Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
spirit_n bear_v witness_n witness_v 5,982 5 9.3102 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A54354 A spiritual looking-glass wherein is briefly discoursed the excellency and the necessity of saving faith and likewise how it may be known whether we have this faith or no : being the substance of two sermons / preached in London July the 23, 1671 by Sam. Pack. Pack, Samuel. 1671 (1671) Wing P152; ESTC R30079 19,268 44

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

is set all in a flame with love to God Friends observe this that proportionable to the apprehensions we have of the love of God to us in Jesus Christ such is the manifestation of our love to God what is the reason the Martyrs have embraced the flames with such courage which at other times it may be a few days before they were ready to sink at the apprehensions of the bitter cup they were to drink but the clear sence they had of the love of God to their souls We know this my Friends that the greater and clearer evidences we have of that good which at present we do receive from a Friend o● hopes to receive from them for the future it doth abundantly stir up our affections and inflame our love towards them if we look into the Corinthians we may see that God hath put Faith and Love together and what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity Gal 5 6. Neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Friends how do you find it what love have you to the worship of God to the Ordinances of God and to the people of God do your souls bear you witness that you can say of the word of God as David did that 't is sweeter than the honey or the honey-comb in the 3d. place Try it by your hope likewise a true faith doth always accompany a true hope 'T is true Friends we had need be criticol about these things for go and ask an unbeliever whether he loves God and he will answer you 't is pitty he should live else and again ask them whether they hope to have Salvation by Christ alone yes say they who do you think we should have it from besides 1 Joh. 3.3 But what saith the Apostle of this hope and every man that hath this hope he purifies himself as he is pure My Friends all the difference that is between faith and hope is this Faith doth respect the cetainty of the promise and hope doth respect the goodness of the thing promised and where one of these are there they are both for they both go together but now you may say what is the meaning of this purifying himself as he is pure can a●y one be so pure as God is My Friends 't is altogether impossible that the Creature should attain to that degree of perfection and purity that is in God pure signifies to be without mixture a person may be said to be purely evil as God is purely good he purifies himself as he is pure that is he hath not a heart for God another for the world he is really such as he seems to be he is without hypocrisie 4thly Again would'st thou know the soundness of thy Faith then try i● by thy constant implacable hatred of sin this we may see laid down as a true mark of Faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith Faith doth present the soul with a Crucified Jesus as Crucified for it in particular the formal Professor pleaseth himself with this that Christ dyed for sinners and ●e are all sinners My Friends there is nothing that gives such a mortal wound to sin in the soul of believers as when they do apprehend that Christ did suffer such grievous things for its self in particular 5thly Wouldest thou know whether thy faith be right then see if thou hast a high esteem of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore that believe he is precious or he is a honour a true believer he looks upon it as his honour that he is a member of Christs mistical body that he is a branch in that blessed Vine he looks upon it as his honour that Christ will look upon him as his Servant as the Emperor Theodosius said he looked upon it to be more honour to him that he was a Servant of Jesus Christ then that he was Emperour of the World But I have seen such Christians that would be very forward to own the people of God and Messengers of Christ in times of prosperity but when the ways of God hath been persecuted the Ordinances of Christ hath been trampled under feet then they would look upon them as if they had never seen them before My Friends this is a bad sign of a true Faith and of a good Christian to you that believe he is an honour my Friends is Christ precious to you in all his Offices as King Priest and Prophet thou that art a believer I can tell how 't is with thee as well as thy self thou dost never more rejoyce then when thou canst experience the power of Christ in thy Soul in subduing of thy Corruptions and bringing under the Old man and is he pretious to thee in all his attributes a wicked man God is precious to him in his mercies but as for the power of God and the Justice of God they cannot indure to hear of let a Minister go and tell them of the terrors of God they will presently cry Oh there is a Legal Preacher indeed enough to make one run mad in a word to a true believer Christ is precious to him in all his Offices and attributes and in all his providential dispensations and in all his promises and in his threatnings he is precious to every true believer Again sixthly wouldest thou know whether thou art indeed a true believer then see whether thou hast the witness of it in thy self 1 John 5.6 He that believeth hath the Witness in himself Oh but me-thinks I hear some poor soul ready to say Oh if it must be so I am in a worse condition then I was aware of I thought I could experienced some of the other Tryals but I have so little of the spirits witness in me that I question whether I have any true faith Now the Devil is very subtile as he will perswade a wicked man that he hath the marks of a true believer so he will perswade a true believer that he hath them not when he hath them as for example suppose a person is in great trouble for fear they don't love God they come into the Congregation and there it may be God hath directed his Minister to such a subject where he hath been treating on such a truth of Gods love to us and of our love to him if God hath loved thee then he hath subdued thy Corruptions these little Foxes he hath taken and destroyed now it may be the spirit of God hath set home this word on the soul and that he can say this hath been my condition Now Friends there was the witness that we are speaking of Rom. 8.16 The Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are the Children ●f God Now my Friends you that are so ready to say that you have not the witness of God in you wouldest thou part with that little glimme●ing hope thou hast of true Faith