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_v	worldly_a	97	3	7.9056	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67047	A word in season. Or Three great duties of Christians in the worst of times viz. abiding in Christ, thirsting after his institutions, and submission to his providences. The first opened, from 1 John 2.28. The second from Psal. 42.1,2. The third from Jer. 14.19. By a servant of Christs in the work of his Gospel. To which is added, by way of appendix, the advice of some ministers to their people for the reviving the power and practice of godliness in their families.	Servant of Christ in the work of his Gospel.	1668 (1668)	Wing W3548A; ESTC R204145	100,163	272

suffer him the far to prosper Hath God since that ti●● blest you in your estate in your children in your trade c Or hath he blas●● you If the latter Have you not 〈◊〉 cured this unto your selves in that ye 〈◊〉 forsaken the Lord your God when he led you by the way But it may be you cannot yet see divine vengeance thus pursuing you there is a time when poenalis nutritur impunitas God fatteth up some with the Maist of the world to the great day of slaughter though ordinarily these be such as never made any profession Judas that had been a Disciple quickly disgorged his thirty pleces you know That which I would have you principally enquire is how it hath been with your inward man as to your spiritual concerns St. John in his Epistle to his Host Gaius wisheth above all things that he might prosper and be in health even as his soul prospereth If there should be a Doeg that hath got anything by his treachery to Christ and the interest of his Gospel I would ●eg of him to consider whether his ●oul also prospereth and be in health as his outward man is You have pretended formerly to know what belongs to an inward serenity of mind to peace of conscience c. Have you at any time since your change found leisure to speak ●o your own souls and say Is it peace If you have not you have been very careless of Eternity If you have what hath it answered Have you gone to bed with as much satisfaction in your spirit after a day spent at a play or aprofane meeting as you did heretofore after a day spent in a religious meeting or at a fast Have you had no more melancholick thoughts no more sad reflections no more terrours than before Hath not the evil spirit sometimes so troubled you that you have been forced to send for a Minstrel to play it off Have not the images of those righteous servants of God whom you have been reviling whom you have been accusers of and instruments to hale into prisons ruine and as much as in you lay to make an end of sometimes appeared to you in your dreams and disquieted you in your sleep Have you not heard though not a voice from heaven God will not so much honour you who have so much spit in his face yet a voice from your own conscience Soul soul why persecutest thou Christ What evil hast thou formerly seen in that way wherein thy self did walk worthy of this death or these barbarous bonds Do you see what servants what home-born slaves you have made your selves How the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken your head O return into the right wayes of the Lord return to your first Husband speak sincerely Was it not then every way better with you than now 6. Consider seriously with yourselves if a day of trouble should come as certainly thou art not the only person exempted from the incurnt ances and accidents to which mortality is exposed and subjected would any of those things or persons help you to which you are turned and whom you have gratified in your departing from the right ways of God The Professor not abiding in Christ usually makes choice 1. Of New Principles 2. New Practices in his conversation 3. New Friends and a New Society 1. New Principles he must have a seared conscience that upon strict Principles can build a loose practice and retain the truths of God in unrighteousness Therefore the Backslider hath ordinarily an Almanack faith calculated for the Meridian of his present practice For example it was the old faith of Professors that all men and Women are by nature children of wrath Ephes 2.3 That they remain in this state of wrath till by the hearing of the word the holy Spirit working with it faith be wrought in them and they be brought to Receive the Lord Jesus Christ and to believe in him John 3.18.36 Till they be regenerated and born again by the Spirit of God John 3.3 5. that is till old things be passed away and all things become n●w with them for he that is in Christ is a new creature That true faith where ever it is purifieth the heart worketh by love to God to his people in a strict universal obedience to all the commandments of God As to which they must have a presence to will though they may in many things want stength to perform That who so thus believeth and is thus regenerated is justified by the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ alone and being justified sinneth not wilfully and presumptuously or doth not lye and abide in sin but though he sometimes falleth by sin yet he by and by purifieth himself and riseth again by repentance And it is the business of his life in all things to make the word of God a light to his feet and a lanthorn to his paths Thou hast possibly collected another system of practical principles That every one who is baptized is justified and regenerated That to believe is nothing else but to be perswaded of the truth of the Scriptures That indeed a man may fall away from his justified estate in Baptism by actual sins but a slighty acknowledgement of his sins in a formal confession or when he comes to dye will make up all again And if a man lives in Obedience to what he calls the Church making the dictates of men the rule of his practice without any particular enquiry whether they be according to the Scriptures or no he shall not need fear salvation I confess this sheweth an easie way to Heaven if it were as sure But suppose a day of trouble now to thy soul suppose now thy conscience awakened either whiles thou art in thy full career in thy prosperity or when thou comest to dye and some such Texts as these fall into thy thoughts at that day John 3.18 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and be that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ wh● walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit v. 5. They that are after the flesh 〈◊〉 mind the things of the flesh they that 〈◊〉 after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit ver 6. To be carnally minded i● death ver 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God ver 13. If you live after the flesh you shall dye Neither ●●cumcision availeth any thing ●●uncircumcision but a new creature Suppose these or other such like Scriptures should stick fast to thy thoughts in an evil day what should relieve thee Will it relieve thee when tho● comest to dye to remember tho● wer 't baptized in thy infancy Will no● thy thoughts reflect There are thousands that were baptized will be damoned Simon Magus was baptized ye●● the gall of bitterness and in the bands of

standing or falling soul How this and you will not easily be seduced in other points The Scripture tells you P. cts 4.12 There is no other name give under heaven by which men can be save● Neither is there salvation in any other It is the whole business of St. Paul almo●● throughout the Epistle to the Roman and that to the Galathians to pro●● his St. Paul desires to be found ●● Christ alone Phil. 3.9 10. not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but the righteousness of God the righteousness of faith Hence Christ is called The Lord our righteousness And he is said to have been made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And to be made of God for us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 6. That every soul thus justified is effectually called He is not only as many are called called out of the Pagan world to believe and receive the Doctrine of the Gospel but by the Spirit of God powerfully joyning with the Word he is made to see and be sensible of his lost condition out of Christ and enabled by a true and lively faith to receive and lay hold upon and trust in Christs righteousness he is also regenerated that is made a new man by a thange wrought by Gods Spirit in his heart affections whole man And without this none is justified none can be saved Joh. ● 5 Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit he can never enter into the Kingdom of God Ro. 8.13 If you live after the flesh you shall die Ro. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit If a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And in many other Texts Let men talk what they please of Baptismal Regeneration who so lives to years of discretion and hath no more shall never see the face of God I know the most learned assertors of it conclude it of little value ponentibus obicem as they say that is if men after Baptism wilfully sin against God who lives and doth not So as that limitation makes their novel Doctrine but a security to baptized persons dying in infancy They have a fancy to merit the name of Blandi instead of Duripatres infantum as Augustine was called All that is to be feared of the imbibing in that new Doctrine is lest people should be lu●led asleep with that notion of being justified in Baptism and think that i● afterward they run to all excess of riot they need only to wash their feet by a● slighty repentance and never look after a true sight of sin or an actual believing in the Lord Jesus Christ 7. That Christs Righteousness is not imputed to any soul without the exercise of faith eying receiving resting upon Christ and Christ alone for salvation Nor can any true act of sanctification flow from any other principle So as one who never in the fight of his sin and lost condition fled to Christ and laid hold upon his righteousness be he under what other circumstances of birth breeding Church-membership moral righteousness formal and constant performance of religious duties is in a state of damnation and so dying perisheth for ever John 3.18 Joh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God And again Without faith it is impossible to please God 8. That regeneration and faith and every other habit that is truly spiritual cometh from the special distinguishing grace of God and is wrought in the soul by his alone power and by him drawn out into exercise and we have no power of our selves so much as to think one good thought Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit Joh. 3.5 John 3.5 Born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of man but of God Phil. 1.29 Phil. 1.29 It is given you on the behalf of Christ to believe Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Eph. 2.8 Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Jam. 1.17 James 1.17 Without me you can do nothing John 15. John 15. We have no sufficiency of our selves to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.5 Abide in this Christians Christ doth not say Without me you can do no great things nor without me you can do little but without me you can do just nothing 9. That whosoever is thus justified and regenerated sinneth often but yet in some sense sinneth not Not as others do not making a trade nor taking a pleasure in sinning not with plenary acts and consent of his will He cannot be an habitual constant Drunkard Unclean person Swearer Curser Lyar Blasphemer Prophaner of Sabbaths or the ho●y Name of God he cannot live in a known course of cheating and defrauding but though he falls seven times a day yet it is by sins of infirmity and if he be overcome by temptations to greater sins as Noah Abraham Job Peter David c. yet he lyes ●ot in them but with Peter weeps bitterly 10. That although a child of God may ●n many things be ignorant of his duty and wherein he knows it may sometimes ●ant strength to perform it and he who ●oth most is not perfect yet no true child of God will live in the wilful and instant omission of any known duty ●or in the wilful ignorance of any part ●f his duty but striveth to grow in ●race and knowledge and for what he knoweth To will is present with him though he hath no strength to perform and as to his inward man he will delight in the Law of God and though he ●e not perfect yet he striveth after peraction Phil. 3.12 Phil. 3.12 He followeth after that he may apprehend that for which he is also apprehended of Jesus Christ counteth not himself to have app●● hended But doth this one thing forgting those things which are behind reacheth forth to those things that are fore and presseth toward the mark for● price of the high calling of God Christ 11. That in order to this he who ●● would see the face of God must make Word of God his rule Isa 8.20 Mat. 15.9 Joh. 4.23 Deut. 12.32 both of faith 〈◊〉 life Believing no Divine Truth but upon credit of the revelation of it in the S●●ptures indeed otherwise it can be●● Divine faith taking his Rule for W●●ip from the Scriptures Col. 2.23 Psal 119.109 both for 〈◊〉 Acts and for the manner and direct●● all the actions of his life

reducible to four heads 1. Reading in the Book of the Lord. 2. Prayer 3. Praise 4. Instruction 1. For reading the holy Scriptures That this is a family-duty doth appear from that of Moses Deut. 6.6 9. where we are commanded to have the Law of God wrote upon our posts and the gates of our house From that of the Apostle Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you a Metaphor drawn from members of Families which dwell together For the further proof of this duty we commend you to an excellent Book called Family Religion further revived by Mr. Philip Goodwin Printed at London 1655. and to a Book of Mr. Whites for the profitable reading of the Scriptures Chap. 9. 2. For Prayer We are commanded to pray alwayes and who so considereth that the Law of God requireth it of single persons and of the first and least society that of a man and his Wife 1 Pet. 3.7 cannot think 1 Pet. 3.7 that a man is excused from it with his children and servants It is the blessing with which the Superiours in families ought to bless their infeririours 3. For Praise by singing of Psalms As praising of God is a natural duty so the doing of it by Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs which are the three titles of the Psalms of David is commanded by the Apostle In the same place where God saith I will be the God of all the families of Israel Col. 3.16 and they shall be my people Jer. 31.1 2. he also ver 7. saith O shout with joy and sing amongst the Nations 4. Instruction is a general duty God commendeth Abraham for it Gen. 18.17 For the matter of it in our present discourse it is In the things of God Now this may be done several wayes 1. By Catechizing which is by experience found the most plain and familiar way of teaching and that by which the Papists confess the Protestant Religion hath been highly advantaged in the world We therefore urge this in a more especial manner upon all the heads of families as the nearest way to bring those under their roof to the knowledge of God and the establishing of them against the errors of the sinful times wherein they live 2. By repeating of Sermons to them an antient and profitable duty wherein every Christian is a fellow-worker with and a preparer of the work of the Holy Spirit of God Joh. 14.26 whose work it is saith our Saviour To bring to remembrance the things we have heard of God By opening the word of God read unto our families which though it be not a work to which every private Christian is fit yet may be profitably performed if any Christian will but take the pains to spend a little time before duty in fitting himself for it by reading the Annotations upon the Chapter or any of those profitable Notes wrote by Mr. Ainsworth on the five Books of Moses Mr. Jackson upon all the Historical Books of Scripture Mr. Dickson upon the Psalms Mr. Calvin on Job and Deuteronomy and Daniel Dr. Willet on Genesis Exodus and Leviticus Mr. Hutchinson on the small Prophets Mr. Dickson on Matthew Mr. Hutchinson on John Mr. Fergusson on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians and many others 4. By occasional discourses of Religion and applying Scripture unto our relations according to the Precept Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. 5. By examining their children and servants what they remember upon hearing Chapters read or Sermons preached or repeated 2. Particularly we commend unto Christians A more extraordinary care to inform their families concerning the true Nature of Worship in general concerning the several acts of Gospel Worship and the right way and method of performing of them as well the external as internal manner by which means they will not only be armed against temptations to Superstition and Will-Worship which is abomination to the Lord but also kept from a formal and perfunctory slighty service of the great and living God And the better to enable Christians to do this we do by the blessing of God intend to contribute our pains to the utmost in some exercises of this nature 3. If any one ask us how often these duties are to be performed We answer that we have in this no stated rule but as we are sure they cannot be too often and reason teacheth that they should be so often as to reach their ends So the Scripture doth not obscurely hint some kind of Instruction and Prayer to be used Morning and Evening Deut. 6. We are commanded to talk to our children of the Law of the Lord when we lye down and when we rise up God of old required a Morning and Evening Sacrifice David Psal 55.17 and Daniel Chap. 6. v. 10. prayed thrice a day which possibly may hint to us that those who have more leisure from the world than others ought to spend more time than others in this worship But we should press upon our Brethren 1. That none of them would omit praying and reading the Scriptures or some other way of instructing their families twice each day viz. in the morning and evening The morning is an excellent time 1. Because no excuse can be for the omitting it It may be done and is fittest to be done before the world calleth us off 2. It is the time when our spirits are most refreshed and fit for duty when worldly occasions have not seized on our thoughts 3. We are bid to say Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us and that is the time when the works of our hands begin 4. It is commended to us by many Scriptures Psal 5.3 Psal 59.16 Psal 88.13 Psal 92.2 Psal 119.147 The Evening is also a proper time 1. To beg pardon for the sins of the day and to give thanks for the mercies of the day and to beg the Protection and sleep of the night 2. The work of our hands is done and it is reasonable to beg Gods blessing upon it 3. Our sleep is the image of death and many never rise from their beds it is reasonable we should therefore commend our spirits and the spirits our of relations to the Lord. 4. It is commended in Scripture Psal 141.2 Psal 55.17 2. That if possible these constant duties may be performed before we be disadvantaged for them Either 1. By intermedling with the world or 2. By inclinations to rest and sleep which usually make the performance of religious duty late at night or after supper a very slightly perfunctory serving of God 3. We commend the Reading of the Scripture repeating a Sermon or singing of a Psalm before prayer not only as duties in themselves but as excellent means to call home the thoughts prepare the heart and fix the mind to a more steddy contemplation of God and devotion toward him in prayer 4. We commend to our brethren the repeating of Sermons and Catechizing to be at least once performed every week besides on the Lords Day 5. For