Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	covenant_n	promise_n	seal_n	4,049	5	9.6971	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02746	A touch-stone of grace Discouering the differences betweene true and counterfeit grace: laying downe infallible euidences and markes of true grace: seruing for the triall of a mans spirituall estate. By A.H. Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Minister of Gods Word at Cranham in Essex.	Harsnett, Adam, 1579 or 80-1639.	1630 (1630)	STC 12876; ESTC S114563	72,897	335

make sure the inheritance of Gods chosen All that partake of the couenant of grace are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1. 13. which sealing is not for a day a month or a yeare but for euer vnto the day of redemption Ephes 4. 30. The nature of a Seale all know is to make things sure The decree of the Medes and Persians that it might bee irreuocable was sealed with the Kings seale Dan. 6. 8. Lest the Disciples should come by night and steale Christ out of the sepulchre wherein hee was laid They went and made the sepulchre sure and sealed the stone Matth. 27. 66. When wee haue put our seale to a writing by the law of Nations it is firme Shall the Seale of a mortall man bee of that force that no law can alter it and shal the obsignation of the holy Spirit be of lesse vertue and power This were to make God lesse than man Againe it is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glory Now the nature of an earnest we know is to binde any contract or bargain and to giue a kind of state and possession of the thing bargained for Gods Spirit is his earnest which he hath laid for his to assure the hearts of his children of their full possession of that inheritance which Christ hath purchased God hath prepared for them Now if any shal obiect that we may either lose or forfeit our earnest and so misse of the bargaine you must know that the Spirit of God doth neuer finally and wholly depart from those vnto whom it is once giuen as appeares Ioh. 14. 16 17. But had not Dauid lost the Spirit of God when he prayed so earnestly vnto the Lord that hee would restore vnto him the ioy of his saluation and stablish him with his free Spirit This obiection may be said to answer it selfe Could Dauid without the presence and assistance of the Spirit haue beene thus earnest with the Lord in prayer Again a difference must be put betwixt the presence of the Spirit and the feeling or comfort of the Spirit A hand benummed with cold or stunted with some blow may hold a thing and yet haue no feeling of it It doth not follow that therefore Gods Spirit hath vtterly forsaken a man because in his apprehension and feeling he takes it to be so Therefore in stead of perplexing and troubling thy selfe about needlesse feares of reiection and finall falling from grace labour to bee furnished with sound euidences of true grace and then my life for thine God who hath begun a good worke in thee will confirme it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. Here some weake beleeuer may reply and say If I had as good a heart as many haue or if I were indowed with as much grace as some be I should then haue lesse feare and more hope of holding out vnto the end but alas I am a poore sinful creature full of frailties and compassed about with manifold infirmities and therefore feare my selfe For thy comfort thou must know that Gods grace is sufficient for thee and his power is made perfect through weaknesse It is not the greatnesse but the truth of grace which the Lord respects A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoking flax shall he not quench vntill he bring forth iudgement vnto victory If grace in thee be sound and true though it be no more than a graine of mustard-seed it shall bee able to bring thee vnto glory It may be so if I could beleeue this but I cannot be fully perswaded of this thing If thou beleeue not yet abideth God faithfull he cannot deny himselfe as the Apostle sayes 2 Tim. 2. 13. Let no man from this which hath beene spoken grow secure carelesse as if he were out of all feare and danger of losing his comfort or lessening that grace which he hath receiued For though it be true that true grace cannot bee vtterly lost yet through pride securitie earthly-mindednesse and the like the childe of God may fall into such languishing fits that the life of grace may appeare to bee vtterly extinct in him Suppose our bodies were of that temper and constitution that no poison or infection could make a rent betwixt the soule them were it not folly nay were it not madnesse for any one to cut wound himselfe or through mis-dieting of himselfe and surfets so to impaire his strength and health that his life should bee a continuall faintnesse and sicknesse Euen so it is with vs in respect of grace the life of our soules for that soule which is destitute of grace is dead whiles liueth as appeares 1 Tim. 5. 6. What though grace once seazing vpō the soule cannot be wholly separated from it yet may it through our spirituall distempers take such a surfet as little strength or power thereof may euer appeare in vs. Therefore that no man may bee settled vpon the lees of security or sing a requiem vnto his owne soule consider daily what strength and life is in that grace which God hath bestowed vpon thee lest before thou beest aware of it grace be cooled and declining in thee which if it be will appeare by these symptomes The first is an inordinate appetite vnto such things as are noxious and hurtfull vnto the soule For as our bodily health is impaired and weakened by feeding vpon such things as are in antipathie vnto our nature and constitution so it fares with our soules if wee bee bold with sinne the soules bane the strength of grace growes quickly feeble in vs. The second is the abating of our spirituall taste when wee finde not the sweetnesse and comfort in the Word which formerly we haue done when we feed not vpon the Word with that desire and appetite which once wee did this argues some distemper in the soule For as in bodily meates when they grow vnsauoury to our pallats it is most euident that our stomackes haue in them some distemper so it is with our soules if the same Word haue not the same rellish with vs now which sometime it had we may say there is some spirituall distemper Thirdly when we brook not when wee digest not the Word as well as formerly we haue done Euill concoction of onr meat argues a cold stomacke or at least an abatement of the natiue heat so when people digest not Gods Word the food of their soules but vomit it vp againe either by storming against it censuring of it or wilfully neglecting the power and practice of it it is a signe of declining in grace Fourthly and lastly if there bee a cold drowsie and formall performance of the duties of Gods worship and seruice when a man is not so cheerefull and liuely vnto in good duties as of old this argues a decaying of his spirituall strength

himselfe from his children for diuers ends 177 First to shew vs our weaknesse 178 Secondly to humble vs. ibid. Thirdly to make vs more watchfull 179 Fourthly to bring vs closer to God 180 Fifthly that wee might pitie others fallen ibid. Sixthly that we may loue the Lord the better for restoring of vs. 181 Thirdly a gracious heart obeyes willingly and cheerefully 183 Fourthly he obeyes sincerely 185 Motiues to obedience 190 Reasons of the Doctrine GRace giues content to the heart 199 Grace inables vs to hold vp our heads in the time of affliction 203 Grace helpes vs to liue godly 205 Grace brings in outward and temporall benefits 208 Grace makes vp decayes in nature 217 Grace giues vs a sanctified vse of all those things we partake of 221 Grace paues a way to glorie 222 No falling from Grace 226 First in regard of Gods promise 228 Secondly in regard of Gods attributes 229 Thirdly in regard of the all-sufficiencie of Christ 233 Fourthly in regard of the nature and ●●fice of Gods Spirit being Gods Seale and earnest 234 Grace may be cooled 241 Symptomes of declining in Grace FIrst an inordinate appetite to things that are hurtfull 243 Secondly an abating of our spirituall taste ibid. Thirdly if wee digest not the Word as of old 244 Fourthly if there bee a cold and drowsie performance of holy duties 245 The want of Grace a wofull thing 247 Labour for Grace 255 Striue to grow in Grace 260 That we may grow in Grace we must first pluck vp such weeds as ouer-grow and choake it 262 Pride 263 Selfe-confidence or securitie 265 In-sinceritie want of vprightnesse of heart 269 The cares of the world and deceitfulnesse of riches hinder the growth of Grace 271 All noysome lusts doe hinder the growth of Grace 274 The society of the wicked hinders the growth of Grace 276 Helpes to grow in Grace FIrst keepe the heart soluble 280 Secondly vse the society of the godly 281 Thridly be oft in hearing and reading 282 Fourthly Exercise Grace let it not be idle 285 Fifthly bee oft and earnest in prayer 286 Signes of our growth in Grace FIrst if we more and more dislike sinne 290 Secondly if we more and more delight in Gods ordinances 291 A difference betwixt the godly and the wicked in their taste of Gods Word 295 Grace will carry vs through inward tentations 297 Grace will comfort vs against crosses 302 Grace will help vs against corruption 306 The end of the Contents Errata PAge 22. line 17. for being reade bring p. 73. l. 12. for rescued r. rescue p. 79. l. 10. for haue r. saue p. 82. l. 1. leaue out in p. 116. l. 3. for Therefore r. Secondly p. 216. l. 3. r. in a wrong tenure p. 233. l. 6. for preserue r. present p. 242. l. 9. r. it liueth p. 270. in the margin for Phil. r. Psal p. 285. l. 17. for approuement r. improuement p. 295. l. 8. for wickeds r. wicked A TOVCHSTONE of Grace HEBR. 13. 25. Grace be with you all IT is not my purpose to spend many words about the Author or authority of this Epistle which are questioned by some and controuerted by others Lest I should seeme to trifle out the time with matter of no great importance Although the Author cannot speake for himselfe to claime his right or to vindicate that wrong which hee hath sustained yet the matter of the Epistle speakes sufficiently for its Author and authority Why should any question the Author when it beares Saint Pauls Ensigne and marke though not his name Great wisdome there was in concealing of his name the want whereof is no sound argument to proue it was not Pauls for then by the same reason we may say that it had no Author because it hath no Owner no name put vnto it And as for its authoritie me thinkes it should be out of question the matter thereof being so heauenly so liuely setting out the offices of Christ so soundly prouing him to be the promised Messias the only Prophet and Archbishop of his Church The words which I haue read vnto you are the ordinary salutation and farewell which Saint Paul vseth in all other his Generall Epistles the sense and meaning whereof I will giue you in a few words Grace in Scripture hath well-nigh twentie seuerall acceptations I will acquaint you with some of the principall Sometimes it is taken for the free and vndeserued loue and fauor of God electing and calling of vs 2 Tim. 1. 9. Hee hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Somtimes it is taken for the imputation of Christ his righteousnesse Rom. 5. 17. Much more shall they which receiue the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse c. Heere grace standeth in opposition vnto the guilt of Adams sinne and so is taken for Iustification Sometimes grace is taken for the guidance direction and operation of Gods Spirit in vs as Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace where it may be taken for Sanctification Sometimes Grace is taken for the blessed estate of Gods children after they be iustified and sanctified Rom. 5. 2. By whom we haue accesse through Faith vnto this grace wherein we stand Sometimes grace is taken for the practice of piety 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in Grace And sometimes it is taken for glory the perfection of grace 1 Pet. 1. 13. Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought vnto you at the reuelation of Iesus Christ Here grace cannot well bee vnderstood of any thing else but glory And glory may very well bee termed grace in two respects First because it comes through grace Ephes 2. 8. And secondly because by grace we come to haue some assurance of glory 2 Thess 2. 16. Who hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace But grace in this place is taken for the free loue and fauour of God to man-wards together with all those benefits spirituall eternall which doe flow from thence as Adoption Regeneration Remission of sinnes Iustification and Sanctification all which doe properly come vnder this terme Grace From whence we may lay this foundation vpon which we intend God assisting to build our ensuing discourse to wit that seeing Paul wisht grace vnto the Hebrewes and all others vnto whom hee wrote aboue and before all other things The chiefest good which we can wish one to another or can receiue and be made partakers of is Grace No doubt if any thing could haue beene more beneficiall or necessary vnto the Hebrewes he would haue wished it vnto them but seeing he begins and ends this and other his Epistles with this prayer Grace be with you we may safely conclude that Paul esteemed Grace to be the best good which he could wish them or they par take of Long and large disputes haue