Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_n	work_v	world_n	344	4	4.3733	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01028	A letter first written and sent by Io. Forbes, pastour of the English Church at Middelburgh vnto certen of the companie of marchands adventurers at Stoade, at their earnest desire, for resolving this question: how a Christian man may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit, from the testimonie of his owne spirit, in witnessing his adoption. And now againe renewed and enlarged by the authour, at the desire of divers good Christians, for the comfort of their troubled co[n]sciences, and published by those of his flocke, to whom he did dedicate it for the publike vse of the Church.	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1616 (1616)	STC 11131; ESTC S118027	27,622	94

minde and in their heart will I write them therefore it is that Moses speakinge of the estate of the chosen children of God vnder grace saith that this cōmandement which I command thee this day meaning thereby the worde of the Father is not hid from thee neither is it farre from thee it is not in the heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heaven and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may do it neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say who shall goe over the sea for vs and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it but the word is very neare vnto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart for to doe it The Apostle expounds the same to the Rom. and shewes that this is the word of the Father which they did preach For this is the promise of God to his Church vnder the Gospell by the mouth of his Prophet All thy children shal be taught of the Lord and this is the Lords teaching evē the writing of his word in the hart by his spirit Of the first sort of this speciall receyving the word you may read in Iohn it is said of the Iewes many beleeved in Christ yet these same doth Christ declare to be the servants of sinne childrē of the divel murtherers and in the 37. verse he shewes why they were such because his word had no place in thē therefore doth he warn thē in the 31. ver that if they did cōtinue in his word they were verily his discipl teaching thereby that it is not the receyving of his word simplie that maketh vs disciples but the abydiug in it which none can doe that hath it not written in their heart by the spirit Of the second sorte of the speciall receyving the word you may read in the 17. chap. of Iohn in the wordes of Christ concerning his Disciples I have given them the wordes which thou gavest mee they have receyved them c. Of both these sortes of receyving the spirites testimonie you may read in the Gospell of Saint Math. in the Parable of the Sower the one is like the ground which receyveth seed but yeeldeth no fruit againe the other is like the ground which receiveth the seed and bringeth forth fruit in aboundance because God the Father is the Husbande man thereof as Christ sayeth in the 15. chapter of Iohn But you may aske how I can call this sorte of witnessinge which is fruitlesse to be the spirits testimonie Remēber I pray you what the Apostle saieth to the Corinthians No man can call Iesus Lord but by the H. ghost Whereby it is plaine that there is no possibilitie in man of receyving or acknowledging any part of that mysterie of godlynes without the spirits working And yet albeit this be the worke of the spirit yet doth it not prove him in whom it is to be the childe of God For Christ saieth plainly Not every one that call me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heaven And because this same effect in the verie reprobate is the work of the spirit for the naturall man can not perceyve the things of the spirit therefore are the very reprobate thus illuminate after this maner said to have bene made partakers of the H. ghost not that ever that spirit of Adoptiō which God sendes foorth in the heartes of his sonnes to seale them vnto the day of redemption was ever sent into their hearts But because even that light tast of heavēly things whiche they received was by the working of the H. ghost although he never did give thē ful possession of them by imprinting them in their harts sealing thē in their soules For that which Christ saith to his discip whē he promiseth to send thē the spirit of truth remayneth still true that the world can not receive him because it seeth him not neither knoweth him therfore wee may iustly say that they who receive this tast of Christ of the good word of god do not discern the spirit to worke these thinges because they neither see him nor know him neither cā they receive him but are like vnto natural men who albeit they have their being life moving in God yet still remain without God in this world But it may thē be demanded how it is that they are said to bee made partakers of the H. ghost and what difference is there betwixt them the elect in the participatiō of the spirit To vnderstand this we must remember that ther must be a certain participatiō of the spirit whersoever any effect of the spirit is foūd in whatsoever measure or maner But we are to mark a differēce both of measure maner For as a mā that hath an excellent piece of wine to sel wil give to al that com so much as is sufficiēt to make thē knowe the tast of it yet he giveth not to every one such a quātitie as is sufficiēt to bring nourishment refreshment to their bodyes spirits And as a phisicion that hath prepared a comfortable potiō for the health of a beloved patient he will give to others a little of it to make them apprehende the taste of it but not so as to have anie strength to make anie operation in their stomacke for that quantitie hee gives onely to the patient for whose health it is prepared Nowe they who tasted of this wine or potion can discerne the goodnesse of it albeit they never did drinke it nor ever be partakers of the refreshing power of it So is it with the Lorde in his dispensation he vseth sometimes onely to give a naked sight and knowledge of Christ and his mercie in him to men and this I called before a generall perswasion of the spirit when men are made to know Christ in generall but without all sense of feelinge of him Somtimes the spirit comes nearer and touches the heart with Christ and with the powers of the world to come even so farre as the heart receiveth a tast of the love of God of the mercies of God in Christ in such sorte that they receive the word incontinentlie with ioy as saith Christ The spirit havinge in that measure testified the worde to them as is sufficient to make them to taste the sweetnes of it albeeit hee never fill their heart with it nor imprint it in their mindes that they may finde the power of it vnto life The last degree of the spirites witnessinge is when not onely he touches the lippes with grace to make the tast of it felt but when hee poures in the love of God and all the graces reveyled in the worde and shedds them abroad in the heart as saith the Apostle to the Romans and so makes the heart to enioy receyve and possesse the promise by printing it

not only an evidēce that we have the spirit but also a witnes of our Adoption making manifest vnto vs that the spirit hath wrought in vs that worke of libertie whereof we have alreadie spoken Touching the first it is manifest in that without the spirit we can not pray vnto God as testifieth the Apostle to the Romans saying The spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as we cought but the spirit it self maketh request for vs with sighes that can not be expressed Conforme to this also doth the same Apostle say in that same place Wee also who have the first fruites of the spirit even wee doe sigh in our selves waitinge for the Adoption And this is cleerly confirmed by the words of the Prophet Zacharie In that day sayeth the Lord I will poure vpon the house of David and vpon the inhabitanes of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of compassion and they shall looke vpon me whō they have pearched and they shall lament for him c. The veritie of this point may be shewed by the nature of prayer in which first it is required that it be made vnto God Secondly that it bee made in the Name of Christ Thirdly that it be made accordinge to the will of God Concerning the first it cannot be without the spirit because we have no entrance nor accesse to God in Christ but by the spirit This is manifest by the Apostle saying For through him wee both have accesse to tbe Father by one spirit Secondly we can not pray in the Name of Christ except wee acknowledge God his Father and in him our Father which we can never doe except we be taught by the spirit For as saieth the Apostle The spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Thirdly no prayer can bee made accordinge to the will of God but by the spirit because None knoweth the mynde of God but the spirit of GOD. According to which the same Apostle sayeth That he that searceth the heartes knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit For hee maketh intercession for the Saincts according to the will of God By all these it is plaine that none can pray which have not the spirit For the babling of hypocrits is no prayer seeing it proceedes not from the spirit And this is to be vnderstoode of all manner of prayer For all manner of prayer be it confession petition supplication or giving of thankes must still be by the spirit According to the saying of the Apostle And pray alway in all maner of prayer and supplication in the spirit Moreover this voyce of the spirit is the witnesse of our adoption and of the worke of our freedome in Christ Which is evident by the Apostle First in that hee sayeth That by this spirit we crye Abba Father And the same Apostle to witnesse the same trueth sayeth in another place Because yee are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Which crie of the spirit can not bee in vs vntill first we be the sonnes of God seeing this crye contayneth in it a plaine profession of our Adoption while the spirit in vs doth call vpō God as our Father and maketh vs call vpon him as our Father Secondly this is manifest by the description which the Apostle setteth downe of the spirit whereby we crye Abba Father That it is not the spirit of bondage vnto feare but the spirit of adoption Which by the contrarie may be vnderstood to comprehend freedome and libertie According to the saying of of the Apostle Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie For they who live in darknesse and in the bandes of iniquitie not yet made partakers of the ioyfull libertie of the sonnes of God can never with boldnes approch to the throne of grace to call vpon GOD as their Father Heerevpon it is that the Scriptures absolutely conclude That whosoever shall call vpon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Because no man can call vpō God vntill hee beleeve that God is his God and he his sonne in Christ according to the saying of the Apostle How shall they call vpon him in whom they have not beleeved This sheweth plainlie that the spirites crie or our callinge vpon God by the spirit as out Father is a sure testimonie of our Adoption and seale of our effectuall calling Therefore vnder the calling vpon the Name of the Lord is oft set downe the true and infallible description of Gods children as namelie to the Corinthians Vnto the Church of GOD which is at Corinth with all that call vpon the Name of the Lord IESVS Christ in every place And the same Apostle sheweth that the foundation of God which remayneth sure that is the election of God hath this seale Let every one that calleth vpon the Name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Declaring plainlie that to call vpon the Name of the Lord is as much as to be one of Gods elect children which in that same place is made manifest by this other sentence Follow after righteousnes faith love and peace with them that call vpon the Name of the Lord with pure hearts Thus wee are to take our calling or cryinge on the Name of the Lorde with boldnes in that confidence and assruance which faith bringeth for a sure testimonie of the spirit of Adoption possessing our heartes and so of our Adoption The other voyce of the spirit to wit when the spirit speaketh from God to vs is likewise a most solide firme and infallible testimonie of our Adoption And this sorte of voyce is that whereof the Prophet speaketh And thine eare shall heare the voyce of one behinde thee saying This is the way c. Of the same doeth the Lord speake in another place saying I will allure hir and bring hir in the wildernes and speake kindly vnto hir Which places are not onely to bee referred to the Lords speaking to his Church in the externall ministerie of his word but are speciallie to be vnderstoode of the inwarde working of God in the heart by his spirit Of which sorte of voyce David speaketh when hee sayeth to the Lord Let mee heare ioye and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce And this sorte of voyce is three folde for it consisteth eyther in Gods teaching or in his confirminge of that which he teacheth or then in his conforting of his children in their afflictions Of the first that is his teaching voyce wee have spoken before For God by his spirit speakes to vs when inwardlie he openeth our heartes and maketh vs heare his word of grace and to vnderstande it to receyve it Of this worke Christ speaketh when hee sayeth But the Comforter which is the holy spirit whom the Father will sende in my Name hee shall teach

the voyce of my spirit now beleving and bearing witnes to me of that which first the spirit of God did witnes to it Secondlie after we have beleeved wee may also discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit by a plaine contrarie order For in the former the spirites testimonie did goe before the testimonie of our spirit but heere it followeth after it and is the confirmation of it So that when after wee have beleeved the spirit speakinge the word vnto vs and after that beleeving wee have spoken with our owne spirit if then wee heare a new voyce cōfirming that which we beleeved and which our spirit did speake that cōfirming sealing and stablishing voyce is the testimonie of Gods spirit Thus wee must learne to discerne betwixt our beleeving and the confirmation of our belief and so shal wee know the testimonie of Gods spirit from the testimonie of our owne spirit Therefore still the holie Scriptures of God distinguish betwixt the worke of God in making vs receyve the testimonie of his spirit and his worke in confirming in vs that testimonie nowe receyved And also teacheth vs to knowe the testimonie of our own spirit which commeth in betwixt these two to bee different from them both Accordinge to this working of God the Saincts pray Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in vs. To speake more plainly of this point there is a three folde voyce in the heart that hath the testimonie of Iesus confirmed in it The first is the voyce of God by his spirit in the worde speaking vnto our hearts and perswading them to beleeve that the promise belongeth vnto vs. The second voyce is the voyce of our hearts receyving the word wherby it speaketh that which the spirit hath perswaded and this in effect is nothing but the very faith of the heart now actually working in vs. Whereas the first was the worke of the spirit working this faith in vs so that in this first act we are patients in the other we are agentes in the first we are spoken too by the spirit of God in the seconde our owne heartes speaketh in vs. The third voice is the voyce of Gods spirit following the voyce of our hearts ratifying it and this is nothing els but the confirmation of our faith So wee may see that the Lord performeth twoo workes in vs for our comfort the first is the working of faith beliefe the other is the confirmation of the faith which he him selfe did work But before his last work our hearts having faith wrought in them doe worke by it or wee with our hearts worke and this is nothing but beleeving with the heart or the hearts beleevinge Wherevpon followeth the sealing of vs in that which it beleeveth that is in the testimonie which the beleeving heart giveth of him in whom it is Thirdlie we discerne this testimonie of the spirit in our trouble when we find any cōfort or peace wrought in our hearts when they are troubled or anie ioye vpon the assurance of Gods love If wee finde a quiet calmnesse of minde with patience meeknes and reioycing in tribulation vpon anie sight or knowledge of our Adoption all these are the vndoubted testimonies of the spirit who shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts maketh vs to reioyce in affliction as the Apost speaketh of the Hebrues and ye suffered with gladnes the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in heaven a better and an enduring substance And touching the Apostles it is saide They departed reioycing that they were compted worthie to suffer for his Name That this ioy is the work of the spirit vpon the testimonie of Gods love is manifest by the Apost to the Romans where shewing the cause why we reioyce in afflictions sayth Because of the love of God which is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy spirit which is given vs. According to this grounde it is that the Saints are brought in wayting what God will speake to them in trouble as namely in the Psalme 85. vers 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say concerning mee for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his saints And the Prophet Habacuk in like manner is brought in saying thus I will stande vpon my watch and set mee vpon the Towre and will looke and see what hee will say vnto mee Thus whē God speaketh peace to the Saincts in affliction and quieteth their thoughtes and maketh them heare ioye and gladnes that is the testimonie of the spirit of the Lord who is our onely Comforter For as sayeth the Prophet David My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart And therefore Moses prayeth O satisfie vs with thy mercie so shall wee reioyce and be glad all our dayes comfort vs againe c. We may hold it for a most certaine trueth that our patient enduring of grievous trialls ioyfully the constant peace of God in our hearts in the tyme when wee endure the enimitie of the world the cōsolations wherewith we are comforted in all our afflictions are vndoubted testimonies of our Adoption proceeding all from Gods spirit But all this is most cleerlie discerned when the testimonie of Gods spirit and the testimonie of our spirit are seperate the one frō the other when they are found to speake one against the other and to give two contrarie testimonies For while these two goe together and are not severed or disagreeing it is oft tymes hard to discerne the one from the other But if we can finde them seperate so that the one faile vs and the other vphold vs then may they cleerly bee discerned And this commeth to passe eyther when God vpon the carnall presumption of our hearts suffereth vs to fall in some dangerous triall or then when God him selfe seemeth to become our enemie so that the heart hath to wrestle with GOD him selfe vnder the sense of his wrath all former feeling of his mercie then ceasing Of the first wee have example in Peter whose heart saide vnto him that no danger could make him forsake Christ the Lorde to make him know that this was not the testimonie of Gods spirit but a carnall confidence of his owne heart suffered him to be tried and in the triall to fall and so to finde it was but his owne carnall heart that did beare witnes to him God oft tymes for this cause tryeth his owne children to make them discerne betwixt the confidence and assurance which their owne hearts giveth them and that confidence and comfort which the spirit of God worketh in them that they may not trust in them selves or in their owne hearts but in the living God This the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians saying He maekth vs to receyve the sentence of death in our selves because we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Of the second wee