Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	doctrine_n	exposition_n	3,180	5	10.8188	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49466	Remedy against trouble in a discourse on John XIV, 1 : wherein something is also briefly attempted for clearing the nature of faith, of justification, of the covenant of grace, assurance, the witness, seal and earnest of the spirit, and preparation for conversion, or the necessity of holiness / by H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1694 (1694)	Wing L3481; ESTC R13639	76,819	257

of Wrath by Nature subject to the Curse of the Law the Power of Satan and insupportable misery to all Eternity 2. We must believe assuredly that there is no way to be saved without receiving all the saving benefits of Christ his Spirit as well as his Merits Sanctification as well as Remission of Sins by Faith It being as he saith the ruin of many souls that they trust on Christ for the remission of Sins without any regard to Holiness when as these two benefits are inseparably joined in Christ He herein grants more than many will desire of him that men should assuredly believe this in the first Act of Faith 3. We must be fully perswaded of the all-sufficiency of Christ for the Salvation of our selves and all that believe on him 4. We are to be fully perswaded of the truth of the general Free-promise in our own particular case 5. We are to believe assuredly that it is the Will of God that we should believe in Christ and have Eternal Life by him as well as any other Now without the two former of these we shall not mind coming to Christ but shall make light of him without the others we shall have little encouragement to come to him Now if any shall enquire whether these things which are perpatory to our believing or coming to Christ be in our own power or are the effects of God's Grace in us and whether conversion do always follow thereupon I Answer There are some things as much in our own power as any of our natural or moral actions are that may have a tendency to our conversion and therefore the Prophet complains of Israel Hos 5.4 that they did not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. And there is a Sermon in the Morning Exercise Published in the Year 1661. ☜ reputed to be Mr. Greenhills who was a person far from the suspicion of ascribing too much to the power of Nature which resolves the question what persons must and can do towards their own conversion Now it is certain that men may as well go by their Natural power where the word is preached as to places of temptation And there they are within the call of the Gospel and so are as the impotent persons at the Pool of Bethesda Jo. 5.1 c. 1 Cor. 3.5 c. Rom. 10 17 Luk. 8.12 in a nearer capacity of cure if it please God by his Spirit to give increase to what is planted and watered for faith comes by hearing and therefore the Devil endeavours to divert our minds from what we hear lest we should believe and be saved We see further how much it is in man's power to bend his mind to the study of any particular subject we see it plainly not only in mens chusing in general the study of Law Physick or Divinity but those that addict themselves to the study of Divinity chuse any particular point thereof to treat on And they who give not the least ground of hope that there is any saving work upon their own souls will press upon others such things as the consideration of may incline and dispose them to believing Ezek. 18.14 28. Psal 119.59 Rom. 2 23. and men have the same natural power to teach themselves which they have to teach others But all this will not reach to conversion any farther than God is pleased to give to every one I will now shew you what God doth towards the conversion of sinners or which may have a tendency thereto Some things he doth by his Providence which he makes many times subservient to his Grace Acts 17.26 He that determines the bounds of mens habitation casts them into such places where they may hear the Gospel preached plainly seriously by such as persuade men 2 Cor. 5.11 as knowing the terror of the Lord. And he may exercise them under some affliction which may be as a ground-rain soaking to the roots and softning the clods and turning them to mold that the seed that hath been long buried may spring up of that which persons have a long time before heard and never thought of after when some humbling affliction befalls them they bethink themselves 1 Kings 8.47 and repent But such works fall short many times of true Conversion Hos 6.4 Gen. 20.6 Jo. 16.8 and this goodness proves but as the morning cloud or early dew which passes away God doth something further by his common grace restraining men from much evil I confess I think our Saviour where he speaks of the Spirit 's reproving or convincing the World understands the World of such whom he chose his Disciples out of and distinguishes them from but I think it is not intended of any inward working of the Spirit upon their hearts but of those Miracles which he wrought which confirmed the truth of Christ's Resurrection and of his Doctrine By such means as I have now mentioned men may be brought near the Kingdom of Heaven but never enter into it Mark 12.34 See Cassander's consultation p. 45. But those preparations which Salvation doth follow upon are as the soberer Papists acknowledge wrought by Gods Grace and Spirit He enlightens the mind so as we have a more clear sight of Heavenly things and other apprehensions of them than before we had when it pleases God to reveal his Son in us Gal. 1.16 Isa 53.2 Cant 5.10 Jo. 6.44 45. he that before had no form nor comeliness in our eyes nor any beauty that we should desire him is now the chief of Ten thousands in our account and altogether lovely God draws us to Christ by teaching tho I do not think that all the efficacy of God's Grace consists in propounding things to the understanding or in enlightening the understanding to conceive aright of them But by a secret touch of his Spirit he so effectually inclines our hearts to him 1 Kings 8.57 Phil. 2.20 that we do in a sort naturally mind spiritual things that is freely without constraint This of the Spirit 's enlightning the mind is not a peculiar notion of Enthusiasts but the commonly received Doctrine of sober Protestants So Bishop Pierson on the Article of the Holy Ghost in his Exposition of the Creed tells us The work of the Spirit is double external and general or internal and particular By the former he reveals the will of God to the whole Church by the latter he illuminates the understanding of particular believers that they may receive the truth the Holy Ghost working in us an assent to that which is by the word propounded Again God doth by his Spirit convince us spiritually of our state and condition and the word Eph. 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Acts 2.37 which is the sword of the Spirit and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing to the dividing asunder betwixt the Soul and the Spirit the joynts and the marrow pricking sinners at the heart so as it shall be as a Sword in their bones