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
B12200	The vvonderfull mysterie of spirituall growth Describing the necessitie, nature, manner, measure, and markes thereof. As also, laying downe necessarie rules for the wise discerning of the same. And resoluing many speciall cases of conscience incident hereunto, tending to the comfort of distressed spirits, and so to the attaining of perfect holinesse. Diuided into two bookes.	Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626.	1622 (1622)	STC 5709; ESTC S114304	141,549	449

to that which is before Phil. 3.13 and that still looking to Iesus the Authour and finisher of our faith that so wee may endeauour to perfect holinesse Thus we must liue by faith in discerning the manner of our growth And this will affoord vs many Comfortable conclusions to settle vs against diuers tentations which are incident hereto As first Whereas it much distracts the Saints that because they cannot sensibly discerne for the present the ma●ner of their Spirituall growth no more then they can their naturall therefore they question oftimes the truth thereof If now they shall know that in the discerning thereof they must liue by faith and not by sense this distraction will easily be remedied For now seeing that may be beleeued by Faith which is not apprehended nay is contrary to sense therefore though our growing be not discernable to sense nay sense apprehends somewhat that may be contrarie to our growth therefore notwithstanding these we may still grow in grace Nay seeing we grow by faith and not by sense therefore is this vnto vs a true euidence that we doe grow indeed when we doe not sensibly discerne it for the present when we find somewhat in appearance opposition contrarie thereto if we yeeld not hereunto but rather liue by faith in the power and wisedome of our God bringing light out of darknesse and shewing his power in our weakenesse this indeed is a true token that we grow in spirituall knowledge and heauenly wisedome to discerne things that differ and so also that we grow in grace and so doe hereby fight the good fight of Faith 2. Whereas to liue by Faith is not only to haue some feeling of what wee beleeue by the seale of the spirit in generall as that thereby we are persuaded of the truth of the worke in vs But to liue by faith is further to rely vpon the free power and goodnesse of God aboue what presently wee feele Rom. 4.17 18. lest our present feeling causing spirituall Pride and so securitie and so hardnesse of heart and remissenesse in well-doing do thereby hinder our spirituall growth therefore howsoeuer we may haue some such sense of the worke of grace as that we may iustifie the truth of it for the present in the meanes at least in humbling vs for our fayling and imperfection therein that so it may not be in vaine Yet still we must liue by faith aboue any such present feeling both to haue the comfort of the acceptance of what we haue done aboue the worth thereof as also to looke forward and lay hold vpon the fulnesse of Christ in whom our imperfections shall be holpen and our wants daily supplied vnto the perfecting of the worke of grace in vs. And therefore Though we feele but so much for the present as may keepe vs from sincking in despaire yet still we must liue by faith aboue all present feeling or desire that we may be kept from presumpt●on and kept in a continuall hunger after the best graces And this meeteth with a second tentation arising from present feeling of the worke of grace teaching vs to auoid Spirituall Pride Presumption c. by liuing still by faith aboue and beyond all present feeling And secondly though in our best performance of holy duties we finde not that present answer as we expect but rather meete with what is contrarie thereunto yet if now we can liue by faith we shall be fully satisfied For faith will now teach vs to performe obedience vnto God simply because he commands and not so much for what is promised and so to measure our Spirituall growth rather by encrease of our obedience then returne of the issue thereof Yea though we haue not our particular answer for the present yet the triall of our faith will bring forth Patience Iam. 1.3 and Patience will perfect the worke by pe●seuerance therein yea faith Heb. 11.1 which is of things not seene will enable vs to see a farre off into that great Reward Heb. 11.26 which will sufficiently supply and recompence all our present disappointments and waitings Nay though we meete with contrarie blasts and issues to our desires yet Faith that purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 will reueale vnto vs some inward cause of these contrarie effects and so will enable vs to purge out such secret euils of Spirituall pride vaine-glory and such like which vndoubtedly haue staied Gods hands from giuing vs our desires yea such herein is the power of Faith that resting vs vpon the power good pleasure of God it will thereby pacifie the minde in what God pleaseth to dispense and satisfie also the same that this is best for vs though for the present we cannot discerne it through impatience pride or such like yea the power of faith will dispell these fogs and make manifest to the aduised Spirit what may be best for it Yea herein also appeareth the wonderfull vertue of faith that it will keep the worke a foote more earnestly the more it seems to be crossed continue the same more eagerly in hope at lēgth to preuaile and neuer giue ouer till it hath ouercome the Lord. Oh that we could wisely consider thereof Indeed wee haue a Promise that if wee beleeue wee shall obtaine whatsoeuer wee aske so that it may seeme that if we doe not obtaine wee doe not beleeue But if we remember withall that we must aske according to Gods will and that Beggars must be no choosers and that we may not indent with God either for the time or particular for so we liue by Faith we may vndoubtedly obtaine what is best for vs if not the particular for the present yet what meane-while shall be better and the particular if necessarie in the time most conuenient Only let vs pray in Faith Iam. 1.6 and so wait with Patience apprehending him which is inuisible and in him the glory to be reuealed and so shall we obtaine whatsoeuer may further thereunto in that time and manner and measure as may be most auaileable To conclude this Point The necessitie of this life by Faith ariseth from these two considerations 1. From that admirable and wise manner of Gods dealing with vs in leading forward to perfection 2. From our weake and diuers manner of apprehending the same i. Gods dealing herein is discerned First by bringing light out of darknesse that is by producing contraries out of contraries good out of euill grace out of sin And this the Lord doth diuers waies First Generally working out of euery sinne 1. Sense of our owne inabilitie and corruption 2. So sorrow for the same and so repentance so more humilitie warines against future assaults and greater tentations so that of necessitie here we must liue by Faith that by this peircing and cleere light we may be able to discerne through the thicke cloude of voluntarie sinning notwithstanding an vnwillingnesse to commit the same that in the sweet of sin