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
A03758	A Christian enchiridion wherein are briefly handled these three points following; 1. That aboue all things in the world, man should bee most carefull of his saluation. 2. That in this life a man bee assured of his saluation. 3. The way how, or meanes whereby a man may come to bee assured of his saluation. By Thomas Hovves, preacher of the word at Kings-Linne in Norfolke.	Howes, Thomas, preacher at King's Lynn.	1615 (1615)	STC 13877; ESTC S116219	94,375	247

to the voice of Christ deliuered by the minister out of the Gospel Seeing then the spirit of God doth witnesse by the word vnto vs our adoption and saluation wee may learne from hence that it is a work of a man out of Christ not to beleeue and assent vnto the word but rather to stand out in reasoning against the euidence of it For so soone as a man is become the sheepe of Christ he cannot but presently heare his voiyce Ioh. 10.27 and hence Christ himselfe prooueth the carping Pharisies not to be of God because they could not abide to here his sayings Ioh. 8.43 and who be they to whom the Gospel is hid euen they that perish 2. Cor. 4.3 If wee would haue a more euident marke to know them by it is added that they bee such as the eies of whose minds the God of the world hath blinded wherein is implied a wilfull ioyning with Sathan to blind themselues further by their malice then they were by corrupted nature And if we would looke to our congregations we shall finde many such of whō we may pronounce that which Steuen did of the Iewes that they were resisters of the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 For whose words be these to the Almightie Iob 21.14 Depart from vs wee will not the knowledge of thy wayes and who is the Almightie that we should serue him For how many of vs that heare the word receiue the Sacraments and goe for Christians resolue yet not to leaue our sinnes till they leaue vs nay the obstinate purpose of our hearts is to practise them stil and what is this els but with the seruants in the parable Luk. 19.14 to send word into a farre countrie after the king that we will not haue him to rule ouer vs but our owne lusts shall still prescribe lawes vnto vs Againe when wee call the people as God did his Ier. 6.16 to walke in the old way that they may finde rest to their soules they answer vs with them we will not walke in that way the sound of the thing if not of the voyce speaketh for we call from swearing lying couetousnes which is idolatrie from Sabboth-breaking intemperance drinkings vncleanenesse but mens hearts speake by their liues we will sweare we will drinke to drunkennesse the waies of God are too straight and vnequall a man had as good be in prison as in these bonds By these instances wee may see as in a glasse that many are tainted amongst vs with this fearefull sinne of rising vp and reasoning against that light which shineth out in the word Secondly the Sacraments The second meanes whereby the spirit giueth vs assurance of our saluation is in the frequent vse of the sacraments which are added to the couenant of grace as seales not to confirme Gods promises in themselues which are so vndoubtedly true that they need no confirmation but to strengthen our faith in this assurance that they belong particularly vnto vs. For whereas in the word the promises of life and saluation are generally propounded to all beleeuers in the vse of the Sacraments they are particularly applied to euery worthy receiuer to the end that doubting being remoued they may be certainely assured that all the promises of the Gospel doe belong particularly to themselues To this end the Sacrament of circumcision is called the seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4.11 because thereby as by a seale Abraham was confirmed in the truth of Gods promises and assured that the righteousnes of faith that is the righteousnes of Christ did belong vnto him And answerable to this Sacrament is Baptisme wherein Christ and all the gratious promises of life and saluation made in him are particularly applied to the party baptized Gal. 3.27 all that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ The Apostle here compareth Christ to a garment which by the hand of faith is put on by euery particular beleeuer So in the administration of the Lords supper the bread and wine is particularly deliuered vnto all the communicants to signifie vnto them that euery one who stretcheth forth the hand of faith doth receiue Christ and all his benefits whereby his soule is nourished vnto euerlasting life Whosoeuer therefore hath faith he may be assured that he receiueth Christ he may be assured of his election and saluation Ioh. 1.12 for to as many as receiued him he giueth power to be the sonnes of God And who are these euen those that beleeue in his name Ioh. 6.54 and whosoeuer eats his flesh and drinks his blood hath eternall life Now if we would know how we feed vpon him it is by the mouth of faith Ioh. 6.47 The spirit of God properly as the efficient cause doth seale Eph. 4.30 because it doth confirme and stablish in our hearts the assurance of euerlasting life and saluation by his testimony but it doth it by the ministery of the word and sacraments so that in one blessing of God we may consider three things 1. that by his word God teacheth vs 2. by his sacraments be confirmeth vs 3. by the holy Ghost he illuminateth our minds that the word and sacraments may obtaine their proper end and vse When God giues any blessing to man it is to be receiued by man as God giueth it now God giueth Christ or at the least offreth him not generally to mankind but to the seuerall and particular members of the church In the Lords supper as in euery sacrament there is a relation or analogie betweene the outward signes and the thing signified The action of the Minister giuing the bread and wine representing Gods action in giuing Christ with his benefits to the particular communicants Againe the action of receiuing the bread and the wine seuerally representeth another spirituall action of the beleeuing heart which applieth Christ vnto it selfe for the pardon of sin and life euerlasting So then thus speaketh the spirit to the soule as sure as the water doth wash away the filth of thy body so doth the blood of Christ sprinkled vpon thy soule by the hand of faith and by the holy Ghost wash thee from all thy sinnes Ioh. 1.7 And as the bread and wine receiued into into thy body becommeth wholly thine so thy beleeuing soule receiueth withall Iesus Christ with his death and righteousnes to the sealing vp of thy euerlasting saluation For 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes c. 2. Cor. 5.21 aad he was made sinne that knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him And thus we haue heard the testimony of the spirit in the vse of the sacraments Thirdly the fruits of the spirit A third meanes wherby we may be assured that Gods spirit witnesseth vnto vs our election and saluation are the fruits and effects of the spirit for the effects argue the cause as the cause the effects and that not onely in natuaall things but also in those which are supernaturall and