Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	truth_n	worship_n	worship_v	19,034	5	9.4594	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91898	Panoplia. Universa arma. Hieron. Or, The Christian compleatly armed: being a treatise of the Christians armour, clearly opening every part thereof, both pressing to the putting of it on, and instructing us so to use it, as we may not be soyled in time of temptation. / Delivered by that late reverend, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Woolnoth, London, to his congregation there, in several lectures: and now published for the further benefit of the Church of God.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1710; Thomason E1586_2; ESTC R208953	180,905	372

Observation from all kind of employments of men that he may be compleatly fitted for this great Work But I come to the Particulars First The girdle of Truth Having your Loyns girt about with Truth In lumbis maxima vis est stantium His malè affectis contrahitur corpus aut certè vacillans vel modicè impulsum corruit Bullinger Therefore the Apostle begins with these which he would have girded with Truth Truth in the Scripture is used to fet out two things there is a two-fold Acception of Truth 1. It is used for the Doctrine of Truth That Doctrine which is held out and revealed to the sons of men in the written Word and thus Truth is opposed unto Errour In this sense it is used in many places as Gal. 3. 1. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth And 1 Tim. 2. 4. God will have all men saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth And 3. Ep. Joh. 4. I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in the truth 2. It is used for the grace of truth And so it 's opposed to Hypocrisie In this sense it 's used Psal 51. 6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts that is sincerity and integrity of heart so Josh 24. 14. Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth and so Joh. 4. 24. God is a a spirit and they that worship him must worship him inspirit and in truth Spiritual Worship is there opposed to Ceremonial and Truth of Worship is opposed to Hypocritical Worship Now amongst Interpreters there are some who expound this Text of the grace of truth so doth Calvin and others Others understand it as spoken of the Doctrine of truth Baldwin vera Doctrina Religione Zanchy Constantia in Doctrina veritatis Dickson 1. Both Interpretations are agreeable to the Analogy of Faith 2. Usefull Instructions may be gathered from both 3. There is nothing in the Text which doth necessarily limit and confine it to one and therefore I shall refer it to both for Vbi Scriptura non distinguit non est distinguendum And so I shall lay before you a two-fold Observation from this two-fold Interpretation 1. Understanding it of the Doctrine of Truth as some do we note this Doctrine viz. That firmness and stability in the Doctrine of 1. Doct. Truth is an excellent meanes to be preserved and to overcome Satan and his Instruments in the day of Temptation I say Firmness and Stability because the phrase of being girded about notes constancy and firmness in the Truth When the Loyns are fast tyed and compassed about with this girdle they are in a good way of security from the assaults of Satan when those who forsake and fall from the Truth are snared and overcome then shall those who adhere and stick fast to the Doctrine of Truth be delivered and escape This is promised to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia upon this very consideration Rev. 3. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth If a Church or Person be stedfast in the Doctrine of Truth God will either keep them from temptation or else he will preserve them in temptation that when others fall they shall stand I shall give you three Reasons of this viz. 1. Truth unites us to God and God to us It is of God and hath a Divine Strength God is truth and so far as a person hath the truth he hath God and so farre as he loseth the Truth he loseth God 'T is true a person may have the Truth of God sticking in his Judgment He may be very stedfast and constant in it so that he may willingly part not onely with his substance but even with his life to maintain it and yet not be savingly united to God by Christ for salvation 'T is not the fides quae creditur but the fides quâ creditur which is the bond of this Union But yet the very holding of the Doctrine of Truth gives a person some kind of union with God by which union he is more able to stand when any storm comes then he that is destitute of the Truth 2. Truth helpes a Christian both to discover a Temptation and to answer Arguments used to set on the Temptation The Truth of God in the Judgment is one of the Eyes of the Soul he that wants this is blind and cannot see afar off Now as a clear Eye is a very great help to the Souldier for the discovering of the Dart or the Bullet before it be upon him so is the clear distinct knowledg of the Truth a very great help to a Christian to discern the temptation before it be upon him He is better able by the power of Truth to see the reach of Satan and what it is that he drives at when he spreads his snare to surprize him then another can be who hath lost the Truth Any fallacy is easily put upon a person that is destitute of the truth of an Art or Science whereas he that hath the knowledge of that Art is able presently to avoid it and to answer it And therefore the Devil when he comes to tempt the woman to sinne first labours to blind her Understanding Ye shall not die but ye shall be as gods knowing good and evill Gen. 3. 4 5. and when he hath stollen that principle of truth out of her judgment We may not eat lest we die He doth without any difficulty perswade her to eat of the fruit 3. Truth doth much help a Christian in the managing of all other parts of his Armour aright He that hath lost the Doctrine of Truth will be unable to use the Bread-Plate of Righteousness For to the using of this after a right manner it is requisite that the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness to a sinner be t●roughly understood and firmly believed The Helmet of Hope will soon be knocked off the head of a Christian if he do not well understand the Nature of the Grace Hope The shield of faith will be presently pierced by Satan if he that weares it do not rightly understand the nature of faith and prayer will do but little good if he that makes the prayer be unsound in the truth Prayer is to be made in faith else it doth not prevail it is to be made not only with the grace of faith but also according to the Doct of faith A Doctrinal errour in prayers will nullifie them as well as want of the grace of Faith for this is the confidence we have in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14. Information We may from this Doctrine 1. Vse gather these three conclusions viz. 1. This shews us how necessary it is for a Christian

16. 20. Shortly Ay shortly in the fittest time in the neediest time that 's done speedily that 's done seasonably You are sure the siege shall be raised and therefore do not surrender upon any condition Charge your Cannons again and shoot them and continue so and you will do execution at last to purpose And know this that the neerer you are to ruine in your own sense the neerer you are to victory Meditate upon the four Reasons I gave you to prove the Doctrine and let your hands and hearts be strengthened in the Lord. And know this that the day of victory will recompence all your waiting and feares vid. Matth. 4. 11. Consider that And so much for the thirteenth verse LECT VIII Novemb. 28. 1649. EPHES. 6. 14. Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN the former Verse the Apostle gives a LECT 8 general Exhortation to the Christian Souldier to cloth himself with the whole Armour of GOD and to withstand Satan in the evill day of Temptation In this and the following Verses which contain the second general part of the Text He gives him a particular Catalogue of the several pieces of this Armour Offensive and Defensive with Directions how to make particular use of them that he may be enabled to overcome There are in the whole seven pieces of this Armour two of which are laid down in this verse viz. The Girdle of Truth and The Breast-Plate of Righteousness He doth allude to the Habit wherewith Souldiers were used to be accoutred in those times that they might be fit to encounter an Adversary And he doth compare the several Graces of the Spirit to the several pieces of that Armour to let Christians see that the graces of God are as necessary for the soul to resist and overcome temptation as Armour is for the Souldier to resist and overcome his enemy in the day of battel We may in the general note from this comparison made between the graces of God and the Souldiers Armour That Spiritual and Heavenly matters Note are ordinarily in Scripture set out by Earthly and Natural things The graces of God are set out by Armour and the Christian managing of our graces is taught us by the Souldiers right using and managing of his Armour in the day of battel The glorious Mysteries of Religion in Scripture are commonly delivered and held out by the resemblance of outward and natural things A Christians fruitfulness and growth in grace is set out by growth and fruitfulness of trees Psal 1. 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of waters c. The glory and beauty and fragrancy of graces is set out by the beauty and fragrancy of flowers and sweet perfumes in many places of the song of Solomon particularly Cap. 3. 10 11 12 13 14. The great Mystery of our union with Christ is set out by the vine and branches Joh. 15. ●nit and of the Foundation stone and the rest of the stones builded upon it Ephes 2. 20 21. Spiritual security is set out by the natural sleep Cap. 5. 2. applying of Christ by Faith is set out by natural eating and drinking John 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Justification by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to a sinner is in Scripture set out by the garments put upon the body Isa 61. 10. I will rejoyce in the Lord c. for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation c. The Communion between Jesus Christ and a Believing Soul is set out by the joy and delight of friends feasting together Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock c. I will sup with him c. Spiritual Desertion is set out by the horrour of Natural Darkness Isa 5. 10. The preaching of the Word in the publike Ministry is set out by the work of the Husband-man in sowing his Seed Matth. 13. 3 4. The carrying on of the Work of Grace and Conversion in the Hearts of men is set out by the growth of the seed sowen in the earth Mar. 4. 26 27 28. The glory of the Saints at the Resurrection and in the other Life is set out by the glorious shining of the Sunne and Stars Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever I note this for these two Reasons 1. That Christians may see what use they may make of Natural and Earthly things There is not any natural Action there is not any kind of Employment or Trade of Life there is not any Creature by which a Christian might not learn some Spiritual Lesson did God but give him a Spiritual Heart When thou seest the Merchant busle about his business then mightest thou learn diligence in the things of the Gospel For the Kingdome of Heaven is as a Merchant man c. When thou seest the Souldier buckle on his Arms and march with them to meet the enemy then mightest thou think of the putting on and using thy graces c. And for this cause it is that our Saviour did so frequently preach in Parables and Similitudes drawn from earthly things that by this meanes the sons of men might be the better able to conceive of Heavenly Matters when they are thus delivered in their own way And that they might have ever before them visible Monitors to bring to their minds the things of God Indeed if these spirituall things had not first been revealed and taught in the Scriptures the beholding of things Natural would never have taught us such Doctrines but being now made known in the written Word our Memories Understandings and Affections may be very much helped by the studying and contemplation of things natural which set them forth 2. How necessary it is for the Ministers of Christ who are to interpret open and apply the Scriptures to men to have an universal knowledge of all kind of Learning Many think that Humane Knowledge and Learning is of no absolute necessity to fit a man for the Ministry If he have but knowledge in the History of the Bible and a gracious work upon his heart he is sufficiently enabled without the knowledge of other Learning This Text shewes us the contrary some places of Scripture cannot be well interpreted without the knowledge of Natural Philosophy Others cannot be rightly understood without some skill in Astrology Others require the knowledge of Agriculture to expound them to profit Others of the Art of Navigation Others of Military Affaires Similitudes almost from all kinds of Arts Sciences Trades are used in the Scriptures and the more general a Ministers Knowledge is in all these things the better will he be inabled to interpret the whole Word of GOD in the course of his publike Ministry He must study all kind of books And make his

to have a clear and exact knowledge in the Mysteries of Truth It is not in vain that the Scripture doth so earnestly call upon men to learn and to get and to keep the truth of Doctrine delivered in the Scriptures Buy the truth and sell it not Prov. 23. 23. Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle 2 Thes 2. 15. not unwritten traditions the Doctrines and Commandments of men but such as have been taught by the Apostles either by word or by their writings Watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. The word of God is full of such warnings and admonitions as these are And not without cause whether we consider the worth of truth in it selfe or the usefulness of it unto us It s necessary to the soul in many respects it s the light by which we see our way by which we know what to do what not to do it s a great part of our spirituall Armour by which we fight against temptations It s as great a strengthening to the Christian in fighting against Satan and his Instruments as the Souldiers belt or girdle is to him in the day of battel Take two Christians of equall grace and let them be assaulted with the same Temptation and let the one be sound in the Doctrine of Truth and the other corrupt and you will easily see the difference between the one and the other by the issue of the temptation the Doctrine of truth is as necessary for fighting against Satan as the grace of truth I note this to let all of us see what little reason any have to be displeased either with the Ministers of God or other of the Servants of God for their earnestnesse pertinacy if I may so speak in preserving the truth of Doctrine both among themselves and others They know the many advantages of it and therefore they are so zealous for the maintaining of it Paul though he was of as flexible and condescending a spirit as any other whether Apostle or ordinary Saint in all other things for he became all things to all men that he might by all means save some 1 Cor. 9. 19. 20 21 22. yet he was so positive and peremptory for the Doctrine of truth that he would not give place by subjection to false Brethren for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with the people of God Gal. 2. 4. 2 'T is no wonder to see Satan use such endeavour to deprive the Sons of men of the Doctrine of truth In all ages of the Church he hath raised up his Instruments to draw men aside from the truth of Doctrine There shall be false Teachers saith the Apostle amongst you as there were false Prophets amongst the people 2 Pet. 2. 2. The Church of God as it was never destitute of true Prophets so never was it without false Prophets In the Church of Israel there were a numerous Company of seducing Prophets As there was an Elijah a holy and zealous Prophet of God so there were 456. Prophets of Baal 1 King 18. 22. The state was corrupted and they made to themselves a corrupt Ministry of their own an apostatizing State must have an apostatizing Clergy that will humour them and subscribe to them in every thing they do when Satan had perswaded Jeroboam to set up golden Calves he helped him to a Ministry that would worship them and teach others to do the like State Ministers will cry up Calves for gods rather then want promotion or lose preferment And thus it was in the Gospel Church All Pauls Epistles shew it This ariseth 1. partly from the sinfulness of men They must have their lusts and a lust cannot thrive if it have not a false Prophet to nurse it and give it suck And 2 partly from God he in his wisdom and justice permits it to be so that they that would not obey the words of a true Prophet should follow the pernicious Doctrines of fal● Prophets 1. Reg. 22. 23. And then 3 it comes to passe from the policy and malice of Satan that he may by this means rob men of the truth and so make them fit preys for his temptations And we need not much wonder at this policy Satan knowes he is in danger of being foiled if he suffer this girdle to be upon the soul and that he shall certainly overcome if he can but pluck this off the loyns therefore he is so diligent in attempting it laying snares to intrap the true Ministers of God and opening a wide door for false Prophets and seducers to enter in and corrupt the truth 3 We have no cause to wonder to see the Devill so prevalent amongst hereticall and erroneous persons Woful experience shews us what desolations are made by Satan in our corrupt Generation what mischievous wayes of iniquity many are led into Many are drawn aside into great profanenesse of life others are sunk deep into rebellion others are gone aside into the way of perjury and Covenant-breaking others into wayes of cruelty persecution and oppression others almost into grosse Atheisme we may take up the Complaint of the Prophet Isay 59. 3. 4 5 6 7 8. Your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lies your tongue hath muttered perverseness none calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth they trust in vanity and speak lies they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity they hatch Cockatrice Eggs and weave the Spiders Webs he that eateth of the Eggs dyeth and that which is crushed breaketh out into a Viper their works are works of iniquity and the act of violence is in their hands Their feet run to evill and they make haste to shed Innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no judgement in their goings they have made them crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace A man would wonder to see and hear the horrible wickednesses that many are fallen into some openly profane the Sabbaths others defile their Neighbours wife and think they do not sin in so doing The cause of all these may be given in the words of the same Prophet Isay 59. 14. 15. Truth is fallen in the streets yea truth faileth The Devil hath taken away from them this Girdle of Truth and now they stop at no kind of abominations The Girdle of truth is quite loosed and this doth so enervate and weaken them that they are forced to do what ever the Devil requires of them And can ye wonder at it The losse of truth will certainly introduce all kinde of iniquity And that both ex Natura Rei and ex justo Dei judicio 1. Ex Natura Rei The understanding is the first wheel in man it turns about the whole man as the Helme doth the Ship if

work and his desire is that he may make an even furrow that he may draw a strait line and keep himself in Gods way let come on him what will Not as if a Child of God might not warp from Gods way they have their deviations Peter and Barnabas two great Apostles they did not alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Gal. 2. 12. 13 14. but then they do not continue in their wandrings they do not justifie their turnings aside they do not compel others to turn aside after them or do say that they have done well in so doing They are not angry with such as reprove them for their deviations Neither Peter nor Barnabas so much as murmured much lesse reviled Paul because he told them of their present deviations but presently reformed 3. It s expounded by Sincerity and godly simplicity So ye have it 1 Cor. 5. 8. Therefore let us keep the feast c. with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Truth and sincerity are all one and sincerity and simplicity are one and the same thing also 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity c. That which is sincere is simple and unmixed like white wooll never died Mel sincerum is honey unmingled without wax Farina sincera is flower never leavened A heart of truth is a heart uncompounded a heart not double a man of truth hath not a heart and a heart one for God and another for Mammon one for sin and another for righteousness he hath but one tongue and one heart he is single tongued and single minded his tongue and heart go together as Companions And then sincerity notes soundness a sincere heart is a sound heart a heart not putrified with rottenness and hypocrisie Though all men have hypocrisie in them yet all men are not Hypocrites Now take up all these together and they will declare fully what is meant by the grace of truth with which the Apostle would have us to be girded Not false hearted not in pretence and appearance not in word and tongue but a perfect an upright a sincere uncompounded Christian 2. For Caution I shall lay down two Rules 1. Though truth be of such use c. yet may a sincere and true hearted Christian be foiled for a time by some prevailing temptation We are not to judge either our selves or others to be presently hypocrites because we are surprized and overcome by a Temptation Hezekiah was a man of a perfect heart 2 Reg. 20. 3. and yet he was vanquished in battel in the day of temptation 2 Chron. 32. 31. In the buisness of the Embassadors of the Princes of Babylon c. God left him to try him David was a man of an uncorrupt heart God gives him that testimony and yet in the matter of Vriah Satan overcame him As a hypocrite and wicked man may stand out in some temptation so may a single hearted Christian be overtaken and insnared It s true they will recover themselves again out of these snares as Hezekiah and David did but they may be for a time taken prisoners Noah was a perfect man and that in a perverse and crooked Generation Gen. 6. 9. yet Satan surprized him and drew him into the sin of drunkenness Gen. 9. 21. Lot was an upright man in the sink of Sodom and yet he was overcome by temptation and drawn into the foul sins of drunkenness and incest Gen. 19. 32 33 34 35. We may soon take away sincerity from the earth if we make such conclusions 2. Though truth be of such use c. yet no Christian stands in the day of temptation for the merit of his sincerity Though no man have a promise of standing without this grace of truth yet is not any mans truth of heart the meritorious cause of his standing We stand by our sincerity but not for our sincerity As the Apostle concludes concerning faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. so we may conclude concerning uprightness We are kept by the power of God through sincerity Sincerity is the instrumentall cause but the power of God is the efficient This Paul confesseth in his temptation 2 Cor. 12. 9. I will glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me III. The Reasons of the Doctrine how it is that truth of heart is so useful for this warfare 1. Because this is the strength of all other graces and of all Ordinances Some Divines look upon sincerity not as a distinct grace but as that which is the perfection of every grace Truth of love is the perfection of love Truth of faith is the perfection of faith Truth of obedience is the perfection of obedience c. All which is within a man without the grace of truth is but like rotten wood which will soon break and never do any service in the day of Battel All which a man doth without sincerity is to no purpose He can suck out no vertue from any of the Ordinances of God neither prayer word Sacraments c. 2. Sincerity is that which engageth God to take our part in all temptations Where-ever integrity is there God is by his speciall grace to assist and enable the soul He stands far off from the rotten hearted Christian but his countenance doth behold the upright Psal 11. 7. That is an excellent place to this purpose which we have in Gen. 20. 5. 6. In the integrity of my heart c. Yea I know thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart c. therefore suffered I thee not to touch her We cannot say of Abimelech that he was a sincere believer for he was a profane King his integrity or truth of heart was but a meer morrall integrity he would not have taken Sarah had he known her to be the Wife of another man and therefore he professeth what he had done was done in the simplicity of his spirit God bears him witness that he spake the truth and therefore saith God I have kept thee that thou hast not touched her God did so approve of that simplicity of his that he preserved him from falling into that great sin and delivered him from the Devills snare if naturall and morall honesty doth engage God to take part with a man how much more will the grace of sincerity engage him James 4. 7 8. Resist the Devill and he shall fly Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you c. Purifie your hearts ye double minded The Apostle in that place would have Christians to engage God on their part in the day of temptation There will be no prevailing if God be not on our part But how shall we obtain this assistance from God he tells us Purifie your hearts ye double-minded A single-hearted Christian shall not want either the presence or power of God in the day of Battel This is clear also Gen. 15. 1. with 17. 1. Information 1. Do not wonder to

the Doctrine gives us one which is sufficient to stay our wonderment Their breast lies naked to his arrows and therfore they cannot but fall and when they are fallen they cannot recover As the Heretick and Hypocrite are overcome for want of the girdle of Truth so the prophane person is surprized for want of the Breast-plate of Righteousness LECT XIII Jan. 2. 1649. EXhortation That all the people of God Vse 2. would be careful to get and keep this Breast-plate You can do nothing by way of resistance against the Devil in the day of Temptation without this Breast-plate therefore the Counsel is very necessary In the carrying on of this exhortation I shall 1. lay down some other motives 2. Prescribe you some helps The motives are these Motive 1. The want of a righteous and hol● life will exceedingly open the mouthes of ungod●y men to blaspheme God and his wayes This is the Apostles Argument 2 Pet. 2. 12. 15. The honesty of the lives of Gods people will stop the mouthes of the wicked but the dishonesty and blameableness of their Conversation will be an occasion to make them speak evill both of God and of his Religion unholy and unrighteous Actings will lay a stumbling-block in the way of many upon which they may stumble into Hell Now Christians are forbidden to give any offence either to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God vid. 2 Pet. 2. 2. Many shall follow c. by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evill spoken of when Christians that have professed and practised the truth shall apostatize men that never cared for the truth shall say Behold the end of their contendings about truth Davids sin did much hurt in this respect 2 Sam. 12. 14. This is that which God chargeth upon his people Ezek. 36. 20. Now a holy life removes this scandall 2. Mot. The want of a righteous life will grieve the holy Spirit of God This is the Apostles Argument Eph. 4. 28. 29 30. Let him that stole steal no more c. The spirit of God cannot properly be grieved God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when he carrieth himself as a man that is grieved then the Scripture useth that expression I am broken with your whorish heart saith God which hath gone a whoring from me Ezek. 6. 9. To grieve the spirit of a man is a very sinful thing much more to grieve the spirit of a good man but most of all to grieve the spirit of God God is your Father God is your friend God is your Husband God is your Comforter God is your Saviour and will ye the satisfying of a lust grieve his spirit Motive 3. Vnrighteousness of life will render all your holy duties abominations unto God A dead fly causeth the precious oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour c. Eccles 10. 1. You may see what God saith to his people to this purpose Isa 1. 11. c. To what purpose c. God will frown upon your prayers when you come to his Table he will hide his face from you when you come to hear his word he will not be friendly to you c. Motive 4. Righteousness of life is a good way to gain others to the love of Religion It s a very convincing thing to the Conscience of a naturall man It will speak when words are forgotten it will be remembred when Sermons are out of minde The primitive Christians did much good upon the Heathen by the holiness of their lives And for this cause it is that believing wives are exhorted to holiness of life that their Husbands which did not obey the word might be gained by their conversation 2 Pet. 3. 1. 2. Your faith is profitable to yourselves your holiness to other men Motive 5. All Christians that believe are spirituall Priests unto God and therefore they should be holy The high Priest was to wear a curious Breast-plate vid. Exod. 28. 15. 16. c. ver 30. there must be in it the Vrim and the Thummim Light and Perfection If your lives be unholy you are no fit Priests to God you want your Breast-plate Thus for Motives Now for Helpes and Directions take these 1. Study well the righteousness purity and holiness of the Nature of God The Holiness of God is the Originall of all holiness It is both the Motive and the Example of all holiness in the Creature when the Prophet Isay contemplates the holiness of God he cries out of his own unholiness Esay 6. 3. 5. Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hoasts woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips He that is much employed in the contemplation of the purity of God will not take any contentment in his own impurity The holiness of God in Scripture is propounded for this very purpose that by looking upon it the Sons of men may stir up their mindes to pursue holiness 2 Pet. 1. 15. 16. As he who hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy It is ignorance of God or forgetfulness which is the cause of the love of unholiness When the soul comes once in good earnest to consider the purity of God his own impurity will be his sorrow and burden These thoughts will let the soul see that its impossible for him to have any Communion with such a God to whom he is so unlike Similitude is the ground of Communion as dissimilitude is of disunion and separation This is that which the Apostle layes as one foundation of comfortable communion with God James 4. 8. Draw nigh to God c. cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double minded Righteousness and unrighteousness can have no fellowship light and darkness can have no Communion the Temple of God and Idolls cannot agree together 2 Cor. 6. 14. 16. 2. Study the Holiness and purity of the humane nature of Jesus Christ your head He had this Breast-plate continually upon him Isay 59. 17. He put on righteousness as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of salvation upon his head and all his Souldiers must be accoutred as their Generall is He lived 33. years in the world and all that time never stept once aside out of the way of righteousness He did no sin neither was there any guile found in his mouth He is called in regard of his humane nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy thing Luke 1. 35. This consideration would mightily enflame a Christian to the love and practice of holiness for he would thus argue with himself Is it meet that so corrupt a member should have so holy a head Is it meet so holy a Master should have so unholy Disciples There are two principall ends of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ One is that he might in our nature make satisfaction for our guilt The other is that he might fulfill all

speaks there of Christs coming in this life to avenge and deliver his elect the earth shall be so low and deliverance shall be so improfitable that the report of it will not be beleeved as the people of God in former time had not faith to beleeve their deliverance from Captivity Isa 63. 1. 2. So shall it be saith our Saviour when Christ comes to avenge his afflicted people under the Gospel that cry unto him And if there be so few that can beleeve a temporal deliverance how few are there that can beleeve for the saving of their souls No wonder then if Satan overcome so many 3. How needful it is for the Minister of the Gospell to be often preaching about the Doctrine of faith Those weapons and postures which are of greatest use to the Souldier the Captain ought to be most diligent in instructing the Souldier in them The Ministers of the Gospel are the Captains of the Lords Host they are to train and exercise all the spiritual Souldiers of Christ they are to teach them the use of their Arms and all their postures that they may be deetrous in the day of battel If any Souldier be wounded for want of arms or of skil to use them through their default God wil require it at their hands Now of all the pieces of spirituall Armour the shield of faith is the most necessary and therefore the Doctrine of faith should be most frequently preached 4. This shewes what necessarily lies upon the sons of men to prove and examine the truth of their faith If the shield of faith be rotten or counterfeit the soul is undone in the day of Temptation if the shield of faith be sound and armour of proof the strongest assaults of Satan will be repelled with comfort Prove your selves whether you be in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. T is necessary to try 1. Because there is not a man in the world which hath heard of Jesus Christ but thinks he beleeves in him To be accounted an Infidell or unbeleever is a matter of such reproach and infamy as that no man is willing to lye under it 2. Because the heart is very deceitful and in nothing more subject to be mistaken than in this case There is a false presumption and foolish fancy which would gladly be called by the name of faith John 2. 23. 24. When Jesus was at Jerusalem many beleeved in his name when they sawthe miracles wch he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men They did presume that they beleeved in Christ but Jesus Christ knew their faith was nothing else but a meer fancy and groundless presumption 3. Because the Devil useth all the skill he can to deceive the sinner and to make him confident that he doth beleive as he endeavours to perswade the true Beleiver that his fruit is rotten so he endeavours to perswade the unbeleiver that his presumption is faith That I may help them in this inquiry I shall do two things 1. Discover some mistaken grounds which men go upon thinking that to be an evidence of saving faith which is not so 2. Lay down some positive evidences of true faith 1. There are two great mistakes about faith by which many are deceived Viz. 1. Some are deceived in regard of knowledge and assent They think they have true justifying faith because they have the doctrine of the Gospel and give as they think a right assent to the same for the removal of this mistake I shall first shew that both these may be without saving faith Secondly I shall shew how the knowledge of an unbeleiver and his assent differ from the knowledge and assent of true faith 1. That Knowledge and Assent is not faith T is granted that there is no faith truely wrought without Knowledge and Assent but that there may be Knowledge and some Assent where saving faith is not appears by these two reasons 1. The most wicked and prophane persons in the world may have and many times do attain unto a more exact knowledge of the Doctrine of the Scriptures than many a true Beleiver And they may also assent unto those truths The Apostle speaks of some by way of supposition that may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and yet want saving faith 1 Cor. 13. 2. All this is but an historical faith Judas had the knowledge of the Scriptures and gave assent to them he preached the Gospel to others and yet wanted faith John 6. 64. There are some of you that beleive not you know what will be the plea of many in the latter day Math. 7. 22. and yet had not one drachm of saving faith I shall desire you to peruse but that one Scripture well Rom. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. and then you will conclude that neither the knowledge of nor the assenting to the doctrine of the Scriptures is saving faith but are ordinarily without it 2. The very Devils themselves are beyond the most intelligent Christians in all matters of knowledge They know the history of the Bible more exactly than we Satan was not ignorant of Scripture when he set upon our Saviour Math. 4. 6. And the Devil also gives assent to the truth of the Scriptures Jam 2. 19. He acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God Math. 8. 29. What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God as full a confession for the matter and substance of it as that which Peter made Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Now that which is fained in the worst of men and in the very Devils can neither be true faith nor an evidence of it 2. If we come to examine that knowledge and assent which is in wicked men with that which is in a true beleiver we shall find a vast difference for 1. concerning their knowledge there are three differences 1. The knowledge of a true Beleiver is an experimentall knowledge but the knowledge of an unbeleiver is meerly notional and speculative A Beleiver hath in his heart a lively sense and feeling of all those truths which he hath the knowledge of in his understanding They are truths in his heart as well as in his head That promise of God Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts is made good to every true Beleiver and to him alone His heart is an Index or Commentary by which through the Spirit of God he can understand divine truths 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of the heart This is the meaning of that of our Saviour John 7. 16 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 2. The knowledge of faith is