Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	able_a	salvation_n	wise_a	5,460	5	6.2694	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16543	The importunate begger for things necessary, or necessity, without deniall Or a treatise, wherein is shewed the lawfullnesse of praying absolutely for necessary temporall things, without doubting or wavering, and that the saints of God may and ought, as absolutely depend upon God, for their dayly bread, as they may for the pardon of their sinnes, and that the cause is in themselves, who doe not obtaine them. Whereunto is annexed an answer to Mr. Norrice his 5 arguments, which were framed against it, together with an answer to his Prosopopeia, wherein, as well the insufficiency of those arguments, as the deceitfullnesse of his collections, is plainely manifested by R.B.	Boye, Rice.	1635 (1635)	STC 3450; ESTC S106818	69,334	88

will so much of his will as is necessary for us to know is revealed in his Word Iohn 5.39 his Scriptures unto which our Saviour referreth the Iewes for to enquire of him Search the SCriptures they are they that testify of me Now the Scriptures Gods written verities are absolutely sufficient to instruct us in all saving knowledge as Paul affirmeth 2. Timoth. 3.15 Thou hast knowen from a child the holy Scriptures speaking of Timothy which are able to make thee wise to salvation Chap. 1.21 or as Iames sayth to save thy soule through faith which is in Iesus Christ. Now whereas you affirme that the promises for temporalls are conditionall notwithstanding in the whole Scriptures there is no condition expressed what is it els but to affirme that God hath not revealed so much of his will in the Scriptures as is needfull for us to know and that the Scriptures are not sufficient to make the man of God perfect Your owne words in this matter shall be your judge you say that this position of yours namely That the promises for temporall things are conditionall is one of Gods truthes for you presse it upon men to beleeve it as a Truth from God and yet you say that God hath not expressed this Truth is his word for you say it is implyed Now it being implyed and not expressed it is no Scripture for if it be not expressed it cannot be written if it be not written it is none of Gods will because Gods will so much of his will as wee must know or beleeve is all written To which purpose saith Christ in the place before quoted Search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures So then to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall according to your owne words is a doctrine of mans owne invention and not of God And certainely to make the best of it it is but as one of the Popes unwritten verities Unwritten you confesse it is for if any man should but aske you where in the Scriptures doth God say the promises are conditionall you have nothing to answer for ought I know but this The condition is implyed To those that come in a pretended message from Christ to beate downe the power of Sathan and have no better commission from Christ then this the Devill may boldly say as he did Acts 19.15 Qui vos Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee I would I had no worse enimy then you Wherefore I beseech you beware how you maintaine any thing for Gods truth which is not written its a chief pillar of the Romish Church least it be sayd to you as Paul speaketh Rom. 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idolls doest thou commit sacriledge Now for those 2 cases which you alleadge for the prooving of your Minor proposition as it will appeare is not any thing at all to the purpose For your Minor proposition being denyed you labour to proove it by these cases thus First you say the Lord for the sinnes of his people doth strippe them of outward comforts sometimes in part sometimes wholely unto death ergo the promises of outward things have conditions implyed in them and are not absolutely intended Alas what is this to the purpose or what colour is there in it to proove that the promises are conditionall for you know and must needs confesse that the Lord Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. made absolutely to his people Israel pretious promises In which promises there is no condition implyed It is true indeed those promises were made upon condition of their obedience as appeareth in both chapters If thou obey the Lord thy God all these blessings shall come unto thee Which condition may be turned participially thus Thou obeying the commandements of the Lord thy God c. The condition in these his promises lyeth on their part If thou obey that is thou obeying his commandements Gods part is absolute all these blessings shall come upon thee Doe what I require of thee and all these blessings without all doubt shall come upon thee But if thou wilt not obey my commaundements .i. thou disobeying my commaundements all these curses shall come upon thee As thy obedience shall be rewarded with such and such blessings so thy disobedience shall be punished with such and such curses The children of Israel found the word of God true in these particulars for so long as they kept the commaundements of their God and walked humbly with him which was the thing he required of them he was as a wall of brasse unto them and they wanted nothing of that which he promised them as the whole current of the old Testament doth plentifully witnesse But when they brake his covenant and did not observe that condition obedience being all the conditions too which was made betweene God and them he brought upon them those plagues which he had threatned For Israel notwithstanding they were a chosen people were very rebellious and unthankfull as the Lord complayneth of them Isay 1. The Oxe knoweth his owner but my people doth not consider Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seede of evill-doers They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger Read that 105. Psalme there is a whole catalogue of their rebellious proceedings and how the Lord dealt with them And to the end the Lord would have no imputation of severity layd upon his Majesty for dealing with them as he did and that no man should once imagine that hee did faile in his part in the least particular but was faithfull in all his promises he made it appeare to all the world that his proceedings with them were just for saith he Deut. 39.22 to the end of the chapter Their children and the nations shall say when they see the plagues of that Land wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say vers 25. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt Here is the Lords proceedings cleared by the confession of all the nations and the fault layd upon the people as Ezechiell also witnesseth Ezech. 39.23 as also the Prophet Isay prooveth Isay 59.2 to the end of that chapter Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sinnes have withholden good things from you Now concerning that place Lament 46. which you produce thinking to proove your position I beseech you call to mind I know you know it that the Lord had a long time before told them that if they would not heare and obey he would bring upon them that plague of famine which the Prophet did there bewaile This appeareth Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. where the Lord tells them if they did not walke with him in obedience that they should be compelled to eat the flesh of their sonnes and

them ought to be referred to his proper object Eternall or justifying faith to eternall promises and temporary faith to temporall promises So then as you say and that truely whosoever commeth short of heaven it is because he wanteth faith in apprehending the eternall promises So we affirme and that truely that whosoever wanteth bread it is because he lacketh faith in apprehending the temporall promises And these two kinds of faith are both the gift of God and enimies to doubtings So doubtings are fruits of our corrupt nature and meere opposites to faith in any of the promises which doth deprive us of many blessings And so I passe from this third thing required in prayer it must be without doubting unto the 4. set downe by Iames that it must be desired for the true ends not to consume it upon our lusts That we ought to ayme at the true ends which indeed is the glory of God when we pray for any thing our Apostle doth plainely proove 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glorie of God The glory of God ought to be the center of all our actions as well of prayer as of any other action And the truth is this is the true rule of prayer to aske not so much because we would receive as we doe because God hath commanded us and we beleeve that God will give us the thing petitioned not for our prayers sake but because he hath promised To aske in this manner is to aske for the true ends that we may not consume it upon our lusts To aske because God hath commanded us doe shew our obedience To beleeve that we shall have the thing we aske because he hath promised doth manifest Gods faithfullnesse and both makes for the advancement of his glory Now that the not-walking by this rule doth deprive us of the thing petitioned we need use no other place then that of Iames before quoted Iames 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts Men as one saith often seeke Bona good things Non bene not in a good manner If it were not onely for some hope they had to receive some benefit by Christ many would as the Prophet speaketh Isay 53.3 hide their faces from him they would despise him and esteeme him not The principall drift of their seeking to Christ is their owne ends They seeke him for their owne benefit more to receive then by their receiving Gods name might be gloryfied by which meanes they doe not to their comfort find hee will not be found of such seekers These seekers doe altogether befoole themselves in their search because they altogether ayme at their owne ends Now if any of the petitions of the Saints of God be infected with this disease if they seeke in their requests at any time when they pray Aliud pro illo aliud prae illo something instead of his glory something besids his glory some thing with his glory some thing before his glory and doe not seeke every thing for his glory No marvaill if they seeke and misse seeing they seeke amisse And thus from that 4. I proceed to the last thing required in prayer wee must pray for what wee doe pray according to his will The will of God although in respect of himself is but simply one in respect of us is twofold The one is secret not revealed to Angels or to men This is altogether incommunicable neither can these secrets be knowne to any but the Trinity and for any to strive to dive into them is too much curiosity The other is revealed the knowledge whereof is left obtainable by man for the great God of heaven and earth hath bene pleased to have bene examined ad perpetuam rei memoriam and hath left his will so much of his will as is necessary for man to know registred in his Word which will must be the onely directrixe of all our requests If we aske any thing sayth St. Iohn according to his will according to his will revealed in his Word That all our petitions either concerning soule or body ought to be framed according to Gods will I thinke it s not denied of any But here lyeth the question when are our petitions agreable with the will of God Some affirme that the particle If doth make the petition accord with the will of God but without ground from any part of his word And therefore we affirme that If in prayer for temporall things doth not make the petitions accord with the will of God but it doth altogether make it disagree from the will of God for our petitions are agreable to the will of God when they are agreable to his word Now our petitions for outward things are agreable to Gods will not when wee put in this word If as to say If it be thy will to give us this or that but they are agreable to his will when the thing wee desire God to bestow upon us is both commanded and promised This is that which doth make our petitions agreable to his will And therefore when we are to pray either for any favour or for the remooving of any affliction we must consider with our selves whether it be within the compasse of this rule namely whether God in his word doth command us to aske such a thing which we desire to have and whether he doth promise upon our calling to bestow it upon us and not rudely and unadvisedly nay ignorantly upon all occasions runne to God onely with an If. Hence it is when the Saints doe come to the throne of grace and solicite God in Iesus Christ for any favour that the holy Ghost doth put them upon that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence where have I commanded you in the Scriptures to aske of me such and such a blessing where is your warrant Where in my Scriptures have I made any such contract any such covenant any such promise to give you such or such a thing which ye desire of me Now if the Saints so praying are able to produce their evidence and say unto the Lord Loe here is our warrant thou hast commanded us in thy word to aske this thing which wee now desire and therefore in obedience to thy command wee have this boldnesse to come unto thee and loe Oh Lord pointing as it were with the finger to the place here is our evidence in thy Scriptures thou hast made a contract a covenant a promise to give us the thing we now desire If I say the Saints can thus answer the Spirit and produce their evidence as afore-sayd their petition is lawfull and they may lawfully charge God with his promise his contract his covenant But then when the Spirit of God puts them to that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence for what ye aske and they are not able to produce any either commandement or promise deducted from his Scriptures he may

it is when the Saints doe come to the Throne of grace and sollicite God in Iesus Christ for any favour that the holy Ghost doth put them upon that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence where have I commaunded you in the Scripture to aske of mee such or such a blessing where is your warrant Where in my Scriptures have I made any such contract any such covenant any such promise to give you such or such a thing which ye desire of me Now if the Saints so praying are able to produce their evidence and say unto the Lord Loe here is our warrant thou hast commaunded us in thy word to aske this thing which wee now desire and therefore in obedience to thy commaund wee have this boldnesse to come unto thee And loe Oh Lord pointing as it were with the finger to the place here is our evidence In thy Scriptures thou hast made a contract a covenant a promise to give us the things wee now desire If I say the Saints can thus answer the Spirit and produce their evidence as aforesaid their petition is lawfull and they may lawfully charge God with his promise his contract his covenant But then when the spirit of God puts them to that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence for what ye aske and they are not able to produce any either commaundement or promise deducted from his Scriptures hee may as one saith justly plead and answer such petitioners with a Non est factum I made no such promise Wherefore when men pray unto God for such things as have no ground from his word notwithstanding they thrust in an If they shall be sent away empty the Lord will plead to such petitioners Non est factum I made no such promise Hee delighteth not in such babling In this long speech I could not but repeate it all you may plainely see Sir had you read it with a single eye that which I have therein affirmed is no more but the truth For first a little before I demaunded this question When are our petitions agreeable with the will of God Which question is there thus answered Our petitions are agreeable to the will of God when they are agreeable to his word Now said I our petitions are agreeable to Gods will not when wee put in this word If as to say if it be thy will to give us this or that but they are agreeable to his will when the thing we desire God to bestow upon us is both commaunded and promised Wherein can you find this faultie or fayling Which of those two doe make our petitions agreeable to Gods will Is it this word If or els Gods word thinke you What must wee not when wee pray to God as in my writings I have pressed it carefully examine and consider with our selves whether that which wee pray for be within the compasse of this rule namely whether God in his word doth commaund us to aske such a thing which wee desire to have and whether hee doth promise upon our calling to bestow it upon us ought wee not thus to doe and who can deny it Or is it sufficient upon all occasions to come to God onely with an If Is that the prayer wherein hee delighteth What doe you thinke then of this put case an honest learned true hearted Minister doth for the present want meanes as also a place to exercise his calling I presume you will say in this case pray hee must Well be it so Now hee frames his petition thus Oh Lord I beseech thee if it be thy will give me one of Mr. Norrice his places one of them at Tedbury or els that at Horseleigh whereby I may both exercise my calling and also ger my maintenance What doe you thinke of this petition Is it agreeable to Gods will thô hee here putteth in this word If and say If it be thy will give it me Or doth God delight in this kind of praying I trowe you will answer No and conclude with mee in these words thô now recorded by you as an errour Hee doth rudely and unadvisedly nay ignorantly run to God thô If be in And doth not the word of God warrant this Nay when men shall pray to God for this or any other thing as have no ground from his word notwithstanding they doe thrust in an If shall they not be sent away empty Will not the Lord plead to such petitioners Non est factum I made no such promise Will he delight in such babling Are not these the things which I spake of in my writings and who can justly except against them Doe not the Scriptures teach so much why then doe you lash the Scriptures as containing dangerous positions upon my backe why have you peeced up together certain sentences some of mine and some of your owne and sent them to divers as dangerous assertions Doe you not by this meanes labour to cast a mist before the Readers eyes that so hee can not clearely perceave my meaning For in these your last collections you deale very strangly in that you doe so tye them together with your owne chaines as that the Reader cannot conceave but that they doe follow one the other directly in my writings as you have here placed them when as you put part of that which is in the second place first and this sentence hee delighteth not in such bablings which is last you have put in the middle betweene another saying leaving out the ground upon which it is spoken and all other words and passages which I use to make it plaine This is brave dealing is it not Doe you thinke to make good by this meanes what you have spoken which is as t is reported this That I doe maintaine blasphemy which you labour to proove by these words The Lord delighteth not in such bablings I pray you what is that which I say is babling Is it not this namely to pray to God for such things notwithstanding If be thrust in as have no ground from the word Is this blasphemy Iudge righteous judgement And henceforth I pray you keepe your eyes in your head t is the place as Salomon saith Eccles 2.14 where a wise mans eyes are Consider before hand what the issue will be It had bene well if you had observed this rule before you had presumed to put in practise such things as these 6. The sixt place in my writings runneth thus Let him not namely thy heart shift thee off with this or the like poore excuse The Lord doth not see it good for thee but rather tell him plainely thou knowest the Lord doth see it good for thee because hee hath both commaunded thee to aske it of him and hath also promised to give it but thou Oh false heart with some or one of those before specified hast made mee unworthy of the thing which I have asked unsufficient to apprehend the promise and to receave it The ground of this speech is