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	world_n	write_v	1,079	4	5.2206	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49954	Cor humiliatum & contritum a sermon preached at S. Pauls Church London, Nov. 29, 1663 / by Richard Lee ... ; wherein was delivered the profession of his judgement against the Solemn league and covenant, the late King's death, &c.	Lee, Richard, 1611-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing L888; ESTC R19629	22,952	50

any service any Sacrifice yea it is all Sacrifice God will not despise but own and honour a contrite Spirit because it is very gracious and amiable Tricameratum it is Avicenna's word wherein you have not the three Persons personally but the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Renovation of the holy Ghost mystically Hence Cor Pauli Cor Christi Chrysost the Heart of Paul is the Heart of Christ This broken contrite Spirit in the purpose and preparation of it is Amor Dei the Love of God in the inspiration and infusion of it it is Donum Dei the Gift of God in the comforts of it it is Osculum Dei the Kiss of God It is no chance-Gift inter missilia Fortunae as that Excellent Prelate speaks D. B. B. E. but God's choice Gift In other blessings God kisseth us sleeping we know not how we come by them but this is given non dormientibus sed vigilantibus not to them that sleep but to those that watch and weep cry and wait for it But more particularly The broken contrite Spirit is gracious and very amiable For You have in it all the lineaments of the new Creature the new Birth the Divine Nature 1. Conviction 2. Compunction 3. Conversion See all drawn to the life in Primitiis Evangelii in the first famous Conversion wrought by the Apostles in the Christian Church the Pattern and great Exemplar of all Conversions to the World's end There was Conviction 2. Acts 36. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Compunction 37. v. And when they heard this they were prickt at their heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the points of so many poisoned daggers or scorpions stings had been struck into every part of their hearts at once in the cruellest manner imaginable so the word imports Conversion 38. For they Repented and were Baptized c. The Hebrew calls Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we Conversion the main joynt of Repentance which implyes not only an aversion from sin a dying to it in the passions of the mind Fear Grief and Hatred but a turn in the Will to God Not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a grief for what is past but a change of mind for the time to come not grief of mind only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes taken but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implyes a grief for sin mixt with Faith which is repentance to Salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor 7.10 Whose rise is godly sorrow whose nature is a purpose to sin no more whose fruit is amendment of life A Contrite spirit is gratious Lastly because there is in it the Evidence of God's immediate Omnis potent and Efficacious working upon the Soul not in a way of Providence or Justice but in a way of Grace Vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regenerationis as the Renown'd Mead hath it 36. Eze. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and I will give a heart of flesh 1. A very stone made flesh A Monster of Vice a Miracle of Virtue Monstrum vitii Miraculum virtutis This is modus rei 2. I will do it this is modus dicti I will take away the heart of stone stupid senseless rebellious and I will give a heart of flesh tender pliable flexiible to every good word and work Hitherto you have had these Sacrifices naked and open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the skin pul'd of and the Intrails expos'd to open view I now come to the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.15 His rightly dividing the word and giving every one their due General discourses are like the beams of the Sun dispers't in the air which may warm us a little and that 's all but close application is like the Burning glass which gathers all the Beams into one point or Centre fastens them on the Soul and so Verba not inflantia but inflammantia kindle and enflame Then learn here from this Doctrine of a Broken and contrite Spirit What the issue of sin in the end will be It may be sweet in thy Mouth but it will be bitter in thy Bowels The little pleasure sin brings thee in if it be not thy bane thou must vomit it up again and that may tear and torture thy very Soul 2. Jer. 19. It is an evil thing and bitter to provoke the Lord. Extrema gaudii luctus occupat the end of that mirth is mourning If ever God save any of your Souls it will be by brokenness and Contrition If ever God by his Grace come to dwell in any of your hearts he will make a forcible entrance Consider how dreadful the condition of despair is if these whom God intends Mercy Grace and Peace to be so broken and beaten so bruis'd and ground to powder what are their racks and tortures their Tribulation and Anguish Whom God strikes and wounds with the sight and sence of his wrath as most deserved and due to them as most unavoidable and unsupportable by them These racks and tortures are Primitiae infernalis flammae the first fruits of the infernal flame the greatest part of the torment of the damn'd in Hell where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out Quid patientur quos reprobet si sic cruciantur quos amat saith Gregor If David's bones were so broken for his adultery what furious reflexions What a Hell was in Achitophels conscience for his Perjury Treachery and Treason How did his sorrow rise into horror and that horror into despair God grant that both you and I may know what this despair is rather by relation then experience See the blessed estate of those whose hearts and Spirits are broken and Contrite They will be preserved from sin and the sad effects of it and inabled to perform all duties acceptably 31. Jer. 18. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. I have surely heard i. e. hearing I have heard heard attentively so as to regard c. This will make the soul patient under the greatest affliction and thankful for the least mercy glad with the woman of Canaan for a Crum taste with the Church a little honey in an Ocean of Gall Lamen 3.22 It it the Lords mercies we are not consumed Their Obedience will be highest when their Condition is lowest and their hearts lowest when their condition in the world is highest This brokenness and Contrition will make the heart the only fit soyl for the word of God to take root in and bring forth thirty sixty and a hundred fold The hearts of the Corinthians were first tables of flesh then written upon by the spirit of God and so declared to be the Epistle commendatory of Christ seen and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.3 I might here demonstrate the Vast odds betwixt

that Account God and the World make of a broken and contrite Heart But I will conclude all in a use of Examination whether our hearts and spirits were ever truly broken and contrite or no He that will fish for Souls must bait his hook with the worm of Conscience which as St. Chrysostom speaks is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unpopular Tributial Now the office of Conscience is fourfold To know the rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To take notice of the Entity and existence of our Actions whether done or not done with such and such circumstances or without To apply the Action to the Rule and compare these two together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To judge of the quality of the Action according to the Rule and of its agreeing or disagreeing to it This Act is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is the last and perfectest act of reason or of Conscience If this work of Conscience were throughly done men would know and own their misery It would take off their Edge and mettle if they did but seriously think how directly their ways point towards eternal damnation There is no man but will stoop under self conviction and self judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 't is the Baptists word prepare the way of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is St. Pauls word Examine your selves yea 't is Gods word 17. Prov. 3. The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold but God trieth the hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint renders it the allusion is to Goldsmiths who try their mettals by the Touchstone and by fire If you will not try your selves by the Touchstone of the word God will try you by fire by the fire of inward conviction and outward affliction Now Examination is not for Examination sake but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that we may find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is a broken and contrite Heart To direct herein I shall lay down two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or characters by which we may make a certain judgement whether our hearts and spirits are truly broken or contrite or no. First the qualities in them Secondly the effects or consequents of them The qualities in a Broken Contrite spirit are these five It is Evangelical and Active There is a brokenness and contrition which is Natural and Legal Natural such was Josephs weeping over his brethren and St. Aug. weeping in reading the history of Dido before his conversion which were not Acts of grace but of nature Legal such was the incestuous Corinthians who was almost swallowed up of sorrow 2 Cor. 2.7 the sinfulness of which sorrow appears in two things It keeps from duty it unfits for duty that like Paper too wet which receives no writing But the contrite heart is Evangelical another Isaac a child of promise that grows not out of the bodies constitution and temperament but out of the promise 36. Ezek. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and I will give a heart of flesh And as it is Evangelical so it is Active There is a passive contrition dolor morbi a soreness sorrows and pangs that seize on us whether we will or no but the brokenness here is deliberate elective Active for It is a grace seated in the heart and making it willing to mourn and repent It is a duty and to be performed Rent your hearts Plough up the fallow ground c. It is a condition of the Covenant and to be fulfill'd If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray c. 2 Chr. 7.14 A Broken and Contrite heart is tender and melting yields to threatnings melts under promises Secondly 2 Chr. 34.27 Propterea quod emollitum est cor tuum humiliasti te à facie Jehovah saith God to Josiah Because thy heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God c. There is a tenderness which ariseth from the Natural sympathy betwixt the heart and the eye Lamen 3.51 My eye affects my heart c. but this tenderness comes from Faith which doth not only purifie but mollifie the heart by applying first the word of God that hammer arrow fire Secondly The blood of Christ Thirdly The love of God With this hammer it breaks with this arrow it pierceth with this fire it melts the heart in this blood it dissolves the Adamant on this pillow it breaks the flint A broken and contrite Heart Thirdly is of a quick sense and lively apprehension It discerns in the Soul intima minima the least thing and most secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first workings of our Understandings and apprehensions of our passions and affections rendred in the 5. Heb. 14. The bones marrow the thoughts and intents of the heart the secrets of the belly Prov. 20. latentes sensus as Drusius speaks It discerns in sin 1. Offence 2. Dishonour 3. Unkindness 4. Ingratitude Offence and dishonour of God unkindness and ingratitude against God Hence Davids Contrition in the 3. v. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tibi tibi soli Not only because David a King and his Crown imperial and so exempt from all Coercive and Vindicative power and force of his Subjects and only left to Gods own judgment But because this was his greatest grief that he had sin'd against God such a God as had been so good to him 2 Sam. 7.18 19. And that this God should so suffer in his sin 2 Sam. 12.14 Who only could pardon his sin A broken and contrite Heart Fourthly is Docible and flexible docible in the Understanding and flexible in the Will That men are able to understand and will Aright this is of Pure nature status institutus in which anima est integra That the Understanding is indocible and the Will inflexible this is of corrupt nature status destitutus in which anima est laesa illusa illisa Laesa in naturals illusa in morals illisa bruised beaten broken in meerly spirituals and supernaturals But that the Understanding is tractable and docible and the Wil flexible this is of Sanctified nature status restitutus and here anima is rectificata here the Grace of God is flexanima and Vorticordis 'T is S. Aug. word it bores the ear and bows the Soul See this in the Converts in the 2. Acts 37. Men and Brethren what shall we do In S. Paul Act. 9.6 Lord what wouldst thou have me to do In the Jayler Act. 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved These are not only Verba ignorantiae words of men at a loss how to get ease but verba docilitatis promptitudinis words of men whose spirits are broken and contrite whose Understandings are docible and whose Wills are flexible ready to hear any Instruction and to undertake any direction for Life and Salvation A broken contrite