Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	holy_a	spirit_n	word_n	1,994	5	4.1814	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00698	A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the worke of the Spirit in sealing. Wherein many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: as also of assurance and sealing what it is, the priviledges and degrees of it, with the signes to discerne, and means to preserve it. : Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Grayes Inne. / By that Reverend Divine, Richard Sibbes D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650.	1638 (1638)	STC 22496; ESTC S123290	62,552	276

zeale will be uncivill and cruell shewing they are not led by that spirit that appeared in the shape of a dove Both Tables in this are one that they come from one spirit and the second of like the first and require love And because all graces and duties come from the same spirit therefore one duty never crosses another but the wisedome of the Spirit moves to all holy duties in their severall and suteable places 7 Dependant on God Motions for the matter good yet may be carnall in regard of selfe-confidence from whence they come That which Peter resolved upon was good but confidence in himselfe marred it those motions which the Spirit stirres up are carryed along in relying upon assisting grace So much for that question 3 To concurre with the spirits motions Againe if we would not grieve the Spirit let us take heed of being wanting to the Spirits direction The flesh here will make a froward objection Wee can doe no more then me can Answ The Spirit is alwayes before-hand with us preventing us with some knowledge and some ability which if we joyne with the spirit in putting forth the spirit is ready to concurre with us and leade us further And our conscience will tell us so much that if we doe otherwise it is not for want of present assistance or privitie that the Spirit will deny us strength if we put our selves upon if our own hearts though deceitfull will tell us that we doe what we doe out of willingnesse preferring some seeming good before the motions of the Spirit Herein wee carry in our conscience that which will quit God and condemne our selves There is not the worst man whose heart runnes away from God but God followes him a great while with sweet motions though such bee the invincible stubbornesse of the heart that it will not yeeld this will take away all excuse as Saint Austin argues well If I had knowne saith a wicked man I would not have done thus saith hee the pride of thy heart suggests that hadst thou not motions and admonitions that told thee the danger of it if the Spirit even in the worst actions concurre se● farre as they are actions and motions may we not thinke that he is much more ready to concurre with holy motions stir'd up first by himselfe if the Spirit be willing to concurre in naturall actions much more in spirituall whereunto it selfe is the first mover the Spirit leave● not us till wee leave the Spirit 4 Cherish holy motions When the Spirit suggests good motions turne them presently into holy resolutions Is this my duty and that which tends to my comfort certainely I will doe it Let not these motions dye in us How many holy motions are kindled in hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments c. which dye as soone as they are kindled for want of resolution therefore let us not give over till these motions be turned into purposes and those good purposes ripened to holy actions that they be not nipped in the blossome but may bring forth perfect fruit Let us labour to improve these talents to the end for which they are sent are they motions of comfort let us use them for comfort are they motions tending to duty let us make conscience to doe our duty let not our despairing hearts crosse the Spirit in his comforts nor stand out stubbornely as enemies against our duty for that is to crosse God and to nip his motion● in the bud 5 Give the Spirit scope in his ordinances Let the Spirit have fu●● scope both in the ordinances and in the motions stirred up by the ordinances this is the way to make the ordinances and the time glorious but the liberties of the Gospell are contrary to the liberties of the flesh● it turneth all things upside downe and men out of themselves Hence is it tha● there is nothing so much opposed by the spirit of the world as the purity and power of the Gospel which is a sufficient prejudice of an ill condition that all such men are in But there is another spirit in gracious men they are the children of light and love it If wee would not grieve the Spirit we must be willing to bring our selves under all advantages of the Spirits working as conversing with those that are spirituall and especially attending on those ordinances wherein the Spirit breatheth wherein wee may meet the Spirit The walkes of Gods Spirit are in the meanes of salvation hearing the Word preached and holy communion one with another the Word Spirit go together therefore if we will have the comforts of the Spirit wee must attend upon the Word Men grieve the Spirit by neglecting the Word and holy conference It is with the Word and Spirit as with the veynes and arteries they veynes have arteries that as the veyns carry the bloud the arteries carry the spirits to quicken the bloud The Word is dead without the Spirit and therefore attend on the Word and then wait on the Spirit to quicken the Word that both Word and Spirit may guide us to life everlasting Motions of this kinde come from the Spirit as it is said of old Simeon that he came by the motion of the Spirit into the Temple Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day our Manna fals most then Christs Spirit and Word dwell together in the heart therefore the A postle useth the dwelling of Christ in us and the Word indefinitely Faith wrought by the Word layes hold upon Christ and brings him into the soule and keepes him there It is a blessed thing when the Spirit in the ordinance and the Spirit in our hearts meet together this is the way to feede and cherish the Spirit in us and to put oyle as it were into the Lampe because the Spirit as it is in us is thus nourished even as the fire though in its owne element feedeth upon nothing yet with us here below it is maintained with fuell otherwise dyeth and goeth out Take heed of slighting any helpe of faith that God affords us as wicked Achaz Isay 7. GOD offered him for the strengthening of his faith a signe from heaven or from earth or any other creature oh no hee would not tempt God hee seemed a pious man hee would not tempt God but what saith the Prophet Is it little for you to despise mee but you will grieve God insinuating that when wee despise those helpes God hath given wee grieve the Spirit of God Those that neglect the Word and Sacrament what do they despise a poore Minister and neglect bread wine no they despise God himselfe who knowes better then our selves what need wee have of these helpes If the Spirit withdraw ●ea●ch the ●●●se Againe when wee finde the Spirit not assisting and comforting as in former times it is fit to search the cause which we shall finde some slighting of holy motions or the meanes of breeding of them or

from experience that there is nothing gotten by sinne and that it proves bitternesse in the end Gods children commit not the sin against the holy Ghost Againe though they are not kept from sinnes in some sence presumptuous yet they are alwayes kept from that great offence Though they may commit a sin against the holy Ghost Since against the holy Ghost what yet they can never commit the sinne against the holy Spirit because this is a sinne of malice after strong conviction expressed in words dipt in malice by a tongue set on fire by hell and in actions comming from an opposite spirit and tending to opposition and to bitter persecution if their malice bee not greater then their power And it ends alwaies in impenitencie by reason they despise that grace and cast away that potion whereby they should recover their pride will not stoope to Gods way Thirdly after such fearefull relapses darkenesse in the understanding and rebellion in the will increaseth sinne growes stronger and they weaker and weaker to resist Fourthly Sathan being once cast out by some degree of illumination and reformation brings seven divels after worse than himselfe when they see their former courses stand not with their lusts and hopes they take a contrary course and so fall to bitternesse in the end Miscarriage concerning the sinne against the holy Ghost There is a double miscarriage about this sinne some are too head-long in their censures of others whereas the greater the sin is 1 Concerning others the greater caution should be in fastening it upon any especially whose spirits we are not thorowly acquainted withall considering so many thing must meet in this sinne 2 Concerning themselves The second miscarriage is in an ungrounded censure of our selves there be three things that feare frees us from the danger of First Fearefrees from three things feare lest the time of our conversion be past because we have so often grieved the Spirit whereas if their time were past they would be given up to a carelesse security A second is feare of some judgement which God stirres up in the heart to prevent the judgement that wee may not feele that we feare because feare stirs up care and care stirres up diligence to avoid what we feare a third is feare lest we have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost which shewes wee have not committed that sinne it is never committed but without feare and with delight In these cases we need feare them least that feare themselves most How to prevent grieving the Spirit The fourth point is what course wee should take to prevent this grieving of the Sprit 1 Give up our selves to the guidance of the Spirit Let us give up the government of our soules to the Spirit of God it is for our safety so to doe as being wiser then our selves who are unable to direct our owne way it is our libertie to bee under a wisedome and goodnesse larger then our owne Let the Spirit thinke in us desire in us pray in us live in us doe all in us labour ever to be in such a frame as we may be fit for the Spirit to worke upon as Nazianzen saith of himselfe Lord I am an instrument for thee to touch A musicall instrument though in tune soundeth nothing unlesse it bee touched let us lay our selves open to the Spirits touch Thus Saint Paul lived not Gal. 2. but Christ lived in him this requires a great deale of sefle-denyall to put our selves thus upon the guidance of the Spirit but if we knew what enemies wee are to our selves it would be no such hard matter 2 To obey him perfectly Secondly study to walke perfectly in obeying the Spirit in all things which requires much circumspection in knowing and regarding our wayes and then we shall sinde the Spirit ready to close with us and tell us This is the way walke in it and upon obedience wee shall finde the Spirit incouraging us by a secret intimation that this or that is well done Thus Paul was said to be bound in Spirit the Spirit so put him on that he could not withstand the motions untill the execution of it We must take especiall heed of slighting any motion as being the Spirits messenger they are Gods Ambassadours sent to make way for God into our hearts therefore give them entertainement Many men rather then they will be troubled with holy motions stifle them in the birth as harlots that to avoid the paine of childe-birth kill their fruit in the wombe let us take heed of murthering these births of the Spirit But seeing Sathan will oft interrupt good motions by good motions that he may hinder both How shall we know from whence the motions come Quest Answ How to know the motions of the Spirit When two good motions arise seeming divers the Spirit of God carries strong to one and that is from God more than to the other Good motions are either raised up in us 3 They raise higher or sent unto us by the Spirit both these if they bee raised by the Spirit will carry us to God they will rise as high as the Spring is whence they come what ariseth from our selves endeth in our selves 2 Are constant Those motions that the Spirit stirs up from within come from sanctified judgement estimation of what they are moved to other motions are hasty and gone before they have their errand holy motions are constant as strengthened from constant grace within will they see the issue of what they are moved to other motions are like lightening and sudden flashes that leave the soule more da●ke and amazed then before Holy motions are answerable to the duties of our calling other motions oft leade us out of the compasse of our calling 3 They change the heart The Spirit moveth in the godly first by a dwelling in them and working in them gracious abilities and then drawes forth those abilities to good actions But the Spirit dwelleth not in others nor produceth any sanctified abilities in them but onely moveth them sometimes to good actions without changing of them 4 Are seasonable The holy Spirits motions are seasonable other motions oft presse upon us to disturbe an holy duty The breath of the Spirit in us is suteable to the Spirits breathing in the Scriptures the same Spirit doth not breath contrary motions 5 Evidence themselves Motions of the Spirit when they come in favour carry their owne evidence with thē as light doth The motions of the Spirit are sweet and milde and leade us gently on they are not ordinarily violent raptures Removing the soule from it self but leave in the soule a judgement of them and of other things Againe 6 Orderly the Spirit moveth us so to duties of Religion as agree with civill honesty and charity to our neighbours Those therefore know not what spirit they are of who under a pretence of

yeelding to some corruption which wee are more especially addicted unto or some sinne unrepented of which wee take no notice of It is good therefore to scarce our soules to the bottome there may bee some hidden corruption lying in the soule which may undermine our grace comfort there may bee a privy thiefe that robs us of all And besides beloved and secret sinnes it is good to bethinke our selves of old sinnes which perhaps hitherto wee have but outwardly thought of and God is willing by some deadnesse and trouble of spirit to minde us of renewing of sorrow for them for want of strict accounting with our selves God cals us to these arrerages and backe reckonings as wee see in Iosephs Brethren If wee finde not that sweetnesse of communion with the Spirit that formerly we enjoyed bethinke our selves when and wherein wee lost it that wee may meete the Spirit againe in these waies wherein wee found him before wee lost him and take heed of those courses in the entrance of which we found the Spirit leaving us Take heed of lesser sinnes Againe take heed of little sinnes which wee count lesser sinnes perhaps than God doth We weigh sinne in our owne ballance and not in his whereas no sinne is to bee accounted little for if it were once set upon the conscience and the wrath opened due unto it It would take all comfort from us And therefore wee must judge of sinne as the Spirit doth if we would not grieve the Spirit as the communion of the Spirit is of all the sweetest so the preserving of it requires most exact watchfulnesse and through understanding of our selves Take heed of the beginning of sin when any lust ariseth pray it downe presently say nay to it let it have no consent be presently humbled otherwise wee are indangered by yeelding to grieve by grieving to resist by resisting to quench by quenching maliciously to oppose the Spirit sinne hath no bounds but those which the Spirit puts whom therfore wee should not grieve And let us looke to the head and spring of sinnes Looke to the first rise of sins whereby wee grieve the Spirit of God not to the sinne so much as to the root Wee are angry with our selves for being passionate but what is the cause of passion It comes from pride Ionas was a passionate man in that measure that he was passionate hee was proud hee was loth to be shamed when hee had said Niniveh shall bee destroyed hee thought upon the sparing of them hee should bee discredited and he preferred his credit before the destruction of a populous Citie So there is much depraving and detraction in the world and therupon brawles and breaches What is the cause a spirit of envy and oft times a spirit of pride So men runne into the danger of others by wronging them what is the cause worldlinesse base earthly-mindednesse Men thinke not of the root of sinne but dwell upon the act done wee should be led from the remote streames to the Spring and sourse of all and bewayle that especially This care will be helped by spirituall wisedome whereby wee may discerne both wherein we have grieved the Spirit and wherein for the time to come wee may We cannot maintaine friendship in perfect and sweet termes with any whose disposition we know not what will please or displease them therefore wee should study the nature and delight of the Spirit and wherein we are prone both to forget our selves and the Spirit Wee esteeme not much the friendship of those who are so much friends to themselves as they passe not much whether friends bee contented or discontented The Spirit dwels more largely in that heart that hath emptied it selfe of it self the Israelites felt not the sweetnesse of Manna till they had spent their flesh pots and other provision of Egypt The nature of Gods Spirit is holy as it is holy so delighteth onely in holy Temples those therefore that set up any Idoll of jealousie in their soules against God that doe not preserve their vessels in holinesse cannot thinke of any communion with the Spirit The Spirit is jealous of our affections and will have nothing set up in the heart above God though the Spirit stoopes to dwell in us yet wee must not forget the respect due to so great a Superiour but reverently entertaine what ever comes from him Reverence and obedience is the carriage due to a superiour and where this distance is not kept a breach will follow Wee should reverence our selves for the spirits sake and thinke our selves too good for any base lust to lodge in that heart that the Spirit hath taken for it selfe should turne off all contrary motions with abhomination what should pride and envy and passion doe in an heart consecrated to the spirit of meeknesse and holinesse Renew repentance Vpon any breach wee must first looke by renewing repentance and faith in Christ to renew our peace with God before wee can expect the grace and comfort of the Spirit For as the Spirit commeth from the Father and the Sonne and is procured by the death and satisfaction of the Son to the Father without which we could never have expected the gift of the Spirit so still we must have an eye to this satisfaction by Christ and reconciliation through it before wee can recover communion with the Spirit as being the best fruit of the love of God reconciled through Christ We see David in the 51. Psalme first importunes God for mercy againe and againe and then for the Spirit and for the joy of salvation Avoyd corrupt communication And take heede that nothing come in nor goe out of our soules that may grieve the Spirit of God some things come in to us that grieve the Spirit the corruptions wee receive from others some things come out of our hearts that grieves Gods Spirit as corrupt thoughts and speeches that indeed is the scope of this place Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouthes c. and then follows And grieve not the holy Spirit of God And after againe he saith Let all bitternesse and wrath and clamour bee laid aside insinuating that one way of grieving the Spirit is by ill and cor●●●●●●g●age Wee can never ●a●●e with company that is not spirituall but they will either vexe and grieve us or ●●●t and defile us unlesse it bee in such exigences of our calling as requires our converse with them But I speake of a voluntary choyce of such as savour not good things Many men to please their owne carnall spirits and the carnall spirits of others they vent that that is against conscience and against that that is higher then conscience a more divine principle the holy Spirit of God loose carnall speakers are people voyd of the power of Religion Let no man say Object Here is ado indeed duty upon duty this will make our life troublesome The life of a Christian is an honourable

without him in heaven or earth but the free and infinite mercy of GOD in the bloud of Christ whereon the soule relyeth when it feeles no comfort nor joy of the Spirit nor sees no worke of sanctification then it must rest on the satisfaction wrought by the bloud of Christ when the soule can goe to God and say If wee confesse out sinnes thou art just to forgive them and the bloud of Christ shall cleanse us from all sinne Therefore though I feele not inward peace nor the worke of the Spirit yet I will cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ Hereupon we shall in Gods time come to have the witnesse of water and the Spirit more evidently made cleare unto us The Spirit is that witnesses with bloud and witnesses with water and by water whatsoever of Christ is applyed unto us by the Spirit but besides witnessing with these witnesses the Spirit hath a distinct witnesse by way of inlarging the soule which joy in the apprehension of Gods fatherly love and Christs setting the soule at libertie The Spirit doth not alwayes witnesse unto us our condition by force of argument from sanctification but sometimes immediately by way of presence as the sight of a friend comforts without helpe of discourse the very joy from sight prevents the use of discourse This testimony of the Spirit containeth in it the force of all word promise oath seale c. this is greater then the promise as a seale is more then our hand as an oath is more then a mans bare word The same that is said of Gods oath in comparison with his bare promise may bee said of this sealing in comparison of other testimonies That as G O D was willing more abundantly to cleare to the heires of promise their salvation hee added an oath Hebr. 6.18 So for the same end hee added this his Spirit as a seale to the promise and to the other testimonies Our owne graces indeed if wee were watchfull enough would satisfie us The fountaine is open as to Hagar but shee seeth it not c. howsoever the Spirit if that commeth if subdueth all doubts As God in his oath and swearing joyneth none to himselfe but sweareth by himselfe so in this witnesse hee taketh confirm it but witnesseth by himselfe And hence ariseth joy unspeakeable and glorious and peace which passeth all understanding for it is an extract of heaven when wee see our being in the state of grace not in the effect only but as in the breast and bosome of God But how shall wee know this witnesse from an enthusiasticall fancie and illusion Quest This witnesse of the Spirit is knowne from Answ the strong conviction it bringeth with it which wayeth and over-powers the soule to give credit unto it But there be you will say strong illusions True bring them therefore to some rules of discerning Bring all your joy and peace and confidence to the Word they goe both together as a paire of Indentures one answers another In Christs transfiguration upon the Mount Moses and Elias appeared together with Christ In whatsoever transfiguration and ravishment wee cannot finde Moses and Elias and Christ to meet that is if what wee finde in us bee not agreeable to the Scriptures wee may well suspect it as an illusion That you may know the voyce of the Spirit of God from the carnal confidence of our owne spirits inquire 1 What went before 2 What accompanieth it 3 What followeth after this ravishing joy 1 What goeth before this witnesse of the Spirit 1 The Word must goe before it in being assented unto by faith and submitted unto by answerable obedience In whom after you beleeved the word of promise you were sealed So that if there be not first a beleeving of the word of promise there is no sealing The God of peace given you joy In beleeving There must be a beleeving a walking according to Rule Gal. 6. or else no joy nor peace will bee unto us If wee cannot bring the Word and our hearts together it is not Gods but Sathans sealing a groundlesse presumption and it will end in despaire as Christ came by water and bloud so doth this testimony it commeth after the other two First the heart is carried to bloud and from thence hath quiet then followeth water and our nature is washed and changed and then commeth this of the Spirit though it bee not grounded on their testimony but is above theirs yet they goe before Where wee thus finde the worke wee may know it to bee right by the order of it It commeth after deepe humiliation and abasement though wee know our selves to bee the children of God in some such measure as we would not change our condition for all the world yet we would have more evidence wee would have further manifestation of Gods countenance towards us we are not satisfied but waite After wee have long fasted and our hearts melted softened then God powreth water upon the dry wildernesse and then it comes to passe through his goodnesse and mercy that hee comforts and satisfies the desires of the hungry soule GOD will not suffer the spirit of his children to faile 3 Likewise after selfe-denyall in that which is pleasing to us it is made up with inward comfort if this selfe-denyall bee from a desire of nearer communion with GOD God will not faile them in what they desire There are wretches in the world that will deny their sinfull nature nothing if they have a disposition to pride they will bee proud if they have a lust to bee rich to live in pleasures to follow the vanities of the times they will doe so they will not say nay to corrupt nature in any thing will God vouchsafe to give any true joy or comfort of spirit to such ones No those that let loose their natures without a checke shall never taste of this hidden Manna But when wee deny our selves deny to heare or see that which may feed corruption When wee deny to take delight in that that wee might if wee would goe the course of the world there is a proportionable measure of joy and peace and comfort in a higher kinde made good to the soule GOD is so good wee shall lose nothing for parting with any thing for his sake 4 It is usually found after conflict and victory as a reward To him that overcommeth Revel 2. will I give to eate of the hidden Manna Gods children after strong conflict with some temptation or inward corruption especially that which accompanieth their disposition and temper when they have so conflicted as that at last they get the better they finde by experience sweet inlargement of spirit to strive against them is a signe of grace but to get victory over them even to subdue our enemies under us that rise up against us this bringeth true peace and joy 5 After wee have put forth our spirituall strength in holy duties God crownes our