Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	covenant_n	seal_n	seal_v	4,393	5	10.3434	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28622	The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians priviledge in approaching to God in ordinances, duty in his sacramentall approaches, danger if hee do not sanctifie God in them / by Samuel Bolton ...	Bolton, Samuel, 1606-1654.	1644 (1644)	Wing B3520; ESTC R33239	55,356	184

out unto us in his death and sufferings whereon feeding wee get spirituall nourishment for grace and death of sinne The blood of Christ like the waters appointed for the triall of jealousie hath a double property to kill and to make fruitfull to kill our sinnes and make our graces grow to rot our sins and ripen our grace Well then remember that the great dish thou feedst on at this Feast be Christ himselfe Christo sublato nihil restat in sacramentis praeter inanespectaculum Dav. in col Thou canst not feed upon a promise untill thou first feed upon Christ he doth not onely give us title and interest in them but appetite to them If thou feed on him thy stomach will be quicker to feed on them nay if thou feed on him Christus est substantia sacramentorum ejus operatio est ipsa vita sacramentorum thou feedest on all the promises and hast an interest in all the good of them the sweet of all the promises is tasted in Christ All the promises are folded up in Christ and thou canst not feed on him but thou feedest on all and hast the blessing of every one in particular The promises of justification sanctification subduing of corruptions increase of grace upholding in grace interest in glory they are all of them folded up in Christ hee is all The promise doth not but Christ doth justifie Christ doth sanctifie you get nothing from the promise separate from Christ but all the good of the promise comes in by Christ and therefore here terminate your faith And so much for the second upon what object wee must terminate our Faith We come to the third For what benefit must Faith here be exercised Partic. 3. First faith must not bee here acted for your justification it is required you should be justified persons have your sins forgiven before you come hither He that comes hither under the guilt of sin goes away with more guilt and his former guilt is doubled and confirmed on him So that for this benefit faith is not to bee acted as wee shall shew hereafter Secondly faith must not be here acted for Regeneration It is required a man should be borne againe bee in the state of grace sanctified before hee come hither Here is the multiplying of grace but no begetting of grace As in the miracle of loaves Mat. 14.19 there was no new bread created but a multiplying of the bread they had So here is no giving of grace where there is none but a multiplying of grace where it is where grace is there it is increased but it is not here begotten A man may come to the Word though he be gracelesse Rom. 10.14 because the Word is an Ordinance set up for the gathering of men and begetting souls to Christ but none are to come to the Sacrament but such as are begotten anew the Sacrament is not the Font it is not the place where men are born but the table where men are nourished it is not the seed of the new birth but the meat of the new born we must be born before we eat bred before fed begotten before nourished If we come graceless hither we shall go graceless away and worse then we came In particular then Faith must here be exercised for the further assurance of our justification God hath cast down the soule by the ministery of the Word hee hath discovered and revealed the promise brought the soule over to the promise upon which it rests and is justified and hither we come to be further assured of it This was one end why the Sacrament was set up We know the strongest are but weake in faith Fides non toll it sed vincit omnem dubibitationem Dav. there is no such assurance in the world as to expell all doubts fears though to overcome them but though they may be suspended in their actings for a time and well subdued and conquered yet they are not altogether expelled if they were then were there no need of the Sacrament for this end to confirme and strengthen faith Fides potest habere aliquem modum dubitationis salvâ fide and so one of the ends wherfore God set up this Ordinance were in vaine to that man But I say there is no man so sure but may be surer there are degrees of assurance as well as faith and so may we grow up in assurance as well as faith And now for the further assurance of our justification God to the covenant of grace and mercie wherein he promised the free pardon of sin hath annexed the Seale of the covenant whereby we may be more assured Indeed here is no need of this in respect of God our justification is sure with him his intention is as good as his promise his promise as his oath his oath as his seale But it was God's goodnesse to us pitying the weaknesse of our faith he stooped below himself and was not only content to give us his promise but to confirm it with his oath the great seale of Heaven and to all this to afford his Sacraments to seale up all unto us Heb. 18.19 that we might have strong assurance and consolation Heb. 6.18 It was to this end to assure us who have such unbeleeving hearts that God gave word upon word promise upon promise oath to oath seale to seale heaping mountain upon mountain and all to confirm our staggering hearts That we might be strong in him when weak in our selves faithfull in him when fearfull in our selves stedfast in him when we stagger in our selves And how should we exercise faith here and go doubting away How shall we go away trembling after all this confirmation An oath among men is the end of all controversie the concluding of all difference and disputes and shall not God's oath prevail thus much with you Why doe you suffer returne of feares and doubts after such a seale Woe be to us Vae nobis si nec juranti Deo credimus Aug. if we will not beleeve God no not upon his oath Doest thou desire better security Thou shalt never have it thou canst not If you would come up to God and take his security how could you doubt 2. A second benefit for the compassing of which faith must be exercised c. is the increase of our graces or perfecting of our sanctification My brethren we are weak in grace you know how much infidelity and how little faith how much enmity how little love how much obstinacie how little pliable conformity to his will what a deale of formality how little power what hardnesse of heart how little brokennesse of spirit for sin c. And being weak in grace there is a necessity that these graces should bee nourished As there is necessitie of daily bread for the nourishing and upholding of our bodies so there is necessitie of spirituall food for the nourishing of grace in our soules And as there is

nourish and feed himself his own graces here Christ in the Sacrament doth nourish Christ begotten in the heart by the Word And the soul feeding upon Christ by faith is further changed into his Image In our corporall feeding the meat is changed into the nature of the eater but in our spirituall feeding the eater is changed into the nature of the meat eaten the Believer into the nature of Christ 1 Cor. 3.18 While beholding him as in a glass we are also changed into his Image Thus doth faith feed upon Christ and draw down nourishment for the strength of every grace in us c. And according to the measure of faith's feeding such is the proportion and measure of nourishment conveyed As the stomach sendeth down nourishment to all parts from the supply of food which it hath fed on Or as the Liver having drawn down and made blood from the nourishment in the stomach diffuseth and spreadeth abroad and sends to every part some So Faith having fed upon Christ doth here send down nourishment to all the graces or as in a Feast you send portions to your poor brethren so Faith having feasted it self on Christ sends down portions to her sister-graces All our graces have a dependance on Faith and Faith on Christ our Graces depend on Faith as a Mediatour to our Mediatour as that grace which hath immediately to do with Christ from whence it fetcheth supply and provision for all the rest That is the second benefit faith is here to be acted for 3. The third benefit that Faith is here to be exercised on Christ for is the further subduing and conquering of our corruptions Faith hath a double work to do It works in Heaven and it works in Earth As it works in Heaven for the justification of a sin so it works in earth for the mortification of sin and here in this Ordinance is faith acted on Christ for the further killing of sin Faith hath a special art in going over to Christ fetching from him such help as is sutable to the necessities of the soul If we be weak in Graces Faith can go over to Christ for the strengthening of them If corruptions be strong Faith can go over to Christ for the subduing and conquering of them And by making use of the merit power promise Spirit of Christ gets strength from him for the subduing of unruly lusts untamed corruptions Why will Faith say Lord thou hast promised to subdue my corruptions and thou art able to subdue all to thy self Oh! therefore set thy power against the power of my lusts These sons of Zerviah are too strong for me but not for thee I am burthened with a dead heart a hard heart unbelieving heart c. But never was there heart so hard but thou canst break it never heart so dead but thou canst quicken it There is life enough in thee for all the sons and daughters of death in the world oh that therfore thou would'st quicken me that thou would'st break me Thus doth Faith make use of Christ here for the subduing of corruptions And let me tell you there is a speciall art dexterity and skill which faith hath wherby it forms such conceptions of Christ as are ever sutable to the present necessity of the soul whereby it gets more speedy relief 1. If there be a return of guilt upon the soul and burthen upon the conscience Faith looks upon Christ in blood Christ a Priest a Sacrifice for sin 2. If the soul labour under ignorance Faith looks upon him as the great Prophet of the Church and saith Lord thou hast taken upon thee to be the great Prophet of the Church Joh. 6.45 Isa 14.13 Jer. 31.34 thou hast promised wee shall be all taught of God Oh! therefore teach me instruct me c. It is not so sutable to look upon Christ as a Priest when we desire he should do the work of a Prophet 3. If we be weak in grace faith looks upon him as the universall fountain and principle of grace one who hath all fulness in him able to fill a world of hearts with grace though they were never so barren or empty And so goes over to him for strengthening c. 4. Mal. 3.2 If we labour under the pollution of sin faith looks upon Christ as a refiner a purifier a purger of his people from sin As one who came not only to be a Redeemer but a refiner not only a Saviour Eph. 5.26 Tit. 2.14 but a sanctifier of his people Ephes 5.26 Tit. 2.14 5 And so if corruptions be strong faith looks upon him as a King who is able to subdue and conquer unruly affections and to bring every thing into subjection to himself God hath not only furnished Christ with fulness of supply to answer every need of the soul but God hath given to Christ diversity of titles that wee might conceive of him not only as a ful but as a sutable good to every necessity of the soul And God having thus diversly represented Christ to our understandings as a Prophet a Priest a King a Refiner c. Faith doth form such conceptions of Christ as are most sutable to the present necessity of the soul 4. A fourth benefit for which Faith may be exercised in this Ordinance is for deliverance out of temptations Thou hast been long assaulted by Satan Vnus filius sine peccato nullus sine tentatatione 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 12.9 Heb. 2.18 Rom. 16.20 thou hast felt the blows and buffets of Satan many yeers God hath not only promised to support thee and succour thee in this condition but God hath promised to deliver thee out of this condition Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly Why now exercise faith to sue out these promises God hath made go over to Christ not only for strength and support in the condition but for victory and deliverance out of it These dayes they are not only God's sealing but God's performing dayes God doth not only here put his seal to every Promise folded up in the covenant but hee is ready here to make performance of the things he hath promised And therefore go gather a catalogue of promises which suits with thy condition spread them before God and here come sue them out in this Ordinance Thus you see the first grace which is to bee exercised in this ordinance namely Faith And I have shewed you 1. what Act 2. upon what Object 3. for what benefits faith is here to be exercised I have named foure but here is not all the Sacrament is the Seale of the whole covenant and what ever particular benefits are folded up in the great draught and covenant of God here you may exercise faith for the compassing and obtaining of them Where ever there is a promise in the Word there is work for faith to sue it out in this ordinance which is the seale to all c.

which examination is more generall or more speciall 1. More generall of all our sins those before and those after our effectuall calling 2. Of our Graces 1. What knowledge of God 2. What faith 3. what repentance 4. what love 5. what hunger thirst c. 2. It is more speciall 1. how the soul hath carried it self under former Sacraments in particular since the last Sacrament what good it hath gotten what more strēgth of faith what more weakning of corruption what more increase of grace what more ability to serve God and what evil it hath done all which should be set on upon the soul with the many aggravations being sins against vowes promises against covenant which doth adde much guilt to sin and double the offence 2. The soul is to examine it self how it stands for present what aptness what fitness for the duty what Sacramentall sorrow what faith to close w th God in the present offer what fitness to joyn w th its fellow-members in holy cōmunion and love what hungring and thirsting after Christ in this Ordinance what spirituall appetite what present disposition of soul to renew bonds and covenants with God in this Ordinance Of these and the like are we to examine our selves that 's the first 2. There is required Excitation of our graces that wee stir up our faith our repentance our hunger and thirst c. 1. Our faith to close with a new offer of Christ 2. Our repentance to mourn afresh our hunger and thirst after Christ tendered here These are God's rules and if observed God is sanctified and that is the second 3. You may know whether you have sanctified God in this Ordinance if you examine whether you have observed God's ends Now God's ends are many viz. 1. to glorifie God 2. to get strength against our corruptions 3. to get increases for our graces But I shall only name one set down by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 Do this in remembrance of mee Christ did a great work for us and hee is desirous it may may not be forgotten He hath taken care it should be remembred both in heaven and in earth As he remembers it in heaven it being a part of his intercession for us there to represent his blood and sufferings before God As under the Law the Priest when he had offered the sacrifice was to go with the blood before the Altar and Mercy-seat and shew it to the Lord So Christ having offered himself a sacrifice presents his blood within the vail appearing in the presence of God to intercede for us And as hee hath taken care to remember it in heaven Heb. 9.24 so he hath taken care to keep it in remembrance on earth And therfore he hath set up this ordinance to shew forth his death to put us in mind of his sufferings chargeth us to do this in remembrance of him And when we observe this end truly rightly as wee ought then do we sanctifie God in this Ordinance I say truly and rightly for every remembrance will not serve the turn 1. It must be a cordiall and hearty remembrance wee must remember him with an affected heart in Religion * Quod cor non facit noa sit what the heart doth not is not done Many remember him in a bare historicall way to recount his sorrows and yet their heart not affected It is not enough to remember Christ in the head but you must remember him in the heart words of knowledge imply affection It must be cordiall 2. It must be a gratefull and thankefull remembrance and there is great cause it is the top-mercy that which purchased all for us Look on all coming swimming in a stream of blood See upon all your mercies ingraven The price of blood and you will see great cause to be thankfull 3. It must be a mourning bleeding remembrance So to look on him pierced as to be pierced on him wounded as to be wounded c. And indeed who can look upon Christ in blood who can behold what he hath suffered and conceive himself to be the actor of all this and yet the sharer in all the fruit and benefit for though we were actors of it yet hee put us not out of his Will and Testament he did not except against us in the partaking the fruit of it who can thus behold him but must weep over Christ as the old Prophet over the other alas my brother alas my brother so alas my CHRIST alas my CHRIST 4. It must be a crucifying remembrance such a remembrance of Christ crucified as crucifies our sinfull affections our lusts and corruptions as deals by sin Pro me Dei filius jugulatus iterum me peccare dilectat as sin hath dealt by Christ kills sin as sin hath killed Christ Oh! say shall I give life to that which hath been the death of Christ shall I cherish that hath killed Christ shall I take pleasure in that hath been so bitter to Christ shall I count that light which hath been so heavie to him shall I love and bosome the knife hath killed my husband Under the Law if an Ox goared a man the Ox was to die and shall sin kill Christ and shall it not die for it such a crucifying remembrance it must be as makes us take up weapons against sin And he that thus remembers Christ observes God's end and hee who observes God's ends doth sanctifie God in his Ordinance Well then would you know whether you have sanctified God in this Ordinance see if you have observed God's order God's rules God's ends before you come and so much for the first 2. Would you know whether you have sanctified God in this ordinance see if you have exercised God's graces in the time what those are and how to be exercised I have shewed at large 3. See whether you do return home w th God's quicknings with God's inlargements w th God's inablements are you more humble more serviceable Are you more thankfull Do you find corruptions weakned your graces strengthened Doth your indeavours afterward answer your care and conscience before Is your heart set further against sin Are the wayes of God more lovely to you Are your souls knit neerer to God your spirits more inflamed with love of him These are plain demonstrations that you have sanctified God in this ordinance and that God hath sanctified it to you But now on the contrary let me tell you 1. If thou hast broken God's order and method that thou hast come hither in a graceless Christless cōdition the soul never yet awakned to see sin and be humbled for it Thou knowst what sin is in the Catechisme but dost not know what sin is upon the conscience Thou canst tell mee what faith is in the book but art not acquainted with the working of it in thy soul and what repentance is but yet a stranger to it The day is yet to come wherein thou set thy self to mourn and