Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	baptism_n	john_n	water_n	2,351	4	7.4703	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09997	Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Containing three excellent treatises, namely, Iudas's repentance. The saints spirituall strength. Pauls conversion.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1634 (1634)	STC 20249; ESTC S115107	168,230	405

or no. Now that a man may know this the better I will make it cleere by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua-vitae looke upon them outwardly and they are all one in colour but if you taste the one is hote and lively but the other is cold and rawe so if you looke unto the outward formall actions of wicked men they have the same colour that the actions of the holy men have but if you taste them examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall finde a great difference the one of them it may be may seeme to have life and heate in them but they want the Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sinne nor power to resist sinne they may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold they may restraine some lusts for some ends but such cannot master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart but where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soule kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burne up sinne which is there And this was the difference betweene Iohn Baptists Baptisme and the Baptisme of Christ. Iohn would baptize them with water but Christ in the spirit and with fire therefore examine what heat there is in you against evill and what zeale there is in you to good are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a signe that you have not the spirit it may be you heare and reade and pray and conferre but see with what heat you doe them Is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly 1 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if yee sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not doe you performe holy duties with that coldnesse as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not doe you heare as if you heard not and doe you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not and doe you pray as if you prayed not and doe you love as if you loved it not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you finde spirituall heat and zeale in you a nimblenesse and quicknesse to good it is a signe that you have the Spirit for it is the propertie of the Spirit to heate the soule therefore the Prophet saith That the zeale of thine House hath even eaten mee up Intimating I have such a measure of zeale wrought in mee by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burne with zeale Therefore examine what zeale you have for God and godlinesse are you hot for the things of the world and cold for grace and holinesse whatsoever you thinke of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them and yet I would not have you to mistake mee as if every Christian did attaine unto the like heate and zeale as others doe For you must know that some have more some have lesse according unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heate full in some measure answerable unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you finde no heate at all in you then you have not a graine of the Spirit not to be hot is to bee luke-warme and luke-warmenesse is that which God hates it is a temper mixt which is both loathsome to nature and odious to God Revel 3. 15. the Laodiceans were neither hotte nor cold but luke-warme that is they had neither heate to good nor so cold as to forsake the truth Sinne and holinesse stood in aequilibrio together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spue them cut and then in the next verse hee exhorts them to be zealous and amend except you labour to bee hot in the Spirit you cannot be saved Titus 2. 14. the Apostle saith That Christ dyed that hee might purchase unto himselfe a people zealous of good workes this zeale must not bee a constrained zeale but a willing zeale and if there were no other motive to move men to bee zealous but this because Christ came to redeeme them for this end that they might be zealous for his glory if there bee any sparke of the fire of the Spirit in him it will burne at Christs dishonour and if Christ came unto this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not loose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous but alas men have drunke too much of this Cup of giddinesse they thinke they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a signe that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have any holy zeale in them to show it I say it is time you should show it when you see such halting betweene two opinions show your zeale by hating and abhorring popery and by labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to goe into Egypt againe which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretcht out his hand against us but where is our zeale what spirituall heate is there in us where are these men that at such a time would have beene hot and zealous nay where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heate and zeale left it is true we abound in knowledge we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeale and spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their Spirit but let us now at length shew our selves to be in the spirit to have the Spirit in vs by our zeale against evill But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet are not so hot and zealous against evill but are marvellous milde and patient therefore a man may have the Spirit and yet not bee zealous First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherein they may be falne They may have drosse aswell as Gold and hence they may bee drawne by a strong passion and lust not justly to weigh sinnes aright whence ariseth remissenesse and neglect both in doing good and resisting evill but this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the preaching of the pure Word will recover this againe that is will recover his strength and make him zealous against sinnes but if you see a man whatsoever

if you would not then you must keepe strength in the inward man In the 1. Psalme the Psalmist sets forth the excellency of that man that is strong in the inward man He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water First hee sets forth the propertie of the spirituall man he shall be greene Secondly his stabilitie he shall be as a tree planted that is which shall not easily be pluckt up Thirdly his perpetuitie his branches shall never wither he shall never grow unseemely to God Fourthly his fruitfulnesse he shall bring forth fruit in season that is hee shall be fruitfull in grace but on the contrary when a man growes weake in the inward man it will be farre otherwaies with him he will bee like a tree that hath lost both sap and roote leafe and fruit set in a barren soyle with withered branches and fruitlesse fit for nothing but the fire but if a man can keepe his strength in the inward man neither reproach nor disgrace nor shame nor the divell shall be able to make that man miserable Therefore keepe the Image of the inward man safe whatsoever becomes of the outward man And there is good reason why you should keepe the inward man safe because it keeps the soule and directs it unto its right end In Eccles. 12. the Wise man saith All things are vanitie and vexation of spirit when a man loses his happinesse in the inward man though hee keepe the outward man secure yet it were but vanitie and vexation of the spirit For hee goes besides the rule he should goe there is a rule unto every creature that it is to goe by and the neerer the creature comes unto the rule the more excellent is the creature but if it goes besides the rule it loseth its excellency as for example the fire and water are excellent creatures if they keepe to their rule but if they exceed their rule then they become hurtfull So the rule of the soule is the inward man that he grow in grace and holinesse and the closer you keepe to this the more excellent you are therefore that you may keepe your excellency which you cannot doe except you strengthen the inward man let this moove you to doe it In the third place this may serve for direction for you may say unto mee you have showed us what this inward man is and the differences betwixt the inward strength and the outward strength and you have also laid downe motives to move vs to strengthen the inward man but alas how shall we strengthen the inward man what meanes shall we use to doe so To helpe you in this worke I will lay downe some meanes by the use of which you may bee strengthned but before I come unto the particulars it will not bee amisse to stand upon the generall and a little to perswade you but to desire to be strong for if you could but bring your hearts unto this but to desire to be strengthned it will be a great meanes to move you to prevaile against whatsoever may seeme to hinder you from it I say if you did but desire it if you did but know the excellency of the inward man it would worke a holy desire in you and a true desire will let no meanes escape that may further it This is the same meanes that Christ uses unto his Disciples when he would have them in love with Faith if you had Faith yea but asmuch Faith as this graine of Musterd seed you should be able to remoove mountaines if you did but know the excellency of this Grace of Faith you would desire it and if you did but desire it you would never rest till you get it so if you did but prize grace and the inward man at a high rate you should bee sure to have him you know the promise Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after rightcousnesse for they shall be satisfied therefore if you could but bring your hearts unto this frame as to hunger after the inward man you should have him or if you can but bring your hearts unto this temper as to desire him or seeke after the strength of the inward man you should find him Prou. 2. 4. If thou searchest for her as for silver and diggest for her as for hid treasure then thou shalt find c. If you did but esteeme the inward man as men doe silver and prize it as a rich treasure at a high rate then the effect would follow you should find so then if you will desire salvation and happinesse and the strength of the inward man you shall bee saved but you will never thrive in grace till you have a desire to thrive grace will not grow till there be a desire wrought in the soule for when men doe not delight in the inward man they never grow in grace and holinesse they are not as trees planted that bring forth seasonable fruit but barren doe what you will to it the soyle is naught for the spirit hath not yet tilled the heart and sowne in it the first beginning of the seeds of grace which is a desire after it now as it is good in the bodily sicknesse to know the meanes of recovery so in the sicknesse and weakenesse of the inward man it is good to know the meanes by which it may be strengthned therefore we will now come unto the particular meanes for the strengthning of the inward man The first meanes to strengthen the inward man is to abound in spirituall knowledge because the more knowledge the more strength for the spirituall knowledge of divine truthes is the strength of the soule for as the soule is unto the body so is the knowledge of the word unto the inward man The body is dead without the soule not able to doe any thing so the inward man without this spirituall strength which is wrought in the soule by the saving knowledge of the Word is nothing but weakenesse thereforé the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milke of Word that yee may grow by it knowledge in the Word will make them grow in Christ the contrary unto this we see the Apostles upbraides in the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. 1. and Heb. 5. 13. because they were weake in knowledge hee cals them Babes for saith hee Hee that is not expert in the Word of righteousnesse is a Babe therefore labour to abound in spirituall knowledge I presse this the more because I feare many of you are weake because you are ignorant you want this spirituall knowledge you know in our ordinary talke we count ignorance folly when a man doth any thing that he should not doe or would not doe if he did but understand himselfe we say that man is weake in judgement or it is folly in him surely this weakenesse in the inward man is folly indeed and a man cannot show

Christ it is necessary that Christians have this kind of sorrow To this I answer first that it is not the greatest turbulent sorrow that breakes the heart and mollifies and softens it but there is another sorrow which I call a tempered sorrow and that sorrow hath in it both a sight of hell and a sight of heaven a sight of sinne and a sight of grace in Christ which farre exceedes this sorrow for as it is with joy the greatest joy is not expressed by laughter for that is the greatest joy that is the joy of the inward man so it is not the greatest griefe that is expressed by teares and as it is not the greatest fire that makes the most crackling and noyse nor that the deepest water that makes the most roaring so is it not the greatest griefe or sorrow that expresseth it selfe by this turbulent passion of the mind but the greatest griefe is nothing when a sinner apprehends sinne within and sees it in its owne colour then it humbles him Secondly to this I answer that there are degrees of this sorrow and this ariseth from the nature of men some men are of a more hardier nature then others and againe some are of a more softer and tenderer disposition for example some mens flesh will heale sooner then others though the wound bee the same so some haue more softer and gentle natures and therefore sooner wrought upon againe some God intendes to build a greater worke upon and therefore hee humbles them the more againe some hee will season aboue others and therefore will humble them the more that so they may bee fit for it Thirdly to this I answer that although all haue not the like measure of sorrow neither the same apprehension of sin that others have therfore are not so much cast downe in such a manner as others are yet it is not because they are not humble at all but because the condition followes it so close that it hath not power to worke that effect in them which it doth in others that see the same condition a farre off or not at all they apprehend Christ by faith and see reconciliation through him and therefore are not so deiected as others that see him not thus and therefore bee not discouraged though thou finde that thy humiliation bee not so great as others the things may bee the same and the apprehension the same but Christ the condition of thy peace is apprehended neere thee by faith and this qualifies the tempest of the soule but Christ is not seene of the other as a Sauiour and this makes the difference as for example there are two men set upon by robbers the one sees no helpe or no way to escape and hereupon hee is marvelously afflicted and astonished because hee findes himfelfe vnable to resist or make his partie good with them but the other man beset with robbers sees another neere hand that will stand close to him and thereupon hee trusts hopes and depends upon the man to helpe him this man sees the danger aswell as the other and feares but his feare is not a distracted feare neither is it so great as the other because it is mixed with joy and confidence in that he sees a way to escape yet he feares the same that the other feares and is truly humbled and thankfull unto him that saves him from the danger thus it is with many Christians they that haue a turbulent kinde of sorrow see death and hell and sinne and damnation but hee sees Christ so farre off that hee cannot depend upon Christ as a Saviour and hence for the present is marvellously cast downe but hee that hath the mixed sorrow spoken of sees the same in the same manner but withall hee apprehends Christ as a helper as a Saviour and here upon is not so much dejected and cast do wne as the other and yet notwithstanding is as truely humbled and thankfull as the other therefore labour to get a heart sensible of sinne that is labour to know sinne and the evill of it and withall labour to see Christ or else you will bee over-frighted with them as a man that is in prison for treason or a great fact hee knowes before what sentence the Iudge and Iury will passe upon him but he cares not if before he have got the Kings pardon so if you know sinne and know the punishment of sinne but know not Christ you will have no comfort in your knowledge labour therefore to get the holy Ghost for it is the worke of the holy Ghost to convince the world of sinne Iohn 16. 9. a man is no sooner convicted but there will be a change wrought in him for a man is then convict when hee is overcome every way and thus the holy Ghost will convince you of sinne seeke what way you will to keepe off the stroke of the Spirit yet you shall not be able and this stroke shall humble you if you belong unto God as it did Paul in this place But you will say how shall I know whether I am truely humbled or no For your better helpe I will lay downe some signes by which you may examine your selves and then accordingly you may judge of your estates The first signe whereby you shall know whether you bee thorowly humbled or no is this if you love much it is a signe that you are thorowly humbled this we see in the woman in the Gospel and it is Christs commendation of her that shee loved much that is she was sensible of that which Christ had done for her therefore her love to Christ was exceeding great no labour too great nothing too precious for Christ and this we see in Paul also Christ did much for Paul and Paul thought nothing too good for Christ therefore peremptorily he concludes that he is ready not onely to suffer but to dye for Christ seeing Christ saved my soule from hell and that by such a price of so much worth as his owne blood was how can I then thinke that my life is too much for Christ therefore examine your selves examine your humiliation by your love if you love him not above all things if you prize him not above all things you were not as yet truely humbled and that I may perswade you to love Christ and grace and holinesse above all things consider these two motives The first motive is this consider the goodnesse of the thing that I perswade you unto the goodnesse and excellency that is in the things of the world makes men to love them men will not love any thing except they see some excellency in it or at least wise esteeme it so but if it be excellent then it winnes their love so it will be with you in this if you see into the excellency that is in Christ and grace it will winne your love you will prize him above all things no man will prize a Iewell till hee know