other care to possesse it but the wellfare of the Church and the continuance of true Religion for this end and purpose assembles the Israelites to Sichem their Elders their Heads their Iudges and Officers who accordingly presented themselves before God Here Ioshuah begins with a Commemoration of the benefits which God had done for the people and puts them in mind of the manifold deliverances which hee wrought for them namely by delivering them from the furie of so manie fierce dreadfull nations that fought against them and by casting them out before them then by giving them a land wherein they did not labour and cities which they built not and vineyards and olive-trees which they planted not For such and so great benefits of Almightie God hee onelie requires that they for their parts would expresse their thankfulnesse by serving the Lord in sinceritie and uprightnesse and by having nothing to doe with those false gods which their fathers served beyond the floud and in Aegypt Oh how inflamed is that zeale how indefatigable is that diligence which neither the coldnesse of age can extinguish nor the feeblenesse of decayed nature can diminish Ioshuah like a good Steward being to