Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	heart_n	word_n	1,929	5	3.9161	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68733	A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the worke of the Spirit in sealing Wherein many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: as also of assurance and sealing what it is, the priviledges and degrees of it, with the signes to discerne, and meanes to preserve it. Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Grayes Inne. By that reverend divine, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1637 (1637)	STC 22495; ESTC S117375	62,609	291

griefe to open shame then God opens Conscience to tell them not onely that they are too blame for their grosse sinnes but for the root of them Atheisme prophanenesse loosenesse which are sinnes against the first Table This is an aggravation of sinnes against knowledge when our knowledge hath beene holpen and strengthened by education by example of others running into our eyes which is a more familiar ●eaching than that of Rule ●nd strengthened also by observation and experience ●f our selves and the for●er strength we have had ● against the sinne we now commit and sweetnesse we have found in the resisting of it None are worse than ●hose that have been good and are naught and might be good and will be naught When there is more deliberation and fore-knowledge of the dangerous issue and this also joyned with the warning of others As Reuben said unto the rest of his brethren Spake I not vnto you c So may Gods Spirit and conscience say to men Did not I acquaint you with the danger of sin You are now in misery and terrours of conscience but did you not sleight former admonitions and helps and meanes Conscience is an inferior light of the Spirit to do things against conscience is to do them against the Spirit God spake to me and I heeded him not how doth God speake When conscience speakes and saith this is good this is bad then God speakes conscience hath somewhat divine in it it is a petty god it speakes from God especially when the Spirit joynes with conscience then God speakes indeed then there is light upon light Vpon divers respects some sin may grieve more or lesse than another As the ●oly Ghost is a Spirit so ●pirituall sinnes grieve most ●s pride envy imprinting ●pon the soule as it were a ●haracter of the contrary ill ●●irit Carnell sinnes whereby the soule is drowned in ●elight of the body may ●●ore grieve the spirit in a●other respect as defiling ●●is Temple and as taking away so much of the soule ●ove and delight carry the soule with them and the more deeply such sinnes enter into the creature besides the defilement the lesse strength it hath to spirituall duties grace is sca●ed in the powers of nature now carnall sinnes disable nature● and so sets us in a greate● distance from grace as taking away the heart Hos 4. Hereupon the Apostle sets being filled with wine contrary to being filled with the Spirit And hence it is the Apostle forbids in the former words uncleane communication the holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth hates hypocrites being painted sepulchers but as a spirit● of purity hates foule ●ivers and foule-mouth'd speakers as open sepulchers They cannot therefore but much grieve the spirit that feed corrupt lusts and studie to give contentment and pay tribute to the flesh to which they owe no ●ervice and are no debters ●nd by sowing to the flesh from which we can reape nothing but corruption When our thoughts are exercised to content the out●ard man to contrive for ●●e things of the world one●● this is to pay tribute of ●●e strength and vigor of our affections to the utter enemy of Gods Spirit and our owne soules when our thoughts runne deeply into ●arthly things we become ●ne with them Who will thinke himselfe well entertained into an house when there shall be entertainement given to his greatest enemy with him ●nd shall see more regard had and better countenance shewed to his enemy than to him when the motions of corrupt nature are mor● regarded then the motions of the Spirit The wisedome of the Spirit which is from above is first pure and maketh us so and rayseth the soule upward to things above Christians indeed have their failings but if a true Christian examine himselfe his heart will say that every day he intends the glory of God and the good of the state he lives in he hath a larger heart than a base worldling that keeps within the sphere of himselfe spending all his thoughts there and consults onely with flesh and bloud with profit and pleasure to heare what they say Such basenesse cannot but grieve the Spirit as cōtrary to our hopes and heavenly calling which are glorious It is a dangerous grieving of the Spirit when instead of drawing our selves to the spirit we will labour to ●raw the spirit to us and ●●udy the Scriptures to countenance us in some corrupt course and labour to make God of our mind that wee may go on with the greater libertie When men get to themselves teachers after their owne lusts as many do especially if they be in place Ahab shall not want his 400 false Prophets When men cut the rule and standard to fit themselves and not fit themselves to it You have some that are resolved what to do and yet will bee asking counsell and if they have an answer to their minds then they rest if not then their answer is This is your judgment but others are of a contrary opinion and thus they labour to make the Spirit of God in his Ministers to serve their turne so did the Iewes in Ieremies time Some will father those sinfull affections that arise from the flesh and are strengthened by Sathan upon the holy Spirit counting wrath that is kindled from hell to be fire of holy zeale comming from heaven Thus the enemies of Religion thinke they doe God service in their massacres such are those that wickedly oppose the wayes of God and yet are ready to say Glory be to the Lord such men study holinesse in the shew that they may overthrow it in the power and will countenance an ill course by Religion Such also are faulty who lay the blame of an uncomfortable life upon Religion when men are therefore uncomfortable because they are not religious enough The wayes of wisedome are the wayes of pleasure In these times being the second spring of the Gospell we must take heed of sinnes against the Gospell Benefits the greater they are being neglected or abused bring the greater judgement The office of the holy Spirit is by the Ministery to lay open the riches of Christ and the glory of Gods grace in him by neglecting so great salvation and by thinking this favour of God to be a common favour we sinne against both Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in that they desire most to be glorified Such therefore as say to the clouds Drop not and to the winds blow not and to the Prophets prophesie not that study to keepe out the light and sin against it as discovering them and awakening them and hindering them from taking that solace in carnall courses of the world as pe●ing the eyes of others to know them further than they would be known and so to lose that respect they would have in the hearts of men This cannot but grieve ●he Spirit of God and move ●im to take away that truth ●hat we are so far from ●hinking a

the Spirit being incouragement to dutie or suffering in a good cause the soule by this witnesse of the Spirit findes increase of spirituall mettle it finces it selfe steel'd against opposition 〈…〉 this winde filleth 〈…〉 they are carried on a maine and are frighted with nothing that stands in their way See how the beleevers triumph upon the Spirits witnessing to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. God usually reserveth such comforts for the worst times Give wine to those that bee of heavy hearts Pro. 31. The sence of this love of Christ is better then wine This refreshing Paul had in the dungeon and hee sung at mid-night After this witnessing therefore looke for some piece of service to doe or tryall to undergoe Much must bee left to Gods fatherly wisedome in this who knowes whom to cheare up and when and in what degree and to what purpose and service and remember alwayes that these inlargements of spirit are as occasionall refreshings in the way not daily food to live upon we maintaine our life by faith not by sight or feeling Feasting is not for every day except that Feast of a good conscience which is continuall but I speake of grand dayes and high feasts these are disposed as God seeth cause 3 Where this sealing of the Spirit is there followeth also upon it a lifting up of the head in thinking of our latter end it makes one thinke of the times to come with joy as the holy Ghost here mentioneth the day of redemption as a motive to them to take heed that they did not grieve the Spirit intimating they should thinke of the day of redemption with a great deale of joy and comfort The Saints are described in Scripture to be those that looke for the appearing of Christ they are Christs and in him their reckonings and accounts are even And therefore with delight they can often think and meditate upon the blessed times that are to come There be divers degrees of sealing arising from divers degrees of revelation God first reveales his good will in his promises to all beleevers this is the privilege of the Church especially in these latter times then by his Spirit reveales those saving truths to those that are his by a divine light So that by argument drawne from the power they feele from truths in searching secrets in casting downe in raising up in staying the soule they can seale to them that they are divine The same Spirit that reveales the power of the Word to mee reveales in particular mine owne interest in all those truths upon hearing them Whereupon they are written in my heart as if they had beene made in particular to me the comfortable truths in the Word are transcribed into my heart answerable to the Word as that God in Christ is mine forgivenesse mine grace mine whereupon adoption in Christ is sealed which God still sealeth further to my soule by increase of comfort as hee seeth cause for incouragement The same Spirit that manifeste● in me the word I he●●e and reade to be the truth of God from the 〈…〉 efficacie of it the same Spirit teacheth to a●ply it and in applying of it sealeth me Therefore wee ought to desire to bee sealed by the Spirit in regard of an holy impression and then that the holy Spirit would shine upon his owne graces so as we may clearly see what is wrought in us above nature and because this is furthered by revealing his love in Christ in adoption to us wee must desire of G●D to vouchsafe the Spirit of Revelation to reveale the mysteries of his truth unto us and our portion in them in parti●ular and so our adoption and in the meane ti●e to wait and attend his good pleasure in the use of all good meanes Thus wee waiting God will so farre reveale himselfe in love to us as shall assure us of his love and stirre up love againe and the same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelation will be a Spirit of sanctification and so adoption Dignitie and fitting qualities suteable to dignity go both together In that grand inquirie about our condition there is a great miscarriage when men will begin with the first worke of the Father in election then passe to redemption by Christ I am Gods and Christ hath redeemed mee and never thinke of the action of the third person in sanctification which is the neerest action upon the foule as the third person himselfe is nearest unto us And so fetch their first rise where they should set up their last rest Whereas wee should begin our inquirie in the worke of the third person which is next unto us and then upon good grounds we may know our redemption and election The holy Spirit is both a Spirit of Revelation and of Sanctification together as hath beene said for together with opening the love of the Father and the Son hee fitteth us by grace for communication with them People out of selfe-love will have conceits of the Fathers and Sonnes love severed from the worke of the Spirit upon their hearts which will prove a dangerous illusion Although the whole worke of grace by the Spirit arise from the Fathers and Sonnes love witnessed by the Spirit yet the proofe of the Fathers love to us in particular ariseth from some knowledge of the worke of the Spirit the errour is not in thinking of the Fathers and Sonnes love but in a strengthening themselves by a pleasing powerlesse thought of it against the worke of grace by the Spirit which their corruption withstands So they will carve out of the worke of the Trinitie what they thinke agreeable to their lusts whereas otherwise if their heart were upright they would for this very end thinke of Gods love and Christs to quicken them to duty and to arme them against corruption To the day of Redemption There is a double redemption redemption of the soul by the first cōming of Christ to shed his bloud for us redemption of our bodies from corruption by his second comming Wee have not the perfect consummation and accomplishment of that which Christ wrought in his first comming till his second comming then there shall be a totall redemption of our soules and bodies and conditions There is a double redemption as there is a double cōming of Christ the first and the second the one to redeeme our soules from sinne and Sathan and to give us title to heaven the other to redeeme our bodies from corruption when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints As likewise there is a double resurrection the first and the second and a double regeneration of soule and body In sicknesse weaknes of body or when age hath overtaken us that we cannot live long here and the horrour of the grave the house of darkenesse is presented to us Oh let us thinke there will bee a redemption of our bodies as well as of our soules Christ will redeem our bodies

A FOUNTAINE SEALED OR The Dutie of the sealed to the SPIRIT And the worke of the Spirit in Sealing BY Rich. Sibbes D. D. the 2 d Edition Printed for L Chapman are to be sould at his shope at Chancery Lane end in Holborne Will Marshall sculpsit 1637. A FOUNTAIN SEALED OR The duty of the sealed to the Spirit and the worke of the Spirit in Sealing Wherein Many things are handled about the Holy Spirit and grieving of it As also Of assurance and sealing what it is the priviledges and degrees of it with the signes to discerne and meanes to preserve it Being The substance of divers Sermons preached at Grayes Inne By that Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBES D. D. and sometimes Preacher to that Honourable Society LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Lawrence Chapman and are to be sold at his shop at Chancery lane end in Holborne 1637. TO The truely Noble and much honoured Lady the Lady Elizabeth Brooke Wife to Sir Robert Brooke Madame BEsides that deserved interest your Ladyship held in the fections and esteem of this worthy man more then any friend alive which might intitle you to all that may call him Authour This small piece of his acknowledgeth a more speciall propriety unto your Ladyship For though his tongue was as the Pen of a ready Writer in the hand of Christ who guided him yet your Ladyships hand and Pen was in this his scribe and Amanuensis whilest hee dictated a first draught of it in private with intention for the publique In which labour both of humility and love your Ladyship did that honour unto him which Baruch thogh great and Noble did but receive in the like transcribing the words of Ieremiah from his mouth wherin yet your Ladyship did indeed but write the story of your owne life which hath beene long exactly framed to the rules herein prescribed We therefore that are intrusted in the publishing of it deeme it but an act of Justice in us to return it thus to your Ladyship unto whom it owes even its first Birth that so where ever this little Treatise shall come there also this that you have done may bee told and recorded for a memoriall of you And we could not but esteeme it also an addition of honour to the worke that no lesse then a Ladies hand so pious so much honoured brought it forth into the world although in it selfe it deserveth as much as any other this blessed wombe did beare The Lord in way of recompence write all the holy Contents of it yet more fully and abundantly in your Ladyships heart and all the lineaments of the Image of Iesus Christ and seale up all unto you by his blessed spirit with joy and peace to the day of Redemption Madame we are your Ladyships devoted THO. GOODWIN PHILIP NYE THE CONTENTS GRieve not the holy Spirit of God The Holy Ghost why called a Spirit page 3 Why holy page 5 From the Apostles disswasion these foure presupposed truths 1 That the holy Ghost is in us page 8 2 And is as a guide to us page 12 3 The best of us are apt to grieve him page 13 4 Therefore wee should bee carefull of it page 14 § 1 Of grieving the Spirit I What it is to grieve the Spirit page 16. how the Spirit worketh in us page 20 II Wherein doe we especially grieve the Spirit 1 In our selves and that in these particulars 1 In walking contrary to and in neglecting of its motions page 25. and comforts page 27. seeking comfort from the flesh page 28 2 By unkindenesse page 29. the sinnes of Professors and those that have most acquaintance with the Spirit grieve most page 30 3 By presumptuous sinnes page 33 sinnes against knowledge of two sorts ibid. why voluntary sinnes are so great and grieve the Spirit so much page 36 the reason why sinnes of the second Table grieve most page 39 upon divers respects the same sort of sinnes may grieve more and lesse page 44 4 By worldlinesse and paying tribute to the flesh page 45 5 Abusing spirituall things to our owne ends page 48 and fathering the workes of the flesh upon the spirit page 49 6 By sins against the Gospell page 49 slighting ordinances page 51 7 Sinnes plotted and contrived page 57 8 By false judgement of things page 55 9. By not using the helpes we have page 58 10 Cavilling against the truth page 59 11 By doing duty in our own strength page 61 12 Thrusting our selves into over-much worldly imployment page 61 whence 13 Omission or slight performance of duty page 63 2 In others many wayes as 1 Neglecting the grace in them page 65 2 Sharpe censures page 65 3 Superiours by unjust commands page 66 4 Inferiours by untractablenesse 5 By evill examples page 68 III How we may know when we have grieved the spirit page 69 and what is the danger of it page 71 How farre a childe of God may grieve the Spirit page 76 Of the sinne against the Holy Ghost page 81 and a twofold miscarriage about it in censuring page 82 IIII What course we should take to prevent grieving the Spirit page 84 in divers rules 1 Give your selfe up to the government of it page 84 2 Subject constantly to the Spirits motions they are knowne from other motions 1 By a speciall strength in them by which they are raised to higher ends page 87 2 By their constancy page 88 3 They proceed from a changed heart page 89 4 They are seasonable ibid. 5 A selfe evidēce in thē page 90 6 Orderly in respect of both Tables of the law ibid. 7 Dependant upon God page 91 3 Ioyne and co-operate with the Spirit page 92 4 Turne motions into resolutions page 94 and resolutions into practise page 95 5 Depend on ordinances and get a heart suteable to them page 96 6 Observe the Spirits first withdrawing and search the cause page 100 7 Take heed of such sinnes as we terme little ones page 102 and looke upon all sinne in the rise and root of it page 104 8 Get spirituall wisedome to know what is pleasing and displeasing to the Spirit page 105 9 Vpon breaches renew repentance page 108 10 Avoyd corrupt communication page 109 Whereby you are sealed § 2 Of the sealing of the Spirit 1 Christ is sealed page 122 2 So are Christians page 125 I What this sealing is and how it is wrought page 125 II The privileges of it A seale serveth for 1 Confirmation page 131 2 Distinction page 132 3 Appropriation page 139 4 Estimation page 141 5 Secrecy page 144 6 Security page 146 III Degrees of sealing 1 The worke of faith page 149 2 Sanctification page 150. yet not without a new act of the Spirit page 153. the reasons page 155 3 Ioy page 156. which hath its degrees also page 158 being from the spirit page 159 Of the three witnesses on earth 160 their order page 164 Of the witnesse of the Spirit immediately from

said to helpe God curse ye Meroz because they came not to helpe the Lord c. God stoopes to be helped by us and to have his truth and power and goodnesse ratified and confirmed by us when we beleeve the promise of God in Christ though it be by the helpe of the Spirit we seale Gods truth And then God honoureth that sealing of ours by the sealing of his Spirit After you beleeved you were sealed saith the Apostle that is the gracious love of Christ was further confirmed to them GOD honours no grace so much as faith Why because it honours God most of all others it gives GOD the honour of his mercie and goodnesse and wisedome and power and of his truth especially he that beleeves in God by beleeving seales that God is true and God honours that soule againe by sealing it to the day of redemption God hath promised Those that honour me I will honour Therefore Hee that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe that grace promised belongeth to him for he carries in his heart the counterpaine of the promises he that confesseth and beleeveth shall have mercie I beleeve saith the soule therefore the promise belongs to me my faith answering Gods love in the promise witneseth so much to me The Spirit not onely revealeth Christ and the promises in generall but in attending upon the ordinances by an heavenly light the spirit discovers to us our interest in particular and saith to the soule God is thy salvation and inableth the soule to say I am Gods I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Whence came this voyce of Saint Paul It was the still voyce of the Spirit of God that together with the generall truth in the Gospell discovered in particular Christs love to him It is not a generall faith that will bring to heaven but there is a speciall worke of the Spirit in the use of meanes discovering and sealing the good will of God to us that he intends good unto us and thereupon our hearts are perswaded to beleeve in ●od and to love God as our God and Christ as our Christ This is excellently set downe in the sweet communion of marriage the Spirit is the paranymph●s the procurer of the marriage betweene Christ and the foule Now it is not sufficient to know that God and Christ beare good will to all beleevers though that be the ground and generall foundation of all and a great preparative to the speciall sealing of the Spirit but then the Spirit comes and saith Christ hath a speciall good will to me and stirres up in mee a liking to him againe to take him upon his owne conditions with conflict of corruptions with the scornes of the world c. Whereupon the mutuall marriage is made up betweene Christ and us this worke is the sealing of the Spirit Many are the privileges of a Christian from this his sealing as the use of a seale in mans affaires is manifold 1 Seales serve for confirmation and allowance to that purpose measurss are sealed God is said to seale instruction Iob 33. 16. Confirmation is either by giving strength or by the authority of such as are able to make good what they promise and also willing which they shew by putting to their seale which hath as much strength to confirme him to whom the promise is made as he hath will and power to make it good that hath ingaged himselfe Amongst men there is the writing and the seale to the writing when the seale is added to the writing there is a perfect ratification So there are abundance of gracious promises in the Scriptures now when the Spirit comes and seales them to the soule then they are sure to us the Spirit puts the seale to the promises 2 The use of it likewise is for distinction from others that carry not that mark So the sealing of the Spirit distinguisheth a Christian from all other men There is a distinction betweene men in Gods eternall purpose but that concerns not us to meddle with further then to know it in generall God knoweth who are his and who are not his but in time the holy Spirit distinguisheth and rankes men as they were distinguished before all worlds and as they shall be at the day of judgement the beginning of that distinction that shall bee afterward is in this life A seale maketh the impression of an Image the Princes Image useth to be in his seale so is Gods Image in his which destroyeth the old Image and print that was in us before Holy and good men by this worke of the Spirit are distinguished 1 From civill men by the worke of holinesse which meere civill men have not at all but despise And secondly from seeming good men by the depth of that worke the Spirit of God workes a new nature in them whereby they are distinguished Now nature in every creature is carried to one thing more then to another There is a distinct propension in a good man to God to grace and goodnesse his aymes and bent are distinct and thereupon he hath a greater inlargement of heart sutable to his great aymes hee looks above the world and worldly men they are narrow low base spirited men the best of them Againe things by nature worke from within Herein painted hypocrites are distinguished from a true substantial Christian he workes from a principle within another man is moved as the Automata things of motion Clockes and the like engines of wit that move from a weight without that poyseth them if they doe any good it is from somewhat without that swayeth their aymes and ends and not from an inward principle nature workes from an inward principle light things goe upward and heavie things downeward naturally artificiall things are forced Thus good men are distinguished from those that are seemingly holy there is a new nature wrought in them Againe nature is constant what is done naturally is done constantly heavie bodies goe alwayes downward and light bodies upward every creature works according to his nature an holy man is exercised in holinesse constantly because he doth it from an inward principle from a worke and stampe within Different things may seeme the same as wilde hearbs may have the colour and forme of those that are planted in the garden but there is difference in the vertue of them the seeming graces and actions of an hypocrite they have no vertue in them as there are some drugges without vertue dead things But there is a distinguishing vertue in the faith of a Christian wherby he overcomes the world and his lusts whereby he doth all duties prayes and heares and is fruitfull in his conversation in all his graces there is a cōforting strengthening vertue True gold hath the vertue to comfort and strengthen the heatt that Alchymy gold hath not True grace hath a working comforting vertue Another mans formall artificiall actions have

another In Christs transfiguration upon the Mount Moses and Elias appeared together with Christ In whatsoever transfiguration and ravishment wee cannot finde Moses and Elias and Ch●ist to meet that is if what we finde in us be not agreeable to the Scriptures we may well suspect it as an illusion That you may know the voyce of the Spirit of God from the carnall confidence of our owne spirits inquire 1 What went before 2 What accompanieth it 3 What followeth after this ravishing joy 1 The Word must goe before it in being assented unto by faith and submitted unto by answ●rable obedience In whom after you beleeved the word of promise you were sealed So that if there be not first a beleeving of the word of promise there is no sealing The God of peace give you joy i● beleeving There must be a beleeving a walking according to Rule or else no joy nor peace will bee unto us If we cannot bring the Word and our hearts together it is not Gods but Sathans sealing a groundlesse presumption and it will end in despaire as Christ came by water and bloud so doth this testimony it commeth after the other two First the heart is carried to bloud and from thence hath quiet then followeth water and our nature is washed and changed and then commeth this of the Spirit though it be not grounded on their testimonie but is above theirs yet they goe before Where we thus finde the worke wee may know it to be right by the order of it It commeth after deepe humiliation and abasement though we know our selves to be the children of God in some such measure as wee would not change our condition for all the world yet wee would have more evidence we would have further manifestation of Gods countenance towards us we are not satisfied but waite After wee have long fasted and our hearts melted and softened then God powreth water upon the dry wildernesse and then it comes to passe through his goodnesse and mercy that hee comforts and satisfies the desires of the hungry soule GOD will not suffer the spirit of his children to faile 3 Likewise after selfe-denyall in that which is pleasing to us it is made up with inward comfort 〈◊〉 this selfe-denyall bee from a desire of nearer communion with God God will not faile them in what they desire There are wretches in the world that will deny their sinfull nature nothing if they have a disposition to pride they will bee proud if they have a lust to be rich to live in pleasures to follow the vanities of the times they will doe so they will not say nay to corrupt nature in any thing will God vouchsafe to give any true joy or comfort of spirit to such ones No those that se● loose their natures without a checke shall never taste of this hidden Manna But when we deny our selves deny to beare or see that which may feed corruption When we deny●● take delight in that that wee might if we would 〈…〉 course of the world there is a proportionable measure of joy and peace 〈◊〉 co●fort in a higher 〈◊〉 made good to the 〈◊〉 God is so good wee 〈◊〉 lose nothing for par●ing with any thing for 〈◊〉 sake 4 It is usually found after conflict and victory as a reward To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna Gods children after strong confl●ct with some temptation or inward corruption especially that which accompanieth their disposition and temper when they have so conflicted as that at last they get the better they finde by experience sweet inlargement of spirit to strive against them is a signe of grace but to get victory over them even to subdue our enemies under us that rise up against us this bringeth true peace and joy 5 After wee have put forth our spirituall strength in holy duties God crownes our indeavours with increase of comfort A Christian that takes paines with his heart and will not serve God with that which cost him nothing enjoys that which the spi●ituall sluggard wishes for and goes without God is so just that those men which have striven to live according to principles of nature have found a contentment proportionable to their indeavours some degree of pleasure attends every good action as a reward before a reward Besides these things that goe before this joy and testimony there are secondly some things that doe accompany it if it bee right as 1 This spirituall comfort inlargeth our hearts to a desire after an high prising the ordinances so farre is it from taking us off from a dependance upon them In the Word and other meanes it found comfort from GOD therefore delights to be meeting GOD still in his owne wayes The eye of the soule is strengthened to see further into truths and is inabled more spiritually to understand the things it knew before as in many of the same truths that wise men understand they understood them when they were yong as when they were old but then more clearly So all truths are more clearely knowne by this the Spirit by which we are sealed is the Spirit of illumination not that it reveales any thing different from the Word but giveth a more large understanding and inward knowledge of the same truths as were knowne before 2 A libertie and boldnesse with GOD for where the Spirit is there is a gratious libertie that is further inlargements from the law guilt of sinne and the feare of the wrath of GOD that wee can come with some boldnes to his throne and to him as our Father a freedome to open our soules in prayer before him This stands not so much in multitude of words or formes of expressions but a sonne-like boldnesse in our approaches in prayer The Hypocrite especially in extremity cannot pray his Conscience stoppes his mouth but where the Spirit sealeth it giveth this liberty freely to open and spread our case before him and call upon him yea under the evidence of some displeasure 3 There doth likewise ordinarily accompany this sealing of the Spirit Sathans malice and opposition who being cast from heaven himselfe envies this Heaven upon earth in a creature of meaner ranke by creation then himselfe wee must not thinke to enjoy pure joy here without molestation If there bee danger of exalting above measure we must looke for some messenger of Sathan After this witnesse it leaves the soule more humble none more abased in themselves then those that have neerest communion with God as we see in the Angels that stand before God and cover their faces so Isa 6. Iob after God had manifested himselfe unto him abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes It brings with it a greater desire of sanctification and heavenly-mindednesse As Elias ascended up into heaven his cloake fell by degrees from him the higher our spirits are raised the more we put off affections to earthly things 2 Againe the end of this further manifestation of

it selfe which is the highest and that which bringeth most joy page 166 Of such joyes and raptures of the Spirit and how they are knowne from illusions page 169. as 1 By what goes before them as 1 The word imbraced by faith page 171 2 Deep humiliation page 172 3 Selfe-denyall page 174 4 Comfort victory page 175 5 Spirituall strength put forth in duty page 176 2 By what accompanieth them as 1 Pryzing ordinances page 177 2 Liberty boldnesse with God page 179 3 And for the most part Sathans malice page 180 3 By what followeth them 1 More humility page 180 2 Increase of spirituall strength page 181 3 A joyfull expectation of Christ page 183 4 Other degrees of sealing from the divers degrees of revelation page 185 Vnto the day of Redēption § 3 Of the day of Redemption 191 From the consideration of what formerly hath beene spoken some generall conclusions are collected page 202 I Concl. Wee may attaine to the knowledge that wee are in the state of grace page 203 All that have faith have not assurance page 209 II Concl. Vpon knowledge of our state of grace for the present we may be assured of our future full redemption page 215 Why we pray for forgivenesse of sinnes notwithstanding page 218 This assurance we have page 221 that first God may be glorified 222 secondly our soules comforted page 223 III Concl. This assured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit page 224 IIII Concl. The sealing of the Spirit unto salvation should bee a prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit page 228 1 To those that are not as yet sealed page 230 2 To those that are sealed either in a lower page 233. or higher worke of sealing page 236 and that from 1 Ingenuity page 237 2 Benefit received from the Spirit page 239 3 A kinde of necessity page 240 4 The nature of love page 241 5 And other graces as faith and hope that worke by assimilation page 242 The doctrine of assurance is no doctrine of liberty page 243 But of deepe and sweet ingagement page 244 Therefore we should preserve the worke page 247 FINIS Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are ●ealed unto the day of redem●tion WHether the words bee a Command ensuing from authority or counsell from wisedome or a caveat from Gods care of our soules it is not materiall considering both Counsell and Caveats of the great God have both force of a Command with some mixture of the sweetnesse of love the Apostle as his manner is from the largenesse of his Spirit riseth from a particular disswasive from corrupt communication in the verse before to this generall advise of not grieving Gods Spirit by sinne especially against conscience inlightened and this disswasive from evill is inforced from a dangerous effect of grieving the spirit of God and the danger of grieving ariseth from this that it is the Spirit of God and God himselfe whom we grieve and a holy Spirit holy in himselfe and holy as the cause of all holinesse in us and hee that after he hath wrought holinesse in us sealeth and confirmeth us in that act of grace untill the day of our glorious redemption so that the grounds of not grieving are from the greatnesse and goodnesse of the person whom we grieve and from the greatnesse and constancie of the benefits we have by him To speake something of the person the holy Spirit is called a Spirit not onely by nature as being a spirituall essence but in regard of his person and office he is both breathed from the Father and the Sonne as proceeding from them both and by office breatheth into all that God hath given Christ to redeeme and him to sanctifie he is so the spirit of God in proceeding from God as that he is God which who so denieth deny their own Baptisme being as well Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as into the Father and the Sonne and no lesse a person then God is needfull to assure our soules of Gods love and to change our nature being in an opposite frame who can reveale to us the minde of God but the Spirit of God and herein we may see the joynt forwardnesse both of the Father and Son and holy Ghost when both Father and Sonne joyne in willingnesse to send so great a person to apply unto us and to assure us of that great good the Father hath decreed and the Son performed for us That attribute the Spirit delights in is that of holinesse which our corrupt nature least delights in and most opposeth holinesse is the glory and crown of all other excellencie without which they are neither good in themselves no● comfortable to us It implies a freedome from all impuritie and a perfect hatred of it an absolute perfection of all that is excellent What is it then to grieve such an holy Spirit before whom the heavens themselves are impure and not onely the Divels tremble but the Angels cover their faces what shall wee thinke then of them which doe not onely neglect but despise yea oppose this holinesse and indure any thing else what is hated in the world with keene and perfect hatred but holynesse without which yet we shall never see God nor enter into that pure place into which we all professe a desire to enter There was planted in man by nature a desire of holinesse and a desire of happinesse the desire of happinesse is left still in us but for holinesse which is the perfection of the image of God in us is both lost and the desire of it extinguished and that men might the better drive it out of the world under a forme and shew of it they oppose the truth of it and that with the greater successe because under that great colour the Divell and his Vicar carry all their divellish policies under a shew of holinesse We see in Popery every thing is holy with them but that which should be holy the truth of God and the expression of it The man of sinne himselfe must have no worse title then his Holinesse a shew of devised holinesse pleaseth mans anture well enough as being glorious for appearance and usefull for ends But the truth of it being crosse to the whole corrupt nature of man will never be entertained untill nature be new moulded by his holy Spirit in the use of holy meanes sanctified by himselfe for that end it is this that makes a man a Saint and civill vertues to be graces which rayseth things that are otherwise common to an higher degree of excellency this is that to a Christian which reason is to a man it gives him a being and a beauty different from all other it makes every action we doe in obedience to God a service and puts a religious respect upon all our actions directing them to the highest end Now that which the Apostle disswades from is from

grieving so holy a Spirit These truths are presupposed First that the holy Ghost is not in us personally as the second Person is in Christ man for then the holy Ghost and we should make one person nor is the holy Ghost in us essentially only for so he is in all creatures nor yet is in us onely by stirring up holy motions but he is in us mystically and as Temples dedicated to himselfe Christs humane nature is the first temple wherein the Spirit dwels and then we become temples by union with him The difference betwixt his being in Christ us is that the Spirit dwels in Christ in a fuller measure by reason that as a head he is to conveigh spirit into all his members Secondly the Spirit is in Christ intirely without any thing to oppose the Spirit alwayes findes something in us that is not his owne but readie to crosse him Thirdly the Spirit is in us derivatively from Christ as a fountaine we receive grace at second hand answerable to grace in him The holy Ghost was in Adam before his fall immediately but now hee is in Christ first and then for Christ in us as members of that bodie whereof Christ is the head it is well for us that he dwels first in Christ and then in us for from this it is that his communion with us is inseparable as it is from Christ himselfe with whom the Spirit makes us one The holy Spirit dwels in those that are Christs after another manner then in others in whom he is in in some sort by common gifts but in his owne he is in them as holy and as making them holy as the soule is in the whole body in regard of divers operations but in the head onely as it understandeth and from thence ruleth the whole bodie so the holy Ghost is in his in regard of more noble operations and his person is together with his working though not personally and though the whole man be the temple of the holy Ghost yet the soule especially and in the soule the very Spirit of our minds as most suteable to him being a Spirit Whence the Apostle wishes the grace of Christ to be with our Spirits the best of spirits delight most in the best of us which is our spirits in the Temple the further they went all was more holy till they came to the holy of holiest So in a Christian the most inward part the spirit is as it were the holie of holies where incense is offered to God continually What a mercy is this that he that hath the heaven of heavens to dwell in will make a dungeon to be a temple a prison to be a paradise yea an hell to bee an heaven Next to the love of Christ in taking our nature and dwelling in it we may wonder at the love of the holy Ghost that will take up his residence in such defiled soules The second thing presupposed is that the holy Spirit being in us after hee hath prepared us for an house for himselfe to dwell in and to take up his rest and delight in he doth also become unto us a Counsellour in all our doubts a Comforter in all distresses a Solicitor to all dutie a guide in the whole course of our life untill we dwell with him for ever in heaven unto which his dwelling here in us doth tend he goeth before us as Christ did in the pillar of the cloud and fire before the Israelites into Canaan being a defence by day and a direction by night When we sinne what doe we else but grieve this guide The third ground is that we the best of us are prone to grieve this holy Spirit what use were there else of this caveat● we carrie too good a proofe of this in our owne hearts we have that which is enmitie to the spirit within us sinne and an adversarie to the spirit us Sathan These joyning together and having intelligence and holding correspondencie one with another stirre us up to that which grieves this good Spirit The fourth thing presupposed is that we may and ought by Christian care and circumspection so to walke in an even and pleasing course that we shall not grievously offend the spirit or grieve our owne spirits We may avoid many lashes and blowes and many an heavy day which we may thanke our selves for and God delighteth in the prosperity of his children and would have us walk in the comforts of the holy Ghost and is grieved when we grieve him that then hee must grieve us to prevent worse griefe The due and proper act of a Christian in this life is to please Christ and to bee comfortable in himselfe and so to be fitted for all services These things premised it is easie to conceive the equitie of the Apostles disswasive from grieving the holy spirit For the better unfolding of which we wil unfold these foure points First what it is to grieve the Spirit Secondly is wherein we specially grieve the Spirit Thirdly how we may know when wee have grieved the Spirit Fourthly what course we should take to prevent this griefe For the first The holy Ghost cannot properly be grieved in his own person because griefe implyes a defect of happinesse in suffering that we wish removed It implyes a defect in foresight to prevent that which may grieve It implyes passion which is soon raised up and soone laid downe GOD is not subject to change it implyes some want of power to remove that which we feele to be a grievance and therefore it is not beseeming the Majestie of the Spirit thus to bee grieved Wee must there●ore conceive of it as befit●ing the Majestie of God ●emoving in our thoughts ●ll imperfections First then we are sayd to grieve God when we doe that which is apt of it selfe to grieve as we are said to destroy our weake brother when wee do that which he taking offence at is apt to misleade him and so to destroy him Secondly we grieve the Spirit when wee doe that whereupon the Spirit doth that which grieved persons doe that is retireth and sheweth dislike and returns griefe againe Thirdly though the passion of griefe be not in the holy Ghost yet there is in his holy nature a pure displicence and hatred of sinne with such a degree of abhomination as though it tend not to the destruction of the offender yet to sharpe correction so that griefe is eminently in the hatred of God in such a manner as becomes him Fourthly wee may conceive of the Spirit as hee is in himselfe in heaven and as hee dwels and workes in us as wee may conceive of God the Father as hidden in himselfe and as revealed in his Son and in his word and as we may conceive of Christ as the secōd persō as incarnate so likewise of the holy Ghost as in himselfe and as in us God in the person of his Sonne