Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	believe_v	faith_n	heart_n	6,518	5	5.3233	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90512	Gospell courage, or Christian resolution for God, and his truth. In a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at Margarets in Westminster, at a publique fast, the 31. of May, 1643. / By Andrew Perne Master of Arts, sometimes fellow of Katherine Hall in Cambridge: now minister of Wilby in Northampton-Shire.	Perne, Andrew, 1594-1654.	1643 (1643)	Wing P1577; Thomason E55_12; ESTC R16176	18,919	39

is Faith helping of it to believe what it cannot apprehend He that commeth unto God must believe hee 'll never reach him else The understanding and knowledge cannot be stretched out to conceive high enough of God and therfore the spirit creates an addition which is Faith helping of the soule to believe what it cannot conceive As when the Virgin Mary was told that she should conceive and be are a Sonne how can this be saith she seeing I know nor a man her reason could not reach it and therfore she laid her Faith to it Be it unto me according to thy word 2. As the Spirit doth inlarge and adde to the soule so it doth in a manner lessen God God humbling of himselfe in being willing to be described after the manner that man can take him and reach him And oh what a condescention and stoope is this in the Almighty that he should be willing to be set out as having hands and feet and eyes that so men may sippe a little of him Man cannot goe up to God and therfore God will meet him halfe way and come down to him And before the Spirit doth thus worke in the soule none know the true God few Nations or people yea few persons have this worke in them and therfore few doe know the true God and from hence so many false gods in the world 3. The heart of man is inrag'd and vext that God doth hide himselfe from his senses God keeps himselfe in secret and will not be seene and therefore man will have other gods who shall Make us gods that may goe before us say the Israelites to Aaron such as we may see Hence are your Idols among the Heathen Pictures and Crucifixes among your Papists and with men of carnall and corrupt mindes amongst our selves Men will have something before their eyes to direct their worship and service unto Men are vext that God should keepe himselfe or any thing else secret from them How faine would men be fingring of Election and Reprobation How angry were our desperate Divines of late because they could not finde out the bottome of them See the reason There 's none unlesse they can see the depth and Cause We are very prone to be too sawcy with divine things which dwel in darknes and God wil not bear it Bounds and limits were set the people when God gave the Law they must not gaze lest they die And as men are angry with this retirednesse of God that he will not make himselfe familiar to their senses So are they vext and fretted with his monopolizing and reserving all the wayes and manner of his worship to himselfe men are mad upon Will-worship Something they will have of their owne invention to be mingled with the worship of God he shall not have altogether his owne way and will They will out of their wisdome which is their folly adde some Ceremonies at the least to beautifie the slovenly worship of God as some of them have more then prophanely spoken And from hence were your golden Copes gorgious Altars shining Candlestickes decent Ceremonies the more to decorate and adorn the service of God Thus man will be corrupting the spirituall service of God with his base carnall beggerly inventions And for this cause God gives men over to extreame folly even to worship the things that they have made so beautifull to bow downe to their Altars that they have deckt and all their wisdome Scholership learning and distinctions are not able to deliver them from it The 1. Rom. 21. Because when they knew God they worshipped him not as God therefore God gave them over laid them fast in their owne dung and filth And who were these Such as profest themselves to be wise the great Scholars of the world In the 1 Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the disputer not in Christ as Paul was he was foolishnesse So with us Where were our great learned Rabbins their distinctions had carried them downe to Rome they could break the Sabbath with distinctions and bow downe to Name and Altar with distinctions and therefore God befooles them and gives them over to worship the workes of their own hands their owne babies And therefore wonder not my Brethren that you have lately seene great Scholars to be sortish in their bowing downe to name and places for God committed them to superstition and Idolatry and who could baile them These Reasons may suffice though many more may bee given Vse 1 Consider this and learne to pitty pray for and help the nations and people who are without the knowledge of the true God Survey the world in your thoughts and consider how great a part of it sits in the dark groping after a God and taking hold of the Creatures some of Stocks and Stones yea some of them if we may beleeve Historians of the very Devill himselfe and worshipping of him in stead of God and God as yet withholding of himselfe from them and that so farre as we know for Adams sin Rom. 11.33 Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgements and his wayes past finding out Private men may pray for them but it must be the power of some such Soveraigne Assembly as this is of yours to send unto them the knowledge of the true God and who knows but for this also you are met together at this time that when you have repaired our breaches and done the will of God for us you may be a blessing and a healing to other nations Vse 2 If many false Gods in the world then let us bee thankfull for the knowledge of the true God Rejoyce in Gods name lift up your banners Let England rejoyce in him that made it Esa 33.12 for blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his owne this makes them Gods owne This is the greatest kindnesse the most distinguishing speciall favour of God this mercy of knowing God comes out of the very heart of Jesus Christ for in him and none else God reveales himself unto men God lookes to be praised and thankt for this The knowledge of God lifts a nation up to heaven Capernaum was lifted up to heaven by preaching of the Gospel Matth. 11.23 and when God thus exalts a nation he looks to be exalted by it Ioh. 14 22. Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy selfe unto us and not unto the world So who is England Lord that thou shouldst reveale thy selfe to it and not to other nations Man is a bragging creature and God takes notice of it If his face be fairer his backe or armes stronger or his head wiser his purse fuller then others he will bee ready to boast of it and glory in it but God would have all this laid out upon himselfe Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty

would not have them pin their Religion upon his sleeve It must therefore be a supernaturall light that must thus convince the soule and make the wayes of God thus unquestionable the 2 Cor. 1.4 5. And my Speech and my Preaching was not with the enticeing words of mans wi●edome I preach not in the straines of humane eloquence in filed phrases and quaint expressions which the wisedome of the World thinkes the fittest way to winne men to their side and opinions but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that is hee used plainnesse of Speech homely expressions which gods spirit doth accompany with power to what end did the Apostle this Vers 5. That your faith might not stand in the Wisdome of Men that is that you might not belive this to be the truth because it came in abundance of earthly Wisedome for then if another come with finer words and more wit you will goe to him and forsake this Or others Preaching the same Gospell but not with the like Worldly wisedome and eloquence you would not believe it to be the same So that you would believe no longer then you are fed with Worldly wit and fine words but that your faith might stand in the power of God that is that you might believe it upon such grounds upon such a powerfull conviction of the spirit that all the World should not be able to turn you from it a stedfast unconquerable resolution proceeds from a powerfull and thorough conviction of the truth of God and his wayes That is the first Reason 2. It proceeds from an apprehension and feare of danger if a man forsake those wayes of GOD. Feare and danger doe excite courage and resolution when a man apprehends that the greatest danger is a falling into the hands of God as Ioseph if he had yielded to his Mistresse for feare of her anger had fallen into the wrath of GOD How can I doe this evill and sin against God And so Moses Heb. 11.27 He forsooke Aegypt not fearing the Kings displeasure who would he then feare a greater seeing him who was invinsible one that could have made Aegypt too hot for him if hee had stayed still The three children feared a hotter furnace if they should worship the golden Image Full to this purpose was the speech which one uttered when he was before some that threatned him with prison fire and faggot if he would not forsake the truth who answered to a friend that stood by they have not threatned Hell yet So when a man apprehends Hell the worst of Prisons and everlasting destruction the King of terrours to awaite him if he forsake GOD and his wayes this will make him resolute for GOD. 3. It proceeds from hope hope of gaine and preferment makes men bold puts courage and resolution into them hope of preferment hath made many a man resolute and even past shame in an evill and Idolatrous course hope of white sleeves hath made many a man bloody his fingers Well Gods children they have hope too which does exceedingly much strengthen their resolutions The Crowne of righteousnesse the weight of glory the Kingdome prepared from the beginning these were Pauls hopes these are and were ours and these beare our charges in all our sufferings Feare not Abraham saith GOD I am thy Buckler and thy exceeding great reward I 'le see thee payd that thou shalt be no looser and now Abraham would lackey it at the stirrup and goe from his Fathers house whether GOD would have him So when a man apprehends that God carries the purse and that the keyes of preferment hangs at his girdle and he can trust God for all this will make him valiant and resolute for the wayes of God 4. It proceeds from Love love to the party for whom we are thus resolute and therefore it must needs please God Love lookes through all dangers and difficulties weakens all opposition strengthens it selfe makes it apprehend any thing feasable your resolution will tell you what you are and whom you love Ruth 1.14 There are two pretend love but Orpha is soon taken off when Naomi tells her that she had no preferment for her yet see the resolution of Ruth ver 16. Intreat mee not to leave thee where thou goest I will goe where thou lodgest I will lodge nothing shall part thee and mee but death Here 's love and here was resolution 5. And lastly It proceeds from Experience the soule hath tasted of the sweetnesse comfort peace and joy of the wayes of God and therefore is it so resolute for them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth And see what followes upon this v. 106. I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements The soule cleaves to that that bids most pleasure for pleasure is the food of the soule the body can as well live without food as the soule can without pleasure when the soule hath tasted how transcendently sweet the wayes of God are what sweet hopes what blessed peace what joy unspeakable and glorious the word and wayes of God doe breed in the soule it pitches it's tent sets up it's rest there it will dwell and with them it will remove The Godlesse Courtiers and Flatterers without all question thought Daniell to be a foole That he would hazard all his Court-preferment and his life too but he would be praying and he must have his window opened too So many thinke those to be farre from wisedome that doe too farre ingage themselves in the cause of God if you doe not heare so I am sure they doe in the Country for of late we have heard them thus say what you must bee running to Sermons though the Court catch you and you will not bow downe to the name of Jesus though you be undone But wee may give you that Answere that was given for the Martyrs in the Primitive Church Videtis punctiones sed non unctiones they then and so you now can see their smart and sufferings but not their refreshings the peace love and joy unspeakable comfort which the Saints of God then and now have met withall in these wayes of God You which powre out your selves in Hawkes and Houndes and other pastimes and thinke that the Saints of God doe live a mopish life and their soules dwell in too narrow a lane yet could you but meet with those heates of heart and hints of love and mercy that they meet withall from their God you would be ready not onely to doe but to suffer with them Hee that hath once tasted of the savour of Christs oyntments will never leave him We might give you more of these Reasons but these may suffice Vse 1 The first Use might bee a booke of Lamentation for the want of this Christian valour and resolution May not we well complaine as Jer. 9.3 They are not valiant for the truth upon Earth How many amongst us

are dead and dirt If it had not beene for the living Geese the Capitall of Rome and all the dead Gods had beene taken So that a living Goose is better then a dead GOD. Reas 2 2. He is a wise God the onely wise God His understanding is infinite Isa 40.28 Psal 147.5 There is no searching of his understanding And who would serve a soole have a foole for his Master Much lesse for his God That was the blessednesse of Solomons servants that they stood and heard his wisedome The contrary is misery to be bound to heare the babling of a fool Why all false Gods are Fooles and so are they that worship them Be wise then O yee Kings be Learned yee that are Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord in feare Psa 2.10 That King 's a Foole and those Iudges are but Dunces that doe not feare this God Reason 3 3. He is Omnipotent able to doe great things any thing all things nothing is impossible with God When I behold the Heavens the worke of thy fingers saies David The Heavens are but Finger worke with him Hee drawes out the Heavens like a Curtaine hee does it with ease Hee feasts the Earth with the opening of his hand Thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing every living Creature He rides upon the heavens as upon a horse they are his horse of manage he can stay them make them to goe backward or forward as easity as you can your horse But other Gods are nothing An Idoll is nothing and can do nothing Ier. 10.5 They cannot doe evill neither is it in them to doe good Chap. 14.22 Are there any among the Vanities of the Gentiles that can give you Raine Our God alone is able to doe a Man good and to doe a Man taischiefe hee can famish all the Gods of the World Zeph. 2.11 The Lord will be terrible unto them for he will famish all the Gods of the earth He can and we hope he will famish Popery and Arminianisme and Iesu Worship And the Lord can rescue and deliver those that serve him Salvation is the Lords it is good serving him then Dan. 3.17 Our God is able to deliver us from the fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hands O King This God is to be stucke unto The Lord is faithfull and true and never failes them that trusts in him The Lord is a present help in trouble A man may goe to the Creature and it cannot help him to a Friend and he is from home or deceive him Men of low degree sayes the Psalmist are vanity but Men of high degree they are worse they are a lie And the refore trust not in Princes But the Lord is alwayes present when thou goest through the fire and the water I will be with thee Yea the Lord will sticke to a Kingdome or to a poore soule as the Mountaines sticke and grow to the Earth At my first answer saies St. Paul all men forsooke me notwithstanding the Lord stood by me and streng thned me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon The Lord was with Paul at the Barre and would not leave him There is all the reason under Heaven to be zealous and resolute for such a God as this is The onely living Wise Omnipotent faithfull God I might run through all the attributes of God they all attest and confirme this Truth For the Uses they will fall into the next Point which is this The heart is then in an Heavenly tune right key pleasing and acceptable unto God when it is peremptorily resolved to sticke to God and his waies whatsoever others do or whasoever come on it When it takes up an unconquerable resolution to bee for God when it lookes through or over all dangers difficulties and oppofitions resolves to make his way through the Rockes Fire Water Lions He may lose his body by the way but his spirit shall after God When a Mans spirit stands at that high note for God that Davids three Worthies did for him who brake through the Campe of the Philistims to fetch their King water So when the soule will fetch the Sabbath and Ordinances of God from the midst of the greatest opposers this is a gracious frame and temper when the valour of a mans spirit is for God How well pleased was God with this frame of spirit in Caleb with this pitch and height Numb 14.24 But my servant Caleb he had another spirit a resolute valiant spirit not a cowardly base feeble spirit as the other Spies had Let us goe up at once and possesse it for wee are well able to overcome they are bread for us This resolution was in the three Children Dan. 3.16 The King there he dubs a God creates a Hell sets up his Cathedrall Musicke his Flute and Cornet Psalteries nd Sackbuts gives out his command who will not worship his Gods shall into his hell but observe with what resolution the three Children answered Wee are not carefull to answere thee in this matter our God is able and will deliverus but if not know that wee will not serve thy Gods nor worship thy golden Image that thou hast set up Good Subjects for all this and good manners too though they tell the King to his tace they will not and the King accounts them so when God opened his eyes and hee acquits them Wee may live to see such daies The like temper of spirit was in Moses for the which he hath obtained a good report and is set downe in the golden legion of believers Heb. 11.27 By Faith Moses forsooke Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King Adde we but one more o● Joshua osh 14.15 he cals all Israel together bids them chuse whom they would serve whether the Gods which their Fathers worship't on the other side of the Flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land they dwelt But as for me and my House saies he we will serve the Lord. Thus we see this resolutenesse of spirit for God and his wayes is found in the redeemed of the Lord in the brood of Gods travellers Now the Reason why it is thus valued and commended of God is because it proceeds frome some or all these causes 1. From a through and a full conviction of the soule that these are the right waies of God that the soule doth thus resolutely pitch upon Paul was thus throughly convinc't and therefore thus peremptorily resolved for the Gospell and wishes the Galathians so to bee Gal. 1.8 Though we we ourselves that have Preached this gospell to you yet if wee should in hope of preferment or for feare of suffering for the truth unsay it againe and Preach another Gospell nay though an Angell from heaven one that may seeme so to you to be should come and Preach another Gospell bee so farre from believing it or questioning the truth of this as I would have you defie him So that the Apostle