Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	adoption_n	cry_v	receive_v	6,371	5	5.4895	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66097	The child's portion, or, The unseen glory of the children of God asserted and proved together with several other sermons / occasionally preached and now published by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston, New-England.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.	1684 (1684)	Wing W2271; ESTC R33658	112,015	240

who is subtle and watcheth all advantages against but he is alwayes giving them his Fatherly advice warning them of their danger shewing them a way how to escape it they have the voice of his Spirit behind them telling them this is the way Isai 30. 21. they have the guidance of his most wise counsel to keep them in the right way unto glory Psal 7424. 5. He will assist and strengthen them he will lend them an helping hand to carry them through all their difficulties temptations straits that they are engaged or involved in in their Christian course and the discharge of their duty in all of them 2 Tim. 4. 17. The Lord was with me and strengthened me they have a great work to perform to serve God in their Generation but his Grace standing by them becomes their sufficiency a Fathers love draws forth his helping hand to assist his Son and carry him well through all that is before him 6. He will Correct and Chasten them for their Faults Heb. 12. 6. He chastneth every son whom He receiveth They like foolish Children may now reckon this for their damage but it is indeed none of the least of those benefits which the Children of God do enjoy God lets wicked men alone to go on in their pernicious wayes They have their wills in the world that they may be destroyed for ever But God here afflicts his Children that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 32. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World 7. He will commend and encourage them when they do well see what an high commendation he gives Abraham for his love and what a precious promise he gives him upon it Gen. 22. 16 17. the poorest services which they do being done in sincerity to him if it be but a cup of cold water given to one of his Disciples in that Name shall not lose its acceptance and reward yea such is his Fathers respect that he owns and crowns the very good will and purposes as much as if they really performed them David doth but resolve to build an House to his Name and Glory and God takes it kindly and promiseth richly upon it 2 Sam. 7. these things belong unto them as they are Children in the Family and carry Consolation in the very mentioning of them 3. They receive the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 5 6. and here we are to observe that the Spirit of Adoption doth not decipher any distinct spirit but that it is one and the same spirit who doth illuminate convince humble engraft the soul into Christ c. but it deciphers to us a distinct and peculiar observation of the Spirit of God in us so that the dignity of this priviledge is to be discovered in the effects which are consequent upon it and they are such as these viz. 1. The obsignation or sealing up of Believers to the certain and infallible enjoyment of their inheritance Eph. 1. 13. 4. 30. when God hath once admitted a poor Soul into the number of his Children he now confirms and ratifies to him all the promises and makes them unto him surer than the foundation of the World yea so sure that neither outward Enemies nor inward Evils shall ever be able to deprive them of this Title Rom. 8. 39 39. I am perswaded that neither height nor depth c. shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ It is possible that they may not alwayes with alike clearness discern it some cloud or other interposing but it is ever with an equal certainty therein inasmuch as it is a gift of God that is without Repentance 2. The testimony which the spirit of God gives in to their state of Adoption witnessing in them that God hath numbred them to his Children and joyned them in the inheritance of all blessings with his own Son Rom. 8. 16 17. The spirit it self leaveth witness c. The effect consequent upon this testimony is assurance which assurance is in it self a piece of inchoate Glorification but the witness which the Spirit of God bears in us by vertue of which we are confirmed in this knowledge is a priviledge of Adoption and though Believers do not alwayes so distinctly hear him testifying and to be able to draw the comfort of it to their Souls yet they have alwayes this witness in them because the Spirit of God is ever with them 3. The enlivening of their Faith and thereby enabling of them to God to God as a Father and claim this Relation and upon the claim believingly to plead with him for the acceptance of their persons the audience of their Prayers the granting of their requests and supplying of all their wants Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father yea the spirit of God enables them thus to act Faith in consideration of this relation not only in times of outward favour when the candle of the Lord shineth upon their Tabernacle and all things go well with them but also in the most cloudy times of darkest dispensations when God hides his face from them and carries it towards them as if he were their Enemy hence that chalenge of Faith at such an hour Isai 63. 17. Doubtless thou art our Father 4. The powerful preservation of them in a state of Grace 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Believers are weak in themselves and ly open to many strong temptations and if they were left to themselves those floods that assail them would easily and quickly drown them But the spirit of God is still blowing upon this spark and supplying of it with new fuel whereby he makes the faith of Believers to live and flourish in dispite of all those endeavours that are used to extinguish and ruin it 5. His constant assistance in spiritual duties enabling them to perform them acceptably and particularly in the great duty of Prayer to God Rom. 8. 26 27. We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession c. they are weak to do duty and carry about in them a masse of corruption a body of Death which presseth them down evil is ever present when they would be doing of good so that without him they can do nothing and it would be a vain thing for them to set about any service to God in their own strength but he stands by them and is ready to put to his helping hand supplying them with the influences of spiritual Grace whence when they are weak in themselves they are strong in him 6. To communicate to them the discoveries of the love of God and thereby to fill them with spiritual rejoycing Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us he applies the precious promises to

knowledge of God in Christ which is Eternai life Joh. 17. 3. There is a sealing of the spirit which confirmes everlasting happiness to us Eph. 4. 30. There is an earnest now given by which God confirmes the title of the Inheritance to the Souls of his People Eph. 1. 14. 2. That these effects are discernable and legible and that not only by special revelation but also in a rational way of arguing and inferring If this were not a truth then all such Scripture-precepts as put us upon this duty of self-examination in respect of our spiritual estate were in vain and meerly super●luous It is true the law puts us upon duties impossible to fallen man and this course God useth with us to make us know our need of Christ But the Gospel puts Believers upon nothing but what may be done Now this is made the Believers duty in divers Gospel-respects 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 28. Nay why should the Gospel propound Rules of tryal to us if there were no discovery to be made by the application of them Of what use is a Touch-stone to us if by applying of it we could not be able to make discovery what Mettle is genuine and what is deceitful 3. That every Child of God is furnished f●● this discovery He hath an habitual power in him and sufficient help afforded unto him for the discerning these effects For 1. The effects themselves are manifestly distinguishable from the common Graces of Moral Men and the counterfeit graces of hypocrites though they may have some resemblance yet there are differencing notes 1 Joh. 3. 10. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil 2. Every Child of God hath a conscience whereby he is able to reflect upon himself to take a Survey of his own actions to see what is in him and to compare it by the rule and to judge of it accordingly Hence We shall find Paul making an appeal to the Testimony of his own Conscience 2 Cor. 1 12. 3. The Spirit of God dwels in the understanding and conscience of every Believer to ill● minate it and to give it a judgement and di●cerning of spiritual things 1 Cor. 2. 10 14. an● this is a common priviledge of all Believers the● have all of them the indwelling spirit to hel● them in their work 4. The Spirit of Adoption is also a witne● in a Child of God to confirm and ratifie th● the testimony which his Conscience gives i●●●ncerning the premises whence there are tw●●●bstantial witnesses to the same truth Hence He is said to bear witness with our spirits Rom. 8 16. 4. By the discovery of these present effects h● is infallibly assured that he shall inherit Glor● hereafter A state of Grace and of Glory hav● but their gradual differences Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace finished or perfected Grace is the seed whereof glory is the genuin● Fruit Grace if it dy not will bring forth glory undoubtedly but it cannot dy being an immortal seed and abiding True grace is a spring that never ceaseth flowing till it reach eterna● Life Joh. 4. 14. Paul counts it a good argument and that the inferrence will hold that i● God hath begun he will also perfect the good work Phil. 1. 6. God cannot call back his grace for it is without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Heb. 13. 5. The Believer cannot renounce nor reject it for God will not suffer him to depart away from him Ezek. 36. 27. The Devil and all his instruments cannot rob him of it because they cannot pluck him out of Chist's hand Joh. 10. 29. And when we have ●aid all these things together Judge now whither this doth not amount to that which may truly and properly be called knowledge viz a Judgement of certainty about our everlasting felicity USE I. Here we see one Reason why many of the Children of God bear all the changes of the life with so much quietness and tranquillity it lyes here because they have grounded expectations of future glory The Men of the World wonder at them yea scoff and flout and take them for mad Men to feed their fancyes and hopes with unseen things and therefore in their opinion the greatest uncerteintyes Truly if the hopes of the Children of God were grounded in opinion and depended upon meer contingencyes I cannot see how their life should not be the most perplexed sorrowful and miserable of all men for if after they have left all for Christ it were yet a thing dubitable whether they should ever see and enjoy him in glory they have indeed nothing left them to lean the weight of their confidence upon But this is their felicity in the midst of all turns that still their main interest in eternity is secured And this indeed is the very thing which declares them to be the only happy Men All other Men live by meer opinion these only are the men of knowledge Other men know not certeinly what it is that they labour for nor what shall be the event of all their pains and cares but these men know that their labour is not in vain and that there will be a good end of all their troubles and pains As to the things of this life and with respect to subordinate ends the Children of God labour under equal uncerteintyes with other men Eccl. 9. begin All things fall out alike to all And vers 11. Time and chance happeneth to them all They are not sure to prosper in their Estates to enjoy health and long life and ease in this World But as to their last end and the concurrent tendency of all means to it here they have good security and this makes them patient in tribulation quiet under sorest afflictions Thus we find Paul argues himself into patience and chearfulness 2 Cor. 4. 17 18 5. 1. If Storms nay Hurrycanes arise in their Voyage yet they are not amazed for they know who is Pilot and where they shall certein●y Arrive if they lose all they have in this World yea and life it self yet because they cannot lose glory they are not filled with consternation For though they cannot tell what that glory shal be yet they know that it shall be glory and such as God himself shal give that God who doth all things like himself and they are satisfied that this shall be enough to fill you with everlasting joyes USE II. We hence learn how vain are all the attempts of the enemyes of God's Children wherein they seek to make them miserabe or to discourage them in the service of God It is true if their felicity were grounded in contingency the Saints enemies might have some probable hopes to undermine and blow them up but those that fight against the truth shall not be able to prevail That Rock on which the happiness of the Sons of God is built lyes too deep for all the endeavours of their enemyes to undermine That truth that no