Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	poor_a	young_a	youth_n	22	3	7.5346	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73267	The dignitie of Gods children. Or An exposition of 1. Iohn 3. 1.2.3 Plentifully shewing the comfortable, happie, and most blessed state of all Gods children, and also on the contrarie, the base, fearefull, and most wofull condition of all other that are not the children of God.	Stoughton, Thomas.	1610 (1610)	STC 23315.5; ESTC S117855	406,069	519

beauty their skill in musick or in some other such thing for their policie and for such like as before in handling the maine exhortation we haue shewed Secondly it is by the ouerruling hand and spirit of God to shew that he hath the hearts of all men in his hand and that he can as well draw loue or at least kindnesse from the heart that naturally is possessed with hatred as he can fetch water out of the rocke and make the rauenous rauens to be nursing mothers as it were to his children and as he can restraine the fire from burning so much as an haire of his children being cast into the mids thereof or the woollie nappe of their garments But howsoeuer the Lord doe this sometimes yet there is in all the wicked such a secret hatred against all the children of God and against God himselfe that except God do restraine them or force them to worke against their nature they cannot but break foorth into contempt and into all wrongs and indignities against the children of God and God himselfe And so they bewray that albeit they haue some generall and speculatiue knowledge of God himselfe by his works and word and of his children by those graces of God in them wherby they doe resemble him and shew themselues to be his children yet they haue no true knowledge either of God or of his children because they doe not persorme those duties to God and to his children which do belong vnto them And this is a common phrase amongst vs to say that a man knoweth not another when hee performeth not that dutie which belongeth to his place Many times we passe by great nobles and other of high calling without any reuerence vnto them because indeed we know them not If also wee be brought before them and yet do not respect and honor them according to their places and authority we are and may be iustly charged that we do not know them yea oft times we are and may be iustly threatned to be taught to know them before we goe And indeed if men knew Gods iustice against sinne his mercy towards them that loue feare and obey him his reckoning that he maketh of all his children his large promises before spoken of made to all that doe shew any kindnesse to any of them his contrary threatnings to them that doe the contrary vnto them his power and might to performe both all his promises and also all his threatnings and lastly his faithfulnesse in performing of them to the full if I say the wicked knew these things of God then certainly it could not be but that they would more respect his children then they doe For as much therefore as they doe not respect them but are as strange towards them as if they had neuer knowen or seen them and deale as hardly with them as if they were their enemies by whom notwithstanding they do daily enioy many great benefits as hath been before declared therefore we may well conclude with the Apostle that they know them not and that the cause why they know them not is because they know not God himselfe Though they know him so that they be able to speake of him and to preach the knowledge of him to other yet they know him not in truth truly and so as that themselues shall be any whit the better by their knowledge Yea the more they know him without honoring of him according to their knowledge with the more stripes they shall be beaten the greater shall be their condemnation and therefore indeed they were better in respect of themselues to be altogether ignorant of him then so only to know him The wicked know the children of God as they are men as they are of this or that fauor stature and complexion as they are rich or poore as they haue some place and authority in the world but yet they know them not neither regard them as they are the children of God and that because they know not God himselfe They knew them before they were the children of God they loued them and respected them whiles they were as themselues naturall men vnregenerated men wicked men but as soone as there is a change made in them and that they do receiue the spirit of adoption presently they are also changed As it is with many that whiles they were yong and in their youth liued together and were well acquainted one with another but afterward by long absence and many yeers being both changed growen to be men hauing haire on their faces yea perhaps being gray-headed they meet one another in the face and yet salute not one another neither speake one to another because indeed they haue forgotten one another and do not know one another so is it betwixt the wicked and the children of God being once taken from out of the wicked and adopted to bee the children of God In one day there is a greater change made in the heart then there is in the face and in the stature by many yeeres Greater I say because this change by grace is meerly contrary but the other change before spoken of in nature is only diuers Touching the cause of the change of the affections of the wicked towards the children of God viz. because they know not God himselfe it may be fitly illustrated by the like amongst men For as it often falleth out that the children of great persons in the world trauelling or liuing in places where their parents are not knowen do meet with the harder measure and are the more roughly vsed and receiue the more wrongs and indignities because such as do so vse them or rather abuse them do not know their parents so is it with the children of God in respect of the wicked They liue in this world as strangers and pilgrims 1. Pet. 2. 11. and so they are indeed their country being aboue in heauen and by this means they receiue much wrong and many iniuries from the wicked amongst whom they liue euen because those that doe them these wrongs and iniuries doe not know God himselfe the father of the godly It was through ignorance of Pauls being a Roman that he was bound to be scourged and therefore when he reuealed himselfe to be a Roman he escaped the whip and they that before had giuen commandement for the whipping of him began to feare and to reuoke their said commandement Acts 22. 25. In like manner therefore it is not to bee maruelled that they which know not God himselfe doe deale the more hardly with his children according to that which our Sauiour expresly saith in this case Ioh. 16. 2. 3. as before was alledged From this obiection and first answer therunto we learn two points First that whosoeuer will be the children of God must prepare and arme themselues for the hatred of the world euen to be contemned despised reproued and persecuted in the world and of the men of the world If we will be glorified with

by Christ made Priests vnto God so are they kings likewise vnto God and that euen because they are sons or children of God For as sometimes all the sonnes of some Emperors which haue had their Empires by inheritance not by election are borne kings or at least haue been left kings by their Fathers or haue had such dukedomes as haue had kingly power and kingly dignities the title only of kings excepted and as in some countries at this day all the sonnes of an Earle are Earles so likewise al the sons and children of God the Emperor of all the world being especially incorporated and ingrafted to the proper and naturall sonne of God and made one with him may in that respect not vnfitly be called kings But what is the kingly power and what be the kingly dignities of the children of God Verily their power by Iesus Christ and through faith in him is very great yea farre greater then the power of any worldly king whatsoeuer For of what king in the world as he is onely a worldly King can that be said that is said by him that is truth it selfe of euery one that hath faith but as a graine of mustard seede viz. that nothing is impossible vnto him Matthew 17. 20. and againe All things are possible to him that beleeueth Mark 9. 23. What earthly King also as he is only an earthly King can say of himselfe as poore Paul saide of himselfe by that Spirit that cannot lye I am able to doe all things by the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me Philip. 4. 13. Secondly such as the power of the children of God is such also is their heart and courage namely altogether princely yea much more then princely For who but the child of God can say Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Psal 23. 4. and againe I will not bee afraide though ten thousand beset mee round about Psalme 3. 6. and againe Though an host pitched against mee mine heart should not be afraid Psal 27. 3. and againe I will not feare what flesh can doe vnto mee Psalme 55. 4. Thirdly according to the former princely power and magnanimitie of the children of God their effects are likewise princely and sutable to their said power and magnanimitie For to omit in this place those great mighty effects of the praiers of Gods children before mentioned whereas by nature they are seruants and bondmen to satan to their owne wicked lusts and to euery worldly vanity as well as any other after that they are partaker of the spirit of adoption they are so armed also With weapons that are not carnall but mighty through God that they cast downe all the strong holdes of sinne in them 2. Corinthians 10. 4. which are stronger then all Castles and defenced Cities whatsoeuer Yea hauing put on all the spirituall armour Whereby they wrestle not with flesh and bloud but with principalities and powers and worldly gouernors Princes of darknesse c. Ephes 6. 12. they ouercome all these they raigne ouer all and through him that loued them they are more then conquerors so that neither Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be euer able to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus to deiect them from that excellent state whereunto Christ Iesus hath aduanced them Rom. 8. 37. Therefore it is not only said that by faith they ouercome the world that is the things of this visible world that do any waies hinder their saluation but satan himselfe also is so by Christ Iesus subdued vnto them and in a manner brought into such feare of them that they doe no sooner turne their face vpon him and resist him but that presently he flieth from them and as it were taketh him to his heeles as not able to abide their countenance Iames 4. 7. O noble victory O glorious conquest All the great conquerors in the world how renoumed soeuer for their worldly victories neuer got the like Yea all kings and Princes and other conquerors that are not in Christ Iesus are as very slaues to satan to the world and to all lusts of the flesh which fight against their soules 1. Pet. 2. 11. as euer was Samson to the Philistims when they put out both his eies and made him to grind in the mill Iudg. 16. 21. or as Zedekiah was when he was taken by Nebuchadnezer before whose eies they first slew all his sonnes and then put out his owne eies also and bound him in chaines and so carried him to Babel 2. Kings 25. 7. or finally as any captiue or slaue now is either in the Turks Gallies or in subiection to the Spaniard in the West Indies or els where Yea for the most part such great champions and captaines and conquerors touching flesh and bloud are of all other the most slaues most cowards and soonest ouercome by euery lust But so to ouercome such lusts and other enemies of saluation is more then in a carnall and outward manner with the arme of flesh to ouercome the whole world yea if there were many worlds yet for a man to ouercome himselfe with satan and the world is more then to ouercome them all He that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a city Pro. 16. 32. What is he then that ouercommeth himselfe and the whole power of hell Moreouer euen touching the arme of flesh and worldly enemies greater is the power oft times and courage of the children of God in resisting and ouercomming of them then of all the wicked in the world Yea in this respect the children of God haue true fortitude and magnanimity beseeming Princes For these sentences before alledged of Dauids fearelesse heart are not spoken in respect of his spirituall enemies but in respect of his outward aduersaries And what victories are comparable to the victories of Ioshua Gedeon Iephte Samson Ionathan Dauid and other such worthies mentioned in the scripture All wicked and meere naturall men are void of the spirit of true fortitude euen for withstanding and ouercomming bodily enemies how then can they haue true fortitude it selfe The foresaid more then kingly power and courage of the children of God is apparant likewise by other effects wherein they seem most cowardly euen by all the reproches contumelies wrongs and indignities which they put vp patiently at the hands of the wicked as disdaining to resist them as not being their equals As noble men disdaine and scorne to contend with base persons and such as are much their inferiors and as all men would thinke it and might thinke it a disgrace vnto them to fight with boies though neuer so much abusing them so is the mind and courage of the children of God in respect of the wicked in the world who are indeed no better to be accounted of in comparison of them then as base and