Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	authority_n	divine_a	infallible_a	2,602	5	9.2547	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42363	The Christians great interest: or A short treatise, divided into two parts the first whereof containeth, the tryal of a saving interest in Christ. The second, pointeth forth plainly, the way how to attain it: wherein somewhat is likewise spoken to the manner of express covenanting with God. By W. Guthrie, minister of the gospel in Scotland.	Guthrie, William, 1620-1665.	1681 (1681)	Wing G2273; ESTC R218716	96,110	156

only a free but also a bold speaking before God it is that boldness with confidence Ephes 3. 12. this is more rarely imparted unto men than the former yet it is ordinary It hath in it beside what we spake before some influence of the Spirit upon faith making it put out some vigorous acting in Prayer there is a sweet mournful frame of Spirit by which a man poureth out his heart in Gods bosome and with some confidence of his Favour and good will pleadeth his cause before him as a living God and this is all the sensible presence that many Saints do attain unto there is no ground of doubt about a mans estate in point of liberty before God in this last sence because there is nothing essential to the making up of a gracious state here some have it some want some have it at sometimes and not at other times so that it is much up and down yet I may say gracious men may do much by a very ordinary influence in contributing towards the attaining and retaining or keeping of such a frame of spirit Sixthly There is a thing called Influence or breathing of the Spirit This gracious influence for of such only do I now speak is either ordinary and this is the operation of the holy Spirit on the soul and the habits of grace there whereby they are still kept alive and in some exercise and acting although not very discernable This influence I conceive doth alwayes attend Believers and is that keeping and watering night and day and every moment promised Isa 27. 3. Or this influence is more singular and special and is the same to a gracious although a withered soul as the wind and breath to the dry bones putting them in good ease Ezek. 37. 9 10. And as the dew or rain to the grass or newly mowen field and parched ground Psal 72. 6. Such influence is meant Cant. 4. 16. by the blowing of the South wind making the Spices to flow out When the Spirit moveth thus there is an edge put upon the gra●es of God in the soul and they are mad to act more vi●orously This is the inlarging of the heart by which a 〈◊〉 doth run in the wayes of God Psal 119. 32. This influence is more discernable than the former and not so ordinarily communicated Also here sometimes the wind bloweth more upon one grace and sometimes more discernably upon another and often upon many of the graces together and according to the lesser or greater measure of this influence the soul acteth more or less vigorously towards God and since faith is a created grace in the soul this influence of the Spirit is upon it sometimes less sometimes more and accordingly is the assurance of faith small or great Seventhly There is the hearing of prayer often spoken of in Scripture and many vex themselves about it alleadging that they know nothing of it experimentally I grant there is a favourable hearing of prayer But we must remember it is two fold Either 1. It is such as a man is simply to believe by way of argument on Scriptural grounds As if I be fled unto Christ and do approach unto God in him pray according to his will not regarding iniquity in my heart exercising faith about the thing I pray for absolutely or conditionally according to the nature of the thing and promises about it I am obliged to believe that God heareth my prayer and will give what is good according to the Scriptures Joh. 14. 13 14. Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do it 1 John 5. 14. This is our confidence that whatsoever we ask according to his will he heareth us Mark 3. 24. Believe that you receive and you shall have what you desire Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity he will not hear Then if I regard not iniquity I may believe that he doth hear me Or 2. A man doth sensibly perceive that God heareth his prayer It is made out to his heart without any syllogistical deduction Such a hearing of prayer got Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 8. Her countenance was no more sad Surely the Lord did breath upon her faith and made her believe that she was heard and she could not make it out by any argument for she had not grounds whereupon to build the premises of the argument according to Scripture in that particular God did stamp it in some way upon her heart sensibly and so made her believe it This is but rarely granted especially in cases clearly deducible in Scripture And therefore people are much to be satisfied in exercising their faith about the other and let God give of this latter what he pleaseth A mans gracious state should not be brought upon debate upon the account of such hearing of prayer Eighthly There is Assureance of Gods favour by the witnessing of our own spirits which assurance is deduced by way of argument syllogistically Thus Whosoever believeth on Christ shall never perish But I do believe on Christ Therefore I shall never perish Whoso hath respect unto all Gods Commandments shall never be ashamed But I have respect unto all his Commands Therefore I shall never be ashamed I say by reasoning thus and comparing Spiritual things with spiritual things a man may attain unto a good certainty of his Gracious State It is supposed 1 John 3. 18 19. That by loving the Brethren in deed and in truth we may assure our hearts before God and that a man may rejoyce upon the Testimony of a Good Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. A man may have confidence if his heart do not condemn him 1 John 3. 21. We may then attain unto some assurance although not full assurance by the witness of our own spirit I do not deny that in this witnessing of our Spirits towards Assurance there is some concurrence of the Spirit of God But I conceive there needeth but a very ordinary influence without which we can do nothing Now this assurance such as it is may be reached by intelligent Believers who keep a good conscience in their walk So I hope there needs be no debate about it as to a mans gracious state for if a man will clear himself of heart condemnings he will speedily reach this assurance Ninthly There is a Witnessing of Gods Spirit mentioned Rom. 8. 16. A bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God This operation of the Spirit is best understood if we produce any syllogism by which our spirit doth witness our Sonship as for example Whosoever loveth the Brethren is past from Death to Life and consequently is in Christ But I love the Brethern Therefore I am passed from Death to Life Here there is a threefold operation of the Spirit or Three Operations rather The first is a beam of Divine Light upon the first Proposition perswading the Divine Authority of it as the Word of God the Spirit of the Lord must witness the Divinity of the Scripture and that is the infallible Word

of God far beyond all other arguments can be used for it The second Operation is A Glorious beam of Light from the Spirit shining upon the second proposi●●n and so upon his own graces in the Soul discovering them to be true graces and such as the Scripture calleth so Thus are we said to know by his Spirit the things freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2. 13. The third Operation is in order to the third proposition of the Argument or the Conclusion and this I conceive to be nothing else but an influence upon Faith strengthning it to draw a conclusion of full assurance upon the foresaid premises Now with submission unto others who have greater light in the Scripture and more experience of these precious communications I do conceive the Witness of the Spirit or witness of it which is mentioned Rom. 8. 16. is not that first operation upon the first proposition for that operation is that testimony of the Spirit by which he beareth witness to the Divinity of the whole Scripture and asserteth the Divine authority of it unto the souls of gracious men and such an operation may be upon a truth of Scripture which doth not relate to a mans sonship or interest in Christ at all The Spirit may so shine upon any truth relating to duty or any other fundamental truth perswading the Divinity of it upon and unto the soul and speaking nothing relating to a mans interest in Christ Neither is the third operation of the Spirit by which he makes faith boldly draw the conclusion this witnessing of the Spirit for that operation is nothing else but influence upon faith bringing it out to full assurance but that whereupon this full assurance is drawn or put out is somewhat deponed and witnessed already Therefore I conceive the second operation of the Spirit upon the second proposition and so upon the graces in the man is that witness of Gods Spirit that ●ea● of divine light shining upon those graces whereby they are made very conspicuous to the understanding That is the witness the shining so on them in his witnessing For only here in this proposition and in this operation doth the Spirit of God prove a co-witness with our spirit For the main thing wherein the witness of our spirit lyeth is the second proposition and so the Spirit of God witnessing with our spirits is also in that same proposition So these two witnesses having deponed and witnessed one and the same thing viz. The truth and reality of such and such graces in the man which our own spirit or conscience doth depone according to its knowledge and the Spirit of the Lord doth certainly affirm and witness to be so There is a sentence drawn forth and a conclusion of the mans sonship by the mans faith breathed upon by the spirit for that effect and this conclusion beareth the full assurance of a mans sonship It may be presumed that some true Saints do not partake of this all their dayes as Heb. 2. 15. Tenthly I speak with the experience of many 〈◊〉 and I hope according to Scripture If I say there is a communication of the Spirit of God which is let out to some of his people sometimes it is somewhat beside if not beyond that witnessing of a sonship spoken of before It is a glorious divine manifestation of God unto the soul shedding abroad Gods love in the heart It is a thing better felt than spoken of It is no audible voice but it is a glance of glory filling the soul with God as he is life light love and liberty countervailing that audible voice O man greatly beloved Dan. 9. 22 33. putting a man in a transport with this on his heart It is good to be here as Mat. 17. 4. It is that which went out from Christ to Mary when He but mentioned her name John 20. 16. he had spoken some words to her before and she understood not that it was he But when he uttered this one word MARY there was some admirable divine conveyance and manifestation made out unto her heart by which she was so satisfyingly filled that there was no place for arguing and disputing whether or not that was Christ and if she had any interest in him That manifestation made faith to it self and did purchase credit and trust to it self and was equivalent with T●us saith the Lord. This is such a glance of glory that it may in the highest sence be called the earnest or first fruits of the inheritance For it is a felt armful of the Holy God almost wholly conforming the man unto his likeness so swallowing him up that he forgetteth all things except the present manifestation O how glorious is this manifestation of the Spirit Faith here riseth to so full an assurance that it resolveth wholly into sensible embracements of God This is the thing which doth best deserve the title of sensible presence And it is like is not given unto all Believers some whereof are all their dayes under bondage and in fear Heb. 2. 15. But here love almost perfect casteth out fear This is so absolutely let out upon the Masters pleasure and so transient and passing or quickly gone when it is that no man may bring his gracious state upon debate for want of it Eleventhly There is a thing we call Peace about which many do vex themselves This Peace is either about a mans state that he is reconciled unto God by Jesus Christ or it is about his present case and condition that he is walking so as approved of God at least so far as there is no quarrel or controversie between God and him threatning a stroke Both of these are either such in the court of Scripture and consequently in Gods account or in the court of a mans own conscience Peace about a mans state as being in Christ is sure in the court of Scripture and of Heaven when a man doth by Faith close with Christ and the New Covenant Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God It Being sure and solid in the court of Scripture it should hold sure in the court of mans conscience it being rightly informed for in that case it still speaks according to Scripture but because often the conscience is misinformed or in the dark therefore there is often peace about a mans state according to Scripture whilst his conscience doth threaten the contrary and doth still condemn and refuseth to assoil the man as being reconciled unto God through Christ In this case the conscience must be informed and the mans gracious state made out by the marks of grace as we shewed before and here the witness of my own spirit will do much to allay the cry of the conscience and if the Spirit of the Lord joyn his witness and testimony the conscience is perfectly satisfied and proclaimeth peace to the man The other peace about a mans present case or condition viz. That it is