Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	true_a	truth_n	word_n	7,456	5	4.2077	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66947	The dead-man's testament: or, A letter written, to all the saints of God in Scotland fellow-heirs of the blessing with those in England: for a view of the present work of God against the mystery of iniquity and for unity and love amonst themselves, in this day of the Lord's mercifull dispensation, and of the judgement of the whore. By Thomas Wood, sometimes inhabitant of Leith, lately departed this present life. And supplied by one of his own countrey-men, a lover of the true spirituall Beautie of Zion. Published by authoritie.	Wood, Thomas, of Leith.	1651 (1651)	Wing W3413; ESTC R221198	10,313	19

neither hath your condition who are the people of God but as the Promises have been applyed to the prophane multitude as one body with you so the threatnings have been applyed to you as one body with them for whereas the blessing of the Gospel abundance of Grace and everlasting Righteousness and free unchangeable Love should have been plainly holden forth and applyed to you his precious People only upon your embracing of Christ and the free Promise by Faith without and before all good Works Ye being freely justified by Grace without the Works of the Law Rom. 3. But by the contrary the Law and wrath have been applyed to you with the prophane body of the land and ye have been taught as one body with them that because of your breach of Covenant and failings in Reformation and dueties your God was not yet pacified with you but was yet provoked to anger and entring in controversy with you for your sins as with the rest of the land as if the Constancy of Gods Favour and Love which he hath sworn and promised to you depended upon your performances or Works of Reformation And as by this preaching of promises upon performances the wicked have been hardened in their course of formality in hearing the Word Singing of Psalmes receiving the Sacraments and such like being thereby esteemed holy both by themselves and the Ministery and to be members of the Church so likewise by this preaching of threatnings upon your failings and infirmities even ye the Lords people whom the Son hath made free indeed have been keeped in much weaknesse and bondage and in a legall temper under continuall fears and terrours of Gods displeasure and anger to the great weakning of your Faith and diminishing of your Spirituall Strength and comfort Of Good Works it is granted must be taught but not as proceeding from fear of wrath and displeasure for not performing thereof but as proceeding from the Strength of God in us thr●ugh the assurance of his constant Love For this love of our God increaseth our joy and this joy of our Lord in us is our strength against sin Neh. 8. And as there hath been a confusion in the members and the government and the doctrine so hath there been in the worship of this Church for this it is evident that a worldly carnal and corrupted people can perform nothing whatsoever they pretend but a worldly carnall and corrupted worship They cannot worship in Spirit and Truth For the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. And therefore if it be granted that many of the people maintained to be members of this Nationall Church and Performers of worship in singing of Psalmes receiving the Sacraments were but a worldly and carnall people not acquaint with the life of God nor with the Ministery of Faith then it followeth that much of the worship performed by this nationall Church was but a carnall corrupted and sinfull worship detestable in the eyes of the Almighty for whatsoever is without Faith is sinfull and abominable And therefore the Lord hath been highly provoked by the carnall and faithlesse worship performed by the multitude in our Solemn Assemblies For the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. But beloved that which much hath served to fill up the cup of the Lords wrath against this nationall Church hath been in taking the Covenant for the Ministery not trusting the Power of God in the hearts of his Saints for defending his Truth thought good as going down to Egypt for help to combine all the whole Nation together as one body one Church in that solemn band wherein all the ignorant multitude who knew not what they were doing were taught by the great and solemn Oath of God to protest Firstly that they had long and duely examined their Consciences in matters of true and false Religion Secondly that they were now fully perswaded by the word and Spirit in the Truth of Religion Thirdly that under all the pains contained in the Law and danger both of soul and body in the day of Gods fearfull judgement they should defend the Truth of Religion And was it not evident Beloved that the multitude of this land invited by the Ministery to enter into that solemn Covenant had never examined their Consciences in matters of true and false Religion Neither were they ever perswaded by the Word and Spirit of God in the Truth of Religion and therefore could never defend that which they knew not for the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God So that in binding themselves by such a solemn Oath under such horrible pains to defend that which they never knew they bound themselvesover to the curse of the Law wherein the Ministery was cheefly instrumentall The leaders of this people have caused them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed And therefore the bloud of the ignorant multitude so engadged by their leaders and thrust forth by them as sheep to the slaughter for defending that whereof they had no knowledge lyeth heavily upon the heads of the Ministery And lastly Concerning the Assemblies of this Church Ye know beloved how corrupt mixed and confused they were and that in these respects Firstly in respect of their frequency It is much to be admited upon what accompt Church-Assemblies were so frequent in this Nation We can finde no president for it in Scripture No more is read but of the Assembly at Jerusalem Acts 15. and of Pauls calling the Elders of the Church of Ephesus together Acts 20. v. 17. It cannot be denied but the Church now and then may call Assemblies upon some grave and weighty occurren● or other whether it be v. g. for discussing and composing matters of controversie as did the Councell at Jerusalem or for some seasonable extraordinary and necessary word of exhortation and admonition Upon which accompt the Elders of Ephesus did meet But I would fain know upon what accompt be their weekly Presbyteries half-yearly Synods yearly Generall Assemblies and continuall Church-Commissions in this Land Is it imaginable there can be fit matter for such frequent meetings No verily What Cases of Conscience in finding out the poynt of justification and matter of controversie in discovering the Mystery of Iniquity have provoked such meetings What grave and extraordinary word of admonition hath flowed from them so often as they have been called Or shall we think the Lord's people whom we judge the the onely fit object and subject of Church meetings so ignorant so backward and so unruly that they stand in need of such frequent Assemblies We dare not think so unless we should impung their willingnes in the day of the Lords power Psal 110. Their cheerfulness in obedience by the love of Christ which constraineth them and the terrour of GOD whereby they perswade men 2 Cor. 5. and the eminency of their knowledge being all taught of GOD Isaiah 54. whereby none of them