Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	sin_n	word_n	4,593	5	4.4164	3	false

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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

so that hee is dead Wherevpon it comes to passe that God therein is so terrible to man that hee cannot abyde him nor heare him but is compelled to runne from him as is cleere by the 12. chapt of the Hebrues verse 19. 20. 21. compared with Exod. chapt 20. verse 18. 19. 20. 21. Thus our former blindnes is turned into bondage and the fruit of blindnes that is securitie is turned in the fruit of bondage which is feare Therefore the ministerie of the Lawe is called the ministerie of death and condempnatiō And in the first act of Gods calling the spirit that speaketh in the Lawe and is given by the ministerie of the Lawe is called the spirit of bondage vnto feare Because the sight and knowledge of our selves and of God which the spirit gives vs by the Lawe workes these effectes And therefore by that name is distinguished from the spirit of Adoption which is given by the Gospell and this will the Apostle signifie to the Galathians when he comparinge the two Testaments to the two by whom Abraham begot Ismael Isaack doeth shewe that the one which is from Mount Sinai doeth beget vnto bondage This being the estate of man both by nature and by the Lawe it is manifest that these effectes of the spirit which witnesse adoption are not in man neither by nature neither by the Lawe But when the free spirit of the Lorde commeth then commeth libertie to the heart And this spirit of the Lord otherwayes called the spirit of promise comes to vs by the preaching of faith and not of the workes of the Lawe as witnesseth the Apostle to the Galathians and the historie of the Actes of the Apostles Nowe then when the man who first by nature was vnder blindnes and next by the Lawe was vnder sinne and death kept in bondage and feare findes him selfe first delivered frō that blindnes and ignorance of minde and next from that bondage of sinne and death and so consequentlie frō his feare which was wrought in him by his bondage then may he knowe that the spirit of adoption grace and libertie hath spoken to his heart and hath taken possession of it because he findes that promise accōplished in him whereof Zacharias speaketh in the Gospell according to Luke to wit that God would grant to vs that we being delivered out of the handes of our enemies should serve him without feare all the dayes of our life in holynes and righteousnes before him For this was the ende of Christes death sayeth the Apostle to the Hebrewes to witt that hee might deliver all them who for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage Thus therefore the mā who can discerne in his hearte which once was filled with the spirit of bondage vnto feare the ioyfull libertie of the sonnes of God whereby hee that was the bondman and seruant of sinne by the Lawe is now by the Gospell made the free man of Christ the bandes of iniquitie being broken and so freed both from the guiltines and also from the power of sinne being iustified by faith in Iesus Christ and having grace in the superabondance thereof reigning through righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord even in the soule wherin sinne in the aboūdance thereof had reigned through vnrighteousnes vnto death this mā I say may easilie discerne the spirit witnessing his adoption by this his libertie from the slauerie of sinne First in his iustification next in his sanctification and so consequentlie from the feare of death following thereon In place whereof succeeds a ioye vnspeakeable glorious the hart iustified reioycing in the hope of the glorie of God For this cause is it that the Apostle Peter willeth vs by ioyning vertue to our faith and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance c. to make our calling and election sure Because our sanctification being the worke of the spirit of adoption is a sure seale of our election And therefore doeth the Apostle Peter give this reason of his threatning and rebuke against Simon Magus to wit that albeit he was baptised yet the Apostle did see that he was in the gale of bitternesse and in the band of iniquitie wherein Simon being still captive could have no assurance of adoption albeit hee had outwardly embraced the Gospell and therefore is said to have beleeved And because this worke is the great worke of Christ in the elect and chief ende of his comming Therefore doeth the Prophet Esaie describe the worke of his comming and effect of the spirit of the Lord in him in these wordes The spirit of the Lorde is vpon mee the Lord hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliverie to the captives and receyvinge of sight to the blinde that I should set at libertie them that are brused and that I should preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord to appoint vnto them that murne in Zion and to give vnto them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioye for mourning the garmentes of gladnes for the spirit of heavines that they might be called trees of righteousnes the planting of the Lord. Which Prophesie Christ sheweth to bee fulfilled by him selfe in the Gospell accordinge to Luc. in the which it is manifest that the work of the spirit in preaching the Gospell is to worke knowledge and libertie in making vs trees of righteousnes planted by God and by libertie to worke ioye and gladnes in place of mourning heavines Therefore is it by good reason that the Apostle forbiddes vs to let sinne reigne in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lustes therof in respect wee are made free from sinne in Christ and are made the servants of God having our fruit in holines And also biddeth vs reioyce alwayes in the Lord for there is no condempnation to vs that are in Christ seeing we are freed from the lawe of sinne and death by the lawe of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus This is then that great effect of the spirit of Adoption in our heartes whereby as by a most sure testimonie wee discerne the spirit sealing our Adoption Because this spirit of adoptiō which is given vs by the preaching of the Gospell takes away both these miseries to witt the blindnes wherein we are by nature next the bondage reveiled by the law and feare caused thereby Havinge thus spoken of the worke of the spirit it followeth that we consider the voyce of the spirit This voyce of the spirit is of two sortes The first is when the spirit within vs speaketh to God for vs. The second is whē the spirit in vs speaketh from God vnto vs. The voice of the spirit to God is when we by the spirit call vpon God as our Father And this voice of the spirit is

our anointing poured out vpon vs as that oyle on Aaron therefore are we saide to have this annointing from him which is holy and that it teacheth vs and that it is true not lying according to that whiche is said by Christ of the spirit I will pray the Father he will give you another comforter that hee may abyde with you for ever even the spirit of trueth he shall teach you all things And the same also is our earnest therefore it is called the earnest of the spirit and also the first fruites of the spirit So by the same spirit as by oyle as by earnest as by a seale doth God stablish our harts in that which they doe witnes to vs touching our Adoption And that doth the Apostle signifie whē he saieth the same spirit beareth witnes with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God Marke then the order of Gods working First he speakes the word of trueth to the heart and in speaking writes it in the heart heerevpon the heart is made to beleeve that which it hath heard receyved from the spirit and when it beleeves it speakes and the thing it speakes is that same which is engravē in it by the spirit to wit that God is his God and hee his child For never can the hart of a man speak one word of mercie to him nor of Adoption till the spirit of God have spoken first mercie to it Nowe when the spirit of man hath spoken and given testimonie to him of his election he● the Lord for establishing the heart in this and confirming man in the testimonie of his heart he addeth his spirit and by the testimonie thereof seales this promise in the heart and makes Adoption and eternall life most certaine and sure to the soule that he dare be bold with the Apostle to say Who shall lay any thing to my charge who shall condempne me who shall seperate mee from the love of Christ I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor anguish c. shall bee able to seperate me from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ my Lord. And that we may yet more evidentlie see the necessitie of this testimonie of Gods spirit we are to consider that albeit our own harts have in them a power to witnes vnto vs what wee are both by nature and by grace yet the testimonie of our heartes touching our estate by grace is not so fullie and confidentlie to bee reposed vpon and trusted as the testimonie therof touching our estate by nature For wee may assuredly trust our hearts and cōsciences when vpon anie guiltines they condemne vs seeing hee is cursed who abydes not in everie jo● of the Law to fulfil it he that trāsgresseth one cōmandment is guiltie of all but we are not always to give absolut credit to our consciences when vpon conceit of innocēcie they iustifie vs. For although our consciences accuse vs of nothing yet thereby we are not iustified as is plaine by the saying of the Apost touching himself 1. Cor. 4. 4. the reason hereof is because our consciences doe not so cleerlie see our estate which is from God neither can they of them selves so truely iudge of it as they may do of their estate by nature when they are illuminate by God for then they are made to know and cleerly to see that in vs there is no goodnes and therefore ther is iust reason why they should condempne vs. And we are verily to beleeve our harts vpō this sight and knowledge condempning vs. but on the other part although we see the minde of God towards vs in Christ yet wee can not so throughly apprehende his promises vpon any sight we receive that we dar trust our felicitie absolutly to the testimonie of our owne hearts First because our heartes may be deceyved as is evident by scripture that many shall bee Secondly because wee may mistake the working of God in vs and lay hold on a wrong ground Thirdlie because our heartes are more prone to speake good nor evill of our selves even when they have neuer so small occsion to doe so and when they have much more occasion to do the contrarie And lastlie because all men are lyars onely God is true and therfore we must never give so much credit to our consciences speaking good of vs as when they speake evill speciallie when the question is of being the sonnes of God or not so that even when they witnes that we are the sonnes of God wee are not to rest herevpon except God who only knoweth whom he hath chosen doe by his spirit confirme the testimonie of our spirit For we may much more surely trust our heartes in that which is in our selves and from our selves then in that which is neither from our selves nor in our selves but is the free gift of God in Christ Therefore that we should not bee deceyved by our deceitful harts God secoūdeth our owne testimonie touching his taking of vs for his children by his spirit witnessinge the same even as by his owne mouth cōfirming our adoptiō For by the mouth of two or three witnesses shal everie word be stablished Thus I have shewen you what is the spirits testimonie in what manner he gives it and how necessarie it is Now I come to that which you desired to know that is how wee discerne the testimonie of the spirit which seales our Adoption from the testimonie of our owne spirit For knowledge of this First let vs consider that there be three things whereby wee discerne our Election and Adoption from the spirit of God The first is his presence with vs. The second is his worke in vs. The third is his voyce vnto vs. Touching the first the verie presence of the spirit of Adoptiō is a witnesse of our Adoption For the spirit is the earnest of the inheritance of God as wee have shewen before therefore whosoever hath the spirit the verie having of him is a sure testimonie to that man that he is the sonne of God For he that hath the spirit of Christ he is Christes as by the contrarie hee that hath not the spirit of Christ is not Christes Now the having of the spirit is discerned by the other two that is by the work and by the voyce therefore those two are chiefly to be considered first his worke in vs which must go before his voyce I meane this voyce which seales Adoptiō For otherwayes his voyce alwayes goeth before his worke for it is by the worde that hee worketh all things in vs. For vnderstanding of this work and voyce of the spirit which sealeth adoption marke the wordes of the Apostle in that same eight chap. of the Rom touchinge the spirit Yee have not receyved sayeth he the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee have receyved the spirit of Adoption whereby wee crye Abba Father Heere Adoption vnder

the voyce of my spirit now beleving and bearing witnes to me of that which first the spirit of God did witnes to it Secondlie after we have beleeved wee may also discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit by a plaine contrarie order For in the former the spirites testimonie did goe before the testimonie of our spirit but heere it followeth after it and is the confirmation of it So that when after wee have beleeved the spirit speakinge the word vnto vs and after that beleeving wee have spoken with our owne spirit if then wee heare a new voyce cōfirming that which we beleeved and which our spirit did speake that cōfirming sealing and stablishing voyce is the testimonie of Gods spirit Thus wee must learne to discerne betwixt our beleeving and the confirmation of our belief and so shal wee know the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit Therefore still the holie Scriptures of God distinguish betwixt the worke of God in making vs receyve the testimonie of his spirit and his worke in confirming in vs that testimonie nowe receyved And also teacheth vs to knowe the testimonie of our own spirit which commeth in betwixt these two to bee different from them both Accordinge to this working of God the Saincts pray Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. To speake more plainly of this point there is a three folde voyce in the heart that hath the testimonie of Iesus confirmed in it The first is the voyce of God by his spirit in the worde speaking vnto our hearts and perswading them to beleeve that the promise belongeth vnto vs. The second voyce is the voyce of our hearts receyving the word wherby it speaketh that which the spirit hath perswaded and this in effect is nothing but the very faith of the heart now actually working in vs. Whereas the first was the worke of the spirit working this faith in vs so that in this first act we are patients in the other we are agentes in the first we are spoken too by the spirit of God in the seconde our owne heartes speaketh in vs. The third voice is the voyce of Gods spirit following the voyce of our hearts ratifying it and this is nothing els but the confirmation of our faith So wee may see that the Lord performeth twoo workes in vs for our comfort the first is the working of faith beliefe the other is the confirmation of the faith which he him selfe did work But before his last work our hearts having faith wrought in them doe worke by it or wee with our hearts worke and this is nothing but beleeving with the heart or the hearts beleevinge Wherevpon followeth the sealing of vs in that which it beleeveth that is in the testimonie which the beleeving heart giveth of him in whom it is Thirdlie we discerne this testimonie of the spirit in our trouble when we find any cōfort or peace wrought in our hearts when they are troubled or anie ioye vpon the assurance of Gods love If wee finde a quiet calmnesse of minde with patience meeknes and reioycing in tribulation vpon anie sight or knowledge of our Adoption all these are the vndoubted testimonies of the spirit who shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts maketh vs to reioyce in affliction as the Apost speaketh of the Hebrues and ye suffered with gladnes the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in heaven a better and an enduring substance And touching the Apostles it is saide They departed reioycing that they were compted worthie to suffer for his Name That this ioy is the work of the spirit vpon the testimonie of Gods love is manifest by the Apost to the Romans where shewing the cause why we reioyce in afflictions sayth Because of the love of God which is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy spirit which is given vs. According to this grounde it is that the Saints are brought in wayting what God will speake to them in trouble as namely in the Psalme 85. vers 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say concerning mee for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his saints And the Prophet Habacuk in like manner is brought in saying thus I will stande vpon my watch and set mee vpon the Towre and will looke and see what hee will say vnto mee Thus whē God speaketh peace to the Saincts in affliction and quieteth their thoughtes and maketh them heare ioye and gladnes that is the testimonie of the spirit of the Lord who is our onely Comforter For as sayeth the Prophet David My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart And therefore Moses prayeth O satisfie vs with thy mercie so shall wee reioyce and be glad all our dayes comfort vs againe c. We may hold it for a most certaine trueth that our patient enduring of grievous trialls ioyfully the constant peace of God in our hearts in the tyme when wee endure the enimitie of the world the cōsolations wherewith we are comforted in all our afflictions are vndoubted testimonies of our Adoption proceeding all from Gods spirit But all this is most cleerlie discerned when the testimonie of Gods spirit and the testimonie of our spirit are seperate the one frō the other when they are found to speake one against the other and to give two contrarie testimonies For while these two goe together and are not severed or disagreeing it is oft tymes hard to discerne the one from the other But if we can finde them seperate so that the one faile vs and the other vphold vs then may they cleerly bee discerned And this commeth to passe eyther when God vpon the carnall presumption of our hearts suffereth vs to fall in some dangerous triall or then when God him selfe seemeth to become our enemie so that the heart hath to wrestle with GOD him selfe vnder the sense of his wrath all former feeling of his mercie then ceasing Of the first wee have example in Peter whose heart saide vnto him that no danger could make him forsake Christ the Lorde to make him know that this was not the testimonie of Gods spirit but a carnall confidence of his owne heart suffered him to be tried and in the triall to fall and so to finde it was but his owne carnall heart that did beare witnes to him God oft tymes for this cause tryeth his owne children to make them discerne betwixt the confidence and assurance which their owne hearts giveth them and that confidence and comfort which the spirit of God worketh in them that they may not trust in them selves or in their owne hearts but in the living God This the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians saying He maekth vs to receyve the sentence of death in our selves because we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Of the second wee

have example in David and Iob. And this discerning of the spirits testimonie is two folde one is by the voyce of the spirit in vs vnto God when our hearts speake the contrarie The other is by the voyce of the spirit vnto vs whē our own hearts saith otherwayes Of the first David is an example who in his prosperitie saide hee should never bee moved Yet when God did hyde his face his heart fayled him and he saide in his haste I am cast out of thy sight and yet hee presently addeth these wordes neverthelesse thou heardest the voyce of my prayer Heere wee may perceyve Davids owne heart saying hee was cast out of Gods sight but yet the spirit of GOD maketh request vnto God for him and maketh him pray to God in faith as not reiected of God and the Lord did heare him This him selfe sheweth plainlie in an other place when he sayeth I beleeved and therefore I spake but I was sore troubled I saide in my haste All men are liers At this time David compassed with the snares of death holden by the griefes of the grave finding trouble and heavines declares the estate of his owne heart that it said that all men are liers and therefore he gathers this conclusion that albeit his owne heart did say that Gods promise should not bee accomplished yet doubtlesse he behoved to have faith because he prayed For except hee had beleeved he had not spoken And what can bee more cleere to let vs see Gods spirit bearing witnesse that God hath not forsaken vs when our owne hearts say the contrarie Then when by witnessing this the spirit causeth vs against the distrust of our owne hearts to pray to God evē above hope yet vnder hope trusting in the Lord as did Abraham If we examine our selves what hath bene the estate of our hearts in the like or at least in our greatest temptations wee shall finde that many tymes when our harts hath spoken no comfort vnto vs yet the spirit of God hath drawen sighes and cries to God out of our hearts which also our God hath heard most graciouslie These cries are testimonies of the spirit witnessing to vs that wee are the sonnes of God when as they proceed from vs our hearts saying the contrarie Of the second kinde of the spirits voyce in speaking from God vnto vs wee have likewise example in David when his owne heart said vnto God Why hast thou forgotten me Behold an other voyce speakinge vnto his heart in that same tyme Why art thou vexed O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee O put thy trust in God for I will yet give him thankes he is my helpe and my God Heere the heart speaking no comfort but being wholy discouraged and cast downe the spirit of God in that same heart speaketh to the heart and comforteth it with this that God was his God Nowe that these consolations are the worke and testimonie of Gods spirit it appeareth by that reason which David giveth when hee boasteth in strong cōfidence that although hee should walke through the valey of the shadowe of death yet would hee feare none evill saying For thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee By these wordes declaring that the experiēce he had of the comfort which Gods spirit did minister vnto him in his most desperate troubles past even then when his owne spirit did faile him was the ground of al his cōfidence against all future trialls Wee have an example also of this in Iob. Who when his owne heart reasoned that God had hid his face from him and taken him for his enemie yet hee saith Although hee slaye mee yet will I trust in him hee shal be my salvation Heere two different speeces in one heart the one from the spirit of Iob the other from the spirit of the Lord in Iob. The one perswading that God was his salvation when the other saide God had hid his face from him Thus if wee would cleerlie discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit let vs beholde our selves when God tryeth vs rather then when he maketh our mountaine to stande stronge or when hee doeth wrestle with vs himselfe as he did with Iacob and in seeminge to fight against vs yet doeth sustaine vs by his owne strength in vs when our strength faileth vs. Thus I have as distinctlie as I could and therefore somewhat more largelie then an epistle perhaps requireth given you such satisfaction to your question as it hath pleased the Lorde to grant me light If you finde any comfort thereby you shall thank God for it And what is wanting in it for your full satisfaction in this matter the Lord shall supplie it by his owne spirit or by that sufficiencie of grace which hee hath given vnto others his servants whō he shall raise vp to write more fullie of this matter for the edification of his Saints in this and all other thinges I pray the Lord to give you and vs all his everlasting peace through Christ IESVS our Saviour reveyling more and more the mysterie of godlinesse in your hearts and makinge you abound in all knowledge with faith feeling and ioy of the holy Ghost The grace of the Lord IESVS bee with you and all the Brethren AMEN Io. Forbes Reve. 3. 17 Luke 18. Luc. 13. 22 Mat. 7. 22. 1 Ioh. 3. 20 Io. 3. 8. Acts. 19. 2 Mat. 16. 16 Galat 4. 6. Rom. 8. 10 1 Ioh. 3. 24. Psal 19. Psal 79. Esa 8. Ioh. 5. 39. Iam. 2. 19. Ier. 31. Heb. 8. Hebr. 8. 9. Ioh. 5. 38. Ioh. 6. 45. Deut. 30. 12. Rom. 10. 68. Esay 54. 13. Ioh. 8. 30. Ioh 17. 8. Mat. 13. 18. 1 Cor. 12. 3. Mat. 7. 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Heb. 6. 4. Ioh. 14. 17 Act. 17. 28 Ephe. 2. 12. Math. 13. 20. Rom. 5. 5. Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 2. Psal 116. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 13. Luc. 22. 31. Psal 68. 28. Gal. 4. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. 2 Cor. 5. 5. Rom 8. 15 16. Dan. 6. ● Revel 7. 3 Ma. 16. 18 Ioh. 10. 28 Ioel 2. 28. Act. 2. 17. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Io. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 5 Rom. 8. 16. Rō 8. 33. Deut. 27. 21. Gal. 3. 10. Iam. 2. 10. Rom. 8. 9. Rom. 8. 15 Gal. 4. 6. 2. Cor. 3. 17. Eph. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 18 Rom. 5. 1. Eph. 3. 12 1 Pet. 1. 8. Rom. 5. 2. Rom. 3. 11 Eph. 2. 12. Ep. 4. 8. Cha. 5. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Thes 5. 5. Colos 1. 13. Gal. 4. 8. Eph. 4. 19. Rom. 7. 7 Rom. 8. 3. Rō 7. 14. Gal. 3. 10. Rō 7. 10. 2 Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 15 Gal. 4. 24. Gal. 3. 2. and 14. Act. 10. 44. Luk. 1. 74 Heb. 2. 15 Heb. 2. 15 Rom. 5. 1. and 21. Pet. 1. 8. Rom. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10 Esa 61. 1. Luk. 4. 18. Rom. 6. 12 Phil. 4. 4. Rom. 8. 1. 2. Rom. 8. 26 Rom. 8. 23 Zacha. 12. 10. Eph. 2 18. Rom. 8. 16. 1 Cor. 2 1● Rom. 8. 27. Ephe. 6. 18. Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 2 Cor. 3. 17. Ioel. 2. 32. Rom. 10. 13. Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 1. 2 2. Tim. 2. ● 19. 2. Tim. 2. 22. Esay 30. 21. Hos 2. 14 Psal 51. 8. Io. 14. 26. Rō 8. 15. 1. Cor. 1. 6 Psal 51. 8. 12. Zach. 12. 10. Math. 26. 75. Math. 5. 4 Zach. 12. 11. Rom. 8. 23 2. Cor. 5. 2 Rom. 8. 26 Phil. 4. 6. Psal 116. 10. 2. Cor. 4. 13. Psal 68. 28 Heb. 10. Act. 5. 41. Psal 73. 25. Psal 90. 14. 15. 2 Cor. 1. 9 Psal 31. 2. Psal 116. 10. Psal 42. Psal 23.