Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	lord_n	voice_n	wind_n	2,550	5	9.4969	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61026	Free grace, or, The flowings of Christs blood free to sinners being an experiment of Jesus Christ upon one who hath been in the bondage of a troubled conscience ... / by John Saltmarsh.	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing S485; ESTC R28122	77,906	222

way of Faith of Christ and the Promises and the glory of the New Testament is ever unsetled unstable full of fears doubtings distractions questioning and the more such a soul is reasoned with concerning their condition the more they question the truth of every spiritual working in them and this comes from the power of the Law still upon their consciences which is more powerful to convince and accuse them then the Gospel is to excuse or acquit them having more of the ministery of condemnation before them or in their eye then of the ministery of life Jesus Christ and Satan he takes advantage of their legal condition and stirs up jealousies and doubts and so much as there is of legal apprehensions so much there is to hinder the bringing in of the Kingdom of God into the soul which is not onely righteousnesse but peace and joy and therefore under the Old Testament where they saw the Blood of Christ onely through the blood of Bulls and Goats and heard the Apostles afar off in the Prophets and were brought to the Mountain that smoaked they lived in much bondage and being under the Law till the fulnesse of time that the Seed came were like servants though they were heirs too the heir as the Apostle saith then differing nothing from a servant though he was lord of all There is nothing but the taking in of the Law and accusings or condemnations of it which can trouble the peace quiet of any soul for where there is no law there is no transgression and where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sin all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law which demands a satisfaction of the soul for the breach of it and such a satisfaction which the soul knows it cannot give and thereby remains unquiet like a debtor that hath nothing to pay and the Law too being naturally in the soul as the Apostle saith the conscience accusing or else excusing It is no marvel that such souls should be troubled for sin and unpacified the Law having such a party ingagement already within them which holding an agreement with the Law in Tables or Letters of Stone must needs work strongly upon the spirits of such as are but weakly faintly enlightned and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments the convictions the terrours the curses which the Law b●ings therefore all the power of Christ and the Gospel is to be applyed to raise up such souls from under the power of those stones and burdens which the Law would ●oll upon them Such are to have more Gospel then ordinary applied because they have so much Law naturally within them Such are to know they are not now under the Law but under Grace and the Law hath no more dominion over them and they are dead unto that Husband and they are now upon a new foundation Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone and we should say to such Let not your hearts be troubled ye beleeve in God beleeve also in Jesus Christ VII The working of the Spirit of Christ in a soul though not so clearly enlightned I observe That in a soul though legally enlightned or receiving Christ yet there are certain Gospel-workings whereby it will appear that Jesus Christ is there 1. There is a closing or fastning or clasping about Christ in the Promises of the Gospel especially some of the freest and fullest of Grace for such souls can onely finde some freedom of going out to Christ in them as some who delights most in men of easiest and hearty behaviour and can sooner make a friend of them then any other and if there be but any promises with the least condition of repentance c. they dare not meddle with such suspecting themselves not enough prepared for them and suspecting the promises like strangers of too narrow behaviours for them to be familiar with like some modest homely Maide that is unwilling to go abroad into company of greater quality then her self lest she should not be well thought on or received as too mean or ill-bred for their society So are the souls of such as cannot close with the conditional promises 2. There is in such some breathings of soul to God some flowings out of Spirit some meltings of heart in prayer and dispositions like a birth newly quickned where there are many motions of life so where Christ is new formed like a Lock in tune where there is in every wheel put turnings and stirrings My beloved saith the Spouse put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock 3. There is in such a secret working against sin and lust or corruption the spirit that is come in is a pure a clean an holy spirit and all the motions and operations of it are to make the soul and body clean and spiritual as they that are of a neat and finer disposition they will not live in a room unswept and ungarnished I have put off my coat saith the Spouse how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them And he that hath this hope saith the Apostle purifieth himself even as he is pure and having received such promises there will be a cleansing themselves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit What communion hath light with darknesse 4. There is in such some acts of Communion with God in his several Ordinances and with the Spirit and Christ such will finde a power and efficacy a rellish and sweetnesse a stirring and awakening in the Word preached in prayer in spiritual conference in every Ordinance which others that are yet meerly carnal do not experience though it fares often with such as with Samuel when he was young and the Lord called him he thought it had been Eli that had spoken he was not acquainted with the voice and speakings of the Spirit or of God So the souls of such know not the Word not Spirit in their souls many times the voice of Christ is not heard for the voice of Moses nor the voice of Grace for the voice of the Law and they know not when the Lord breathes or comes as Eliah whether in the winde or in the fire when as he is in the still and small voice of the Gospel there are many things which hinder such in their discernings and perceivings of the Spirit of Christ not onely things without as the Law c. but something within the Passions and legalnesse of their own spirits which troubles both their spiritual hearing and seeing and that makes many souls walk so little in the Spirit and be at such a losse in their Communion with God and all this is for want of bringing the soul more out into the glory of the Gospel being called the Ministration

which exceeds in glory till with open face they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord Which glory would exceedingly force away the darknesse and clouds of ignorance fears and doubts from the soul which like smoak arises from the fire and kindling of the Law in weak beleevers We know green wood with any fire in it will set all the room on a smoak so beleevers whose spiritual Principles are but green and have any sparks of the Law and the curse for sin kindling in them will be fuller of smoak then light therefore they are called smoaking flax I will not quench the smoaking flax CHAP. III. Of the Parties falling into the same sins in some measure which they had lived in in their unregenerate estate from whence all their late bondage hath been Quest I Pray relate to me how long you continued in your back-sliding till the Lord let you see it to the terrour of your soul as you thought Answ No long time for I saw it shortly after then I had great terrours almost in a despairing way and then I questioned all my assurances and evidences of Gods love I had and promises I had received Then I went to my friend the Preacher full of terrour who desired to know the cause and I told him Then he asked me how it came to be so with me I told him through violence of temptation and natural corruption He told me the sin was not mine but so far as I consented but that could not satisfie me He asked me If God were not able to forgive it I told him I questioned not Gods ability but his will I desired some particular instances of him of any falling into the same sin again I knew the Saints of God had faln into divers great sins but not into the same He then alleadged to me that of the Prophet of back sliding Israel but because he could not clear to me that it was the same sin I was not comforted by it Many and divers promises both he and all the rest applied unto me I was sometimes refreshed yet but for a while They chid me oftentimes and said I lookt for such a measure of grace which I did not but the truth of grace in me and indeed they never told me of any promises but still there was such qualifications in them as I questioned all Quest It seems then this was your case You could not perswade your self of the truth of your light because of your returning to sin nor finde such conditions in your self upon which you could rightly as you thought apply the promises I pray let me know some particular temptations you have had if you think good Answ I was tempted to make away my self lest the longer I lived the more I should dishonour Religion Satan came again to me to eat something with pins in it to choak my self that it might not appear how I died which I did but in mercy I found no harm the Lord prevented it I know not how Many times I have been tempted by divers means to destroy my self but was still prevented by several providences I have been much tempted to keep alone The temptations I had came in alwayes most violently and furiously I could scarce hold I was not my self The Lord once when I thought to have stabbed my self sent in a wicked fellow who brought a Book and read by which I was mercifully prevented I found still in all my temptations I was prevented by some providence and upheld If in the temptation I could but get to consider once then it ended and in this course I have lived and continued most OBSERVATIONS I. The danger of placing assurance most in mortification of sin I Observe That Satan doth tempt our naturall corruption exceedingly to the same sins which have reigned most in us in the times of our unregenerate condition for by that he may the more easily draw us to unbeleef and perswade us against the love of God in Christ and to question our calling because we are naturally apt to take measure of our graces and Gods love to us first by the mortification of sin in us and dying to former lusts and if we finde that otherwise then we would we presently let go our hold upon the promises and slaken our beleeving and perswade our selves that because it is thus and thus with us and corruption quickening again we were deceived in our selves that sure the Spirit was never in us because we finde some goings back and fallings again in the same way we did at first I confesse in natural causes and things the outward working and effects do give the best assurance concerning the truth of their essence or being but that is not the onely way of spiritual assurances they are more by way of word and promise then work and operation Abraham beleeved in hope against hope Rom. 4. II. The danger of drawing our comforts most from the change in the outward man I observe That the soul naturally examines its spiritual state or condition by calling to minde former wayes and times of uncleannesse and by comparing times and seasons the latter with the former and the assurances and comforts of many are raised upon this very foundation of comparison Therefore if Satan can force them or entice them into any part of the former conversation he knows he can exceedingly puzzle and perplex them keep them long under bondage I know the Apostle sets forth the Churches state of Corinth c. by comparing times Such were some of you but ye are washed c. But this is not by way of putting true beleevers upon a method for assurance but in describing and comparing the outward state of the Church-way with what they were before And hence it is that relapsing fallings again into the same sins do bring such anguish and terrour upon such souls even almost to confusion of face nay he makes many souls by this one snare go desperatly forward to sin upon a new score or tally as if it were in vain for them to perswade themselves of Christ or the love of God but rather to sin it out in this life not considering that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and that if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 but go upon an empty and half despairing beleef for salvation like some bankrupts that having once broken ran desperately into more and more debt and finding themselves unable to discharge some they take no care for any as they who said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance Mal. 3. III. The spiritual condition in this life more in being justified from sin then cleansed from sin I observe likewise That a soul which is once brought into these entanglements of back-slidings such as have no clear Gospel-light nor understanding to undeceive unwinde themselvs fall under very sad