Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	faith_n	revelation_n	3,045	5	9.5466	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73612	The spiritval tovchstone: or, The signes of a godly man drawne in so plaine and profitable a maner, as all sorts of Christians may trie themselues thereby. Together with directions, how the weake Christian, by the vse of these signes may establish his assurance. By. N. Bifield preacher of Gods word at Isteworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1619 (1619)	STC 4236.8; ESTC S124755	25,453	144

it when he is deliuered He is not like the Israelites mentioned Psal 78. 36. 37. 22. He makes a supernaturall 22. He accounts of spirituall things as the best things valuation of spirituall things accounting them as pearles of the best price not too deare bought if he purchased them with all the worldly things he hath and contrariwise accoūting himselfe exceeding poore if he want them or the meanes of them Math. 13. 45. 46. Psal 42. 63. 1. 3. 23. He hath lost his 23. He doth not sauour the things of the flesh and the world wonted taste in earthly things his heart is not transported with the admiration of them or the inordinate desires after worldly things He loues not the world this life as he was wont to do Though hee vse the world yet he easily confesseth himselfe to be a stranger and pilgrime here He giues ouer the vnnecessary pleasures profits of this life Heb. 11. 13. 1. Ioh. 2. 14. 15. Rom. 8. 6. He is wearie of the world and willing to forgo societie with the men of this world the workers of iniquitie Psalm 6. 8. 9. and 39. 12. and 26. 1 2 3 4. 24. If the Lord be silent 24. He is much grieued if God hide himselfe and answer not his desires but hides his face his spirit faileth and he is as one that goeth downe into the pit it troubles him as a sore crosse and so contrariwise Psal 26. 1 and 88. 13 14 15 and 143. 7. Ioh. 16. 23. 28. 25. If he hath bene 25. Of a liō he becoms a lambe a man subiect to boisterous violent and hurtful affections he is now become tame of a Lion he is become a lambe a litle child may leade him Esay 11. 9. 26. He hath a spirit 26. His spirit is without guile without guile Psal 32. 2. He is more desirous to be good then to be thought to be so and more seekes the power of godlinesse then the shew of it Iob. 1. 1. Prou. 20. 6. 7. His praise is of God and not of men Rom. 2. 26. And thus much of the triall of his humiliation The signes of his faith follow CHAP. IIII. The triall of a godly man by his Faith FAith is the next thing to be tried in a childe of God And in as much as there are diuers kinds of faith Why we should trie our faith and experience shewes in many that giue no signes of repentance that they wil not be beaten frō a confident presumption that Christ died for them euen for them in particular it stands vs in hand to trie our perswasion by true rules of Scripture that so if it will abide the trial of the touchstone we may lay it vp as an hid treasure and a wonderfull grace of God and if otherwise we may repent vs of presumption as a deceiueable sinne But before I open the signes of this signe the Reader must be admonished of three things First that I intend not The drift is to shew how faith may be proued not how it may be bred by these signes to shew how faith may be bred or begotten in vs but how faith may be proued and declared to be in vs. For it is the promises of God in the Scripture that breed faith nor can humane reason beleeue such great things from God for any thing that is in vs but onely because we see the word of God assuring such happinesse vnto such as lay hold vpon them So that that which breeds faith is the reuelation of Gods promises by his word and Spirit Yet notwithstanding the assurance of faith is much increased and confirmed by the sight of those signes of the truth of our faith and other graces of God in vs. Secondly that I stand A second caueat not precisely vpon the order of these graces of God in vs nor determine that question which graces are first wrought in the heart of a man but that which I haue specially aimed at in the order of setting them downe is to begin at those that either first appeare in a Christian or are easiest as I conceiue to be discerned in him Thirdly that I intend The 3. note by way of preface especially the triall of such Christians as agree in this that they are perswaded that Christ died for them that so the true Christian may see reason to comfort himself that his perswasion is no presumption as is the perswasion of the most It is true that diuers of the signes of faith here to be handled will shew faith in the weakest Christian though he will not yet be brought to acknowledge any perswasion For this perswasion may be secretly wrought vpon the hart as it is when it relieth vpō the merits of Christ onely for saluation though the iudgement of the Christian be not resolued against his doubts The question then is how a Christian may trie his perswasion of Gods mercie and his interest in Christs merits whether it be right or no. For answer thereunto I say that the true Christian doth proue his faith and perswasion The true faith to be right by those signes following First his faithor perswasion 1. Was wrought by the word preached was wrought by the hearing of the word preached therfore thou must first aske thy selfe how thou commest by thy perswasion For if thou say thou wast alwayes so perswaded or didst attain it by meere naturall meanes or helpes thou art deceiued For faith is first wrought by the holy Ghost in the preaching of the Gospell as it is most cleer by the words of the Apostle How shall they beleeue in him of whō they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher Rom. 10. 14. And whereas it may be that many Christiās haue not obserued the workings of their faith and haue forgotten the time of their conuersion and haue not iudgement to discerne how the Lord by the ministerie of his seruants did change their hearts and leade them to Christ Therefore when this first signe cannot comfort they must trie themselues by the rest that follow Secondly he hath an 2. Esteems Christ aboue all things high estimation of Iesus Christ For the man that hath true faith accounts all things most base in cōparison of the knowledge of Christ and the loue of God in him He had rather be sure of Christ then to gaine the whole world Christ is more precious then all the world yea is the only thing in request in the desires of the Christian Now Christ is precious onely to them that beleeue 1. Pet. 2. 6. and by this signe Paul knew that he was growne far beyond himselfe in his former life and beyond all the Pharises in the world Phil. 3. 9. Thirdly he readily 3. Receiues the testimony of Gods ministers before all the world receiues the testimonie of Gods ministers speaking out of the word sticks to it against all the contradictions