Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	people_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	140	3	9.2977	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69130	The Christian mans walke with the most regardable and remarkable steppes thereof, the true rule according to which, and manner how we must walke: shewing the infallible properties of the children of light. Newly published by the author Nathanael Cole, Preacher at S. Leonards Bromley in Middlesex, on the backside of Stratford-Bow neere London.	Cole, Nathaniel, 1584 or 5-1626.	1624 (1624)	STC 5534; ESTC S115975	148,624	710

and the saluation of our brethren like to bee hindred wee must for a time lay aside meeknesse and bee inflamed with Zeale that wee may say with Dauid The zeale of thine house hath euen consumed vs. Psalm 69. 9. Wee are redeemed to bee a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2. 14. This zeale is the feruency of the spirit arising partly of loue partly of anger Of loue causing vs eagerly and earnestly to maintaine Gods worship both in our selues and others Of anger moouing vs to griefe and anger when wee see God dishonoured It is of that nature that it cannot beare with them which are euill which was the commendation of the Church of Ephesus Reuel 2. 2. And Saint Paul saith It is a good thing to bee zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Galat. 4. 18. Vse 1 First This reprooues all those who are too remisse in this dutie either not reproouing at all or if they doe it is coldly sparingly negligently or else being neither hot nor cold but luke-warme Innumerable are the sinnes committed daily but where is the man that zealously reprooues it the party offending seldome or neuer heares of it But cursed be hee that doth Gods worke negligently Ier. 48. 10. True zeale will haue his vent Iob 32. 18 19. Secondly This condemnes the preposterous zeale in a number which is a bad zeale proceeding neither from faith repentance nor knowledge as the zeale of Iehu 2. King 10. 16. to 29. 31. so a number are so precise as a man must doe nothing not so much as laugh but they are ready to finde fault they know not for what euen condemning them to the pit of hell for trifles I might instance in many particulars wherein these curious rash bold-hardy fooles shew their preposterous zeale a man must feed their humour and doe nothing but as they do and be of the same hew as they are of say as they say doe as they doe or else we are worse then naught according to their censure but they being so absurd and ridiculous I forbeare yea I am ashamed almost to name them This onely I say to all such They straine at a gnat and swallow a camwell Matth. 23. 24. They turne aside to vaine iangling for want of true loue a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained desiring to be teachers but vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirme 1. Tim. 1. 5 6 7. They zealously affect you but not well c. Gal. 4. 17. And I will beare them record they haue a zeale but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. verse 2. Eleuenthly We must reprooue Profitably that is so as it may be best for Gods glory and the good of our brethren it must be for to winne and gaine them Matth. 18. It must be to bring them to repentance and to winne them to the faith wee must alwayes propound this end in our reproofes for the end of reproofe is to bring men to repentance and then reproofe ceaseth We must not seeke our owne profit but the profit of many that they may bee saued 1. Cor. 10. 33. Rebuke them sharpely that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1. 13. We must reprooue with doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 2. Now all Scripture is giuen by inspiration from God and is profitable for reproofe correction c. 2. Tim. 3. 16. And forasmuch as we are zealous of spirituall gifts of which I spake before we must seeke that we may excell to the edifying of the Church 1. Cor. 14. 12. We must speake with vnderstanding that we may teach others Vers 19. Let all things be done to edifying Vers 26. if all things then reproofe Vse This reprooues diuers sorts of people which I will onely name 1. Those that reprooue others in that nature as they bring them to desperation 2. Parents and Masters who prouoke vnto wrath and so to discouragement as Saul to Ionathan 1. Sam. 33. 34. Againe this condemnes all such as are in place of Magistracie I say not all but those that abuse this censure Ecclesiasticall for their owne gaine excommunicating for euery trifle whereas this beeing a maine part of spirituall Iurisdiction ought to bee vsed with great conscience reuerence care and consideration Lastly we must reprooue Impartially that is without partiallity or respect of persons either for feare fauour affection or any other sinister respect This partality is a great hinderance to effectuall reproofe and respecting of persons either makes vs altogether neglect it or to doe it by halfes whereas wee must doe it faithfully in the feare of God and with a perfect heart 2. Chron. ●9 9. which place ought to bee obserued of Magistrates in place of authority especially when they sit in the seate of iustice Wee may bee said to bee partiall either in regard of our selues or others In regard of our selues when wee can be content to reprooue some sinnes in our selues but not other the smaller but not the greater and herein many are iniqui Iudices partiall Iudges who will not lay the greater matters to their charge lest they should cōdemne themselues but wee must know for a truth that God will admit no dispensation for any one sinne bee it great or small In regard of others when wee so regard mens persons as we will reprooue some but dare not others some sinnes in them and not others which proceedes many times from this that wee are guilty of the same sinnes our selues But Saint Iames saith Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ with respect of persons which if yee doe are ye not partiall Iam. 2. 1 2 3 4. I confesse there must bee a due respect had vnto men according to their place and calling as our equals must be reprooued by friendly admonition Superiours as Magistrates and Ministers with submisse exhortation Those that offend of infirmity with gentle and affectionate perswasions not alwayes to vse cutting and searing but mollifying ointments and mundifying waters Those that are more refractary to do with sharpe reprehension and Inferiours as occasion shall serue to vse due correction But so to regard any mans person as either not to reprooue at all or to doe it partially is flat against the word This ought Ministers especially to looke into Cry aloud and spare not Esa 58. 1. we must not feare the faces of any nor winke at sinne in any This partiall reproofe was in Eli to his sonnes honouring his sonnes more than God And thus much for the Manner of reproofe Quest But it may bee asked Is this kind of reproofe alwaies necessary Answ Except in these cases First if wee are ignorant of the fault either hauing no certaine knowledge or at least a credible information Secondly if wee see our reproofe will doe hurt or no good Thirdly if the party to bee reprooued repents Fourthly if he doth promise speedily to amend Fiftly if it may better by others be done Sixtly if another time will serue

thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Iohn 5. 39. This must be done publiquely or priuately In publique in hearing the word to turne to places alledged as the men of Berea who searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so which Paul preached Acts 17. 11. In priuate by reading them and causing them to be read wherein when ye read ye may vnderstand Ephes 3. 4. This word is the touch-stone to try all doctrines as we are exhorted 1 Thes 5. 21. and 1 Ioh. 4. 1. therefore in all difficulties doubts and controuersies we must haue recourse to the word as Esay saith To the law and to the testimony Esay 8. 20. Secondly the helpes vnto Obser 2. this search are First Gods Ministers who are or should be indued with such knowledge that in matters of difficulty and doubts they may be able to giue satisfaction in all necessary not curious points concerning saluation the people must haue recourse vnto them But to the shame of a number be it spoken who to conceale their owne ignorance will neuer resort to their Minister because they will not bewray their blindenesse ignorance and error so they which are ignorant Gods will will be ignorant still for as Paul saith they haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to their shame 1 Cor. 15. But let all such remember what the Lord saith The Priests lips should preserue knowledge and the people should seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes Malachi 2. 7. Secondly we must vse feruent and effectuall prayer to Almighty God to giue vs hi● holy spirit to enlighten our vnderstandings to informe our iudgements that we may rightly discerne of things that differ and that wee may see what is Gods will Thus wee should neuer goe to heare or read the word publiquely or priuately but first prepare our selues by prayer Obserue the practise of Dauid often in the Psalmes especially 119. Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Law Teach me thy statutes Giue me vnderstanding Teach me good iudgement and knowledge and the like The spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God c. 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. Thirdly wee must compare Scripture with Scripture one place with another and obserue the coherence and scope of the place both what goes before and what followes after for that which seemes more obscure in one place is made more plaine in another In all these wee must truely humble our selues acknowledging that we can doe nothing as of our selues and God will teach the humble man his way Psal 25. 9. Thirdly the manner of Obser 3. this search must be First with vnderstanding for many please themselues in bare hearing and reading and thinke they doe God high seruice because they reade now and then vpon the Sabboth-day a Chapter or two and heare a Sermon whereas they vnderstand nothing They heare but vnderstand not and therefore Paul exhorting vs to proue search what is Gods will explaines himselfe saying Be not wnrise but wise vnderstanding what the will of God is Ephes 5. 17. nothing it as a point of greatest folly to search and not vnderstand Let him that readeth vnderstand Marke 13. 14. Vnderstandest thou what thou readest Acts 8. 30. Secondly it must be frequent The men of Berea searched the Scriptures daily Acts 17. 11. The word of God must dwell in vs plenteously and richly Colos 3. 16. which cannot bee vnlesse wee often acqu int● our selues with it in reading hearing meditating conferring and the like The godly mans delight is in the law of the Lord and therein doth he exercise himselfe day and night Psal 1. 2. and Iosh 1. 8. Meditate vpon these things giue thy selfe wholly to them continue in them 1 Tim. 4. 15. 16. Thirdly it must be vpright and in truth with a desire to be bettered and a care to practife those things we learne It is no dallying with edge-tooles Therefore if yee will enquire enquire Isay 21. 12. that is doe it in deede and in good earnest vprightly and in truth My soule saith Dauid breaketh out for the feruent desire that it hath alway vnto thy iudgements Psal 119. 20. Wee must incline our eares to wisedome and apply our hearts to vnderstanding wee must seeke as for siluer and wee must search for her as for hid treasures and then we shall vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of the Lord Prou. 2. 2. 3. 4. but without this diligent and vpright search wee can neuer finde the knowledge of Gods will and therefore hee saith Hee that seeketh findeth Math. 7. 8. This dutie is excellent and necessary Excellent for it is the ground of all happinesse and comfort by it wee haue acquaintance with God himselfe wee come to know his will we are as it were of his Counsaile and all things necessary to our saluation hee reuealeth vnto vs Thus acquainting our selues with God thereby good shall come vnto vs Iob 22. 21. And the knowledge of the holy God is vnderstanding Prou. 9. 10. By this we perceiue the truth it selfe for this word is truth Iohn 17. 17. Here wee haue rules for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction for patiencein tribulation for resisting Sathans temptations for remedies against sin for attaining of grace for performing all good duties both towards God and Men through the whole course of our liues Necessarily also First for the naturall and carnall man to bring him to knowledge for the naturall man perceiues not the things of God neither can he know them 1 Cor. 2. 4. But it is the word which giueth wisedome to the simple and light vnto the eyes Psal 19. No man naturally vnderstandeth or seeketh after God namely in spirituall things Rom. 3. 11. But the word is a lampe vnto our feete and a light vnto our pathes Psal 119. 105. And whereas wee cannot of our selues conceiue aright of God and his will yet by searching the Scriptures we may for they testifie of him Iohn 5. 39. Secondly it is necessary for the spirituall man namely to increase in the knowledge of Gods will For we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and we must goe forward in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet 3. 18. And as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. And if any man thinkes he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as hee ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. And this be said of this first obseruation or doctrine contayning the first propertie of the Children of light that walke in this first steppe Now for the Vses and first for Reproofe This reprooueth the Popish For Reproofe Vse 1. teachers and people both for doctrine and practise for they teach not the word of Christ nor suffer the people to search the Scriptures but debarre them of them and