Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	eternal_a	see_v	6,178	5	3.7252	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00698	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 means 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.	1638 (1638)	STC 22496; ESTC S123290	62,552	276

hee spares them and followes them with long patience and makes them thrive in the world Alas are these fruits of Gods speciall love What grace hath hee wrought in thy heart by his Spirit hee gives his Spirit to them that pray insinuating that next the gift of his Son the greatest gift is the Spirit to fashion and fit us to be members of his Sonne this is an argument of Gods love and esteeme Seales likewise are used for secresie 5 Secresie as in Letters c. so this seale of the Spirit is a secret worke GOD knoweth who are his they are onely knowne to him and to their owne hearts The white stone is onely knowne to him that hath it Revel 3. and the hidden Mannah none so infallibly can know the state in grace as those that have the gracious worke themselves Holy men in some degree are knowne one to another to make the communion of Saints the sweeter there is a great deale of spirituall likenesse in Christians face answereth to face that one hath strong confidence of the salvation of another but the undoubted certainty of a mans estate is knowne onely to God and his owne soule nay sometimes it is hidden from a mans selfe there are so many infirmities and abasements and troubles in the world that this life is called a hidden life in Scripture our life is hidde with Christin God it is unknowne to the Saints themselves sometimes and the world alway they neither know him that begets nor them that are begotten Hence likewise the use of a seale 6 Security is to shew that things should be kept inviolable hereupon the Church is as a sealed fountain sealing shewes care of preservation from common annoyance hereupon likewise it is that sealing is the securing of persons or things sealed from hurt No man will violate a Letter because it is sealed the Tombe where Christ was butied was sealed and the Prison doores upon Daniel that none might meddle with them so the Spirit of God by this worke of sealing secures Gods children as the bloud sprinckled upon the posts of the doores of the Israelites secured them from the destroying Angell In Ezek. 9. there was a marke set upon those that were to bee perserved that secured them and in Revel 7. the sealed ones must not be hurt So where this seale of the Spirit is it is an argument that God meanes to preserve such a one from eternal destruction and from prevailing dangers in this world They are Gods sealed ones no man can hurt them without wrong to God himselfe Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme And likewise from devouring sinnes and dangerous apostasie a man that is truely sealed by the Spirit of God hee never becomes a member of Antichrist a stigmatized Papist for Antichrist hath his seale too he is kept from soule-murthering errours he hath this security upon him by the worke and witnesse of Gods Spirit Whatsoever the use is or can be of a seale in mans affaires that God will have us make use of in his heavenly intercourse betwixt him and us Whereby you are sealed Degrees of sealing Now there are divers degrees of the Spirits sealing 1 Faith 1 Faith Hee that beleeves hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Ioh. 5.10 hee carries in his heart the counterpane of all the promises This grace is first planted in the heart and answereth to Gods love and purpose towards us of giving eternall life the seale and first discovery of election is manifested to us in our beleeving Act. 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved This beleeving is also a seale to us in that it is of whose gifts that accompany salvation of which GOD never repents him by calling back againe it is a feed that abideth for ever 2 Sanctification 2 The worke of sanctifying grace upon the heart is a seale whom the spirit sanctifieth hee saveth The Lord knoweth who are his but how shall wee know it By this seale Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity not onely in heart and affection but in conversation and that shall bee a seale of his Sonneship to him none are children of God by adoption but those that are children also by regeneration none are heires of heaven but they are new-borne to it Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us a new to an inheritance immortall c. This seale of sanctification leaves upon the soule the likenesse of Iesus Christ even grace for grace But because in time of desertion and temptation we are in a myst and cannot reade our owne faith and our owne graces it pleaseth Christ after some triall and exercise to shine upon his owne graces in the heart whereby we may know we beleeve and know we love untill which time the heart sees nothing that is good and seemes to bee nothing but all objections and doubtings Wee may bee sometimes in such a state as Paul and his company was in the ship Act. 27.20 when they saw neither Sun nor Starres many dayes together almost past all hope So a Christian may for many dayes together see neither Sunne nor Starre neither light in GODS countenance nor light in his own heart no grace issuing from GOD no grace carrying the soule to God though even at that time GOD darts some beame through those clouds upon the soule the soule againe by a Spirit of faith sees some light through those thickest clouds enough to keepe the soule from utter despaire though not to settle it in peace In this darke condition if they doe as Saint Paul and his companie did cast Anchor even in the dark night of temptation and pray still for day God will appeare and all shall cleere up wee shall see light without and light within the day-starre will arise in their hearts Thought by reflecting upon our soules we are able to discerne a spirit of faith GOD may hide himselfe from the soule in regard of comfort Nay a Christian may know himselfe to bee in the state of grace and yet bee in an afflicted condition As in Iobs case hee knew his Redeemer lived and hee resolved to trust in him even though hee killed him hee knew hee was no hypocrite he knew his graces were true an for all the imputations of his friends they could not dispute him out of his sincerity you shall not take my uprightnesse from mee Yet for the present hee saw no light from heaven till it pleased GOD to reveale himselfe in speciall favour to him There is alwayes peace and joy in beleeving yet not in that degree which gives the soule content untill by honouring God in beleeving and waiting still his good time hee honoureth us with further sence of his favour and powreth forth his Spirit to us manifesting his speciall love towards us and this is a further degree of sealing of us confirming us more strongly then

indeavours with increase of comfort A Christian that takes paines with his heart and will not serve God with that which cost him nothing enjoyes that which the spirituall 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 contentment proportionable to their indeavours some degree of pleasure attends every good action as a reward before a reward 2 What accompanieth c. 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 prizing 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 young as when they were old but then more clearely So all truths are more clearely knowne by this the Spirit by which wee 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 gracious liberty that is further inlargements from the law guilt of sinne and the feare of the wrath of GOD that wee can come with so me boldnesse 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 H●aven upon earth in a creature of meaner ranke by crea ion then himselfe wee must not thinke to enjoy pure joy here without molestation If there bee danger of exalting above measure wee must looke for some messenger of Sathan 3 What followeth after th●s witnessing of the Spirit After this witnesse it leaves the soule more humble none more abased in themselves then those that have neerest communion with God as wee 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 wee 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 findes it selfe steeled against opposition Whilest this winde filleth their sayles 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 Pro. 32.6 Give wine to those that be of heavy hearts Proverbs 31. The sence of this love of Christ is better then wine This refreshing Paul had in the dungeon and he 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 priviledge 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 manifesteth in me the word I heare and reade to bee the truth of God from the power and efficacie of it the same Spirit teacheth to apply 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 wee 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 GOD to vouchsafe the Spirit of Revelation to reveale the mysteries of his truth unto us and our portion in them in particular and so our adoption and in the meane time to wait and attend his good pleasure in the use of