Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	covenant_n	heart_n	new_a	6,959	5	6.8797	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01028	A letter first written and sent by Io. Forbes, pastour of the English Church at Middelburgh vnto certen of the companie of marchands adventurers at Stoade, at their earnest desire, for resolving this question: how a Christian man may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit, from the testimonie of his owne spirit, in witnessing his adoption. And now againe renewed and enlarged by the authour, at the desire of divers good Christians, for the comfort of their troubled co[n]sciences, and published by those of his flocke, to whom he did dedicate it for the publike vse of the Church.	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1616 (1616)	STC 11131; ESTC S118027	27,622	94

to teach him that that testimonie was not the testimonie of his owne heart but by the spirit of God did tell him that flesh and bloud had not reveyled that to him but his Father that is in heaven This I speake not to make men carelesse in trying whether they have the spirit or no but to comfort weake Christians who although they have the livelie effectes of the spirit yet have not come so farre as to bee able to discerne them to be from the spirit as sometimes they will bee taught to vnderstande and can not tell how at the first and to repent and can not tell how and to reioyce and can not tell how and to love God and his Saints and can not tell how and to beleeve and cannot tell how which all notwithstanding are the proper workes of the spirit Neither speake I this to shunne the answering of your question touching the discerning of the spirites testimonie which I pray the Lord to teach vs all seeing there can indeed no solide ioy possesse our mindes till we feele the spirit of Adoption sealing vp the certaintie of our electiō in our harts for if we bee sonnes as saieth the Apostle the Lord hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne in our heartes which crieth Abba Father and therefore if any mā hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Seeing then it is even by the spirit which he hath givē vs that we know our selves to bee the sonnes of God and that God as our Father abydeth in vs as saieth Iohn It is a most necessarie studie and most commendable in a Christian to trie if he hath the spirit Now therefore to come to your question I will speake of it in all sobrietie accordinge to that measure of faith which the Lord hath given me First in generall it shall not bee amisse to know what is the Testimonie of the spirit Secondly after what maner the spirit doth give testimonie And lastly we shall cleerlie see how to discerne it from the testimonie of our owne spirit In generall the whole word of God is the testimonie of the spirit For whatsoever is therein contayned the spirit doeth witnes it and nothing els doeth the spirit witnes but that which is contayned in the word therefore is the word of God called his Testimon The testimonie of the Lord is sure And againe God established a Testimonie in Iacob And oft times in the 119. Psalme the Lords wordes are called his Testimonies because everie sentence of the word is a testimonie of Gods will Therefore is it that the Prophet commands vs to goe to the Lawe and to the Testimonie For nothing can we know of Gods minde towards vs except we hearken what the spirit speakes in his worde and therefore Christ willeth vs to search the Scriptures because they witnes of him So whatsoever the worde doeth perswade our hearts touching GOD and his love in Christ that is the Testimonie of the spirit and therfore when hearing the worde of God our hearts receyves anie assurance or perswasion of redemption remission of sinnes c. that same is and must be the spirits testimonie As for example whē by the word a man is made to knowe Christ to be the Lord the Redeemer c. doubtlesse that is a testimonie of Gods spirit by the word witnessing to the heart that trueth and causing the heart to beleve it But heere wee must carefully take heede that our hearts bee not deceyved touching that which you most disire to know that is touching our Adoption by mistaking the spirits testimonie For eschewing this danger we have to vnderstande that the spirit by the worde perswades two maner of wayes to wit generallie and speciallie generallie when that which is reveyled out of the worde is generally beleeved as Gods truth speciallie when it is speciallie beleeved The generall is no warrant of adoptiō For in that sort the very Divells beleeve and tremble saieth Iames a reprobate may beleeve generally all to be true which is in the word of God and yet never have anie testimonie of the spirit of his particular adoption hee may beleeve that Christ is a Saviour of sinners and yet not beleeve that hee is a Saviour vnto him he may beleeve that God in Christ will forgive sinners and yet no wayes have assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes yea hee may bee a Preacher and be witnes of all the promises of God in Christ to others yet have no parte in them him selfe Therefore leaving this generall testimonie of the spirit I come to the speciall testimonie which wee must discerne before our Adoption bee sealed to vs. And in discerning this there is also great wisedome required for therein also may a man be deceyved For there is some sort of speciall testificatiō that witnesseth not adoption For vnderstanding hereof we must consider that the spirits testimonie in speciall maner is of two sortes The first is when hee witnesses and reveiles grace particularlie to a man but imprints not the thing reveiled in the heart neither seales it in his soule The second is when not onely he reveyles and witnesses the promises in speciall manner to a man but also writeth them in his heart and seales them in his soule Now to make this more plaine we must consider what are the wordes of Gods covenant in Christ with the elect After these dayes saieth the Lord I will put my Lawes in their minde and in their heart I will write them If we waye these wordes aright we shall see that which I have spoken cleere GOD in giving his Lawe spake to his people and by his spirit witnessed his will to them but this word which was spoken was not written in their hearts but in tables of stone therfore the Iewes did not abyde in that covenant The peculiar promise of God to the elect in Christ is that he shall write his wordes in their hearts When thē the Lords spirit witnesseth in witnessing writes the thing witnessed in the heart it is an assurance of Gods effectuall speaking but when hee witnesses to the heart yet writes not that testimonie in the heart it is no testimonie of adoption To make this plaine it is certaine there can be no true faith in the heart where the worde of GOD abydeth not Christ shewes this in the fift chap. of Iohn speakinge to the Iewes His worde sayeth hee have ye not abyding in you because yee beleeve not in him whom he hath sent declaring that the abyding of the worde in man and beleeving doe still accōpanie one the other And if we will consider his speech in the sixt chap. of Iohn wee shall see that the cause why his worde did not abyde in them was because they were not taught of God that is they had not hard nor learned of the Father according to his promise I will put my lawes in their

therein So that the working and witnessing of the spirit in the wicked is like the smell of an Apothecaris shop which one that passeth by receyveth although hee never carrie anie of these odoriferous things with him But the witnessing of the spirit to the elect is by imparting the thing witnessed to the soule making it reallie to possesse it So that if a man could see the soule of a true child of God he should see ingraven in it mercie peace love righteousnes life ioy and Christ himselfe all the promises of God in Christ being written therein by the spirit according to the covenant of God Conforme to this doth the Apostle speake of the spirits witnessing to the hearts of the Corinthians when hee saieth yee are manifest to bee the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with inck but with the spirite of the livinge GOD not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart Nowe therefore wee come to speake of this witnessinge of the spirit which is proper to the elect And to the ende wee may cleerelie discerne the testimonie of the spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sonnes of GOD wee must yet more deepelie marke and consider this testimonie The worke of the spirit in assuring vs of Adoption is twoofolde The firste for distinction wee shall call this first writinge of the worde reveyled in our hearts and so makinge vs to beleeve in God as our God and Father in Christ The second is our sealling after we have beleeved That it is so ye may see in the wordes of the Apostle to the Ephesians In whom also sayes he ye have trusted after that yee heard the word of trueth even the Gospell of your salvation wherein also after yee beleeved yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Marke first this worke of the spirit in causing vs to beleeve in God by the effectuall revelation of the worde next marke that other worke of the spirit after we have beleeved in sealing vs. The first of these two although it bee felt by vs yet at the first wee can not discerne it to be the worke of the spirit till afterward For before we be made spirituall we can discerne nothing of the spirit because the things of the spirit are spiritually discerned But when we receyve the spirit which is of God then are we able to knowe the things which are given to vs of God Therefore that testimonie whereof the Apostle speaketh to the Rom. which witnesseth with our spirits is to be vnderstood of the seconde worke of the spirit which is our sealing That we may vnderstande this aright we must consider that there is something that cōmeth in in vs betwixt the first worke of the spirit and the second And that is the testimonie of our owne spirit bearing witnes that we are the sonnes of God For when God by his spirit hath imprinted in our heartes the word of promise then begins our hearts to say we are the children of God being perswaded by the spirit secretlie insinuating the worde in our hearts to beleeve beleeving to speak according as it is said I beleved therfore did speak Now it might seeme there needed no more but let vs remember what Christ saith to Peter Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not So wee have need that our heartes be established in that worke of the spirit otherwayes we should bee in danger to make shipwracke of faith of a good conscience which is nothing els but this testimonie of our owne hearts Therefore doth the Church pray in the Psalme Establish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. And the Apostle after hee hath given thankes vnto God for the Thessalonians effectuall calling he prayes to GOD That hee who had given them this good hope through grace would also establish them in everie word and good worke Therefore is it that our God for stablishing vs in faith in the assurance of our Adoption seales vs by the holy spirit of promise This is manifest out of the former place to the Ephes where he saieth That after they beleeved they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise This same doth the Apostle to the Gallat confirme when hee sheweth that Christ was sent to this ende to redeeme vs That we might receyve the Adoption of the sonnes and then he addeth and because yee are sonnes GOD hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts that crieth Abba Father And that this sealing of vs by sendinge forth the spirit of Adoptiō in our hearts is the meane whereby God establisheth vs it is manifest by the Apostle to the Corinthians For when first hee hath shewed that it is God which establisheth saying It is God which establisheth vs with you in Christ then addeth he the meane whereby God did stablish them saying and hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Which three sayings are all one thing in substance Therefore doeth Iohn from this anointing confirme and assure these to whom he did write against the fearing to fall away but saith he The anointing which yee receyved of him dwelleth in you and as it taught you yee shall abide in him And the Apostle to the Corinthians taketh the Argument of his confidence from this that God hath given vs the earnest of the spirit And the same Apostle from this giving of vs the spirit of libertie which crieth Abba Father proveth vs to bee the sonnes of God in that eight chap. to the Romanes Whereby it is plaine that by these three the self-same thing is meant albeit diverslie expressed accordinge to the three sortes of confirmation the one by anointing so were Kings Priestes and Prophetes confirmed in their calling the other by an earnest which is a cōfirmation of the bargaine and of the payement of the full somme and the last by sealing which in all writes contractes and obligations is a confirmation of all therein conteyned and promised Accordinge to which amongst the Persians whatsoever was sealed with the Kinges Ring could not bee changed nor revoked Therefore whomsoever God seales vnto life as his child he is made most sure of eternall life For this cause is it that in the Revelatiō God first will have his childrē sealed before the enemies can have power to execute their malice and of these thus sealed it is that Christ saieth that the gates of hell shall not prevayle against them And that they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of his hande Now this same sending foorth of the spirit of Adoption in our hearts is our sealinge Therefore saieth the Apost to the Ephesians ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise And this same is also

the voyce of my spirit now beleving and bearing witnes to me of that which first the spirit of God did witnes to it Secondlie after we have beleeved wee may also discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit by a plaine contrarie order For in the former the spirites testimonie did goe before the testimonie of our spirit but heere it followeth after it and is the confirmation of it So that when after wee have beleeved the spirit speakinge the word vnto vs and after that beleeving wee have spoken with our owne spirit if then wee heare a new voyce cōfirming that which we beleeved and which our spirit did speake that cōfirming sealing and stablishing voyce is the testimonie of Gods spirit Thus wee must learne to discerne betwixt our beleeving and the confirmation of our belief and so shal wee know the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit Therefore still the holie Scriptures of God distinguish betwixt the worke of God in making vs receyve the testimonie of his spirit and his worke in confirming in vs that testimonie nowe receyved And also teacheth vs to knowe the testimonie of our own spirit which commeth in betwixt these two to bee different from them both Accordinge to this working of God the Saincts pray Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. To speake more plainly of this point there is a three folde voyce in the heart that hath the testimonie of Iesus confirmed in it The first is the voyce of God by his spirit in the worde speaking vnto our hearts and perswading them to beleeve that the promise belongeth vnto vs. The second voyce is the voyce of our hearts receyving the word wherby it speaketh that which the spirit hath perswaded and this in effect is nothing but the very faith of the heart now actually working in vs. Whereas the first was the worke of the spirit working this faith in vs so that in this first act we are patients in the other we are agentes in the first we are spoken too by the spirit of God in the seconde our owne heartes speaketh in vs. The third voice is the voyce of Gods spirit following the voyce of our hearts ratifying it and this is nothing els but the confirmation of our faith So wee may see that the Lord performeth twoo workes in vs for our comfort the first is the working of faith beliefe the other is the confirmation of the faith which he him selfe did work But before his last work our hearts having faith wrought in them doe worke by it or wee with our hearts worke and this is nothing but beleeving with the heart or the hearts beleevinge Wherevpon followeth the sealing of vs in that which it beleeveth that is in the testimonie which the beleeving heart giveth of him in whom it is Thirdlie we discerne this testimonie of the spirit in our trouble when we find any cōfort or peace wrought in our hearts when they are troubled or anie ioye vpon the assurance of Gods love If wee finde a quiet calmnesse of minde with patience meeknes and reioycing in tribulation vpon anie sight or knowledge of our Adoption all these are the vndoubted testimonies of the spirit who shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts maketh vs to reioyce in affliction as the Apost speaketh of the Hebrues and ye suffered with gladnes the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in heaven a better and an enduring substance And touching the Apostles it is saide They departed reioycing that they were compted worthie to suffer for his Name That this ioy is the work of the spirit vpon the testimonie of Gods love is manifest by the Apost to the Romans where shewing the cause why we reioyce in afflictions sayth Because of the love of God which is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy spirit which is given vs. According to this grounde it is that the Saints are brought in wayting what God will speake to them in trouble as namely in the Psalme 85. vers 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say concerning mee for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his saints And the Prophet Habacuk in like manner is brought in saying thus I will stande vpon my watch and set mee vpon the Towre and will looke and see what hee will say vnto mee Thus whē God speaketh peace to the Saincts in affliction and quieteth their thoughtes and maketh them heare ioye and gladnes that is the testimonie of the spirit of the Lord who is our onely Comforter For as sayeth the Prophet David My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart And therefore Moses prayeth O satisfie vs with thy mercie so shall wee reioyce and be glad all our dayes comfort vs againe c. We may hold it for a most certaine trueth that our patient enduring of grievous trialls ioyfully the constant peace of God in our hearts in the tyme when wee endure the enimitie of the world the cōsolations wherewith we are comforted in all our afflictions are vndoubted testimonies of our Adoption proceeding all from Gods spirit But all this is most cleerlie discerned when the testimonie of Gods spirit and the testimonie of our spirit are seperate the one frō the other when they are found to speake one against the other and to give two contrarie testimonies For while these two goe together and are not severed or disagreeing it is oft tymes hard to discerne the one from the other But if we can finde them seperate so that the one faile vs and the other vphold vs then may they cleerly bee discerned And this commeth to passe eyther when God vpon the carnall presumption of our hearts suffereth vs to fall in some dangerous triall or then when God him selfe seemeth to become our enemie so that the heart hath to wrestle with GOD him selfe vnder the sense of his wrath all former feeling of his mercie then ceasing Of the first wee have example in Peter whose heart saide vnto him that no danger could make him forsake Christ the Lorde to make him know that this was not the testimonie of Gods spirit but a carnall confidence of his owne heart suffered him to be tried and in the triall to fall and so to finde it was but his owne carnall heart that did beare witnes to him God oft tymes for this cause tryeth his owne children to make them discerne betwixt the confidence and assurance which their owne hearts giveth them and that confidence and comfort which the spirit of God worketh in them that they may not trust in them selves or in their owne hearts but in the living God This the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians saying He maekth vs to receyve the sentence of death in our selves because we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Of the second wee