Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	power_n	speak_v	word_n	8,214	5	4.2815	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46651	A sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret Westminster, on Thursday, the 26th of November, 1691, being a day of publick thanks-giving by William Jane ...	Jane, William, 1645-1707.	1691 (1691)	Wing J457; ESTC R19797	16,580	36

contingents and beholds at one view what will be the Event and Issue of all the actions of the world if he saw distinctly from all Eternity every occurrence that could prevent further stop or hinder his designs we may then rest assured that God will maintain his authority over the world against all the devices and combinations of men Es 31.2 For he also is wise and there is no wisdom Prov. 21.30 nor understanding nor Counsel against the Lord. The second perfection in God effectually conducing to the stability of his government is an Almighty Irresistible and Uncontrolable power Which tho' the Scripture did not ascribe to God and that in an infinite degree yet the many mighty works which he has from time to time done in the world will amount to an undeniable demonstration of it 'T was he that created the heaven and the earth and then we may well make the Prophet Jeremies conclusion from it Jer. 32.17 that nothing is too hard for him He that with a word made this great fabrick of the world may surely with the turn of his hand manage every thing in it so as to be subservient to his will And this is the argument which God himself in the Prophets often makes use of to silence the doubts that might arise concerning the execution of his purpose Thus Esay 40.22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that stretcheth out the heaven as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in and c. 14.26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations for the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back For what opposition can we be supposed to make who have no strength to arme our selves against him but what we have derived from him Or what cannot he do with us who cannot only destroy us by letting loose the influence of one contrary against another but even turn us into nothing meerly by the with-holding of his own And here first the exercise of his Almighty power for the establishing of his government is singularly observable in his restraints and influences upon the hearts and spirits of men When Balaam the Sorcerer who loved the ways of unrighteousness came ready prepared to Curse the children of Israel it was not in his power to utter one word but what the Lord had spoke unto him Num. 22.35 Nay says he v. 18. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord to say less or more We read Ex. 34.23 There times in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God the God of Israel Now the Jews lived in the midst of their enemies who in all probability would not let slip such an inviting opportunity when all the men were gone up to Jerusalem to invade their country and destroy all that they had left behind them Notwithstanding God Almighty is very peremptory in his injunction 't is again repeated Deut. 16.16 and to take off the objection that might arise from their leaving their Country naked and defenceless he assures them that when they thus went to appear before the Lord no man should desire their land This is a certain proof that God effectually orders and governs the hearts and spirits and the voluntary actions of men Or else how could he infallibly assure them when men had all those temptations advantages and encouragements not only that no man should invade or conquer but that no man should desire their land I shall give but one instance more and that is the successes of Cyrus in which are contained so many special instances of a remarkable and overruling power Isai 48.20 Zenophon Dr. Jackson What was it else but the finger of God who commands all the hearts of the Sons of men that brought in so many Confederate Forces to his assistance and some of them natural subjects to the Babylonian without whose concurrence the whole enterprize had miscarried This is not to be imputed either to Cyrus his management or their own Isai 40.15.45.5 But he to whom all nations are as the drop of a bucket who said of Cyrus I have girded thee though thou hast not known me had long before ordered all things to his hand and in the language of the Prophet Jeremy on this occasion set up a standard Jer. 51.27 29. blew the trumpet and prepared the nations that every purpose of the Lord might be performed against Babylon to leave the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant But secondly this power of God is further visible in curbing and keeping under the passions and unruly appetites of men Ps 65.7 He that stilleth the raging of the sea and the noise of its waves is alone able to quiet and subdue the rage and madness of the people Whence are wars and fightings among you saith St. James Come they not hence even from lusts so violent are the desires of pride avarice ambition and revenge so various are the designs at the same time a driving on directly cross to one another such is the eagerness of men in the pursuit of their interests and so great the animosities upon a defeat that we have no Cause to be surprized at the frequent alterations we meet with in the world the only wonder is that they happen no oftner than they doe For such are the disorders which mens extravagances would Cause amongst us that if there were not an invisible hand to bridle and overrule them there would be no longer any living in the world but unconceiveable confusions would cover the face of the whole earth But now Ps 93.3.4 tho' the waves of the sea are mighty and rage horribly yet he that sitteth on high is mightier The Lord is King 99.1 be the people never so impatient he sitteth upon the Cherubims be the earth never so unquiet He that set bounds to the sea saying Hitherto shalt thou goe but no further can also restrain and hold in the most boysterous passions and disorderly affections of men He can reduce and temper them to serve the ends of his own government He can let them loose when he pleases to Cause disturbances and revolutions in the world and when they have finisht the work which was given them to doe he can call them back again into their old channel compose and quiet them as our Saviour rebuked the winds and the seas and there was a great calm Mat. 8.26 We have thus far considered the stability of Gods government and what those perfections of his nature are which render his Kingdom fix't immovable Dan. 4.35 He can doe whatsoever he pleases in the armyes of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth so that

has a Rod of Iron in his hand Luke 19.27 wherewith he can dash them in pieces like a potters Vessel and will one day say openly in the hearing of all the world those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me For he is the Prince of all the Kings of the earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.15 The blessed and only Potentate the only Source and Fountain of all just power and Dominion and 't is by vertue of his authority that all the great ones of the world administer any of their own The Crowns and Scepters of the world are in his hand and whenever he imparts any power or royalty to his Creatures he still reserves to himself a free liberty to resume it to Uncrown Dethrone and Depose them at his pleasure Dan. 5.20 When Nebuchadnezzars heart was lifted up and his mind hardned in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and they took his Glory from him He suffered a seven years banishment from the society of men that s●●t last he might be convinced of this great truth which so highly concerns all that are in authority to take notice of that the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men and he giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4.25 That his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and that all Dominion● shall serve and obey him But not to insist either upon the proof or illustration of so plain and obvious a point in the acknowledgment whereof we are here assembled to praise God this day I shall recommend only this one inference which naturally results from it that since God is the universal Monarch of the whole world and conducts and governs all our affairs according to the good pleasure of his will we should hence be instructed to own and acknowledge the power care and goodness of God in all our blessings advantages and enjoyments and to make suitable returns to him of praises and thanksgivings for all the merciful vouchsafements of his providence For surely if God be the sole governour of the world then all the gracious events and occurrences therein are solely to be ascribed to him Peace and safety victory and success doe not depend upon the strength and number of our armyes the wisdom of our Counsellors the conduct of our Commanders the power and friendship of our Confederates For it is all one with God to save by many or by few he can make the wisdome of an Achitophel become foolishness can strike a terror into the hearts of our valiant men he can make our Allies and Confederates become like the staff of Egypt whereon if a man lean Esa 36.6 it will goe into his hand and pierce it But our whole strength is in the name of the Lord and 't is his arm alone that brings salvation Pro. 21.31 The horse is prepared for the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. So likewise in the State 't is not the wise man Jer. 9.24 nor the mighty but Judgment and Kindness comes from God He rules and governs in all our debates and consultations It 's he that manages the events of war and gives his people the blessing of peace It is he that raises up one nation against another and again when he sees it expedient Ps 46.9 maketh wars to cease in all the world breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder and burneth the chariots in the fire Esai 37.29 He can put a hook in the nose and a bridle in the lips of a proud and insolent enemy and can turn him back by the way which he came When the great mountain becomes a plain before Zorobabel Zack 4.6 't is not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts This therefore should effectually teach us not to boast of the arm of flesh to sacrifice to our net Hab. 1.16 or burn incense to our drag or say with the Assyrian Isai 10.13 By the might of my hands I have done this and by my wisdome for I am prudent But rather on the contrary as to have recourse to God alone for relief in all our straits dangers and perplexities so to return the due tribute of our gratitude for all the pledges of his love and favour for all his mercies and deliverances Ps 13.6 I will sing unto the Lord saith David because he hath dealt bountifully with me Ps 63.7 Because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce This is the duty which the Lord calls for this day and which we are here assembled by publick authority to put in practise to praise and magnify his name for our peace at home our successes abroad and rescuing a neighbour Kingdome from the miseries of a war and the danger of being enslaved by a forreign power And how highly are we all concerned that our thanksgiving be hearty zealous and universal not meerly a matter of course and formality but accompanied with a real influence and impression upon our hearts Which is the only means to sanctify and consecrate our past successes and present enjoyments and to procure his blessing upon our future enterprizes and undertakings II. And so I pass to the 2d. thing proposed viz. the stability of Gods government of the world the world also shall be c. All humane governments however artificially contrived are not only liable to assaults and violence from without but contain in them the inward causes of decay and dissolution Those four mighty Monarchies had their times and their turns their fall and period as well as a rise and a beginning And the most durable Kingdoms that histories make mention of after they have enlarged their conquests over their neighbour nations have at last been either ruin'd by their own strength or else become a prey and spoil to another stronger than themselves For he encreaseth the nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them again Job 12.23 But Gods government is sure and stable his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his dominion endureth from generation to generation This Kingdom shall never be destroy'd but shall break in pieces and consume all other Kingdoms and it self shall stand for ever Dan. 2.44 and Ps 10.16 He will be King for ever and ever even when all heathen Kings are perishe● from off the earth The main support of all government is wisdom and power and the defect of either of these much more of both is a sufficient cause and reason why all human governments are so weak tottering and unstable And first their wisdom and knowledge is narrow and confined For not to mention how frequently they are biassed by misinformation prejudice and partiality the most specious undertakings have been often shattered and broke in pieces by such inconsiderable accidents as ly