Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A94183
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A sermon lately preached at Westminster, before sundry of the honourable House of Commons. By Joseph Symonds sometimes minster in Ironmonger-lane, London, now pastor of a church in Roterdam.
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Symonds, Joseph.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing S6358; Thomason E165_10; ESTC R23172
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16,972
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38
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abide such an habitation where his servants children ordinances are cast out Me thinks the voyce of our great ones hath been like that of the heathen Exeant Christiani exeant Christiani let the Christians goe out As it 's said of Jeroboam so it 's true of them Hee drove Israel from following the Lord and made them sinne a great sinne 2 Kings 17.21 Avolare fecit Hee made them fly away from the Lord. Oh what sinne hath beene by their counsell example hires feares lawes Others that would not fly from the Lord have fled from their Country to seeke that in a strange land which they could not but ought to have had at home Hagar the bondwoman and her children were in possession but the free woman and her children either in persecution at home or in exile abroad And was that trash which they have brought in a fit price for the peace of our consciences the sweetnesse of our estates friends and Country Will you then in zeale for God and pitty to your brethren and to your selves take up a resolution to vindicate our injuries and their insolencies Be strong and doe it 2 As your resolutions must be firme so they must be spirituall From higher principles then humane prudence Our evills are sore grievances indeed yet more afflictive to our consciences then to our sences Look on them not only as pressures on us but as sinnes against God ease us by righting him lest you be found to worke for your selves and not for him Then men serve Christ indeed when they make him not onely the exemplary cause but the finall Doe what you doe not because you must onely both in prudence and in conscience but doe it for his glory as David Solomon in building the house intended the name of the great God 1 Kings 8.17 2 Chron. 2.1 4. Spirituall ends are most noble and most strong 3 They must be willing it 's true there can be no resolutions simply unwilling But acts of the will are either mixt or mere Mixt are such wherein upon different respects the will hangs both wayes so a man may upon some reason resolve on that which he fully abhorreth as in a gangraene to endure the excision of a limb But to resolve thus for God is rather to be patients then agents for him it s rather to be sick of God then true to him Labour for Davids spirit who set his affection to the building of the house 1 Chron. 29.3 Be not onely subject to God but zealous for him It was Davids temper who was the type The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up Psal 69.9 And Christs temper who is the substance Ioh. 2.17 worke as friends If it be onely in your heads it will vanish but the impressions of love are deepe Say with Moses The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation hee is my God and I will prepare him an habitation Exod. 15.2 Zeale will make you men of might and your counsells and endeavours as an arrow shot from a strong arme which returneth not empty 4 Speedy For 1 It 's the greatest worke you have to doe Therefore give it priority quick dispatch I know you are wise I prescribe not an absolute order Important things are often respectively such A lesse thing in it self may be at some time of greatest importance of right should be first admitted Do what you can Christ will be content to stay till you can doe his businesse But still minde this and ayme at this and do all in order to this I may say to you as David to Ahimelech The Kings businesse requireth haste 1 Sam. 21.8 Doe things in Christs order Seek first the Kingdome of heaven You may mind your owne houses but not too much say with David See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within curtaines 2 Sam. 7.2 God stands much upon time and expects to be first served Therefore he chides the Jewes and sorely punisheth them for breach of this order Is it time for you oh yee to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie wast Hag. 1.4 It 's an angry speech Other causes may and must wayt say to them as Nehemiah when hee was building an house for God I am doing a great work so that I cannot come downe why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you chap. 6.3 I confesse that things that are first in intention are last in execution but then they are still moving till they come to perfection 2 Delayes are dangerous For 1 affections may coole the best may and the rest will Some men are hot as fire others as iron rather heated then hot take the season and strike while the iron is hot God sometimes for some oportunity of service gives a fervour of spirit but if the lock of oportunity be cut off you will as Sampson lose your strength and become like other men Judg. 15.5.17 2 Rubs rise by delayes A subtill enemie if hee have but the onely advantage of time will gaine much even in a desperate cause And they say the bitings of dying beasts are most deadly 3 Wee are speedy with God Lord heale her now saith Moses Numb 12.13 And David crieth for haste Oh my strength haste thee to help mee Psal 22.19 And God doth make haste to our good Es 16.5 For love is quick 4 God hath stayed long 5 Unanimous Let there be none adverse slothfull unfaithfull fearefull You have the honour and we the happinesse of a blessed conspiration of your hearts and hands hitherto Be still one and more one That you may meet as many streames in one channell and prove a conquering torrent Sands are small things yet being united they can break the proudest ships Christ is among you and knoweth whose hearts are with him he seeth and heareth all your counsels motions debates and votes Hee will say to the faithfull Well done good faithfull servant but to others had it not been for thee such a cause of mine had prospered such servants of mine relieved my house had been built but thy hand was against it By how much the greater you are by so much the more you owe let it not be said of you others were willing but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord. Nehem. 3.5 I draw to an end To quicken you to the work Consider You may doe this thing Christ may have his house built You have power of 1 Ability 2 Authority You cannot think our present discipline is by divine law then you may remove except you think it most convenient But how is that convenient which Ministers good men bad men almost all men have complained of You may by your power make it necessary but it will never be convenient and how ill will the oxen draw when their yoakes gall them You have seene the experience of this discipline these rites and orders for many
walk towards God with truth aequablenesse and certainty Reason 4. What we purpose is either due to God or not now there is no question of the debt when God demands and if it be due it is injustice not to performe and its dangerous to run into debt when we have to pay Therefore wee should say as David I have sworne and I will performe it c. Psal 119.106 Thus having runne over the point by demonstrating the necessity both of resolution and execution when we have a commission and charge to doe for God I come to application I will take up this charge which David gave his sonne upon you It s a like season A time of Parliament and solemne assembly as then here is a like work lying in your hands that an house be built for the Lord and you also have commission for the Lord hath chosen you to build him an house be strong therefore and doe it Suffer me here to speak a little of the work Solomon was to build an house for God but that house was but a type of that which is now to be built Your work is to help that the Churches of Christ may be rightly framed and formed each Church is called an house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 God hath three houses 1 Coelestiall built for the Saints by himselfe Heb. 11.10 2 Mysticall invisible built by himselfe for himselfe Eph. 2. c. 3 Instituted visible built for himselfe and the Saints that in it they might enjoy each other This is compared to an house in respect of constitution end 1 For constitution as in an house there is 1 qualification of matter 2 Combining and knitting it together So in a Church there must bee 1 matter qualified and prepared for such ends to which a Church is appointed it must be of that nature as may be apt to knit with the building and to contribute something to it It s preposterous and unreasonable to heap on promiscuously stones and straw stubble and timber without judgement of the fitnes of the matter to conduce to the common frame When at the temple the materialls were prepared before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in building 1 Kings 6.7 so in this spirituall Temple the building should consist of persons fitted for it they should be living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 All societies are composed with choyce the members of them are such as agree in the same common nature and in the same fundamentall lawes of that society So ecclesiasticall bodies are to consist of congruous matter it 's the rule of all other bodies whether naturall or civill Not that Churches have a power of infallible judgement not infallibility but wisedome with love is required in their judgment of persons to be admitted they must be such of whom we may be able to say of them as the Apostle of the Philippians of whom he said It is meet for me to think this of you all Phil. 1.7 2 A Church is a combined company for many without conjunction are a multitude not a corporation As many stones and timbers are a heape but not an house except they be fitted and joyned together as a naturall body is a multitude in which the members by conjunction become one so is the Church from the head all the body is by joynts and bands knit together Col. 2.19 And in Christ the Church is said to be built together to be an habitation for God Eph. 2.22 These bands are either such as tye to Christ the head and the foundation faith and the spirit This makes members of the Church Catholick which is called the generall assembly Heb. 12.23 consisting of all Saints in heaven and in earth Eph 1.10 which is called the whole family in heaven and earth Eph. 3.15 Or they are such as tye the Saints among themselves as in a building the materialls are not onely knit to the foundation but to themselves These tyes are 1 such as constitute a Church i. e. consent to live together in communion There is no other way imaginable by which divers persons can be either one family or one City or one kingdom which never were one but by consent and how should divers persons who before were free come to have any justly exercising any power among them but by consent This therefore must be the bond to knit divers Saints into one body And a Church must be knit together else it will be but a casuall loose company without order and rule When it is orderly gathered and composed it becomes an house to Christ for his instituted worship though not only as the mysticall Church is for naturall worship 2 Such as doe conserve i.e. mutuall love which is the bond of perfectnesse Col. 3.14 This preserves the unity peace and order of a Church Secondly as the Church is called the house of God in respect of constitution so also in respect of the end 1 For his dwelling In Christ yee are knit together for an habitation of God through the spirit Eph. 2.21 Though he fill all places yet his presence is with the Churches with more complacence The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 131.13 14. He dwelt in Hierusalem the shadow of these Churches out of choyce with a doubled desire I have desired it I have desired it And as he dwels here with complacence so with beneficence I will abundantly blesse her provision I will satisfie her poore with bread I will also cloath her Priests with salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy ver 15.16 Plenty and safety is promised to Churches so much as to cause the greatest joy In these societies it is where God commandeth the blessing and life for evermore Psal 131.3 2 For his honour poore mens houses are for necessity but great men and Princes have houses for honour also Kings have 1. houses of judgement where they exercise justice and judgement So is the Church the place of the power and judgement of Christ it 's called his throne Jerem. 3.17 which is the seat of honour and majestie 2 Kings have their treasuries Esay 39.2 In which they keep their treasure which is the glory of Kings And the Church is called the house of Gods glory Esay 60.7 The place where hee layeth his pretious treasures 3 They have their armories the Church also is Gods military house here are those spirituall weapons which are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.4 His Saints have here those armes by which they defend themselves in their spirituall warfare and obtaine great conquests against the world against their lusts and Satans power Much should bee said concerning the order and government of this house but time faileth This then oh yee worthies is the house which must be built you are chosen of God and