Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	work_n	workmanship_n	145	3	11.4303	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50328	The bruised reed, or, A sermon preach'd at the cathedral church of St. Asaph, for the support of weak Christians by D. Maurice, D.D., sometime chaplain in New Colledge, Oxon.	Maurice, David.	1700 (1700)	Wing M1357A; ESTC R43437	22,707	31

it's essence and cause yet it do's quoad esse exercitium as to it 's well being and exercise and therefore the Lord will not quench the smoking flax 3. Grace may be hinder'd in it's growth by reason of weak gifts and want of natural parts such as Memory to carry away the word read or heard and the gift of Prayer A Sigh from such is acceptable to God for God doth not regard the Logick nor Rhetorick nor Arithmetick but the Divinity of Prayer 't is the sincere broken petitions that flow from a broken heart that prevail with God more than all the gaudy Eloquence of any Hypocrite whatever 4. A Christian's Grace may be weak for want of the means of Grace many people have been unfruitful under and unthankfull for the word of God and therefore the Lord may in Judgement say of them what David said of Gilboa 2 Sam. 1.21 Let there be no dew neither let there be rain upon you A dreadful curse And if a weak Christian chance to be in such a barren Wilderness the Lord will bear with his bruised reed because he has not the means of growth and strength to wit the milk and strong meat of the word Luke 12.48 Vnto whom much is given much shall be required that is he that has been planted by the rivers of waters and enjoyed powerfull Preaching and plentiful means of Grace the Lord do's expect from such an answerable growth in Grace and Knowledge and so without question he doth from you all that do frequent this Church but if a poor Christian's lot has fall'n upon a mount Gilboa the Lord will not expect so much from him but will consider such weaklings in Grace that are so for want of spiritual Food and bear with their weaknesses This is the first reason why our Saviour is so tender of weak Christians and very careful to preserve the least measure of Grace in them to wit because Grace may be hinder'd in it's growth by such things as the Believer cannot prevent and those are first A Believer may be living in a wicked Family as Abijah was secondly It may arise from the temper of the Believer's Body thirdly from the weakness of his natural Parts fourthly from the want of means of Grace as those in Acts 19.2 that knew not whether there was a spirit or no. 2. The second reason why Christ is so tender is because he is the Purchaser of the least measure of Grace this smoking flax is the price of Christ's Blood and what cost him so dear shall never be lost by his good will and the same good will that he had to spend his Heart's Blood to redeem them will surely ingage his almighty Power to defend them This adds weight to the charge of the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20.28 Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchas'd with his own Blood as if he should say the meanest among you is of an inestimable value no less than the price of God's own Blood and therefore see you have an especial care of them And if he lays so great a charge on his Ministers to look to them surely he will not forget them himself but will make it his constant business in Heaven to intercede for them that none shall pluck them out of his hands whom he paid so dear for He that was made a Priest by God's oath to sacrifice his own Life to redeem sinners from Death continues for ever a priest to intercede for and procure them the full price of his purchase to wit Grace and Glory and this exceeding great care he takes for weak Believers appear'd presently after his ascension into Heaven by the speedy dispatch he made of his Spirit to the supply of the weak Orphans at Jerusalem for so the Disciples were 'till he sent the Comforter unto them and so he calls them Jo. 14.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comforter he sent to wit the Holy Spirit assoon as he was warm if I may so speak in his seat in Heaven at God's right hand to the unspeakable comfort of them and us and all Believers to the end of the World 3. The third reason is because this Holy Spirit is the Author of the least measure of Grace and therefore will not leave his work unfinish'd or neglect what he hath so graciously begun but having begotten us again unto a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 5. he will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto salvation If all the created powers of Heaven and Earth were united and concentred in one person yet he could not so much as make this Flax to smoke 't is the effect of Divine power Grace is the product of the Spirit Jo. 3.5 and therefore since the Holy Spirit is the Father of such gracious dispensations he 'll engage the same strength to preserve what he hath begot Jer. 31.18 19 20. We see how soon doth the Lord hear Ephraim bemoaning himself when he was as a smoking flax a newly tamed heifer brought to God under the yoke of Afflictions his cry soon pierceth God's ears and his ear affects his bowels and his bowels awake his power to be his guardian When Christ brings a wandring sheep into his fold he puts it on his shoulder and rejoyceth all the way he brings it home Luke 15.5 The power of his Spirit is that shoulder on which he carries it the everlasting arms wherein he bears his lambs and those eagle's wings upon which they are both tenderly and securely convey'd to glory Ex. 19.4 nay he useth more care and tenderness towards weak Believers than the strong because of their weakness for the weakest child can call God father and the more weak and feeble the child is the greater is the care and stricter is the eye and observance of the mother upon him what Job says Job 31.15 the weakest and most faint Believer may say the same of the strongest champion in the Lord's house did not one and the same holy Spirit fashion us in the womb and if they are once the workmanship of his almighty hands then will he make them strong and fertile a little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation Isa 60.22 In a word the least measure of Grace being the work of the Holy Spirit of God is therefore call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new creation or a new creature and be sure none shall be abortive which he begets but go on to be an Heir of Glory and Christ calls this child of the Spirit by his own name Gal. 4.19 My little children of whom I travel in birth again 'till Christ be formed in you This clearly signifies to us that he will be as careful and tender of this Divine nature this piece of himself as if it were himself 4. The fourth reason is because the least measure

of their ignorance of the nature of Grace and their mistakes about the exercises and operations of Grace especially by reason of the motes in their eyes of Faith they think they have no Faith because they want the assurance of faith which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not of the essence of Faith but a consequent of it and a reflex act of the Soul upon it self attain'd by a long continu'd course of holy and close walking with God which few Believers have but Faith is a recumbant act of the Soul upon Christ and is usually express'd by the instance of one that having suffer'd shipwrack cast himself upon a floating plank of the ship and there sticks in a trembling doubtfull hope of coming ashore 2. Because they cannot distinguish betwixt Grace in ideâ and Grace in subjecto in actu signato and in actu exercito as in 1 Cor. 13.7 8 9 c. The wonderfull operations of Charity are describ'd there now because weak Christians can find no such effects in themselves they presently conclude themselves to be no better than sounding brass and tinkling cymbals meer empty nothings and no real Christians but they ought to distinguish betwixt this Grace in it's own abstracted nature and as it is in the subject mixt with the flesh and contrary elements of corruptions and so it is not so operative in the best of Christians as being obstructed by it's contrary qualities Fire by it self is visible and active but not so in the flint and yet we know it is there tho' conceal'd under the other elements so we may judge of Charity and other Graces with the mixtures of contrary imperfections which do retard and make them come short of their genuine productions 3. It is because they compare themselves with the uppermost in Christ's school for proficiency and because they are not such glorious lights in the firmament of the Church as St. Paul St. John and other Scripture Saints therefore in their own opinion they are but Meteors and wandring Stars Hypocrites and Unbelievers But they should know that as it is in the Kingdom of Glory so it is in the Kingdom of Grace one star differeth from another and the members of the body mystical as in the body natural are not of equal strength and bigness All Christians should therefore labour to be of the body of Christ and not be discouraged though they be but the meanest finger or the lowest toe for their head will be sure to take care of them and bring them at last to himself We must be sure to get the same Grace as others for truth though we cannot attain to the same grace for measure we must try our selves by the same touch-stone tho' not weigh our selves in the same ballance we must be of the same mettal as others though not of the same weight 4. Because they examine themselves in an unseasonable time when overcome with sadness and black melancholick thoughts then indeed they are to seek for the least Grace But we must consider that though this self-examination is necessary yet it is not at all times to be used Having thus briefly dispatch'd what I at first proposed to speak to I come now in the last place to apply the whole This truth concerns four sorts of people 1. The Ministers of the Gospel 2. Strong Christians 3. Weak Christians 4. Such as are aliens from the common-wealth of Israel 1. Ministers should have the same mind in them as was in Christ Jesus when they see a bruised reed to support it and carry on the work of Grace in Christian hearts we must encourage the weak hearted and strengthen feeble knees for we are the immediate subordinate outward agents to do this work for Christ and to fulfill this promise of his Epiphanius calls St. James the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the WALL of the people and so should we be an impregnable wall about our people for to defend them especially at this time of Apostacy from Seducers and false teachers There are wolves in sheep's clothing that will soon make a havock of Christ's lambs that will by their Sophistry seduce young Christians unless we fortify them not only by our constant preaching of the truth in publick but also by our personal application of that truth to them in private 2. Strong Christians should make it appear that they are so by serving the Lord Christ in this work and labour of love by taking their weak brethren by the hand and helping them out of the mire of temptations you know whose language it was Am I my brother's keeper a cursed Cain's be you therefore blessed in incouraging the feeble instructing the ignorant and confirming the doubtful comfort weak Believers against the violence of the persecutor arm them against the Sophistry of the Seducer and by your exemplary lives teach them to mortify the flesh to bridle the tongue to adorn their profession with a holy conversation and to prepare themselves against approaching miseries In all your stations and relations do all the good you can for YOUR LORD'S and MASTER'S sake 3. Here is a word to weak Christians here is a cordial for them to restore their fainting Spirits when surpriz'd with any fears touching their persevering to the end of their warfare 1. Be of good comfort thy life spiritual and eternal is hid with Christ in God say not thou art a bruised reed for with this will Christ break Satan's head and he will not cease 'till he hath brought forth Judgement unto compleat Victory in thy Soul All the power and malice of Hell shall not be able to extinguish the least spark of Grace in any Soul 2. Take the cup of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord bless God whilst thou livest for thy new creation and preservation take up David's language My soul praise thou the Lord all that is within me bless his holy name what shall I render unto the Lord for all his care and kindness his preservation and providence Alas how soon had Satan winnowed me if the Lord had not prayed for me and upheld me his almighty arm supported me else I had long ago inevitably dropt into everlasting burning 3. Love him with all your heart with all your soul all this care and tenderness towards you is the fruit of his love Oh! then let love in him beget the like love in you beget an earnest desire to run the ways of his commandments with great delight Oh! pant and breath after him and rest no where but in the bosom of his love 4. Be you tender of him and careful to please him as the Spouse was Cant. 2.6 7. she was weak in knowledge and in Grace and therefore Christ's left hand is under her head and his right hand embraceth her then she chargeth her self in her particular members not to disturb him 5. Take heed you quench not this smoking flax your selves which is done First by negligence and carelessness in God's service we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stir up the Grace of God that is in us or else it will dy of it self if we do not blow this fire into a flame it will quench unknown to us Secondly By returning to folly again this is the water that quencheth the sparkle of Grace and is abominable to God and therefore compared by him to the vomiting of a dog and to the wallowing of a sow in the mire Thirdly By accompanying wicked Men which are as floods of waters and waves of the sea to quench this sparkle and so term'd by the Prophet David in several Psalms therefore avoid them as you would avoid the Devil for they are his instruments 4. The fourth use is to strangers from the covenant of promise that they would consider what a blessed condition it is to have Christ for a guardian and how happy are the people that are under his tuition 't is impossible to conceive how wonderfully careful and tender he is of the weakest Believer the relations of a Shepherd a father of a mother Husband c. do prove it and preach it Oh! then let all be hence incited to take him upon his own terms that they may be under his care and tenderness that he may keep you in all your ways defer not therefore to close with him that you may be thus and eternally happy Now to God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost be ascribed all honour praise and dominion now and for ever Amen FINIS