Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	reveal_v	5,457	5	8.8529	5	true

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

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

uncertaine condition wherein a man knowes not but he may be a reprobate Wherefore came our Saviour into the world and tooke our nature upon him why became he a curse for us why hath he carried our nature into heaven and there appeares for us till he hath brought us home to himselfe but that he would have us out of all doubt of his love after o●ce by faith we have received him whence proc●●ded those Commandements to beleeve those checks of unbeleevers the commendation of them that did beleeve those upbraidings of doubting as springing from unbeliefe to what use are the Sacraments but to seale unto us the benefits of Christ if upon all this we should still doubt of GODS love especially when besides the seali●g of the promises to us we are sealed our selves by the Spirit of promise Object This is true if wee know we doe beleeve Answer It is the office of the Spirit as to worke faith and other graces so to reveale them to us every grace of GOD is a light of it selfe comming from the Father of lights and it is the property of light not onely to discover ot●er things but it sel●e too and it is the office of the Spirit to give further light to this light by shining upon his owne grace in us an excellent place for this is the 1 Cor. 2. 12. Wee have received the Spirit that is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every thing bee confirmed one witnesse is the Spirit of man which knowes the things that are in man the other witnesse is the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God Here is light added to light witnesse added to witnesse the greater witnesse of the Spirit to the lesse of our Spirits the Apostle joynes them both together My conscience bears me witnesse through the holy Ghost Obje Mans heart is deceitfull Answ But the spirit of God in mans heart is not deceitfull it is too holy to deceive and too wise to be deceived in this point of assurance wee plow with the Spirits Heifer or else we could not finde out this Riddle where there is an object to be seene and an eye to see and light to discover the object to the eye sight must needs follow In a true beleever after he is inlightened as there is grace to be seene and an eye of faith to see so there is a light of the Spirit discovering that grace to that inward sight in the bottome of a cleare River a cleare eye sight may see any thing where nothing is nothing can be seene it is an evidence that the Patrons of doubtings have little grace in them and much boldnesse in making themselves a measure for others Those that are b●se borne know their mothers better than their fathers the Church of Rome is all for the mother but the babes of Christ know their father the remainder of corruption will indeed be still breeding doubts but it is the office of the Spirit of faith to quell them as they arise We are too ready in time of temptation to doubt we need not helpe the tempter by holding it a duty to doubt this is to light a candle before the divell as we use to speake Question May not there be doubtings where there is true faith may not a true beleever be without assurance Answ There be three rankes of Christians first some that are yet under the spirit of bondage that like little children doe all for feare Secondly those that are under the spirit of adoption and doe many things well but yet are not altogether free from feare these are like those children that are moved with reverence to obey their Parents and yet finde their commands somewhat irkesome unto them The third are such as by the love of God shed into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption are carried with large Spirits to obey their father and herein like unto those children that not onely obey but take a delight in it upon a judgement that both obedience and the thing wherein they obey is good this we ought to labour for but we finde many Christians in the second ranke many truely beleeve in Christ by some light let into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption who are not yet fully assured of the love of Christ There is the act of faith and the fruit of faith the act of faith is to cast our selves upon Gods mercy in Christ the fruit of faith is in beleeving to be assured of this we must know that faith is one thing assurance another they may have faith and yet want a double assurance first assurance of their faith being not able to judge at all times of their owne act likewise secondly assurance of their state in grace as in time of desertion and temptation a soule at such a time casts it selfe upon Christ as knowing comfort is there to be had though hee be not sure of it for himselfe and this the soule doth out of obedience though not out of feeling as the poore man in the Gospell Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe the soule often times out of the deepe cryes and in the darke trusts in GOD and this is the bold adventure of faith the first object whereof is Christ held out in a promise and not assurance which springeth from the first act when it pleaseth God to shine upon the soule and is a reward of glorifying Gods mercy in Christ by casting the soule upon his truth and goodnesse Assurance is GODS seale faith is our seale when we set to our seale by beleeving he sets to his seale assuring us of our condition we yeeld first the consent and the assent of faith and then God puts his seale to the contract there must be a good title before a confirmation a planting before a rooting and establishing the bargaine before the earnest Some would have faith to be an over-powring light of the soule wherby undoubtedly they beleeve themselves to be Christ and Christ to be theirs which stumbleth many a weake yet true Christian for this is rather the fruit of a strong faith then the act of a weake which struggleth with doubting untill it hath gotten the upper hand True it is there must be so much light let in to the soule as the soule may relye upon Christ and this light must be discovered by the Spirit and such a light as shewes a speciall love of Christ to the soule And againe it is true that we are not to take up our rest in the light untill the heart be further subdued as many are too hasty to conclude of a good condition upon uncertaine signes before they have attained unto fuller assurance but yet we must not deny faith where this strong assurance is wanting so farre as to conclude against our selves if there be desires putting on to endeavour with conflict against

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

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