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	saint_n	6,082	5	5.8116	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92145	A sermon preached before the Right Honorable House of Lords, in the Abbey Church at Westminster, Wednesday the 25. day of Iune, 1645. Being the day appointed for a solemne and publique humiliation. / By Samuel Rutherfurd Professor of Divinitie at St. Andrews.	Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1645 (1645)	Wing R2393; Thomason E289_11; ESTC R200125	61,133	73

walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt nor is Christ in trouble like our Summer-friends who in a great drough dry up But may not God be with his own though they be both burnt drowned then this is no consequent at all feare not that the fire shall burn thee or the waters shall drowne thee for I am with thee yea it is most strong this presence of God with his owne in trouble maketh God and them so one by Gods union of love for Gods love to us is infinitely more active to save us then either our faith and love to him that the fire that burneth Jacob must also seise upon God according to that Zach. 2. 8. Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Thirdly when Christ waketh and sleepeth not in heavy afflictions his love is so in action even while hee striketh that the rod falleth out of his hand that hee 1. giveth them not so hot a fire as silver and 2. hee acteth love and mercy on them in their saddest time of suffering and marieth them at their lowest condition both which are excellently expressed Esay 48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not as silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Fourthly wee may adde another benefit of the presence of God in afflictions that the very breath of Christ is sweet though hee should not deliver for the present yet the smoake of hell and the paine of the furnace is so perfumed and over-gilded with the breathings of the love of Christ that the paine of the furnace is allayed this is witnessed by the Martyrs singing at the stake If in these bloody sufferings wee want Gods presence how miserable are wee and therefore this is one of the proper markes of the children of God if wee can misse Gods comfortable presence in this fiery tryall that is now in the three kingdomes So Lament 1. 16. for these things I weepe mine eye mine eye runneth downe with water yea but these sufferings are but the materiall object of weeping there is a higher cause of weeping then that and set downe in the Hebrew as a cause with an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} because the comforter that should bring backe my soule is farre away Christ esteemed this the salt of his sufferings My God my God why hast thou forsaken me there is a great Emphesis in {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and therefore the word is doubled as if hee would say any forsaking of friends is nothing but Gods forsaking is sad and Heman Psal. 88. 6. Thou hast laid mee in the lowest pit in darknesse in the depths 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon mee thou afflictest mee with all thy waves but this is the heaviest of all 14. Lord why castest thou off my soule why hidest thou thy face from mee positive wrath is not so heavy as the meere negative absence of God Mary her want of the man Christ is sad but shee wants him under an higher reduplication John 20. 13. The Angels say unto Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou shee answereth with a because {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Because they have taken away my Lord Sword and pestilence yea the civill sword are heavie plagues on a land but this is heavier God hath left us O terrible the Lord is not with us Luke 8. 24. And they came to him and awoke him saying Master master we perish The third part of the text containeth the course they take in their trouble It is good that in their trouble they agree in these foure First that there is a great danger even present drowning Secondly they looke spiritually on it in this that the face of death is so much the more awefull that Christ their deliverer sleepeth Thirdly they agree in judgement that Christ onely can helpe them Fourthly they agree in practise all joyne in prayer to awake Christ and by faith to awake him and set him on worke to helpe and save them It is excellent when one heart and one mind is amongst all the passengers of Christs ship especially in a troublesome Sea storme Gen. 13. Abraham and Lots herdmen strive But it is so much the worse that it is said Vers 7. and the Canaanite and the Perizite dwelt then in the land they had common enemies and therefore striving was unseasonable holy Joseph when his brethren was in great distresse falling out was unseasonable therefore saith to them Gen. 45. 24. See that yee fall not out by the way Alas wee are in great trouble and yet wee fall out by the way it was a sad time with the Disciples neare to the time when the shepheard was smitten and they scattered sheepe when Christ said John 13. 35. By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Doe but heare how Paul is most copious in arguments for this in one Verse Philip 2. 1. If there bee therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies 2. Fulfill my joy that yee may bee like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind Psal. 133. 1. to bee of one mind in love is the fulfilling of the joy of the Saints biting and devouring is a hole a gap a great blanke to the joy of the holy Ghost love neighboureth with the sweet consolations of Christ it is the birth a fruit an Apple growing on the spirit of Jesus Gal. 5. 22. in the wombe and bowels of love lodgeth bowels of tender mercies pardoned sinners cannot so hate pardoned sinners as to jeere them out of the hearts of the Saints end them to the lake of Brimstone Ps. 133. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Many things are good as workes of divine justice and destroying the enemies of God yet they are not pleasant and many things are pleasant that are not good as the pleasures of sinne for a season must bee pleasant but because unlawfull they are not good but unitie amongst brethren is both good and pleasant now because striving and bitter divisions in this land and Church are so sad and a lovely and peaceable union so necessary give me leave to presse this a little the motion of a loving union were desirable First because our Father the Lord appeared to Elias not in the thunder but in the calme voyce Love is not onely from God but 1 John 4. 8. God is love and that in all the foure causes of love See how much of God is in any as much of love and meeknesse is in them love is the breathings of heaven love is the aire and element wee live in in the highest new Jerusalem 1 Cor. 13. 8. 13. The redeemeds breath smells of love and love hath the smell of another world it is a flower of Christs planting the

onely but they indured as much heat of fire as the hearth-stone that is daily under the extremitie of the fire so the Apostle speaketh of himselfe 1 Cor. 4. 8. For I thinke God hath set forth us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last Apostl●s as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to men and Angels The Apostles in regard of their great sufferings were so exposed to violent death as in the Roman Playes Bulls Dogs Lions were set forth to fight one another to death they were made worlds wonders and gazing-stacks to heaven and earth to men and Angels for their great sufferings Behold how strong the tempest was that invaded that barke that carried the witnesses of Jesus to heaven Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the Sword The reason of the Lords so dealing is 1. God declareth himselfe more impatient of sinne in his owne children then in the wicked I meane of Gods impatience Evangelick in regard that it is a sinne of higher ingratitude to sinne against the Gospel 2. Illumination 3. And the mercy of regeneration then to sinne against the Law and common favours and gifts though Gods legall impatience in regard of revenging justice bee farre more against the sinnes of the wicked then against the sinnes of beleevers it being an act of vengeance which God cannot exercise towards beleevers and if Antinomians would acknowledge an Evangelick displeasure and anger of God against the sinnes of beleevers as the Scripture doth 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31. 2 Sam. 11. 27. they should not so stumble at the Gospel as they doe I say God is more displeased with the sinnes of his owne children then with the sinnes of the wicked even as the husbandman is more offended that Thristles and Thorns grow in his Garden then in his out-field Esay 1. 2. Heare O heaven hearken O earth why it is more then an ordinary defection that moveth the Lord to this I have nourished and brought up children and they rebell against me God taketh it also harder that violence and unjustice should bee in Parliaments and Assemblies then in Prelates Courts and High Commissions The Lord expecteth nothing else but sowre grapes from his enemies 2. The hell of the godly and the heart of their hell should ordinarily bee heavier then the borders and margin of the hell of the wicked the sufferings of the Saints in this life is their whole hell wicked men have here a heaven and but fore-tastings of hell which I grant in regard they want the presence and comforts of God in this life and also that their curses are in themselves heavier then the afflictions of the godly but not so in their apprehension 3. Gods deepe counsells worke under-board providence is a great mystery why these three kingdomes having a good cause and contending for Christ yet should bee put to a more bloody condition and have more of floods of blood for a while then bloody men who defend a cursed cause is wondred at by us as ignorance is the cause of admiration hee that never saw husbandry thinketh sowing losing and casting away of good Corne the end cujus gratia which seasoneth Gods workes with wisedome and grace is unseene hony is sweet but tasting onely discerneth it neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it our senses cannot reach the reason of his Counsell who will have the godly plagued every morning If it bee so that the godly the greene tree suffer such a fire it must bee more then fire that is abiding the enemies O enemies of the Gospel O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints have you Castles and strong holds to runne to in the day of wrath or are your Castles judgement-proofe Cannot death and hell scale your walls and though you shut your doores climbe in at your windowes are your bulworkes and walls salvation have you strength to bide the proofe and shot of the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple hath not the second death long and sharpe tuskes will you indure the siege and batteries of everlasting wrath vengeance will have nothing under your pretious soules take your pleasure kill and destroy the mountaine of the Lord the feast is good ever till the reckoning come Job 28. 8. Can you drinke a Sea of vengeance and floods of gall and wormewood there is a Sword before the throne forbished that will lap and swallow up blood and never bee quenched wrath wrath creepeth on the sinners in Zion by theft without a cry or noyse of feet you heare not the ratling of your sunnes wheeles when it is setting and the night falleth on you the day of wrath is secret and uncertaine you sleep you see not hell at your heels what will you do when you shall make your prayers to the hills to cover you quick This serveth to condemne our softnesse who love a wanton and a smooth providence and Golden and silken sayling to bee carried away quickly to land without wind or storme wee desire to goe to Paradise through no other way but Paradise and a way strowed with Roses nay but wee must indure hardnesse and resolve the way cannot bee changed to flatter our softnesse it is as God hath carved it out there bee not two wayes to heaven one way strowed with blood and brimstone and deaths to Christ and another to us white faire easie heaven was not so feazable to Christ but it was to him sweating if Christ had taken the faire way and a street to heaven like Paradise and left the rough way to us wee had the more reason to complaine But it should silence us that Christ saith you have no harder usage then the Captaine of your salvation had Joh. 15. 18. when wee see wee must suffer wee would bee at a chosen Crosse and afflictions carved by our owne wit or flowred and perfumed with Diamonds and Rubies so our heart saith any judgement but warre and any warre but civill warre the hatred of the world is not much but hatred from our brethren the sonnes of our Mother O that is hard yet it is not to bee expected but the flesh will warre in the Saints against both the Spirit and the flesh in other Saints no lesse then the flesh warreth against the Spirit in one and the same Saint wee are to kisse and adore providence wee can no more change the foule and dirtie way to faire heaven then wee can remove heaven it selfe out of its place God hath drawn and moulded the topographie to heaven and set all our Guests before hee is a bad Souldier who followeth such a Captaine of salvation as Christ weeping and murmuring But what doth this ship lead us to certaine it is that it holdeth forth to us the condition of the Church of God tossed with wind and wave and the world

blessings and prayers of the good husbandman Christs Father came on the flower Psal. 133. 3. The dew of God lieth all the night upon the leaves of the flower it is alwayes greene The Church is a house that is builded up in love that raiseth the wall up to heaven Ephes. 4. 16. Secondly Christ our redeemer whose wee are being bought with a price is a masse of love hee hath a heart very hospitall to lodge all our infirmities when hee saw his people as touching the condition of their soule like sheepe without a shepheard {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hee was bowelled with compassion toward them Esay 40. when the Prophet speaketh of his power and his ruling arme hee also prophecyeth of his meeknesse and bowels of compassion to weake ones there bee three sorts of persons in the Church that hee shall handle tenderly 1. The simple but gratious and for these Vers 11. hee shall feede his fl●cke like a shepheard hee hath the heart of a shepheard who tendereth and careth for the flocke 2. There bee young ones babes in Christ and of these it is said hee shall gather the Lambes with his arme and carry them in his bosome two excellent sweet expressions hee shall not throw his club at the Lambs nor bee froward and cruell to them but in lieu of a club hee shall gather them with his arme 3. And as for the young and weake that have not legges he shall carry these in his bosome the bosome of Christ is a seat of love and tendernesse of bowels 4. There bee some in the Church that want not their infirmities and sinnes and have legges and a little strength yet the tendernesse of the bowels of compassion must yeeld them some Christian condescension and accommodation and they must not bee forced and driven roughly Christs Spirit is a spirit of accommodation Sir I le make you in despight of your teeth is not for these and therefore it is said hee shall gently lead those that are with young so Esay 42. 2. Jesus Christ shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voyce to bee heard in the streets Christ hath not the art of rayling shouting and thundering against the meeke of the flock Yea Christ rideth and triumpheth in meeknesse Zach. 9. 9. his horse hee rideth on is meeknesse Psal. 45. 4. it is spoken to him Ride prosperously upon truth and meeknesse and Psal. 147. 6. This Lord lifeth up the meeke and Psal. 76. 9. bee will save all the meeke of the earth Christs heart is King Solomons Chariot the pillars of it is Cant. 3. 10. Silver the bottome thereof Gold the covering of it of purple the midst thereof beeing paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem And Christ chooseth to dwell in a heart paved with love and meeknesse Thirdly the Spirit of the Lord is a Dove the spirit of grace is a gaul-lesse and gentle spirit Grace grace is the innocentest thing of the world there is no wild fire of sinfull wrath in grace Bitternesse rayling jeering persecution with the tongue outcries against Assemblies Presbyteries are not the tooles of the spirit of grace yea calumnies salt writings on either side are not from that spirit of Christ which hath a hand to wipe teares off the faces of the mourners in Zion To all raylings all bitter mockings against Presbyteries and Assemblies wee say wee are desirous not to bee driven off the roade way to heaven but to goe on Through honour and dishonour by evill report and good report as deceivers and yet true One inch of a good conscience is rather to bee chosen then a thousand yards of windie credit Meeke Jesus Christ and his Apostles used not such a stile of language nor is such Grammar from heaven nor smelleth it of the holy Ghosts pen Fourthly if wee bee the children of one father it might breed strange thoughts in our minds when the sonnes of one father Independents and Presbyterians spare mee necessitie not love of factions forceth mee to these tearmes shall sing one song up before the throne to him that liveth and reigneth for ever that wee cannot gather heate and warmnesse of love in one arke and in one Church here in the earth pens and tongues salted and steeped in the gall of bitternesse are not the fruits of the Spirit Shall wee kill and devoure one another all the day and lodge together in one heaven at night and can wee say one to another in heaven hast thou sound me O mine enemy shall there bee any factions any sides either religious of Presbyterian and independent in heaven or nationall of England and Scotland which yet differ not essentially I am sure but onely in the poore accidents of North and South and yet on earth wee must bee at daggers at rentings divisions are there two Christs because two nations Fiftly truth is never victorious by persecution now the Scripture speaketh of a persecution with the tongue Jer. 18. 18. Come say they let us smite Jeremiah with the tongue Job thus complayneth of his friends who never put violent hands in him Chap. 19. 22. Why doe you persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh then tongue persecution is an eating of the flesh Sixtly the Gospel which wee professe is a Gospel of peace wee preach warre betweene the flesh and the spirit and warre betweene the womans Seed and the Serpent But oh should wee preach warre betweene the Saints wee have choyser golden chaines to tie us together Ephes. 4. 4. There is one body and one spirit even as yee are called in one hope of your calling 5. One Lord one faith one Baptisme 6. One God and Father of all Have wee need of Prelats and a high Commission Court and pursevants sent out to hunt us for praying together that they may reconcile us and unite us together as wee were all one within these few yeares Seventhly the more grace and mercy wee have from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus the more peace amongst our selves and the more grace the more compassion toward the weaknesse of Brethren Christ is an uniting and a congregating Saviour his blood and his spirit soweth and needleth together the hearts of the lambe and the Leopard of the Calfe and of the young Lion Esay 11. 6. Eighthly the Saints of the most High are stiled the meeke of the earth Esay 11. 4. there bee no meeke creatures on earth but the regenerate Buls and Lions fight together Lions and Woolves pursue Lambes But wee have not heard of warre betweene Lambes and Lambes Why should wee strive for wee are brethren how unseemly that one redeemed one should hate persecute and chase another redeemed one even into the gates of heaven Ninthly are wee not debtors one to another and the sum wee owe is love O what a spirit of accommodation was in that chosen vessel Paul who said 1 Cor. 9. 22. I am made all things to all men that I