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
A69089	An excellent and godly sermon most needefull for this time, wherein we liue in all securitie and sinne, to the great dishonour of God, and contempt of his holy word. Preached at Paules Crosse the xxvi. daye of October, an. 1578 by Laurence Chaderton Batcheler of Diuinitie.	Chaderton, Laurence, 1536?-1640.	1578 (1578)	STC 4924; ESTC S117846	46,847	118

hearts that is a constant trust in God whereby as he hath promised vnto vs in Christ all good thinges is able and faithfull to performe so we are assuredly perswaded that he will in due and conuenient time accomplishe his promise particularly vnto euery one of vs to his glory and our saluation For Peter teaching as it is in the 15. of the Actes how the vncleane Gentiles became cleane and what was the first gift whereby the holy Ghost purified their filthy heartes to make them all one body with the Iewes without difference nameth expresly this gift of faith in these wordes And GOD vvhich knovveth the hearts bare them vvitnesse in giuing vnto thē the holy Ghost euē as he did vnto vs he put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts For the spirit of God by faith as by a most fit instrument doth clense and purge away all filthy and corrupt maner of seruing of God and worketh sanctification of life so that the increase of faith is the increase of holynes For til we be fully perswaded that God by his holy spirit and faith hath vnited and incorporated vs into the body of Christ to liue and be conformed according to his Image and that wee and all our workes are accepted through him we can neuer thinke will speake or doe any good thing with pure heartes Therefore this faith without which it is impossible to please God sealed in our heartes by the finger of God and offering vp all our works not in our personnes but in the person of Christ in whom they must needes be acceptably receiued is the first and chiefest gifte of regeneration out of the which ariseth though not a perfecte kinde of obedience and seruice of God for we beleeue but in part yet such a kinde as pleaseth God in Christ profiteth his Church and causeth vs to feele that peace and quietnes of conscience which passeth all wisdome and vnderstanding And therefore this faith aboue all things chiefly is to be begged at the hands of our merciful father that we may attaine vnto this right maner of doing his will and also the voyce of Christes Gospell sounding by his ministers in the Church by which meanes onely ordinarily it is obtayned is most diligently to be receiued and heard The second gracious gifte of the holy Spirit though it be a fruite of the former as the other which followe are yet it hath a seuerall vse I meane a stedfast and ioyfull hope for the full and perfect fruition of eternall life For as faith doth apprehend applie and as it were by a hand reache vnto euery man particularly the promises of God concerning eternall life in Christ and also Christ himselfe in whom all those promises are Yea and Amen fully and perfectly accomplished so hope vseth enioyeth and after a sort euen in this life possesseth all those thinges which are promised of God and apprehended by faith yea euen eternall life it selfe In consideration whereof the Apostle affirmeth that we are saued by hope that is to saye by the benefite of hope we enioye and possesse alreadie our saluation though as yet absent So that he which looketh vpon present things that are seene to haue saluation in them he renounceth hope which gift only in the elect is the faithfull keeper and possessor of our saluation purchased by Christ For it is called by the Spirit of God in the 6. to the Heb. the ancre of the soule in these wordes Which we haue meaning hope as an ancre of the soule both sure and stedfast and it entreth into that vvhich is vvithin the vaile whither the forerunner is for vs entred in euen Iesus that is made an hye Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech For as the whole vse of the Ancre is to holde fast the shippe in one sure and certaine place notwithstanding all tempests and waues beating against it because it entereth into the very depth and bottome of the sea there taking fast hold euen so the principall vse of hope is to enter into the heauen of heauens where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and to hold fast our soules there with him notwithstanding all the waues tempestes of Satan sinne and condemnation do beate daily continually against them As therfore faith is necessary to leade vnto Christ so hope is also necessary to keepe vs alwayes with him In regard whereof we are by the holy Ghost earnestly exhorted in the Christian race which is set before vs as to run with patience so especially to looke to Iesus the author finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse despised the shame is set at the right hand of the throne of god Whereby it appeareth that this hope doth most liuely set before our consciences the presence of God Christ with the fruition of the kingdome of glorie so worketh in vs an vnspeakeable ioye and patience in all aduersities Whereof none of the reprobate or malignant church hath euer tasted to their saluation nether shall do but the children of God do not only tast hereof but also leade the whole course of their life in this hope as in the presence of Christ God for which cause they are said to walke with God. The third gift is a sincere loue of God man a most certaine and infallible note of a true Christian and more profitable to our brethren the Church of God then either of the former as the Apostle teacheth in the first to the Corinthians 13. saying And nowe abideth faith hope loue euen these three but the chiefest of these is loue The reason is because faith doeth apprehende those things we haue not hope doth retaine and enioye them but loue doth drawe out of vs the daily exercise and wise employing of the talents receiued to the benefite of the Church So that for apprehending benefits that are absent faith is the chiefest for the ioyfull retayning of them hope is the chiefest but for the vse and employing of them to the edification of others loue is the chiefest and therfore in this respect iustly and truely preferred of the Apostle if we attribute to euery one their proper vses and effectes If then we purpose to obserue a right maner of fulfilling the Fathers wil we must imbrace this grace also and gift of the holy Ghost that al our workes maye sauour and be done in loue Vnder loue I comprehend zeale a most excellent gift giuen vnto the Saints of God for to this end Christ hath giuen himselfe that he might redeeme vs from all iniquities and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes So we see that the Lord hath giuen vs his Sonne that we shoulde loue him which loued vs first that we should serue him diligently zealously all the

the certaintie of their election Therefore to stoppe the slaunderous mouth of the aduersarie and to terrifie the secure and presumptuous professor we conclude that woorkes are necessarily required not onely for doyng of the Fathers will but also for the declaration of our faith for the confirmation of our hope for the separating of vs from all infidels and hypocrites for the example of those which are without and within the Church for the relieuing and succouring of all especially of those which are of the houshoulde of fayth for to iustifie our religion to be pure and vndefiled before God the Father for to testifie our obedience and thankefulnesse to God the author thereof finally to prayse and magnifie the great power Iustice and mercie of God the Father his Sonne and the holie Ghost one God and three persons in the whole and perfect worke of our redemption Hitherto of the necessitie of woorkes now followeth the maner of doyng which is no lesse necessarie to the fulfylling of Gods will then workes themselues because it is the cause why all our workes are acceptable to god For albeit we doe continually cal vpon God with our lippes and heare his worde with our outwarde eares and bryng foorth all other apparent workes of godlines and ryghteousnes yet if we pray not in spirit heare not with vnderstanding and beleeue and woorke by loue according to God his wyll we do not the Fathers will but our owne we walke not according to the Spirit but according to the fleshe and therefore must reape of the fleshe corruption But let vs see what this ryght maner of doyng is whereof our sauiour Christ speaketh in this place whence it is whereof it is made and to what end it must be directed the knowledge of which causes wyll breede in vs a perfect knowledge of this vpryght maner of working whether it be inwarde in minde or outwarde in maners There is but one onely author and gyuer hereof euen the Spirite of God and Christ from whome proceede and come all good counselles pure desires and godly purposes For although it bee left in our power in asmuch as the Lorde hath made vs reasonable creatures in some sorte to resemble his Image to wyll this or that thing to reason vpon this or that question to thinke vpon this or that matter to speake this or that sentence and to doe this or that woorke yet to wyll to reason to thynke to speake and to doe all these so as our mercifull God requireth of his children and so as they may bee acceptablie receyued in Christ as syncere obedience vnto God it proceedeth not from fleshe and blood neyther from the wyll of man neyther from any other creature in heauen or in earth but onely from the moste comfortable Spirit of our regeneration whose peculiar office is to begynne continue and finishe in vs his holie vesselles this gracious maner of doyng the which our heauenly Father in the multitude of his mercies hath vouchsafed vs and his Sonne our only sauiour by his death and resurrection hath most perfectly deserued and purchased for vs So the blessed Apostle Paule teacheth in the second to the Philippians who after he had charged them to woorke their saluation with feare and trembling addeth immediately in the verse following For it is God that vvorketh in you both the vvill deede euen of his good pleasure Which is a most strong and forcible reason to stryke into their heartes a reuerent feare and trembling vnder the myghtie hande of God because that although they had power to wyll and worke yet the chaunging of our wyll and drawing it vnto good the power to doe that which is vnfaynedly good and acceptable in the sight of God doe proceede onely from the spirit of regeneration Agayne the same Apostle in the eyght to the Romanes witnesseth that we knowe not what to praye as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmitie and maketh request for vs with syghes that cannot be expressed according to the wyll of god Wherein as he remooueth from vs this poynt of wisedome to knowe both what to praye and howe or after what maner so contrarilie he ascribeth it vnto the spirite of Adoption the onely worker thereof For it is he that moueth and stirreth vp in our heartes sighes vnspeakeable and not onely helpeth our infirmities but also teacheth vs to pray in such maner that our worke prayer may be according to the wil of god So it is in al other workes which are acceptable vnto God for those only are his children which are in the maner of doing working the wil of God led and guided by his spirit Wherefore it is said that we haue not receyued the spirit of bondage to liue and worke in a slauish and seruile feare but the spirit of Adoption which sealeth and printeth in our heartes a full assurance of faith and hope whereby at all times and in all extremities we may boldly cry Abba Father So that it is manifest and plaine hereby that all those works are carnall earthly and d●uelish which are done after any other maner then this and contrarily that those onely be good works which are done after this heauenly maner which Gods spirit doeth teach by the word who therefore is called the spirit of trueth and sanctification because he onely leadeth vs into all trueth and holynes Many mo places might here be alledged for the proofe of this doctrine but because the matter is plain cannot be gainsaid with any soundnes of reason I will omit them onely aduertising the Reader of the difference betweene vs the Catholicks in the doctrine of freewill We teach and beleeue that although we haue a natural abilitie power to wil desire speake worke yet the whole maner of vsing these gifts according to the will of God proceedeth onely from the holy Ghost as we haue taught They holde and teach the contrary if not let them declare plainely wherein they differ from vs or els ioyne with vs at the least in the vnitie of this doctrine which ascribeth the whole glory of our new birth to God alone Thus then we know the author of this worthy maner of doing now let vs further cōsider whereof it ariseth wherin it doth consist that we may stand stedfast vnmoueable in the hope of our inheritance both in regard of our works also in respect of the maner of doing It is certeine that it ariseth of diuers and manifold graces of the holy Spirit which are proper and peculiar to his vessels neither can be at any time in the wicked reprobate what pretence soeuer they make of religion godlines But the time will not suffer me to speake of all I will briefly speake of the chiefest most principal gifts wherunto also al the other almost may be referred The first and chiefest of all is true faith rooted and established in our