Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65385
|
A sermon before the societies for reformation of manners in Dublin preached in New-Row, April the 26th, 1698 / by Nath. Weld.
|
Weld, Nathaniel, d. 1731.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing W1261; ESTC R24608
|
16,736
|
28
|
pouring out the Spirit from on high and such a plentiful Increase of Judgement and Righteousness And this shall be the Subject of what I shall offer to you from these words Doct. That the effusion of the holy Spirit is necessary in order to an effectual and thorough Reformation Now the consideration of this Truth leads me First To Enquire what we are to understand by this pouring forth the Spirit from on high Secondly To shew what Influence this effusion of the Holy Spirit has upon an effectual and thorough Reformation And when I have made some brief Reflections on each of these I shall chiefly insist on the Application of this truth to the present Occasion First Let us consider what is to be understood by pouring the Spirit from on high and all that I shall observe to you under this head shall be in these Three Propositions First That there are real communications of the Spirit of God to Men That Divine Spirit that garnished the Heavens and moved upon the Face of the Waters in the old Creation has he no share of efficiency in the new This is most Incredible and so much the rather because the work of Application in this Oeconomy pecularly terminates in him Indeed by what display of his Divine Power he works upon the Souls of men is not easie to be expressed or conceived Doubtless 't is in a manner that is accommodated to our rational Faculties and fully consistent with that Liberty that is Essential to a free Creature But thô the nature of these Operations be secret like the Original of the Wind yet the Effects thereof are as sensible as its sound and force to which they are compared by our Saviour John 3.8 And why should it be thought Unreasonable that this Blessed Spirit should have access to ours when Wicked Spirits may and can fill the heart and do work effectually in the children of Disobedience Acts 5.3 Eph. 2.2 And even the Heathen world was wont to ascribe any extraordinary appearances in men to their having the Spirit of God as Pharaoh concerning Joseph can we find such a man as this Gen. 41.38 Dan. 5.14 one in whom the Spirit of God is And Belshazzar says to Daniel I have heard of thee that the Spirit of the Gods is in thee Let not such a Truth be doubted among Christians that extorted an acknowledgement of it self by its own Evidence from a Pagan World Secondly These communications of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 are of several kinds for there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit he is the Sacred Fountain both of common Gifts and special Grace and may be said to be poured out upon men with respect to both First In the dispensation of common Gifts In this sense many are anointed who are not truly Sanctified they have a manifestation of the Spirit given them to profit withal they are qualified for some particular service to which they were appointed 〈◊〉 45. ◠4 as Cyrus is called God's anointed thô he knew not God Thus eminent Qualifications for the Civil Magistracy such as Wisdom Integrity Justice Fortitude c. are a communication from the Spirit In this sense the Spirit of the Lord is said to come upon Saul when the Cruelty of Nahash rais'd his Courage 1 Sam. 11.6 to deliver the men of Jabesh Gilead Thus also Ministerial Gifts are a Dispensation of the Spirit in 1 Cor. 12.9 and 10 verses the Apostle enumerates several of them both ordinary and extraordinary and concludes verse 12. All these worketh one and the same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Under this head we may also consider those common Operations of the Holy Spirit by which he enlightens the Minds and awakens the Consciences of many who are not truly sanctified On this account they are said to be partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6.4 By those rational convictions which he suggests to their Minds Gen. 6.3 the Spirit of God strives with the Spirits of Men 1 Thes 5.19 Isa 63.10 and when sinners do desparately outrage their own light and Rebel against it they are said to quench and vex the Holy Spirit So that this is a way of expression familiar and frequent in the Scriptures and we may well be allowed to conform our selves thereto thô some prophane Wits have attempted to expose such kind of Language as Cant Enthusiasm or Mystical Nonsense to the great reproach of the Holy Scriptures and dishonour of the Holy Spirit who Inspired them Secondly In the communication of special Grace Thus God promises Zech. 12.10 And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications c. The Holy Spirit is poured out as a Spirit of Grace both when he Implants Grace and when he Excites it First When he Implants Grace for he it is that forms those inward dispositions that are the Seeds and Principles of Holiness and in this way of Operation he introduces a marvelous Change he disingages men from a wild purfuit of deluding happiness in sensible good and causes them to become rightly affected to God in a Redeemer as their rightful Lord and Soveraign satisfying good Herein lyes much of the Nature of true Conversion which in the Scripture dialect is to be born again and born of the Spirit See John 3.3 and 6. Secondly He is poured out as a Spirit of Grace when he excites it Holy Souls do experimentally know that there are such things as Divine Influences by which gracious affections are inlarged and their Souls do follow hard after God Psal 63.8 And why should it be thought strange that the blessed Spirit should move upon his own work and raise and strengthen those Holy dispositions which himself has formed Psal 63.12 Does not David pray that God would uphold him with his free Spirit and under Spiritual Decays and Indisposedness for intercourse with God How many vehement desires does his holy Soul breath forth for quickening Influences in that 119 Psalm I come to the Third Proposition Thirdly There are Seasons wherein these communications of the Spirit are more plenteous and abundant than at other times Sometimes they may in a great measure be suspended our sloth and misimprovement may forfeit them and then the interests of practical Godliness will lye in a languishing state and the good things that are in us be ready to dye In this frame we shall have little delight in Converses with God or Zeal for his Glory our hearts will be unready for self-denying instances of Obedience and generous designs of usefulness to others will be swallowed up by some poor low Interests which the Flesh calls our own But there are happy Seasons wherein the Spirit of Life is poured forth again and these Spiritual ruines are repaired thereby and when this Blessing becomes General the effects of it will soon be visible in the World 'T