Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A26893
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A seasonable word of advice unto all the saints in England whereby they are exhorted to beware of Satans subtilties, and hold fast the words of sound doctrine / by J.B., a lover of the truth.
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J. B.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing B122; ESTC R32845
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20,027
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31
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in the Faith And Fourthly Hereby he causeth them to put private Interpretations upon the Scriptures applying them at their pleasures to particular Times Places and Persons Whereas the Scriptures and divine prophesies as they came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake at they were moved by the holy Ghost so they are not to be interpreted according to the will of man with any private Interpretation but according to the mind and spirit of God which we can only find out by searching the Scriptures and comparing spiritual things with spiritual A Third way by which Satan bringeth many to a misunderstanding of the Scriptures and a perversion thereof is by keeping them in Ignorance of the present Dispensation they are under hereby causing them in Gospel-Times to walke chiefly by the Rule of the Law and to look for the performance and accomplishment of those things in their Daies which are not to be fulfilled until future Times This Satan doth by making use of Ignorant and unfaithful shepherds who knowing not the Scriptures themselvs or unfaithfully dispencing them somtimes contrary to the Convictions of their own hearts Light and knowledge to maintain their temporal Advantages and to keep up the principles of their artificial and scholastic Theology do impose such Doctrines upon the world that they lay the weight of a mans Justification upon his duties and performances thereby destroying as far as in them lyeth the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ And although in their Doctrines and words they will speak of Justification by Faith yet in their works and practizes they deny it Laying heavy burdens works and duties upon men which neither they nor their forefathers were able to bear And hereby Satan causeth them either to omit or pervert and wrest those Scriptures which hold forth Justification freely by Faith in Christ without the works of the Law Secondly Satan doth by his Seducements and subtile Suggestions cause many to mistake diverse prophetical Scriptures as to Time by perswading them that the accomplishment of those Promises will be in their Daies And this he doth by taking Advantage of an earnest desire which is in many professors to see the fulfilling of those things which are conteined in those Prophesies because they are perswaded that thereby the Lord would be exceedingly glorified And therefore the Saints in these Times should very carefully watch over their Zeale which in most men is rather a passion then a Grace especially if it be fixed upon a wrong Object The Jewes were Zealous of the Law of Moses but being ignorant of the Law of the Gospel of Christ their zeale was dissalowed of by the Apostle saying Rom. 10.2 they have a zeale but not according to knowledge for they being ignorant of the Righteousnesse of God went about to establish their own Righteousnesse And so far did this zeale hurry them that they persecuted the most precious Saints of Jesus Christ Thus Paul persecuted the Church Luk 9.51 to 56. Phil. 3.6 and thus Satan took Advantage against the Disciples working upon their Zeale who were then Ignorant of their present Dispensation and work which Christ was then to do in the world For when Jesus Christ was to go to Jerusalem on a certain time he sent some before him who prepared his lodging in a Town of the Samaritans The Samaritans being professed Enemies to the Jewes finding that Christ intended to go to Jerusalem to worship refused to receive him Whereupon James and John moved with Zeale taking for example Elias the prophet but being at that Time ignorant of the work which their Master then came to do moved the Lord to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans But the Lord answered Ye know not of what Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And assuredly Satan doth work thus in the world taking advantage of a great zeale which is in many Saints who are zealous of the glory of God and tender of his honour who set before them the Examples of many Zealous Saints who were acted by an immediate hand of God and they call for fire Judgements blastings and wrath upon many whom they see do dishonour God and as they conceive do carry on the work of Satan against Christ Not considering that yet we are under the tenders of the Gospel and a door of mercy is open unto all men To all sorts of sinners excepting those who sin against the holy Ghost to whoremongers and Idolaters to drunkards and blasphemers so that he that is a persecuter of Christ and his Saints to day may be a converted Paul to morrow Not considering that the day of wrath vengeance and utter destruction is the Day of the Lord the Day of his next coming and appearing Untill which time his Disciples should be merciful as their father which is in heaven is merciful who maketh his Sun to arise on the evil and good Mat. 5.44 45 46. and sendeth Rain on the Just and unjust Wherefore the Saints in these Daies should watch over their zeale and have a Care that it be bounded with love on the one hand and knowledge on the other and be circumspect that they fix their zeale on a right Object according to that of the Apostle It is good to be zealous or earnest in a good thing Gal. 4.15 16 17 18. We should zealously love when the Lord would have us do good but we should not hate zealously when the Lord would have us to love nor Curse when he would have us to blesse nor deprecate any when he would have us to pray for all Men. Satan having caught any in this Snare that is blinded their Eyes that they are not able to know the things that belong to their present Dispensation and having wrought upon their zeale and fixed it upon a wrong Object In the first place he doth deprive the Saints who are thus deceived by him of many gospel Comforts which do arise from the apprehension of the Love of God grounded upon free Grace and applied unto us by and in Jesus Christ Secondly hereby that is by altering the nature and property of true zeale which is alwaies attended with love knowledge and humility he increaseth spiritual Pride in them which may be thus discerned when they begin to have low thoughts of all men but of themselves and of such as agree with their Judgements when they seperate themselves from their Brethren supposing them to be Low flat dead backward and lesse zealous in the worke of God then themselves when they will passe a Judgement upon others and say this man is guilty of the sin against the holy Ghost this man is faln from the Faith and his former professions this man is an hypocrite this man is a Persecuter of the Saints this man is not to be pray'd for this man ought to be cut off again by reason of this
by a further Spirit and power then their own From these and such like things many conclude that their Dreames and visions are of the holy Ghost and therefore they ought to be the Rule and Ground of their Actions Prayers and Performances But if men did minde that which the Apostle prophesied of they would not be too forward to do so For Saint Paul did foreshew that in the latter Time some should depart from the Faith and give heed unto Spirits of Errours and Doctrines of Divils 1 Tim. 4.1 for this is Truth that whatsoever Spirit doth set men upon the doing of those things that are contrary unto the word of God we should not be guided by it Satan is very busie even among the best of the Saints and therefore they cannot be too watchful Wherefore I shall indeavour to try the Spirits that are in the world even the Spirits of Delusion comparing them with the commands of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God saith search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 and compare Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 but the Spirit of delusion saith Judge of Scripture by natural Reason which is the Light that God hath set up in you The Spirit of God saith no Scripture is of any private Interpretation 2. Pet. 1.20 the Spirit of Delusion saith you may make any Interpretation of Scripture either mystical prophetical literal or what you will The Spirit of God saith let every one esteem others better then themselves Phil. 2.3 the Spirit of Delusion saith I am more holy then such an one I am more instant in Duties then such The Spirit of God saith Judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come 1 Cor 4.5 the Spirit of Delusion saith this man is guilty of the Sin against the holy Ghost this man is falne from Grace this man is not to be prayed for this man is a hypocrite The holy Ghost saith blesse and Curse not Rom. 12.14 the Spirit of Delusion saith Curse such an one for he hath persecuted the Saints The Spirit of God Saith Let Prayers be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 the Spirit of Delusion saith we may Pray for those who are our Enemies but not for those who are the Enemies of Christ I could try these Spirits in many other Particulars but I will indeavour by the Scriptures to try the Spirits of those who say they Dreame Dreames and see visions of God but are false Dreamers 1. Such Dreamers say they doe Dreame in the Name of the Lord when they prophesie the vision of their owne heart Jer. 23.25 26. 2. By their Dreames they cause the People to forget the Name of the Lord. v. 27. they give more heed unto their Dreames then unto the Word of the Lord 3. These Prophets have sweet Tongues and say Thus saith the Lord and make the People to erre by their Lyes and their flatteries deceiving them v. 31.32 Jer. 29.8 4. They speake vain things and comfort in vain Zach. 10.2 and 5. These false Dreamers cause many to despise Government and speake Evil of them that are in Authority Jude 8. Having thus shewed how we should try the Spirits that are in the world I will declare how these Temptations cunning Practises of Satan may be prevented Therfore In the first place the Apostle doth exhort to Sobrietie Sobrietie doth not onely consist in the moderate use of Meat and drink but in beleeving Loving and trusting in the Lord. He is a sober Christian that continueth stedfast in the Faith that abideth in the commandements and trusteth in the Lord. 1 Thess 5 6 7 8. He is a Sober Christian that is indued with wisdom and Gravitie Tit. 1.8 not given to wantones and Levity He is a Sober Christion that wil not give confidence to the Dreams and delusions of men but doth trust on the Grace that is brought unto him by the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 that walketh by the Rule of the Word which was written by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost and Revelation of Jesus Christ He is a Sober Christian who is not carelesse or negligent but vigilant and instant in Prayer 1 Pet. 4 8. He is a Sober Christian that arrogateth not unto himselfe those Gifts which he hath not nor boasteth of those Gifts which he hath Rom. 12.3 He is a Sober Christian who liveth Righteously as towards men and godly as towards the Lord in this present world Tit. 2.12 So that this exhortation of the Apostle is very necessary for that in it is conteyned those Duties which hold forth stability and Constancy in our Resolutions Because that Satan taketh great advantage against those who are unstable minded 2 Pet. 2.14 not endued with Sobrietie Secondly the Apostle doth exhort to vigilancy or Watchfulnesse To watch over our hearts over others over the drawings out of our affections over our Zeale over our Principles over the world and over Satan To watch because the Coming of Christ is uncertain Mat. 24.42 43 44. To watch Rev. 3.3 least Satan take Advantage of our weaknesse in the Faith 1 Cor. 16.13 To watch over our Prayers continually Col. 4.2 To watch in all things 2 Tim. 4.5 And if a Christian ought to watch in all things even in the Least things much more over the malice Rage and Subtilty of Satan Thirdly that the Saints may avoid the Designes of Satan the Apostle exhorteth to prayer Prayer and watchfulnesse must alwayes go together Watch and Pray Mar. 13.33 Be ye Sober watching in Prayer 1 Pet. 4.7 Sober and Stedfast in our resolutions watchful over every enemy and earnest in Prayer to call for divine assistance If Satan doth tempt the Saints when they pray and God doth require that they pray according to his minde and will then it is their duty to try and weigh every Petition which they put up by the Word and not to desire any thing of the Lord but what the word doth allow of for the word is the Revelation of the minde and will of God The holy Ghost doth help the Saints to call for those things onely which are agreeable to the minde and will of God that is to his Word And if their hearts be drawn out to other things they are not to give heed unto the motions of their hearts Also in their Prayers the Saints should have respect not only to those things which God hath promised but to the Times Places and Persons to which they relate Otherwise the Lord may draw out their hearts as to the thing promised but Satan may tempt them to pray amisse as to circumstances A Fourth remedy to prevent the designes of Satan is to hold fast to the Faith resist Satan stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 saith the Apostle Peter So likewise St. Paul exhorteth Above all take the shield of Faith wherewith yee may quench the fiery Darts of the wicked Eph. 6.16 He that is Sober will not easily be tempted He that is