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_v	world_n	zeal_n	42	3	7.2837	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47400	A discovery of some troublesome thoughts Wherewith many godly precious souls are burthened, and extreamly pressed: that like a canker eats out all their comforts, and keeps their souls under continuall fears and distractions. Together with a compound of some Scripture and experimentall cordials, for the refreshing of those who are sick of such a disease; and through the blessing of God, may prove medicinall, to the cure of some, and the comforting of others. By Daniel King, preacher of the Word.	King, Daniel, preacher near Coventry.	1651 (1651)	Wing K489; ESTC R216092	52,316	69

right hand of my righteousness O but may some say I am a poor worm have nothing that is lovely nor desireable in me an unworthy wretch Why see vers 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob and yee men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel And saith Peter 2. Pet. 1.4 There is given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you should be partakers of the Divine Nature Now the Divine Nature is not subject to these vexations and troubles Therefore from the frequency of the promises and the end of them we may well conclude God would not have his people lie under discouragments 2. Because he hath given them of his Spirit to cry Abba Father Now if he give them the spirit of adoption it argues clearly he would not have them discouraged Joh. 14.16 I will pray the father saith Christ and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit c. Rom. 8.16 The spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sons of God Now if he give his spirit to this end to comfort the Saints and witness their adoption then it must needs follow he would not have them discouraged 3. Because he cals for and requires that the ministry of consolation be performed Isa 40.1.2 Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem tell her her iniquity is pardoned and her warfare is accomplished See what a strict charge here is to comfort the people of God Yea and God challengeth the false prophets for not performing this ministery but acting contrary to it Ezek. 13.22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I not made sad therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divination c. And Cap. 34 16.17.18 When the prophets neglected tending and tendring the sheep see what the Lord saith I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feed them with judgement Now then if God take such care that they may be comforted and undertake for them then he would not have them discouraged 4. Because God the Father hath givtn Commission to Christ to take special care of them that they be not overborn And Christ hath undertaken it A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax will he not quench he will bring forth Judgement into victory Isa 42 3. This is the glory of Christs Kingdom that he shall support the weak and this Christ gives in charge to Peter if he love him to feed his Lambs John 21. And the Apostle gives speciall charge to the Churches to comfort one another 1 Thess 4.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words And 5.14 I beseech you brethren support the weak comfort the feeble-minded Therefore he would not have them lie under discouragements 2. Reasons why God would not have his people troubled The 2. sort of Reasons are why he would not c. 1. Because he is very pitifull and tender A good body would have no body hurt no not so much as a prick with a pin nor a fillip with the finger a quiet meek spirit is so tender So is God of his people Jam. 5.11 The Lord is very pitifull consider the end the Lord maketh that he is very pitifull he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7. And not in oppressing thy soul Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men He took it ill that his people should father and fasten their discouragements upon him Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid fro● the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Why dost say so Israel there is no cause at all he is so far from slighting thee that he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength therefore he would not have them sink into Anxiety and sadness 2. It appears to be so From the excellency of holy rejoycing and the acceptableness of it to God God delighteth more in this then in all services whatsoever for all other works of the spirit flow into this And therefore he that was to bring his sacrifice Deut. 26.34 among other things which he professed this was one I have not eaten thereof in my mourning Mal. 2.12.13.14 And this have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more nor receiveth it with good will at your hands Psal 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing and Psal 2.10 Rejoyce with trembling Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway and again I say rejoyce Rejoyce evermore c. Now if God be so well pleased with holy rejoycing then he would not have his people lie under sorrows wounding their hearts and breaking of them to pieces under terrors 3. Because discouragements drive from God and are contrary to Communion which God delights in therefore Christ knocketh at the door and calleth for opening Rev. 3. Cant. 5.2 Psal 14.8.9 and saith he would sup with the Soul And his father and he would make their abode there John 14. A man will never go to his judge and executioner one that will cut his throat till he be perswaded of favour Terrours drive Cain into the land of Nod from the presence of God Therefore saith the Lord I drew them with the cords of Love In Gods presence is fulness of Joy therefore the more oppressing sorrow the further from Gods presence Discouragement made Peter cry out Luke 5.3.9.10 Lord depart from me for I am a sinfull man for he was astonished and afraid as appears by Christs incouraging of him 4. Because this deadens the actings of all the works of the spirit in the heart God hath not the glory of his spirit in this way a sad sullen discouraged spirit deadens all 2 Cor. 7.10 The sorrow of the world worketh death It killeth the spirit not the body but death of duty it makes a man he cannot come off with any dexterity of duty death of care clearing of your selves indignation fear vehement desire zeal revenge it deadens these Nay it makes a man utterly unfit for some services of God as spirituall rejoycing This causeth crying not singing and rejoycing and singing is a piece of Gods service Isa 65.14 My servants shall sing for joy of heart Sorrow made Hemah unfit for the service of God 1 Sam. 1.7 And Solomon saith Prov. 12.25 Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop but a good word makes it glad The heart is down when it is heavy and not so fit for spirituall services 5. Because by this discouraged troubled frame of

my friend O daughters of Jerusalem See now how this takes upon their Spirits Chap. 6.1 Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee Mark how his hiding himself from his spouse conduceth to the calling of other poor souls to the seeking after Christ When they see them mourning and grieving and complaining and cannot rest without him thinks the poor soul there is some excellency in him that we see not we will certainly go along to seek him with these poor souls he is worth seeking after And so it sets them a flame after him also The third thought is when the Soul complains it hath none of the Spirit Thirdly The third Thought that riseth in the heart to trouble the soul and perplex it is this I have none of the Spirit of God Now Christ commands John 4. To worship God in the spirit And Gal. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and Jude 20. Praying in the holy ghost But how should I do this that have not the Spirit feel him not working nor quickening nor comforting me my heart is so dead and loose and weary in duty never carried up to heaven how can I but be troubled When you are carried with a fiery Chariot into heaven then you think you have the spirit But when a man moves in a lower Region he thinks he hath it not I shall speak to this 1. Generally 2. More Particularly Generall observations to this case Generally thus 1. That it is a very good thing to have the Spirit or to miss it As in hearing the word in prayer conference Meditation c. Either to feel a man hath it or to feel he wants it And the worst of these is better then to rest in a duty shaped out of your own Brain consisting in an empty sound of expressions and words For ye must take heed ye do not content your selves with shadowes and phrases without the Spirit For God doth not know the meaning of such duties Rom. 8. 2. Consider the spirit hath a manifold work in the hearts of the children of God Now a man cannot reason from the want of such a fruit of the Spirit as joy or peace c. that therefore he hath not the Spirit Ye cannot reason thus A man doth not Laugh Therefore he doth not Live Weeping is a sign of life as well as laughter So it is in this Case The sense of sin may argue the Spirit of God to be in you as well as the feeling of Joy Zach. 12 10. I will pour upon them the SPIRIT of grace and the Spirit of supplications And they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and shall MOVRN for him as one mourneth for his onely Son And be in BITTERNES c. The Spirit is a Spirit of variety 1 Cor. 12. Giving to one this gift to another that gift to one Humility Poverty of spirit Self deniall Godly sorrow to another Zeal and Courage and Joy c. And so it is oftentimes in the same man sometimes it is tuning his godly sorrow sometimes his joy sometimes his fear c. And this is one ground of the variety of conditions the Saints are in as David sometimes ye find him singing on the uppermost branch of the tree and sometimes hanging his wing in the bottome of the hedg Sometimes calling upon himself to praise the Lord seven times a day Psal 119.164 And sometimes crying out that he was cast out of Gods sight Psal 31.22 So Job sometimes professing though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 And sometimes changing his note If I had called and he had answered me yet I would not believe that he had hearkned to my voice Job 9.16 The Church spoken of in the Lamentations Sometimes lamenting my strength and my HOPE is perished from the Lord Lam. 3.18.22 and sometimes again confessing I have HOPE Paul had the spirit as well in his buffetings as in his rejoycings And David when he prayed restore to me the joy of thy salvation as when he felt it Psal 51. The Spirit led Christ to be tempted as well as supported him and brought him back into Galilee Luke 4.1 c. A man may have the spirit in the Fight as well as in the Triumph He hath the spirit that soweth to the spirit in Tears as well as he that reaps in joy Psal 126.5.6 Therefore you may be mistaken in saying you have not the spirit seing it works so variously 3. This spirit may exercise it self in thee in duties one way though it be not felt but another way as in prayer sometimes tuning thy love sometimes thy hatred sometimes thy humility sometimes thy joy Therefore do not wrong the spirit of God and say it is from home because you feel not joy Do not say it is idle for it may be working in another room tuning another grace If a man should alwaies touch one key he should never play various tunes Now our hearts are Gods Harps Rev. 14.2 and 15.2 And therefore if God should not tune them variously there would be no melody And if the spirit be not setting up a candle in thee it may be scouring of a candle-stick I mean If it be not filling thy heart with joy it may be preparing thy heart for joy 4. There may be workings of the spirit in the heart and yet ye may not perceive it is the working of the spirit As in a peice of blunt money that ye can see no mark upon you will say by the bigness it should be such a piece six pence or a nine-pence but I can see nothing upon it So there may be workings of the spirit that are not seen for the present and yet afterward when the spirit worketh another way then thou maist perceive that this was of the spirit Luk. 24. The disciples that went to Emmaus knew not Christ while he was opening the Scriptures to them which was the likeliest time yet they knew him in breaking bread And then they could call to minde the burning of their hearts by the way Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us by the way and opened to us the Scriptures ver 32. just as it is in our businesses in the world many secret providences which a man doth not see to be a providence till after by some other issue he cals it to minde and sees it a providence So God hath his glory at last As Zaccheus climbing up into the figtree what could a man pick out of it till afterward that Christ tells him he must abide at his house then it appeared to be a providence So in the Disciples being so importunate with Christ to stay when he made as if he would have gone further they saw nothing in it for the present but afterward when Christ

though he do not know it 1. I say The best state or Condition is for a man to be Gods and know it that he is so Though not to know it doth not cut up the mil-post and overthrow all though it may indeed take off the sailes I mean though it may put a man to a stand or make him go heavily yet it doth not prove his condition to be desperate A man is Gods two wayes A man is Gods two wayes By Election and Calling 1. By Election 1. By Election So a man may be a sheep not gathered John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them MVST I bring So that they are not yet brought and yet sheep which Christ must bring Therefore ye cannot make this conclusion that ye are none of Gods by Election 2. By Calling 1. Cor. 1.1 But Secondly A man is Gods by Calling And so he is a Saint For we are Saints by Calling Now the purpose of Gods electing is the calling of a man and the Evidencing of his Calling And therefore our Calling is effectuall and powerfull because it is a calling accotding to Gods purpose Rom. 8.28 And the purpose of God in Election is evidenced to us by Calling the first dawning and evidence of this love of God to us is this calling us to Christ 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure So that the way of Evidence is from the second to the first Now it is best for a man to know himself Gods both wayes For though this assurance doth nor make a man to be a man in Christ yet it makes him to be a lively man in Christ for he is made a man in Christ simply by beleeving or taking Christ at the hands of God A double witness Now we are evidenced to be Gods both wayes by a double witness that gives evidence The evidence of our Spirit and the evidence of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons of God Now this Calling is evidenced two wayes Regeneration 1. By regeneration or being born of God Secondly by Adoption whereby being strangers we are made Sons by our incorporation into Christ For both these see John 1.12.13 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to those that beleeve on his name Sons of God who are those Those that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now observe that the Sons of God by faith in Christ are Sons of God by the birth of the Spirit Therefore see whether your faith reach this or no They were born not of blood nor by the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God For prove one and prove the other Adoption Yet know that Regeneration and Adoption are two distinct things The one is the act of God towards us The other is the work of the Spirit in us But the Spirit of sanctification and the Spirit of Adoption are both one but they are two distinct acts The Spirit of Sanctification worketh in us a new life The Spirit of Adoption may rather be called the evidence So that prove one and prove the other Prove that a man breathes and by that you prove he liveth yet there may be a more proper proof as if he feel or see c. So that this is it that I would say That the witness of our spirit may properly be said to attest our Sanctification And the witness of Gods Spirit our Adoption And by both our spirit and Gods Spirit we are witnessed to be the Sons of God How our Spirits witness our new birth But observe that the witness of our spirits that witnesseth our new birth and Sanctification witnesseth it by Water and Blood 1. John 5.6.8 This is he that came by water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by water onely but by water and Blood And it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth And there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit and water and blood and these three agree in one And it is by vertue of these two that our spirits do attest and witness that we are the Sons of God For blood and water all the Scripture over are said to purge and cleanse as in all the Legal Types yet God giveth to them an office of witnessing Properly they purge But they Witness by their work of purging This BLOOD the blood of Christ purgeth away the guilt of Sin as it bindeth a man over to hell and damnation This Water the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ purgeth away the love of Sin as it hath Dominion † Ezek. 36.25.26.27 Of both these the conscience of a regenerate man comes to be sensible in himself The sense of Blood purging by pacifying of his conscience that he cannot but look upon God with a conscience full of tranquility And the water purging by Sanctifyng him to make him walk with God out of the power of sin Now the witness of a mans spirit witnesseth that he is translated out of the guilt of sin and power of sin and then he is born again Objection But some may object and say This testimony may deceive Answer I answer If you consider the power of this blood and water in a man How wonderfully it removes a man from all inthralling lusts and how it compels him to walk in holiness yea the peace that riseth from blood-purging Sin which moves morally to holy walking and is full of infinite strength for the sence of the pardon of sin And that is an excellent adjunct unto and in Sanctification as can be the graces of Sanctification do determine the Soul to the wayes of God as a strong Byas sheweth which way the Bowl will go Consider that for one how the heart is moved in Gods way And that is by Faith and Love And then if you consider the respect or aim or end the new creature moves to That is In God for God and to God that he may be glorified Rom. 11. ult For of him and through him and to him are all things All things that are of him through him tend to him Consider all these together that they be in you the power of Moving how you are moved By Faith and Love And the end you aim at to glorifie God And it makes a good Testimony and witness that ye are the Sons of God The witness of Gods Spirit Now for the Testimony of Gods Spirit the Spirit of Adoption If we shall speak distinctly of it from our spirits for the spirit and water and blood are distinct though they agree in one 1 John 5.8 Now if you consider them distinct I conceive then the Spirit of God witnesseth by an immediate impression upon the Soul representing to the soul and conscience making you understand

house before he manifests his abode there So that now he may be under Gods hand in forming him and yet not know his interest in him for the present 2. This not knowing may be in a man formed regenerated by reason he may be 1. Of a cavilling spirit and see such infirmities in himself as he thinks are not accompanied with the Spirit of grace And secondly by mistaking when the poor soul looks upon sins of intrusion as sins of admission and dominion Or thirdly because he wants that perfection that he would or should have And by looking upon some places of Scripture he sees he wants that which the Scripture calls him to Now in his apprehension he is not a son of God but this cannot conclude him so Secondly The second troublesome thought Another thought or doubt that riseth in the heart which troubles the poor soul as the text speaks is That Christ hath left him cast him off will not shew him any more mercy nor come again to him indeed it hath felt Christ sweet and comfortable those were happy dayes But now alas Christ is gone and he fears he will never come again And this was in the disciples in some measure as appears by the plaister to the sore administred by the Soul-Physitian It is I saith Christ And in another place Let not your heart be troubled John 14.1 And vers 3. I will come again and take you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And vers 18. I will not leave you comfortless How will that appear Why I will come to you So John 16.4.5.6 He sheweth that the thought of his absence filled their hearts with sorrow The hiding of Gods face troubles the poor soul extreamly Job 34.29 If he give peace who then can make trouble but if he hide himself who then can behold him c. Psal 30.6 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled So saith David Psal 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily The apprehension that God hath hidden his face fils the soul with consultations and distempers for those that do afflict themselves oftentimes harp upon this string they are forlorn and forsaken like the Stranger Isa 56.3 The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people And like the Eunuch I am a dry tree Why so why the spirit is so dead and so unwildy in holy duties so loose and base he can bring his heart to nothing Sure God hath left him I am a dry tree saith the Eunuch no sap of grace all comfort is gone And thus the poor soul crys out To speak to this case first I will reprove this And secondly confute it This case spoken to 1. By way of reproof 1. Let me reprove it 1. Why shouldst thou be more cruel to thy self then God is challenge thy self when God doth not Zach. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things God doth not Because thou art weak to conclude thou hast nothing this argues but a heady peevish spirit Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee This conclusion was his headiness and haste you see 2. Consider thou hast enough to do to nourish thy heart against just sorrow and fear Thou needst not nourish unnecessary fears Christ saith Sufficient to the day is the sorrow of it thou hadst not need add more Ma● 6. Dost thou think conscience of sin is not matter enough but thou must add want of comfort to it take heed 3. Check thy self as the Prophet Psal 42. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me For by entertaining these discouragements thou laist a block against thy own mercy and where wilt thou have cure God will not work peace but by the co-working and accepting of thy own conscience Therefore herein thou art cruel like the Ostrich and worse then the Sea calf 4. Take heed Thou maist sink thy spirits so low that thou maist lose thy self in sorrow Extream passion takes away sense that is certain And as a man may be drowned buried lost in pleasure so in sorrow Isa 38.15 I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul See how Hezekiah was lost in discouragement take heed that you do not unfit your selves for spiritual joy when God shall send it 2. By way of confutation Secondly Let me confute thee Thou saist I am cast off I have no grace of God no hope of mercy and here thy soul is tossed and clouds over-shadow that rise thick one after another Thou mistakest thy self 1. Consider the indissolvible nature of the love of God man thou canst not break it Hos 2.19.20 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. And mark the Lord saith not in THY loving kindness But MY loving kindness c. While God hath any of these he cannot break So Rom. 4.16 The promise is sure to all the seed So that we cannot shake our selves out of the state of salvation because the business is acted in God and built and stablished in him 2. Consider that as Gods grace is mutual so Gods judgements are mutual If ever he choose thee he gives thee a heart to choose him And if he loath thee he leaves thee to a heart to loath him Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them saith God and their soul also abhorred me So that if thou have not cast God off and saiest that man shall not rule over me If thou continue with God in duty he hath not yet cast thee off For he that God casts off frets and fumes against the Commandment whereas the Soul that is humbled admires the Commandment but comes short of it as Paul Rom. 7. The Commandment is holy and just and good though he came short in walking up to it 3. Consider God taketh on by casting off why then doest thou say thou art cast off Gods death is a way to life I mean that God giveth thee over to death on this fashion Canst thou say I am cast off from God why this very complaint sheweth thou art taken on For desertion is a part of Gods discipline Hos 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their iniquity and seek my face God casts off that they may cleave to him 1. Sam. 14.14 God respecteth not any person yet doth he devise means that his banished be not expelled from him The woman sent by Joab to David to speak to him about the bringing Absolom back she pleads it from Gods manner of dealing with his banished