Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	see_v	5,205	5	3.8267	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93437	The doome of heretiques: or, A discovery of subtle foxes, who were tyed tayle to tayle, and crept into the Church to doe mischiefe. As it was delivered in a sermon at Wickham-Market in Suffolke, upon the fast day, being the 26 of May. 1647. / By Zeph: Smyth, minister of Gods Word. Imprimatur, Ia: Cranford, August 22. 1648.	Smyth, Zeph. (Zephaniah), fl. 1646-1648.	1648 (1648)	Wing S4363; Thomason E467_7; ESTC R204204	27,627	23

make his soule an offering for sinne hee shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand hee shall see the travaile of his soule and shall be satisfied so Job 3.24 Hee will mercy on him and say deliver him that hee goe not downe into the pit for I have received a Ransome for him If the Father hath received a Ransome hee will most certainely deliver such that they goe not downe into the pit So that if Christ had ransomed all as the Pelagians affirme then all must be saved but it is plaine in Scripture that but a few are saved and as plaine that Christ ransomed onely the elect and that only the elect shall bee saved by Christ as Rom. 8.30 Whom hee predestinated that is them whom he predestinated to life them hee called and whom hee calleth he justifies and whom he justifies them he also glorifies 3. Use Is for examination Did God of old ordaine men to condemnation then wee should every one of us examine whether we be in an estate of salvation When wee heare some shall perish me thinks every one should put it to the question whether I am one of then When Christ said one of you shall betray me every one began to question is it I so when you heare some shall perish mee thinks every one should be ready to ●●y is it I oh I pray God it may not be I. How should this put you on to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Object But how shall I know I am none of those that God did ordaine to condemnation Answ Whom God hath elected and whom he hath rejected wee know not as I told you b●●●●e neither is it necessary that wee should know but yet thou mayst know for thy owne particu●er that God hath predestinated thee to life First by thy effectual 〈◊〉 those that he predestinated to life them he called I meane not a bare outward call but an inward call by the word and Spirit When God doth not onely by his word say to a poore soule as Christ did to Mathew when he sate at the receipt of the cusion●● but inables the soule to arise and follow him as Matthew arose and followed Christ Matthew 9.9 It is a calling the soule from sinne from amongst the rest of the world unto Iesus Christ and inables the soule to follow Christ examine thy selfe Hath the Lord thus effectually called thee that thou hast left all to follow Christ this is a signe thou wert predestinated for whom hee predestinateth them he also calleth Rom. 8.30 Secondly hast thou true saving faith justifying faith whom he predestinated to life hee works faith in them Acts 13.48 So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved When God hath a people to call home to himselfe he either brings them to the meanes or the meanes to them and those that doe belong to the election of grace beleeve and the rest are hardned Hast thou this saving faith not a fancied faith a dead faith an easie faith but saving faith such a faith as was wrought in thee by the word and Spirit with power such a faith as was not in the power to give nor in thy power to receive untill God inabled thee by his Spirit then thy faith doth evidence to thee that thou art ordained to life for whom hee cals he justifies Rom 8.30 And wee are justified by faith Rom. 5.1 Not that the essence of faith justifies for it is the righteousnesse of Christ justifies but faith justifies instrumentally in that it layes hold upon that which justifies the righteousnesse of Christ 3. Whom hee predestinates to li●e as hee calls them and justifies them so he sanctifies and glorifies them this sanctification is begun in this life God predestinates his people unto holinesse He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him Eph. 1.4 This sanctification is begun here and shall be perfect in glory examine hast thou this evidence of thy election thy sanctification Art thou holy Is thy life holy Doest thou walke exactly as the grace of God which brings Salvation teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2.11 This is another evidence of thy election 4. Use Is Consolation to all such as finde upon examination that they have good evidence of their election all such as God have let read their names in the the Booke of life you may goe home and rejoyce and take strong consolation because God hath predestinated you to life and your names are written in Heaven and if hee hath predestinated you to life and writ your names in Heaven Who shall be able to blot them out againe None in Heaven or Earth shall ever be able to blot out thy name out of the Booke of life therefore let us say with Paul What shall seperate us from the love of God Rom. 8.35 All that men and Devills can doe cannot separate thee from Gods love nothing that ever hath been is or shall be that can separate thee from Gods love There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 God hath decreed thy salvation and Gods decree shall stand let men and Devils say what they will to the contrary Psal 33.11 The Counsell of the Lord shall stand for evermore It is as possible for God to deny himselfe as it is possible for thee to perish for We are kept saith the Apostle by the power of God through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And therefore as our Saviour Christ said to the seventie Luke 10.20 Rojoyce not that the Spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven So say I and more rejoyce not onely that your names are written in Heaven but rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven and can never be blotted out againe Secondly as I would have you rejoyce so I would have you also humble Why did God predestinate thee to life what because hee saw thee better then others or because of unseen m●rits or workes no surely before Iacob and Esau had done good or evill saith the Lord Iacob have I loved Esau have I hated They were two in one wombe and God chose the one and refused the other to shew to us that it is of his free mercy and grace according to his good pleasure I knew saith the Lord thou wouldst transgresse from the wombe Isay 48.8 And I called thee a transgressour from the wombe And Amos the 9.7 Were yee not as the Ethiopians unto mee saith the Lord So May not the Lord say of thee thou art a damned Creature it was I that saved thee thou wert a lost Creature it was I found thee thou had'st destroyed thy selfe it was I said Thy help in is me thou layest in thy bloud and filthinesse and

thee come these are good evidences thou art a true saint Secondly There are some notes of tryall whereby thou mayest perswade thy selfe concerning another that he or she is a true saint First when thou feest they are as carefull to walke close with God in a generall and particular calling at home as well as abroad many are zealous abroad amongst such as will observe them who but they for religion but if you follow these men home then 〈◊〉 may be yee shall see they neither regard body nor soule are faithfull neither in the duties of their generall calling nor particular neither truly if it be so that man or womans heart is very suspicious Secondly A gracious man is an humble man That soul that God makes his residence withall is an humble soule I dwell with the humble saith the Lord Jsa 57.15 and I will looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Isa 66.2 When we see a soule walke humbly with God Mich. 6.8 this may give good evidence to others that such a one is godly and on the contrary it makes such suspicious as are proud self-conceited esteeme well of themselves and are ready to scorne others Thirdly When we see men and women established in the truth this gives good evidence unto others of their uprightnesse as saith the Apostle Col. 2 7. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith not like the wandring stars Iude 13. which runne from one errour to another untill they have lost all truth but fixed staires established in the truth stedfast unmoveable and abundant in the worke of the Lord. When wee see them so established as nothing can remove them but with Paul are willing to be bound and to dye for the Lord Jesus this man gives good evidence of an upright heart it is the expression of Salomon Pro. 14.15 The foole beleeveth every thing but the prudent man will consider his goings Fourthly A man gives others good testimony of his uprightnesse when he takes reproofes well Give admonition to the wise and he will be wiser saith the wise man Prov. 9.9 When reproofe is to him as Jewels of gold and he ready to say blessed be God for this reproof as David who said to Abigall Blessed be thou of the Lord who met me to keep my hand from shedding of blood and in another place Let the righteous smite me for it is a benefit it is the property of a godly man to take reproofes well and on the contrary when a man hates him that reproves in the gate Amos 5.10 and counts him that reproves an enemy and ready to say Why doth he reprove me Is he not as bad himself and I could have charged him with as much as he charged me and I know as much by him as he doth by me these expressions savour of a bad heart Fifthly A man gives others good evidence of his uprightnesse when he is not a respector of persons but loves the meanest saint that beares the Image of God as well as the richest my meaning is not that a godly man should not give that civill respect to every one that their place calls for Honour to whom honour belongs but that I minde you of is that where there is true grace there will be a true love and respect to those saints that go in gray coats ay and thred-bare coats too such as go out to their day labour such as live in a poor cottage as well as those that are arrayed in silkes and sattins and live in stately houses there is many a man loves so much as they see of the fashion in another and so much as they see of their opinions in another but the godly love whatsoever they see of God in another Hereby saith our Saviour shall all men know ye are my disciples if yee love one another Iohn 13.35 The saints love the Image of Christ wheresoever it is So that yee see beloved that though all that externally seeme to be saints are not yet there is a possibility for a man to know himselfe to be a true saint and to be perswaded that another is a true saint Wee come in the next place to that which followeth and here I might insist upon their coming into the Church which is subtily They creep in unawares but I intend not to speake of that now but to come to the point of doctrine which arises from their condition Which were of old ordained to condemnation for having the doctrine of Reprobation held forth in the Text I shall insist upon that and handle it somewhat more generall then as it concernes the persons spoken of in the Text the doctrine therefore is this That God did of old ordaine some unto condemnation And because it is a doctrine not often insisted upon and at this time is denyed I intend to prove it from Scripture Secondly To give you the reason Thirdly Answer objections Fourthly Make application But before I come to the proofe of the doctrine it is very necessary that I should shew you what Reprobation is Predestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation for it is Gods eternall and unchangeable decree to save some of the lost race of Adam by Jesus Christ and to passe by others leaving them under sinne in a state of condemnation as they were lest in Adam without any possibility of mercy so that Reprobation is Gods eternall and unchangeable decree to passe by some of the Iost race of Adam leaving them in that condition they were lost in Adam without any possibility of recovering for ever First It is Gods decree you have the proofe in the Text They were of old ordained to Condemnation so 1 Peter 2.8 To which they were ordained it was ordained that they should stumble at Christ Secondly To passe by some Rom. 9.11 12 13. For the Children not being yet borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said too here The elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved Esau have I hated here we see plainly God chose some and passed by others not for foreseene works and merits for God saw nothing in Iacob that deserved his love more then he saw in Esau but he chose some and rejected others because it so pleased him therefore saith the Apostle That the purpose of God might stand so that it is plaine that it was Gods purpose to passe by some of the lost race of Adam Thirdly They are left without any possibility of recovering for ever because Gods decree to leave them under sinne and condemdation cannot be altered Psal 33.11 the counsel of the Lord shal stand for evermore his purpose is unchangeable yea it is as impossible for the Reprobate to be saved as it is for God to change and alter his purpose so that though Christs death was sufficient in it selfe to ransome not onely