Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	faith_n	good_a	sin_n	6,644	5	4.8896	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01028	A letter first written and sent by Io. Forbes, pastour of the English Church at Middelburgh vnto certen of the companie of marchands adventurers at Stoade, at their earnest desire, for resolving this question: how a Christian man may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit, from the testimonie of his owne spirit, in witnessing his adoption. And now againe renewed and enlarged by the authour, at the desire of divers good Christians, for the comfort of their troubled co[n]sciences, and published by those of his flocke, to whom he did dedicate it for the publike vse of the Church.	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1616 (1616)	STC 11131; ESTC S118027	27,622	94

therein So that the working and witnessing of the spirit in the wicked is like the smell of an Apothecaris shop which one that passeth by receyveth although hee never carrie anie of these odoriferous things with him But the witnessing of the spirit to the elect is by imparting the thing witnessed to the soule making it reallie to possesse it So that if a man could see the soule of a true child of God he should see ingraven in it mercie peace love righteousnes life ioy and Christ himselfe all the promises of God in Christ being written therein by the spirit according to the covenant of God Conforme to this doth the Apostle speake of the spirits witnessing to the hearts of the Corinthians when hee saieth yee are manifest to bee the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with inck but with the spirite of the livinge GOD not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Nowe therefore wee come to speake of this witnessinge of the spirit which is proper to the elect And to the ende wee may cleerelie discerne the testimonie of the spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sonnes of GOD wee must yet more deepelie marke and consider this testimonie The worke of the spirit in assuring vs of Adoption is twoofolde The firste for distinction wee shall call this first writinge of the worde reveyled in our hearts and so makinge vs to beleeve in God as our God and Father in Christ The second is our sealling after we have beleeved That it is so ye may see in the wordes of the Apostle to the Ephesians In whom also sayes he ye have trusted after that yee heard the word of trueth even the Gospell of your salvation wherein also after yee beleeved yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Marke first this worke of the spirit in causing vs to beleeve in God by the effectuall revelation of the worde next marke that other worke of the spirit after we have beleeved in sealing vs. The first of these two although it bee felt by vs yet at the first wee can not discerne it to be the worke of the spirit till afterward For before we be made spirituall we can discerne nothing of the spirit because the things of the spirit are spiritually discerned But when we receyve the spirit which is of God then are we able to knowe the things which are given to vs of God Therefore that testimonie whereof the Apostle speaketh to the Rom. which witnesseth with our spirits is to be vnderstood of the seconde worke of the spirit which is our sealing That we may vnderstande this aright we must consider that there is something that cōmeth in in vs betwixt the first worke of the spirit and the second And that is the testimonie of our owne spirit bearing witnes that we are the sonnes of God For when God by his spirit hath imprinted in our heartes the word of promise then begins our hearts to say we are the children of God being perswaded by the spirit secretlie insinuating the worde in our hearts to beleeve beleeving to speak according as it is said I beleved therfore did speak Now it might seeme there needed no more but let vs remember what Christ saith to Peter Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not So wee have need that our heartes be established in that worke of the spirit otherwayes we should bee in danger to make shipwracke of faith of a good conscience which is nothing els but this testimonie of our owne hearts Therefore doth the Church pray in the Psalme Establish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. And the Apostle after hee hath given thankes vnto God for the Thessalonians effectuall calling he prayes to GOD That hee who had given them this good hope through grace would also establish them in everie word and good worke Therefore is it that our God for stablishing vs in faith in the assurance of our Adoption seales vs by the holy spirit of promise This is manifest out of the former place to the Ephes where he saieth That after they beleeved they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise This same doth the Apostle to the Gallat confirme when hee sheweth that Christ was sent to this ende to redeeme vs That we might receyve the Adoption of the sonnes and then he addeth and because yee are sonnes GOD hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts that crieth Abba Father And that this sealing of vs by sendinge forth the spirit of Adoptiō in our hearts is the meane whereby God establisheth vs it is manifest by the Apostle to the Corinthians For when first hee hath shewed that it is God which establisheth saying It is God which establisheth vs with you in Christ then addeth he the meane whereby God did stablish them saying and hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Which three sayings are all one thing in substance Therefore doeth Iohn from this anointing confirme and assure these to whom he did write against the fearing to fall away but saith he The anointing which yee receyved of him dwelleth in you and as it taught you yee shall abide in him And the Apostle to the Corinthians taketh the Argument of his confidence from this that God hath given vs the earnest of the spirit And the same Apostle from this giving of vs the spirit of libertie which crieth Abba Father proveth vs to bee the sonnes of God in that eight chap. to the Romanes Whereby it is plaine that by these three the self-same thing is meant albeit diverslie expressed accordinge to the three sortes of confirmation the one by anointing so were Kings Priestes and Prophetes confirmed in their calling the other by an earnest which is a cōfirmation of the bargaine and of the payement of the full somme and the last by sealing which in all writes contractes and obligations is a confirmation of all therein conteyned and promised Accordinge to which amongst the Persians whatsoever was sealed with the Kinges Ring could not bee changed nor revoked Therefore whomsoever God seales vnto life as his child he is made most sure of eternall life For this cause is it that in the Revelatiō God first will have his childrē sealed before the enemies can have power to execute their malice and of these thus sealed it is that Christ saieth that the gates of hell shall not prevayle against them And that they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of his hande Now this same sending foorth of the spirit of Adoption in our hearts is our sealinge Therefore saieth the Apost to the Ephesians ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise And this same is also

you all things Secondly God is said to speake vnto vs by his spirit when hee confirmeth to vs the thinge which he hath spoken and of this wee have also spoken in generall And of this kinde of voyce speaketh the Apostle in that place to the Romanes sayinge The same spirit heareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the sonnes of God Of this confirmation the same Apostle speaketh to the Corinht whē he saieth As the testimonie of Iesus Christ was confirmed in you Which wordes shewe the cleere evidence of that two fould testimonie of the spirit whereof wee did speake before The one when God writeth his word in our hearts which heere is vnderstood by the testimonie of Christ The other when he seales that which hee hath spoken and in speaking hath written in our heartes and that is here vnderstood by the cōfirming of the testimonie of Iesus in vs. And for this work of cōfirmation the spirit is called the earnest seale of God And as God by his spirit sealeth and confirmeth all the promises in Christ and also all what hee himselfe hath wrought in vs according to the promise So among other things he specially cōfirmeth our Adoption whē the spirit beareth witnesse to vs that we are the sonnes of God After that first he hath effectuallie called vs by teaching vs and working faith in our hearts and also hath made our hearts now beleeving speake to vs that we are sonnes Thirdly God is said to speake vnto vs by his spirit whē he comforted vs in our troubles removing by his spirit the anguish and grief of our hearts restoring vs to our wonted ioyes in him again Of which voyce of the spirit David speaketh whē he prayeth Make me heare ioy and gladnesse And a●aine Restore me to the ioye of thy salvation and establish mee with thy free spirit For this worke the spirit is called the Comforter Nowe wee come to the last point which is the principal thing which yee demaund and that is Howe wee shall discerne this Testimonie of the Lords spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit And this is to bee done eyther in the time of peace or trouble although it is more difficile in prosperitie to distinguish them There is two voyces of the spirit as we have saide which both witnesse our Adoption The first when the spirit in vs speakes to God This testimonie of the spirit is discerned three wayes The first thing whereby we discerne it is the great heavines of heart and sorrowe which the conscience of sinne breedeth in vs whē as saith the Prophet God having poured vpon vs the spirit of grace and cōpassion Wee looke vppon him whom we have pea●sed and lament for him as men mourne for their onely begotten sonne and are sorrie for him as men are for their first begotten childe Of this nature was the mourning of Peter after his deniall when as sayeth the holy scripture hee went out and weeped bitterlie and because this is a sure ●oken of saving grace therefore they that mourne are compted blessed This mourning hath alwayes ioyned with it an hunger thirst for righteousnes For ther can be no true mourning for sinne where there is no desire of righteousnes And because this is the proper effect of the spirit of grace in all and everie one of those who receyve him Therefore doeth the Lord by his Prophet declare what shall be the worke of the spirit of grace and compassion in that day whē God shall poure him out vpon his children sayinge Then shall there bee great mourning at Ierusalem like as the lamentation of Adadrimmon in the valey of Megiddon c. In which place mourning is attributed to everie familie to everie state and everie person and that apart by them selves to shewe that it is a common effect wrought by the spirit in all Gods children that vnfainedly The second thing whereby we discerne this testimonie of the spirit is the earnest longing with vehement grones and sighes in our selves for to be with Christ Of this voyce of the spirit the Apostle speaketh when he sayeth Wee also who have the first fruite of the spirit even wee sigh in our selves wayting for the adoption And in an other place to the same effect hee sayeth That wee sigh desiring to bee clothed vpon with our house which is from heaven For certainly the naturall disposition of a man can never bring forth this stronge desire of heaven neither yet could the renewed heart beeing yet burdened with infirmitie and love of this life have so strong a desire of removing from it of it selfe if the spirit did not worke it and therefore the Apostle attributes these sighes for righteousnes heaven to the spirit and doth shewe vs that the spirit in these cryes and sighes helpeth our infirmities Thirdly this testimonie of the spirit is discerned by the cōfident requestes and petitions it maketh to God in vs in the full assurance of faith without doubting when with boldnes wee drawe neare vnto the Throne of grace crying vpon God Abba Father and in all things making our petitions manifest to God as sayeth the Apostle For this confident boldnes of the heart towardes God still accompanied with reverence and feare cannot be in the heart except the spirit did worke it For the boldnes of a blind heart wanteth both assurance of Gods love and reverence of his maiestie But leaving this wee come to the discerning of the other voyce which more properly is called the testimonie of the spirit speciallie in that place to the Romans And that is when God in vs speaketh by his spirit vnto vs. This testimonie is to be discerned from the testimonie of our hearte three manner of wayes First in our first beleevinge Secondly after wee have beleeved Thirdly in the eclipses of our faith and in our troubles In our first beleeving wee may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from our owne touchinge our Adoption because our first beleeving is ever by the testimonie of the spirit and not by the testimonie of our owne heart For our heart can never beare witnes to vs that wee are the sonnes of God vntill first our heartes have beleeved that wee are his sonnes and this our hearts can not do except the spirit have first wrought this faith by the worde in our hearts Therefore my first beliefe and assurace of my Adoption is alwayes the testimonie of the spirit of God and my owne hearts testimonie must still followe vpon this so that in mans hearte the voyce that maketh it first cōceyve Gods love and beleeve it is the spirits testimonie which when the heart of man hath receyved then it speaketh For till it beleeve it can not speake according as it is written I have beleeved and therefore I have spoken Thus then is this testimonie first discerned when I discerne the voyce of the spirit which I beleeve from