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	worship_v	worshipper_n	5,566	5	12.1877	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53702	An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruine by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1681 (1681)	Wing O762; ESTC R17781	63,319	169

impendent Judgments are diverted by Repentance I do but a little plead with every man for himself and in his own Cause Neither however wise or learned men may be is it meet in this Case to treat them otherwise It is to no purpose to make a fine Speech unto such as are falling into a Lethargy nor to discourse learnedly of the Art of Navigation unto them that are ready to perish in a Storm they must be plain Words and plain Things that are forcible in this Case And these by whom they are despised from any Principle of Self-Elation give but an uncomfortable Indication of what will be the Issue of their Dangers Let therefore the Reader but candidly excuse and pass by the Trouble which he will be put unto by the frequent Mistakes of the Press especially in Mis-pointings rendring the Sence sometimes obscure and unobvious and I have on the behalf of the Treatise it self no more to desire of his forbearance Luke 13. 1. 2 3 4 5. There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans whose Blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices And Jesus answering said unto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were Sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Or those Eighteen upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell and slew them think ye that they were Sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish IT is a Part and Duty of Spiritual Wisdom as also an Evidence of a due Reverence of God to take Notice of Extraordinary Occurrences in the Dispensations of his Providence for they are instructive warnings and of great importance in his Government of the World In them the Voice of the Lord crieth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see his Name And there is a Mark left on them as profligate Persons who will not see when his Hand is so lifted up An Example of this Wisdom is given us here in our Blessed Saviour who on the Report that was made unto him of some severe Providential Accidents then newly fallen out gives an Exposition of the Mind of God in them with an Application of them unto the present Duty of them that heard him and Ours therein Some things may be observed in General to give Light into the Context and the Design of our Saviour in this holy Discourse I. The Time when the Things mentioned did fall out and wherein our Saviour passed this judgement on them 1. It was a Time of great Sin of the abounding of all sorts of Sins The Nation as such in its Rulers and Rule the Church as such in its Officers Order and VVorship and the Generality of the People in their Personal Capacities were all overwhelmed in provoking Sins Hypocrisie Oppression Cruelty Superstition Vncleanness Persecution Impenitency and Security all proceeding from Unbelief had filled the Land and defiled it We have a sufficient Account of this State of things in the Story of the Gospel so as that it needs no other Confirmation Yea so wicked were the People and so corrupt the Church-State and so impenitent were the Generality of them therein that it suited the Rightousness and Holiness of God to revenge on that Generation not only their own Sins but the Sins also of all wicked persecutors from the Foundation of the World a thing which he doth not do but on high Provocations Luke 11. 50. 51. That the Blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the Foundation of the World may be required of this Generation from the Blood of Abel unto the Blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this Generation There is in this Commination an Appearance of Severity beyond the Rule established Exod. 20. 5. There God declares That as he is a jealous God which Title he assumes to himself with respect unto the highest Provocations that he will visit the Iniquity of the Fathers on the Children to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him But here the Vengeance and Punishment due unto the Sins of an hundred Generations is threatned to be inflicted on that which was present Something in our passage may be spoken for the Vindication of Divine Justice herein seeing we may be more concerned in that Divine Commination than the most are aware 1. The Case here is particular That in the Commandmont respects the Common Case of all false Worshippers and their Posterity but this respects Persecution unto Blood and Death of the true Worshippers of God Now though God be very much provoked with the Sins of false Worshippers yet he can either bear with them or pass over their Sins with lesser Punishments or at least for a long season but when they come to Persecution and the Blood of them who worship him in Spirit and in Truth in his appointed season he will not spare them their own and the Iniquities of their Predecessors shall be avenged on them which will be the end of the Antichristian Church-State after all its present Triumph 2. All those who from the beginning of the World suffered unto Blood on the account of Religion suffered in the Cause of Christ for their Faith in him and Confession of him namely as he was promised unto the Church Unto him and his Office did Abel by Faith bear Testimony in the Bloody Sacrifice that he offered So it is said that Moses in his danger for killing the Aegyptian hare the Reproach of Christ because he did it in Faith of the Promised Seed which was Christ. They were therefore all slain in the Cause of Christ And whereas this Generation was to slay Christ himself and did so they did therein approve of and justifie all the Blood that was shed in the same Cause from the Foundation of the World and made themselves justly liable unto the Punishment due unto it Hence our Saviour tels them Matth. 23. 35. That They the Men of that Generation slew Zechariah who was actually slain many hundred years before 3. Our Blessed Saviour mentions Abel and Zechariah Particularly This Zechariah called the son of Barachias was undoubtedly the Zechariah mentioned 2 Chr. 24. 20 21 22. For concerning those two alone it is observed That the one dead and the other dying cryed for Vengeance So God testifieth of the Blood of Abel Gen. 4. 10. And Zechariah when he died said The Lord look upon it and require it Hence the Apostle affirms That Abel being dead yet speaks Heb 11. 4. that is his Blood did so it did so then and it spake for Vengance as he intimates Ch. 12 24. It did so before and until the Destruction of Hierusalem For in the Rejection and absolute Destruction of that Apostatized Church and People the Blood of all that suffered under the Old Testament

a Season as this is It is no common no easie thing to wait for the Lord in the way of his Judgments Isai. 26 8 9. There is inward Soul-work night and day as well as outward Duties required unto it That God may be Glorified in a due manner that we may be found in Peace whatever be the Event of things that we may be usefull unto others and in all serve the Will of God in our Generation are all expected from us in a way of Duty Unto this End the ensuing Directions may be made use of 2. Take heed of stout-heartedness and a Contempt or neglect thereby of Divine Warnings There is a Generation who either really or in pretence are bold fearless stout-hearted regardless of these things they seem to provoke and dare God to do his utmost all that he seems to threaten So they speak Isai. 5 19. Let him make speed and hasten his Work that we may see it and let the Counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh that we may know it Here is much talk indeed of the Judgments of God and of their near Approach When shall we see them why do not they come when shall he bring forth his Work This hath been the great Controversie between the Church and the wicked World from the beginning of it Those that truly feared God were always testifying that God would come and take vengeance on them for their Impieties and Impenitency But because these Judgments were not speedily executed the sinful world did always despise their warnings and scoff at their Message So Enoch the seventh from Adam he Preached and Prophesied of these things namely of the Coming of God to take vengeance of ungodly men Jude 14 15. And this Message was scoffed at as is evident because no Reformation ensued thereon until the Flood took them all away So was it with Noah and his Preaching and so it hath been with all that fear God in their several Generations and this was one especial thing that the Pagans laughed and mocked at the Primitive Christians about as is plain in Lucian's Philopatr So the Apostle Peter gives us an Account both of what was past and what would afterwards come to pass 2 Pet. 3. 3 4 5 6. unto the End And such as these abound amongst us All the Warnings of God have been turned into Ridicule previous Judgments despised and Sin it self made a Scoff of But of all others God most abhorreth this sort of Men. They are said to be far from Righteousness Isai. 46. 12. Unto such he speaks in his Wrath Hear ye despisers wonder and perish Yea the Scripture is full with the severest Threatnings against this sort of men nor shall any in the appointed season drink deeper of the Cup of Gods Indignation See Isai 28 14 15. Deut. 29. 19. 20. Such secure Despisers such Scoffers at approaching Judgments such Deriders of the Signs and Tokens of them God will deal withal And some there are who it may be not from the same Spirit of open Prophaneness but out of Prejudices corrupt Arguings pretended Observations of things past Disbelief of all they do not feel and such like effects of long Security do utterly scorn and scoff at all these things They account it a matter of Weakness Pusillanimity or Superstition to concern themselves in these warnings of Providence or the explication of them by the Word but their Judgment sleepeth not And it may be observed and will be found true that when Judgments do really approach of all sorts of men they are the most cowardly distracted fearfull and void of Counsel For when God begins to deal with them their hearts cannot indure nor their hands be strong He smites through their loins and filleth them with a Spirit of horrour and fear that they shall tremble like the Leaves of the Forrest In that day you may say unto them as Zebul did to boasting Gaal upon the Approach of Abimelech his Enemy Where is now thy Mouth wherewith thou saidst Who is Abimelech Where is now your Mouth and your Vauntings with respect unto these Judgments of God So Micaiah the Prophet told Zedekiah the false Prophet in his Boasting and Confidence of Success 1 Kin. 22. 25. With all thy confidence boasting thou shalt be one of the first that shall endeavour to fly and hide thy self Yea this sort of persons are commonly the most ridiculous and contemptible when real Danger overtakes them of any sort of men in the world That which God requires of us in such a season is called in Scripture Trembling They that tremble at my word This he regards this he accepts this he approveth of Isai. 66. 2 5. Jer. 5. 22. It is not a weakning an astonishing heartless consternation of Spirit that is intended not such a Dread and Terrour as should obstruct us in the chearfull performance of Duty and preparation to comply with the will of God Such is that mentioned Deut. 18 66 67. which is the most severe of judgments But it is an awful Reverence of the Greatness and Holiness of God in the way of his Judgments casting out all carnal Security Self-confidence and contempt of Divine warnings so bringing the soul into a submissive compliance with the will of God in all things But look well in the first place that this Evil on no pretences do make any approach unto you If one Evil seems to be diverted do not say with Agag surely the bitterness of Death is past which will prove an entrance into this evill Frame and so grow regardless of your Duty God expects other things from you The Lion saith he hath roared who will not fear Amos 3. 8. There is the Voice of a Lion roaring for his Prey in the present Divine Warnings Take heed that you despise not that which when it comes to pass you can neither abide nor avoid 2. Take heed of a Frame of heart that is regardless of these things We have a sort of Men who although they will not they dare not openly as others despise Divine Warnings yet they see all things in such a Light as suffers them not to take Notice of any Concernment of their own in them Psal. 28. 5. Jer. 36. 24. The Land is filled with Sin it is true but they are the Sins of other men not theirs There are Tokens and Signs of Gods Displeasure in Heaven above and the Earth beneath but men are not agreed whether these things be of any signification or no some say Yea and some Nay but they are new and strange and so are meet to be the Subject of Discourse previous Judgments have been upon us they are but such Accidents as fall out frequently in the world But the Divisions among our selves and contrivances of our Adversaries seem to threaten Ruine to the Nation it may be so but these things belong unto our Rulers and Men are divided about this also some say one thing and some another Some say there