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	young_a	35	3	5.9468	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84741	Truths vindication of election, and reprobation Wherein is shewed, Christ the cause of election; sin the cause of reprobation. The iustice of God is likewise cleared from that which is layd upon him by many; (namely) that some shall one day be damned for unbelief, and yet he never gave a Christ for them to beleeve in. Most of the strongest objections that scriptures or reason can make, answered. By William Fouler minister of the gospel at Ingworth in Norffolk.	Fowler, William, minister of Ingworth, Norfolk.	1652 (1652)	Wing F1639; Thomason E1376_4; ESTC R209255	16,436	44

they would believe and repent but they therefore believe and repent because he chose them indeed Christ is the cause of salvation Sin the cause of Reprobation and for Reprobation without reference to Sin I see not how it can be admited for see what will follow if otherwise considered First They were never righteous I mean in Adam those which were reprobated for either they were or they were not if 〈◊〉 righteous how could they be called sinners by defiling themselves and then what means that in Eccles 7 29. that God hath made man upright In this place the whole Creation of mankind is to bee understood Then secondly If they were made righteous it seems they were reprobated and then afterwards made righteous and who will own this And here I desire to state some Questions 1. Quest First if any were reprobated from eternity whether or no that those did fin in Adam if reprobated surely they could not be worse after than before they were Vessells of wrath after so they were before 2. Quest Secondly I demand whether or no that all that were in Adam which were the whole Creation of men and women had power from God to stand yea or no. 3 Quest I demand whether or no that there is any Gospell any glad tydings for that man or woman that was reprobated from eternity 4 Quest I demand whether or no that such Reprobates are commanded to believe and repent either they are or they are not if they are commanded to believe then I demand what it is that they must believe sure there is no Christ for them to believe in if they are not commanded to believe and repent then I say where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. 5 Quest I demand whether or no that such that are so reprobated whether there is any possibility for them to be saved if there is then Christ must needs die for them for Acts 4. 12. There is no other Name under heaven by which men can be saved if no possibility then to what end do Ministers give such exhortations it is all one as if they should say nothing to them for they cannot be better or worse perish they must without remedy because reprobated from eternity 12 Object Then it seems you hold that there is no Reprobation Answ I do not hold that there is no Reprobation but I hold that none are reprobated but for sin 13 Object But was not Esau reprobated being hated before he was born and Pharoah made on purpose to be hardened Rom. v. 9. and see the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle ch 2. v. 8. and Jude 4. and in the 11 th to the Romans it is said God gave Israel the spirit of slumber compared with John 12. ver 40. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts and the Wiseman saith Prov 16. v. 4. That the wicked are for the day of evill and is reserved to the day of destruction Iob. 21. v. 30. and that vessells of wrath are fitted to destruction Rom. 9. 22. Answ Truly these Scriptures and some others doe seemingly make for that purpose I shall by the assistance of God clear and reconcile them by other Scriptures Consider that of Jacob and Esau Rom. ● the Text doth not say he hated Esau before he was born but he saith v. 11 12. that the elder should serve the younger as you may see Gen. 25. v. 22 23. Now dear friends consider there cannot be love and hatred in God yet I grant that God did hate Esau but not before he was born but it must be considered what it is for God to hate I say what it is for to hate and harden for I will put them together Now God is said to hate and to harden when he leaveth the creature to himself but I affirm that God never leaveth the creature untill the creature first leaveth him see why God left Esau Obadiah v. 10. for thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever compared with Heb. 12. 16 17. and the causes why God left Pharoah were First he did consult against the people of God Exod. 1. v. 10. Secondly he did afflict them with burdens v. 6. 11. and 13. 14. Thirdly he commanded the Midwives to kill the male children he was a murderer v. 13 16. Fourthly he wovld have killed Moses ch 2. v. 15. And thus you see that God doth not hate nor harden without a cause I demand whether or no that it was an evill in Pharaoh to have an hard heart if it were who was the cause of it surely not God but himself And truly Iacob and Esau seemes to mee to type out the two seeds of Abraham as the 9. of the Rom. will testifie which two seedes the Apostle makes forth Gal. 4. 19. to bee law and grace flesh and spirit in Isaac shall thy feed bee called all that is Regenerated in Christ is that spirituall Iacob of Gods love and that Mystery of Iniquity is working Esau so the word Esau signifieth working it was said to Rebecca that two Nations were in her wombe which two Nations were types of Flesh and Spirit God having purposed from Eternity that the younger Iacob or new spirituall Iacob should be beloved evermore old working fleshly Esau should be destroyed And for that in Pet. 1. 2. 8. It cannot be inferred from thence that they were made on purpose for destruction beeing unbeleevers they are appointed for destruction for thus reades Mr. Tindall And a stone to stumble at and a rock to offend them which stumble at the Word and beleeve not that whereon they were set And what can be said against this If any shall say that some are appointed of God to stumble at Christ his Son then I affirm those whosoever doth that which God appointeth him to do whatsoever it be shall be saved he cannot perish that doth the will of God or else it will follow some may doe the will of God and be saved and some doe his will and be damned And how this can hold I leave it to the spirituall to judge for those Scriptures in Iob 21. 30. Prov. 16. 4. Rom. 9. 22. Iude v. 4. one Answer to them all to avoid prolixity the texts will cleare it Who are reserved for wrath wicked men saith the Text so that you see they are wicked men that are made for destruction they are wicked men that are ordained of old for condemnation those saith Jude that turn the grace or God into wantonnesse now how vain would it bee for any to say that the grace of God may bee turned into wantonness before they were born Now I demand who made those wicked men vessells of wrath did God or sin surely who dareth be so bold as to say God did if themselves then where is Reprobation from eternity for men from eternity were not made And to that John 12 40. he hath blinded he hath

hardened And Rom. 11. 8. hee giveth the Spirit of slumber doth God doe so by men yea assuredly hee doth but consider three things First what the Spirit of slumber is that God giveth to some Secondly to whom he gave it Thirdly wherefore he gave it 1. The Spirit of slumber is for God to leave the poor creature to himself this is the Spirit of slumber I have shewed before that he leaveth no man nor forsaketh none without cause And truly when God is departed from a soul oh what a slumbering what a slecpie condition will the poor creature bee in Wee will joyn the two next points together who and wherefore 2. they are ungodly men for sin they are given over see Mat. 13. 15. they have closed their eyes saith our Saviour Oh deer friends I humbly beseech you in the bowels of Christ take heed how you infer that on the Creator which belongeth to the creature I will speak plainly take heed you lay not mens sinnes upon our good God I know all or most men will be ready to say God forbid wee should do so why let me I beseech you once more speak a few words in plain termes whosoever holdeth that God never intended mercy to some of the Sonnes daughters of men but did without Reference to sin and Transgression Reprobate them from eternity ah friends how can such poor creatures but sink under every burthen how can such hear when God saith harken how can they see when God saith behold me behold me how can such bee converted when God never intendeth it And friends doe you think that God will declare himself to be a gratious God pardoning sinne and forgiving iniquity when hee hath reserved the greatest part to be damned see the 34 of Exod. 5 6 7. compared with 2 Chron. last 15. 16. verses Micha 7. 16. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity Jonah 4. 2. And see what the Prophet Ieremiah saith in his Lam. 3. 33. For he doth not afflict willingly nor greeve the children of men see Jer. 13. 27. saith God to Ierusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once bee And in Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Now doe you think that God will use such speeches unto those which he never intended should be brought home unto him by the word surely no O I beseech you take heed take heed 14. Obj. Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour as saith the Apostle Romans 9. verse 21. Answ God hath power to doe what hee pleaseth but I demand a question Is Gods will the rule of his power or his power the rule of his will Answ It must be granted that his will is the rule of his power Ephes 1. For who dare deny but that God hath power to destroy all the sonnes and daughters of men in a moment but we see blessed be his name that he willeth it otherwaies waiting at the door of poor sinners heart to bring them to repentance Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock 15. Ob. But none can come to Christ except God draweth him John 6. 44. Answ I grant that none commeth except God draweth it is the drawing of God which maketh soules to come to Christ but the Question is this Do all that God draws come to Christ If the Answer be Yea Where is that Scripture For it is evident that God draweth all see John 12. 32. If I bee lifted up I will draw all men after me Now God draweth these ways First by the works of Creation Psal 19. The heavens declare the handy-works of God Secondly he drawes by Gospellmanifestations it is to be declared to every creature Mar. 16. 15. Thirdly God draws by his Spirit in the Gospell the Gospell being the instrument to convey the Spirit of God to a soul see the Promise Acts 2. 17. translated out of Joel 2. 28. Now this Spirit begets Faith Rom. 10. 17. therefore is this Word of our God to be higly prized see Jer. 23. 29. Heb. 4. 12. Is not my Word like a hammer Joh. 6. it 's spirit and life And thus you may see how God draweth by his Word and Spirit Object 16. But surely if God draweth the creature must come Hath any soul power to resist God And is it not said in the 110. Psal Gods people shall be willing in the day of his power Answ I have sufficiently proved that God draweth all to that of mens power to resist God I answer Men do not resist God by power it is weakness to resist God and that men may resist God see Act. 7. 51. compared with Zach. 7. 10 11 12 13 14. compared with Prov. 1. 21 22 23 24. 25 26. And for that of Gods people being willing in the day of his power I grant his people shall that is Believers where Christ hath prevailed by his love These and onely these shall willingly follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth in the day of Gods power as willingly to suffer as to be free from suffering Object 17. It cannot bee that God draweth all men for the Heathen have not the Gospell and you said before that the Gospell is the way to convey the Spirit to souls which the Heathen have not Ans Who saith they have not To this Objection this I shall say that God hath given forth so much of himself to every creature to leave the creature without excuse and to clear his own just proceedings see what is said of the Heathens Rom. 1. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. to the latter end See Rom. 10. 18. Have they not heard yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world compared with Col. 1. 23. saith the blessed Apostle it hath been declared meaning the Gospell to every creature or as the word is in the Greek in every creature And what might be spoken from Job and the Queen of the South but I forbear where much is given much shall be required Object 18. But if it should be granted that Christ did die for all as I believe in some sense he did yet none hath any ability to believe except it be given of God Answ I am glad to hear that it is believed that Christ died for all but consider it must not be made forth in mans sense but in Scripture-sense according to the minde of the Holy Ghost in Scripture and for any ability in the creature I mean naturally to believe in Christ we agree For no one in the world hath free will but as I have shewed God giveth forth of himself to the creature to cause the creature to believe Acts 17. 31. Object 19. If those which believe not shall be damned as now I see they shall then you have contradicted your self for