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spirit_n	father_n	send_v	son_n	30,173	5	6.6540	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17408	The promises: or, A treatise shewing how a godly Christian may support his heart with comfort against all the distresses which by reason of any afflictions or temptations can befall him in this life. Containing al the most comfortable places through the whole Bible, orderly digested. By N. Bifield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1619 (1619)	STC 4232.5; ESTC S120625	40,383	214

haue their part in those promises as the Apostle shewes Galath 3. 27. 28. 29. 11 The Law was the onely thing that might hinder vs of the enioying of the promises And the Apostle hath proued that the Law cannot disanull the Promises in which the nations of the earth should be blessed made 400. yeers before the Law was giuen on Mount Sinai Galat. 3. 17. 21. 12 We haue the seale of GOD to this writing now God hath sealed four waies First in his Counsell the booke of his eternall counsell was written within and without and it had seuen seales to signifie that it was perfectly ratified and though none in heauen and earth could reade it yet for our comforts wee know that the Lambe of the tribe of Iuda the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour hath opened it now and made it manifest Reuel 5. 1. 2. c. 2 In his Sonne for him hath God the Father sealed Iohn 6. 27. God made all sure when hee sent out Christ he sealed his commission in all things that concerned the happinesse both of Iewes Gentiles 3 In his Spirit and thus all the belieuers are said to be sealed by the Spirit of Promise and this is Gods priuy Seale 4 God hath sealed to all his promises in the Sacraments which are giuen vs as Gods broad Seales and outward tokens and pledges to confirme our Faith 13 We haue the experience also of all the saints who in all ages found God as good as his word and had euer reason to say as Dauid did In the Lord will we praise his word Psalm 56. 10. The Patriarchs embraced the Promises as the chiefe stay of their liues in their pilgrimage on earth Heb. 11. 13. Thus of the fourth point 5 A fift thing I would preface about is concerning certaine rules to bee obserued if we would euer receiue the sound profit of these promises and so wee must looke to sixe directions First when wee come to these promises we must renounce our own merits all opinion of our owne worthinesse and acknowledge from our hearts that all the grace we find in the promises is in through Iesus Christ. All the promises are yea and Amen through him and onely in him 2 When wee haue the promises laid open before vs we must beleeue them and apply them to our selues or else they will doe vs no good 3 We must be further carefull to hide them in our hearts to commit them to memory that wee may be often thinking of them and musing vpon them It will not serue the turn that wee haue them written in the Bible or in our note-bookes but wee must get them written in our hearts too wee must bee at the paines to acquaint our selues distinctly with them and to fill our heads with store of them 4 When any thing ayleth vs we must flye to him for refuge and cast the anchor of our hope vpon them that God himselfe may see that our hearts are bent to trust vpon his Word 5 We must neuer cast away our confidence in them but wait with patience and not limit God to the time or manner or meanes of accomplishment but hold fast to his promises and ●eaue the rest to God as in many places of Scripture may appeare especially Hebr. 10. 36. Rom. 4. 22. 6 In short wee must ●ooke to it that we be not slothfull and idle and such as will not be at the paines to study and commit to memory and rest vpon these glorious comforts but wee must follow them which through faith and patience doe inherit the promises Thus of the Preface CHAP. II. The diuision of the Promises THE Promises may bee diuided into three parts 1 The first may containe such places of Scripture as shew the Priuiledges of the godly aboue other men and that is one chiefe way by which the Lord doth refresh the hearts of his people by assuring them in generall of such such prerogatiues which hee will confirme vpon them and vpon none but them 2 The second may containe comforts that is places of Scripture which do foretell what goodnes the Lord will shew to his people in affliction For hither-vnto belong all those promises which are giuen of purpose for the comforting and supporting of the godly in all their trialls 3 The third part may containe such Promises as are made to certaine particular Graces in the godly as promises made to praier faith trusting in God or such like It is the second sort of promises which I intend here more at large to intreat of I would shew what variety of comforts there are with which a godly man may inflame his heart according to the seuerall distresses may fall vpon him and these may be thus subdiuided All afflictions are eyther outward or inward For outward afflictions it were too tedious and to little purpose to gather comforts against euery particular crosse and therfore one head may suffice for the Generall viz. the promises or consolations against all outward afflictions Now because godly people are oftentimes more troubled with the stormes and reproches of the world which are cast vpon them for well-doing then with the ordinary afflictions of life therefore I would in the second place gather the comforts against reproches and withall I would adde in the third place consolations against aduersaries Now for inward afflictions they are the afflictions of the spirit of man and arise eyther from the temptations of Sathan or from the trouble of the conscience vnsatisfied in diuers scruples I would therfore in the fourth place shew how wee might bee comforted against the temptations of Sathan and because the trouble of conscience ariseth vsually eyther from the burthen of our daily infirmities or from the feare of our falling away I would in the fifth place shew how we may bee comforted against our daily infirmities and then in the last place I would vnfold those promises that may assure vs of perseuerance Now suppose a Christian soule clearely informed with the knowledge of those priuiledges wherein he excels all the people of the world and withall that he knew how to comfort himselfe against any outward afflictions and had store of consolations in his heart against the temptations of Sathan and did know how to support himselfe against the sence of his daily weakenesses and withal were setled out of feare for falling away would you not thinke such a one wonderfull happy And this may be heere attained vnto if wee be not slothfull and what can in this life bee grieuous vnto vs if wee be soundly fenced in those things There can be nothing that can seeme a misery vnto vs but wee may find comforts vnder some one of these titles CHAP. III. Shewing the priuiledges of the godly aboue all other people THe first sort of promises or comfortable places of Scripture are such as in general

him Math. 3. 7. Psal. 84. 12. Outward prosperity hee is sure of so farre as it is good for him Iob 8. 7. Psalme 37. 5. The last priuiledge is that Inheritance immortall incorruptible and that fadeth not reserued for him in heauen which for excellency passeth all that which euer the eye of man saw or the eare of man heard or the heart of man can conceiue 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Now then to summe vp all this let a Christian tell his owne soule plainly and vpon cleere proofe by the signes of a child of God that hee is in fauour with God and that Christ is his and that he hath obtained strange deliuerāce and that all his sinnes are forgiuen and that the holy Ghost dwells in him that the image of God is restored in him and that he is free to Gods house and that hee may begge any thing of GOD and that hee hath Angels to waite vpon him and that he is neere of kinne to all the Saints in the World and that he is Lord of the earth and that hee shall certainely goe to Heauen when he dieth Let this I say bee told to his soule can hee be dismaid will not the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe his heart and minde and that constantly for euer CHAP. IIII. Shewing how the godly may support their hearts against all outward afflictions HItherto of the Priuiledges Now it followeth that I should open those consolations that may support the hearts of men against al the distresses of this life And first I would shew how the Lord is pleased to comfort his seruants in seueral Scriptures against all the outward afflictions may befall his seruants in this world By outward afflictions I meane such as these wants losses wrongs troubles exile imprisonment sicknesse feares pouerty or any other thing wherewith the life of man is molested in any condition Now there are many excellent waies of aboundant comforts against these or any of these as 1 First if we consider but the commonnesse of them all things fall alike in these things Eccles. 9. 2 3. Euery man that is born of a woman hath but few daies and is full of trouble Iob 14. 1. Christ hath no Disciple but he is told aforehand He must take up his Crosse and that daily Luk. 9. 24. There can bee no affliction but what accompanieth or may accompany the nature of man 1. Cor. 10. 13. The same afflictions are accomplished vpon our brethren which are through the world 1. Pet. 5. 9. And we haue the Prophets greatest worthies of the Lord for an example of suffering Iam. 5. 10. And all the godly must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of God Acts 14. 22. 2 Secondly if we consider that God takes notice of vs and of all our trialls The Lord knowes the way of the righteous Psalm 1. 6. None of our griefes are hid from him All our desires are before him and our groning is not hid from him Psalm 38. 9. and hee knowes our soules in aduersitie Psal. 31. 7. And as hee takes notice of al our troubles so he takes notice of all that is good in vs Hee knowes them that are patient and trust in him Nahum 1. 7. 3 Thirdly if we consider the wonderfull compassion of God in the afflictions of his people hee doth not willingly afflict but regards vs with pitty and with loue thinkes of redeeming vs and sends the Angell of his presence to comfort and saue vs and in all our afflictions is afflicted with vs Isay 63. 8 9. 4 Fourthly if we consider the high estimation that God holds of his seruants notwithstanding their afflictions Crosses may make men loue vs the lesse but they doe not a iot discommend vs before God He can take notice of his seruants in their distresses as well as if they did shine in the greatest outward splendor in the world This is the consolation that God speakes to vs euen when he corrects as to his children and for that reason wee should not refuse his chastning Hebr. 12. 6. Prou. 3. 11. We may be honourable in Gods sight though wee bee in a most forlorne and despised condition in the world Wee may I say be precious in Gods sight and greatly beloued Isa. 43. 4. 56. The Apostle Peter shewes that a poore seruant when hee suffers hard words and ill vsage from his froward Master doth herein finde acceptation with GOD 1. Peter 2. 19. 20. Now this is an instance beyond exception For what condition more vile then of a seruant and what crosses were likely to be disregarded of God sooner then these domesticall indignities and yet wee see a proofe of the regard and loue of God euen in those things 5 Fiftly if we consider the victory of Christ ouer the world Our Sauiour vseth this as a consolation he tels his Disciples In the world they shall haue trouble but he wold haue them be of good cōfort he hath ouer come the world so as now they shall neuer be hurt by their trobles Their crosses may be too hard for them to master but Christ can order them so as in him they shall haue victory ouer them But of this more afterwards Iohn 16. 33. 6 Sixtly If wee consider the presence of the holy Ghost he is giuen of Christ and the Father to bee our Comforter and as our afflictions abound so shall our consolations also Ioh. 14. 16. 2. Cor. 1. 4. Now how shall a man be dismaied that hath Gods spirit within him to harten him and assist him and refresh him and make glad his heart 7 Seuenthly if we consider the issue out of all troubles Many may be the troubles of the righteous but God will deliuer them out of all Psal. 34. 19. If GOD make vs sore he will make whole if he wound he will binde vs vp againe In sixe troubles he shal deliuer them and in seuen there shall no euil touch them Iob 5. 18. 19. God will giue his people rest from the daies of aduersity till the pit be digged for the wicked Psal. 94. 13. Light is sowne for the righteous gladnesse for the vpright in heart Psal. 97. 11. It is well said It is sown For though God do not presently giue vs ease and comfort yet the Haruest will come if with patience wee rest vpon God and be truely sincere and keepe his way God will settle his people as in the former dayes and it may bee doe better vnto them then at the beginning Ezech. 36. 11. For Gods thoughts towards his people are thoughts of peace and not of euill to giue an expected end Ierem. 29. 11. so as Gods seruants shal sing for ioy of heart when wicked men howle for vexation of spirit Esay 65. 14. 8 Eightly If wee consider the wonderfull care of God about the measure of our crosses For God will not lay vpon man more then right