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	know_v	4,869	5	4.2588	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36020	A sermon at the funeral of the Lady Elizabeth Alston, wife of Sir Thomas Alston, Knight and Baronet preached in the parish-church of Woodhill in Bedford-shire, Septemb. 10, 1677 / by William Dillingham ...	Dillingham, William, 1617?-1689.	1678 (1678)	Wing D1487; ESTC R10439	20,890	43

assured that he had fought a good Fight I shewed before briefly now He knew that he believed that he had fought and run and kept the Faith by reflecting upon the Operations of his own Soul as a Man that thinks may be assured that he thinks by a kind of rational Sensation whereby the Soul is conscious of its own Acts. But that his Faith and other Graces were true and genuine he might gather from the effects and fruits of them as here we see he doth from his Fighting and Running and from observing his own Sincerity in the answer of a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned while the Spirit of Grace doth by shining upon its own work in his Heart illuminate the Object and by enlightning the eyes of his Soul enable the Faculty to apprehend and discern that Object that it is indeed the genuine Work of the Spirit in his Soul And thus the holy Spirit of God by making us to know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 doth bear witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 I will not deny but that this Assurance which Paul had was a special Priviledg not common to all nor to many true Believers All true Believers have not Assurance some have not yet attained to it others may have lost it yet all must endeavour after it and all may attain to it seeing the Grounds and Arguments whence it may be inferred are common to all in some degree But they being eminent in St. Paul his Knowledg clearer his Love stronger his Zeal hotter his Obedience greater than those of others hence his Assurance was fuller and few can arrive to his pitch Yet since all true Believers have like kind of Evidence in suo quisque modulo according to their several measures and have the general Promises do believe and endure to the end and are faithful unto the death therefore all true Believers may possibly attain to be assured of their present state of Salvation and that they shall persevere therein and so in the end enter into the Kingdom of Glory and receive the end of their Hopes the Salvation of their Souls No danger that this Doctrine of Believers being assured of their Salvation should encourage them in the least to indulge themselves to commit Sin seeing it ariseth and is cherished ex intuitu from the beholding of the actings of Grace in our hearts and lives Holiness of life is the ground of Assurance if that once flag this must needs also fail for if upon reflexion we find our lives unholy this cuts the sinews of Assurance by taking away the Argument by force whereof it is and without which it cannot be inferred or concluded Extra studium Sanctitatis usum Mediorum non potest in actum exire haec Fidei persuasio was the Suffrage of our Divines concerning assurance of Perseverance But I am call'd away to consider the other particulars which yet remain to be spoken to and I shall do it very briefly 3. The Bestower of this Reward The Lord the righteous Judge By the Lord here is meant the Lord Jesus Christ as appears by that which is added the righteous Judge for unto Him hath God the Father committed all Judgment even to the Son The Person of CHRIST God-Man shall execute and actually exercise the Acts of Judging at the last Day Hence it is said Act. 17.31 God hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World by the Man CHRIST JESUS And Christ himself saith Mat. 7.23 I will profess unto them I never knew you depart from me And Rev. 2.10 I will give thee a Crown of Life There is one in the World who undertakes to dispose of earthly Crowns and Scepters to whomsoever he pleases yea and of the Crown of Righteousness too and the Kingdom of Heaven wherein yet he falls short of the modesty of him whose true Vicegerent he is for He pretended no further than to give all the Kingdoms of the Earth and the glory of them Luke 4.5 6. All this is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will give it But what ever others may pretend unto The Lord Jesus Christ is the only dispenser of this Crown of Righteousness the Crown of heavenly Glory Jesus Christ he is Judge Which speaks infinite Comfort unto all true Believers their Advocate shall be their Judge and therefore they may promise themselves all lawful favour But he is a Righteous Judge this affords further comfort He is faithful who has promised His Promises are Yea and Amen By his free Promise he hath made himself a debtor though not so much to us as to himself and his own truth So that it is now but a righteous thing with God to recompence rest unto his persecuted Servants 2 Thess 1.7 4. The last thing to be considered in the words is the time when this Crown of Righteousness shall be given to Paul At that day viz. when 〈◊〉 the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels as we have it in the place last cited Which time our Saviour points out by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 7.22 in that day by way of emphasis And so St. Paul loves to call it as he doth three several times in this Epistle Chap. 1.12 He is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that Day And Vers 18. The Lord grant that he may find mercy at that Day The Day of the General Judgment lay uppermost in Paul's mind and his thoughts ran much upon it and no wonder if his eye was always upon his Crown for that is the time when he shall receive this Crown of Righteousness It is true indeed that at the day of Death when the faithful Soul shall return to God that gave it and be resigned up into the hands of Jesus Christ it shall be perfected in Holiness and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but the glory shall not be perfect and compleat until such time as the Body which has been the Souls yoke-fellow and companion in doing and suffering for Christ here shall be redeemed from the Grave for which we are said to wait Rom. 8.23 Hence the Souls from under the Altar cry how long Rev. 6.10 and hence it is that the Spirit and the Bride say Come Rev. 22.17 Come quickly v. 20. Then shall the Soul and Body now again united be presented to Jesus Christ at his appearing and so the whole Man shall be rewarded and be for ever with the Lord. At the day of Death shall be a privy Sessions for every particular Soul but the general Assize shall be at that Day that great Day of Universal Judgment The believing Soul at the day of Death shall enter into the Heavenly Kingdom but the Solemnity of its Coronation shall be deferred till that day then and not till then shall its Glory and Happiness be compleated And thus much briefly be spoken concerning St. Paul's

Without us we shall meet with many Rubs laid in our way many Snares many Scandals many Stumbling-blocks laid by Satan to intrap us and make us fall The World 's golden Ball of Pleasure and Profit is cast before us to entice us out of the way Satan's wild-fire of Persecution is flash'd in our Faces to affright us from our Christian Course our way is hedged up with thorns or else carnal Relations and worldly Interest hang about our Necks to pull us back So that there needs much strength of Grace much Courage and Resolution much Earnestness and Contention much Labour and pressing forward that so we may lay hold on the Prize Eternal Life the Crown of Glory which is held forth to us for a Prize and shall be given unto us by the Judg the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Rewarder if we strive lawfully and run well So run therefore that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 3. The Christian Life is here set forth unto us under the Metaphorof keeping a Trust I have kept the Faith Where by Faith some understand Faithfulness or Fidelity that Engagement which is usually given by Souldiers to their General by an Oath which is called Sacramentum militare And so to keep the Faith is to keep the Oath by fighting faithfully and not falsly betraying the Cause of Christ neither by a treacherous running over to the Enemy as a Transfuga partium nor yet by a cowardly running away and drawing back from their Colours deserting the Cause of Christ and the Gospel which they had sworn to defend as all of us have in our Baptismal Vow But by Faith in this place I think is rather to be understood Fides quae creditur the Truth and Faith of Christ in the Gospel in which sense the Saints are described Rev. 14.12 to be such as keep the Commandments and the Faith of Jesus The Metaphor of keeping this Faith seems to have been borrowed either from 1. The keeping of a Fort or strong Castle The Faith and Truth of Christ is a strong Hold which is committed to the keeping and defending of every Christian Soul and while we keep this Fortress that will keep us safe safe from the power of the Enemy and we shall be kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Where the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly kept as a Garisson is kept Or 2. The keeping of a precious Jewel or Treasure committed to our charge and custody The Faith and Truth of Christ is a Depositum committed to us and intrusted with us To this St. Jude seems to allude Jude 3. when he exhorts all to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints The like Allusion hath St. Paul when he exhorts Timothy 1 Tim. 6. ver 20 21. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust and what that was may appear by the Opposition there subjoyn'd Avoiding profane and vain Bablings and oppositions of Science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith The Faith was the Depositum and the god thing committed to Timothy as Paul phrases it and exhorts him again to keep 2 Tim. 1.14 the same which in verse 13. he had expressed in other word viz. Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus If we keep this Faith and Truth that will keep our Souls for by keeping his Faith we trust in him and commit our Souls to his keeping who is the faithful and watchful Lord-Keeper of his Israel And therefore St. Peter exhorts Commit the keeping of your Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creatour 1 Pet. 4.19 And this did encourage St. Paul to say 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day And as our Saviour Christ did pray to his Father John 17.11 that he would keep all his Elect Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me So he promises Rev. 3.10 to the Church in Philadelphia Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation 3. Or else this keeping of the Faith may allude unto a Souldier's keeping of his Station or a Wrestler keeping of his Ground But the former are as I conceive more proper to the place and therefore I shall pursue this no further but come to consider what the thing is which is here meant by keeping the Faith Now to keep the Faith is 1. Truly and firmly to believe the Truth of Christ to assent unfeignedly to it to receive it not into the Ear only but into the Heart also and there to keep it and cleave unto it 2. To keep the Truth and Faith of Christ is to obey it as to keep God's Commandments is to obey and do them The Truth and Faith of Christ are kept in an holy Life 3. To keep the Truth and Faith of Christ is to hold it fast by Profession Thus Christ commends the Church of Pergamus Rev. 2.13 Thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith and likewise the Church in Philadelphia Rev. 3.8 Thou hast kept my Word hast not denied my Name 4. Lastly The Faith is kept by holding out and constant Continuance and Perseverance in all these believing practising and professing it This is that which receives the promised Reward Mat. 24.13 He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Paul must finish his Course before he shall receive a Crown Without this we shall come short of the Prize Thus we have briefly surveyed the Character of a Christian Life which was the first thing observed in St. Paul's first Meditation II. The second thing propounded to be consider'd is the comfortable Testimonial which Paul's Conscience gave him concerning his past Life and Conversation he was able to say in the sincerity of his Heart I have fought a good Fight c. St. Paul had long since made it his Exercise his constant Care and Indeavour to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men Acts 24.16 And now you see here he reaps the fruit of it Accordingly as we use our Consciences so will they deal by us if we wound them they will wound us If we keep not Peace in our Consciences how can they speak Peace to us But if we keep them tender and pure they will be able to comfort us in our greatest Streights and Difficulties St. Paul reflecting upon his Life past his Conscience told him what he here professes of himself First That he had fought a good Fight in a good Cause and that he had fought it well observing therein the Commands of his General That he had been