Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	put_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	48	3	8.8867	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86936	A brief exposition on the XII. smal prophets the first volume containing an exposition on the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, & Amos. By George Hutcheson, minister at Edenburgh.	Hutcheson, George, 1615-1674.	1654 (1654)	Wing H3823; Thomason E1453_1; ESTC R202497	435,098	550

learn 1. In times of defection it is good to be well acquainted with and scene in the causes of it and what distempers draw men to that height they go Therefore doth the Prophet here point at it 2. It is a great plague on men that they cannot guide prosperity well and know no way how to use it but to feed sensuall lusts by it for all the use they made of Gods bounty was Whoredome and wine 3. Sinnes go seldome there alone but are linked together and draw on one another and particularly Whoredome and intemperancy go often hand in hand together Therefore are they conjoyned Whoredome and wine and new wine He mentions wine and new wine because as drunkards use to do they tried all kinds of it or the latter is by way of explication because new wine makes soonest drunk 4. It is a great plague on unclean and sensual men that thereby they not only abuse their bodies and become guilty of self-murther and do wear out any spark of conscience that they had but that by following these brutish lusts they renounce even humanity and turne brutish without sense and common understanding so that they know not what they do nor can discerne or be ashamed of any ill course nor fear any threatening of danger and do render themselves unuseful either in Church or State and effeminate and unable to encounter any trouble for Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart or sense and understanding The word signifieth oft-times to take by force or by industry to shew that however at first there may be some wrastlings betwixt lust and mens sens sense and principles of reason yet at last lusts given way unto will carry it 5. As it is Gods judgement on unfaithful Ministers that they are given up to sensuality so that will soone besot them and make them saplesse in their doctrine and carelesse in their duty for in particular it is true of them whom he had challenged before Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart Vers 12. My people aske counsel at their stocks and their staffe declareth unto them for the spirit of whordomes hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God 13. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burne incense upon the hils under oakes and poplers and elmes because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery The fourth article of this accusation is general against the whole people for their grosse and heathenish idolatry which is as adultery a forsaking of God and their duty of subjection to which they stand bound by the marriage-Covenant This is instanced in their consulting with their stocks of Images and their staves or arrowes which flowed from their strong inclinations to Idolatry cherished by Satan and in their sacrificing openly to Idols on mountains under the shade of groves esteeming that heathenish way best for this the Lord threatens to give up their daughters and daughters in law and others whom they would have chaste to bodily filthinesse Whence learn 1. When ever the visible Church forsakes God he will not forget his kindness to her to aggreage her sinne and to prove that she hath done it without provocation Therefore againe the title is my people to shew that he had intreated them as such and that he having chosen them from among all people for himself and as his portion Deut. 32.8 9. Isa 43.21 it was a greater sinne in them then in any so to behave themselves 2. Albeit Idolaters will not take with it that they worship stocks and sticks yet in reality they do so and hereby they prove their own madnesse in subjecting themselves to these creatures that are inferior to them and the basenesse of their Religion in that they have so poore wayes to know the mindes of their Idols for they aske counsell at their stocks and so consult with them as their gods and performe religious worship to them that they may know their minde and their staffe declareth unto them that is any illusion they get they take it for a divine response For the way of divination by a staffe or arrowes See Ezek. 21.21 22. It seemes that when he doubted which City to assault first severall staves or artowes having the names of the severall places on them being shaken together in a quiver that which was first drawn out determined the question And so Idolaters resolved other cases 3. The backsliding and Idolatry of the visible Church is not to be looked on lightly or as an infirmity but as flowing from the power of Satan working upon that strong inclination that is naturally in all men and specially in these who have not received the love of the truth to follow error Therefore is it given as a reason For the spirit of whoredomes hath caused them to erre which is to be understood both of their own inclinations and of the working of the evill spirit 2 Thes 2.9 which makes them so bent and zealous in it and warnes us not to be taken up with every zeale nor with every religion wherein men seeme to be zealous 4. They who commit Idolatry and follow false Religions and so do renounce subjection to God and put themselves from under his directions they do also put themselves from under his protection for in both these respects it is true they have gone a whoring from under their God renouncing that subjection due to him by violating the Marriage-Covenant and so depriving themselves of that protection which was ensured to them by the Covenant 5. Sin is then come to a great height and very ripe for judgement when men cast off all veiles of pretences or shame and do openly and avowedly commit it for he challengeth when they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountaines c. avowedly without shame and not in corners onely 6. It is high presumption in fraile men to think to invent finer ordinances of worship by their wit then what God hath appointed or that they can put holinesse on things or places for it was their sin to choose mountaines and hils and shadowes of trees and groves in imitation of he Patriarchs whom the heathen did also imitate as if these places were more sacred and to do this as good and better and more apt to strike men with reverence then what God had appointed 7. It is no strange thing that men in choosing their Religion be led by their own fleshly lusts and that they account that best which pleaseth these most for in this respect also they accounted the shadow good that is more delectable to their flesh 8. Sin may be very sadly punished when no stroakes are inflicted but the sinner given up to more sin and particularly spirituall adultery may be punished with bodily filthinesse for Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery to which they

spoken of And this is the first promise which is made to Judah as a pledge of the spiritual deliverance of his Church and all his people and of temporal deliverance also in so far as it is needed Doct. 1. When the Lord giveth general grounds of encouragement from his Wo●d he is able to instruct and make them good by particular evidences of his love to the consciences of his own Therefore having given that generall promise ch 2.32 he doth here subjoyn a particular and convincing evidence thereof For I will bring again the captivity of Judah 2. Gods dispensations toward his Church and people whether in mercy or judgement are very admirable And men ought instead of their sleepinesse carelessenesse and astonishment when great things are in doing to stir up themselves to observe them much Therefore is a Behold prefixed to this wherein their captivity is supposed and their restitution promised and to what further shall be done at that time 3. Greatest spiritual mercies manifested to the Church may be seconded with saddest outward afflictions even with captivity and restraint of liberty driving them from their interests and acquaintance and putting them under the power of others And that as for other reasons so because they contemne and make no use of these spiritual mercies For so is imported here that after Christ came in the flesh to the Church of the Jewes and the Spirit was poured out among them yet because they despised and opposed all this therefore there is a captivity of Judah and Jerusalem 4. Deliverance and restitution according to the tenour of the Covenant will certainly follow upon the captivity of the Lords people even to admiration and the astonishment of all And particularly Judah's second and long captivity will have a remarkable issue For Behold I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem Verse 2. I will also gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land 3. And they have cast lots for my people and have given a boy for an harlot and sold a girle for wine that they might drink Followeth the second promise concerning the punishment of all the enemies of the Church and of Judah in special as a pledge of what he will do for others The time of performing this promise being propounded ver 1. We have here further 1. The convocation of these enemies and the bringing of them to judgement Their conspiring against the Church and particularly against Israel about the time of their conversion and recollection shall be the Lords work to gather them to the place of judgement and execution of vengeance 2. The place of judgement is here called the valley of Jehoshaphat which some take for some valley lying in view of Jerusalem to intimate that these enemies may surround the Church and bring her into great straits before that Gods issue come as Rev. 20.9 And that the execution of this vengeance will be in view of the Church to her full satisfaction and contentment when her eyes shall see her desire upon her enemies But it rather seemes to point at that valley where Jehoshaphat got that notable deliverance 2 Chron. 20.22 26. And albeit it were needlesse curiosity to determine that that same should be the place of this notable judgement and execution yet the allusion intimates that the plague on these enemies should be like that which befell Edom and his confederates then when the Lord stirred them up to slay one another and they became a prey to the Jewes The word also being taken appellatively doth signifie the valley of Gods judgement and so it will be let the particular place be where it will 3. We have the forme of procedure which that the certainty and equity of the judgment may appear the more is set down by way of judicial processe wherein God the Judge doth plead the cause of his people against them to v. 7. giveth out sentence v. 7 8. and seeth it executed v 9 16. In these Verses we have Gods pleading against all these enemies in general for their scattering his hereditary people their parting the land that was proper to him and for that with cruelty and contempt they divided his people and children by lot among themselves to be so many slaves and gave boyes and girles to satisfie their lusts Doct. 1. God will not only restore and deliver his people but will give them a seen and satisfactory amends for all the wrongs they have received from men and will make the time of their restitution prove sad dayes to enemies So much doth the connexion of this with the former Verse teach in that time when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will also gather all Nations c. 2. Albeit that enemies will be on foot when ever God appears for his people and particularly at the conversion and recollection of Judah and Israel to oppose and bear them down Yet God will not only frustrate their designes but will bring his own purposes to passe by their enterprizes For the Nations gathering of themselves to oppose the Church is Gods gathering them to judgement I w●ll gather all Nations and bring them down c. 3. Albeit they are not few but many who do conspire against the Church on all occasions and will gather together at the conversion of Israel yet their multitude will not make Gods purposes void For I will gather even all Nations c. 4. God hath even the very place prepared and fore-ordained in his counsel wherein he will plead with and execute vengeance upon enemies and wherein he will manifest his justice and power and his love to his people as of old Therefore doth he point at the place putting them in minde of what he had done of old and assuring them of his righteous judgement to be executed on their behalf I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat 5. The injuries done to the Church are such as God will certainly plead with men for albeit none else should regard them and he will so revenge their quarrel as equity and justice shall shine in it For I will plead with them there for my people And albeit his pleading here be by stroakes yet he giveth it the name of pleading and frameth a processe to shew how conspicuous his justice shall be in that procedure 6. Albeit Gods people be in themselves worthlesse yet his interest in them is sufficient ground of hope that he will plead against their enemies And albeit his dealing seem oft-times to obscure this interest yet he will again make it conspicuous and prove it by his pleading for them yea whatever he have to say against them yet he will never lay aside this interest when he pleads against enemies but will recompence them as if his people had never