Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	fire_n	ghost_n	holy_a	5,254	5	5.8402	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78566	A brief apology in behalf of the people in derision call'd Quakers. Written for the information of our sober and well-inclined neighbors in and about the town of Warminster in the county of Wilts. by Will. Chandler, Alex. Pyott, Jo. Hodges, and some others.	Chandler, William.; Pyott, Alex. (Alexander); Hodges, Joseph.	1693 (1693)	Wing C1934; ESTC R229320	34,744	78

the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and that had tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come shew'd signs that they were effectually call'd and in a State of Grace that if they should fall away 't would be impossible to renew them again to Repentance not because they were eternally reprobated but because they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh because they grieved his good Spirit Ezek. 18. 24 26. and c. 33. v. 18. and rejected the Means Hath not the Lord said If a righteous man turns from his righteousness he shall die Who can be righteous without the assistance of God's Grace No Man can make himself so 't is not in Man to direct his own Ways and yet it seems 't is possible for him to fall from it after he hath lived so long under its conduct as by it to be made righteous and one would think should then be sanctified too Our Saviour saith of himself I am the true vine ye are the branches John 1 1 2 5 6. my Father is the husband-man every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away Again If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered Surely those who are Branches in Christ while so are accepted of the Father and yet it seems 't is possible for them to fall away and be cut off as wither'd Branches whence he often repeats this Condition if ye abide in me and presently he saith John 15. 10. the way to continue in his Love was to do his Will as he had that of his Father's and continued in his Love But though we can't embrace their Opinion for their Reasons and as they state it but that 't is possible for People to make a considerable Progress in Grace and yet for want of a careful and constant Watchfulness to that Grace they may fall away Yet we believe such a State and Growth in Grace throw a vigilant Attention thereto and such a degree of Faith attainable as that there is no more going forth But that which seems to be our capital Error and the top of all their Charge and that which is to silence all Plea's in our behalf is our omitting the use of the Ordinances so called of Baptism and Bread and Wine John indeed as the next immediate Fore-runner of Christ to prepare his Way gave an Alarm to the Jews that were so secure under the Law of Moses and proclaim'd the Kingdom of Heaven at hand and Mat. 3. 2. Acts 17. 30. the time come wherein God commanded the Jews as well as others every-where to repent 't was not sufficient for them to go on in sinning and then offer those respective Sacrifices which the Law enjoyn'd them for the same but now the Wrath of God was near Rom. 1. 18. to be reveal'd from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteonsness of Men 't was not sufficient to deek and make clean the outside of the Cup and Mat. 23. 25 26. and c. 3. 10. Platter but the inside was to be clean'd and then the outside would be clean also The Axe was now laid to the root and every Tree that brought not forth good Fruit was to be hewn down The Law of Moses took hold on exterior Acts and could not make perfect as pertaining Heb. 9. 9. 2 Cor. 10. 5. James 1. 15. to the Conscience but now that Dispensation was about to be established that comes nearer home and takes cognizance of the very Thoughts that Sin be not so much as conceived by the Will 's joyning thereto Wherefore John was sent to administer the Baptism of Repentance as a lively Figure of that which was presently after to follow for John's Baptism was not capable to produce this Effect upon the Mind and he himself testifies That though he baptized them with water yet he that came after him that was before him and more honourable than he should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and Matt. c. 3. v. 11 12. with fire that his fan was in his hand and and that 't was he should throughly purge his floor Which is the great Work that is to be done under his Gospel-dispensation to take away the Sins of the World and destroy the Works of the 1 John 3. 8. Devil to purifie Peoples Hearts and make them spiritually minded this is the proper Effects of Christ's lasting Baptism not the washing away of the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a 1 Pet. 3. 21. good Conscience towards God to purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God in Newness of Life The Baptism of Christ is but Ephes 4. 5. Rom 6. 3. and v. 6 7 8 11. one and those who by it are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his Death and their old Man crucified with him that the body of Sin may be destroy'd and they no longer serve Sin because they that are dead with Christ are freed from Sin and made alive to God to live a holy righteous Life These are the blessed Effects of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire and Benefits that redound to those who are in truth washed by Christ in that holy Laver which entitles us to a part Zech. 13. 1. in him 't is our chiefest Concern to know this inward spiritual Baptism of Christ that our Hearts may be washed 1 Cor. 6 11. purified and sanctified by the Spirit of God and that we really put on Christ and are in him who is the Substance in whom the Types ended John knew and foretold himself that he must decrease but Christ must encrease he John 3 30. doth not say I shall cease presently at once so soon as Christ's Baptism takes place but I must decrease but were Water-baptism to continue always amongst Christians then would not John decrease Nor will it solve this Allegation That 't was abolisht as John's and instituted anew as Christ's for then hath Christ his different Gospel-baptisms which is erronious We grant that some of the Apostles did use Water-baptism for a time but we believe 't was rather in compliance with the Circumstances of Time than of Necessity and in condescention to the Weakness of Believers in the very Infancy of the Church and even the same Age wherein John baptized who was not only a true Messenger of God in his time but had gained great Credit among the People and his Memory and Message could not soon be forgotten nor was it easie to draw them from a Practice that but just before was acknowledged to be of Divine Authority for we find the Apostles tolerated the believing Jews to live in certain Rites and Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law notwithstanding the Messiah was come in the Flesh and abrogated them so difficult 't is to disengage People from those things wherein they have been educated and to which their Minds are