Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	put_v	5,164	5	5.0928	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29532	Three links of a golden chain, or, Three of the principal causes of mans salvation viz, God giving his elect unto Christ, their coming unto Him, His receiving of them, doctrinally opened and practically applied as it was lately delivered unto the Church of God at Great Yarmouth / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1659 (1659)	Wing B4732; ESTC R23814	51,310	88

why Christ should bid her welcome she was one that loved him much as it there followeth expressing her affection to him by the Present which she brought him A Box of precious ●intment which she bestowed upon him as the verse there forego●ng informs us But as for me I have no such present to bring unto him no Box of Oyntment for him Ans. But hast thou teares for him as she had truly peni●tent tear●s Hast thou a broken and contrite hear● to present unto him a heart broken with true godly sorrow so●●in If so stand not upon any other present Thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offering The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith the man after Gods own heart Psal. 51. 16 17. And hast thou such a heart in thy bosom though thou have nothing in thy hand yet come unto Jesus Christ Obj. But I have done much against him Ans. And had not Paul done so whom Christ himself from Heaven chargeth with persecuting of him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. And so much he confesseth against himself I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor c. Whereupon he concludes himself to be the chief of sinners 1 ●im 1. 13 15. yet coming unto Christ he obtained mercy from him which was done as he there saith that he might be a pattern for them who should after believe on him Obj. I but I have rejected Christ being offered and tendered unto me again and again stopped my ear against his Word and quenched the motions of his Spirit refusing him when he came to me And may not I look for a just retaliation that he should reject me when I come to him Ans. Yet still consult the Text Him that cometh unto me Be he what he will though a rebellious and obstinate sinner Obj. I but I am an Apostate who have cast out Iesus Christ after that I had ●eceived him and given entertainment to him having returned to my former sinful wayes and courses which I had sometimes abandoned Now doth not the Apostle exclude all such from any hopes of benefit by him What else means that known Text Heb. 6. ● where speaking of such he saith It is impossible they should be renewed again unto repentance seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh c. Ans. For this know that it is spoken of a wilful and universal Apostacie a malicious and despiteful contemning and opposing of Christ and his Gospel by those who were once convinced of the truth thereof which is properly the sin against the Holy Ghost Now as for such who thus crucifie Christ afresh and put him to open shame doing that in Affection and Conversation which the Iews did in Action Treading under foot the Son of God counting the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing and doing despite to the Spirit of Grace as the same Apostle further describeth the same sin Cap. 10. v. 29. As for such I say just it is with God to give them up to an impenite●t heart to a reprobate sense so as that they should never seriously think of coming to Christ any more But as for this it is hoped it is not your case Obj. Yea but I do not know but i● may be and I fear it is Ans. But why do we fear so Be not wicked overmuch saith the Preacher Eccl. 7. 17. viz. in thine own apprehension as the Text may be expounded which some are whilest they make their condition worse than really it is So do not you But for the cure of all these feares put your soules upon this way of coming unto Christ Which if God shall incline your heart to do now take this as an evidence that you are not under the guilt of that uupardonable sin but rest assured that upon your coming to him you shall find mercy from him Him that cometh unto me though a Backs●ider an Apostate the worst of Christians or of men I will in no wise cast out The reason why desperate Apostates receive no benefit by Christ is not because he will not receive them but because they will not come unto him Only come unto him and fear not Quest But how shall I so come unto him as that I may be assured that I shall not be cast out not rejected by him Ans. A useful Question which I wish were in the heart of every of you seriously to propound to your selves For Answer whereunto in brief take these few and plain Directions 1. That you may come unto Christ you must first hear of him Encline your ear and come unto me saith the Lord Isa. 55. 3. And this must they do who would come unto Christ they must encline their ear they must be a●quainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning him Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me saith our Saviour v. 45. of this Chapter In this way ●t ●s that God the Father bringeth men to his Son Christ by teaching and instructing them in the Doctrine of the Gospel With out which there is no coming unto him no believing on him How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10. 14. A necessary preparation for the soule in coming to Christ it must first have the eye opened the understanding enlightned with the knowledge of him to know who and what he was and is what he hath done and what he hath suffered and to what end and what benefit they may expect from him and in what way they shall come unto him Thus it is God doth not bring men blindfold to Christ but he first openeth their eyes and taketh the vail off from their hea●ts making a discovery of him to them As for ignorant soules who know nothing of Christ they are not in a capacitie of com●ing to him 2. Thus hearing of Christ them in the next place be convinced of the need you have of him which till a man be he will never come unto him This it was that brought those impotent and diseased persons unto him in the dayes of his flesh even the sense of their own bodily infirmities And this it is which putteth the soul upon coming to him even the sense of its own sinfulness and misery Which labour you to be throughly convinced of that you may see and fell your lost undone condition without him that you may be truly and throughly sensible of the burden of sin Such and only such they are that Christ inviteth to come unto him Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden Mat. 11. 28. viz. under the burden of sin groaning under it earnestly desiring to be freed from it both from the guilt and power of it 3. Being thus in measure fitted and prepared for

God All Gods Elect Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Gods Elect whom he hath in his Eternal Decree given to his Son Christ being thus effectually taught of him by his Word and Spirit revealing Christ to them and in them now they come unto him This it is that maketh the Decree to bring forth even Gods effectual operation in calling those whom he hath predestinated as the forecited Text hath it Rom 8. 30. Whom he predestinated them also he called Called not only outwardly by his Word for so many are called who were never chosen as our Saviour declareth it Mat. 20. 16. but inwardly causing them to believe on his Son Thus doth God call all those whom he hath predestinated working faith in them Which is his Gift By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. It as salvation it self so that faith whereby men are saved it is the gift of God Though it be in them yet not of them Both Habit and Act are from God To you it is given not only to believe saith Paul to his Philippians intimating that this was given them Phil. 1. 29. This is his Gift and his Work This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent so our Saviour tells the Iewes v. 29. of this 6th of Iohn Tò {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The work of God not only required and commanded of him but also wrought by him as our New Annotator explaines it Which it is in all his Elect this being not only a Consequent but a fruit depending upon and issuing from their Election As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13. 48. God ordaining to the End salvation he ordaineth also unto the meanes which is faith in Jesus Christ And having ordained to it he worketh it so bringing them to Christ whom he hath given to him And thus you see how the certainty of this Event of all Gods Elect coming to Christ depends upon God the Father upon his Will and Work his Will in appointing them his Work in causing them to believe on him 2. And in the second place as God the Father hath a special Efficiency in this so also hath God the Son his Son Christ who being of Counsel with his Father as God as Mediator he seeth to execution of his Counsels specially of this his great Counsel touching the salvation of his elect people who being given unto Christ they are known to him 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Lord the Lord Christ knoweth them that are his viz. by Election So was Paul though then a Persecutor yet he was known to Christ to be a chosen vessel He is a chosen vessel unto me so he tells Ananias concerning him Acts 9. 15. And so are all others though before their Conversion not known to others nor yet to themselves that they are given to Christ yet they are known to him And being known to him he taketh care of them and that first to bring them home unto himself to bring them as subjects into his Kingdom as sheep into his fold Other sheep have I which are not of this fold and them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice saith he meaning his Elect among the Gentiles whom he would in his time bring into his Kingdome of grace causing them to believe on him And so dealeth he by all those who are given him by his Father They being by nature all of them lost sheep wandring in the by-paths of sin leading to destruction not having so much as an animum revertendi any disposition any inclination of returning of coming unto Christ the shepherd of their souls he seeketh them The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost Mat. 18. 11. poor lost sinners Such Jesus Christ came to seek And being in Heaven he hath now an eye to them such among them as are given unto him Whilest they do not seek after him yet he seeketh after them drawing them to himself This doth God the Father as you have heard And thus also doth Christ When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. Christ being lift up first upon the Crosse then upon the Throne set at the right hand of his Father he then saith he would draw all men to himself What he had before done to the Iewes he would now do to Iewes and Gentiles drawing his Elect out of both bringing them to believe on him This he hath in all Ages done But now under the Gospel he doth it more vigorously than ever by setting up his Standard holding forth himself in the preaching of the Gospel and withall sending forth his Spirit which accompanying the Word maketh it effectual Thus is Iesus Christ as the Loadstone to the Iron by a secret vertue the vertue of his Spirit attracting his Elect people who being thus drawn by him do now willingly come unto him Draw me and we will run after thee saith the Church unto Christ Cant 1. 4. promising a willingness in all her members to follow him upon his putting forth his effectual power in them And upon this ground also it may be concluded that All those who are given to Christ by his Father they shall come unto him All they And secondly Only they So much is here implyed This being here rendred as the Reason why these Capernaites did not come unto Christ did not believe on him because they were not given to him by his Father Ye have seen me and beleive not How so why All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me All they and only they Of which number whilest ye are not I cannot wonder that ye do as you do stand out against me not coming into me not believing on me A thing which none but those who are given to Christ by God his Father will or shall ever do Quest And why not Ans. The ground hereof you have heard it already This is Gods work which man cannot do of himself No not so much as will to come unto Christ It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do saith our Apostle to his Philippians Phil. 2. 13. As the Act of faith so much more the Habit is Gods work his Gift And this gift he bestoweth only upon his Elect Thence is it called their faith The faith of Gods Elect. Tit. 1. 1. So called not because thereby men are made Gods Elect dear unto him as Grotius fouly perverts that Text but because it is peculiar unto Gods Elect saving faith being wrought only i● them the Doctrine of faith the Gospel being really imbraced only by them As for others being left to themselves they will not they cannot come unto Christ believe on him No man cometh unto me Except the Father that sent me draw him Except he

which they fear they are not and if so then all their attempts and endeavours this way will be to no purpose Hereupon they fear that they shall never come to him to receive any benefit by him and from him Ans. For Answer to this know we that this is a wrong way of reasoning to begin with Gods decrees which being secret to us and hidden from us until God shall be pleased to make them known in and by the execution of them may perplex and trouble but no wayes profit or advantage any by their immediate enquiries into them And therefore let none attempt to unlock that Cabinet to look into that Ark Secret things belong unto the Lord but revealed things to us and to our children Deut. 29. 29. Now what Gods revealed will is that all either do or may know viz. that they should come unto his Son Christ that they should believe on him This is the Commandement that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ 1 John 3. 23. And to this command we have a gracious promise here annexed They who so come unto Christ shall not be rejected He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Now then wherefore should any perplex and trouble their spirits in searching after that which they shall never in any other way find whether they be given to Christ Why do they not rather in obedience to that great Gospel-command and in confidence of so gracious a promise put their soules upon this way apply themselves to the doing of what is so required of them viz. To come unto Iesus Christ Which let me now press upon all and every of you by way of Exhortation that you would come unto Iesus Christ This is that which he himself inviteth all to do Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden And again Iohn 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the Feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me And let all hearken to this Invitation closing with it Many Arguments and Mot●ves might I make use of to press this Motion to set on this Exhortation In no other way is life to be expected Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life saith our Saviour to the Iews John 5. 40. They went to Moses seeking salvation by the works of the Law but alas it was not there to be found I am the way the truth and the life John 14. 6 Christ is the only true way which leadeth unto eternal life This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17. 3. To know God in Christ this is the saving knowledge Comin● unto Christ you shall find a fulnesse in him so as you shall not need to seek any thing out of him He that cometh unto me shall never hunger saith the verse next but one before the Text v. 35. he shall find a full satisfaction in me Here and only here is true rest and peace to be found Come unto me ye that labour c. and ye shall find rest to your souls Here is that wine and milk to be had which the Prophet Isai speaketh of Isa. 55. ● whatever is requisite for the refreshing and nourishing of the Soul But I shall confine my self to that one Argument which I have here put into my hand Hereby shall you come to know that you are given to Christ by God his Father This is the one and only way whereby you may come to be assured of Gods gracious purpose towards you that your names are written in the book of life that you are in the number of Gods Elect. A thing which it standeth all Christians in hand to make sure unto themselves Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure So St. Peter presseth it upon those to whom he writeth 2 Pet. 1. 10. And who is there among you but would be glad to have this assurance Now in what way may this be obtained Why in vain it is to think of ascending up into Heaven there to search the Rolls and Records of Eternity Only then put your selves upon this way of coming unto Iesus Christ Hereby may a Christian come to be undoubtedly assured hereof So much we may learn from the Text All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me So then invert the words All that do come unto Christ are given to him by his Father Thus may Christians safely pass a Notiore ad ignotum from that which is known to what is otherwise unknown reasoning from their Vocation to their Election from their coming to Christ to their being given to him As for their coming unto Christ that is a thing which they may certainly know The heart cannot be a stranger to its own Affections especially if they be intense If there be an earnest desire a longing of the soul after Christ an earnest desire of Union and Communion with him an intense love to him so that the soul is enamoured with him a serious and ●ixed resolution in the heart to rest upon him to trust in him for the pardo● of sins and eternal salvation all which accompany a true saving faith the soul cannot be ignorant of it This is a thing which upon the enquiry every one may know of his own heart whether he hath thus come to Christ thus received him How else is it that the Apostle putteth his Corinthians upon this trial 2. Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith Prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you And once knowing this now may they conclude and that certainly that they are within the compass of Gods gracious Election that they are by him given to his Son Jesus Christ Which let every of us I say labour in this way to make sure to our selves The world being divided into two parts one part given to Christ the other part left to Satan the Prince of this world see we to which of these it is that we belong whether to Christ or Satan Is it so that we have renounced Satan abandoned his service and given our selves to the Lord Jesus taking him for our Saviour and Lord now may we conclude that we are in the number of them whom God hath given to him appointed to salvation by and through him Only see that this our coming to him be Inward and Real Not such as the coming of these Capernaites was who came unto Christ but it was as I shewed you out of a by and sinister respect And thus surely do the greatest part of Christians at this day come unto him They make a profession of his name But wherefore is it why they do it pro formâ for fashion-sake or they expect some outward advantage by it They follow Christ as