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
A91908	An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song, commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.	Robotham, John, fl. 1654.	1651 (1651)	Wing R1730; Thomason E639_1; ESTC R206657	461,322	801

concerning the calling of the Gentiles declaring that it is part of her spirituall joy to see that they be called home unto Christ and this is contained in verse 8 9 10. Secondly Christ againe on the other part setteth out his affection to the Church shewing his care over her by a comparison made betweene Solomons Vineyard and the Church and also by directing her to what should be best for her vers 11 12 13. Lastly the Church doth as it were take the words out of Christs mouth and turneth them into an earnest request and prayer intreating his continuall presence comfort and assistance for ever to lead her and guide her into all truth and this is declared in the last Verse We have a little sister and she hath no breasts c. We must know when this Song was penned before Christs appearance in the flesh the Church was shut up and limited among the Jewes God suffered the Gentiles to wander in the vanities of their owne mind but there were prophecies and promises that the Gentiles should be brought in at the comming of the Messiah and there should be one body made up both of Jewes and Gentiles It is written of Christ I have made thee a light of the Gentiles and the salvation to the ends of the earth Also aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Now those that were faithfull among the Jewes understanding this are very carefull of them saying What shall we doe for our Sister c. In this verse is described First the relation of the Church of the Gentiles to the Church of the Jewes she is her Sister Secondly the condition of the Church of the Gentiles and that is two-fold 1. She is Little 2. She hath no Breasts Thirdly the care of the Church of the Jewes over this new Church by way of demand What shall we doe for our Sister Fourthly the time when her care was such In the day when she should be spoken for when she should be made manifest to the world We have a little Sister c. The Jewes and the Gentiles which believe are Sisters and Brethren Here the Church of the Gentiles is called a Sister to the Church of the Jewes and to Christ also because they have both one common Father Viz. the Lord of whom is named the whole Family in Heaven and in Earth Ephes 3. 15. All the Saints are Sonnes and Daughters of God whither Jewes or Gentiles through adoption and grace Rom. 8. 16. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Hence Observe That the Saints in the unity of faith become neerly related one to another as Sisters and Brethren Christ and all Saints are of one Father and Lord of one Mother viz. the heavenly Jerusalem They are all Children and of the seed of Abraham for so saith the Apostle If yee be Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and Heires of the promise Gal. 3. 29. All the Saints are Heirs of Abraham according to faith and according to the promise And the Apostle saith in Gal. 3. 26. Yee are all the Sonnes of God by faith in Jesus Christ for all yee that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ there is neither Jew nor Grecian bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in Jesus Christ And though the Law was first given to the Jewes onely which were the peculiar people of God to whom appertained the adoption and glory and the Covenants and the service of God and the promises c. Rom. 9. 4. yet the Lord was pleased that the people that sate in darknesse should see a great light and those that dwelt in the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Isa 9. 2. So that the Jewes and Gentiles are now as brethren having both received the same spirit God hath put no difference betweene Jewes and Gentiles after by faith he had purified their hearts Acts 15. 9. Thus much for the relation between the Church of the Jews and the Church of the Gentiles they were as Brethren and Sisters Now follows the state and condition of the Church of the Gentiles though she be a Sister to the Church of the Jewes yet she is First A little Sister Secondly She hath no Breasts As the Church of the Gentiles was a Sister so she was at that time but a little Sister there being onely a few Proselytes brought in to believe in the Messiah she was little then in being and also in her minority for we must observe that this speech is formed according to the manner of the world A young Damosell is not presently married untill she grow up in years she is not for marriage untill she hath Breasts to nourish the Children that she shall bring forth So here she saith we have a little Sister she is not growne up she is not come to ripenesse of yeares to be given in marriage being a small young Damosell And it is added She hath no Breasts This is added even to expresse her littlenesse or smallnesse as before she is not yet marriageable or fit for Christ because she wanted those yeares and that ripenesse that the Lord had appointed with himselfe for her and the meanes also whereby she should come by it So that this Church of the Gentiles had no stablished ministry so that her Children could not suck the breasts of consolation as in Isa 66. 11. she was not come to the state of Israel whose Breasts were fashioned Ezek. 16. So that the Gentiles that were Proselites to the Jewish Religion had their ministry among the Jews and received instruction from the Jewish Pastors Hence Observe That the Spouse in her nonage is under much weaknesse and frailty Here the Church of the Gentiles is very little and small she hath but onely a few Proselites not one of a thousand very few and scarce And she had no breasts she had no spirituall nourishment for her Children she was without the Oracles of God it is true the Gentiles had many wise men of the world great Philosophers and subtile disputers but none of the doctrine of Christ to nourish the soule there was the worship of Devills and all manner of superstition there was great boasting of divine knowledge that in respect of the true wisdome was all nothing but foolishnesse and hence she saith that her little Sister had no Breasts And what here is spoken of the Church of the Gentiles in respect of her nonage the same may be applied to every particular Saint in the time of his nonage and minority Now followeth the care that the Spouse hath for this her little Sister What shall we doe for our Sister in the day that she shall be spoken for Christ and the Spouse are here brought in as it were a man and his wife or a Brother and a Sister debating what were best to be done with their youngest Children or kindred and which

destitute of the saving knowledg of God and of Christ according to the saying of David Psal 14. 3. There is not a man that understandeth c. And of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceives not the things of the spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned That is they are to be taken and understood in a spirituall and heavenly sense to which the carnall man's reason cannot reach unlesse hee be enlightned by the holy spirit And again in 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost That is no man can say Jesus is the Lord who hath bought and redeemed him but by the instinct of the holy Ghost 2. In conversion we are meerly passive in respect of the grace which commeth from without a man and preventeth him because there is no power in man to prepare himselfe to grace or to receive grace being offered unto him or to will any thing that is good for we are dead in sin Now the dead man is only passive in respect of his quickning Eph. 2. 5. Even when we were dead in sinnes hath hee quickned us together with Christ That is he is dead in sin who hath not the life of grace in him so that by the quickning power and operation of the spirit is begotten in the will of man a spirituall principle of grace for the will is the most proper and prime subject of this grace because the conversion of the will is an effectuall principle of the conversion of the whole man but notwithstanding the understanding doth also concur not to the conversion but in the conversion because mans conversion is not wrought without his consent so that the holy Ghost worketh and of unwilling he makes us willing not as free Agent but only in respect of obedience and subjection 2 Cor. 4. 6. Because God who hath said that light should shine out of darkenesse he it is who shined in our hearts And again the Apostle saith Phil. 2. 13. It is Certum est nos velle cum volumus sed ille fecit ut velimus qui operatur in nobis velle Aug. lib. Arbitrio cap. 2. God who worketh in us both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure Where the will is not understood of the substance of the will but of a new quality Agreeable hereunto is that of a Father It is certaine that wee will when we will but hee causeth us to will who worketh in us to will But we must note also that the will is active in conversion and it followeth the holy spirit who draweth it for the holy Ghost doth so bend and incline our wills that he causeth us to will good perfectly so there is Act us elicitus an act of the will drawn forth whereby it doth close with Christ which indeed is an act of faith But this act of the will doth not onely depend upon a principle or habit of grace ingenerated but also upon the secret operation of the holy spirit according to that in John 6. 44. No man can come unto me unlesse the Father draw him And though this act of the will be drawn out freely yet unavoydably and efficaciously John 6. 37. Whatsoever my Father giveth mee shall come unto mee Now in all the actings of the will in conversion it is but as an instrument of the holy Ghost it is first acted by the spirit and then it acts according to the actings of the spirit upon it 3. The Saints are insufficient of themselves after conversion to follow Christ Without me saith Christ yee can doe nothing John 15. 5. That is you can do nothing that 's good or acceptable Thus the Apostle testifieth of his spirituall life I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. And again the Apostle saith By the grace of God I am that I am and the grace in mee was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I. It is not I that have taken such pains though he did it in much travail and wearinesse YET NOT I. Neither was it the grace of Christ that was in me but the grace of Christ which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. That is I was thus inabled for the work of the Gospel not by any power that was in me but it was by the flowings in and the actings of the Spirit of grace upon my soule Obserue 2. From the effect of the Churches prayer We will run after thee That the Saints when drawn by Christ have a will to follow Christ This the Apostle testifieth of himselfe Rom. 7. 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I know not This will appeare if we observe the nature of the will it is elicita not coacta inclined and drawn forth not compelled and constrained will should be no wil if it were so for the will is absolute and free no coactive force can be used against it unlesse it be such as is pleasing and delightfull to it The old saving is ducimus volentem and trahimus nolentem we lead him that is willing and draw him that is unwilling but when Christ is said to draw us he useth no compulsion ot coaction but it 's done by the sweetnesse and efficacy of grace and by the secret operation and working of the spirit convincing the judgement perswading the affections inclining the heart and swaying the will There is in the bringing of the soule to Christ Trahere and Venire the Father is said to draw us John 6. 44. And here Christ is said to draw us now this notes to us the efficacy of grace and that Almighty power by which wee are drawn unto Christ Hence it is that the Apostle saith God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts c. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Now Gods word by which he commanded light to shine out of darkness is a very operative word Let there be light saith God and there was light Gen. 1. 3. Such an Almighty operative and powerfull word goes out from Christ to draw a soule to himselfe And thus his grace works so sweetly upon our hearts whereby wee come freely and cheerfully and therefore we are said to come unto Christ Now the will being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 drawn to Christ it is made to will good freely really and compleatly The office of the will is either 1. To choose 2. To refuse 3. To suspend 1. The regenerate will doth will all good and nothing but good for good is it's proper object therefore it can properly choose nothing but good therefore saith the Apostle If then I doe that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good Rom. 7. 16. 2. It refuses all evill and nothing but evill the regenerate will cannot properly choose any evil because it is not it's proper object it may fall into evil but still

we on the contrary should labour as much as in us lies to cherish and keep it burning In this metaphor the Apostle seemeth to allude to the type of the Priests under the Law who were to cherish the holy fire on the Altar that it might not goe forth thus our faith and other graces must be blowne and stirred up and however we may have the graces of Christ in respect of the habits of them yet we should stir them up unto their acts else they may lye dead in us as fire covered with the ashes Christ would raise our hearts from earthly things unto those that are heavenly from worldly glory unto that which is divine and from carnall joy unto spirituall delight Christ had told the Church before that shee was beautifull but least her dull and misgiving heart should not believe it he adds Behold thou art faire c. Secondly It is a note of wonder and admiration as Behold a Virgin shall be with Child What greater wonder can there be then for a Virgin to conceive and bring forth a Son So here Behold thou art faire this must needs be a wonderfull thing that shee that was black and deformed should be thus beautifull and fair and that her naturall deformity should be cover'd with a supernaturall comelinesse this is an admirable thing indeed and well may it be prefaced with a note of admiration Behold thou art faire c. Thirdly it importeth to us an assurance of our spirituall beauty for this word Behold is a note of asseveration as I said before to assure us of the truth of the thing Our hearts are apt to misgive us and very unapt to believe the bounty and goodnesse of Christ we can hardly thinke he will bestow such glory and happinesse upon us as he hath promised now that he may take us off from this unbeliefe he doth declare it to us by this asseveration Behold thou art faire c. Thus much for the word of attention admiration and asseveration the next thing in the Preface followeth which is his love title unto his Spouse My love The same word is used here as was in Vers 9. and it signifieth a familiar a fellow-friend a companion it hath its name of feeding and conversing together And thus Christ declareth the reason of that intercourse of love betweene him and his people saying I have called you friends not Servants for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you And saith he you are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you Joh. 15. 15. Now in that Christ doth so often give unto his Spouse this sweet and lovely title of friend and love and the like it manifests unto us his sweet everlasting undying affection unto his Saints by which he is one and the same to his Church for ever Hence Observe That Christs love unto his Saints is an everlasting and an undying love Christs love is eternall and everlasting a love that never decayes or waxeth cold like the stone Jul. Solin in Polyhist cap. 12. Albestos of which Solinus writes of that being once hot it can never be cooled againe The love of Christ towards his Saints is like a Fountaine ever flowing and never dried up or like the sacred fire which never went out The love of Christ whose gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. is an undying affection that never will decay Hence saith he in Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love And in another place With everlasting kindnesse will I have mery upon thee Though the Saints offend Christ often yet he loves them still he onely purges them and heales them of their spirituall maladies which cannot be done without some smart but he doth not a whit lessen or detract his love from them Though his people come upon him every day for new supplies yet his goodnesse is never wearied or tired out yea though thousands millions of his Saints presse upon him at once yet he hath for them all and the Fountaine of his love and grace is never emptied O what a whetstone should this be to our Spirits and how should this flame of Christ's eternall love towards us kindle a fire of love in our hearts towards him againe Nothing doth more concilliate and attract love then love it selfe it would be horrible ingratefull in us not to spend and be spent for him that hath lov'd us so much as Christ hath done certainly if love doe not draw us unto him nothing will The acts of Christ's love are the cords wherewith he draws souls unto himselfe I drew them with cords of love saith he Hosea 11. 4. And I drew them with loving-kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. Nothing will draw us unto Christ effectually if love will not Thus much for the Preface the Proposition followeth Thou art faire thou art faire The word Japhah signifies faire or beautifull not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pulcer elegans venustus decorus fuit in colour but in comely proportion and elegancy such as draweth love and liking as you heard in Ver. 8. The Church is called faire by reason of the graces and the spirituall beauty of faith hope love patience wherewith Christ hath beautified her The doubling of the word increaseth the signification it expresseth the superlative degree it is an usuall Hebraisme to expresse that which doth excell by the doubling of the word as faire faire that is most excellent and very faire for it doth expresse the vehemency of the mind when the Speech is so doubled Sometime we use the same forme of Speech even among our selves when we would most of all villifie one we say he is naught he is naught as Solomon saith of the buyer Prov. 20. 14. In like manner when we would expresse something most rare and exellent we use to say it is excellent it is excellent Even thus the Lord Jesus commendeth the beauty of his Church to be most rare excellent and transcendent that which can hardly be uttered with any words And thus Christ praiseth the excelling beauty of his Church not onely to comfort her with all the members thereof that neither the whole nor the parts of the whole should be discouraged with their blacknesse and deformity but also to declare thereby that shee is not onely faire but excellent transcendent and wonderfull faire and glorious in his sight Hence Observe That the Saints excell in beauty and are most amiable in Christ's sight It must needs be so for Christ is made unto them of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Wisdome for covering their ignorance Righteousnesse for bearing their iniquity Sanctification for making them holy Redemption for her full and absolute Salvation Although the Church be black and there be many deformities and spots in the Saints while they are here yet Christ beholdeth his people according to those comely graces and vertues of faith love hope patience and the like wherewith he