Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	service_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	98	3	9.4064	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67746	A counterpoyson, or Soverain antidote against all griefe as also, the benefit of affliction and how to husband it so that the weakest Christian (with blessing from above) may be able to support himself in his most miserable exigents : together with the victory of patience : extracted out of the choicest authors, ancient and modern, both holy and humane : necessary to be read of all that any way suffer tribulation.	Younge, Richard.	1641 (1641)	Wing Y148; ESTC R15238	252,343	448

the indignities offered to God then of our owne dangers And certainly no ingenuous disposition can be so tender of his owne disgrace as the true Christian is at the reproach of his God as we see in Moses who when Aaron and Miriam offered him a private injury it is said his meeknesse was such that he gave them not a word Numb 12. But when the people had fallen to idolatry and he heard them murmure against their Maker hee spares neither Aaron nor the people but in a godly ●it of zeale takes on at them yea breakes the Tables in peeces Exod. 32. A meeke Lambe in his owne cause a fierce Lyon in Gods Yea it was alwayes his manner to plead the peoples cause to God with prayers and teares but Gods cause against the people with sword and revenge And thus it fared with David who was a man deafe and dumb and wholly senselesse at Shemei● private reproach when he cursed him cast stones at him called him murtherer and wicked man 〈◊〉 Sam. 16. But not so at Goliahs publick revilings of God and his Church no not at Michols despising his holy zeale in the publike service of God 2 Sam. 6. In these cases how full of life and spirit and holy impatiency did he shew himselfe to be And our Saviour Christ who suffered himselfe to bee spit upon buffe●ed crowned with Thornes c. without giveing an angry word s but when hee saw the Temple abused hee burned in a zealous anger against them tooke a s 〈…〉 rge and whipt the buyers and sellers ou● saying Yee have made my Fathers house a den of theeves Matth. 21. 12 13. 3. Touching our actions whether it be in thine owne cause or in the cause of God and Religion thou m●ist not be a revenger All that private persons can doe is either to lift up their hands to Heaven for redresse of sinne or to lift up their tongues against the sinne not their hands against the person Who made thee a Judge is a lawfull question if it meet with a person unwarranted True Phin●as in the case of Zimry and Cozby lift up his hand and thrust them both through with a Speare And when Moses saw the Aegyptian smiting the Hebrew hee smoate the Aegyptian but they had peculiar warrants signed from Heaven either by instinct or speciall command which we shall expect in vaine Well may we flee from danger as Jacob fled from Esau Moses from Pharoah David from King Saul Elias from Jesabel Paul from the Damascens and Christ himselfe from the Jewes And expect to finde comfort in our flight even a City of refuge as Jacob found favour in Labans house Moses a rich Father-in-Law Elias an Angel to feed him Paul spirituall brethren to comfort him besides the Holy Ghost the true Comforter But the weapons of a Christian in adversity ought onely to be patience and prayer f●r as Theodoret saith if Muentius and Maximinian in the heat of zeale shall rayle on wicked Julian at a Feast justly may their deaths be cast upon their petulancy but not upon their Religion Yea the Counsell of Eleberis decreed that if any man did take upon him to breake downe the Heathens Idolls and were slaine in the place that hee should not bee reckoned among the Martyrs Indeed God so loves this heat of zeale in all the carriages of his servants that if it transport us too farre hee pardoneth the errours of our fervency rather than the indifferences of lukewarmenesse as may be seene in that act of Moses when being wroth with the people about the malten Calfe hee brake the Tables in peeces Exod. 32. Neverthelesse if we shall either out of superstition or presumption doe that we have neither calling nor warrant for out of the word such our workes be our intention what it will are but the blinde whelpes of an ignorant zeale and an unadvized zeale when knowledge is not made the Pilot of devotion may bee more prejudiciall than a cold r●misnesse Swift horses without a skilfull waggon●● and full sayles without a good Pilot endanger more Objection Every base nature will be ready to offer injuries where they thinke they will not be repaid he will many times beat a Coward that would not dare to strike him if he thought him valiant as a Cur that goes through a Village if hee clap his tayle betweene the legs and runne away every Cur will insult over him but if he bristell up himselfe and stand to it give but a counter-snarle there 's not a Dog dares meddle with him Answer Neverthelesse avenge not thy selfe but give place unto wrath and that for conscience sake Rom. 12. 19. If thou receivest wrong in thy person goods or good name it is the Magistrates office to see thee righted and For this cause yee pay also tribute He is the Minister of God for thy wealth to take vengeance on him that doth evill and for the praise of them that doe well neither doth hee beare the sword for nought Rom. 13. 4 5 6. 1 Peter 2. 14. Now in this case he that hath endammaged me much as you have some that will deprive men of their possessions and then perswade them to be content cannot plead breach of charity in my see●ing his Restitution and because patience without discretion wrongs a good cause I will so mit wrongs as I may not encourage others to offer them and so retaine them that I may not induce God to retaine mine to him Have you not seene a Crow stand upon a Sheepes backe pulling off wooll from her side even creatures reasonlesse know well whom they may be bold with that Crow durst not doe this to a Wolfe or a Mastiffe the knowne simplicity of this innocent beast gives advantage to this presumption meeknesse of spirit commonly drawes on injuries and the cruelty of ill natures usually seekes out those not who deserve worst but who will beare most Wherefore patience and mildnesse of spirit is ill bestowed where it exposes a man to wrong and insultation Sheepish dispositions are best to others worst to themselves I could be willing to take injuries but I will not be guilty of provoking them by lenity for harmelesnesse let me goe for a Sheep but whosoever will be tearing my fleece let him looke to himselfe Diogenes the Stoicke teaching his auditors how they should refraine anger and being earnest in pressing them to patience a waggish boy spit in his face to see whether he would practise that which he taught others but Diogenes was not a whit moved at it yet said withall I feare I shall commit a greater fault in letting this boy goe unpunished than in being angry In some cases for reason to take the rod out of the hands of wrath and chastise may be both lawfull and expedient The same which Aristotle affirmed in Philosophy viz. That choller doth sometime serve as a whetstone to vertue is made good Divinity by Saint Paul Be angry but sinne not Ephes. 4.