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	world_n	2,325	4	4.2366	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57737	The saints temptations wherein the nature, kinds, occasion of temptation, and the duty of the saints under temptation are laid forth : as also the saints great fence against temptation, viz. divine grace : wherein the nature, excellency, and necessity of the grace of God is displayed in several sermons / by John Rowe ...	Rowe, John, 1626-1677.	1675 (1675)	Wing R2066; ESTC R14034	181,424	446

of Christ is the food and nourishment of souls An Eagle-eyed Christian can perceive that it was in that flesh of his that the Law was fulfilled that the penalty of it was undergone that divine justice was fatisfied and everlasting righteousness brought in this attracts a believing soul to a Crucified Christ Christ Crucified is to some a stumbling-block and to others foolishness 1 Cor. 1. but to those that understand the mysterie of his death and suffierings Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God Hence is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.2 I determine to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him Crucified so likewife Phil. 3. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Nothing will attract the heart more than the confideration of what Christ is and the contemplation of what Christ hath done and suffered for us the name of Christ is as oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love him Cant. 1.4 The more we know Christ in his personal excellency and are acquainted with his grace as Mediator the more will our hearts be attracted and drawn to him 3. Christ draws us by the discovery of his love to us Hos 11.4 I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love Love is the loadstone of Love we Love him because he first loved us 1 Joh. 4.19 Nothing so powersul to draw our hearts to the love of God as the apprehension of Gods Love to us Now God doth sometimes drop and distill the sense of his love into the hearts of his people and that draws them to Love him Observe it in your selves when the heart hath been very low flat and dead before let the Lord but infinuate a little of his Love to the Soul by some especial act of kindness that will raise and quicken it immediately Love is powerful and attractive it melts and dissolves the soul if the soul be but in an ill frame before let the Lord but manifest a little of his Love and it is soon overcome by it and put into a better frame 4. God draw the souls of his people to himself by giving them new and fresh tastes of the excellencie of spiritual things The Saints themselves do not alwaies relish that savour that is in the Word nor taste that sweetness that is in the Promises I say they do not alwaies taste a like sweetness in the Word nor relish a like savour in it as sometimes they have done and when they have lost that taste and relish that they had of spiritual things this is that which makes their affections flat If we had as lively tastes of spiritual things as we have sometimes our affections would not so often flag as they do 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the word If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Those that have once tasted of the sweetness and goodness of the word cannot but still desire it as long as that taste remains with them Consider O Christian what glory doth there appear in the Word at some times What excellency and heavenly sweetness in the promises at one time over and above what there doth at another Now God allures and draws the hearts of his people by giving in those tastes and relishes of spiritual things at some times which they are not sensible of at other times No man saith our Saviour having drunk old Wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better Luk. 5.39 So when the soul hath newly tasted of the sweetness that is in God and Christ when it hath tasted of the sweetness that is in the Promises and in divine grace and heavenly consolations it doth not presently grow fond of the world and worldly comforts the sweetness the soul hath tasted and experienced in heavenly and spiritual things attracts the soul to Love and defire these things above all others And we shall find it true in experience That when we grow fond of other things it is because we have lost those tastes of God and Christ and spiritual things which sometimes we have had 5. And lastly The last thing I shall mention at present is this God attracts and draws the hearts of his people by giving them a little sight and prospect of that glory which is above 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but saith the Apostle God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit that is God hath revealed them to us in part by his Spirit It is not possible that we should take in the Glory that is above in our minds and conceptions as it is in it self but God gives some little prelibations and foretastes of it unto his people Hence is it that we read of the tasting of the good Word of God and tasting of the power of the world to come Heb. 6.4 5. It is possible that a man that is under a common work of the Spirit for it is of such the Apostle there speaks may have some tastes of the glory and happiness of heaven I do not think that those that are meerly under a common work and are said here to taste of the heavenly gifts and of the powers of the world to come that they have or can have such tastes of the sweetness glory and blessedness of heaven as those have who are truly regencrate and are under a saving work but some apprehensions they may have of it they may apprehend it to be a state of bliss and happiness A man that is under the common work of the Spirit may apprehend Heaven to be a place of freedom from all misery and trouble and where he shall enjoy happiness and perfect bliss and have all joy peace comfort and satisfaction such like general apprehensions of Heaven is all I conceive that a man under a common work doth usually attain unto Now if a man that hath but a common work may go so far then the Saints who have more than a common work they that have divine and saving illumination may apprehend much more of the glory of Heaven The Saints who are savingly enlightened may apprehend something of this state as it consists in the clear sight and vision of God in intimate fellowship and communion with God in perfect holiness and the like Nothing doth more powerfully attract the soul than when something of the glory of the other world is set before it Now God doth sometimes let down a corner of Heaven as it were into the souls of his people and gives them in transitu a little glimpse and glance of the glory that is above and this makes all present things seem to be but little things to them We look not saith

thou shalt be saved yea or no this is a proposition of eternal Truth He that believeth shall be saved Then if it be some plain sin that Satan tempts thee to presume not on thy own strength but presently fly to Divine Grace to keep thee from that sin It is a great part of wisdom in all temptations to consider Satans ends which are to draw us off from the word and from duty and to allure us to some sin Now we should endeavor to frustrate Satan in his ends and beware of his devices Direct Direct 3. 3. Resist temptations at the first approach of them Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 If Satan be resisted he will not stand his ground we have the word of God for it Resist the Devil and he will flee only let us look to this that we be peremptory in our resistance Take heed that we do not dally with a temptation but as soon as ever a temptation appears presently to resist it the least dallying with a temptation brings us under great danger of being overcome by it If Satan can but get so much ground as to draw our thoughts and minds to what he propounds Delectatio morosa If there be that which Divines call a fixing and staying of the mind with some delight on what is presented there is marvellous great danger of being overcome Therefore the best way is to keep the enemy at the outworks and not suffer him to come near to our wills and affections when temptations offer themselves to our fancies or understandings presently resist them not parley with them in our minds If we parley with the temptation it may soon give them an inlet to our wills and affections Direct 4. Direct 4. The best way of dealing with some temptations is by turning away from the temptation with a holy disdain As Christ said to Peter in that case Get thee behind me Satan so when Satan casts in Blasphemous thoughts Impure thoughts Murderous Cruel thoughts to do any thing against nature the best way to deal with such temptations is by a simple aversion from the temptation It is a passage I have met with of one that was experienced and acquainted with temptation The best way to deal with some temptations is to pronounce one syllable and say Fy Satan Some poor souls when they find such and such horrid thoughts cast into their minds by Satan are even brought to the brink of despair think it is impossible that such thoughts can be forgiven But let such know if such thoughts be resisted and have not the approbation of the will if the will be carried in defiance to them they are Satans sins not thine they shall be laid at Satans door not to thine Direct Direct 5. 5. In every temptation let us be sure to keep the word of God nigh unto us and have a present recourse to it The word of God is called the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.17 No sword so fit to kill and slay a Temptation as the word of God If it be some sin in practice that you are tempted to take the word and say as our Saviour did It is written it is written to the contrary If it be some spiritual inward sin that we are tempted to as to Pride Unbelief or the like take the word and oppose it to these sins If I am a child of God and Satan tempt me to doubt whether I am in the favour of God or no take the word and say Who shall separate us from the love of Christ If Satan say thou art a sinner and therefore thou shalt be condemned oppose the word and say He that believes is not condemned John 3.17 If Satan tempt us to doubt of the immortality of the soul to doubt of the resurrection of the body to doubt of the future glory of the Saints If he tempt us to doubt of any Article of Faith whatsoever we must still have recourse to some word of God that doth clearly and plainly assert the things that Satan tempts us to doubt of this is the ready way to slay such temptations This is a sure rule There is no way to deal with Satan and his temptations like to this As to oppose some true proposition out of the word to what he suggests The Devil tempts me to doubt of many things I must then have recourse to some plain word of God which asserts the contrary and here must my faith fix it self If it be so Use 4. That it is the lot of the holiest men and of the most eminent servants of God to be exercised with grievous and sore temptations The last Use is by way of Consolation This Doctrine doth naturally speak comfort to tempted souls Art thou tempted do not despond because of thy temptations do not think strange concerning thy tryals conflicts and temptations as if some trange things had hapned to thee 1 Cor. 10. There hath no temptation taken you but what is common to man It is the lot of the holiest men of the most eminent servants of God to be tempted and usually it is so That the more any person is beloved of God the more dear he is to God the more God suffers him to be tried and tempted Thy temptations are bitter for the present but they shall have an end It is an expression of Luther Distinguendum est tentationem in initium sinem Luther We must distinguish a temptation into the beginning and the end every temptation hath its end as well as its beginning Hence is that of the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations It is true that the strength of a temptation usually lies in the length of it A fierce and sharp temptation if but short is not so bitter as a smaller temptation if long continued But yet let us remember That God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will make a way for us to escape Certainly It is the greatest temptation to be without temptation for when we are without temptation we are apt to be secure and to neglect faith and prayer and so all of a sudden are drawn into some sin before we are aware I remember it is the observation of Luther Sancti tum maximè periculis expositi sunt cum minimum sentiunt tentationum Luther The Saints are then especially exposed to the greatest dangers when they are least sensible of temptations Therefore let us not be discouraged by reason of our temptations but arm our selves to the spiritual conflict fight the good fight of faith If we go on fighting in the strength of Christ we shall overcome and if we overcome we shall receive the Crown Be thou faithful to the death Revel 2.10 and I will give thee a Crown of life The end of the Second Sermon SERMON III. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. And