Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	conscience_n	dead_a	purge_v	5,027	5	9.3264	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90965	Honey out of the rock, or, Gods method in giving the sweetest comforts in sharpest combates. Chiefly intended, as spirituall plunder for plundered beleevers.	Price, John, Citizen of London.	1644 (1644)	Wing P3343; Thomason E46_14; ESTC R22911	32,070	38

up by the eternall Spirit which was as it were the Altar sanctifying the gift and offering So no means in the world qualifications duties promises ordinances can satisfie a sin-seeing conscience but the blood of Christ and that also must be tendred unto it by the Spirit of Christ The truth is nothing can satisfie an enlightned conscience but that that did satisfie God himself which is Christ discovered in the excellencie of his merits and this is by the tendring the same through the Spirit by which Christ is thus discovered Rom. 8.1 Secondly the death of Christ hath another influence and consimilitude in the soul and that is the crucifying of the body of sin and that first by way of a holy revenge for the shedding of Christs blood Sin persued Christ even unto the Crosse the Spirit persues sin even to the Crosse also Galat. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof And again Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Secondly there is conveighed a certain secret ennergettical power and derived in a sweet spirituall manner from the death of Christ viz. by serious contemplation and belief thereof to kill and mortifie sin Rom. 6.6 Our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed And Paul saith Galat. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ Thirdly the blood of Christ is as it were a secret and yet sensible bath wherein the soul is healed and cured and cleansed steeped and rinsed from the filth and guilt of sin This blood is that fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse to wash in Zach. 13.1 wherein the Saints are washed 1 Cor. 6.11 and this purgeth their consciences from dead works to serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 Lastly the blood of Christ is the life of the soul that is the provision for the life of the soul His flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed Joh. 6.55 indeed that is in respect of everlasting nourishment that flows from it for saith he he that eateth me shall live by me vers 57. He that drinketh my blood shall never thirst Joh. 4.14 because Christ died we live viz. in respect of Justification and because he liveth we shall live in respect of sanctification Joh. 14.19 Thus in many particulars the death of Christ hath a blessed influence in the hearts of the Saints which is the fifth Consideration concerning Christ in the soul in respect of his sufferings Sixthly consider Christ in respect as of death so of his buriall the very grave of Christ hath an operation in the heart We are buried with him Gal. 6.4 Colos 2.12 The old man doth by little and little moulder away as it were in the grave of Christ Seventhly the resurrection of Christ hath likewise an influence in the soul viz. to raise it up to a new spirituall and holy life We are said to be raised up together with Christ Ephes 2.6 He that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.11 The truth is there are most glorious and various operations and influences of the resurrection of Christ in the heart which would be too large now to insist upon Eightly the ascention of Christ is seen also in its operation in the soul viz. to draw up our hearts and desires and expectations heaven-wards Col. 1.2 this is by the Spirit Ninthly and lastly the very session of Christ at the right hand of God and his interceding there for us is felt in the soul the Spirit of God leading it into the presence of God and setting it as it were at the right hand of the Father among the sheep not among goats Matth. 25. giving it all boldnesse even as a right hand favourite and there making intercession with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed Rom. 8.16 Thus you see the first generall Answer to this third generall Question viz. how might we know the Spirit of Christ in the soul from the spirit of delusion Answer The Spirit of Christ in the soul is Christ spiritually in the soul viz. in the sence before spoken of Secondly The Spirit of Christ in the soul doth alwayes act and bias the soul towards Christ by this means the intrincicall bent and frame of the heart is toward Christ the Spirit having a most strong and effectuall work upon the will in answer unto that great defection of the will through Adams fin in the Commission of sin That which I do saith Paul I allow not Rom. 7.15 And in the 19. verse The good I would do I do not the evill which I would not do that I do Will you see the reason of both why vers 22 23. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members Sin was his sicknesse his complaint his captivitie goodnesse his desire his delight his endeavour the ground of both was the law of God in the inner man viz. the Spirit of life by Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 This did still bias the soul contrary to that principle of corruption of nature So that look how naturall instincts do act and work in severall subjects here below as in elements the fire to ascend upwards the earth to fall downwards c. or in all vegitatives to yeeld fruit according to its kind whatsoever Or in all sensitives to forbear that which it knows hurtfull and to feed upon that which is proper for its particular nourishment The little kid to suck his mothers milk c. as the holy Ghost termes it Exod. 23.19 Or in rationals to preserve it self from known evill and to seek after known good Even so an holy spirituall instinct is in the heart of beleevers to do with delight that which is holy just and good and to be very heedfull of that which is sinfull and wicked and its interruption in both is its sorrow its complaint and its pain as it were It is too true that the best of Gods people are obnoxious unto many disturbances and hindrances in the inward man but it is as true that these are their complaint unto God and their indeavour for cure The Spirit in Scripture is compared to anointing oyl 1 Joh. 2.27 oyl we know hath a naturall property to be uppermost if it be put into any liquids whether they be hot or cold yet the oyl will alwayes ascend and though there might be some interruption while you powre water upon the oyl yet stay but a while and you shall see it settle again and keep all under it Just so the Spirit of Christ doth as it were raise up the heart above all in the soul and though interruptions may be through violent temptations and strong passions and corruptions yet at last all will

her great belly this was that renuing in the inner man day by day which made Paul and the rest of the suffering Saints to rejoyce though their outward man did perish 2 Cor. 4.16 And hence it is that they count it all joy when that they fall into divers temptations knowing that the triall of their faith worketh patience and patience having its perfect work maketh them perfect and intire wanting nothing Jam. 1.2.3 A spirituall growth in the inner man is so much the more acceptable unto a beleever above all outward injoyments by how much the more it is more precious in it self then they Outward blessings are Esau his portion but God is the portion of his Saints and the more of God they have viz. of his divine communicable nature the richer they are if they can see the light of Gods countenance shining upon them and the work of his Spirit thriving in them they have enough and will rejoyce in that condition wherein these prosper though it be most irksome to their frail flesh and here again I call for your experiences you refined Saints by the fiery triall did you ever feel God so powerfull in you the work of his Spirit so strong in you in patience meeknesse humilitie gentlenesse dependance upon God c. as you have done since you have been stript of your late comforts Did you not know the time that the smallest crosse and trouble in your estates made you peevish passionate and froward and now you can look upon the spoiling of your whole estate with joy Did you not know the time when the best food easiest lodging costly garments and many friends with many other accommodations could not satisfie and content you and you are now satisfied and can blesse God and thank your friends for a meals meat a suit of clothes a little money a nights lodging a mean house to hide your heads in and now brown bread and the Gospel is good fare with you The time was when you thought your selves high and great men and that every man wrong'd you if he came not to you with cap and knee at everie word looking haply upon your inferiours in estate though superiours in grace with mean thoughts and disrespect but now you hugge them in your bosoms and blesse God for their societie and Christian company and is not this a sweet chearing Would you want this precious spirituall work upon your hearts for all your glorie Well this is the last way that I shall note whereby the Spirit comforteth Beleevers in evil times viz. by furnishing them with and enabling them unto the exercise of those suitable gifts and graces fit for a suffering condition And so much for the second generall Question how the Spirit comforteth Beleevers in evill times The third generall Question is How the Spirit of Christ may be discerned from the spirit of delusion This indeed is one of the most concerning Queries in all the world as will appear if you note these brief considerations First If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 viz. for the present in his own knowledge and to his own satisfaction Secondly if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he cannot worship him in spirit and in truth so that to kill an ox in sacrifice is no more acceptable unto God then killing a man His sacrificing a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs neck his oblation is as swines blood his incense is as blessing an Idol Isa 66.3 that is not onely not acceptable unto God but every way as abominable as these provocations Thirdly if a man hath not the Spirit he is left alone in all his troubles and perplexities for there is no meet help and comfort for a man but the Spirit When God made man at first having made the world behold all was good save one and that was for man to be alone Genes 2.18 But now among all the creatures was not found an help meet for him verse 20. Even so it is not good to be alone Eccles 1.10 that is alone to bear all his crosses and troubles Now among all other comforters is not found an help and comforter meet for man and therefore God gives his people the Spirit Adam was above the capac●…ie of all other creatures here belowe and therefore he must have an help of his own qualitie and consideration just so the whole world is beneath the soul of man and therefore it must be something like it self that must be a suitable good and that is the Spirit of Christ which indeed differeth from Adams help in this chiefly ☞ viz. that when God made man at first his help was the weaker vessel by occasion whereof he fell but now in restoring man God intending to make his recoverie more glorious then at first his help is the stronger viz. the strong God himself by his Spirit within Fourthly confider if a man hath not the Spirit of Christ the day of his death will be a bitter day unto him even the houre and power of darknesse when the whole world shall vanish in his own vision being sensible of nothing but fear and dread and a guilty Conscience and of Satan readie to prey upon his trembling soul readie to expire Digest these considtrations with such like seriously in your thoughts and let them have their own proper working upon your spirit Consider are you able to bear it that Christ and you should have no interest each in other that all your prayers and tears and duties of all kinds shall rise up against you one day have you not sin enough to damne you but your duties must do it are you able to be alone in your miseries are not the Heavens black over your heads and the Earth bloodie under your feet do you not see the hils to quake and the mountains hurl'd into the midst of the Seas is there not such a Concussion of Kingdoms Cities Countreys which threatens a confusion of all Do you not see God coming like an armed man against you attended with a black guard of bloodie warre famine plagues pestilences and the bitter consequences of these Do you not expect death every day when God is coming with his judgements as with a fieth to mowe down the kingdom before him and can you bear the thoughts of death without the Spirit to chear you and support you How might all this put us all upon inquisition whether we have the Spirit of Christ Before we come to the solution of this grand Question Ssme things are to be premised by way of caution First that there are many in the world that think they have the Spirit of Christ and it is nothing so Secondly that some there are that have the Spirit of Christ and know it not Thirdly that it is very possible to know that a man hath the Spirit of Christ Fourthly that it is a very hard and difficult thing to find it out All and