Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	lord_n	see_v	7,565	5	3.3975	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80867	The foundation of God, with the immutability thereof laid for the salvation of his elect; with infallible marks and signs of election. Which may serve as a storehouse of comfort to religious minds, in this season of danger felt and feared.	Crompton, William, 1633-1696.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7031A; ESTC R175852	40,951	136

no more followed his exorbitances and some others as Cato Seneca Aristides with divers others sparking-brave Souls among the Romans who seeing a beauty in Vertue became renowned for their excellent deportments From this Principle Scipio an Heathen and a Soldier too would not permit certain Captive Virgins of exquisite beauty to be brought into his Presence Ne quid de Virginitatis integritate delibasse saltèm vel oculis videretur as Florus saith i. e. that he might not seem to have sipt the honour of their Chastity so much as with beholding them A man may leave one sin and take up another which sutes better with his Age and Place forbearing sin only of design How good was Joash so long as Jehojada the Priest lived The Lion may look demure whil'st under invincible restraint Nero himself acted it very worthily for the first five years under the conduct of Seneca Others hide their sins like those who shut their shop-windows and follow their Trade within doors Many deal with their sins as Moses his Mother dealt with him she hid him in the Ark of Bulrushes as if she had left him but her Eye was still upon him and in conclusion she became his Nurse Exod. 2.9 Many hide their sins from the Eyes of others when their hearts go after them and at last they give the breast unto them But what availeth such a practice A hand taken off from sinful practices without a heart taken off from sinful principles will be like a piece of ground which when sown again yields more encrease or like a stream that hath met with a damm will run with a greater violence when the Sluce is open'd so all this comes to nothing But this 1. If a man once depart from sin out of a love to God or fear of his Judgments and hatred of sin if he do this freely and heartily after-acts of sin through infirmity can never annihilate such a departure 2. My reason is When God forgives one sin he forgives all if once he forgives ever So that an act of sin being in and coming from a Regenerate man cannot dissolve the habit of justifying Grace Grace was not got meerly with humane actions neither can it thereby be wholly lost 3. I say that as wicked men may actually do that good duty keep that Commandment for a time which habitually they break and disallow so Regenerate men may and do habitually keep those Commandments which they do actually break because they do it not with a full consent and purpose They still depart from that sin in heart which in act they may out of necessary weakness yield unto Many and great are the Privileges of Christ's Elect while they name the name of Christ and strive in the use of means against their own corrupruptions The Lord by his Spirit powerfully works in them Victory by degrees with assurance of Salvation Vse IV. Lastly All may be hence exhortted Professours or Prophane and that three ways viz. 1. That you would seriously consider of these two main fundamental parts of Christianity The foundation of God and assurance thereof as comfortable and seasonable in these backsliding times wherein there are so many Errours and such diversity of Opinions vented so much trouble felt and feared in Church and State maugre the malice of Jesuits and Arminians their Patrons and defenders Men or Devils Let the servants of Christ know The foundation of God stands sure the Lord knoweth who are his and they shall never be known to belong to any other This consider as also the signs and marks of Election that all may seek them none may presume of mercy without them 2. That you would speedily begin if you have not done it already to lay a foundation in your selves mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 6.1 2. Of repentance from dead works and faith towards God The principal reason why many Professours fall back from or make such monstrous buildings in their Profession by idle and groundless conceits is because they began without a foundation rashly running with others not considering why or whither God Almighty you see would do nothing without a Foundation your practice must needs be presumption 3. That as you hope for salvation by Christ upon this foundation you would examine your selves according to the former evidences It is reported of a famous Carver who making a curious Image of Minerva did secretly engrave his own upon it so the Lord of Heaven hath interwoven his own Image in his People which remains as a mark whereby they may be known to be his own workmanship Search it out in you allow nothing in you which is or may be condemned by you Let nothing be acted in one World which cannot be answered in another They can have no hope at the general Assizes whose Conscience condemns them before the appearing of the Judg. That so when the Lord cometh in glory he may know you to be his own sealed with his Spirit wash'd in his Blood and cloathed with his Righteousness for whom a Crown of Righteousness was prepared before the foundations of the world were laid What should hinder such Men and Women from assurance of Heaven The foundation of God is laid the signs of Election are seen both eternally sealed Who shall separate us from from the love of Christ shall Satan or wicked men temptation or persecution poverty or death None of all nothing of all for the foundation of God stands sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Glory be to God in the Highest THE END

destitute of Gods saving and assisting grace do err concerning the Faith destroy both their own and the seeming faith of others God making thus of the same Lump one Vessel to honour another to dishonour without injustice or respect to persons Is there unrighteousness with God He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Good things in good Men being effects of Gods mercy and comments upon Election when as Evil things in Evil men are but consequents of preterition The necessity then of every man attaining his preordained End comes not from the power of mans Will freely disposing it self to this or that Object only through moral persuasion Rom. 9.16 but from the Will and Power of God laying a sure foundation according to his fore-knowledg Acts 2. last Ver. He added daily to the Church such as should be saved Observe the phrase Such as should having reference to the foundation of God Not such as would till of unwilling they were made willing But more fully Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed There was then an Ordination in the foundation before any actual apprehension of Christ by Faith or possibility thereunto Acts 9.15 It is said of Paul He is a chosen Vessel unto me John 17.12 Judas is called the child of perdition i. e. ordained to perdition as St. Augustin explains it These things we read done in time but we know they were ordained to be done before time There was a foundation laid as of Creation so of disposition of all things created to their several ends by means The second part concerning the certainty of it It remains sure First In regard of the Decree it self which doth so knit together the Cause the Means and the End that the known of the Lord engraff'd into the body of Christ by the grace of Election are sure to remain to the end Matth. 7.25 It fell not because it was founded upon a Rock 1 Pet. 1.5 They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 John 3.9 His seed remaineth in him This may be further confirmed First from the immutability of an absolute Purpose in God in him is no shadow of change Rom. 8.29 Whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son c. Cap. 9.11 That the purpose of God might stand according to Election c. Secondly From the Prayer of Christ John 17.15 in Peter for all the faithful I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not And we are sure that Christ was heard in that he prayed for There was ever a correspondency and agreement between his and the Fathers Will and this mediatory Prayer doth in some sense continue He ever liveth to make intercession for us Besides a Promise he left us that whatsoever we did ask the Father in his Name it should be granted We ask with sighs and groans knowing our own weakness for the grace of perseverance Nay he taught us to ask it in every Petition of his own Prayer as Cyprian expounds it Therefore we may be sure Thirdly From the nature of Apostacy which is a falling away from Faith historical attended refined Hypocrisie whereby Wolves may be in the Church for a time undiscerned 1 John 2.19 They went out from us because they were not of us but only in shew and outward appearance they were but Meteors not fixed Stars Pictures not living Men in Religion Fourthly From a main absurdity following the contrary If any one stone could be moved in this foundation any of Gods Elect perish by falling totally and finally from the grace of Faith then all might there being the same reason for the falling of all as for one Christ and his Members make up but one Body one Christ and is it possible a part of Christ should be found burning in Hell Can the mystical Body of Christ be dissolved If the former be true so must the latter and the death of Christ be of none effect and all the Promises of Grace come to nothing Which is horrible to conceive and impossible to be done Renowned Augustine speaking of the first Adam saith that he had a Power given Non peccare si vellet not to sin if he would to stand if he would not a Power to will what he might and should but to the Elect sons of Adam he gives both Power and Will they partake of Grace quâ efficitur ut Velint Hath not Christ said it our faith and fruit shall remain This hath wrought with some Papists Lumbard Aquinas Greg. de Valan that they have been constrained to confess that Faith working by Love is a constant Habit in respect of it self and the Author bestowing and preserving it and that there is a possibility of losing it only in respect of the frailty of the Subject wherein it is Some say the Elect of God called and regenerate may and do commit such sins as deserve the total cutting off and the final losing of Grace but that they rise again by true Repentance and are not finally cast away it is the work of God who by his Power preserves them as he laid them in the foundation Psal 37.24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down the Lord upholds him with his hand O blessed be God! Just men may fall from the inherent righteousness of sanctification by some great sin and so bring temporal judgments yea death upon themselves as Ezek. 18.24 1 Cor. 11.30 it is manifested yet never fall from the imputed righteousness of Justification the foundation is sure on Gods side Secondly The foundation standeth sure in respect of the Subject The known of the Lord engraft into Christ by the grace of Election may be are or shall be made sure of Salvation This certainty they gather divers ways viz. 1. By the testimony of the Spirit Rom. 3.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Only here men must be careful to distinguish the testimony of the Spirit of God from the subtil illusions of Satan and the deceitful motions of their own hearts 2. By the manifest effects of Gods Love towards us in us For upon all his Elect living till they be capable of them he bestows these following gifts in some measure namely First A living Faith to believe in cast themselves upon and lay hold on Christ John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Ephes 2.8 Faith is the Work of God and his gift To which it may be replyed by a Pelagian Jesuit or Arminian that a man may believe by the power of his own will assenting to a moral persuasion without the efficiency of supernatural Power and therefore the encrease only of Faith is the gift and work of God the beginning from Nature and Free-will But doth not this make the