Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	faith_n	heart_n	purify_v	2,568	5	11.6551	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65069	Tēs pisteōs elegchos, or, The reason of faith briefly discuss'd in a sermon, preach'd at Pauls before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor, &c., the third of October, 1658, and publish'd by the order of his lordship, and Court of Aldermen / by Peter Vinke ...	Timoreus, Theophilus.	1659 (1659)	Wing V562; ESTC R39404	19,583	36

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter part is purely Philosophical taken out of the field of Philosophy and planted here in Scripture the garden of the Lord. It signifies according to its notation these two things 1. Substance which is so call'd quia substat accidentibus ea sustinet because it bears up accidents 1. Substantia which could not be without it As the colour and dimensions of this book could not be without the substance of it Thus faith is the substance that sustains and bears up all other graces 't is the primum vivens the heart in the new man Does he live 't is by faith Rom. 1.17 If he stands 't is by faith 2 Cor. 1.24 Can he walk too 't is by the same faith 2 Cor. 5.7 Without this he is as another man His patience unlesse upon the account of faith because thou didst it is but stupidity or a Stoical apathy His hope unlesse it be through this grace Psal 39.9 2 Thess 2.16 Gal. 2.2 Splendida peccata it is not the good hope 't is presumption His mirth unlesse he rejoyces in believing is madness Nay without faith his best performances are but the better sort of sins only the hand of faith can lay them upon that Altar which sanctifies the gift To do a spiritually living action in order to the service of a living God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be a principal of life within Whatsoever we do unlesse in order to expresse our obedience and thankfulnesse to God through Christ be it never so good for the matter of the action 't is not well done in the manner of it and God does not say if thou doest good but if thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted Gen. 4.7 We confesse the flowers of morality just and fair dealings may make mens names sweet amongst their neighbours when in the mean time unlesse they live and act by faith their persons and services may stink in the Nostrils of God These may wash thy face and hands but it is faith onely which can purifie thy heart Acts 15.9 thou art but a Cyclops a Monster in Gods sight if thou hast not the eye of faith 2. 2. Subsistentia The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies subsistence and subsistere is in rerum natura prodire to subsist is to have an actual being Thus faith gives a being to its objects it makes the things hoped for to be as if they now actually were as by a prospective glass things very far distant seem close by to the eye of the body so by faith the promises though many of them not to come till the end of all things appear at hand Hence the Syriack Interpreter reads these words thus Est autem fides certitudo de iis rebus quae sunt in spe ac si jam extiterunt actu A believer is as willing to have Gods promise as its performance and dares take his word as readily as present payment What the Schools say of the divine intellect I may say of all that do partake of the divine nature to such omnia coexistunt all things are as if present with them if they look backward to the Creation of the world their eye of faith views it as clearly as if they had been amongst the Morning-stars that shouted when the foundations of the earth were laid Job 38.6 7. And if they look forward to the dissolution of all things Rev. 20.11 they see the heavens and earth already fleeing away Give me leave to raise this note a little higher Some read the following word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actively Aug. Epist 117. ad Paul Tra●● 79. in Johan as Saint Austin amongst others and then the sense would be faith is the very subsistence of them that hope to adde a word to what I hinted but now Faith is the differentia constitutiva of a Christian as reason makes us men so faith makes us Christians He that followes sensual objects and is taken with them lives the life of a beast He that lives according to the dictates of reason deals fairely and squarely as you use to speak he lives the life of a man Rom. 16.26 but he that lives in the obedience of faith when he prayes prayes in faith when he hears mixes the Word with faith c. This is he that lives indeed the life of a Christian Nay he liveth the life of God delighted with and joying in the same objects with God to him onely 't is given intelligere ut Angelus and Velle ut Deus to understand as Angels do and to will as his God does The object of faith 2. It s object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the things of which faith is the substance are call'd here things hoped for which because they are the same with the things not seen as appears by Rom. 8.24 I shall speak of them together not being able to takeany notice of the lesse material differences which some make betwixt them Come we rather to the second description in which we shall speak more to that which is the businesse of the Text. The other word that the Apostle uses to express the nature of faith by The other internal form of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a demonstration or undeniable proof Thus the Philosopher frequently and in this sense Scripture uses it as John 16.8 't is said of the Spirit that when he is come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he shall convince the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in loc He shall bring such arguments and evidances as shall take away all excuse Faith then is the evidence or demonstrative argument that is the souls believing in him that speaks commands promises threatens in the Word is instead of ten thousand arguments to prove the righteousnesse and truth of what it findes there recorded Faith as such does not at all consider the probability or improbability of the things themselves which are recorded in God's Words but it looks singly at the truth and Authority of the Speaker Credimus quia legimus The Arguments which are drawn for the confirmation of our Religion from Myracles the number of its Martyrs it admirable successe and consent of all its Mysteries the correspondency it hath with reason are indeed powerful considerations to make easie and familiar the actings of Faith but Gods faithfulnesse is the onely motive of Faith And in this consists the maine difference betweene Faith and Science Scire est excau fis cognoscere In Arts and Sciences we do not give our assent to any thing till we have found out its nature and causes but in matters of Faith we first assent and believe God on his word and then possibly we search after the reason of the things we have believed not for our own

2 Cor. 1.18 but 't is in Christ Yea that is like himself who is the same yesterday to day and for evermore Hebr. 13.8 Men indeed too ordinarily dress Religion as the Heathens did their gods or as the Papists do their images according to the fashion of the time and place in which they live and think that there is little or nothing more in it But be not deceiv'd God will not set his seal in water in a fluid transitory imagination or opinion but in wax in that understanding which though ductile and flexible is fit to retain those impressions which his Spirit shall make in it Secondly Faith differs from opinion in that opinion is onely matter of speculation faith is practical also The seat of opinion is onely the head but wiih the heart man believes Rom. 10.10 To know and assent unto the truths in Scripture will not alone make a man a believer unlesse such a one as the Devil is James 2.19 who believes and trembles Interroge te utrùm credis dicis credo fac quod dicis fidcs est Aug. 'T is not a right faith untill it does what it sayes Nay faith is with all the heart it takes in every faculty for its object hath a double aspect upon the soul first as true and so it bespeaks assent in the understanding and then also as good and thus it excites and draws forth the will and affections without this latter acting of a truth or promise upon the soul a man hath no more benefit by it then he hath nourishment from his food when he only sees and believes the wholesomnesse of it but eats it not Try then your faith by this you would not take a false sixpence and will ye be put off with a false jewel a false faith On the other side 2. Faith is not alwayes an assurance 2 Pet. 1.10 as faith is not an opinion barely so 't is not an assurance for though it be an evidence 't is of things not seen now assurance is a kinde of sight of these things We will suppose assurance much to be endeavoured after when the Apostle charges us to make our calling and election sure and indeed there is no warmth in a direct beam Faith which is the direct act the souls going unto and relying upon Christ will at length save but the reflexe act of assurance chiefly comforts Our present businesse is to shew that they are distinct Consider then that faith is so farre from being an assurance that it must necessarily go before it otherwise a man might be assur'd of what is not and as we are partakers of humane nature before that we know we are and bear the image of the earthy before we know we do so we bear the image of the heavenly and be partakers of the divine nature before we know of it There is an infancy or non-age in both natures as to us and the spiritual life here is no more exempted from its weaknesse than the natural life is from the infirmities which belong unto it I will but name some other particular differences 1. Faith is constant 't is a seed immortal assurance is not the vision is sometimes taken up nay suddenly Acts 10 16. The influence of the Sunne does alwayes remain but the light of the Sun does not it shine and claps in again 2. Faith which justifies admits of no degrees that is wheresoever it is it is in its compleat essence or not at all The soul cannot be partly married or united unto Christ and partly not but on the contrary assurance hath its degrees where it is it is usually but incompleat we know thus too but in part sometimes we read our evidences by a candle-light as well as other-while by a Sunne-beam 3. The act of faith is grounded upon Gods Word Assurance is chiefly grounded upon experience though indeed in both the soul is helped by the Spirit Now I have said this the rather for their sakes who walk in darknesse and see no light such Trees of the Lord may stand and grow Isa 50. ult when most shaken with the winde and clouded from the Sun Remember then what ye have heard this day faith to be viz. As the miraculous cloud which we read of Exod. 14.20 which hath its light side as 't is an evidence but hath its dark side also as 't is of things not seen We come to tell you the condition of a believer 2. Instruct In the condition of a believer which cannot but be desirable Faith hath made him a great one indeed richer than the richest 't is this man only that can say truly as they did vainly Hos 12.8 I have found me out substance a carnal man hath but shadowes lyes which he trusts unto He may dream he eats c. but if ever God awaken him either here or hereafter he shall finde he is hungry truly indigent and full of wants Oh man greatly beloved this is he that hath made the best discovery of what before was but a terra incognita an unknown Region where true Gold and Jewels of real price are to be found and to this place he travels all the remainder of his life nay more he hath a kind of possession of it already Phil. 3.20 and is whilest he lives on earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Citizen of heaven and there he hath his conversation enjoying by faith the happinesse and doing by love the duties of that place As to earth he is vel praesens absens like Archimedes at the taking of Syracuse never minding what becomes of the world and worldly matters Faith brings him better Relations Riches Possessions then their fading ones are and therefore as to heaven he is vel Absens praesens his heart as another fore-runner is entred in He hath sent his soul as a Prodromus to prepare the way for his body And in the mean while let the winds blow from what corner they will Matth. 7.25 impavidum ferient they can't cause him to make ship-wrack of his substance Thus in the midst of a storme the nodes of the compasse remain immovable when there is nothing else in the whole ship but is tossed too and fro The other things in the ship as the other men of the world are hurried whither the present Tempest and season carries them But believers as the points in the Compasse are fixt at all times being governed not by the various windes but by the constant heavens Ah how much then hath the meanest true servant of God to blesse him for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things Mat. 16.17 acquir'd this substance for them but your Father which is in heaven Faith is a supernatural gift not onely in respect of nature corrupted as all other graces be but in respect also of nature as 't was at first created Faith is not as other graces in our regeneration repaired but as it were new built from