Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	work_n	world_n	worthy_a	184	3	6.2509	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55570	Tsofer bepaḥ, or, The bird in the cage, chirping four distinct notes to his consorts abroad I. of consideration, counsel and consolation, II. some experiences and observations gathered in affliction ..., III. the lamentations of Jeremiah ..., IV. a true Christians spiritual pilgrimage setting forth his afflicted and consolatory state in another metre : and as a preface hereto, an epistle to the Welsh churches, and a brief narrative of the former propagation and late restriction of the Gospel ... in Wales ... / by Vava. Powell.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3078; ESTC R19436	71,339	204

them My most Sanctifying Thoughts 1. The thought of Gods most free and continued love to me 2. The thought of what Christ hath done for me 3. The thought of what I have been and done against him 4. The thought of what God and Christ are to me and I to them 5. The thought of Christs Excellency and some Saints Eminencies 6. The thought of Death and of Judgement 7. The thought of what I shall be and shall have hereafter Com. As the Moon and Stars receive all their Light from the Sun so the Church and Ministers receive all their knowledge from Christ Atrue Christian will desire to be freed From 1. Doubts of his Eternal condition 2. The power of corruption 3. The fieryness of the Law in the Conscience 4. The fierce Temptations of Satan 5. Scruples in matters of Opinion 6. Wicked places and persons where a man can neither do nor receive Good nor be without danger of Evil. 8. The fear of Death A true Christian should be and will be much taken with and rejoyce at ☞ 1. The least revelation of truth 2. The least Communion with God and Christ through the Spirit 3. The least additional measure of holiness 4. The least good Success God gives him in his work 5. The least prosperity Gods people Enjoy in the world 6. To be counted worthy and made able to suffer for Christ A Beleever should learn 1. To know God in Christ 2. Himself in Christ 3. Christ in him 4. Himself as he was without Christ 1. Wicked and wretched 2. Unwilling and weak in good The life of a true Believer is 1. In the Lord 1 Thes 1.1.1 Joh. 2.27 2. On the Lord Rom. 1.17 Gal. 2.20 3. By and from the Lord Joh. 6.57 4. To the Lord Rom. 14.8 Luke 20.38 Gal. 2.19 5. With the Lord 2 Cor. 13.4.1 Thes 5.10 Rom. 6.8 Suffering is not only a duty but a Dignity and not only a matter of necessity but of choice to a good Christian For the Cross is inlay'd with a Crown God hath taken away some that were too good for the world and God leaves others in the world to grow better by afflictions God requires from Saints but Sincere obedience and utmost endeavour but from Christ perfect obedience Some Signs and Characters of a true CHRISTIAN 1. A true Christian is one that hath had clear convictions of sin especially his master-sin and unbelief and of Christ that is of the want and worth of him and of Judgement that is of punishment as the due desert of his sin Joh. 16.8 2. He is unbottomed and broken off from himself he hath no confidence in himself his Birth Education Parts Performances and best works are impure and imperfect in his own sight Phil. 3.3 Isa 64.6 3. He is hardly brought to beleeve he hardly beleeves that he doth beleeve and hardly casts away his confidence when he doth once truly beleeve 4. He upon self-suspition doth greatly desire to be searched and doth earnestly search himself Psal 139.1 and last and 77.6 5. He doth never resolve to go on in any sin 6. He prayes to God most against his dearest and master-sin and praises God most when he hath power against it 7. He never repents for any sin forsaken good he hath done or affliction he hath Suffered for Christ 8. He hath amity to all Saints and seeks unity among all Saints and makes Union-ship and Saint-ship the ground of his fellowship and Communion-ship Phil. 1.5.1 Pet. 2.17 Rom. 14.4.1 Cor. 1.9 10 9. In reading of Scripture he observes what helps on his holinss and teaches self-denial as well as what increases knowledge 10. He cares not what he hath whither he goes nor what he suffers with Christ and without sin 11. His faith helps on his holyness and his holyness helps up his faith 12. He is one that alwayes resolves to follow Christ through every condition or through thick and thin yet much suspects and fears he shall not be able to hold out 13. He seeks and prises holyness to serve God here as much or more then happiness hereafter 14. He keeps himself from his own i. e. his dear and master sin and iniquity 2 Sam. 23.24 15. He fears God and sin more then men and suffering Gen. 39.9 Dan. 3. 17 18. 16. He neglects not his duty though he knows there is great danger in doing it Dan. 6.10 17. He is one that is careful to lay in and to get true grace in his heart as well as in his Profession as the wise Scribe Mat. 13. and wise Virgins Mat. 25. 18. He can and dare do no hing against the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 Especially if he knows it 19. He cleaves to the Lord and follows after the Lord fully in the worst times and when others forsake him Num. 14 24. Joh. 6.68 20. He respects all and rejects none of Gods Commandments Psal 119.6 2 Sam. 22.23 21. He takes patiently and thankfully the harshest words and the hardest dealings of God 1 Sam. 3.18.2 Kings 20. 19. Job 1.14 to the end 22. He is much affected with and afflicted for the Sufferings of the Godly and Sins or the Wicked as David Jeremiah Lot Paul c. 23. He is one that when he is recovered out of his Backsliding remembers his former good condition and prizes it and praises God and hates his sin more than he did before Hos 2.7 and 14.2 3 8. 24. He seeks and esteems Sincerity more than any garnishing gifts and prizes plain and poor Saints that are honest and upright more than those that have parts wealth if they be lesse sincere 25. He hath a great desire to joyn himself with the Saints of God and to continue with them when he comes to know them and to be convinced throughly of their wayes Psal 47.9 marg and 27.4 Cant. 1.7 Isa 56.3.1 Joh. 2.19 26. He is one that knows the Voice of Christ and will hear onely his Voice Joh. 10.4 5.1 Joh. 4.6 27. He is greatly afflicted and troubled at and for the Affliction of the Righteous Nehem. 1.3 4. Lam. 3.51 28. He is one that exerciseth a good Conscience in all things Heb. 13.8 But what are the easiest Signs or Marks for young and weak Saints to find in them 29. He desires to fear God and His Name and desires Grace for Grace sake Nebem 1.11 30. He doth enquire how he may be saved Act. 2.37 and 9.6 and 16. 30. 31. He is one that prayes at his first Conversion Act. 9.11 God hath no still-born Children 32. He desires earnestly the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 33. He hath a soft circumcised and new heart and is a new Creature Ezek. 36.26.2 Cor. 5.17 34. He is either one that suffers himself or is a companion of such 2 Tim. 3. 12. Heb. 10.33 The care of a true Christian is 1. To wait on God Isa 8.17 and 25.9 2. To walk with God Gen. 5.22 24. and 6.9 and 24.40 3. To work

a command from a greater than Augustus even from God to do it though indeed the Heathens granted more liberty than professing Christians do now for then a man might not be judged before he was examined u Act. 28.18 nor committed without first signifying the crimes laid against him w Act. 25.27 The Romans gave liberty for Paul to goe to his friends and his friends to Minister and to come unto him x Ch. 24. 23 27. 3. In those daies a poor Prisoner might hire a house and a persecuted Preacher and Prisoner as Paul was had liberty to preach the Kingdome of God and teach the things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with confidence no man forbidding y Ch. 28. 30. 31. And for the poor people that had not the Law to do more than those that have both Law and Gospel is to them a praise and to us a shame Consid 8 Consider what frame of spirit you now have being under sufferings for God calls for expects that his peoples spirits and the frame of their hearts should correspond with their Conditions as we find frequently in the Scriptures If then that is in their captivity their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then will I remember saith the Lord my Covenant z Lev. 26.41 42. c. Mark what kind of spirit God requires to be in his people in the time of their Affliction namely a Humble Meek and Patient Spirit a Spirit offended neither at God nor men nor the Affliction it self but only at themselves also justifying God as Ezra did Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities have deserved a Ezr. 9.13 see Job 11.6 And David When thou with rebuke dost correct men for iniquity b Psa 39.11 and judging themselves c 1 Cor. 11.31 and becoming more guilty in their own eyes as God said by the Prophet I will goe to my place till they be guilty d Hos 5.15 marg And say as Job said If I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head I am full of confusion therefore see thou my affliction e Job 10.15 As if Job had said Oh Lord my work is to behold Sin and be sensible of my confusion but thine is to take notice of my affliction and to shew compassion Or as Nehemiah pray'd Spare me according to the greatness or multitude of thy mercy f Neh. 13.22 And Christians work in afflicton is to be weeping mourning sorrowing afflicting humbling searching cleansing and fearing themselves and trembling at Gods Judgements and soaking in the suds of true repentance sighing and being greatly ashamed deeply afflicted and self-miserable g Jam. 4.9 lifting up their voice earnestly unto the Lord like people that have their houses and Beds on fire crying out what shall we do or like people in a great flood every one sticking close to one another seeking to help each other through And bringing old sins yea our own rather than others to remembrance as there was under the Law an offering of memorial bringing iniquity to remembrance h Num. 5.15 we should now like Joseph's brethren remember our old iniquities and fall down to the ground and say as Judah said What shall I say unto my Lord what shall we speak how shall we clear our selves God hath found out our iniquities i Gen. 44.16 Christans work in time of affliction is not to be jarring one with another upbraiding each other with former miscarriages though they may in love and meeknesse admonish and mind one another thereof or to stand upon their tiptoes plead their own innocency for who can say his heart is clean or strive about controversal truths as those two Martyrs in Q. M. days that strove in the Bishops house about Infant Baptism which the Bishop soon decided by comitting them both to Prison and soon after to the Fire Neither is this a time to fret or as the Hebrew word signifies Thunder against our enemies as good Hannah did against her adversary that did sore provoke her k 1 Sa. 1.6 nor yet to cry as Micha did after his Idols Ye have taken away my Gods l Jud. 18.23 when the things of this World are taken away from us much less to goe on in sin or to trespass more and more m 2 Chr. 28.23 as wicked Ahaz did or as Israel did sin from Canaan to Caldea n Eze. 16.29 under affliction and so add more fuel to the fire to augment the fierce anger of the Lord o Num. 32.14 but rather let every one turn speedily from his Sins p 1 Ki. 8.35 and if there be iniquity in his heart hand or house to put it far q Job 11.14 22. and for ever away as Jacob did cause his houshold to do when he was in danger of the Canaanites and Perizites r Gen. 35.2 that God may according to his promise return to his people in mercy Å¿ 2 Chr. 30.6 from the fiercenesse of his anger which they have so greatly kindled Consid 9 Christians should also consider their Waies and their Works as well as the frame of their spirits For Gods eyes are upon the waies of man and he seeth all his goings t Job 34.21 and weigheth all his Actions u 1 Sam. 2.3 when the people of God were going or gone into Captivity one main duty which they were called to perform was to search and try their waies w Lam. 3.40 Another Prophet also most solemnly and twice in one Chapter tells the people from God when they were careless and minding their own concernes and things That that was the time for them to consider or set their hearts on their waies x Hag. 1.5.7 Oh that every one of us would consider the secret and hidden waies of our hearts for such there are y Ecl. 11.9 for our spirits and our thoughts desires and affections may be travelling in by-paths or going and hunting after some sinfull prey as the hounds in the night some after pleasure and fleshly z Eze. 6.9 lusts others after covetousness and the things of the World as it is said of some that their eyes and hearts are not but for their Covetousness a Jer. 22.17 and exercised with covetous practices b 2 Pet. 2.14 other mens hearts lifted up to destruction and others melting c Josh 14.8 failing for fear of men d Esa 7.2 of the things that are coming upon the Earth e Lu. 21.26 And as there are the waies of the heart so there are the waies and the walkings of the outward man to be considered whether pure or impure whether above or beneath whether crooked or streight whether forward or backward or sideward whether the old way of Saints or the old way of sinners for there are both f Jer.

Sin is Soul-Restorative-Phyfick Consider that when you are not assaulted with Temptations Satan is damming and pounding and he will suddenly draw up his sluce and let loose upon you Satan doth not like God warn before he strike Christs Work is Wages and his Service perfect Freedom The Love of the Master the Sweetness of the Service and the Greatnesse of the Reward are sufficient Encouragements to serve Christ Afflictions sink the flesh and raise the Spirit To receive Evil viz. Affliction for doing Good is sweet A Christians security and safety is in doing his duty and he should study his duty more then his safety He that loves not Christ more than his lust or his life is like to lose Christ and his life but he that loves Christ more then his life will be sure to save and keep both Strive greatly to have and to exercise a good Conscience towards God and men to commit thy soul life and cause to the Lord and to expect the worst of men and the best of Christ Some Saints do ill in seeking to do well espeially in provoking and pressing other Christans in dark and doubtfull things beyond their own Apprehensions Consciences the bent of their spirits and abilities This is Com. As a man that is Exceedingly well-hors'd travelling with others that are but meanly hors'd drives too hard for his Companions who yet intend to go to the same Place and endeavour to travel as fast as they can Com. Christ is unto the soul as the Load-Stone to the Iron dawing it to it Self or the Chrystal to other stones putting beauty and lustre on them Sence over-rules Imagination Reason Sence and Faith all three in a true Christian A Christian beholds Christ in the deepest affliction as well as in the most spiritual Ordinance Com. As one beholds the Sun in looking upon a deep Pond as well as in looking up to heaven A true Christian when he goes hence changes neither his Work nor Company but his Place and Condition only God leads many of his best friends by the hand without Candle light or assurance to their rests Com. To dye should be no more to a Christian then to breath Com. or to pass over a great River on a Sure Bridge Com. or in a Safe Boat or to return from a Field where a man hath been working to his own house to take his rest To be able to refist strong Temptations there must be either store of in-laid Grace or faith must fly quickly to that Grace laid up in Christ for it Com. Christ is like a tender Parent that is carefull to bring up his Children but many Professors like Undutiful and Unnatural Children forget them in their straits Contented to be maintained by Truth in Prosperity but not to maintain Truth in Adversity Com. Corruptions are like Wormes in the maw or stomach which will eat through the soul unless scattered killed and purged out Com. The only way sometimes for a Christian to avoyd the force of temptation is Soulderlike to fall down on his face when he sees the Cannon or Musket fir'd against him Com. A Christians eye should be like the Adamant turning only toward one Point even Christ Com. Much grace especially zeal and exercised brings persecution As the sweeter and better the Fruit is the more flinging there is at the Tree Make hast to doe thy work Christian and God will make haft to give thee thy wages On Christian why should not that please thee who art but finite that pleases God who is infinite even Christ Pray that thy last dayes and last works may be thy best ☜ And that when thou com'st to dye thou mayst have nothing else to do but dye Thou must dye once whether thou Suffer or no and thou canst dye but once if thou suffer The sins of Saints are new Sufferings to Christ and the Sufferings of Saints are the wounds of Christ A Saint should desire to die that he may be fully freed from sin have a full fruition of Christ that he may be above all fears and doubts and able to serve the Lord uncessantly and unweariedly Reading the Scriptures helps Metitation Meditation Prayer and Prayer every good Work When you come to die it will trouble you not only that you liv'd sinfully or in doing evil but sloathfully in not doing good nay not only that you were sloathfull in good but that you spent so much time in things lesse profitable which should have been spent about and in the things which were most advantagious Man may come too late to God when the door is shut but God never comes to late to men Christ may come in to afflicted Souls through some back-door or Affliction which they do not expect him to come through or in at Com. Let the Child be contented to take the breast the Mother will give it and then it shall have both so be contented with what Christ gives you and you shall want nothing To see the want of Grace is much the worth of Grace more 'T is hard to get Grace hard to get assurance of Grace hard to use it and not abuse it 'T is very hard to behold our own gift without pride and the gifts of others if they excel ours without envy Com. As a little Candle-stick becomes a small Candle so a litle Church a Pastor or Teacher that hath but little grace and weak gifts It is better and surer for thy self to be a Toe than an Eye a Member then a Teacher in a Congregation And this I often wish'd might have been my condition Take heed of covering any mans good with his Evil but let the one plead for him as well as the other against him Do not commend thy friend nor discommend thy foe too much lest thou be judg'd to be partial Lose not thy reward by seeking thy self in thy work Com. I have oft observed that some old welstor'd Christians are like Merchants who have full ware-houses but will sell but in Whole-sales And other young Professors like pidling-pedlers crying about the streets every trifle Com. I have observed that men of great learning and parts or of great wealth and power have for the most part disturbed and devided Churches Also that those Churches never stood long that made Opinion and not Godl-fess and Christianity the foundation of their nellowship The best way for a Teacher and his Congregation to live quietly and comfortably together is for either of them to give to the other what God requires and not to demand expect or exact one from another and so Husband and Wife and all other Natural Relations He commands most and best that commands in love humility and self-denyingly He is most a Master that is most a Servant Be not ye Christians call'd Masters yet the People give them honor according to their place grace years and labours He hath not learned to rule that hath not learned to obey An even through-pac'd self-fearing heart-melting Christian is

temptation God hath heard me and frightned away the Temptation The wonderful work of God is much seen in preserving the Saints from the worship of the Beast Rev. 15.2 3. Be sure to praise God when you receive power agaist Sin and Temptation and you shall be sure to find God ready to give you power another time when you want it When thou art talking with thy Eenemy be sure to have thy eye upon his Sword and thy hand upon thy own watch how Satan or Sin intends to overcome you and how you may best disadvantage them Be still imployed in doing good and you shall not be much tempted or troubled with Evil. Some Christians have more trouble from and for temptation and Sin in one day than they have for suffering many Months Though a Christian should not adventure or dare to do or commit the least evil to gain the greatest good yet sometimes God makes some sin to do more good to a true Saint than many Ordinances and services Com. As a man that hath had great Plague-sores after they have been broken and healed the party becomes more healthy many years after or as some of the Physicians say the strongest poyson as Opium if it can be mastered and corrected it becomes the most Soveraign Physick But no other Physician but Christ can make Sin work good to the Godly as that expression of the Apostle Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good Perkins in his Case of Cons is judged by many Interpreters to comprehend Sin in it as well as suffering as the same words All things are taken in other Scriptures Act. 13.39 Eph. 5.13 And some say that the drinking of the wine wherein the Viper which is one of if not the most poysonful Creature hath been drowned will cure the Leprosy But this Viperous Poyson Sin is warily to be thought on and understood and 't is as when a Husband-man sees a Mole spoyling his ground he is moved the rather to turn water over it which is a means to kill and drown many more So a true Christian sometimes at the sight or sence of one corruption maketh search for and finds out many which puts him more earnestly to wrestle with God for more of his Spirit Power and grace against them all A Hypocrite knowes more than he is willing to do but a true Saint desires to do what he knows and to know more that he may do more and better The liberty of a Saint is not to be indifferent to do this or that but to be free in things that are excellent The actual sins of Men do not so much offend Christ as that they will not have him to be their Saviour Some means to help on Assurance and Holiness 1. Labour after a clearer knowledge of the Covenant of Grace and Testament of Christ as what Christ hath done and suffered for whom and upon what conditions men come to partake thereof 2. Consider these two works of Holiness and Assurance to be the proper works of the Spirit of God and therefore is called the Spirit of Holiness and of Grace because it doth sanctify and Seal the people of God Rom. 1.7 Zach. 12.10 2 Thes 2.13 Ephes 4.30 3. The Soul is to be perfectly off from beholding or depending upon any thing in self or done by self Esa 64.6 2 Cor. 1.9 Rev. 3.17 When the spirit of God seals our Souls as witnesses we do believe and are Gods Children Eph. 1.13 Rom. 8.16 there will be none of our own Signs or qualifications seen but like the Stars they will disappear when the Sun shines yet are still Stars and fixed so are Graces in believers 4. Be diligent in praying for Assurance and in using other means epsecially self-examination Heb. 6.12 2 Cor. 13.5 5. Take heed of all Sins for they put back the Soul both in beleiving and holiness Psal 51.8 11. Luke 22.31 32. 6. Give not way to hard thoughts of God neither entertain that principle of falling from Grace which cannot possibly consist with Assurance See Esa 63.16 and 64.8 Jer. 3.19 and 32.40 Phil. 1.6 Rom. 8.35 36. 7. Look narrowly to your Hearts Tongues Steps and Waies and keep a Diary of Gods dealings and your own walkings Prov. 4.23 Psal 24.25 26. Heb. 12.13 8. Exercise Repentance constantly upon every slip and fall into sin confess them mourn for them be ashamed and humbled for them and labour to hate them and loath your selves for them Lev. 26.40 41. Psal 32.15 Jer. 3.21 Ezek. 7.19 2 Cor. 7.11 Jam. 4.8 9. Eze. 20.43 THE Lamentations OF JEREMIAH IN MEETER CHAP. I. HOw doth the City sit alone that full of People was How is she become a widdow she that was great alas Among the Nations and Princess in Power and Glory Among the Provinces Is she become Tributary 2 She weepth now sore in the night and on her checks are teares She hath none for to comfort her among all her Lovers All her Friends have dealt treach'rously with her and now they are Become her real Enemies she could not them beware 3 Judah is gone into Bondage because of Affliction For their greatness of Servitude how sad is dear Zion She dwelleth among the Heathen she finds no rest but waits Her Persecutors overtake her between the sore straits 4 The ways of Zion do mourn much because none come of late Unto the solemn Feasts but all her Gates are desolate Her Priests do sigh her Virgins are afflicted too no less And she Jerusalem her self is in great bitterness 5 Her Adversaries are the chief her Enemies prosper Because the Lord himself for sins hath so afflicted her For her many Transgressions into Captivity Her little children are now gone before the Enemy 6 And from the Daughter of Zion all her beauty departs Her Princes have lost their Courage and are become like Harts That find no pasture any where and they are gone fainty Without strength before the face of the Pursuer they be 7 Jerusalem minded in the days of her Affliction And of her Miseries all her pleasant things that are gone That she had in the dayes of old when her People did fall * Dutch Transt By the hand of the Enemy and none help'd her at all The Adversaries look on her and at her Sabbaths mock'd 8 Jerusalem sin'd grievously therefore she is remov'd All that did honour her before hate her and not regard Because they saw her nakedness she sighs and turns backward 9 Her filthiness is in her skirts she her last end not minds Therefore she came down wonderfully no comforter she finds O Lord behold my affliction for the proud enemy Against thee and against me Lord himself doth magnifie 10 The adversary hath spread out his hand on all strongly Her pleasant things for she hath seen into the Sanctuary The heathen entred whom thou didst command that there should none Of them at all enter into thy Congregation 11 All her People do sadly sigh they seek bread