Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	believe_v	faith_n	reveal_v	2,834	5	9.4772	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80200	Refreshing streams flowing from the fulnesse of Jesus Christ. In severall sermons, / by William Colvill sometime preacher at Edenburgh.	Colvill, William, d. 1675.	1654 (1654)	Wing C5431; Thomason E815_2; Thomason E815_3; ESTC R207356	165,987	210

therefore in it there is no certain knowledge 2. There is a knowledge of a thing from the natural and immediate cause of it This is an assent firm and evident and is called Science 3. There is a Moral certitude when a man knoweth the certainty of his estate for the present but is uncertain whether it will continue as a man from sense may know a present heat in his body but is uncertain whether the same will endure some learned Divines in the Roman Church grant this moral certitude of salvation 4. There is a Certitude of Divine Faith whereby we assent to supernatural truths not from any evidence intrinsecal in the thing known but from evidence of Divine authority revealing the same in the Word The certitude of knowledge in a man renewed concerning his perseverance is not opinion for that is uncertain and lyable to error It is not Science because this is from natural reason But the knowledge of perseverance is taught by Scripture and divine revelation Neither is it moral certitude only for the present but it is a certitude of divine Faith grounded on divine Authority in holy Scriptures Obj. Obj. But how can a man know with certainty of Faith that he himself believeth because it is not particularly revealed in Scripture that such a man by name believeth● Therefore the proposition of his believing in special not being founded on divine authority the conclusion concerning his perseverance and certainty of salvation cannot be certain by a divine Faith Answ I answer 1. A conclusion may be de fide Answ 1 and should be assented to by a divine Faith if it be deduced from one proposition set down in holy Scripture and another made evident by the light of nature or sense As for example this conclusion the Father and the Son in the holy Trinity are two distinct persons is and should be assented to with a divine Faith and yet is deduced from one proposition known by the light of nature To wit that which begets is distinct from that which is begotten and from another proposition known by the light of the Word To wit but the Father begets and the Son is begotten in like manner this couclusion Jesus born of the Virgin Mary is the Messiah is to be assented to with divine Faith and yet our Lord inferreth the same from one proposition known by the light of Scripture To wit Isaiah 35. he that doth the works of the Messiah is he true Messiah But I do these works saith our Lord Math. 11.3 Now this assumption was known by sense and by seeing him do those works So I say this conclusion I shall persevere in grace unto eternal life is assented unto by divine Faith and is deduced from one proposition known by the light of Scripture To wit He that believeth shall not perish but persevere unto eternal life Ioh. 3.16 And from another known by the light of spiritual sense in the renewed man To wit But I believe 2. This spiritual sease of a Believer is not a fantasie or imagination but is soundly founded on the qualifications and marks of true saving Faith as they are holden forth in holy Scripture as 1. That true faith from sense of Gods love doth humble the heart and afflict the spirit with sorrow for sin Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they pierced and they shall mourn This look is by believing and it brings home with it a sense of love which woundeth the heart with sorrow for sin 2. True Faith purgeth and purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 Christ received by Faith to dwell in our hearts doth by the sweet smell of his oyntments and graces purge out of our hearts the sent and delight of sinful and vile lusts 3. This true saving Faith is not dead and idle but holy and operative It worketh by love Gal. 5.6 as the fire worketh by heat on the objects see before it so Faith by love to God bringeth forth works of holyness toward God and of righteousness toward our neighbour 4. Lastly it is a prevailing and overcoming Faith 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith and Faith resisting and overcoming temptations is a sound Faith Though a renewed man and sound Believer may be overcome by temptation at a time in his affections Yet his will is not wholly subdued and overcome for the ill he doth he willeth it not Rom. 7.19 To Iesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith with the Father and holy Ghost be all praise Amen Victory over DEATH through CHRIST 1 COR. 15.56 57. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ AS our perseverance in the state of grace A peaceable death flows from the fulness of Christ is a fruit of the Merit of Christ so a peaceable death in the savour of God and in the hope of glory is a refreshing stream flowing from the fulness of Jesus Christ The comfortable tast of the fruits of the Cross of Christ doth sweeten the bitterness of death as that tree did sweeten the waters of Marah Exod. 15.25 In the words two points offer themselves to our consideration 1. A twofold misery from which we are delivered In the words two points to wit the sting of death and the strength of sin 2. The procurer of our deliverance Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ As for the one part of our misery In what sense the Law is the strength of sin the curse and rigor of the Law and how we are delivered from it we spoke already in a Sermon on Act. 13.39 Only I would speak one word or to clear how the Law which forbiddeth sin and threatneth punishment to the sinner is said to be the strength of sin It is not to be understood so as if the Law did strengthen a man to or in sinning for it prohibites sin and reveals wrath from heaven against all unrighteousness and disobedience but the Law is called the strength of sin because a man unrenewed before the time the Lord by grace rectifies his will and affections doth from his own inbred corruption take occasion at hearing of the Law to enlarge his vast desires toward all the sins forbidden therein It is not so much the forbidding of sin as sin forbidden and heard of that provoketh the sinful appecite Rom. 7.7 8. Is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law but sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concup scence for without the Law sin was dead Our inordinate concupiscence when it is once awaked by hearing of sins forbidden like a sleeping Dog awaked becomes more fierce to commit sin like those whose appetite is depraved by that disease called Malacia or Pica they long most after meats forbidden for this reason Aquinas renders

he careth not though all men beside him were miserable But where envying is there can be no contentment or rest to that soul for Envy is the fretting of the heart and rottennesse of the bones Pro. 14.30 But the renewed man is content in his prosperity lesse or more The godly content in 1. Prosperity he looketh on his worldly advantages in one relation to God both as they are tokens of his fatherly love and as they are pledges of a better and more enduring substance It is not those common gifts but their relation to God that gives him contentment It is like the great contentment a faithfull wife hath in a gift but of common and ordinary substance sent from her loving Husband 2. The renewed man his prosperity doth not encrease his desires after more of the creature but after more of God himself in whom alone is eminently to be found all the comfort that is scattered and sprinkled like salt here and there on diverse creatures He is content with his present condition praieth God to continue it if it so seem good in his eyes But above all he desires the encrease of favour with God 3. The renewed man in his prosperity communicates to the necessities of others and this breeds him much contentment He is more content with that which is useful to others then of what himself possesseth their good contents him more then his own goods 4. He is free from envy that is a worm in the gourd the more plentiful condition of others doth augment but no waies diminish his contentment for he rejoyceth and delights in the riches of Gods bounty to others 2. Adversity The sound beleever is content in his estate of adversity and low condition Old Eli when he heard the threatning of a fearfull change in his outward estate 1 Sam. 3.18 said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good he looked to the Soveraign Lord who rendreth not an account of any of his matters Job 33.13 Not only is he content and submits to what is revealed but is prepared to submit to more when God reveals more of his will to afflict him Let him do this said Eli and whatsoever seemeth him good So did Ezechias rest content with a sad dispensation 2 King 20.19 Good is the Word of the Lord said he to the Prophet which thou hast spoken So did David 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him The reasons and ground of his contentment in his greatest adversity are Reasons of contentment in adversity 1. Because the childe of God makes Gods favour his portion Psa 16.5 Psa 73.26 Psa 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord The loving-kindenesse of the Lord is better then life And life is better then means of life The childe of God can and will rejoyce in this everlasting portion Though all things worldly should fail him he wants not matter of contentment that hath the all-sufficient God for his everlasting portion Hab. 3.16 17 18. in a time of great trouble Although saith he the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall no herd be in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation As a Merchant adventuring a little portion at Sea though it miscarry yet he rejoyceth in the stock he hath at home So the childe of God though his outward commodities perish yet he rejoyceth in his God who is the strength of his heart and portion for ever Psa 73.26 2. Faith in a renewed man looks up to God as his Father in Christ Joh. 16.27 The Father himself loveth you Joh. 20.27 I ascend to my Father and your Father The beleever rests on his Fathers wisedom who knoweth what is best and on his love who will give to his children what is best for them Mat. 7.11 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him 3. Faith in a renewed man is copulative It beleeves all the promises of greater and lesser of spiritual and bodily of eternal and temporal benefits because God is faithfull in all and he that doubts of one cals in question the authority of all being one and the same to wit the Word of God Now God hath promised Psa 34.9 There is no want to them that fear him Psa 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Faith from an interest in Christ that great Original gift convinceth the judgement and perswades the heart quietly to depend on God for lesser benefits by a demonstrative argument from Gods love Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Faith makes the happinesse of heaven to be present in the heart of the beleever He sees heaven in a map he gets a view of the promised eternal rest in an elevation of faith as Moses did of the Promised Land from the top of Pisgah Deut. 34.1 This sight doth so affect the heart with quietnesse and contentment that it neither faints nor frets under present troubles 2 Cor. 4.16 18. For which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Let us learn in every estate to be content Vse not only in prosperity but also in adversity Learn contentment in every estate Shall we receive good at the hands of the Lord and shall we not receive evil Job 2.10 Neither must we limit the holy One of Israel in his dispensation by saying We could be content to suffer so much but no more It is both folly and presumption for the Patient to prescribe to his Physician Let us rather resolve with the Apostle Paul Act. 21.13 I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus And with the Martyr Ignatius be content to suffer one extremity after another so that we may gain Jesus Christ Remember what would have become of us if our Lord and Surety Jesus Christ hath said so that he was content to pay a part only of our debt and to drink a part of that bitter cup of Gods wrath One of ten thousand was enough to keep us for ever in that bottomelesse prison One drop of wrath would be enough to make us for ever miserable Obj. Object But may not a man lawfully desire to be delivered out of present trouble and if it be so how can he be said to be content with